Konichiwaaaaaa,
Hey family! Another week down. And with this one the first transfer ended. How the heck did that happen? I feel like thirty seconds ago I was walking off the train to Kamagaya for the first time with my doryo. So strange, but I guess that means we were busy, and busy is good.
So we cannot teach women because of a few bad eggs here in Tokyo. It really is a shame, because I would say of the few people we actually do talk to, women make up ninety percent of them. But all we can do is a small intro, give them material, and refer them to the sisters. Kinda frustrating, but we feel good that we can help the sisters find people to teach. The rest of Japan can teach women as long as they abide by the rules in the white handbook.
So today we had zone pday in Matsudou, where we found out they are combining our zone with another. With that change me and Tsuchida Choro will take over ALL of Kamagaya and its investigators. It's a huge load of work, but I sort of knew the Lord was gonna lay one on us when he allowed me and Tsuchida Choro to stay together. I am so happy I get him for another two weeks. I really do have the greatest trainer in the entire Tokyo mission. I feel so blessed to be here with him. Also not having to sleep on the kitchen hardwood floor and study in the genkan (entry) will be nice too. The genkan is the area near the door where every one puts their shoes, and my desk has been on the edge the whole transfer haha. We have one of the smallest apartments in the zone so it's been a tight fit for six weeks. At zone pday we played ultimate free for all dodge ball. It was so fun. You restrict the game to half court and have one ball. If you pick up the ball you can take two steps before you have to throw it. The only way the game can end, is if one person gets everyone out, each time someone is out, all the people THEY got out go back in. It's really fast paced and chaotic, and lasts for a long time, so that was fun. Other than that we had transfer calls. Our District Leader Kuwana Choro, from Sapporo, dad, will transfer out so that was kind of a bummer, he is always happy and positive and suuuuper funny. Good missionary. But we are excited for the opportunity to work more.
What else happened this week...it's so hard to remember it all. So this past week we had a typhoon nearby, so we had super high winds that were HOT. It felt like a car heater blowing in your face, while it was already one hundred degrees with ninety percent humidity haha. I would compare it to driving the Acura the last three years of her life in the summer. Danielle, Shannon, dad, you know. The week before that it got suuuuper hot and humid, and the week before it was freezing sideways rain. So the weather has been crazy. It's consistently hot and humid now. I thought I would hate it, and I suppose I do to an extent, but I am so tired I just don't even care that I am always sticky and sweaty hahaha. I'll need to find some mega bleach for my shirt collars...
I forgot to talk about this but I did have my first earthquake! It was pretty fun. I woke up in the middle of the night to the ground shaking back and forth, it felt kinda like someone was shaking me awake and once they got me up, they gently rocked me back to sleep hahaha. Was just a tiny one.
This past week we had one lesson with an investigator over Skype. He is kinda crazy and treats our lessons like free English lessons. He won't commit to anything but loves the Book of Mormon and the missionaries. That's the problem here, people love the missionaries, because we patiently teach them, and they love the stories and principles of the Book of Mormon, but they never commit to anything hah. Pretty tough, but everyone tells me stories of how people met with the missionaries for years before finally committing, so we patiently try to get to his heart. This last time though, we had a member present and things went a little crazy haha. The member got really passionate when talking about temples and got a little preachy, we knew he meant well so we let him have his time, but our investigator got mad and felt he was being preached at. Called him arrogant and such. The spirit ditched at that point so we just ended the lesson. Fortunately he will still see us, but not that member haha. We tried to explain through email that he really is a wonderful person and such, I guess we will see what he thinks now.
Other than that it was finding, housing, streeting, pamphlets and over and over again. This week we finally made the goal and the mission standard for placing Books of Mormon given, which was Ten. We managed to do well and get twelve so that felt good, but you are always hungry to find people who are gonna stick around. Not just those interested in a record of people from America and learning about what God is. The only thing we can do is continue to work and invite.
On a funny note I am becoming Japanese. I am really awkward now for an American, vey soft spoken and such, but it's normal here so I don't notice it till the end of the day when I look back, look at Tsuchida Choro, and say, "I'm such an awkward person now!!" He just laughs and says that is the life of a senkyoshi. One awkward encounter after another hahaha. It's so funny because you won't be rejected outright or rudely, most of the time, but people will pretty much ignore the fact you exist. At the park the other day, we were talking to some college kids who were NOT interested, but would not flat out tell us to get lost, so I refused to get lost! After ten minutes of the quietest most awkward conversation ever, we finally gave them a Book of Mormon and left. Hard to put into words, but I'll be a weirdo when I come home, if I come home? Haha just kidding, but it's hard to imagine doing something else, I mostly delude myself into thinking this is my life now.
What else happened this week...oh the once fearful Jehovah's Witness missionaries have found all the ekis (train stations) that we work at and have decided to set up shop at all of them, throughout the week. That's been tough. They just sit there with their arms folded not looking at anyone while their fancy podium poster board thing plays some kind of recording about their church. It's so strange how they do missionary work. It is all passive, they don't try to seek or find at all. That's been a little frustrating though. People often ask if we are Jehovah's witnesses and we have to explain and assure them we are not, I don't know what their message is, but people seem to be pretty wary of it here.
Oh I remember I wanted to tell you one story about a member we visited this week. His name is Hirukawa Kyodai. He has some serious health problems, he can hardly walk and can only say a few words at a time before he clenches his eyes and sucks his breath. I think it is some kind of pain. I have no idea what his problems are, but my heart breaks for him. I wish I could help him, ease his pain somehow, care for him. I hardly know that man, but when I think about him my eyes fill with tears because I feel so much love for him. Every single week he calls a cab to come take him to church, rain or shine or snow and slowly hobbles into the church, when we could easily take him the sacrament. His conversion is one of the most solid I have ever seen. We visited him last Friday. When we rode up to his house, we saw that the big earthquake several years ago liquified some of his foundation, and his front porch sunk a little into the ground. Because of that you can only open the door enough to squeeze inside. And the brick and stone on his house is in pretty bad disrepair. When he called for us to go in, my heart broke into a million pieces. He can hardly care for himself, so his house is a pretty big mess. There are a lot of broken things, a lot of trash and garbage all around. We stood in his genkan and read the Book of Mormon with him and talked about how our desires and actions help us become better people, and how that secures our conversion in life. Continuing to feed our righteous desires. He then told us that he was going to the temple to do some family names. He can't afford a new air conditioner, new glasses, or repairs for his house, but he budgets so that he can go to the temple for his family. As he sat on his floor talking with us I could see his pain and suffering. In my mind I think about his body being draped in chains and weights, but despite all the heavy adversity he continues to slowly put on foot in front of the other and keep his eyes toward Christ. It really is inspiring. We thanked him for his example and promised to return. Tsuchida Choro and I both have decided we will return and begin to clean his house for him. It's such a funny thing that I can feel so much love for him, and really not know a thing about him. I read again about Christ healing all the Nephites when he visited them after his resurrection, and thought about how wonderful it would be if I could ease his pain, even just a little. But I know that his faith is strong enough to ensure that he will receive that gift of eternal life in due time. Such a wonderful man.
There are so many examples, and experiences in a mission that simply testify of the love and influence of Christ all around us. It's hard to explain in words..especially in very poor English. But once again I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here.
Kristin thanks for the letter. I'm sorry the army is such a joke and can't tell which way to put those pants on in the morning. I really hope that when I choose something oriented in that area, it isn't such a horrible experience, it literally is the only thing I have ever wanted to do. Oh and stop saying kids ruin everything, we need more nieces and nephews haha. Seriously sounds like you are having tons of fun, so thanks for the update.
I haven't heard from a lot of you today, but if you wrote and I forgot I am so sorry!
Preston that's sweet that you served in Singapore. Nihonjins loooove Singapore and go there all the time it seems like. I am pretty much wet all day every day and sometimes at night too haha. We definitely bike EVERYWHERE, it's nuts. But I like being out and active so even in the heat I am grateful for it. Thanks so much for the emails man. Keep working hard with Lance, is he still doing foreclosed homes? That job got pretty nasty at times hahaha.
I sure do love you all very much and miss you.
Viehweg Choro
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