Talked to the fam. for Christmas

So I talked to the fam for Christmas, which was sooo good. Sometimes it's hard to feel like yourself when you are in Japan with no one who really knows you that well... But talking to my family I really just felt like myself again. Made me realize I haven't really changed that much but I do feel like I have become a better person. It was nice to take a look at myself, and my family is doing a really good job of inviting others to experience the same joys they have through this gospel! It was cool to hear their experiences.

On Christmas we also made some PB rice crispies for some friends in the ward that feed us a lot and take good care of us. One of which is the Larsen family, they actually had us over for Christmas dinner! BIG sacrifice for them. Ham, stuffing, and all kinds of good desserts! Yamate is really the best place to be for the holidays. This last week we did church open houses for 5 days straight. It was kinda rough but a good opportunity to help change people's negative images of church and share gospel principles. 

Keiji Nakamura is doing super well. He got sick this week and is working a night job right now. He still came to all three hours of church to learn, while sick and interrupting his sleep. Such a boss, he is praying and reading scriptures as well. He prayed to know if the things we have been teaching are true and felt super good. He told us he has anxiety when he doesn't pray and feels good when he does. We have told him it is the spirit of God but it's hard for him to admit. He is on his way though :)

This week in the same apartment we have been finding people for weeks, including Nakamura, we found an older lady who loves hymns. We sang Joy to the World together and she said she would be willing to meet with the sister missionaries so we are sending them over. Last night we found some more people that were down to meet again. That apartment is just so money. 

Last thing. I've said it a lot, but I know what I am sharing with people here in Japan is true. For any single one of you who feels like you can/have trusted anything I have said... Trust me on this more than anything else, because I don't know if I have known something to be more true. God lives, loves you and wants you to be happy and become like Him. He has prepared the way through Jesus Christ. It's there for the taking. The rest is up to you.

Love you guys

1. Guess who showed up to the open house out of nowhere... Bro. Fukuoka from Atsugi! Crazy to see him again, he is going to Seattle on his mission soon.

2. Some more of that amazing food made by my companion, Fajita

3. からげ really good deep friend chicken

4. Orange chicken that's just like Panda Express <3

Nothing but good news & videos

Hey guys! Merry Christmas! I'm not sad to be in Japan this holiday season but please enjoy all the advantages of being in America with your family this Christmas. Remember the gravity of what it meant when Christ was born. Without a savior we wouldn't have a backspace, resurrection, eternal life or any way to be forgiven. Just darkness
after death. I'm thankful that's not the case.

This week I entered the second half of my mission. Really trying to improve and set some goals. The big one is just to use 100% of my time and in doing so improve my Japanese, read and learn a lot more. I just saw another missionary go home. I have now lived with 4 returning missionaries and living with another now. It makes me  kinda trunky haha.

Nakamura is still doing awesome. He met with Gailey and I, told us he got a different job that works nights. A miracle because it opened things up for him to come to church this last week. He is doing all the things needed to progress, CPR (Coming to church, Praying and Reading scriptures). I hope you are all CPR'ing. If not CTR and CPR. lol.... Cancel. He heard some great talks at church, a awesome lesson on the spirit and having real intent to receive answers. He said he would ask God if the Book of Mormon is true. The teacher Bro. Omine talked about an investigator he had on his mission who read the whole Book of Mormon and prayed really hard to know if it was true, but didn't get an answer. He was stumped because it is promised in Moroni 10 that anyone can get an answer if you read, ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon... Though the promise also says if you have "real intent." He talked about how real intent isn't just wanting to know, it's willing to change your life if you get an answer. Reminded me of my personal conversion. I changed my ways, kept the commandments for a week so that I could get an answer from God. I knew if I got that answer I would continue to live that way, it would forever change me and I would act on it. I had real intent and because of it I got my answer. God keeps His promises.

The other day Gailey had a young man in the ward, Daiki join us for some finding. We got a phone call from his mom when we got to the train station. She said he got in some trouble at school, all his friends got suspended but he didn't. He felt super guilty. She told us to talk to him about it but not say she called. Hard situation, Daiki didn't bring it up after we pried a little so we figured he didn't want to talk about it. We just had fun with him, ate pizza and went to a giant Toyota center. I will send pics. I got a chance to share the experience I did in the last paragraph, that helped me know if I needed to go on a mission. He seemed to really take it in. He has really been tight with all the missionaries lately and been trying to decide if he should serve. Then yesterday he came up to me and said he is going to go on a mission! I asked why and he said because of his experiences with the missionaries! Cool to be a part of that.

Our friend Ken Kimura that I was scared we freaked out with telling him too much at once, but he was really just busy and we managed to get back in touch with. We got to meet again. We talked about baptism again. He is so excited about the blessings he can get, it's so cool to watch. He just kept saying, "I really want to go to heaven." He prayed for the first time with us. Just really cool stuff going down with him. He would be down to get baptized now I feel like but we need to make sure he understands the commitment beforehand.

We had dinner with the Sorensons and the Laursons this last week, we get so spoiled by the American members here, it's crazy. Though the Japanese members are hooking it up too. We got some giant gift boxes from them for Christmas. It's overwhelming how many goodies we got. Family don't send packages if you haven't already! I don't need it haha. The last 4 days for most of the day we have been doing church open houses with the members. They are pretty fun. It's nice because people just come into the church and you just make friends and try to teach them something.

Other than that Elder Johnson is great so far. Things have been insanely busy since he got here, no time for anything. I've been eating like a king ever since he came though. His food is better than most restaurants. Makes me way happy haha.

Love you guys! Again, have a Merry Christmas.

1. Chillin in the Nissan GTR

2. Swaaaag

3. Yokohama city

4. The Nissan center, crazy lights on the first floor

5. Yeahhh... I have not words

6. The collection of goodies from the ward :)

7. We got bunk beds this week! Had a lot of fun opening the mattresses too lol

8. Eating probably one of the nastiest snacks there is

9-11. All of the great food I've been eating this week all made by my companion: Okonomiaki, Katsu, Mexican

Halfway

Time as a missionary is impossible to explain, "the days are long and the months fly bye" is the best I can do. I am a year out (halfway) this coming Thursday, insane. Transfer calls came. I'm staying in Yamate :) Elder Gailey is leaving which is kinda sad.. My new companion, Elder Johnson, is coming from a close by area. He is famous
in the mission for being a good cook. I ate his food one time, soo bomb. So that's good!

Everything that transpired this week all started with a split I went on with my zone leader, Elder Carlini. He goes home this week, which is sad cause we became homies on the split. We had a ton of stuff to get done but it all fell into place. He spent some time with the Suzuki's when he was here in Yamate, a family I have talked about
before. He called the mom to see her one more time, no answer. We had lunch with one of Carlini's other friends, during dinner she called. Figured out we couldn't meet so she asked where we were. She happened to be way close on a work break. She came over just in time to see us. Then I set up an appointment with her and her family, which was yesterday (more about that later). Then we had to go find some papers he lost, ran into a guy named Adachi that we have been talking to ever since. We shared the Christmas video, talked forever then he finally just decided to walk the opposite way he was going to keep talking to us, way chill guy. Then to finish it off Nakamura (our investigator who has been meeting with us twice a week learning English and gospel stuff) went with us to an American members home. We weren't sure how it would go... But it went sooo well. They fed us really a ton and talked to him a lot. His English isn't fluent but they were really good about speaking simply and slowly. Both parties were thoroughly entertained with each other. He ate a TON. He seems to struggle with money and was stoked to have a huge meal. I was stuffed but he ate more than Carlini and I combined. Then at the end we watched the Christmas video and everyone talked about it and testified. Dang it was powerful. Nakamura has started praying and reading the Book of Mormon every day and is making great progress.

We had a Christmas party on Saturday and a lot of our English class students come to sing silent night. It was really good and all the members love our investigator Nakamura. He sings super loud, like really loud haha. The whole ward was cracking up while we sang. There was a lot of non members that came so it was great to make some friends. We also were doing church tours and a Vietnamese kid approached me and told me he wants to learn about church, hopefully meeting with him soon!

So last thing, Suzuki family. All the missionaries went over last night to their insanely nice apartment. They are a big family and invited some extended family members. We ate all sorts of good stuff, played games and had a great time. We really bonded with them. Then at the end we shared a Christmas video and said how thankful we are for eternal families. What a great and rare opportunity here to spend time with a whole nonmember family, especially the Suzuki's. We were all pretty dang happy last night.

We are stoked about Nakamura and the Suzuki's and it's hard to stress or help you understand how sick it is we get to work with them.

Sorry not a ton this week, but things are going well, life's good :)
Love you guys

1. Landmark Tower selfie

2. Adachi the friend Elder Carlini and I made

3. Crazy monsoon we had this week

4. Skyline view from the apartment

5. That Christmas party though :)

6. The Suzuki's!!!!

7.  A cool mall we went to today

#ASaviorIsBorn

If you guys don't read or look at anything else watch this video! I posted it on Facebook recently but I want every last one of you to see it. Check it:

https://www.mormon.org/christmas/purpose-of-a-savior

Or

Why we need a Savior — A Christmas message about our Savior Jesus Christ. #ASaviorIsBorn. (2:15)

It really breaks it down so simple. "If you let Him. If you love Him. If you follow Him." Christ has done it all and continues to give us everything we need if we let, love and follow him. Show this to your friends. Post it on social network. I'm really stoked about the video and have decided to push myself to show it to as many people as I can.

We found a recently renovated apartment and we haven't gotten done with one floor after going there three different times, because people are actually talking to us! Our first day we were able to talk face to face with 6 people, 4 of them are now potential investigators, 2 we were able to teach a real lesson and 2 became investigators. Percentages of people who have even heard of Mormons is pretty low. So it's crazy just on that one floor we found 1 less active member, Murakami and a previous investigator of three years ago who is in middle aged, Nakamura. The next day Nakamura came to English class and we set up a meeting with him. Now we are meeting twice a week teaching him English and Gospel stuff. He prayed and really enjoyed it. So he is on his way. Get this, he wants to work on understanding song lyrics and basketball terms... He found the right guy talking to me haha. We are also trying to help the less active find Christ again. Lastly an 87 year old man Hosokawa. He speaks English to us and we speak Japanese to him, pretty funny but he is the nicest old man I have ever met. I just wanna hug him but he is very Japanese so he won't haha. He told us yesterday that he didn't want to talk about the after life because it makes him sad thinking about the friends he saw die in WW2. He talked about 1941 (Pearl Harbor) and how he feels like he made a mistake. He would have been 13 at the time, but he has said that he went to war. I have heard young boys like him were sent to serve during that time. It really sounds like he was part of Pearl Harbor and really regrets doing it because of the atomic bombs that followed. Really crazy stuff. He feels really bad about it. We are trying with him.

Here's the funny stories for the week. Elder Gailey and I got home before the other Elders and waited in their room to scare them. Gailey was under the study table. When he popped his head out he scared Elder Terry really bad. From a 3rd person perspective it was hilarious. Terry freaked out he kicked Gailey straight in the face pretty hard haha. Bloody nose and lip hahaha. Terry felt so terrible but I just cracked up. Next one, we went on splits in Kamiooka and I was with a friend of mine Elder Young and we held giant cardboard signs that looked liked Books of Mormon at an intersection. We had some fun dancing around. This old lady saw me across the street and started dancing back haha. She then crossed and we said hi. Turned out she was pretty crazy she said, "I love English, in fact I love everything." She got really close to Elder Young and reached for a not very nice area and said "I like boys too" He used his Book of Mormon sign to protect himself as he stepped away. Then she quickly approached me, reach for the same spot on me, I did the same as Elder Young. Then she went behind me and started touching my butt and I kinda ran away. Hahaha we were so uncomfortable and laughing uncontrollably because she was just a mentally handicapped old lady, what do you do?... Hahaha

I went on another split recently in Kamiooka and we saw a baptism. I felt the Spirit really strong, especially as I skyped in a return missionary who found and taught the girl being baptized back when she was a missionary. The joy I saw in her face as she watched her friend make that decision to follow Christ really hit me. I don't know any other church where people feel the joy we do watching others (especially friends we have helped) follow Christ with Baptism. Really made me want to find and help those people to experience the same joy that return missionary on Skype did. 

So we got a call from the cops a couple days ago around 6 pm. An insane friend of ours Crazy Ken had been caught riding a bike that wasn't registered under he name and the cops needed someone to sign for him to be released so they didn't need to take him back to the station. So because he doesn't really have other friends... he had them call us. So we had to go to the church and sort it out. 3 cops came and I tried to teach them the restoration of the church haha. Basically the cops told us they need us to sign saying that we will teach Ken to be better and improve his life. We were like well, of course we can, that's our purpose as missionaries, but we were scared we would be responsible for him, we sorted it out and taught him how to pray and stuff. Don't think he is sane enough to teach though. 

Speaking of Ken's... Ken Kimura, Our normal friend who we taught a while back and he was interested in baptism but we were nervous we gave him too much at once and scared him, then we lost contact? Well he hit us up finally and apologized for being busy. So he is still on board sounds like!! :) Also a kid named Kosuke came to church this last week because he needs to do a college paper on another religion. He choose a Mormon church because he has been to temples in America. He lived in Idaho at a young age and went to high school in Phoenix area (decent amount of connections there). In high school he knew a lot of Mormons and thought they were some of the best people he had ever met. This was his first time at church but he loved it. At the end of church during class bishop started asking him questions. Then Kosuke asked the ward why they joined the church. 5 different people stood up for the rest of the meeting and told their conversion story and testified. He was pretty blown away. All of you, the things you say and example you set has so much power. Always strive to stand as a follower of Christ and represent the church well. We have a large impact.

Lastly today I got to see Elder Busteed one more time before he goes home and also Ishii from Atsugi. Ishii cut my hair and actually did a really good job, I was shocked. We also ate a thing called かつ (katsu) one of my favorite foods here.

Love you guys <3

1. Our old friend Hosokawa, nicest old man. Love him. We are just so happy to be with him here.

  2. Awesome meal a Chinese member put on for us, CHEESECAKE INCLUDED

 

3. Kosuke! Kid that came to church. We should be able to start teaching him soon

 

4. Eatin Katsu with Ishii :) it was So Bomb. A lot of people say it's the best Katsu in the world.

 

5. Last time with the old Atsugi crew (Ishii, Busteed and I)