Sunday, March 29, 2015
This is the all the youth in the Machida Stake and the missionaries who were invited to participate!
We ended up in a valley of a bunch of farms!
A farm in our area!
Sakura!
This is the district, bishop, ward mission leader, and Fujino!
This is a different angle of the yakuniku. You order on an ipad.
These are the flames we had going. Elder Clark is drinking Melon soda (that is why it is green).
This is yakuniku!
Fujinos Baptism!
This is from Fujinos apartment complex. That mountain in the distance is Fugi!
Youth Conference, A Baptism, and a Referral to Remember
こにちわ皆さん、
こん週は本当に忙しいです！
火曜日
We woke up early and got ready to go to the temple. We made some
crepes for breakfast, yum! Then we ran to the temple, it was really
good. I love the peace that can be felt in the temple. We then split
back and went to the book store underneath the temple and bought a
hymn book for Fujino. After we rushed back to the apartment and went
to the grocery store to buy this weeks groceries, then off to email.
After emailing we went to the Kyomen family's house for dinner as a
district. This is Aruma's family! It was so much fun! It felt like I
was at home playing with my brothers, it was a really fun night. Aruma
reminds me a lot of the boys he has so much energy it is crazy! After
dinner brother Kyomen took us home. It was a way quick day!
水曜日
For studies we went to the church to finish backing up our iPads. It
took a while but we got it all figured out. Then we ran home and ate
Taco rice for lunch...Japanese people don't like the shell. Then we
went took a train for Shonanda to exchange iPads. On the train down I
talked to 5 people on he train, I am using it to stretch my Japanese.
It is working quite well! When we got off the train I ran into two
boys from shira Lanka! They were way nice, it was fun to talk to them
too. We then got lost going to the church because we had no idea where
we were going. We finally arrived and had a meeting about the new
iPads. Nothing exciting really, I did get to see some friends so that
made the journey there a lot of fun. We got out new iPads, they are
the 32 gigabyte iPad mini 2s they are nice, not really a whole lot
different. The cases are sleeker though. The reason we don't have
Facebook is because they are real easing everything slowly to the new
missions using Facebook instead of all at once. It is a good idea. We
then journeyed home, I talked to one man on the train for 30 minutes
straight, he used some tough words, but it was fun to stretch myself.
We had a really good conversation. After coming home we made some
dinner then went to the church to set up our new iPads. I ended up
setting up both the nehongens since they were clueless because the
directions were in English. Since I don't teach in eaikiwa I worked on
that, switching between three devices, they finally are all set up
though. In English class we played a fun game, it is called "do you
love your neighbor?" We then watched the youths performance for youth
conference tomorrow. Altogether a busy day, but enjoyable.
木曜日
For studies we planned out youth conference. It took forever, mostly
because we tried to bounce ideas off of one another, we created a game
plan and headed off to Takao! We took the monorail, it was awesome.
Granted it is nothing like Disney World but it is still fun to ride.
We met the other areas zone leaders at the station and waited for
everyone else to show up. We then rode with members up into the
mountains of Takao! It was so cool! It reminded me a lot of Tennessee
and Kentucky. In Japan youth conference is in spring and not summer,
talk about better weather. The place where it was being held was like
most rentable youth camps, we used a big gym like room on the third
floor of this building, it had a cabinish feel to it. We then gave
jikoshokies (self introductions) I used some of the old pictures of
myself. We then split into 4 groups. Our companionship was in charge
of talking about the MTC and missionary life. It was a lot of fun,
minus sitting saza (kneeling very flat) it made my feet go numb. They
were all really interested in the MTC and life as a missionary. We did
a little Book of Mormon mogi with everyone too. It was a lot of fun. I
was surprised at how much I was able to relate to everyone. My
Japanese is in no way perfect, but in six months it sure has improved.
After the group break outs and rotating. We got together as the 6
missionaries that were invited and sang. It was really good for never
practicing! We took a picture as a huge group and then the leaders
made dinner for the missionaries! It was way nice! After we got into
cars and were taken back to the station. When we arrived home, we went
to pick up our bikes that we had left since Tuesday night, when I went
to get on my bike I ripped a giant hole in my suit pants! Talk about a
damper on your day...I couldn't think of any good jokes to rip, so we
went home so I could change and we could prepare for our lesson with
Fujino. After repairing for that we went to his apartment and talked
about service, missionary work, and learning. He remembered how to
pray! In fact he is starting to remember everything!! It is so
amazing! We then came home and planned for the day. I made
brownies...sadly they aren't the same in a rice cooker as they are in
an oven. My companion made us yakusoba.
金曜日
Our studies were cut short by district meeting. We went to the church
and had a great district meeting. There was a lot of excitement in the
air for the baptism tomorrow. After we went out for lunch as a
district to yakuniku tabehodai! It was much better than the one we
went to on Monday. My companion was in charge of ordering, at this
restaurant it is done on an iPad. He ordered a ton of food! It was all
you can eat or rather all you can order in an hour. So much that we
had to strain ourselves to eat it all. We all were in pain after from
the meat coma! Then my companion and I came home and changed so we
could clean the font at the church. That was fun, it didn't take too
long at all. We then drew a picture for the sisters in the district
who are sick. After we came home and did weekly planning and worked on
planning for the baptism more. We slept during dinner time because we
were exhausted from all the meat still. We then finished planning and
went to the church to talk to the bishop about tomorrow and get some
of the logistics worked out more. The ward has done most of the
planning for us. We then went to Fujinos apartment and taught him a
short lesson, he is so excited for tomorrow! After we came home, when
we got home our phone received an email from church headquarters with
a referral! Talk about a good ending to the day!
土曜日
After studies, we met the sisters by the monorail to show them where a
referral lives. It turns out that their parents were home and she was
at work. We then went to Fujinos apartment and talked to him. We found
a lot about his life it was way cool! He brought out his photo albums.
He was on some of the first computing research teams in Japan. In fact
his team invented the particle accelerator meter! Pretty cool stuff.
He loves swimming too, we talked about that for a while. Then my
companion and I went to Diaso to buy wrapping paper. Then we came home
and wrapped the presents and then we went to the church. To start
filling the font. Since the other elders were there weekly planning we
were able to leave and go dendo. We talked to a few people but no one
was interested. We then ran home, ate some dinner and biked to Fujinos
apartment to pick him up. We rang the door bell, and nothing
happened...so we rang it again, and again, and again. He wasn't home!
We prayed then we had the feeling to walk toward the elevator. As soon
as we crossed the corner there he was coming back from his walk! We
brought him to the church and my companion and Fujino changed. We then
sat and talked for a little bit, they were really nervous. We then had
the baptism, it was great! My companion baptized, and the district
leader and myself were the witnesses. So spiritual so cool! After the
baptism in Japan they make a giant line and shake hands and give
presents. There was a huge turn out from the ward. There was a little
girl that gave a present to him and he hugged her, it was pretty funny
because she sure wasn't expecting it. Our ward mission leader said he
took the longest out of anyone else, he had a full blown conversation
with everyone. After a member took him home, but didn't have room for
us in their car. Our bikes were at his apartment and we needed them!
So we ran to his apartment and got their dripping in sweat and
actually beat the car there oddly enough, so we helped him take
everything inside and then we sprinted home. We got home way late,
like 9:45. We called sister Wada because the washing machine in the
other apartment broke. She then asked us why we were using there's and
not ours. We explained our situation of not having one and she said
that will be fixed very soon. She also told me she bought a oven for
the apartment! wahoo! I can bake again!
日曜日
Talk about a busy day! We started by dashing to Fujinos apartment to
help remind him that church was in an hour. We then went off to the
church for the regular meeting with our bishop and ward mission
leader, it was awesome how involved they are, and the meeting is
mostly in English which helps us all out. After the meeting we looked
around for Fujino, but he wasn't there. So we got on the bikes to go
find him after saying a quick prayer. And wouldn't ya know it, he was
right down the street! We then walked to the church and sat down, then
we got a call from another investigator saying he was on his way! So
we ended up running all over the church getting things in place.
During sacrement meeting we confirmed Fujino! It was an awesome
experience to take part in. After the usual church meetings we were in
the hallway and I was talking to one of the members of the stake
presidency, he is one of the translators for general conference! He
was telling me the logistics behind how it all works, they actually
stay in Japan, and are doing it live! It was pretty fascinating to
hear how they complete the task. We then came home and ate lunch. My
companion was starved so he made a ton of food. During church I had
this really itching impression to go to a referrals apartment that we
received from church headquarters the other day. On Google maps I
accidentally pushed the walking person instead of the car so the map
took us through a bunch of different parks it was pretty funny. I
don't know what missionaries did before Google maps, it is such a
blessing. We got to the apartment complex nearby an hour and a half
from our starting point. We took some cool pictures. My companion had
never been to that part and he has lived here 7 months! When we got to
the apartment complex we did some searching and found the address. We
climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. The mother opened it and
looked surprised to see us. She then explained that her daughter knows
us. She them called her daughter who came running up the stairs. We
then stood in their Genkaun for about 10 minutes showing pictures and
talking to the family. Then the Father came home! He invited us in and
we taught the whole restoration! It was nuts! That has never happened
before. They were so excited about us coming they asked if we would
come back! It totally threw us off guard. We decided after the lesson
that we will let the sister missionaries teach the women and we will
teach the husband. He is a big swimmer too! I have no idea why and how
I am finding all these swimmers. Then again it is an island nation. I
then called the sisters to tell them, they started screaming through
the phone! Itai (ouch)! They said they had met the daughter and she
was Machida 2s investigator. So when we got home, on time thankfully,
I called them. They said that the daughter had emailed them saying she
couldn't believe we came! Talk about an awesome day!
がんばってください！
Elder Nathan Dunn
NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.
こん週は本当に忙しいです！
火曜日
We woke up early and got ready to go to the temple. We made some
crepes for breakfast, yum! Then we ran to the temple, it was really
good. I love the peace that can be felt in the temple. We then split
back and went to the book store underneath the temple and bought a
hymn book for Fujino. After we rushed back to the apartment and went
to the grocery store to buy this weeks groceries, then off to email.
After emailing we went to the Kyomen family's house for dinner as a
district. This is Aruma's family! It was so much fun! It felt like I
was at home playing with my brothers, it was a really fun night. Aruma
reminds me a lot of the boys he has so much energy it is crazy! After
dinner brother Kyomen took us home. It was a way quick day!
水曜日
For studies we went to the church to finish backing up our iPads. It
took a while but we got it all figured out. Then we ran home and ate
Taco rice for lunch...Japanese people don't like the shell. Then we
went took a train for Shonanda to exchange iPads. On the train down I
talked to 5 people on he train, I am using it to stretch my Japanese.
It is working quite well! When we got off the train I ran into two
boys from shira Lanka! They were way nice, it was fun to talk to them
too. We then got lost going to the church because we had no idea where
we were going. We finally arrived and had a meeting about the new
iPads. Nothing exciting really, I did get to see some friends so that
made the journey there a lot of fun. We got out new iPads, they are
the 32 gigabyte iPad mini 2s they are nice, not really a whole lot
different. The cases are sleeker though. The reason we don't have
Facebook is because they are real easing everything slowly to the new
missions using Facebook instead of all at once. It is a good idea. We
then journeyed home, I talked to one man on the train for 30 minutes
straight, he used some tough words, but it was fun to stretch myself.
We had a really good conversation. After coming home we made some
dinner then went to the church to set up our new iPads. I ended up
setting up both the nehongens since they were clueless because the
directions were in English. Since I don't teach in eaikiwa I worked on
that, switching between three devices, they finally are all set up
though. In English class we played a fun game, it is called "do you
love your neighbor?" We then watched the youths performance for youth
conference tomorrow. Altogether a busy day, but enjoyable.
木曜日
For studies we planned out youth conference. It took forever, mostly
because we tried to bounce ideas off of one another, we created a game
plan and headed off to Takao! We took the monorail, it was awesome.
Granted it is nothing like Disney World but it is still fun to ride.
We met the other areas zone leaders at the station and waited for
everyone else to show up. We then rode with members up into the
mountains of Takao! It was so cool! It reminded me a lot of Tennessee
and Kentucky. In Japan youth conference is in spring and not summer,
talk about better weather. The place where it was being held was like
most rentable youth camps, we used a big gym like room on the third
floor of this building, it had a cabinish feel to it. We then gave
jikoshokies (self introductions) I used some of the old pictures of
myself. We then split into 4 groups. Our companionship was in charge
of talking about the MTC and missionary life. It was a lot of fun,
minus sitting saza (kneeling very flat) it made my feet go numb. They
were all really interested in the MTC and life as a missionary. We did
a little Book of Mormon mogi with everyone too. It was a lot of fun. I
was surprised at how much I was able to relate to everyone. My
Japanese is in no way perfect, but in six months it sure has improved.
After the group break outs and rotating. We got together as the 6
missionaries that were invited and sang. It was really good for never
practicing! We took a picture as a huge group and then the leaders
made dinner for the missionaries! It was way nice! After we got into
cars and were taken back to the station. When we arrived home, we went
to pick up our bikes that we had left since Tuesday night, when I went
to get on my bike I ripped a giant hole in my suit pants! Talk about a
damper on your day...I couldn't think of any good jokes to rip, so we
went home so I could change and we could prepare for our lesson with
Fujino. After repairing for that we went to his apartment and talked
about service, missionary work, and learning. He remembered how to
pray! In fact he is starting to remember everything!! It is so
amazing! We then came home and planned for the day. I made
brownies...sadly they aren't the same in a rice cooker as they are in
an oven. My companion made us yakusoba.
金曜日
Our studies were cut short by district meeting. We went to the church
and had a great district meeting. There was a lot of excitement in the
air for the baptism tomorrow. After we went out for lunch as a
district to yakuniku tabehodai! It was much better than the one we
went to on Monday. My companion was in charge of ordering, at this
restaurant it is done on an iPad. He ordered a ton of food! It was all
you can eat or rather all you can order in an hour. So much that we
had to strain ourselves to eat it all. We all were in pain after from
the meat coma! Then my companion and I came home and changed so we
could clean the font at the church. That was fun, it didn't take too
long at all. We then drew a picture for the sisters in the district
who are sick. After we came home and did weekly planning and worked on
planning for the baptism more. We slept during dinner time because we
were exhausted from all the meat still. We then finished planning and
went to the church to talk to the bishop about tomorrow and get some
of the logistics worked out more. The ward has done most of the
planning for us. We then went to Fujinos apartment and taught him a
short lesson, he is so excited for tomorrow! After we came home, when
we got home our phone received an email from church headquarters with
a referral! Talk about a good ending to the day!
土曜日
After studies, we met the sisters by the monorail to show them where a
referral lives. It turns out that their parents were home and she was
at work. We then went to Fujinos apartment and talked to him. We found
a lot about his life it was way cool! He brought out his photo albums.
He was on some of the first computing research teams in Japan. In fact
his team invented the particle accelerator meter! Pretty cool stuff.
He loves swimming too, we talked about that for a while. Then my
companion and I went to Diaso to buy wrapping paper. Then we came home
and wrapped the presents and then we went to the church. To start
filling the font. Since the other elders were there weekly planning we
were able to leave and go dendo. We talked to a few people but no one
was interested. We then ran home, ate some dinner and biked to Fujinos
apartment to pick him up. We rang the door bell, and nothing
happened...so we rang it again, and again, and again. He wasn't home!
We prayed then we had the feeling to walk toward the elevator. As soon
as we crossed the corner there he was coming back from his walk! We
brought him to the church and my companion and Fujino changed. We then
sat and talked for a little bit, they were really nervous. We then had
the baptism, it was great! My companion baptized, and the district
leader and myself were the witnesses. So spiritual so cool! After the
baptism in Japan they make a giant line and shake hands and give
presents. There was a huge turn out from the ward. There was a little
girl that gave a present to him and he hugged her, it was pretty funny
because she sure wasn't expecting it. Our ward mission leader said he
took the longest out of anyone else, he had a full blown conversation
with everyone. After a member took him home, but didn't have room for
us in their car. Our bikes were at his apartment and we needed them!
So we ran to his apartment and got their dripping in sweat and
actually beat the car there oddly enough, so we helped him take
everything inside and then we sprinted home. We got home way late,
like 9:45. We called sister Wada because the washing machine in the
other apartment broke. She then asked us why we were using there's and
not ours. We explained our situation of not having one and she said
that will be fixed very soon. She also told me she bought a oven for
the apartment! wahoo! I can bake again!
日曜日
Talk about a busy day! We started by dashing to Fujinos apartment to
help remind him that church was in an hour. We then went off to the
church for the regular meeting with our bishop and ward mission
leader, it was awesome how involved they are, and the meeting is
mostly in English which helps us all out. After the meeting we looked
around for Fujino, but he wasn't there. So we got on the bikes to go
find him after saying a quick prayer. And wouldn't ya know it, he was
right down the street! We then walked to the church and sat down, then
we got a call from another investigator saying he was on his way! So
we ended up running all over the church getting things in place.
During sacrement meeting we confirmed Fujino! It was an awesome
experience to take part in. After the usual church meetings we were in
the hallway and I was talking to one of the members of the stake
presidency, he is one of the translators for general conference! He
was telling me the logistics behind how it all works, they actually
stay in Japan, and are doing it live! It was pretty fascinating to
hear how they complete the task. We then came home and ate lunch. My
companion was starved so he made a ton of food. During church I had
this really itching impression to go to a referrals apartment that we
received from church headquarters the other day. On Google maps I
accidentally pushed the walking person instead of the car so the map
took us through a bunch of different parks it was pretty funny. I
don't know what missionaries did before Google maps, it is such a
blessing. We got to the apartment complex nearby an hour and a half
from our starting point. We took some cool pictures. My companion had
never been to that part and he has lived here 7 months! When we got to
the apartment complex we did some searching and found the address. We
climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. The mother opened it and
looked surprised to see us. She then explained that her daughter knows
us. She them called her daughter who came running up the stairs. We
then stood in their Genkaun for about 10 minutes showing pictures and
talking to the family. Then the Father came home! He invited us in and
we taught the whole restoration! It was nuts! That has never happened
before. They were so excited about us coming they asked if we would
come back! It totally threw us off guard. We decided after the lesson
that we will let the sister missionaries teach the women and we will
teach the husband. He is a big swimmer too! I have no idea why and how
I am finding all these swimmers. Then again it is an island nation. I
then called the sisters to tell them, they started screaming through
the phone! Itai (ouch)! They said they had met the daughter and she
was Machida 2s investigator. So when we got home, on time thankfully,
I called them. They said that the daughter had emailed them saying she
couldn't believe we came! Talk about an awesome day!
がんばってください！
Elder Nathan Dunn
NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.
Monday, March 23, 2015
This is Elder Graham, me and Elder Hansen. After having my tie snipped off.
Here is the Two Machida Zones (East and West)
This was set up in the middle of the town square.
Cheesecake flavored KitKats anyone?
A Cut Tie, Baptismal Planning, and Splits
Konichiwa Mina-San,
This week has been awesome, crazy and quick!
月曜日
We woke up and studied our brains out then went to the other apartment to sing for companionship study, it was great. We then decided to go to sushi as a district! It was a lot of fun! I ate 20 plates of sushi! New record! My district leader and I ate the same amount. There was some pretty good sushi there. Yum! We then went to the church to email, that was fun to write home. We ended up staying there for 3 hours...I guess writing letters in Japanese is a lot harder. We then went to Treasure Factory and I bought insoles for my shoes! They were made in America and all in English, talk about a little Tender Mercy for the day! We then went to Giomes. I think I have hooked my companion on bacon. He asked if it was okay to buy some this week. We then came home cleaned and ate dinner. After we had a lesson with Fujino, it was raining so of course we took our bikes! It was a good ride and a great lesson. We talked about the Atonement and how we can apply it in our lives more. That man is my hero, he has changed his life so much in just a short time! When we got home we exchanged companions. The district leader came into my area. He told me as we finished praying to open planning. He asked me, "Alright, what are we doing tomorrow?" Uhhhh....go to the zoo? I had never planned! It took me an hour and a ton of praying but I thought i had come up with a pretty good plan. It was very encouraging. It was nice to speak in English for a little bit.
火曜日
We woke up and got ready, it took a little longer we had to run back and forth to the other apartment two doors down to get things. Studies was great. I prepared for two lessons! Whoa! Talk about feeling inadequate! After lunch, we got a call that Junko wanted us to meet with her husband Mashiko at 1, before he fell asleep because he works as a taxi driver. Sadly when we arrived he had fallen asleep so we didn't end up having the lesson. But Junko gave us a referral! Sadly the person wasn't home. We then left the apartment and I had the feeling we should pray, so we did. Then we walked to a park and talked to a family, they were very nice but had no interest. We then went to a less active and they didn't answer the door, but I knew it was leading up to something great, as we were walking on a street. We turned a corner and a man yelled in English, "mormon boys!". He was grinning ear to ear wanting to talk to us. He has met missionaries a long time ago, and has lived in Ohio and went to The Ohio State University! He also informed me he has done an Ohio riverboat cruise! He wanted to speak English to us, it was fun. He then then took us to a coffee shop and bought us juice! It was way kind! He said he has been wanting to talk to us for a while! He ended up giving us literally everything about him which is crazy, but he definitely wants to be in contact. We then came to the church and I got an email informing me that Brother Wuldroff from my home ward died the day before. That is way sad, it's true, the good always die young. I was a little in shock so the district leader said we needed to eat to take my mind off things. So we went to the apartment and ate dinner. I made omelets! Yum! We then went to Fujino's apartment and taught him a lesson! It was terrific! I loved teaching him! He told us he can't believe that he ever didn't believe in a god! Wow! What a powerful statement! We then went to the church to try and find a website for Fujino. We the had splits review which lasted almost an hour. It was really really good. My district leader gave me a lot of great advice and compliments. It was a great split, I was thankful for everything I was able to accomplish with him.
水曜日
We woke up at five to get ready for the conference! Talk about early! It's funny because that is the time I was getting up year ago and I was going to bed later. Weird thinking a year back I was at home and in high school. Things sure have changed! We were out the door by six and on our way to Kichijoji for a big two mission conference! It was awesome! Elder Nelson and Elder Evans were there among the area seventy. We thought it was going to be a normal conference we were wrong. Elder Nelson spoke first, he gave some awesome insight in how to use our mobile devices more effectively, and why we have them. When Elder Evans spoke he talked about this is the time to train ourselves to have "personal firewalls" on our devices, it was really really good guidance. This past year my mission has been a test mission for iPads. We now will be getting new iPads next week and new rules and regulations. They are calling phase 2, we are still a test group though. They compared the iPads to bicycles and cars saying that the same risk is involved in mobile devices. There was a member of the church missionary department that gave a training about how we are using them and how we can better use them. It is exciting with the new apps we are getting for the work. We shook hands before the meeting began, elder Nelson closed the meeting with more great counsel and guidance. We then came home ate lunch and biked to fujino's for a lesson. We had another great lesson. He is so ready! We then went to the church for eaikiwa, it was fun. I enjoy helping people with their English. After we had a lesson with kondou and the bishop, he is a great man and reminds me a lot of the bishop back at home, I am working closer to the bishop in this Ward than the previous Ward, it is way cool. The work is hastening in Tama!
木曜日
We had district meeting nice and early, it was good to talk as a district about help we can offer the other missionaries in the district as well as them giving us help as well. We then came home and ate lunch and rode to Fujino's for a lesson. It went so well! He is so prepared. We then went to the church and had weekly planning, it was longer than usual because we had to start preparations for the baptism. We then came home and made dinner. For the prayer I had elder Naganuma pray in English! He is getting better and better everyday. We then went to our lesson with Yochiro. He is rocker who lived in Louisiana for a little bit. His English is okay, but I try and speak Japanese to him. We walked to a really cool park in the middle of the city and talked about nature and God. It was a good lesson, we need to build a stronger relationship with him before he starts progressing. We then bought crepes and went to the church. When we got to the church we got a call. I answered and had no idea what the person on the other end was saying so I handed the phone to my companion. The person on the other end wanted to meet with the sister missionaries after receiving a English class flyer! Talk about a miracle! We then called the sisters who called her back and now she has a lesson for the Saturday. That never happens here, but then again never say never when it comes to missionary work. When we got home our phone was off the hook again scheduling appointments and calls from President Wada and the Assistants.
金曜日
After personal study we got on the trains and went to Hachioji for zone conference. As we walked through the station we found the zone leaders for the neighboring zone. They asked if we could go on splits so my companion could help them translate their training into Japanese. And I waited with Elder Hansen at the Train Station for Elder and Sister Graham who are the Asia north area health advisor. When we picked them up we started talking and they told me that I should move to Hawaii after my mission because of all the Japanese speakers! I hadn't thought of that before. He also asked if I would help out with his training. He said he was going to cut off my tie! I was hesitant then he pulled another one out of his bag and handed it to me. I changed and sat down. When my part in the conference came I said my prefer scribed line and then he had me come up again then cut off my tie. A girl in the zone cried, it was hard not to burst out laughing. He then had me go sit down and started to question people's emotions. He then called me back up and pull out my tie from my pocket. He then related the emotions we were just feeling to how we manage our stress. It was an interesting visual aid. I really liked how he pulled psychology from the scriptures, where prophets are faced with stress and adversity then turn to the lord. Way cool lesson. After we returned to our area to find that a big carnival was going on with these cool trampolines. We got a snack at McDonald's then returned to the apartment for lunch. After lunch we went to the church to try and figure out baptismal forms...ugh they are hard work! My companion has only been out 3 months longer than I have, so we are both a little lost. But we have an idea of how to go about things. We then went housing and found two referrals for the sister missionaries. Sadly no one for us. Then we went to Fujino's and picked him up for his baptismal interview! One of the Zone leaders did it for us, it was great he passed so that means we are having a baptism next week! After we stopped by 7/11 for a snack I got cheesecake flavored kit-kats.
土曜日
After we had studies we went to wakabadai, which is in the southern most part of the area. We got a lot of contacts but sadly no investigators. It took up most of our afternoon. We then came back to Tama center where there were a ton of people! I couldn't believe it! There was the carnival that was yesterday only it was packed today filled with marching bands and games. We then went to the church to get the baptisimal forms from the bishop. Then to dinner. After dinner we biked to fujino's apartment and helped him fill out the paperwork. I had a really bad headache before so I took some medicine before, but it made me super drowsy which is really abnormal. So I kept dosing off, I felt really bad, but I couldn't read the japanese. After filling it out we shared a message about the prophet and the method of prayer. He is getting the hang of things, he is really excited for baptism. We then went to go contact a referral but he wasn't home somwe housed more. No cool stories really came out of it, just that we talked to a few people. My companion is really funny when it comes to people who say, "Keko desu" which means I'm good. He will be like oh, so you know who we are right? Or he will just keep talking it is pretty funny. It is cool how much I am starting to pick up on.
We woke up and studied our brains out then went to the other apartment to sing for companionship study, it was great. We then decided to go to sushi as a district! It was a lot of fun! I ate 20 plates of sushi! New record! My district leader and I ate the same amount. There was some pretty good sushi there. Yum! We then went to the church to email, that was fun to write home. We ended up staying there for 3 hours...I guess writing letters in Japanese is a lot harder. We then went to Treasure Factory and I bought insoles for my shoes! They were made in America and all in English, talk about a little Tender Mercy for the day! We then went to Giomes. I think I have hooked my companion on bacon. He asked if it was okay to buy some this week. We then came home cleaned and ate dinner. After we had a lesson with Fujino, it was raining so of course we took our bikes! It was a good ride and a great lesson. We talked about the Atonement and how we can apply it in our lives more. That man is my hero, he has changed his life so much in just a short time! When we got home we exchanged companions. The district leader came into my area. He told me as we finished praying to open planning. He asked me, "Alright, what are we doing tomorrow?" Uhhhh....go to the zoo? I had never planned! It took me an hour and a ton of praying but I thought i had come up with a pretty good plan. It was very encouraging. It was nice to speak in English for a little bit.
火曜日
We woke up and got ready, it took a little longer we had to run back and forth to the other apartment two doors down to get things. Studies was great. I prepared for two lessons! Whoa! Talk about feeling inadequate! After lunch, we got a call that Junko wanted us to meet with her husband Mashiko at 1, before he fell asleep because he works as a taxi driver. Sadly when we arrived he had fallen asleep so we didn't end up having the lesson. But Junko gave us a referral! Sadly the person wasn't home. We then left the apartment and I had the feeling we should pray, so we did. Then we walked to a park and talked to a family, they were very nice but had no interest. We then went to a less active and they didn't answer the door, but I knew it was leading up to something great, as we were walking on a street. We turned a corner and a man yelled in English, "mormon boys!". He was grinning ear to ear wanting to talk to us. He has met missionaries a long time ago, and has lived in Ohio and went to The Ohio State University! He also informed me he has done an Ohio riverboat cruise! He wanted to speak English to us, it was fun. He then then took us to a coffee shop and bought us juice! It was way kind! He said he has been wanting to talk to us for a while! He ended up giving us literally everything about him which is crazy, but he definitely wants to be in contact. We then came to the church and I got an email informing me that Brother Wuldroff from my home ward died the day before. That is way sad, it's true, the good always die young. I was a little in shock so the district leader said we needed to eat to take my mind off things. So we went to the apartment and ate dinner. I made omelets! Yum! We then went to Fujino's apartment and taught him a lesson! It was terrific! I loved teaching him! He told us he can't believe that he ever didn't believe in a god! Wow! What a powerful statement! We then went to the church to try and find a website for Fujino. We the had splits review which lasted almost an hour. It was really really good. My district leader gave me a lot of great advice and compliments. It was a great split, I was thankful for everything I was able to accomplish with him.
水曜日
We woke up at five to get ready for the conference! Talk about early! It's funny because that is the time I was getting up year ago and I was going to bed later. Weird thinking a year back I was at home and in high school. Things sure have changed! We were out the door by six and on our way to Kichijoji for a big two mission conference! It was awesome! Elder Nelson and Elder Evans were there among the area seventy. We thought it was going to be a normal conference we were wrong. Elder Nelson spoke first, he gave some awesome insight in how to use our mobile devices more effectively, and why we have them. When Elder Evans spoke he talked about this is the time to train ourselves to have "personal firewalls" on our devices, it was really really good guidance. This past year my mission has been a test mission for iPads. We now will be getting new iPads next week and new rules and regulations. They are calling phase 2, we are still a test group though. They compared the iPads to bicycles and cars saying that the same risk is involved in mobile devices. There was a member of the church missionary department that gave a training about how we are using them and how we can better use them. It is exciting with the new apps we are getting for the work. We shook hands before the meeting began, elder Nelson closed the meeting with more great counsel and guidance. We then came home ate lunch and biked to fujino's for a lesson. We had another great lesson. He is so ready! We then went to the church for eaikiwa, it was fun. I enjoy helping people with their English. After we had a lesson with kondou and the bishop, he is a great man and reminds me a lot of the bishop back at home, I am working closer to the bishop in this Ward than the previous Ward, it is way cool. The work is hastening in Tama!
木曜日
We had district meeting nice and early, it was good to talk as a district about help we can offer the other missionaries in the district as well as them giving us help as well. We then came home and ate lunch and rode to Fujino's for a lesson. It went so well! He is so prepared. We then went to the church and had weekly planning, it was longer than usual because we had to start preparations for the baptism. We then came home and made dinner. For the prayer I had elder Naganuma pray in English! He is getting better and better everyday. We then went to our lesson with Yochiro. He is rocker who lived in Louisiana for a little bit. His English is okay, but I try and speak Japanese to him. We walked to a really cool park in the middle of the city and talked about nature and God. It was a good lesson, we need to build a stronger relationship with him before he starts progressing. We then bought crepes and went to the church. When we got to the church we got a call. I answered and had no idea what the person on the other end was saying so I handed the phone to my companion. The person on the other end wanted to meet with the sister missionaries after receiving a English class flyer! Talk about a miracle! We then called the sisters who called her back and now she has a lesson for the Saturday. That never happens here, but then again never say never when it comes to missionary work. When we got home our phone was off the hook again scheduling appointments and calls from President Wada and the Assistants.
金曜日
After personal study we got on the trains and went to Hachioji for zone conference. As we walked through the station we found the zone leaders for the neighboring zone. They asked if we could go on splits so my companion could help them translate their training into Japanese. And I waited with Elder Hansen at the Train Station for Elder and Sister Graham who are the Asia north area health advisor. When we picked them up we started talking and they told me that I should move to Hawaii after my mission because of all the Japanese speakers! I hadn't thought of that before. He also asked if I would help out with his training. He said he was going to cut off my tie! I was hesitant then he pulled another one out of his bag and handed it to me. I changed and sat down. When my part in the conference came I said my prefer scribed line and then he had me come up again then cut off my tie. A girl in the zone cried, it was hard not to burst out laughing. He then had me go sit down and started to question people's emotions. He then called me back up and pull out my tie from my pocket. He then related the emotions we were just feeling to how we manage our stress. It was an interesting visual aid. I really liked how he pulled psychology from the scriptures, where prophets are faced with stress and adversity then turn to the lord. Way cool lesson. After we returned to our area to find that a big carnival was going on with these cool trampolines. We got a snack at McDonald's then returned to the apartment for lunch. After lunch we went to the church to try and figure out baptismal forms...ugh they are hard work! My companion has only been out 3 months longer than I have, so we are both a little lost. But we have an idea of how to go about things. We then went housing and found two referrals for the sister missionaries. Sadly no one for us. Then we went to Fujino's and picked him up for his baptismal interview! One of the Zone leaders did it for us, it was great he passed so that means we are having a baptism next week! After we stopped by 7/11 for a snack I got cheesecake flavored kit-kats.
土曜日
After we had studies we went to wakabadai, which is in the southern most part of the area. We got a lot of contacts but sadly no investigators. It took up most of our afternoon. We then came back to Tama center where there were a ton of people! I couldn't believe it! There was the carnival that was yesterday only it was packed today filled with marching bands and games. We then went to the church to get the baptisimal forms from the bishop. Then to dinner. After dinner we biked to fujino's apartment and helped him fill out the paperwork. I had a really bad headache before so I took some medicine before, but it made me super drowsy which is really abnormal. So I kept dosing off, I felt really bad, but I couldn't read the japanese. After filling it out we shared a message about the prophet and the method of prayer. He is getting the hang of things, he is really excited for baptism. We then went to go contact a referral but he wasn't home somwe housed more. No cool stories really came out of it, just that we talked to a few people. My companion is really funny when it comes to people who say, "Keko desu" which means I'm good. He will be like oh, so you know who we are right? Or he will just keep talking it is pretty funny. It is cool how much I am starting to pick up on.
日曜日
After picking up Fujino early for church we walked this week to church, that is a great improvement from last week when we ran to the church. Church was really good this week. My companion spoke in sacrament meeting. During church Aruma found Fujino and I and sat by us so he could show me his new book. We then worked on planning for the baptism on Saturday. We changed it so more members can go. We are way excited about it. We planned things out with the bishop so everything will run smoothly. We then had choir practice, we are singing for a nursing home sometime soon. After that we went to the apartment to grab some lunch then off to Kichijoji for a doseki with president Wada and one of our investigators. It went really well, we got some great counsel from President as well. We then returned home are dinner, had our zone conference call and prepared for splits tomorrow.
月曜日
We woke up then trained to Machida. We then met up with our companions for the day. Mine companion is Elder Poffenburger, who is in Machida! My old area! It was way cool! We decided to The apartment to plan, it was a trip down memory lane, so cool! After planning we decided to go on a journey so we skipped lunch and decided to get it on the way. We walked to minami machida then took a left on a road and followed it forever because we felt we needed to. We stopped at a combine (Kom-bean-e) for a pit stop and met a man from Kenya! He was so interested in our message it threw me off for a second. We were able to give him an English Book of Mormon and set up a time to come back. We then decided to continue our journey...which took us to Yamato...yamato is in the other stake. We had no Idea that we had walked that far, so we took the train back. We then walked to a yakuniku place for dinner. It was delicious, they bring out a giant plate or raw meat and a grill, you eat as much as you want for an hour! Great for hungry missionaries. We decided after dinner since we were having so much fun to continue the journey, so we walked more then went home. We ended up walking 45 kilometers, which is like 35 miles! It was long! Since we didn't have planning we, made cinnamon rolls and talked. It was fun being in my old apartment for the day.
Well that has been my week! This next week is even more busy!
Love you all!
Elder Dunn
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Sunday, March 15, 2015
Awesome cityscape of Tama
Catsudon and soba noodles!
A Baptismal Date, Splits with the Assistants, and a Ward Talent Show!
こにちわ皆さん！
この週は沢山奇跡を見せてました！
月曜日
I thought p days were for relaxing! Sadly that is not the case at all.
We woke up studied then were called by the sisters as we were cleaning
and making lunch. They needed us to go to the church to help set up
for zone conference with the members. So we rushed to the church and
helped. Then we came home, ate then went to giomes to buy the
groceries for the week. We bought a ton of juice! When we got home and
checked the mail, my companions bike was found! He was so excited! We
then went to D2 to buy shaving cream and then to the church to email.
After emailing we went to go pick up his bike, only we had to take my
bike too. So he ran in the rain and I followed closely in my bike. We
got his bike back it is the same exact bike I have! Whoa! The man
their was kind and helped us try to fix it up. The person who stole it
took the bell, light, lock, and inter tubes! Who takes just the inter
tubes!? So we need to go to asahi now to fix it. We then had to go to
the police station to report it found. The Japanese police system
reminds me of Batman a lot. When you walk in it looks like the total
cliche batman style with big polished stone walls and people busy at
work. We were brought to the second level but then there wasn't room
so they had us sit in the hallway. Then a flurry of activity began
happening in front of us. People running in their rain gear across the
halls with a lot of screaming. We were then ushered backed down to the
first floor. It was an exciting time to report that he has his bike
now. We then came home and made dinner. One of our investigators
called but we don't think he will be getting baptized on the date set
anymore, he has some personal issues to work out. We then went to the
church and called as many Potential Investigators as we could! Sadly
not many even remembered they had met missionaries before, a lot of
them had 5 year old contact info. We then came home and prepared for
zone conference the next day.
火曜日
We woke up early and got dressed and went to zone conference at our
church building! It was great, there was a lot of inspired trainings
given. I am excited to use the new revelation and teachings in not
only dendo but also in my own life, I love how much change in your
life happens in your time as a missionary. You begin to see life
through a new lens. After zone meeting, I went on splits with Elder
Rockwood, one of President Wadas assistants. We went to his area, on
our way their he was busy talking to a sister missionary about
referrals and I kept getting the prompting to go talk to a man who was
sitting a few chairs away. I went and sat down next to him and we had
a great conversation! I gave him a Book of Mormon and taught most of
the restoration right there. Sadly I didn't have a phone or contact
info it was too bad. We then switched trains and went to Hachioji,
elder Rockwoods area. We meet some college judo(ists) who had really
bad cauliflower ear. Then we went to teach an investigator of theirs.
He was way cool. But after the meeting elder Rockwood said that he was
way sad, he saw a change in him from the last time they met. We then
went to 7/11 for dinner to buy some food and talk to the people who
worked there. We then walked to the apartment on the way there we met
a kid and taught him how to pray right there! It was a really neat
experience. We then went to the apartment and planned for the day and
introduced each other's families. Then we went to bed and ended up
talking for another hour. It was really neat to see his perspective on
life, and speak English!
水曜日
During studies we mogied lesson 1. It was really good, he gave me some
much needed feedback. He said that even though my Japanese is funky(my
Japanese is aweful), he can tell what is in my heart, and he said
others know too. That was comforting to know even when I butcher
things. He then told me how he learned Japanese, I readjusted my plan
to get to that point. He told me not to give up, or even dumb down
what I want to say. He said that if I keep translating once it all
clicks it will be really cool. So I'm going to follow the counsel and
hopefully it'll work! We then had lunch and wet out to dendo and
everyone denied us, I kid you not, no one would talk to us. Elder
Rockwood told me that had never happened to him before. We stayed
positive though. We helped a women restart her bike it was awesome,
she didn't want to talk to us though. We then decided to go housing.
We had no avail, at two apartment complexes. But the last door, or
course it was the last door. The last door a women opened it and she
wanted to hear more right then. So we ran to the church and got the
sisters and came back and now they have an investigator! We then had
splits review, it was really cool, i had a lot of neat consul given.
We then switched back companions, it was good to see Elder Naganuma!
He is my buddy! We then had dinner and went to the church for
practicing a song that we are singing for the talent show on Saturday.
We then had Eaikiwa! It was great! I loved getting to know the people
who came to our class!
木曜日
During language study I gave my companion my English hymn book to use
for language practice. It was hilarious, he sang for the entire hour!
It sounded really good by the end! I worked on memorizing how to teach
more. We then had lunch and picked up our dry cleaning and met our
doseki for our lesson! He met us as we were walking back to the
apartment! Great timing! We then walked to fujino's apartment, our
doseki is the most recent convert in the Ward, which was three years
ago! Our lesson was great! We could really feel the spirit testifying
to him. We were able to set a baptismal date for the 27th! We think he
is going to be able to meet it too! We went out to lunch with our
member doseki to a cotsudon place in the mall, it was Ma Ma but it was
good to get to know him better. We then got a call from one of our
other investigators with a baptismal date, sadly we don't think that
he will make it...in fact we had to cancel the date because he doesn't
have a desire to be baptized. With that loss we started weekly
planning, and got a call from another one of our investigators with a
baptismal date. I talked to him for about an hour. He said that he
wants to be baptized this summer probably...that was a
disappointment...we lost another date! But hey trials make us
stronger. So we finished our planning and went to the church to
contact potential investigators. During which we got a call from the
same investigator that wanted to change his date to the summer, it
turns out he is reconsidering maybe, we will see. He is meeting with
the assistants soon. We then came home and made some dinner and went
to the other apartment to Tim tam slam (they are Australian cookies).
Then my companion asked to arm wrestle me again, only this time on the
floor so there was so there was no advantage. To his dismay my farm
muscles still work properly...he then said I am the only person to
beat him! Whoa! He is wayyyyyyyyy strong! All his veins were popping
out. It was fun way to end the night.
金曜日
I decided to try out running again on my ankle! It worked well we
didn't run that far, but it held up okay. The local park actually has
training workouts to do so that was fun! It felt good to be outside in
the morning again. After studies we ate lunch and ran to district
meeting. It was really good. I have to do most the talking for the
companionship because my companion doesn't speak good English. It was
neat to discuss all the great work the district is up to. We then ran
to fujino's apartment to meet up with our doseki. District meeting was
late which was cause for the run. We meet up with our doseki, he was
the same from yesterday! He is really encouraging with my Japanese, so
he is great to have around. The lesson was great. Fujino is so
accepting of the gospel and a better life. After the lesson we
streeted around Tama center, or the gates of hello kitty land... We
stopped a bunch of people and ended up teaching a group of 8 kids the
whole restoration. They were really interested in the message we had
to share it was awesome! While we were teaching them a member of our
Ward came up to us and gave us drinks, it was totally totsuzen but way
cool! We then met Kondou-San at the crepe shop and talked to him for a
little bit, he still has a lot of personal problems to work out. He
asked if we could meet with us that night at the church. So we came
home ate dinner called around the Ward for a doseki and the sisters to
sit in on the lesson. The lesson was great! The sisters are great
teachers, but sadly he has a lot of personal problems still. We will
figure things out though. He is meeting with the assistants tomorrow
so hopefully that will go well.
土曜日
Our studies turned into a million calls back and forth for the talent
show that night, a lesson we had later, and the Assistants. We then
ate lunch and I took a language test for the missionary department.
They are doing a long term study of the mission and testing us
periodically via the iPads to see how our language improves. We then
walked to fujino's apartment! What a great guy! We had a doseki with
the same member from yesterday. It was really good, he is so prepared.
Seeing the change that has gone through him is remarkable. After the
lesson we went to the church to help set up for a relief society
meeting and then upload my language assessment. We then ran to the
apartment ate dinner and then back to the church where we taught a
lesson to Yoichiro. He is kind of an investigator...but at the same
time not. We talked about music it went well. We then started setting
up for the talent show. There are two boys in the Ward that remind me
of Stephen and Henry! I played with them, it was totally natsukashi!
Their mother came up to me and asked if I had siblings, so I showed
her my family pictures on the iPad which turned into me showing the
Ward my family pictures. One of her children thought that my siblings
were my kids! Americans age a lot differently then Japanese people.
The talent show was awesome. We had a member play piano, Yoichiro
played his bass guitar, some of the older sisters in the Ward hula
danced, the youth did a skit, and all the missionaries sang! It was
way cool! We brought Fujino with us, he had a great time there. After
getting home we planned then as soon as 10:30 hit our phone was off
the hook for almost the next hour getting calls from all around the
mission about a million things.
日曜日
When we got to the church we put the lessons from yesterday into our
area book then stayed for about ten minutes of DCS than literally ran
to fujino's apartment. He sort of forgot that we had church again. I
think somedays he doesn't think we are coming to get him. But he was
up and ready! He bought a new white shirt this week! He looked great!
We then ran with him to church. Or rather we ran after him to the
church, we insisted that running probably wasn't a good idea but he
didn't want to be late! I can only imagine the scene that we were
causing. Haha! We got to church a little late, but it was great that
we made it though. After the normal three hour block, we talked with
Ward members and Fujino (oh! I figured out his kanji! Fuji means
wisteria like the plant, then no means field or plains. It looks like
this, 藤野) snuck out on us! We think he was probably tired. I am now
best friends with the most rambunctious kid in the Ward! He is two and
a half years old and his name is Aduma (in English it is Alma). He is
always running around punching the air and yelling...he reminds me of
my siblings...So him and I began to play and his mom came up to me
apologizing for his rambunctiousness, but I told her he reminds me of
my brothers. I feel really bad for her, most Japanese kids are
silent...but he is in no way quite, I feel like she is embarrassed
sometimes for having to take him out...if she only knew how it was in
american wards haha! I talked to her for a little bit, and when it was
time for us to go Aduma said "bye bye Dunn chourou" it was great! So
now my best friend in the Ward is two and a half! After church we went
home for lunch then off to Fujino's apartment. During lunch we tried
aimlessly to find a ride to take us to machida for a conference where
Elder Nelson and Elder Evans were speaking at. Sadly we couldn't find
anyone, so we biked to fujino's apartment to tell him that we couldn't
go, but just as my companion began to say it, I kid you not, our phone
began to ring. It was a member of the Ward asking if he could take us!
Whoa! Boom! Tender Mercy right there. We then arranged to meet at the
church at 5, we were a little worried since he forgets things easily,
I think it is mostly time though. We housed around his apartment
complex a little then went back home to have dinner, and then get
ready for the conference. When we got to the church at the set time we
waited for Fujino to show up....he didn't...so we decided to drive to
his house and on the way guess who we saw as we were at a stop light!?
That's right Fujino walking in a blue suit! Whoa! Boom! Another Tender
Mercy right there. We got him into the car and drove to machida. That
was the first time I have been in a car that long since being driven
to the MTC! It was weird but way nice. Every Japanese car has a sat
nav for two reasons, backing up (you always back into a parking spot),
and for directions because the 4 lane highway turns into a 1 lane road
in some parts. The conference was great! It was in my old area. It was
a broadcast from hero. The translating was really neat. The person
speaking and the translated would stand side by side and alternate
speaking every other sentence, it was really cool. Elder Evans was a
mission president in Japan, and part of the area presidency in Japan.
So Elder Nelson asked him to speak in Japanese so the Translator
translated into English it was pretty funny but really cool. Elder
Nelson had some really neat counsel of being able to explain church
doctrine very simply to our friends. This upcoming week all the
missionaries have a conference in Kichijoji where the north mission
will also be! After the conference we were dropped off at the
apartment then guess what started to ring!? The phone, only Kawasaki
was calling...we don't know anyone in Kawasaki. I called them back and
it was an Elder in the mission that found my bread recipe and had
questions about it! It was really funny. When I told my companion in
broken Japanese he gave me a funny look and said, "zen zen
wakarimasen" or I really really don't understand. It was a dang long
but eventful day!
気をつけてね！
愛してます！
ダン長老
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この週は沢山奇跡を見せてました！
月曜日
I thought p days were for relaxing! Sadly that is not the case at all.
We woke up studied then were called by the sisters as we were cleaning
and making lunch. They needed us to go to the church to help set up
for zone conference with the members. So we rushed to the church and
helped. Then we came home, ate then went to giomes to buy the
groceries for the week. We bought a ton of juice! When we got home and
checked the mail, my companions bike was found! He was so excited! We
then went to D2 to buy shaving cream and then to the church to email.
After emailing we went to go pick up his bike, only we had to take my
bike too. So he ran in the rain and I followed closely in my bike. We
got his bike back it is the same exact bike I have! Whoa! The man
their was kind and helped us try to fix it up. The person who stole it
took the bell, light, lock, and inter tubes! Who takes just the inter
tubes!? So we need to go to asahi now to fix it. We then had to go to
the police station to report it found. The Japanese police system
reminds me of Batman a lot. When you walk in it looks like the total
cliche batman style with big polished stone walls and people busy at
work. We were brought to the second level but then there wasn't room
so they had us sit in the hallway. Then a flurry of activity began
happening in front of us. People running in their rain gear across the
halls with a lot of screaming. We were then ushered backed down to the
first floor. It was an exciting time to report that he has his bike
now. We then came home and made dinner. One of our investigators
called but we don't think he will be getting baptized on the date set
anymore, he has some personal issues to work out. We then went to the
church and called as many Potential Investigators as we could! Sadly
not many even remembered they had met missionaries before, a lot of
them had 5 year old contact info. We then came home and prepared for
zone conference the next day.
火曜日
We woke up early and got dressed and went to zone conference at our
church building! It was great, there was a lot of inspired trainings
given. I am excited to use the new revelation and teachings in not
only dendo but also in my own life, I love how much change in your
life happens in your time as a missionary. You begin to see life
through a new lens. After zone meeting, I went on splits with Elder
Rockwood, one of President Wadas assistants. We went to his area, on
our way their he was busy talking to a sister missionary about
referrals and I kept getting the prompting to go talk to a man who was
sitting a few chairs away. I went and sat down next to him and we had
a great conversation! I gave him a Book of Mormon and taught most of
the restoration right there. Sadly I didn't have a phone or contact
info it was too bad. We then switched trains and went to Hachioji,
elder Rockwoods area. We meet some college judo(ists) who had really
bad cauliflower ear. Then we went to teach an investigator of theirs.
He was way cool. But after the meeting elder Rockwood said that he was
way sad, he saw a change in him from the last time they met. We then
went to 7/11 for dinner to buy some food and talk to the people who
worked there. We then walked to the apartment on the way there we met
a kid and taught him how to pray right there! It was a really neat
experience. We then went to the apartment and planned for the day and
introduced each other's families. Then we went to bed and ended up
talking for another hour. It was really neat to see his perspective on
life, and speak English!
水曜日
During studies we mogied lesson 1. It was really good, he gave me some
much needed feedback. He said that even though my Japanese is funky(my
Japanese is aweful), he can tell what is in my heart, and he said
others know too. That was comforting to know even when I butcher
things. He then told me how he learned Japanese, I readjusted my plan
to get to that point. He told me not to give up, or even dumb down
what I want to say. He said that if I keep translating once it all
clicks it will be really cool. So I'm going to follow the counsel and
hopefully it'll work! We then had lunch and wet out to dendo and
everyone denied us, I kid you not, no one would talk to us. Elder
Rockwood told me that had never happened to him before. We stayed
positive though. We helped a women restart her bike it was awesome,
she didn't want to talk to us though. We then decided to go housing.
We had no avail, at two apartment complexes. But the last door, or
course it was the last door. The last door a women opened it and she
wanted to hear more right then. So we ran to the church and got the
sisters and came back and now they have an investigator! We then had
splits review, it was really cool, i had a lot of neat consul given.
We then switched back companions, it was good to see Elder Naganuma!
He is my buddy! We then had dinner and went to the church for
practicing a song that we are singing for the talent show on Saturday.
We then had Eaikiwa! It was great! I loved getting to know the people
who came to our class!
木曜日
During language study I gave my companion my English hymn book to use
for language practice. It was hilarious, he sang for the entire hour!
It sounded really good by the end! I worked on memorizing how to teach
more. We then had lunch and picked up our dry cleaning and met our
doseki for our lesson! He met us as we were walking back to the
apartment! Great timing! We then walked to fujino's apartment, our
doseki is the most recent convert in the Ward, which was three years
ago! Our lesson was great! We could really feel the spirit testifying
to him. We were able to set a baptismal date for the 27th! We think he
is going to be able to meet it too! We went out to lunch with our
member doseki to a cotsudon place in the mall, it was Ma Ma but it was
good to get to know him better. We then got a call from one of our
other investigators with a baptismal date, sadly we don't think that
he will make it...in fact we had to cancel the date because he doesn't
have a desire to be baptized. With that loss we started weekly
planning, and got a call from another one of our investigators with a
baptismal date. I talked to him for about an hour. He said that he
wants to be baptized this summer probably...that was a
disappointment...we lost another date! But hey trials make us
stronger. So we finished our planning and went to the church to
contact potential investigators. During which we got a call from the
same investigator that wanted to change his date to the summer, it
turns out he is reconsidering maybe, we will see. He is meeting with
the assistants soon. We then came home and made some dinner and went
to the other apartment to Tim tam slam (they are Australian cookies).
Then my companion asked to arm wrestle me again, only this time on the
floor so there was so there was no advantage. To his dismay my farm
muscles still work properly...he then said I am the only person to
beat him! Whoa! He is wayyyyyyyyy strong! All his veins were popping
out. It was fun way to end the night.
金曜日
I decided to try out running again on my ankle! It worked well we
didn't run that far, but it held up okay. The local park actually has
training workouts to do so that was fun! It felt good to be outside in
the morning again. After studies we ate lunch and ran to district
meeting. It was really good. I have to do most the talking for the
companionship because my companion doesn't speak good English. It was
neat to discuss all the great work the district is up to. We then ran
to fujino's apartment to meet up with our doseki. District meeting was
late which was cause for the run. We meet up with our doseki, he was
the same from yesterday! He is really encouraging with my Japanese, so
he is great to have around. The lesson was great. Fujino is so
accepting of the gospel and a better life. After the lesson we
streeted around Tama center, or the gates of hello kitty land... We
stopped a bunch of people and ended up teaching a group of 8 kids the
whole restoration. They were really interested in the message we had
to share it was awesome! While we were teaching them a member of our
Ward came up to us and gave us drinks, it was totally totsuzen but way
cool! We then met Kondou-San at the crepe shop and talked to him for a
little bit, he still has a lot of personal problems to work out. He
asked if we could meet with us that night at the church. So we came
home ate dinner called around the Ward for a doseki and the sisters to
sit in on the lesson. The lesson was great! The sisters are great
teachers, but sadly he has a lot of personal problems still. We will
figure things out though. He is meeting with the assistants tomorrow
so hopefully that will go well.
土曜日
Our studies turned into a million calls back and forth for the talent
show that night, a lesson we had later, and the Assistants. We then
ate lunch and I took a language test for the missionary department.
They are doing a long term study of the mission and testing us
periodically via the iPads to see how our language improves. We then
walked to fujino's apartment! What a great guy! We had a doseki with
the same member from yesterday. It was really good, he is so prepared.
Seeing the change that has gone through him is remarkable. After the
lesson we went to the church to help set up for a relief society
meeting and then upload my language assessment. We then ran to the
apartment ate dinner and then back to the church where we taught a
lesson to Yoichiro. He is kind of an investigator...but at the same
time not. We talked about music it went well. We then started setting
up for the talent show. There are two boys in the Ward that remind me
of Stephen and Henry! I played with them, it was totally natsukashi!
Their mother came up to me and asked if I had siblings, so I showed
her my family pictures on the iPad which turned into me showing the
Ward my family pictures. One of her children thought that my siblings
were my kids! Americans age a lot differently then Japanese people.
The talent show was awesome. We had a member play piano, Yoichiro
played his bass guitar, some of the older sisters in the Ward hula
danced, the youth did a skit, and all the missionaries sang! It was
way cool! We brought Fujino with us, he had a great time there. After
getting home we planned then as soon as 10:30 hit our phone was off
the hook for almost the next hour getting calls from all around the
mission about a million things.
日曜日
When we got to the church we put the lessons from yesterday into our
area book then stayed for about ten minutes of DCS than literally ran
to fujino's apartment. He sort of forgot that we had church again. I
think somedays he doesn't think we are coming to get him. But he was
up and ready! He bought a new white shirt this week! He looked great!
We then ran with him to church. Or rather we ran after him to the
church, we insisted that running probably wasn't a good idea but he
didn't want to be late! I can only imagine the scene that we were
causing. Haha! We got to church a little late, but it was great that
we made it though. After the normal three hour block, we talked with
Ward members and Fujino (oh! I figured out his kanji! Fuji means
wisteria like the plant, then no means field or plains. It looks like
this, 藤野) snuck out on us! We think he was probably tired. I am now
best friends with the most rambunctious kid in the Ward! He is two and
a half years old and his name is Aduma (in English it is Alma). He is
always running around punching the air and yelling...he reminds me of
my siblings...So him and I began to play and his mom came up to me
apologizing for his rambunctiousness, but I told her he reminds me of
my brothers. I feel really bad for her, most Japanese kids are
silent...but he is in no way quite, I feel like she is embarrassed
sometimes for having to take him out...if she only knew how it was in
american wards haha! I talked to her for a little bit, and when it was
time for us to go Aduma said "bye bye Dunn chourou" it was great! So
now my best friend in the Ward is two and a half! After church we went
home for lunch then off to Fujino's apartment. During lunch we tried
aimlessly to find a ride to take us to machida for a conference where
Elder Nelson and Elder Evans were speaking at. Sadly we couldn't find
anyone, so we biked to fujino's apartment to tell him that we couldn't
go, but just as my companion began to say it, I kid you not, our phone
began to ring. It was a member of the Ward asking if he could take us!
Whoa! Boom! Tender Mercy right there. We then arranged to meet at the
church at 5, we were a little worried since he forgets things easily,
I think it is mostly time though. We housed around his apartment
complex a little then went back home to have dinner, and then get
ready for the conference. When we got to the church at the set time we
waited for Fujino to show up....he didn't...so we decided to drive to
his house and on the way guess who we saw as we were at a stop light!?
That's right Fujino walking in a blue suit! Whoa! Boom! Another Tender
Mercy right there. We got him into the car and drove to machida. That
was the first time I have been in a car that long since being driven
to the MTC! It was weird but way nice. Every Japanese car has a sat
nav for two reasons, backing up (you always back into a parking spot),
and for directions because the 4 lane highway turns into a 1 lane road
in some parts. The conference was great! It was in my old area. It was
a broadcast from hero. The translating was really neat. The person
speaking and the translated would stand side by side and alternate
speaking every other sentence, it was really cool. Elder Evans was a
mission president in Japan, and part of the area presidency in Japan.
So Elder Nelson asked him to speak in Japanese so the Translator
translated into English it was pretty funny but really cool. Elder
Nelson had some really neat counsel of being able to explain church
doctrine very simply to our friends. This upcoming week all the
missionaries have a conference in Kichijoji where the north mission
will also be! After the conference we were dropped off at the
apartment then guess what started to ring!? The phone, only Kawasaki
was calling...we don't know anyone in Kawasaki. I called them back and
it was an Elder in the mission that found my bread recipe and had
questions about it! It was really funny. When I told my companion in
broken Japanese he gave me a funny look and said, "zen zen
wakarimasen" or I really really don't understand. It was a dang long
but eventful day!
気をつけてね！
愛してます！
ダン長老
NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
For those days where you need a little boost.
We found these as we were housing.
This is a picture of my area. Above is the monorail. There are so many trees, the area is beautiful.
Costco, Lessons, and A Lesson with President
こにちは一番人たち！
この週は本当に楽しかったです。
月曜日
Busy day! We woke up had our studies, after studies we cleaned the
apartment then went to the post office to get money and send Kaitlin's
birthday package out. While I was there I met a man from Afghanistan.
I helped translate his English into Japanese for the women. He said
that he had lived in Hollywood in the 60s and had just recently moved
to japan because of all the hectic stuff going on in the Middle East.
After talking to him we went to 7/11 to go load up emails, then on the
train to meet the sisters to go to Costco! Costco was great! We have
most the groceries for the transfer now! My companion was pretty
excited for the American food! He ate a ton! We then came home and
carried the groceries to Diaso so we could get the shopping done
there. Then we lugged all those groceries home (let me tell you 5
kilos of onions weighs a ton after the first 2 miles, not to mention
the other groceries), it took about 30 minutes or so. When we got home
I had a paper informing me that I had received a package but they
weren't able to drop it off because we weren't at the apartment. So we
called but had no answer. We then went to 義湯スパー (Giomes Super) to buy
our normal groceries for the week. Then off to the church to write
emails. After emails we came to the apartment and unpacked everything
then went back to the church to teach a lesson. The lesson lasted 2
hours! It was mostly in English with Japanese here and there. My
companion isn't very fluent so I had to carry I grunt of the lesson.
Most the questions were America based anyways. But through the spirit
we got all of them figured out and extended him a commitment to be
baptized, he accepted! We plan to hold the service on March 28th,
given that all goes well. We then went to the bishops house to deliver
a message and take a picture of them holding a sign they made of why
families are important to them. The visit went way late so we ended up
getting home at 9:45.
火曜日
Our language study is a lot of fun. He works on his English so he will
ask me things and I will correct him and he does the same for me, we
have a pretty good system worked out. I have been told that my
Japanese sounds like his English...if that is the case we are making a
good pair. I made curry for lunch. After lunch we went to the church
to meet up with a member for a lesson we had. He came with us to the
lesson, he served in the Sendai mission, however he was speaking so
fast I only caught bits and pieces. The lesson was great we taught
Fujiro-San, he is an older man, but he understood my Japanese so that
was comforting. We discussed the importance of sacrament, my companion
is a master of a teacher. He understands people's needs and he is the
first companion I have had that doesn't have a language barrier. After
we picked up our bikes at the apartment and visited another
investigator who wasn't home so we housed the nearby area, some of the
people had gorgeous gardens filled with flowers budding. We then came
home for dinner and my companion made omelet rice, it was delicious.
We then went to the church to contact some investigators and clean up
the area book more. It is a pretty big mess, my last area didn't have
one since we were so new. We then had a lesson with Takeshi-San after
playing ping-pong with him for an hour, it was fun, and I enjoyed
getting to know him better. He is a pilot for a company and takes
pictures for buildings and highways, I think it is surveying but I am
not entirely sure. Then we taught him a short lesson about being a
light unto the world. I shared D&C 115:5 "Verily I say unto you all:
Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the
nations;". I am enjoying the challenge at thieves of being with a
japanese companion. I have to think and know for my self the words in
order to communicate with people, it is a good feeling.
水曜日
During companionship study we went to the other elders apartment, two
doors down to role play a lesson we had planned. We then ate lunch and
went to the church to find where a few less active members live. The
first person wasn't there so we were not able to meet with them so we
housed the entire apartment building! No one was answering so we kept
knocking at a quickened rate. Then everyone decided to come out at
once, so I was talking to one family and my companion was talking to
another lady! It was pretty hectic! After that we went to go visit
another family. When we arrived at the apartment complex we met a
sister who lives in our Ward! It was great to meet her! We knocked on
the door of he apartment the person was to have lived, but he said he
had no idea who we were. So we continued housing, then my companion
wanted to visit another less active and a have a lesson with an
investigator. Neither were home somwe met up with the sisters to show
them where a potential investigator lives. We then came home for
dinner. We hurried and ate, then my companion fell asleep before
Eaikiwa. We then had Eaikiwa, it was great! There was a little 6 year
old girl that kept asking me things in Japanese, it was way cute...but
I had no idea what she was saying. The bishop came in later and we
talked, it was good to get to know him. He showed me an interview of
Gordon B. Hinckley with Larry King it was way good! After English
class we talked as a district with the people who came it was a good
time to get to know everyone.
木曜日
After futsu (normal) studies. I made mac and cheese (I found a box of
it in the cupboard, and since the apartment has been open since
December I found it safe to eat) and grilled cheese! It was delicious!
We then went to the church to call around the Ward for a member to go
with us to teach a lesson. Sadly no one was available so we walked to
Fujino-sans apartment. We had a great lesson with him, I understood
what was going on the entire time and was even able to help out to a
pretty good degree in Japanese! It was awesome, at the end of the
lesson we prepared him for our next lesson we want to talk about with
him and extend an invitation to be baptized. The work is really
picking up here. We then went home to get the bikes and drop off a
letter from the bishop to a member of our Ward. We had a good talk
with her. We then had to bike to the other side of the area to deliver
a present to a member. Sadly they weren't home so we hooked it to the
door. We were going to go to another family, but instead we swung by a
less active member, and a sick member, my companion has been him this
area for 7 months, so he knows the area really well. We then went to
get crepes! We ran into a couple of break dancers dancing in the town
square so we talked to them for a little bit, the didn't teach us
anything sadly. We then bought crepes and went to the church to sync
our iPads (our iPads have an app where we put all of our lessons,
investigators, and other important things in it) it is a useful app,
but still has some bugs. We ran into the sisters while we were there,
one of them is brand new and her companion is a sister training leader
(kind of like a zone leader for sisters). Her companion had training
at the Hombu so she was with the other sister training leaders
companion in the zone who happens to be a nehongen (Japanese person).
She looked pretty stressed out about speaking Japanese all day. I gave
her some encouragement then we came home and did our weekly planning
and ate dinner, my companion calls me "king-sized" and I call him
"long swamp" (Naganuma in English). It was great to talk about all the
hard work we are doing. I then spent about an hour sowing holes up in
a few pairs of pants.
金曜日
We had district meeting right after personal study. It was really
good, it is exciting to see the work progressing among other
missionaries as well. After we went to Indo Curry as a district it was
delicious! Then we went to Fugino-San for another lesson! He was
excited to see us. It was a great lesson we asked if he would be
baptized and his response was that he will pray about it! It was an
awesome miracle, he original wouldn't even let the missionaries in,
but now he fully welcomes us in his house. It is great. We then came
home and I made some bread to take to a less active member. We dropped
it off, it was forever away! We biked for 45 minutes straight to get
there! It was intense. All this bike riding is making us pretty fit,
and giving us monstrous legs! After coming home for planning my
companion got a call from president Wada asking us if we wanted him to
sit in on a lesson with us and one of our investigators with a
baptismal date. We said of course, so we spent up until 10:25 calling
people around to get things worked out.
土曜日
Our studies we kind of scrapped and turned into full on lesson
preparation for the day. It was a lot of preparing. It was enjoyable
though. We didn't have time for lunch because we had to be in
Kichijoji by 1:30. We raced on the trains there, we may have taken a
wrong transfer so we had to transfer in a huge train station. It was
cool but way hectic. We then got to the homebu and talked to the
mission president for a little bit before the member came. We had the
lesson in president Wadas house! It was awesome! I don't know how many
missionaries get the opportunity to be invited to the mission
presidents house for a lesson, it was pretty neat. He testified and
taught right along with us. Sadly it didn't really go anywhere, he is
very prideful. President Wada said something that really hit home with
me. He said, "We invite others to follow Christ, not force." How true
is that! Invite is the key verb in that sentence, it is their choice
to come into Him. After the lesson sister Wada made us cobbler! It was
delicious! She helped me with my Japanese so I could explain why we
don't grow blueberries in the farm. That was really helpful. She told
me that I am not allowed to post on Facebook anymore picture of me in
a wheelchair, so I don't give mom a heart attack. After the lesson we
went to the mission office and I got my package from my family! Yay!
It made my day! We then ventured back on the trains home, only we
thought we had to transfer in shibuya when we didn't...shibuya is
huge...it is home of the largest crosswalk in the world. When we got
back home we hurried and ate then went to the church for another
lesson. We originally planned to talk about the Priesthood, but sadly
he wasn't very receptive and instead wanted to talk about gay marriage
again, he has a baptismal date, but needs to figure things in his life
a little more.
日曜日
Another rainy Sunday. We hurried to the church after getting ready for
the day to practice our singing for a hymn we were singing in church.
I think since being on a mission I have realized a talent I don't have
is singing, the notes were really high. We had to leave early anyways
to go pick up Fujino at his apartment! I brought him a tie as a
present! He was thrilled to see us, sadly he forgot, but got ready
really quick anyways. He is 82 years old and walked all the way to the
church with us! What a genki old man! He also goes swimming often! At
church the Ward loved him! Everyone came up to him and talked to him.
We had Ward conference so the bishop and stake president spoke, the
longer I am in Japan the more it begins to seem like home again, the
church really is the same wherever you go. After Sacrament meeting we
had gospel principals and the stake president taught, it was really
good. He taught about the plan of salvation. We then had priesthood,
it was way confusing because similarly to America they use really hard
words in the High priest group. After church we had a big lunch party
with the whole Ward! It was awesome! Our Ward mission leader stopped
me then asked his wife how old she thought I was. She said 28!! My
Ward mission leader agreed that I looked well into my twenties. He was
amazed to find out I am 18, he also said a lot of members of the Ward
have thought the same thing and have asked. Either way it was pretty
funny. It was fun to get to know the Ward better, the deacons remind
me of Andy a lot, they are way cool. After lunch we walked Fujino back
to his apartment. Then back to our apartment to call potential
investigators. Our phone was buzzing or being used for the next 3
hours! Everyone and their dog wanted to talk to my companion, we got a
lot of work done and referred a lot of people over to the sister
missionaries. We then ate dinner and went to the church and submitted
statistics for our area and copied the program for our talent show on
Saturday. Then we rushed to the bishops apartment to drop it off! It
was a busy day!
Well that is about it for the week! Stay warm if it's cold and stay
cold if it's warm!
With love,
Elder Nathan Dunn
NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.
この週は本当に楽しかったです。
月曜日
Busy day! We woke up had our studies, after studies we cleaned the
apartment then went to the post office to get money and send Kaitlin's
birthday package out. While I was there I met a man from Afghanistan.
I helped translate his English into Japanese for the women. He said
that he had lived in Hollywood in the 60s and had just recently moved
to japan because of all the hectic stuff going on in the Middle East.
After talking to him we went to 7/11 to go load up emails, then on the
train to meet the sisters to go to Costco! Costco was great! We have
most the groceries for the transfer now! My companion was pretty
excited for the American food! He ate a ton! We then came home and
carried the groceries to Diaso so we could get the shopping done
there. Then we lugged all those groceries home (let me tell you 5
kilos of onions weighs a ton after the first 2 miles, not to mention
the other groceries), it took about 30 minutes or so. When we got home
I had a paper informing me that I had received a package but they
weren't able to drop it off because we weren't at the apartment. So we
called but had no answer. We then went to 義湯スパー (Giomes Super) to buy
our normal groceries for the week. Then off to the church to write
emails. After emails we came to the apartment and unpacked everything
then went back to the church to teach a lesson. The lesson lasted 2
hours! It was mostly in English with Japanese here and there. My
companion isn't very fluent so I had to carry I grunt of the lesson.
Most the questions were America based anyways. But through the spirit
we got all of them figured out and extended him a commitment to be
baptized, he accepted! We plan to hold the service on March 28th,
given that all goes well. We then went to the bishops house to deliver
a message and take a picture of them holding a sign they made of why
families are important to them. The visit went way late so we ended up
getting home at 9:45.
火曜日
Our language study is a lot of fun. He works on his English so he will
ask me things and I will correct him and he does the same for me, we
have a pretty good system worked out. I have been told that my
Japanese sounds like his English...if that is the case we are making a
good pair. I made curry for lunch. After lunch we went to the church
to meet up with a member for a lesson we had. He came with us to the
lesson, he served in the Sendai mission, however he was speaking so
fast I only caught bits and pieces. The lesson was great we taught
Fujiro-San, he is an older man, but he understood my Japanese so that
was comforting. We discussed the importance of sacrament, my companion
is a master of a teacher. He understands people's needs and he is the
first companion I have had that doesn't have a language barrier. After
we picked up our bikes at the apartment and visited another
investigator who wasn't home so we housed the nearby area, some of the
people had gorgeous gardens filled with flowers budding. We then came
home for dinner and my companion made omelet rice, it was delicious.
We then went to the church to contact some investigators and clean up
the area book more. It is a pretty big mess, my last area didn't have
one since we were so new. We then had a lesson with Takeshi-San after
playing ping-pong with him for an hour, it was fun, and I enjoyed
getting to know him better. He is a pilot for a company and takes
pictures for buildings and highways, I think it is surveying but I am
not entirely sure. Then we taught him a short lesson about being a
light unto the world. I shared D&C 115:5 "Verily I say unto you all:
Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the
nations;". I am enjoying the challenge at thieves of being with a
japanese companion. I have to think and know for my self the words in
order to communicate with people, it is a good feeling.
水曜日
During companionship study we went to the other elders apartment, two
doors down to role play a lesson we had planned. We then ate lunch and
went to the church to find where a few less active members live. The
first person wasn't there so we were not able to meet with them so we
housed the entire apartment building! No one was answering so we kept
knocking at a quickened rate. Then everyone decided to come out at
once, so I was talking to one family and my companion was talking to
another lady! It was pretty hectic! After that we went to go visit
another family. When we arrived at the apartment complex we met a
sister who lives in our Ward! It was great to meet her! We knocked on
the door of he apartment the person was to have lived, but he said he
had no idea who we were. So we continued housing, then my companion
wanted to visit another less active and a have a lesson with an
investigator. Neither were home somwe met up with the sisters to show
them where a potential investigator lives. We then came home for
dinner. We hurried and ate, then my companion fell asleep before
Eaikiwa. We then had Eaikiwa, it was great! There was a little 6 year
old girl that kept asking me things in Japanese, it was way cute...but
I had no idea what she was saying. The bishop came in later and we
talked, it was good to get to know him. He showed me an interview of
Gordon B. Hinckley with Larry King it was way good! After English
class we talked as a district with the people who came it was a good
time to get to know everyone.
木曜日
After futsu (normal) studies. I made mac and cheese (I found a box of
it in the cupboard, and since the apartment has been open since
December I found it safe to eat) and grilled cheese! It was delicious!
We then went to the church to call around the Ward for a member to go
with us to teach a lesson. Sadly no one was available so we walked to
Fujino-sans apartment. We had a great lesson with him, I understood
what was going on the entire time and was even able to help out to a
pretty good degree in Japanese! It was awesome, at the end of the
lesson we prepared him for our next lesson we want to talk about with
him and extend an invitation to be baptized. The work is really
picking up here. We then went home to get the bikes and drop off a
letter from the bishop to a member of our Ward. We had a good talk
with her. We then had to bike to the other side of the area to deliver
a present to a member. Sadly they weren't home so we hooked it to the
door. We were going to go to another family, but instead we swung by a
less active member, and a sick member, my companion has been him this
area for 7 months, so he knows the area really well. We then went to
get crepes! We ran into a couple of break dancers dancing in the town
square so we talked to them for a little bit, the didn't teach us
anything sadly. We then bought crepes and went to the church to sync
our iPads (our iPads have an app where we put all of our lessons,
investigators, and other important things in it) it is a useful app,
but still has some bugs. We ran into the sisters while we were there,
one of them is brand new and her companion is a sister training leader
(kind of like a zone leader for sisters). Her companion had training
at the Hombu so she was with the other sister training leaders
companion in the zone who happens to be a nehongen (Japanese person).
She looked pretty stressed out about speaking Japanese all day. I gave
her some encouragement then we came home and did our weekly planning
and ate dinner, my companion calls me "king-sized" and I call him
"long swamp" (Naganuma in English). It was great to talk about all the
hard work we are doing. I then spent about an hour sowing holes up in
a few pairs of pants.
金曜日
We had district meeting right after personal study. It was really
good, it is exciting to see the work progressing among other
missionaries as well. After we went to Indo Curry as a district it was
delicious! Then we went to Fugino-San for another lesson! He was
excited to see us. It was a great lesson we asked if he would be
baptized and his response was that he will pray about it! It was an
awesome miracle, he original wouldn't even let the missionaries in,
but now he fully welcomes us in his house. It is great. We then came
home and I made some bread to take to a less active member. We dropped
it off, it was forever away! We biked for 45 minutes straight to get
there! It was intense. All this bike riding is making us pretty fit,
and giving us monstrous legs! After coming home for planning my
companion got a call from president Wada asking us if we wanted him to
sit in on a lesson with us and one of our investigators with a
baptismal date. We said of course, so we spent up until 10:25 calling
people around to get things worked out.
土曜日
Our studies we kind of scrapped and turned into full on lesson
preparation for the day. It was a lot of preparing. It was enjoyable
though. We didn't have time for lunch because we had to be in
Kichijoji by 1:30. We raced on the trains there, we may have taken a
wrong transfer so we had to transfer in a huge train station. It was
cool but way hectic. We then got to the homebu and talked to the
mission president for a little bit before the member came. We had the
lesson in president Wadas house! It was awesome! I don't know how many
missionaries get the opportunity to be invited to the mission
presidents house for a lesson, it was pretty neat. He testified and
taught right along with us. Sadly it didn't really go anywhere, he is
very prideful. President Wada said something that really hit home with
me. He said, "We invite others to follow Christ, not force." How true
is that! Invite is the key verb in that sentence, it is their choice
to come into Him. After the lesson sister Wada made us cobbler! It was
delicious! She helped me with my Japanese so I could explain why we
don't grow blueberries in the farm. That was really helpful. She told
me that I am not allowed to post on Facebook anymore picture of me in
a wheelchair, so I don't give mom a heart attack. After the lesson we
went to the mission office and I got my package from my family! Yay!
It made my day! We then ventured back on the trains home, only we
thought we had to transfer in shibuya when we didn't...shibuya is
huge...it is home of the largest crosswalk in the world. When we got
back home we hurried and ate then went to the church for another
lesson. We originally planned to talk about the Priesthood, but sadly
he wasn't very receptive and instead wanted to talk about gay marriage
again, he has a baptismal date, but needs to figure things in his life
a little more.
日曜日
Another rainy Sunday. We hurried to the church after getting ready for
the day to practice our singing for a hymn we were singing in church.
I think since being on a mission I have realized a talent I don't have
is singing, the notes were really high. We had to leave early anyways
to go pick up Fujino at his apartment! I brought him a tie as a
present! He was thrilled to see us, sadly he forgot, but got ready
really quick anyways. He is 82 years old and walked all the way to the
church with us! What a genki old man! He also goes swimming often! At
church the Ward loved him! Everyone came up to him and talked to him.
We had Ward conference so the bishop and stake president spoke, the
longer I am in Japan the more it begins to seem like home again, the
church really is the same wherever you go. After Sacrament meeting we
had gospel principals and the stake president taught, it was really
good. He taught about the plan of salvation. We then had priesthood,
it was way confusing because similarly to America they use really hard
words in the High priest group. After church we had a big lunch party
with the whole Ward! It was awesome! Our Ward mission leader stopped
me then asked his wife how old she thought I was. She said 28!! My
Ward mission leader agreed that I looked well into my twenties. He was
amazed to find out I am 18, he also said a lot of members of the Ward
have thought the same thing and have asked. Either way it was pretty
funny. It was fun to get to know the Ward better, the deacons remind
me of Andy a lot, they are way cool. After lunch we walked Fujino back
to his apartment. Then back to our apartment to call potential
investigators. Our phone was buzzing or being used for the next 3
hours! Everyone and their dog wanted to talk to my companion, we got a
lot of work done and referred a lot of people over to the sister
missionaries. We then ate dinner and went to the church and submitted
statistics for our area and copied the program for our talent show on
Saturday. Then we rushed to the bishops apartment to drop it off! It
was a busy day!
Well that is about it for the week! Stay warm if it's cold and stay
cold if it's warm!
With love,
Elder Nathan Dunn
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Monday, March 2, 2015
Endoshima, Transfers, and a New Area
こにちわ皆さん。
この週は楽しかった時間と覆います。
火曜日 Tuesday
After our studies we went to Endoshima for the day! Endoshima is a
famous island in the south part of my mission. When we arrived we
walked the boardwalk to the island. We talked to a few people here and
there. We then went to the various tourist shops around. I love how
much they tailor to Americans and foreigners. When we spoke to people
in Japanese they were so excited! They responded with Thank you in
English! We continued on our journey up the mountain. Oh the stairs...
There were probably a thousand. There were a lot of temples and
shrines as we walked up, they are so beautifully decorated and taken
care of. It was sad to see things so sacred to a people become a
tourist exhibit though. The views from the island were breathtaking,
we would get a glimpse here and there through a gap in the trees. When
we got to the top of the island we got ice cream and went to go look
off an observation tower. As Elder Kennedy was telling me how
beautiful the view was, mid sentence a hawk swooped down and took his
ice cream cone right out of his hand! It was pretty intense! He then
concluded the view wasn't beautiful enough to have his ice cream
stolen. There was a street performer there doing yo-yo tricks! It was
pretty impressive. I was more impressed he didn't konk himself with
the yo-yo. As we continued our journey we went down a million stairs
to the other side of the island, which faces the ocean. It was an
awesome view. On the other side of the island there is a cave! It was
a walk through cave that was well lit and paved, but it was still
really pretty. There is a waterfall in it with plexiglass splitting it
so you walk right under it! There was also a dragon statue. It is said
that the cave connects all the way to mount Fugi! It is pretty
impressive, but I don't know if it really does or not. After leaving
the cave we went to the rocks and took pictures next to the ocean. We
talked to a group of college students doing a photo shoot they were
super excited we could talk to them and asked if we would join them!
We then made our way back to the train station and went home. On the
way home my companion taught the entire first lesson to the man
sitting right next to him, it was pretty cool. After getting home we
went to the store to buy groceries my then elder Bennion and I stayed
in so we could pack our bags for transfers.
水曜日
Last night during nightly planning we both had the prompting that we
needed to go down to minami machida. We both had no idea why but we
obeyed. So after lunch we biked down to minami machida. Then it
happened. A miracle. As we were paused at a cross walk then from
another direction a man comes pedaling on a bike toward us. We offer a
hello where are you from? Since he looked either Nepalese or another
middle eastern race. He said "Oh, hello!" Then we stayed and talked
for a few minutes, it turns out he is from Iran and is moving to Utah
for his PHD in April! We asked him about religion and he told us he
was Muslim but then mentioned his mom is Christian and he is very
interested in Christianity! It was such an amazing miracle we biked
over to the seven eleven across the street and bought ice cream. It is
moments like these that makes being in Japan completely and entirely
worth it. After we continued to minami Machida to go to the park which
was a total bust, no one was there and the one man we talked to got up
and left mid sentence. So we left and housed an entire apartment
complex and no one answered! We didn't give up though. We kept walking
and we saw a man who was putting fliers in people's mailboxes. We
talked to him and he was super interested in our message! We gave him
a Book of Mormon and he said that he was given one 15 years ago by
some missionaries but he lost it when he moved and hadn't been able to
read it since! It was way cool! After biking home again we ate dinner,
I made some banana brownies, and cow tongue stir fry. Odd combination
I am aware. We then went to Eaikiwa! My students were awesome! One of
them is half Brazilian half Japanese! I teach advanced class so I get
to teach a lot of phrases. We had the traveling Eaikiwa man come today
his name is Rocky, and he has no accent. After class all the
missionaries transferring said there goodbyes, it was weird saying
goodbye even though I am only moving the town above. After class we
went to the Japanese elders apartment to say goodbye to Elder Fukuchi!
We got one last picture together and wished him the best of luck. When
we got home the other elders had gotten back from the bishops house.
The bishop just got home from a business trip and bought the
missionaries Mac n cheese and American snacks! It was so nice of him!
It was an awesome note to leave the area on. Goodby Machida, you have
been a good area to start off my mission.
木曜日
Wow, what a long exciting day! I woke up and finished my packing we
did our personal studies then we had to drop of Elder Bennion at the
train station for his transfer to tokorazawa. We then went back to the
apartment to eat lunch. Then off I went, carrying my suitcase and
carry on bag in the rain through the train station by myself. It was
weird being all by myself to transfer. I was told that Elder Naganuma
would pick me up in Kamakura. So I went there and I waited. And
waited...and waited. After about 15 minutes I lugged all my stuff to a
pay phone and called my old companion. Thank goodness I wrote the
number down enough to memorize it!! He called my companion and let him
know where I was. He then came and we carried my bags to the new
apartment, and the moving company had already dropped off my bags for
me. When we got to the apartment the previous elders had left it
pretty messy. So since we were both new to it we unpacked and cleaned
in order to make the apartment more conducive to the spirit. It sure
does look nice now. It is very very Japanese style. We have a big
tatami room and I get to sleep of the floor for the next transfer on a
futon! The other missionaries in the area live two doors down from us.
We visited them after cleaning and unpacking then went back to our
apartment to weekly plan. I was amazed at how much I was picking up
on. My companion speaks very little English. Sorry if this isn't very
coherent right now. My brain is pretty fried from all the Japanese. We
weekly planned and talked about people we are working with, there is a
lot of people! We then went out to dinner as a district to a ramen
shop in the area. There are two brand new missionaries in my district.
One is a Japanese elder and the other an American sister. It feels
good not to be the youngest anymore. My district is relatively young
though. My companion has only been out for 7 months now. After dinner
we went back to the apartment and called people in the area book since
we are the oldest companionship in the area, meaning Tama A
companionship has been around longer than Tama B and C. We then
planned for our day tomorrow. This area has a lot of exciting things
going for it.
金曜日
After waking up and having personal study we went to the church for
district meeting! It was great! I have a really neat district this
transfer, we have a lot of baptismal dates in our area, which is a lot
different than my last area. After district meeting we came back to
the apartment for lunch. After lunch we went out to meet up with one
of the youth in the ward and go have a lesson with an older man who is
an investigator. He is great, it was a weird realization when you
realize he was my age around world war 2! My Japanese was kind of
funky so I wasn't able to say many coherent things. My companion is
great he told me the best he could in English that if he were in
America on his mission right now his English would be where my
Japanese is. He is really understanding and helpful. After we walked
over kingdom come talking to people along the way we bought the young
man with us some black thunders and dropped him back off at home. Then
we went to the bike shop so my companion could give his bike a tune
up. They have the equivalent of Home Depot in Japan it is called D2. I
don't know what happened to the R2 part though haha. We then came home
for dinner. After we went to go visit so,e less active members, sadly
all of them moved so we housed in the area. This area is beautiful,
there are trees and bushes lining all of the streets! I can't wait til
it starts warming up, it will look beautiful! After getting home for
he night we planned and I started looking through the million people
in our area book. A lot of it is in English so it is falling to me to
contact them, but it's okay. It is exciting.
土曜日
After personal study we had companionship study which turned into a
giant language study where we worked on his English and my Japanese.
It was a fun session. I think we are going to learn a lot from each
other this transfer. After lunch we went to pick up his bike from the
D2 store, then went to the police station. His real bike was stolen
and so he needed to report it. His new bike is a missionaries bike who
went home this week. At the police station they took up in an elevator
up to the second floor than put us in an interrogation room for about
15 minutes where we waited. Finally a man came in and helped my
companion fill out some paperwork for his stolen bike. We then rode
the bikes to asahi. It was a good bike ride away. When we got there
we brought our bikes in and they did the maintenance for free! I got
my bike all pampered up, it was great! While they were fixing it all
up we went to find a less active. However it turned into a giant wild
goose chase, we didn't end up finding the person, but we found a super
kind older lady who my companion talked to for an hour. I didn't
understand much of the conversation after a half hour or so. We then
went to pick up the bikes and go to a potential investigators
apartment. It turns out hey moved so we housed a 10 story apartment
building! It was fun, but it took a while. We then came home for
dinner. Then Kondo called saying he had some questions. So we went to
Tama Center to meet with him. He wanted to know the church's stance on
gay marriage. My companion had no idea. But thank goodness I was able
to explain how Christ's plan is focused on agency and the love
Heavenly Father has for his children. he lived in Arizona so he spoke
fluent English. The spirit was the real teacher in that lesson, it was
neat to recognize the experience. When we left he told me he wants to
receive baptism! Wow! My companion and I then went out and bought
crepes and went to the church to put the lesson into our area book.
When we got home for the night my old apartment called asking me how
to use the microwave to make bread! It was good to talk to them.
日曜日
Today we woke up and walked over to the church! It is a five minute
walk away! We had Ward council then DCS (dendo chunin shokai). As my
companion was calling people for scaremongering meeting, I noticed a
member of our Ward struggling to help her handicapped daughter up the
big hill. I ran down to help and helped push her to the elevator. The
building is about 3 years old so it is really nice. The sacrament room
is on the second floor, which is new to me, and we basically stay
there the whole time, we just move walls around. During sacrament they
asked me to bear my testimony last. Interestingly today is my 5 month
mark of my mission, so it was neat to go up and speak and be
understood. Especially since 6 months ago I couldn't even tell you my
name in Japanese. After church there was a talent show meeting so we
went to go pick up an investigator who lived in New Orleans for a year
who will be playing the blues during it. That'll be cool! On our way
to the church we talked about all kinds of old music he likes to
listen to. While my companion was in the meeting I had the opportunity
to go to choir practice, that was fun. Singing in Japanese is a lot
different that English, you sing sounds not words...at least that is
what I was doing. We then trudged back to the apartment in the rain
and got our rain gear to go visit an investigator. When we arrived she
was just leaving to go shopping! It was a little disappointing that we
had just ridden our bikes for half an hour in the rain for what seemed
like nothing. But we had faith..my companion after she closed the
door, said in Japanese, "I think we need to go to the 4th floor of
that apartment." So we did and we met a teenager who we taught the
whole first lesson to! It was amazing! We then came back to the
apartment...in the rain. I made us curry for dinner, and Elder
Naganuma called people to come with us for a lesson we had that night.
After dinner we went to Minamiosawa, and met one of the youth in our
Ward to come with us to the lesson. When we got to the apartment and
the women opened the door I suddenly recognized who it was! It was the
women who's daughter I had pushed in the wheel chair that morning. She
was recently baptized and her husband has a baptismal date! We sat
down and started talking then the sister brought out some soup for us,
which was way nice since we had no intentions of eating. Then she
brought out rice, then fish....10 courses later, I kid you not we had
our lesson. She just kept bringing out food, it was so kind of her! We
had a great lesson, I lost track of the conversation after the first
hour though. We showed the video "my new life" I think that is what it
is in English. During the lesson they asked about where I was from, so
I got to show them pictures of the farm! The member who we took with
us said he has always wanted to live on a farm! He asked if he could
someday visit the farm! It was way cool, he said here he doesn't have
the opportunity to grow things like we do in America. The lesson ended
super late, we got home at 10 p.m!
お元気ですよ！
Love,
Elder Nathan Dunn
NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.
この週は楽しかった時間と覆います。
火曜日 Tuesday
After our studies we went to Endoshima for the day! Endoshima is a
famous island in the south part of my mission. When we arrived we
walked the boardwalk to the island. We talked to a few people here and
there. We then went to the various tourist shops around. I love how
much they tailor to Americans and foreigners. When we spoke to people
in Japanese they were so excited! They responded with Thank you in
English! We continued on our journey up the mountain. Oh the stairs...
There were probably a thousand. There were a lot of temples and
shrines as we walked up, they are so beautifully decorated and taken
care of. It was sad to see things so sacred to a people become a
tourist exhibit though. The views from the island were breathtaking,
we would get a glimpse here and there through a gap in the trees. When
we got to the top of the island we got ice cream and went to go look
off an observation tower. As Elder Kennedy was telling me how
beautiful the view was, mid sentence a hawk swooped down and took his
ice cream cone right out of his hand! It was pretty intense! He then
concluded the view wasn't beautiful enough to have his ice cream
stolen. There was a street performer there doing yo-yo tricks! It was
pretty impressive. I was more impressed he didn't konk himself with
the yo-yo. As we continued our journey we went down a million stairs
to the other side of the island, which faces the ocean. It was an
awesome view. On the other side of the island there is a cave! It was
a walk through cave that was well lit and paved, but it was still
really pretty. There is a waterfall in it with plexiglass splitting it
so you walk right under it! There was also a dragon statue. It is said
that the cave connects all the way to mount Fugi! It is pretty
impressive, but I don't know if it really does or not. After leaving
the cave we went to the rocks and took pictures next to the ocean. We
talked to a group of college students doing a photo shoot they were
super excited we could talk to them and asked if we would join them!
We then made our way back to the train station and went home. On the
way home my companion taught the entire first lesson to the man
sitting right next to him, it was pretty cool. After getting home we
went to the store to buy groceries my then elder Bennion and I stayed
in so we could pack our bags for transfers.
水曜日
Last night during nightly planning we both had the prompting that we
needed to go down to minami machida. We both had no idea why but we
obeyed. So after lunch we biked down to minami machida. Then it
happened. A miracle. As we were paused at a cross walk then from
another direction a man comes pedaling on a bike toward us. We offer a
hello where are you from? Since he looked either Nepalese or another
middle eastern race. He said "Oh, hello!" Then we stayed and talked
for a few minutes, it turns out he is from Iran and is moving to Utah
for his PHD in April! We asked him about religion and he told us he
was Muslim but then mentioned his mom is Christian and he is very
interested in Christianity! It was such an amazing miracle we biked
over to the seven eleven across the street and bought ice cream. It is
moments like these that makes being in Japan completely and entirely
worth it. After we continued to minami Machida to go to the park which
was a total bust, no one was there and the one man we talked to got up
and left mid sentence. So we left and housed an entire apartment
complex and no one answered! We didn't give up though. We kept walking
and we saw a man who was putting fliers in people's mailboxes. We
talked to him and he was super interested in our message! We gave him
a Book of Mormon and he said that he was given one 15 years ago by
some missionaries but he lost it when he moved and hadn't been able to
read it since! It was way cool! After biking home again we ate dinner,
I made some banana brownies, and cow tongue stir fry. Odd combination
I am aware. We then went to Eaikiwa! My students were awesome! One of
them is half Brazilian half Japanese! I teach advanced class so I get
to teach a lot of phrases. We had the traveling Eaikiwa man come today
his name is Rocky, and he has no accent. After class all the
missionaries transferring said there goodbyes, it was weird saying
goodbye even though I am only moving the town above. After class we
went to the Japanese elders apartment to say goodbye to Elder Fukuchi!
We got one last picture together and wished him the best of luck. When
we got home the other elders had gotten back from the bishops house.
The bishop just got home from a business trip and bought the
missionaries Mac n cheese and American snacks! It was so nice of him!
It was an awesome note to leave the area on. Goodby Machida, you have
been a good area to start off my mission.
木曜日
Wow, what a long exciting day! I woke up and finished my packing we
did our personal studies then we had to drop of Elder Bennion at the
train station for his transfer to tokorazawa. We then went back to the
apartment to eat lunch. Then off I went, carrying my suitcase and
carry on bag in the rain through the train station by myself. It was
weird being all by myself to transfer. I was told that Elder Naganuma
would pick me up in Kamakura. So I went there and I waited. And
waited...and waited. After about 15 minutes I lugged all my stuff to a
pay phone and called my old companion. Thank goodness I wrote the
number down enough to memorize it!! He called my companion and let him
know where I was. He then came and we carried my bags to the new
apartment, and the moving company had already dropped off my bags for
me. When we got to the apartment the previous elders had left it
pretty messy. So since we were both new to it we unpacked and cleaned
in order to make the apartment more conducive to the spirit. It sure
does look nice now. It is very very Japanese style. We have a big
tatami room and I get to sleep of the floor for the next transfer on a
futon! The other missionaries in the area live two doors down from us.
We visited them after cleaning and unpacking then went back to our
apartment to weekly plan. I was amazed at how much I was picking up
on. My companion speaks very little English. Sorry if this isn't very
coherent right now. My brain is pretty fried from all the Japanese. We
weekly planned and talked about people we are working with, there is a
lot of people! We then went out to dinner as a district to a ramen
shop in the area. There are two brand new missionaries in my district.
One is a Japanese elder and the other an American sister. It feels
good not to be the youngest anymore. My district is relatively young
though. My companion has only been out for 7 months now. After dinner
we went back to the apartment and called people in the area book since
we are the oldest companionship in the area, meaning Tama A
companionship has been around longer than Tama B and C. We then
planned for our day tomorrow. This area has a lot of exciting things
going for it.
金曜日
After waking up and having personal study we went to the church for
district meeting! It was great! I have a really neat district this
transfer, we have a lot of baptismal dates in our area, which is a lot
different than my last area. After district meeting we came back to
the apartment for lunch. After lunch we went out to meet up with one
of the youth in the ward and go have a lesson with an older man who is
an investigator. He is great, it was a weird realization when you
realize he was my age around world war 2! My Japanese was kind of
funky so I wasn't able to say many coherent things. My companion is
great he told me the best he could in English that if he were in
America on his mission right now his English would be where my
Japanese is. He is really understanding and helpful. After we walked
over kingdom come talking to people along the way we bought the young
man with us some black thunders and dropped him back off at home. Then
we went to the bike shop so my companion could give his bike a tune
up. They have the equivalent of Home Depot in Japan it is called D2. I
don't know what happened to the R2 part though haha. We then came home
for dinner. After we went to go visit so,e less active members, sadly
all of them moved so we housed in the area. This area is beautiful,
there are trees and bushes lining all of the streets! I can't wait til
it starts warming up, it will look beautiful! After getting home for
he night we planned and I started looking through the million people
in our area book. A lot of it is in English so it is falling to me to
contact them, but it's okay. It is exciting.
土曜日
After personal study we had companionship study which turned into a
giant language study where we worked on his English and my Japanese.
It was a fun session. I think we are going to learn a lot from each
other this transfer. After lunch we went to pick up his bike from the
D2 store, then went to the police station. His real bike was stolen
and so he needed to report it. His new bike is a missionaries bike who
went home this week. At the police station they took up in an elevator
up to the second floor than put us in an interrogation room for about
15 minutes where we waited. Finally a man came in and helped my
companion fill out some paperwork for his stolen bike. We then rode
the bikes to asahi. It was a good bike ride away. When we got there
we brought our bikes in and they did the maintenance for free! I got
my bike all pampered up, it was great! While they were fixing it all
up we went to find a less active. However it turned into a giant wild
goose chase, we didn't end up finding the person, but we found a super
kind older lady who my companion talked to for an hour. I didn't
understand much of the conversation after a half hour or so. We then
went to pick up the bikes and go to a potential investigators
apartment. It turns out hey moved so we housed a 10 story apartment
building! It was fun, but it took a while. We then came home for
dinner. Then Kondo called saying he had some questions. So we went to
Tama Center to meet with him. He wanted to know the church's stance on
gay marriage. My companion had no idea. But thank goodness I was able
to explain how Christ's plan is focused on agency and the love
Heavenly Father has for his children. he lived in Arizona so he spoke
fluent English. The spirit was the real teacher in that lesson, it was
neat to recognize the experience. When we left he told me he wants to
receive baptism! Wow! My companion and I then went out and bought
crepes and went to the church to put the lesson into our area book.
When we got home for the night my old apartment called asking me how
to use the microwave to make bread! It was good to talk to them.
日曜日
Today we woke up and walked over to the church! It is a five minute
walk away! We had Ward council then DCS (dendo chunin shokai). As my
companion was calling people for scaremongering meeting, I noticed a
member of our Ward struggling to help her handicapped daughter up the
big hill. I ran down to help and helped push her to the elevator. The
building is about 3 years old so it is really nice. The sacrament room
is on the second floor, which is new to me, and we basically stay
there the whole time, we just move walls around. During sacrament they
asked me to bear my testimony last. Interestingly today is my 5 month
mark of my mission, so it was neat to go up and speak and be
understood. Especially since 6 months ago I couldn't even tell you my
name in Japanese. After church there was a talent show meeting so we
went to go pick up an investigator who lived in New Orleans for a year
who will be playing the blues during it. That'll be cool! On our way
to the church we talked about all kinds of old music he likes to
listen to. While my companion was in the meeting I had the opportunity
to go to choir practice, that was fun. Singing in Japanese is a lot
different that English, you sing sounds not words...at least that is
what I was doing. We then trudged back to the apartment in the rain
and got our rain gear to go visit an investigator. When we arrived she
was just leaving to go shopping! It was a little disappointing that we
had just ridden our bikes for half an hour in the rain for what seemed
like nothing. But we had faith..my companion after she closed the
door, said in Japanese, "I think we need to go to the 4th floor of
that apartment." So we did and we met a teenager who we taught the
whole first lesson to! It was amazing! We then came back to the
apartment...in the rain. I made us curry for dinner, and Elder
Naganuma called people to come with us for a lesson we had that night.
After dinner we went to Minamiosawa, and met one of the youth in our
Ward to come with us to the lesson. When we got to the apartment and
the women opened the door I suddenly recognized who it was! It was the
women who's daughter I had pushed in the wheel chair that morning. She
was recently baptized and her husband has a baptismal date! We sat
down and started talking then the sister brought out some soup for us,
which was way nice since we had no intentions of eating. Then she
brought out rice, then fish....10 courses later, I kid you not we had
our lesson. She just kept bringing out food, it was so kind of her! We
had a great lesson, I lost track of the conversation after the first
hour though. We showed the video "my new life" I think that is what it
is in English. During the lesson they asked about where I was from, so
I got to show them pictures of the farm! The member who we took with
us said he has always wanted to live on a farm! He asked if he could
someday visit the farm! It was way cool, he said here he doesn't have
the opportunity to grow things like we do in America. The lesson ended
super late, we got home at 10 p.m!
お元気ですよ！
Love,
Elder Nathan Dunn
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I love this Train Station.
The island of Endoshima!
Amazing View from the Island.
One of the many Shrines on the Island.
This is where you can wash your coins, if you do they are said to be lucky.
Another amazing view from the Island.
A Dragon Fountain
A flower park on the Island
A Buddhist Temple for the God of Fire.
Another great view off into the ocean.
This is the Sign from one of the view points.
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