October 6th, 2015

Hello mina San,

To be honest, I cannot remember what I talked about with you all, so if I repeat forgive me please. Where to begin...this week has been crazy and I am worn physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Kind of like a tire that has been on the bike for a few too many weeks. It's good though. I'm tired in a really good way. We have stepped up over the course of the end of this transfer and really worked to show the Lord that we are here to change the world. This week we had temple p-day today so that's why my mail is a little late.

So last week we managed to find four people who were willing to give us contact info and meet again, and several more that became Facebook friends and are in contact with us right now.  On Monday we met a Phillipino named Jason who was on his way back from the store with a can of beer to keep his one man party going, he was drunk, when we yelled out to him as he rode by on his bike. He was really happy to talk to us and knew some basic English. We talked about meeting again and became Facebook friends since he didn't have his phone on him. He's young and right in the sweet spot. Later this week we got his phone number and expect to see him on Saturday to talk more. 

The next day we had zone conference. It was so great. The theme was extending the baptism commitment in the first lesson. We would break out into groups and practice extending the commitments after different lessons. We focused on how we can relate the commitment to the lesson we just hypothetically taught, and how we can continue to teach and calm fears or worries when rejected. It was so helpful because as of yet I really have only taught one lesson since getting here where we sat down and really taught principals and extended invitations. That will change though. That night when we returned to Kamagaya we were on our way to ping pong night and we ran into a high school student who expressed a desire to meet again. We got his contact info as well.

The next day we went to eikaiwa (English class) and after while talking to the students Horne Choro approached a man who talked about how he had been baptized Catholic thirty years ago because of how much the missionaries helped him, and how he wanted us to come and visit him. Of course Horne Choro was all over it and, beings how he is blind, we bought an audio set for him at the temple book store. We will talk to him again tonight and see if we can meet him earlier than what he wanted, so that was awesome.

The next day, Thursday we had new missionary training...wait...okay so we had new missionary training on Tuesday and then last Thursday was Zone Comference. Sorry. This transfer has seriously blown by so fast I can't remember what happened. That reminds me of a funny story. Of course we got lost on the trains again on the way to Nakano for new missionary training hahaha. I gave us a huge grace period so we ended up being okay. I think at one point we walked out of an Eki and saw Tokyo Sky Tree right there and said, "Yupp..lost again." I felt so bad I lost us again after the disaster at the Elder Whiting conference. We eventually made it though hahaha. Anyway, the new missionary training was great. I discovered all the things I was doing wrong for Horne Choro and found how I can better serve and help him. The list is endless really. It was a good day though and we had fun in Nakano with the other trainers. As far as trainers go I am the youngest so I didn't see any of the people I went to the MTC with, but Horne Choro met up with his companions from there and really enjoyed that.

Last Wednesday night I got called by one of the assistants, Hughes Choro, saying that his companion, the other assistant Elder Chugg, was going on splits with our zone leaders, and he had nowhere to go. He told us that after zone conference he would be on splits with us! Pretty rare to have an assistant come to good old Kamagaya and work with us. It seriously is a speck on the map compared to the other areas. Anyway, after the conference on Thursday we all went back to Kamagaya. That night we had weekly planning, or rather we tried to have weekly planning. Horne Choro wanted to keep hearing stories about Huges Choro, who really did have some great stories, but we got nothing done. I was really stressed because the week before Horne Choro had been so sick and we didn't get to plan, and I felt such a difference from that I really wanted this week to go better. But, it didn't happen. Anyway the next day was pretty fun. Hughes Choro took us out to eat and then we went out and worked together. He really has locked in some really great attributes that Horne Choro and I both were able to learn from. That day we ran into the nicest Nihonjin (Japanese native) I have met thus far on my mission. He is a high school student and you may have seen the photo of him with me, Horne Choro, and Hughes Choro on Facebook. Such strong potential and wants to meet again if he has time. The poor guy is worked to death by school and sports. Anyway, working with Hughes Choro was what we really needed. He talked about how they (assistants and president Nagano) had just dumped us here and let us go at it on our own. After a while they realized they might need to come help us out a little, and the split with our zone leaders offered the perfect opportunity. Anyway, I really took a lot away from his example. There are so many amazing missionaries here. I swear everyone has rejected Harvard to go on a mission to Tokyo. I have met about five elders who have done that as well as several military academy cadets who also gave up their postings to serve. Crazy. I'm so lucky to work with such amazing people.

Saturday was good I guess, I couldn't tell you what happened because I forgot haha. Monday we had splits with the zone leaders so we met up Sunday night and Horne Choro went to Matsudou to work with Maki Choro, while I stayed here in Kamagaya with Morishita Choro. I'm really glad Horne Choro got to work with Maki Choro. He really is the all around best missionary I have worked with as of yet and Horne Choro really needs to actually LEARN for a change rather than deal with me hahaha. Working with Morishita Choro was awesome. He doesn't act like a Nihonjin, which I love of course. We had a good Monday of finding because we still don't have any regulars yet, but it was really good. We talked to a ton of people and invited as many as we could, but everyone chose not to partake of perfect happiness, eternal salvation, forgiveness of sin etc. What else can you do? Anyway, of course I learned a ton from him, and working with a Nihonjin meant we spoke a ton of Japanese which is always good for learning. 

Yesterday Horne Choro and I went to go see the recent convert from May who comes to all of our activities. He is a sweet man named Yoshida Kyodai. Anyway we got to his house with a few snacks because he is poorer than poor, and the first thing he does when he opens the door is ask us for one yen. People who have served in Japan or been there understand how worthless one yen is. I think it is worth maybe one hundredth of a cent. It was a pretty funny question. Apparently his bike had been booted by a bored cop and he needed one more yen to get it out. We could tell he was pretty stressed so we just gave it to him hahaha. He said he was super busy and had to go so we said good bye and walked back down to our bikes. We were chatting when he yelled from the top of his apartment building, ran down, and gave us chocolate milk. Right after that he took off down the road. Probably to retrieve his bicycle hahaha. From there we did some bike dendou and ran into a guy who had met us before. He is about twenty two and I didn't know who he was at all, but of course when he said we had met before I acted like we were premortal brothers. Anyway, he rejected our message the time before, but we asked about whether or not he remembered what we did. He said no and we talked a little bit. He was far more open to us this time, but was on his way to work so we didn't have much time. When we asked if we could contact him and talk more, to our surprise he gladly gave us his phone number. So we got him to contact as well now. So great to be able to do that. We talked to a bunch of other people that day and then tried to visit a member. That's a pretty funny story.

They live right on the edge of our area and we had no idea how to get there. The streets that show up on google maps are dirt paths and dead ends in real life, and before we knew it we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere. It looked like the jungle really haha, but we just kept on pushing forward. Eventually we got out to a more open area and saw the Tokyo Sky Tree all lit up again far off in the distance. It was night so we could make out the lights all the way around it. However that also told us how lost we really were. You are not supposed to see Sky Tree from Kamagaya hahaha. Anyway we called the zone leaders and explained we would be late getting back and then pushed on to find the member's apartment building. Eventually after about thirty more minutes we found that place. On the way back we discovered that all we really had to do was make three left turns and bike a huge distance to get there from our apartment. Whoops. Of course I was guiding us...stupid. Anyway it made for a fun adventure.

Today we had temple pday. Of course it was wonderful and I love the temple so much, but getting to Nakano just doesn't agree with me. We got lost on the way there. This time we only got lost for ten minutes in Tokyo station, and we only took one wrong train haha. I feel like such a scrub. We barely made it in time to make our session, but we made it and that's all I care about. After that we went to the gorgeous park they have right next to the temple and took some pictures. It was so pretty and there were several groups of preschool kids walking around with leashes attached to their teachers. So darn cute. We then ate some awesome ramen, and started the challenge of getting home. Once again, Tokyo station proved the bane of my existence and we got lost there, but no wrong trains! 

We really were so busy this week, and I am feeling it now. We had to wake up around five or earlier seven or eight days in the last week for training, conference, zone meeting, temple pday, seminary with the youth and other things. Of course you all know we don't stop till we get back to the apartment and then it's calls, and reports, maybe a little study, and then bed. Poor Horne Choro, he puts up with me all day and then just crashes when we get to the apartment. The guy goes out like a light every day. I feel like I may push a little too hard, but I just crave the feeling of leaning back in my chair after a day of work, study, calls, rejections, invitations, and visits, and feeling tired to my bones. I LOVE that feeling. That is when I feel closest to my Savior, only after I know I have done all that I can do. I think things are slowly changing in Kamagaya. When I first got here, and even now, every older missionary has talked about how 'special' Kamagaya is and how difficult it can be. Whatever. They just weren't up to the task of changing the culture here. Hopefully next week I won't get transferred. I really want to keep working here and seeing it change. It's so slow, but I really think it is happening. 

From here on out we have more disaster cleanup and then conference. Nothing else too great to report. What a week. So much more has gone on and I can't even think about what I did.

Danielle congrats on the med school. I sure am happy for you guys! You are a wonderful, mother, cut yourself some slack. I know I gotta eat my own words too. 

Krisitin thanks for the update on paradise. Sounds like a good time! I'm glad John got out to do some gunnery.

Lisa the update was hilarious hahaha. Thanks for all the stories

Brittany thanks for the story about the anniversary. Sounds like you had a BLAST. Come to Japan next time...

Sorry if I leave you out of shout outs. My brain is slowly quitting on my. I love you all so very much and miss you all so much this time of year. Halloween, Thanksgiving, the tenth, Christmas. I don't think this time will ever be the same again for the rest of my life. You are all in my prayers.

Love,

Viehweg 長老

Garden near the Tokyo Temple

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