July 6th 2015

Hey family and friends,

I haven't heard from any of you yet, so I am sure that you ware celebrating America the way you should. With all your heart! Living away has made me very grateful for the country and culture I come from.

What a week. Each week has its own unique challenges and difficulties, accompanied with its own unique miracles and tender moments.

We finally found someone to teach early in the week. He was a twenty five year old who worked at a business next to the eki (train station) where we were street contacting. He was really kind and was interested enough to have us meet him at the same spot in the park the next day. So we arrived there and he was nowhere to be found, we were about to head out when he came walking around the corner. We sat down and talked about his life and set up our expectations and what our purpose is. After that we taught the first lesson. It was really good. He was engaged, and participated the whole time. At the end we testified and he thanked us for the lesson. He talked about the calm he felt and how he had been looking for some religion. We then started to set up a future appointment, and he just looked at us and said,"daijobu desu" which means I'm good or no thank you in some situations, and he walked off. We never saw him again. We were both pretty heartbroken and couldn't understand why that had happened. We just talked about how we cannot change his heart, and at least he has the Book of Mormon and its message in his heart now. Still, he was basically a kinjin right up to the end (golden investigator). It was good to teach the lesson though so I am grateful for that.

Later this week we were doing some jitensha dendo (proselyting) on our bikes when Tsuchida Choro, who was ahead of me, was stopped by this adorable little Asian girl in her school uniform. She said something to him, and then hurried over to me and said,"ame ga furu yo!", hahaha she was warning us that,"it was going to rain!"  As people grow up here in such crowded conditions they value their space and quiet, which is why they ignore you all the time and never say hi, but I could see that this small child was not yet influenced by her culture. She saw us in our white shirts without raincoats, and wanted to help. When I looked in her eyes I could see Christ's light shining through them. I am a firm believer that when  you look into the eyes of a child, you catch a glimpse of the face of God. They are so pure, and innocent, and loving. It was a small miracle wrapped in pig tails, smiles, and kindness. I was so thankful for that one small gesture that helped carry me through this week.

We visited some members and taught the restoration which was good to do. I got fed by them again which is always good :). We also did companion exchanges this week. I went with Kuwana Choro who is awesome. He played football at his high school and also did gymnastics, so he is athletic and resembles a rubber band at times. Anyway he has so much energy and happiness when he works it is really cool. Different from Tsuchida Choro, but great all the same. Unfortunately that day I had a difficult time speaking. Some days you just can't do Nihongo, or English, and it was one of those haha. I learned some good stuff about attitude and happiness while you find people, which was good. We also got taken to a ramen shop by a member which was awesome of course. Food here is so great.

The other day we found a bunch of referrals for the sisters. In the Tokyo mission we cannot teach women, but they are always the ones who are receptive to the gospel. So, we always introduce the gospel and they ask us to return, but we never see them again hahaha. Kinda tough. But that day going house to house we ran into three separate women who wanted to know more, which was great. The last door of the night, we met the most well prepared person I had ever talked to. She loved God, and really liked talking to us. We were just about to give her the Book of Mormon, when her son and his girlfriend came home. He took one look at his and angrily said I don't need this and started to close the door after he went inside. The woman was intimidated and scared by him, I could see it, and my heart ached for her. She had a desire, but her fear overpowered that desire. She looked at us and said, "ah isogashii ni natte imasu!"  Like, "oh we are now busy" or something, dad my Japanese is probably very wrong so sorry about that, and she closed the door on us. We were frustrated. That would have fulfilled our goal for books of Mormon and contacts on the day. But we always try to tell ourselves that our purpose, is to invite, teach, and provide the spirit. We did all of that. The rest is up to them. But when you start to love these people for the small, strong faith they show, it makes it so hard to see things get in the way of their salvation.

This Sunday was crazy hard! It was a good experience though. It was fast Sunday and Tsuchida Choro bore his testimony. I didn't understand much, but I felt God's love so powerfully while he spoke. He has such a special, tender, sincere, kind spirit. I am so lucky to have him as a companion and I love him so much. 

After church, as usual, from all the Japanese I couldn't even think of how to speak English haha, and we had a lesson with a crazy old super nice Buddhist man who has a very vocal and happy forty year old handicapped son. I tried so hard to listen and understand him, and participate, but he went off on tangents in politics, and space and I was lost. That, combined with the background one man choir, was about all I could handle. We left the lesson and my brain felt like it was going to implode hahaha. For those who don't know, there is normal Japanese, and there is old person Japanese. And they are TWO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES I SWEAR. Hahaha. Good practice though, the only way to improve is to tear down what you have and build it up stronger. Still, I wish I could improve faster.

So the church that I sent the picture of is all one church. Every floor. I call it the castle, or the battle station hahaha. It has a full size gym, chapel, classrooms, and such all packed into six stories.

"When they are older, they will remember the hymns they sang with you. Even more than recalling music, they will remember the words of scripture and testimony. The Holy Ghost can bring all things to their remembrance, but the words of scriptures and hymns will last the longest. Those memories will exert a pull that may bring them back when they wander for a time, possibly for years, from the pathway home to eternal life."

Read the talk "A Priceless Heritage of Hope" by Henry B. Eyring - reminded me of how often I think about reading scriptures early, singing hymns, doing family night, always making conference a priority, etc. Thank you.  That's a random thought, but I read this talk and was so grateful for the influence this had in my life growing up. Thank you parents for always doing this by example.

Not sure what else to say. Oh! We had one more awesome miracle. So this college student named Shouta who is such a great person finally was able to meet with us. He supports himself, lives alone, and goes to school so he is always isogashii (busy), but we read third Nephi seventeen about Christ's love for the Nephites. I love that chapter, how Christ weeps when he looks at the people, and blesses the children. Anyway we talked about how that love is available to us today. And through our obedience we can feel that same love. It was good. I struggled to teach, but made it through with Tsuchida Choro's help. We also had a member present which was great. He answered so many questions. We decided to call him each night and read the Book of Mormon together, and he agreed to start looking at baptismal dates next time we meet. He keeps all of the commandments except going to church, because he has to work. Please please please pray for Shouta San. He would be such a great member, please pray for him to be able to come to church.

Okay I think that's all. Sorry for my bad English and random thoughts. I love you all and feel the prayers and love.

Your humble servant,

Viehweg Choro

Brother and Sister Okamoto