I thought being in a district that only includes the area itself and being on the Rock, I wouldn't have to do so much travel. Well, there was more travel this week and it's only getting started!
Last preparation day it was sooo rainy! I already said that, but we had to bike a ways from the apartment to buy dry ice. I was completely dry when we left, then completely soaked--raincoat and all--by the time we got back. Why did we buy dry ice, you ask? Well, we were having a celebration at the church for the new branch dendo shunin (mission leader)! The crown of the party: home made root beer! Can't have that without some carbonation right?
The next day we finally had a lesson with the investigator whom we saw at the eki right as we got Tokushima. Remember him? It's okay if you don't. He's way busy--such is student life in Japan--so we kept pushing back the appointment, but we finally got it. We got to know him well and talk with him about eternal families since he really loves his family. We're hoping he'll decide to be baptized before May, because he's looking at moving to Montreal then.
Wednesday we went to Kobe for zone taikai since they had some zones before the transfer, and some for after. I got transferred from a zone that hadn't had it, to a zone that already did, so I got to go to my old zone in Kobe for it! It's funny how some missionaries never get to go to the honbu as they go through their areas; well, I can't escape the honbu! Even on the Rock where nobody ever goes to the honbu, I can't get away! Love it! But, it's kind of far and it was a pretty long taikai, so it ended up taking the entire day.
The following day all four of us choro's biked out about 90 minutes to the place where all those lost records are located and got to work trying to find the people. We didn't have too much time because we had to be back before a lesson appointment, but we managed to find a few. One of them was a woman who now lives in Hawai'i and is going to church actively! Miracles do exist! She probably hadn't been to church for a couple dozen years when she was still in Japan!
The lesson that night was with this guy who loves all religions and respects them all very deeply. He absolutely loves meeting with us because we "give him energy and light," as he phrased it. He also likes English a lot. He's very kind and open. He says it's basically impossible for him to choose just one religion to follow. We're going to seek a lot of inspiration to teach him and help him follow the Savior into the waters of baptism!
The following day we met with a new guy--all four of us--who called and asked to come to eikaiwa. He has come the last couple of weeks, and this last time he gave us a list of things this documentary he watched said about Mormons. We scheduled a time to meet so we could dispel the misconceptions and some entirely incorrect things. He himself said he didn't believe it and that he was just curious. Well, we actually didn't talk about that list at all when we met, we just answered questions he had. One was particularly hard to satisfy. After I answered some of his questions. He said "Ah! That makes sense! I've never thought about it like that before! It's like scales have fallen from my eyes, like Saul!" In Japanese there's a phrase that means something along the lines of scales falling from your eyes. Coincidence? Most definitely not!
Saturday and Sunday. Travel. We had District Taikai in Takamatsu--funny because I was just at Stake Taikai in Kobe a few weeks ago!. We headed up on Saturday afternoon and caught the Priesthood Leadership and Saturday Night Sessions. Then the next day we had the Sunday General Session. After getting back from that we had to promptly have dinner then go to the church for a broadcast from Tokyo where Nelson, Whiting, Evans, and Ringwood were speaking to the whole country. It was a weekend packed chock-full of talks, the Spirit, and revelation. Oh, and at the District Taikai, there was another Choro from the Area 70 that spoke, so I got to meet another GA! Plus, this week on Friday I go back to Kobe for a taikai where Nelson Choro will be speaking to the mission. Then I go back AGAIN to Kobe the next Tuesday for a combined DLC/MLC where they'll start rolling out the IPADS to each area! Lots of travel, but it's so incredibly worth it!.
Japanese pot stickers are infinitely better than any pot stickers you'd find in America. My talk was scheduled for April but they moved it back to the Sunday before I go home.
Mom and Dad,
Last preparation day it was sooo rainy! I already said that, but we had to bike a ways from the apartment to buy dry ice. I was completely dry when we left, then completely soaked--raincoat and all--by the time we got back. Why did we buy dry ice, you ask? Well, we were having a celebration at the church for the new branch dendo shunin (mission leader)! The crown of the party: home made root beer! Can't have that without some carbonation right?
The next day we finally had a lesson with the investigator whom we saw at the eki right as we got Tokushima. Remember him? It's okay if you don't. He's way busy--such is student life in Japan--so we kept pushing back the appointment, but we finally got it. We got to know him well and talk with him about eternal families since he really loves his family. We're hoping he'll decide to be baptized before May, because he's looking at moving to Montreal then.
Wednesday we went to Kobe for zone taikai since they had some zones before the transfer, and some for after. I got transferred from a zone that hadn't had it, to a zone that already did, so I got to go to my old zone in Kobe for it! It's funny how some missionaries never get to go to the honbu as they go through their areas; well, I can't escape the honbu! Even on the Rock where nobody ever goes to the honbu, I can't get away! Love it! But, it's kind of far and it was a pretty long taikai, so it ended up taking the entire day.
The following day all four of us choro's biked out about 90 minutes to the place where all those lost records are located and got to work trying to find the people. We didn't have too much time because we had to be back before a lesson appointment, but we managed to find a few. One of them was a woman who now lives in Hawai'i and is going to church actively! Miracles do exist! She probably hadn't been to church for a couple dozen years when she was still in Japan!
The lesson that night was with this guy who loves all religions and respects them all very deeply. He absolutely loves meeting with us because we "give him energy and light," as he phrased it. He also likes English a lot. He's very kind and open. He says it's basically impossible for him to choose just one religion to follow. We're going to seek a lot of inspiration to teach him and help him follow the Savior into the waters of baptism!
The following day we met with a new guy--all four of us--who called and asked to come to eikaiwa. He has come the last couple of weeks, and this last time he gave us a list of things this documentary he watched said about Mormons. We scheduled a time to meet so we could dispel the misconceptions and some entirely incorrect things. He himself said he didn't believe it and that he was just curious. Well, we actually didn't talk about that list at all when we met, we just answered questions he had. One was particularly hard to satisfy. After I answered some of his questions. He said "Ah! That makes sense! I've never thought about it like that before! It's like scales have fallen from my eyes, like Saul!" In Japanese there's a phrase that means something along the lines of scales falling from your eyes. Coincidence? Most definitely not!
Saturday and Sunday. Travel. We had District Taikai in Takamatsu--funny because I was just at Stake Taikai in Kobe a few weeks ago!. We headed up on Saturday afternoon and caught the Priesthood Leadership and Saturday Night Sessions. Then the next day we had the Sunday General Session. After getting back from that we had to promptly have dinner then go to the church for a broadcast from Tokyo where Nelson, Whiting, Evans, and Ringwood were speaking to the whole country. It was a weekend packed chock-full of talks, the Spirit, and revelation. Oh, and at the District Taikai, there was another Choro from the Area 70 that spoke, so I got to meet another GA! Plus, this week on Friday I go back to Kobe for a taikai where Nelson Choro will be speaking to the mission. Then I go back AGAIN to Kobe the next Tuesday for a combined DLC/MLC where they'll start rolling out the IPADS to each area! Lots of travel, but it's so incredibly worth it!.
Japanese pot stickers are infinitely better than any pot stickers you'd find in America. My talk was scheduled for April but they moved it back to the Sunday before I go home.
Alright! That's all I have for this weeks story! This next week is looking to be very exciting, so we'll see!
愛、
～ウィルソン長老
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