Kurt's Emails!

Hey! I decided to create a blog for my brother who is on his mission! I am a couple months late on his emails, but it is better late than never.

Pops!!!

I am glad that this past week went by fast for you. it went kinda slow for me. it was a rough one here in Tokyo.

i had a hard time with the language. i reallly get down on myself cause i cant communicate with anybody. i really want to talk with people but i just dont know waht to say. i am always at a loss of words when the moment comes for me to speak. its like i just forget everything that i was ever taught or what i studied. i also am having a hard time finding what to study. its seems that everything i study i forget. so studying is super hard for me. i read from the BOM in japanese then review words and grammar patterns. but it just doesnt seem effective. then i get down on myself. so that is pretty much how my week went down. just alot of frustration and prayer. i dont think i have ever prayed so hard in my life before. i am really hoping that this week is better and goes by smoother which it should.

This upcoming weekened is transfers. Yup. i have been out for a full transfer. i cant believe it either. Even though some days or weeks have gone by slow, the big picture has really gone by fast. i cant believe taht in like 15 days i will have completed my 4th month of my mission. Crazy!!! Anyways transfers.... i hope that i get transfered... The city has been alot of fun for me but i really dont like it. i really wanna be out in the inaka ( Counttry side) or in the mountains. and im in luck. they are reopening 1 and a half zones this upcoming transfer and it is all inaka and mountains. so im hoping that i will be moved out and into the country side. i think i will really like the country side alot more cause i have more of a background with it. and i will be able to see Gods Creation more and it will make me happy. all i see is city. no mountains, hills, ocean, anything. its kinda depressing. i have also had people tell me that they have asked president personally to send me to one of the new areas to be in their district. so. my fingers are crossed and i am praying super hard to be moved out of the city and into more of a homey area. i will be able to do alot more manual service in the inaka too. i am excited about taht too. so i really wanna go their. please pray that i do.
i miss you and the family a whole bunch. i really wish that we could skype home or something. that would be so cool. thanks for the report on how everyone is doing at home. its good to hear that everyone is safe and are doing good. i pray for you guys all the time. I love you all so much. i wish i could see you. it would make things alot easier on me. but i have to carry my cross. everyone does. Can you bug Bug on sending me some of his art work? i have asked him a whole bunch but he jsut seems to iqnore me. i really want some of his stuff. it really makes me feel good and gives me a good laugh everytime i see it.

well not to much more to report on. Oh, i was thinking today after my personal study. another elder called me into our room to read a joke. i did. we laughed and then got into a serious talk about our missions and how hard they are. he was explaining something to me and qouting somebody. and he used the term Endeavour. I immediatly thought of you and yoru sayings and the end of every email. i also thought of the movie and the old indian saying it. that made me laugh inside. anyway, i really thought about it. i have always read that qoute of yours Endeavour to Persevere but i never really knew what it meant. so i looked it up. i liked it alot. the word Endeavour means to attempt to do something, especially something new or difficult and the word Persevere means to continue trying to do or achieve something despite difficulties. so i thought about myself. and how i am Endeavouring to Persevere. well i accepted to come to japan and learn the language so i am definatley doing something new and challening or Endeavoring. all i have to do now is to Persevere. or in other words all i have to do now is Endure to the End. which is the 5th doctrine of Christs Gospel. so i thought about that today and it made me pretty happy. thanks for always having taht qoute. it really helped me out. i hope you can share taht with some of our family. it could help them out too. but those were my thoughts this morning.

i love you tons and wish you the best at work and at home. i hope the animals can survive this summer. especially Chewy. Is this his first Az summer? i think it is. i hope he will survive. i love taht pup. i miss cuddeling with him. haha. its my first summer here in japan. the raining seasnon is just about over and summer is about to come into full effect. the other day it was 102 and 80 percent humidity. and it is only the begining. so i will be hating the humidity here but i love the heat. so hopefully when i come back to AZ the heat wont be taht big of a deal to me. Oh, how are the fires and stuff doing in AZ??? i hope the rains will come and drown them out. i pray that it rains over there.

anyways. i hope all is well. I think this week will be good for me. i hope so. i hope that it goes by fast too. i cant wait to read your emails next week. they always make me happy. Until then, God Be With You Always!!!

Love your Son,

Elder Kurt Van De Graaff