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4.25.2011 / 10:34 AM
誰も漢字が分からないでしょうね？
Hey everyone! So I have some terrible news! Remember how the last time I e-mailed I was in a huge rush but promised that I would have lots of pictures from some sort of all-Sapporo Preperation Day Activity thing? Well... We took too long on e-mail/shopping/etc, and missed our bus and didn't get to go. So I have no pictures of that for you. Sorry :/ Oh well. Maybe next time :D
At any rate, this last week has been great. I'll start with the pictures. There's lots!
IMG_0824.jpg (image/jpeg) 75.00K - This is dodgeball that we played recently.
IMG_0849.jpg (image/jpeg) 76.00K - Action shot! You can see me throwing a ball at Elder Taylor (who is in the red)
IMG_0006.JPG (image/jpeg) 1,087.00K - This is a new suit that I bought! Except you'll never guess how much it was? $5.00. Yeah! Isn't that insane?! I don't know why it was so cheap, but whatever :D [Also, I need a haircut!]
IMG_0008.JPG (image/jpeg) 2,000.00K - A closer up picture of the suit so you can see the pattern.
IMG_0012.JPG (image/jpeg) 871.00K - We had a small activity where we made some eggs. Unfortunately I don't have many pictures of it... But here is the egg I painted. Half of it is red and the Canadian Flag.
IMG_0015.JPG (image/jpeg) 834.00K - The other half is green.
IMG_0026.JPG 747.00K - See if you can guess the other design I was going for :D I'm no artist!
IMG_0043.JPG 1,083.00K - This was a cleaning party in my apartment... I'll talk more about this later.
IMG_0040.JPG 1,066.00K - This is the Kubo family that we went and visited. They fed us Bacon! It was tasty.
At any rate, that's all the pictures for this week. But I have some fun news this week! It was transfer week! Elder Taylor and I are still companions and we are still serving in Teine, however, our beloved Elder Kobayashi was transferred to a place called Obihiro, leaving an empty place in our apartment. Which was filled by TWO people. Elder Lawry from Australia and Elder Shin'no from around Tokyo. Elder Shin'no is a new missionary (Green Bean) and is being trained by Elder Lawry and Elder Ovard who are the other 2 in the apartment. It's nuts! Our apartment is definitely NOT meant for 5 people! Haha. It has 3 rooms. One room is the kitchen living room area. Then there is a study/bed room place. Then another small bedroom-like room. Then of course we have one bathroom. But it's TINY. But it's also lots of fun. Haha. Actually we had to go buy another small desk for the new Elder. And I was the only one who could withdraw any money from my account... So the lot fell on me to buy it. I'll probably get re-imbursed (spelling?)... Probably. Haha. (Sorry Dad!).
In terms of missionary work things are fantastic! It seems like we are doing more and more everyday! And we're seeing lots of success and miracles and well... You know how it goes :D Recently, one of our stronger investigators, Kuwahara san, actually took a turn for the worse however! We had been working with her and had her reading the Book of Mormon and praying. But she wasn't coming to church and she wouldn't commit to a Baptism date. She hasn't really progressed at all for a few weeks, so we taught a pretty bold lesson and told her we couldn't continue to meet if she didn't come to church. She said she can't (for a vareity of excuses, none of which are any good). I was sad and she was sad. But sometimes that's how things go. So we won't be meeting with her for a while.
Our next strongest investigator is a Matsukawa Kun. He comes to church everyweek and is doing great! Although he is SUPER shy. More so than anyone I have ever before met. I'll be sure to keep you updated on him. He's a huge Gundam fan. It's a Japanese Anime about huge flying robots (I think). Apparently I'm in it too? The main villian's name is 'Shaw,' apparently. Matsukawa Kun tells me it's funny. Haha.
In other news,... (those dots are me thinking). Nope, nevermind, there's no other news in terms of missionary work.
At any rate, I heard the Brett Salmon got home? Pretty crazy! Pretty soon all those other guys will be getting back, huh? And pretty soon I'm going to be hitting my year mark. That's also pretty nuts. Hahahaha.
Also, just so everyone knows... The rules in Sapporo mission are different than Sendai Mission. You can all (all as in family) e-mail me. (However, I would appreciate real letters more, since I have limited time to e-mail and if I spend all of my time reading e-mails...) Also, through e-mail feel free to send me pictures. Not only is it faster, but it's cheaper too! Yipeeeeee.
I don't know what else to talk about. This is so weird. I have time to e-mail and I have nothing to write about...
See, and now I'm going to send off this e-mail and then 15 minutes later (once I no longer have any time) I'm going to realize that I forgot something major to tell everyone.
But oh well, I guess that's all for this week.
Thanks so much for your love and support!
Kbye...........!
--
喜んでいる
シャ 長老
Can't think of anything to title this week's e-mail...
Okay! So first of all, I'm really sorry! Because I only have 10 minutes this week. There is some sort of 'All Missionaries in the actual city of Sapporo get-together,' thing, and it's going to take up pretty much all of my preperation day. Sorry! But next week I'll have some pictures to share for sure! Because of my lack of time, I'm just going to respond to everyone as quick as I can and then get to the pictures.
So I got two packages in the mail this week (one from mom and one from dad). They were both AWESOME! Made my week and the pictures you sent Dad were all that I wanted AND more :D
Missionary work is awesome. It's still cold. The Gospel is true. I see miracles everyday. I still can't believe I'm in Sapporo. Elder Taylor and I are doing great and get along really good. Transfers are tomorrow but I suspect I will be staying with Elder Taylor in Teine. The members in Teine are really great! There is a few return missionaries who really help us out a lot. I love my life :D
Okay. I think that answers about all the questions that everyone asked me this last week in the mail I got. Thanks everyone for sending me mail by the way. :D
Okay, no time. To the pictures! ALSO! Dad gave me some camera advice and now the pictures aren't grainy anymore! Turns out it wasn't the camera's fault (but the users!).
IMG_9868_2.jpg (image/jpeg) 62.00K - Me playing volleyball. It looks pretty cool desho(Japanese)?
IMG_0059.JPG (image/jpeg) 881.00K - Part of the package I got from mom :D A nice easter duck!
IMG_0025.JPG (image/jpeg) 1,383.00K - So, I bought some light sabre chopsticks... I know right? AWESOME! I was a little worried that when I first used them they would cut my tongue. But they didn't.
IMG_0045.JPG 1,518.00K - A random cool picture that I took with my camera. What do you think?
Sorry. I'm out of time. I love you all. I pray for you daily and am sorry this week's e-mail is so lack-luster!
Kbye!
PS. Julie I forgot Blaines e-mail address. I was going to add him. Sorry!
--
Sincerely,
シャ 長老
総大会 - 最高でしたね・
Hello my dear family and friends. How has your week been? Mine has been awesome and full of miracles of course! First and foremost amongst the miracles is General Conference! Which was awesome! I loved it! All of it! Probably the best conference that's ever happened yet :D I've thought quite a bit about which talk I should bring up in my e-mail and deem 'favorite,' but it's pretty much impossible... So although I will talk a little bit about a talk that was mentioned, please avoid thinking that it is in any way my favorite. But anyways, I'll talk about that a little later I suspect. I also enjoyed the several references to Japan! It's so weird to me that I was in some sort of big disaster? Speaking of disaster, apparently another earthquake (smaller than before) hit the Sendai area again. But in Sapporo, we felt nothing of it... At least I didn't. My companion said it shook a little in the night, but I'm pretty sure he's just crazy.
Anyways, this week we were blessed to find quite a few new investigators. We also found some investigators who are in highschool through a basketball activity, which was lots of fun and very cool. They're pretty busy with school at the moment, but I'll let you know if anything cool happens with Junki or Masaki kun (there names). I might have mentioned them last week (because we actually found them last week), but I can't remember. I'll send a picture of all of us playing basketball.
We also were blessed to find two 70-year-old investigators. This one investigator, named Kuwahara San, wanted to hear the lessons because she wanted to know why we don't drink tea. I first met her on the street, put on the 'moves,' if you know what I mean (haha, remember, she's 70), and she invited us up for some tea. Which led to a lesson on the word of wisdom. And after a little convincing, she said she would try out the Word of Wisdom! Haha. We haven't even taught the Restoration of The Gospel yet (don't worry, that's next time). Pretty crazy! She's had a rough life, but she's really cool. The first picture I'm sending this week is of her, my companion, our joint Brother Akamatsu and of course, me. He husband left her 10 years ago for a 23 year old women, and as a result she has no money. But, as I'm sure you can imagine, is still one of the most giving people you'll ever meet. Funny how it always seems to work like that, huh?
The other 70-year-old investigator was also a miracle. So her name is Nagasawa San. She lived in America for 4-years (but doesn't speak any English) and LOVES Americans (and Canadians). However, when we brought up the fact that we would be talking about religion she was super against it. She wouldn't let us in to her house until we agreed to just talk about regular 'fun,' things. Which of course we didn't do! Haha. While just talking regularly, the gospel just kept 'coming up naturally' in the conversation. Imagine that? Hahaha. Anyways, it was a really, really cool lesson. If you ask why, it is because although she started first as being completely against anything and everything religion, as we kept teaching her, you could see her countenance change. You could see the spirit touch her and her heart open, if only a little. When Elder Taylor recited Joseph Smith's first vision, the spirit was so tangible you could cut it with a knife! It was a really good lesson. She's still a tough investigator to be honest and tries to resist hearing the message. But she's fighting a losing battle... The scripture comes to mind: 'How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in it's decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-Day Saints.' (or something close to that). She's not a Latter-Day Saint yet, I can already tell, the God wants her to hear the message, and one way or another, she's going to hear it :D
Anyways, that's the investigator information for this week. As for some other questions you may have... I don't have a bike still, or all of my luggage yet. They say it's coming soon though... My new area is AWESOME. It's called Teine, if you don't remember. The members are great, the people are great, and the temperature... Well, it can't all be bells and whistles I suppose :D My new Mission President is also AWESOME. He's an amazing man and I've already learned a many things from him. I do indeed miss Hachinohe and the Sendai Mission, but I know this is where I'm supposed to be; and I thank God for the chance to grow.
Speaking of growing, that's the topic I'd like to talk just a little bit about today. How is it that we grow? It's a difficult question! But luckily, Elder Christofferson answered it in his recent general conference address that talked about 'chastening.' I would reccommend re-reading his talk. However, for now, I'd just like to add a few of my thoughts to what he said. He talked about how being torn down is the only way to grow. I know this to be true. Oh so very true. When I first came to Japan, I got to experience this to a degree, as I struggled (and I mean STRUGGLED) with the Japanese language. I won't go into details, but I know that it is only when we are brought down low that we can finally realize we weren't standing up straight before.
Japan right now is in a difficult situation. Many people have lost everything dear to them. Loved ones, homes, jobs,... everything. Some people might look at this and say a Loving God would never let this happen. But it's quite the opposite. It is precisely because God loves us that he let this happen. Japan has an unprecedented opportunity to grow right now. Japan has an unprecedented opportunity to become something better. No, it won't be easy. No, it won't be quick. No, it won't be fun. But yes, it will be worth it. I know Japan can do it, and as Japan overcomes this dilemma, it will become a great blessing to them.
The same can be said of our lives. We all have chastenings from God. We all have tests. We all have trials. We all have things that bring us low. When we have this things, we might want to question our testimony. But we don't have to. We can see our trials as opportunities for growth. We can see our challenges as unprecedented chances to become something better. No, it won't be quick. No, it won't be easy. No, it won't be fun. But YES, it WILL be worth it.
And how do we turn our chastenings into growth? Our trials into progression toward our eternal goal? We all know the answers: Read your scriptures. Say your prayers. Attend and participate in your church meetings. Go to the temple as often as occasion permits. It is not a complicated formula. But it is a miracle. And once again, I add my testimony, it is worth it. I so promise, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all! Until, next week...
Pictures
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IMG_0003.JPG (image/jpeg) 1,376.00K - Me, Elder Taylor, Akamatsu B, Kuwahara San
IMG_0008.JPG (image/jpeg) 1,158.00K - Koichi Kun, Kota Kun, Kizuki Kun, Junki Kun, Masaki Kun, Elder Taylor, Brother Akamatsu, Myself
IMG_9489.jpg (image/jpeg) 87.00K - Group shot after basketball
IMG_9638.jpg (image/jpeg) 91.00K - A strange tradition in the Sapporo mission to give the new Missionaries really weird goodie bags and then take pictures next to their trainers? I am also still confused. But hey! Elder Taylor looks pretty good in his pink tiara...
IMG_9641.jpg (image/jpeg) 87.00K - My new Zone (at Zone Conference). A little bit bigger than the 8 missionaries who were in my zone before, huh?
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みなを愛して
シャ 長老
PS. Sorry for the crappy picture quality on some pictures... My camera is dying! So the pictures I took with that camera are a little weak. Sorry!
PPS. From here on out, I'm going to try to write longer e-mails that answer all of your various questions from the week because I just don't have time to write everyone letters anymore... Sorry! If you really want me to send you letters just let me know and I'll make exceptions for you! (but don't tell the others... shhh....)
どうも どうも。 いつも 感謝 していますよ！
I think that a large number of my e-mails begin with short descriptive sentences that express my last weeks success and joy in terms of missionary work or whatever else and as a result of this I fear that many of the opening paragraphs to my e-mails have become, unfortunately, bland and boring, and in an attempt to absolve this problem I'm writing this ridiculously long run-on sentance which doesn't really serve any purpose other than to make me laugh and hopefully a few others giggle (inside at least).
And that's all the time I have for today...
Nah, just kidding. That'd be pretty mean, huh? Hahaha.
So this week was awesome. It was also April Fools day. The Mission President called one of the missionaries in my apartment who is going home in a few months, and said there was some complications at home and he had to go home a few months early. Naurally Elder Kobayashi was super suprised. But when we learned it was just an April Fool's joke, we all had a good laugh. Did anyone pull any good April Fool's pranks? Let me know! :D
Also, how was General Conference? Awesome I bet. I'm so jealous that you all got to see it a week before me. It's crazy to think that one year ago I was at the Conference Center? That seems like forever ago! But time goes by pretty quickly huh? Be sure to tell me you favorite talks and why and what not!
In terms of interesting experiences this week... Well I've had a lot. This one time when we were walking home at about 8:30 we stumbled into this one 70(ish)-year-old guy. And I say we stumbled, but really he did the stumbling! He was dead drunk! And to make matters worse, he had fallen down at some point in the road and was bleeding from his forehead! We were really suprised! We tried to talk to him and figure out what was going on, but we couldn't really communicate with him. He kept inviting us over to his house to drink sake together, and then he'd randomly get angry at us and ask if we wanted to fight him... It was crazy! Anyways, we walked with/dragged him to the nearest Convienence Store and from there called the Police to come pick him up. It was a crazy night! And more than once he tried to run out into the street for who knows what reason. Elder Taylor was joking that we probably saved his life. I don't know, but it was a fun experience none-the-less.
In terms of regular missionary work, we have this one High School kid we are working with named Masaki Kun. He is still young (in terms of being an investigator and in terms of actual age) so I can't say much about him yet, but we have an appointment to play basketball with him tomorrow and then teach a lesson. It should be really exciting! Other than that, Elder Taylor and I are really enjoying our time talking to people on the streets. Normally we don't do much walking in Japan (we have bikes), but since our bikes are still in Sendai, we walk everyone. And ofcourse when we were on our bikes we still stopped and talked to everyone, but it's a whole different ball game when you are just walking around. So it's been lots of fun. To those who have served missions, any cool stories about contacting people on the streets?
Other than that, same old, same old. Also, Sapporo is cold! It is still snowing! I don't know what's up with that. But oh well... I guess I'm just destined for cold! Thanks also for the letters! I got a few this week and they were little tender mercies! That's for sure.
Well, that's all for now! I love you all so much. Thanks for your support, your prayers, and everything else you do!
Oh yeah! And the pictures.
IMG_93541.jpg (image/jpeg) 64.00K - More volleyball pictures from last week!
IMG_92111.jpg (image/jpeg) 73.00K - This is me and some other missionaries. Our team lost basketball :/ So we had to sit out. I was obviously devastated!
IMG_9423_21.jpg (image/jpeg) 75.00K - Group of all of us missionaries.
IMG_9290.JPG 1,780.00K - I don't know why I am doing that strange pose. But we took this so you could get an idea of the snow that is still in Sapporo. Despite the fact that it is April! Crazy Japan.
Kbye!
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厳しく
シャ 長老
The Japanese typing isn't working today...:/
Hey everyone. How is everyone doing? So I got some mail this week from some of you. Which was really surprising! But thank you! I enjoyed it very much, and also was very surprised to learn that apparently Elder Taylor and I are famous? My picture was on the news? Which picture? I hope you chose some good pictures to give the news! Did I look very silly? Haha.
Some exciting news for this week, is that for the first time since coming to Japan, I played basketball (I was very rusty! And I'm way out of shape!). We never had any time while I was in Sendai, but President Daniels is really big into sports, so he makes time for everyone to get active. I'm sending some pictures! We played basketball and volleyball but don't have any basketball pictures unfortunately. Next time :D
Other than that... This week has been awesome! We've been doing lots of finding and seeing lots of success! And imagine you are all wondering about last week's miracle, Yamakawa San. Well, unfortunately, we learned this week that she suffers from Schizophrenia (a slight case). And as such, there's a lot of things she would have to overcome before she could get baptized. But other than that, she's about as Golden Investigator as you can have. However, she won't be getting baptized for a while. Maybe a year or so, which is too bad because I'd like to see her get baptized! But, we will continue to work with her none-the-less. Other than that, the miracles have been left right and center. Our investigator pool is still small (like 5). But they're all great. Ones from Poland, which is super strange. But she's way awesome. She's been an investigator for years, but only talks to missionaries who speak English. So they weren't teaching her before. But we picked her up again. She actually has an 11-year-old daughter who IS a member. As weird as that is! But she's great. :D Her name is Barbra (spelling? Barbara? In Japanese it's Ba-bara...) Alright, I'm pretty much out of time. If anyone has any questions about the tsunami or earthquake or something feel free to ask me. The mail to Hokkaido seems to be a lot faster. I got letters about 1 week after they were sent. So... Feel free to send some letters!
I'll try to reply, but I've got to be honest, my motivation for writing letters has been low of late! Sorry! I'll try to get a few off this weeks! I haven't had time to write letters for like 3 or 4 weeks or something, and I guess once your out of the habit, it's hard to motivate yourself to get back into it... So sorry... But I'll try to get some off today!
Other than that... Let's just go to the pictures :D Boring e-mail, sorry.
IMG_0015.JPG (image/jpeg) 1,397.00K - This is a new knock-off watch I bought for a few dollars.
IMG_0004.JPG (image/jpeg) 1,650.00K - This is all the YSA in my new ward. I'm serving in a ward! Crazy! There's like 100 people in it and everything. How do normal missionaries remember everyone's names?! Also, sorry the picture is really grainy... My camera has been doing that lately. I think it's getting old.
IMG_9114.jpg (image/jpeg) 57.00K - This is me serving when we played volley ball. This makes me look like I might know what I'm doing. But I don't! Don't be fooled. I am a terrible volley ball player.
IMG_9091.jpg (image/jpeg) 59.00K - This is Kobayashi Choro, who I am living with right now. He is really funny, and this picture is just funny. Enjoy!
IMG_9157.jpg (image/jpeg) 88.00K - This is a picture of all the missionaries that played volleyball and basketball on that particular day.
IMG_9141.jpg (image/jpeg) 56.00K - We're not totally sure... But we think that's me? Doing some sort of side-ways-attack.
IMG_2648.JPG (image/jpeg) 1,011.00K - This is a tasty dish that I ate recently. Doesn't that squid just look delicious?
IMG_0020.JPG 1,363.00K - This last one is just me. Sorry it's grainy again (silly camera!). But, the desk in the background is my new desk. The apartment I'm living in is made for 2 people, and I'm living with 4 in it right now (Me, Taylor, Ovard, Kobayashi) and it's a little squished. So it's actually the kitchen table... (Or was! Haha). But it's all we got! But it's okay, we got a new kitchen table, don't worry.
Any questions? Feel free to ask :D
Anyways, I love you all. You are in my prayers constantly! Thanks so much for your continued prayers, support, love, etc... I feel all of it and continued do what I do (which isn't really all that much) without it!
Kbye..........
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Yours truly,
シャ 長老
そうか そうか 手稲 に 行きますね。。。
Dear Family! I hope everyone is doing well. Once again, I am doing fine. I e-mailed just the other day, so there isn't a whole lot to report, but today is Preperation Day, so I am e-mailing once again. Preperation Day in the Sapporo Mission is the same - Monday, so you can expect e-mails at around this time from here on out. In regards to transfers I am staying with my green bean, Elder Taylor. Yipee! So I am still trainer, although I was relieved of my district leader duties, because, well, we had a few too many district and zone leaders when the missions combined, and since I'm also training, it seemed like it made most sense I guess.
I'm serving in an area called 'Teine.' It's an area within the Sapporo city. It's by far the smallest area I've served in yet. I only cover like 100 000 people or something because there are so many different missionaries within the city of Sapporo. The Teine ward though is by far the biggest I've worked in! It has about 70 members coming every week and it's actually a WARD. Not a branch. So that is pretty cool. The building we met in was also really huge. It has a small area for basketball and everything! Pretty crazy, I know. Today we actually got to play a little basketball. It was the first time I had played basketball in over 9 months! (But don't worry, I wasn't a bit rusty ;) I even dunked the basketball! Of course the net was only 9 feet 8 inches or something... But it still felt good!)
Also, obviously they wouldn't just send my companion and I to Teine and tell us to get to work. Since we know nothing of the Sapporo mission, the Sapporo city, the Teine area, ward, etc... We needed someone to tell us where to go, right? That person is Elder Kobayashi. He is one of the Zone Leaders living with us in the same apartment. He has been in Teine since November, so he has been showing us the ropes. The other missionary living with us is an Elder Ovard, who came from Sendai with us and is just as clueless about the area and what not as we are. But it's been fun so far living with 4 people (even if our apartment was only built for two!).
Also, this is random... But someone from my ward is going to Salt Lake Tomorrow! So if you see any Japanese around Temple Square, make sure to stop and talk to them! I'm pretty sure they can't speak English all that well... But they'll have translators for sure! I imagine it will be pretty impossible, but maybe you'll find some Japanese people who have met me!
That's about all for my living situation I suppose... Let's talk a little bit about missionary work! So, we didn't have any time to do missionary work here except for one hour on Saturday and then Sunday after church meetings and what not. But we saw an amazing blessing! Her name is Yamakawa san! As we were walking the streets of Sapporo (just around the apartment so we didn't get lost!) Elder Taylor and I were stopped by this one lady. She asked us what we were doing and we started to teach her about God and the plan of Salvation on the street. The spirit was very strong. I felt very keenly that the reason that I am in Teine is to stop, help and baptize this person (even though I had only barely met them). I told her this on the street (which is pretty forward) and promised that it wasn't a coincidence that we met. She also mentioned how she NEVER talks to people on the street (she's someone overweight and very shy) but just felt that she needed to talk to us. The Lesson on the Street was amazing, and we committed her to come to church. She accepted. However... We didn't know where the church was and we told her the wrong address! So... Unfortunately, she didn't make it to Sacrament meeting.
We were a little discouraged, but after Sunday School we were blessed again! So apparently, she went to where we told her to go and quickly learned that it was the wrong place. Then spent TWO HOURS on foot searching for the church until she found it! She then went to Relief Soceity and had a great time for the one hour of church she was able to attend. We were ecstatic! She also told us that she prayed on her own (as we commited her to) and that she had felt a strange feeling, and felt that it was God's will that we met. Pretty awesome huh?
After church we were also able to have a lesson with her. We taught in more detail the plan of salvation and commit her to baptism. She accepted and we are going to work together for her to baptized on the 23rd of April. Obviously, there is still a lot we don't know, but as a tentative goal we are excited to continue teaching her.
And if this miracle isn't good enough... There's even a little bit more. We gave her a Book of Mormon after the lesson at the church and asked her to read and pray about it last night. She said she would. And she did! Last night, like we said we would, we followed up to see if she had any questions, or if she had read any at all. She read up to 1 Nephi chapter 3, and thought it was an interesting story. Afterwards, she prayed about it and wrote her thoughts down in her journal. She said that she wrote this exaxt sentence (translated): Dear God, even for someone like me, is there someone who can help?
At that time, she said she felt a light and hear an audible voice say 'Yes!'
Miracles are real. They happen everyday. Do I know if Yamakawa san will get baptized? No. But I know that she has already taken the first steps to drawing nearer to her saviour. And that, IS a miracle. Even if it ends here, I'm glad to have been a part of it!
Well, I'm out of time. But I love you all, and apologize if my English is strange, or spelled wrong or whatever else... Thanks so much!
Kbye!
PS. Here is my new address for you to send letters to:
テ０６４－０８２２
Hokkaido
Sapporo-Shi
Chu*oku-kita 2 Jo* Nishi 24 Cho*me 1 - 25
*The letters with stars AFTER them mean they need to have a line drawn over them to elongate them. I.E. Chuoku would have a line overtop of the 'u' to make it longer. I just don't know how to type that in English.
PPS. So... I lost some stuff when I came to Hokkaido and might have to use some personal funds, just so you know. They said they are going to forward us some money to buy things, but I don't know how much... So I might not need any, I might need some... Just to let you know.
PPPS. Short description of the pictures...
IMG_2629.JPG (image/jpeg) 1,052.00K - This is where I'm e-mailing from. Pretty weird huh?
IMG_2611.JPG (image/jpeg) 794.00K - This is the plane I took after it landed in Sapporo. First, Sapporo has lots of snow! Second, isn't it great that the Japanese put Pikachu on their planes?
IMG_2566.JPG (image/jpeg) 691.00K - This is the last picture I took in Hachinohe. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of batteries shortly after this, and, as you can see, we didn't have any power for a while... So I wasn't able to recharge it to take any pictures of what happened at Hachinhone. Then later when the power came back we didn't have any time to go to the harbor... So you'll just have to use your imagination. This is in our appartment. You can't really tell, but we had two bowls of dry cereal (I think, I don't really remember) that we were eating for dinner by the light of our two flashlights :D You can also see that we still had a little fuel left at this point, which we were using to cook all the meat we had because it was about to go bad.
IMG_2617.JPG (image/jpeg) 975.00K - This is a picture of the Elders I stayed with for two days while I was in Sapporo before I came to Teine. They are all from Sendai except for two. I don't have any pictures of Elder Ovard or Kobayashi. Sorry.
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キセキで
シャ 長老
3.18.2011 / 6:05 AM
So...Sapporo?
I think there might be a good chance you know the situation better than I do... But I'm actually writing this to you from Sapporo. Which is a city in Hokkaido. Which is the big island to the north of Japan. I know I said in my last e-mail that Hachinohe was fine and whatever else... But I may have been sugar coating it a little. And the other areas to the south were even worse... And then there was this whole bit about nuclear power plants exploding...
Needless to say...All missionaries, everyone, in one day, were transferred to Hokkaido. I found out yesterday at 3:00pm. We had 2 hours to get back to our apartment and pack all we could and head to Aomori to come to Hokkaido. I got what I could, but had to leave a lot of stuff in Hachinohe. They might be able to mail it to me eventually, but it's hard to know.
It's sad. Really sad. Our March 26th baptismal date probably isn't going to happen anymore. We didn't get to say goodbye to any ward members, investigators, friends, etc... I was pretty devastated to be honest. But. I'm here in Sapporo now. And I know it is the will of the Lord that I am here. The song "I'll go where you want me to go," comes to mind. I miss my old areas. The Sendai mission. Maybe I'll get to go back, maybe I won't. Regardless... In Sapporo I plan on working my hardest and seeing miracles.
I wish I could tell you about all of the crazy things that have happened to me over the last like three days. But I don't have time. I was actually given permission to call home. But I don't remember anyone's phone numbers. So I couldn't call anyone. Sorry :/ But don't worry... I'm safe and fine and happy. Also, in regards to mail... Anything you sent AFTER about Feburary 20th (ish), I haven't and probably won't get. So if it was anything important, send it again. However, don't send it yet, since I don't know the address here... Just hold off for a bit. Sorry.
Well, anyways, that's all for now. Know that I love you all. You are all in my prayers. On Saturday we receive our new transfer assignments. I'll keep you updated.
Well, that's all for now. There is no better time to be serving the Lord. I may be leaving my beloved Sendai, but the Lord's work moves along! It's true. All of it. In Sendai, in Sapporo, in Japan, in America... Anywhere! It's true. I know it. :) Bye.
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愛を持って
シャ 長老
My name is Brian Shaw, though you can just call me エルダーショー (Elder Shaw). As of the 19th of May 2010, I have been rigorously engaged in serving the Lord by laboring to bring the Japanese people back to their savior, Jesus Christ; and I will continue to do so faithfully until the 19th of the same month in 2012.
