November 2nd, 2015

Whew what a week. 

First off I have some news. Horne Choro and I were asked to help with a companion concern in another zone and so we had an emergency transfer. The assistant called us Wednesday night this week and said that the next day Horne Choro would be transferring to the mountain slopes of Kiryu. We were both pretty shocked of course. I suppose it's good because the mission president trusts both of us to be able to handle whatever the problem was. I was happy to find out that I would be working with an elder from my doki (someone who entered the mission at the same time as me). His name his Koyama Choro. "Elder Little Mountain."  He is from Sapporo and is obviously Japanese. Anyway I'll get back to that later.

This week we had an opportunity to help the bishop's wife out at her cram school every day from four thirty to six thirty. She has a very successful business going and asked that we come each day and play English games with the kids. It was a Halloween sort of celebration so all the kids came with their costumes and candy bags. Japanese kids are so darn cute I can't handle it. I wish the rules were different so we could interact with them more than we do, but we aren't really allowed to touch them even. High fives are about all the contact we get and sometimes I just want to ditch the rules and pick them all up!  So each day we would make a forty minute ride out to her school, work, and then make the ride all the way back to Kamagaya. It made for a little bit more of a tiring week on top of all our other dendou and not having pday last Monday, but that's okay. It was more than worth it.

We met with Yuuta twice this week. The first time we taught about faith and repentance and he seemed to understand really well and agreed to start repenting in his daily prayers. The next time we met with him was Saturday night. We were so surprised to find out that he had read all of the book of first Nephi and was now into the second book. Keep in mind this guy never heard of the Book of Mormon two weeks ago. He is eating it up and really likes what he is reading. Saturday's lesson was with Koyama Choro so it was a little different, but we had a member present which really helped. Members are so key to mission work. They make teaching so much easier and natural so all of you call the missionaries and tell them what days you are available to work with them. We taught him about two big things. The first was baptism and why it is important, and the second was the Word of Wisdom. He smokes and drinks lots of tea. He understood baptism and the word of Wisdom very well and the purpose behind both, but when we asked him to live the word of wisdom he was hesitant. He says he feels good while praying and reading and thinks all that he is learning is good for his life, but he still is waiting for a confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true. We tried to explain the effect of keeping commandments and how it helps us feel the spirit's confirmations more, but he wants to keep learning before he commits. That was a little disappointing but he said he would come to church right after, and we could talk again after that so we aren't too worried about it. Pray for him please!

On Tuesday we had splits with the district leader and his companion. Horne Choro went to Matsudou and I worked here with our district leader Lee Choro. Lee Choro is from Hong Kong and is the sweetest person I have ever met. I can't tell you how much I look up to him. He knows four different languages and speaks Japanese soooo well. There is never a time of day where he is not smiling, telling you he loves you, or thanking you for something. I was so excited to work with him and learn from his example. We had a really good day and taught Yuuta about church and simply got to know him more. Sorry I forgot to mention we actually met with him three times this week. Anyway Lee Choro is so good at building relationships so it was great to get to know Yuuta more. We both had a great exchange and learned a lot from each other. I think we became really good friends from it too. Always nice to meet guys like that on a mission.

I'm sorry I can't remember what happens in my life.  THURSDAY we got the transfer call and spent the day planning, packing, and serving the bishop's wife. That night we had a lesson with a man named Horii. I have mentioned him before, but it's been a while since we have seen him. Anyway he said he wanted to learn about the pre Earth life last time we met because they do not have such a beleif in his sect of Buddhism. We went to his house and he served us horrible spaghetti and coleslaw. I mean it was just terrible. We're talking noodles, ketchup, and a few random things, and then onions, cabbage, and some kind of sour mayonnaise. Japanese people, please, just make us YOUR food. It was so bad hahaha. But after that we ate some really good soup and passion fruit. We taught him about the pre earth life and how it played into God's plan of love for us. He liked it but said the whole time that he was Buddhist and cannot change. I'm not sure if we will use our time to see him again or not. Nice man though.

Friday we transferred and I met up with Koyama Choro. It was so weird. We met at some Podunk nowhere Eki and just stood there looking at each other awkwardly for a minute. We all kind of said something like,"This is so weird." and then said our goodbyes.  I'll miss Horne Choro for sure.  He was so much fun to work with and soooo hilarious. So American it's almost painful. Koyama Choro is wonderful. He is a very quiet, polite and patient--a typical Japanese missionary. I had completely forgotten what it was like to work with them. It literally couldn't be any more different from the last ten weeks with Horne Choro. We are talking about a night and day difference in missionary work hahaha. The good thing is there are never times we don't know what is going on, and I get to work on my Japanese a lot more. Having two Nihonjin companions is very rare in Tokyo so I feel like I have a great opportunity.  Koyama Choro is reaaaallly good at teaching too so he is going to help me get caught up from my two and a half transfers of no lessons haha. It's going to be great.

On Sunday Yuuta slept through all of church and texted us after profusely apologizing. He felt pretty badly, but we assured him it was okay and that we will help him remember next Sunday. During church one of the older sisters who always practiced lessons with Horne Choro and I got up to bear her testimony. She talked about how sad she was that Horne Choro left and how grateful she was that we taught her and her husband lessons from time to time. We had no idea what kind of an impact our poor Japanese was having on her, but she was so appreciative of our efforts and told the whole ward that SHE knew we were working as hard as we could. It was a very tender testimony and she was sobbing the whole time. I guess I am grateful that the spirit was able to work through us and speak to her heart, because I certainly had no clue what was happening!

Sunday night we visited members and one of them fed us a suuuuuper good dinner. It was all a bunch of fried fish, pork, potato, and shrimp. The wife also made us homemade apple pie which, I am sad to say completely blew American apple pie out of the water. Sorry America. Your apples stink. 

It's been a busy week and I am dead tired, but things are good. Yuuta can't be baptized on the date specified because he won't have attended church on enough Sundays, but he still really wants to learn and find the truth so we aren't too worried. I love you all and thank you for the letters!

Viehweg Choro

Party

Halloween

Halloween Party

Weird Fruit