Ai suru Kyodai Shimai minasan, (Dear Brothers, Sisters & Everyone)
We have had quite the strange, exciting, sad, and fun filled week here in Koshigaya Japan.
Monday Tuesday and Wednesday were all very strange. I never, ever want to watch someone die (return home) from their mission again. Hughes Choro was one of the very best here in Tokyo and I could tell how much he had given the Lord during those few days. He never once complained or got trunky, but I could catch times when he didn't think anyone was looking where he would let some of what he was feeling surface. It killed him having to go home this past week, but to his credit he worked just as hard right up to the end. I feel so lucky to work with so many amazing people here. We have West Point, Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy cadets, people who turned down Harvard to serve missions, professional entertainers, engineers, people who finished their pre med degree two years early so they could serve a mission by the time they were twenty and all kinds of other amazing missionaries here. I'm constantly humbled and blown away by those around me. Hughes Choro is just one of many incredible missionaries.
Monday and Tuesday were filled with packing and different things to help Hughes Choro be ready to leave. We also managed to visit and have last minute lessons with all kinds of people before he left. Koshigaya was actually where he was trained so it was amazing to see how much everyone loved and appreciated him and how well he worked with the area. Tuesday night we went in to Nakano for his exit interview. We went to the mission home and he and president Nagano interviewed in the office while Burch Choro and I talked to sister Nagano and her daughter who recently returned from the Los Angeles California mission. It is always so wonderful to see that family. It really feels like they are my parents out here. We were able to chat, laugh and talk about different things while she and her daughter baked cookies for upcoming interviews. I was also able to see Koyama Choro again which was really great. He was happy to see me too and seemed to be doing very well. He is going back out from the honbu (mission home) this transfer which was so good to hear.
Wednesday morning we took elder Hughes to the train station and saw him off for the next twenty four hours. He planned his last visits ( every returning missionary gets one day to travel to areas that are nearby the honbu and have lessons with old investigators) for Thursday and so we worked all day Wednesday as just the two of us. It was weird and the apartment got sooo quiet without him, but we still have tons of fun together so it's all good.
Thursday was a pretty good day. We met elder Hughes and his two other returning companions at the church for two lessons. One was with our investigator named Ozawa San who has schizophrenia, and the other was with the college student named Fujieda San. Both lessons were really good. The three transfer sixteen (ready to go home) missionaries just took over and Burch Choro and I simply sat and watched it all unfold. There was a very powerful spirit there and we were able to set a baptismal date with Ozawa San. He had one before but got super depressed when he couldn't quit smoking and fired the elders. He recently decided he wanted to try again, but is still very nervous about changing. Change is really hard for him, but he also has a crazy strong desire to follow Christ so he is always in a sort of conflict. Anyways, we were able to resolve a lot of concerns and he accepted to be baptized on the thirtieth if he can prepare. The next lesson was with Fujieda San. It was pretty much the same as the first, but he assured the elders he could not get baptized. He really wants to, but his family is very nervous and pretty hantai (anti) when it comes to Christianity. It's a real shame because he is more active than the members and loves to learn. We aren't sure how to help him progress, but he has a desire and we can work with that. Both lessons were very powerful and full of the spirit. I am grateful for those three elders and how much they helped us that day.
From there Burch Choro and I have been working on our own. Thursday we were called to run over to a recent convert's house to give her a blessing. She has been very sick and hasn't been able to come to church for a few weeks. She was very happy to see us and the other member who came. Her name is Lilian Tanaka and is a Filipino married to a not-so-friendly nihonjin (Japanese man). She is a little crazy and is constantly taking pictures of everyone and everything. She has thousands of photos all around her apartment and was sure to take a bunch before we left. She is very sweet though and has a good strong testimony. We gave her a blessing of healing and then Burch Choro gave a very sweet blessing of comfort as well. She has been experiencing some difficulties with family and was very much comforted by what the spirit spoke to her through us. It was a great visit and she was able to come to church this week. She has us all call her "Mamzi." Like I said a little crazy haha.
I can't even remember what we did on Friday, but one cool thing is that one of my sempai (fellow students) from the MTC is now here as well. He is tall, goofy, and full of love and will do very well here I'm sure. I do remember that we went to Urawa, the next area over where the zone leaders are, and had district leader training. It was pretty wild to see that my kohai, (entered MTC at same time) Broberg Choro, is now my zone leader. He has set the mission on fire and at transfer five was chosen as a zone leader. I'm excited to split with him and learn from his example. I also remember that we visited Ozawa Kunio San. He was a little depressed but lightened up after a little bit. We set expectations to contact him daily to try to help slowly lift his spirits.
Saturday was pretty funny. We had a ward shinnenkai, (game night) I cannot remember the English word, which was super fun. I had one pretty funny goof right as we left the apartment. We got down to our bikes and walked out of the ground gates to set out for the church. Burch Choro got on his bike and headed off and then it was my turn. I swung my leg up over the seat and heard a VERY loud, Very abrupt tear. It was SO LOUD Burch Choro thought that someone had dropped something off of the roof of an apartment building. He turned around to me and I just yelled out,"I ripped my pants!" Hahaha. It was my favorite pair too. We ran back up and inspected the damage to find a huge rip all the way down the crotch seam hahaha. I'll try to get a member to fix them soon. The actual activity was super fun. They had all the missionaries participate in games which was ridiculous. We can hardly speak the language and they threw us into games involving rhythm and words we have never learned. It was still fun though. The good thing was that a bunch of investigators came and we had a lot of small short teaching opportunities.
Sunday was really good. Everyone was excited to meet the new coming missionary and there was a baptism of one of the three primary kids in the ward which was cool. We had a few investigators come, but not to many. And none of ours did. Sunday night I did call in reports with all of the missionaries here. We do night calls and they report their day to me, but I always love call in reports at the end of the week. I didn't realize how much I missed doing all this leadership stuff. It gets me involved with the elders and sisters so much and you grow to love and serve them so much more. It really is a privilege for me do be able to do it.
I think that's all for this week.
Love you all!
Viehweg Choro
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