Examples

 皆そんこにちは!

Man I had so many mixed feelings leaving Atsugi. I was looking forward to a new start but so sad to say goodbye. Kohei had a free week basically and he hung out with us literally every day before I left. Sunday he came to a ward activity (where I swallowed the bug on the way), Monday we played sports together with him and the whole zone then went to Costco with him and Bro. Ishii. Tuesday we planned to play basketball and teach him a lesson but he made a friend at the gym so we just went back to the church and ate together and played ping pong with the friend. Wednesday we taught him and talked about baptism. The Spirit was way strong in the room. He said if he gets an answer about the Book of Mormon and if his parents are ok with it he will follow Jesus Christ's gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of Holy Ghost, enduring to the end). His parents have a good view of missionaries and think we are good friends for him. I didn't get to meet them but we wrote them a dope note with some pictures and he said his mom really liked it. I wrote him a big goodbye note with some pictures and he gave me a really cool Mt. Fuji decoration. We will see each other soon because we still live close but I miss that kid.

We hung out with Kenji one last time before I left too. We just went for a drive, talked, and drank soda haha. It was way chill. He told us before we hung out that he just wants to hang out and not talk about church :( I told him I wouldn't but when he started asking us if he should get back together with his wife or divorce her I couldn't resist. I just told him he needs to ask God, cause we don't know! I told him we didn't need to keep talking about church I just wanted to say that but he asked how he would find an answer. We introduced the Book of Mormon to help him find the answers. He is on his way. I miss those two already :/

One last thing that happened before I left is Busteed and I were passing out English class flyers at the train station and this girl around my age asked in fluent English if we do a cooking class? I said no of course, I don't cook haha. We started talking and I was telling her about God and she frankly told me she doesn't need him. I told her He exists and loves her regardless. We talked for a bit longer, she was waiting for a friend, as soon as she saw him she said "oh he's here!" Then she just jumped at me and gave me a really quick and awkward hug. As missionaries we aren't supposed to hug the opposite gender but I felt a little bad not just giving her a pat on the back. Most awkward experience on my mission and most awkward hug ever. Japanese people don't hug, plus I just met her? Then I saw she was meeting up with some 80 year old that's her "friend"? Weird experience. 

Sagamihara is great from what I have seen. Ahhhhh the apartment is so nice. I went from the worst apartment in the mission, no joke, to one of the better ones. I don't even have to duck on doorways! My companion Elder Harrison is loving and cool, he is really strict but it's a good opportunity to work on my obedience. We are working way hard and I'm so dang tired. It's really given me an opportunity to concentrate on the work and because of it I am not feeling down at all! In fact I have been way happy ever since I got here, even though I'm not having as much "fun" if that makes sense? 

Ever since I got here I have had the craziest dreams! One of which was a movie of myself chasing down a person I accidentally offended who is on a killing spree of everyone I know, legit action movie, my mind was blown. Another one where there were these blue trees and they were so cool and a lot of black people love them but white people were trying to cut them down and burn them and were releasing bears on the black people to stop them from protecting the trees. I got blamed for the incident and everyone was saying I was a racist for killing the black people.. CRAZY stuff haha. 

Our two main investigators here are Paul and Ikeda. Paul is from England and he is one of the most unhealthy people I have met. He just doesn't take care of his body. Smokes, doesn't drink water, take care of his teeth, etc. it's all mostly because he was severely bullied as a kid and it's really affected him. He is so stoked about the gospel though. He is 33 but wiggles around like a little kid when we talk about the gospel because he gets so excited. He prayed about the church and then had a crazy dream saying the church is true. He wants to be baptized. We are trying to help him with his word of wisdom problems. We had a good opportunity to give him a blessing. He also lives with his girlfriend but we are planning on getting them married here in the church as soon as we can! Ikeda's wife is a member in the ward. We are trying to help him get baptized to receive the ridiculous amount of blessings the gospel gives families. He's a little hard hearted and his wife was there last lesson and she was just calling him out. The air was thick, we think it may be good he heard that from her though.

We met a guy on the street this week who had been to SLC and knew about Mormons. He took us to his business (it's hard to even get people's phone numbers here) in this huge building. It was a physical therapy place, really good lesson, but weird atmosphere. He was playing massage music, giving us weird water, and these ladies came while we were there and behind these curtains making weird sounds with metallic balls (sounded like rubbing the top edge of a glass dish and the weird humming sound it makes). Way freaky experience. 

In my intro to the ward during church yesterday I talked about being examples. Those of you who played an example in my personal conversion, I owe it to you guys. I'll never forget it and will be thankful for eternities. We have so much influence on others, we never realize the effect we have until after.. but always be the Christlike example your family and friends need to come closer to God. By small and simple things great works are done. By many of your "small yet subtle" examples I came to find the joy the gospel brings. 

Love you <3

スパックマン長老

Pics

1. Last day in Atsugi with the dope district and zone leaders I had there

 

2. My last English class with my Vietnamese friends Vu and Hai

 

3. Last English class, Fukuoka kinda ruined it.. But but Kohei and Issei are there in the front

 

4. A ton of kimono (traditional Japanese robe things) pictures Elder Busteed and I put up in the apartment haha

 

5. A really awkward goodbye song Fukuoka sung for the people leaving Atsugi. Kohei and I were way confused as you can see (I was way weirded out) but I'm glad this kid enjoyed it!