Elder Bryson Viehweg's Mission: April 18th, 2016

Ohayoooo San!

That's Kansai Ben. The way people say good morning in Osaka.

This week was sloooow. We lost about everyone again except for our Korean Kim, and our Nigerian Adebayo.

I'll start with Adebayo. He came to church again this week where the talks were given by couple missionaries who had just finished working in the Tokyo temple. I had fun translating about sealings, endowment, and other temple related things...translating is so hard. He got it all though and really surprised us when he asked, "So, can my wife and I go there and be married forever again?" YOU BET we told him. After that we taught him the plan of salvation which he loved. He said right then and there the rest of his family needs to hear this message. It's difficult finding time since he works from eight to eight six days a week, and she works from ten to ten on Sunday's...but we will work with them. We committed him it be baptized by someone with the priesthood and he said yes. After the lesson we walked downstairs for priesthood and he looked at us and said, "Next month I will go see my son at his school in Texas. The first thing I will do is take him to the nearest Latter Day Saint church there and convert him too." We were beyond blown away. When each day is filled with people telling you how much they do not like Christ or Christians, or cowering away at the mention of his name, or not even knowing who he is, it is so nice to know a man like Adebayo. He is an open, enormous, gentle giant with equally giant faith. Please pray for him. He picks up spoken language very well, but does not read so well, and there is no Book of Mormon translation in his native tongue.

The week was filled with finding. We walked hundreds of miles it feels like and talked to hundreds of people. It was a dry one. The last ten minutes on Saturday night we finally met one college kid with interest in the gospel. Hopefully we can meet with him soon.

The pictures are from a huge public garden we went to with a man named Matsumoto Teruo. He is really kind and has a little interest in religion so we gave him a Book of Mormon, but he doesn't seem to want to learn all that much. Anyway, he offered to take us out to this place on p-day, today, and it was wonderful. Sooo beautiful. I had forgotten what peace is really like. Here there are buildings, trains, sirens, and people constantly pressing around you. It was almost too quiet out there. I'll be a mess at home when all is quiet.,,if that day ever comes. I hope it doesn't.

We also had interviews last week. It was great to see the Nagano's as always. They are simply wonderful people and they always give me such good council. Sister Nagano is just like a mom to me. It's strange but I actually feel like mom is around when I am with her. It's very nice and we talk so well. President Nagano is simply an inspired genius.

I forgot that we did a music night activity. I sang "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" in archaic Japanese. I'm pretty sure no one understood it at all, I certainly didn't. But it was fun and Banks Choro accompanied on the ukulele. I had a balloon guitar in my hands to look the part. I'll send pics.

Short one this week! Got stuff to do. All is well here and the earthquake you probably heard about was six hundred miles away down in Fukuoka.

Oh dad I forgot, I met one of your doki (fellow elder from Sapporo days) from Sapporo! His name is Takahashi Kyodai and he lives in neighboring Urawa ward! Nice guy. He made a post on the Facebook page for your group. I'll send a pick.

Love you all. Please keep praying for Japan. It is a very spiritually impoverished country but that's why we are here. Also talk to your bishop about what they do to help encourage missionary work. We need ideas here.

Love,

Viehweg Choro Photo below is with Dad's fellow missionary from Sapporo, Kenji Takahashi