Ohonami, Splits, and another Baptism!

こんにちは 皆さん！

この週は復活の日です。

月曜日
We didn't have studies because I had to go to the hospital again...I
think this makes 5 times now? I am fine, I just needed some
antibiotics. The big city life is beating up my country immune system.
After that was all figured out we went home and cleaned and made
lunch. We then went to D2 so they could see if my companion could
retro fix his old bike with the stolen bike we got back. They said
yes, but the other one was at the church so we went there. When we got
there we went on splits because the district leader wanted Elder
Naganuma's old bike. So they walked to Asahi which is about a two hour
walk and I went on splits with elder Clark. We emailed then went back
to D2. I bought a pair of pants, shampoo, and hair clippers (I figured
a 30 dollar investment for the next year and a half is cheaper then
spending 120 dollars in Japanese style haircuts). We then walked back
to the apartment and went to Tama center. We went to GU (yes I know a
lot of two symbol stores). I bought another pair of pants there. The
wonderful thing about Japan is clothes are inexpensive, and durable!
So these shouldn't split anytime soon. We walked a round the mall,
there isn't really anything cool or big. So we went to Diaso, or
Japan's favorite store because everything is a 100¥. However unlike
American dollar stores, Japanese dollar stores actually have quality
things that will last more than the day you buy it. I bought a case
for my pamphlets and chirashi, as well as a few other odds and ends.
We then came back to the apartment and called my companion, it took
them 2 and a half hours to fix the bike! Ouch! We were able to split
back then off to the grocery store to buy groceries! This week wasn't
too bad, we bought a lot more vegetables. We came home and relaxed for
twenty minutes before running to the church for a lesson. The lesson
with Kondo went a lot later than expected, but it was amazing.
President told us to restart so we did and we're find out a lot of
holes that previous missionaries had left which is why he was so
confused. After the lesson we came home and Tim Tam slammed, it is an
Australian thing.

火曜日
I woke up to my companion being sick so I got to do the normal study
schedule alone. It was weird doing everything alone. He woke up
halfway through lunch and said he was fine. So he hopped in the shower
and got ready! Uhh okay, let's go then. So we went to inagi-shi. The
bike ride is always so pretty it turns out that the farms nearby are
actually part of a college and a city farm where different people can
rent land. Where we went on Sunday, there are a ton of apartment
complexes in the area, it is crazy! We knocked 2 and were so tired of
climbing stairs we took a break at the 7/11 and got drinks and a
snack. I got an American dog (a corn dog) and some pacari sweat (clear
Gatorade), and my companion got lemon water, and sour plums...they
were disgusting. We knocked another apartment building and talked to a
few more people, some of them had met missionaries before, but like 20
years ago! After the apartment building we were so tired of climbing
stairs we sat on a bench and looked at the Sakura and talked to an old
man for about a half hour. It was a good conversation and great
weather so I couldn't complain we took some cool pictures. After we
came home for dinner, my companion was starving so he made mabo, it
was delicious. Then the other elders came running into our apartment
telling us that baskin Robbins was 31% off today! We decided to go!
After dinner I got my bag and looked around for my passport pouch
where I keep my msf funds. Only it was gone....it wasn't there! I must
have dropped it at the 7/11! It was $20, but still pretty sad for me.
We went to the church and got some paperwork for Fujino to fill out,
and went to his apartment. We had a great visit with him, we sung
hymns and talked to him, there is such a neat difference in him. His
favorite hymn is joy to the world! After the short lesson we went to
Diaso to print out a picture and my companion wanted a snack. After we
came home to hear from the other elders that the district leader was
spending the night main machida with the zone leaders because splits
went way late. Sounds like a busy day for them too!

水曜日
We relieved a call from the Assistants saying that Elder Naganuma and
another elder on the district needed to go to the district leader
training meeting so I was with Elder Shimizu for studies and a little
after lunch. This is Elder Shimizu's first transfer and he is Japanese
but he is a lot of fun to be around so that made the time go by really
quickly. We studied ate lunch worked on his 12 week program and then
met our companions. Then Elder Naganuma and I went to a lesson with
Fujino Kyodai. On the way all the Sakura are in full bloom it was
absolutely gorgeous! We had Tajima Kyodai doeski for us. It was a
great lesson. Tajima Kyodai did most of the talking. We then rushed
home ate and went to eaikiwa it was awesome! I taught the advanced
class with Elder Hilton, we split off and I used the iPad to talk
about different places that the students had been using Google maps to
look them up! It was an enjoyable time! After eaikiwa I cut Elder
Clarks hair!

木曜日
I woke up feeling awful so I slept in until 10. After that I felt good
enough to go dendo. So I hurried and got dressed and we ran to the
church. There we practiced singing for a nursing home that day with
the ward. The elders wore suits and leis and the sisters in the ward
and the sister missionaries wore skirts and did the hula. It was
awesome! We ate as a big group and rode our bikes to the nursing home
and sang! It was an awesome time, I love Hawaiian music! It was
amazing! We took pictures and shook hands with everyone it was a neat
experience. Then elder Naganuma got a call about our washing machine!
It is coming on Monday, but they had to check so we had to run home so
they could. It turns out that the washing machine they were going to
get is too big. So we will get a different new one Monday. We then
dendoed in a nearby park, we talked to a few people and took pictures
of the Sakura, that was fun the weather was beautiful! We then went
home, ate, I made some bread, and went to the church. At the church we
did weekly planning. That was fun, it took a while but we got things
figured out. My companion is convinced he is transferring, so all he
talked about was the places he could be going. After we came home, and
split to our new companions for the day.

金曜日
We began our day with personal study, then we had district meeting, I
can't believe it is already the end of the transfer, that went by way
too fast! District meeting was good. We then went out for lunch at a
Italian buffet it was delicious! We then went to a members house so we
could confirm a appointment for tomorrow. After that we got a call
from yochiro asking if we could meet him at the park, we did and were
able to teach him the plan of happiness, he is making baby steps,
little by little progress. We then walked around the park and talked
to a few people, we found some kids playing basketball and played with
them. Then we came home, ate dinner and went to the church to clean
the font for the baptism tomorrow. After that we had a lesson with
kondou, it was a good lesson. We taught the plan of salvation and were
able to testify I lot. After the lesson we came home and did splits
review, switched back companions and called it a day.

土曜日
We woke up at 6 and went over to the other apartment so I could cut
the district leaders hair before the baptism. I am getting pretty good
at cutting hair, who knew I'd being doing that in Japan. We then had
personal study and went over to the church for the baptism. It was
awesome! She was the women who called us 2 weeks ago! That was so fast
it was amazing! We are finding all these prepared people in Tama. She
gave an awesome testimony after! We then had a short district meeting
to discuss one of our investigators. We then went out to lunch as a
district to a "everything shop" they had curry, and udon, and all
kinds of other traditional Japanese food, it was really good. We then
went to Minamiosawa for a doseki with a member of the Komioka ward,
and our dendo shunin (ward mission leader) he translated some of it
for me, it was way kind because I have a hard time understanding some
old people because they use impossible words to understand. Needless
to say I left with a headache. It was a great lesson though, his wife
is a recent convert currently. He is close but still has a ways to go.
We then came home and went to Diaso, I got a new money wallet. We then
went home and ate dinner. During dinner my companion told me that i
was teaching Fujino Kyodai tonight by myself. He said next transfer I
may need to lead so I need the practice. It was a great lesson. I
realized I can't explain things eloquently whatsoever, but I can get
my point across. I call it heart communication. After the lesson we
visited a women who lives in the same apartment complex. She has a
little girl the same age as HJ! I told her my little brother is the
same age or, "watashi no ototo wa onagi agu desu." She look
completely dumbfounded and asked if I meant my son. I then had to
explain again that I am 18. It was pretty funny. We then ran into the
sisters as we were crossing the street, we related the story and then
visited another investigator, he was ma ma interested. We then came
home and just as we began to plan we heard screaming outside our
apartment then our doorbell rang. It was the Kyomen family! They
brought us cupcakes for Easter! Aduma was way interested in the
apartment complex where we live, it was pretty funny, and an
outstanding end to our day!

日曜日
Happy Easter! We woke up and went to the church for dcs (I don't know
the acronym in English). We found out that the stake president in our
ward was called to be an area 70 last night! So the stake presidency
will be reorganized soon! Sacrament was great, Murata received the
Holy Ghost, and half the youth bore their testimonies about Youth
Conference. Fujino even came to Sacrament all by himself! After church
we had a lesson with one of our investigators who is having a lot of
issues. We have made the decision to let the sisters start teaching
him. We came home did a little planning then went and housed for a few
hours, no one really was receptive, or knew it was Easter, but then
again most people are Buddhist. We then came home and ate dinner we
then decided to go visit a less active however it was a 40 minute bike
ride, so it took a while. They were not home so that was kind of sad.
But we housed the neighboring area, it was a fun end to the week.

This week has been busy, but next week promises to be even more busy!

Love you all!

Elder 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.