こんにちは友達と家族！
If you don't read any of this letter at least read this much if you
own a Toyota, Honda, Kawasaki or Suzuki. They are all Japanese. Which
means they actually have names that translate into English. Ready!
Toyota 豊田 (expensive rice field)
Honda 本田 (book rice field)
Kawasaki 川崎 (river cape)
Suzuki 鈴木 (bell tree)
Mind blowing!
Well here was my busy week!
月曜日
We woke up and did normal studies, we then picked up Ida from the
train station and went to the church to play ping pong! It was a fun
time, my companion is really good. We then taught about half of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. And committed him to pray, he prayed for the
first time with us! It was absolutely awesome! We then emailed our
families. We then went to the mall, I looked at buying white charts
but decided to wait, they had a good deal 3 shirts for 5000 ¥ or about
45 dollars. After we went to Diaso, I bought a miniature palm tree for
my desk, I need some greenery on my desk. On our way home my umbrella
broke it snapped pretty clean thanks to the wind. Thankfully it was
only a dollar when I bought it so it isn't a big deal. We then came
home a relaxed, my companion wrote letters, and I cleaned and did
laundry. We had some dinner, planned and then my trainer called me
asking for my bread recipe, so we talked on the phone for about an
hour. Overall a really mundane p-day.
火曜日
We awoke and studied, it was a good study. We then bought groceries
since it was pouring down yesterday and we moved things around so we
could. At the store they were selling LDS. I was like uhh what? So we
bought it, and then I realized the D was a lower case a. So it is Las.
We haven't drank it yet but hopefully it will be good. We then went to
the church and mapped out the less actives we wanted to visit. We
biked forever and tried to visit them however now were there. We ran
into a really old man who my companion couldn't understand because of
the Japanese he was using. My companion is Japanese! We then went to a
7-eleven and got drinks because we were super hot and to look up
another address. I bought a peaches and cream drink. I must say the
drink options in Japan are great. After we visited the other less
active, we ran out of chirashi which has never happened. We had handed
so many out that we ran out! We then got a call from the person we
were going to have a lesson changing it to tomorrow. As we were biking
home we passed by a Create of Japanese drug store. Needing soap and my
companion in need of shampoo we took a pit stop. The automatic door
wasn't working which was weird for the amount of people that were
there. We thought it was weird so we tried to get in through the
neighboring grocery store, however that didn't work either and we
watched someone open the automatic door and walk in. So we did that
same, looking all around for soap and shampoo. There were people
everywhere taking things out of boxes and moving them to shelves.
Thinking it was a bit odd I kept looking around. And climbing over
giant boxes. My companion had been on the phone up until this point
with an investigator. He then turns to me and says, "this store isn't
open yet". Oh no. I was way deep into this store and no one even
stopped me. We were just wandering through a store that was still
under construction in search of soap and shampoo. I don't think we
will make that mistake again. We then came home and I made chili for
dinner and we housed a little by the church before we practiced
singing for a talent show on Saturday. Before that Elder Sawyer and I
played Ping pong with a Christmas ornament because all the other balls
were broken. Sing practice was good, I realized I still can't sing but
that's okay.
水曜日
We woke up early and headed to Hachioji so my companion could do a
training for the Japanese missionaries. There Elder Young and I went
on splits. We did a little studying then decided to go out and dendo.
On the first door we knocked the person answered the door, we thought
the whole first lesson then we were able to set a return appointment
with them! It was awesome! I forgot what it is like to dendo with
Americans. We then split back and went as a big group to Indian curry!
Yum! After as we were about to get on the train I had the feeling
about a certain car and just as we were about to get on a foreigner
got on as well! I sat next to him and started speaking to him in
Japanese and he started responding in Japanese so I switched to
English and asked him where he is from, he is from Napal! He had a
great conversation and I was able to give him a Book of Mormon in
English and a pamphlet. My companion also testified in English about
prayer! It was pretty cool! We then came home and took a long way home
and saw some nature. We then had to walk back to the train station to
meet up with an investigator for a lesson. My nose was in a lot of
pain from a sunburn and a pimple (who knew how much pain that could
cause). So I went on splits with the other Tama elders and soaked my
nose for a while. We then ate dinner and went to Eaikiwa! It was fun,
the beginner class is enjoyable, it is neat to see the small
improvements they make each week. We then came home and I made
brownies for district meeting, only I had to call Sister Wada for part
of the recipe. When I called her she only spoke Japanese so I only
spoke Japanese back, it was pretty cool!
木曜日
We awoke, I put the brownies in and we got ready for the day. Then we
ran to district meeting with the hot brownies. District meeting was
great I love our district we learn so much together. We then ran to
Tama center for a lesson with Enoki San. We did a little bit of cat
and mouse finding him but we finally did. One of the cool things about
being a missionary is that you KNOW just by looking at someone that it
is them that you are looking for. It has happened twice this transfer
now. Our lesson was...well...interesting. If you think discussing
differences between USDA choice beef and Australian beef is difficult
in English, give Japanese a go. Now you are wondering why we were
talking about beef...yeah. So am I. The lesson was very interesting
because besides beef we talked about blood types, math tricks, and my
companions luck based on his birthday. If you are now as confused as I
was I asked my companion what was going on. He then turned to me and
said, "if I knew I would tell you". He had no idea either, but we
learned a valuable lesson... We need a doseki that is as random as he
is. After we came home and ate dinner. I took a nap during lunch
because my head hurt so much from trying to follow the lesson. We then
had weekly planning. It was great! It was the most focused weekly
planning I have had with a Japanese companion. We then got calls
saying I was going to have on splits with Elder Bown tomorrow here in
Tama. We then went to the church and synced our area books. Only there
was an update! And they listened to my advice!! It now has 15 minute
intervals of time! Yosh! We then went housing. We ran into a happy
drunk man who rejected us. But told us we are kind people. Then a
women opened the door and shut it as soon as she saw us. Ouch! I have
decided to knock on the doors for the rest of my mission because the
intercoms are very closed off (I can't think of the English word). We
knocked on another apartment complex and a man answered the door and
we taught very simply then invited him to hear more and he said yesM
so we set up a return appointment on Tuesday! Deketa! We then prayed,
and received a call from the Hachioji zone leaders saying that the
nepalese man that we referred has a lesson on Saturday!! We then
housed one last apartment floor. Except we didn't have much time, and
on the very last door we knocked on the man had met us before! He said
he will consider coming to church! Way great day!
金曜日
We woke up early...again. I am learning to love less sleep. We went to
the train station to meet our new companions for the day! Elder Bown
is currently serving in Zama the Air Force base. He is also the most
fluent American I have ever met! We came back for studies. I finished
the Book for Mormon! Yay! Then for companionship study we went and
talked to the other elders and did mogies with them. Then went to indo
curry for dinner, I had the lamb again. There is something about it
that is umai! We then decided to go on an adventure so we walked
forever! We met a man who spoke a little English and even had heard of
the church! Talk about a neat experience. We also met another two
Nepalese men. I am starting to meet a lot! Elder Bown did Moui Tai
before his mission so we talked about that as we walked, along with
his trick to language study. It was interesting insight he gave. We
then came back to the apartment starved, however neither of us had the
will power to cook so we are toaster waffles...16 toaster waffles
later we went to the train station to pick up our companions from the
Japanese people conference (literally translation). We then walked to
the church and practiced the rest of the night for the talent show,
however I had a super bad head ache so I spent most of the practice on
the floor shielding my eyes from any light.
土曜日
We woke up early...maybe I'll just stop writing that and we will just
assume it. And went on a walk with Elder Clark and Elder Hilton! It
was a good walk, we climbed this giant hill and ran into some old
woman eating sembe and chocolate. As soon as they saw us they invited
us over and gave us a bunch of sembe and chocolate. We then came back,
got ready and studied. However during companionship study opening
exercises I realized a big problem. Our apartment doesn't have any
emergency water. So we went through our bags and read that as part of
companionship study. Then we called the other elders who also don't
have any. So we decided to fix it so during lunch the Americans walked
to D2 with a suitcase and giant Costco bags to buy water as the
Australian and Japanese Elders made lunch. We bought 108 liters of
water! Which is around 230 pounds of water! And carried it home, well
I rolled the suit case on the road, but we got it home. Now we are
prepared. We then got a call from one of our investigators, Mashiko,
saying he finished the Book of Mormon! Whoa! So we planned a lesson
for that afternoon. After lunch we took the bikes to minamiosawa and
had a great lesson! I testified in japanese and taught a lot more than
I ever had! I even understood most of what was going on! We then came
come in the rain, which was unexpected so we were wet, but didn't have
time to change so we had to get on the train headed to machida for a
talent show we were singing in. It was a great concert! Bless4 came
which is a really popular Japanese group who is LDS! Their brother is
on a mission right now so it is more like bless 3. It was an awesome
performance. Then on the way home I ran into another Indian person! He
was way nice, we talked about the importance of families.
日曜日
We woke up got ready and went to the machida stake center for
conference. Our stake president was released because he is now part of
the seventy and the 1st counselor was called as the Stake President
with one of his counselors coming from the ward I am serving in. It
was a great conference from what I understood, it was hot and really
hard to pay attention especially after your Japanese companion falls
asleep. Sometimes I wonder if he knows what it is like to want to
understand and can't. After the conference we talked to the members.
It was awesome talking to members of the ward In Machida 2nd I served
with 3 months ago and be able to hold a conversation with them! We
then came home, Japan is starting to warm up, and fast. We then went
to the church and planned what we wanted to do for the YSA dinner our
Ward was having. We did a object lesson with knifes and cups relating
the importance of church attendance, reading the scriptures, and
prayer. It was a great lesson. The activity was great we ate Costco
pizza! We played a game as a big group which was kind of weird because
I felt like I was among peers. We did this questionnaire/self
introductions thing, and since they were YSAs they asked things like;
what is your favorite date spot? Uhhh it was weird answering that
question as a missionary. After the dinner we talked to the members
and elder Hilton and I talked about swimming! It was fun to relate old
stories back and forth.
Well that was my quick week!
Love,
Elder Dunn
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