Mom and Dad,
I've passed the 3/4th mark. Doesn't feel like I have. I'm not old! Then again, my mission president told me I'm an old missionary last transfer...as do many other missionaries. Duren Choro tries to tell me I'm old, but I remind him he's only one transfer behind me.
We taught the guy that lives way far away on Tuesday. This time we taught about prophets and dispensations, and the priesthood. He is so quick to understand and soak everything in! He told us he believes everything we've taught him, too! The only challenge is we have no idea how he can go to church. He lives way far from the two closest churches and doesn't have a car or anything for transport. We discovered a less active lives in that area so we're hoping he'll return to activity and hopefully be willing to bring this guy with him every week.
My back tire popped just before getting to his house so we were really worried about getting back to Ako. The investigator directed us to a nearby bike shop, so we went there. It's owned by this really funny old guy who is very difficult to understand even if you're native Japanese. He and his wife were way nice to us, and even did the work needed on the bike for free! That's not even the funniest part! While waiting in there, a middle schooler from the neighborhood sees us in the shop, comes in, and is absolutely awe-struck that there were two gaijin in front of him. He's been taking private English lessons since he was a kid, so he's really good and he LOVES America (and gaijin). I've never seen anyone as happy as he was.
Wednesday we moved a piano. A really big, heavy piano. No joke! It weighed probably 200kg. It's a super nice piano that was used in a popular music school somewhere in Japan, so it's made entirely of hardwood and dense, high quality metal. Crazy.
Friday, we had district meeting and I went to Himeji on a kokan! It's so much fun to dendo in the city! It's also way more fun to spend all your time talking to people on the street rather than knocking on doors. Oddly enough, all the Japanese missionaries like housing more, but that didn't stop us from streeting the whole time! He's fresh out of training (in Nishiwaki, like me!).
Saturday morning, we were doing study, then got a big surprise. Takaku Choro, the guy I was kokan'ing with, left the phone in the bedroom, so when he grabbed it we found several missed calls from Ako. Turns out the branch president called them that morning and said he was coming over to help us move stuff from the shimai's house to the new apartment. That all went on as the two of us rushed to Ako. Basically we spent the rest of the day taking in what the branch president left outside the apartment and bringing more stuff from the house. We can't really carry much on our bikes, though, so it was kind of a slow process. There are still things to grab and things to have someone move by car, but the new apartment is nice. We don't have gas or water yet, so we're practically sleeping and studying in the apartment, and eating and doing hygiene stuff in the house...which is literally half-way across Ako. So, it's been a really interesting weekend.
If you don't like brussel sprouts, I'll have to show you goya. It has a really bitter, pungent taste. Most Japanese people don't even like it, but I find it alright. Then there's nato, the fermented soy beans!
That's all for this week, it seems. Sounds like it's much colder there than here! Last year was probably the opposite: Kitarokko was pretty cold! Duren Choro thinks I'm crazy, but he's from California.Give my best to all!
愛、
~ウィルソン長老
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