A Call from Elder Budge

November 7, 2010~Why hello everyone! Thanks for all the pics and emails this week. That is pretty cool that Budge gave you guys a call. He has been one of my favorite companions. Where is his homecoming going to be? I forgot. That was when I was on transfer 2 about a year ago. Pretty crazy how time flies. Everyone seems way happy and enjoying life. That would be pretty cool if Lenzi and Jon moved by the high school. That is pretty sad that everyone is getting sick in the ward. I'll be praying for them. Could I write them a letter or something too? Maybe send me there addresses next week. I have been thinking about a lot of things lately and I am so thankful for the gospel. These new converts are starting in on a quest of sorts. The road to eternal life is straight and narrow and that is what makes it hard. It is really cool to see them make their first steps in the gospel. You asked for a couple of the investigators names so here they are. Kento, Iru, Yu, and Kageyama. These are the people preparing for baptism this month. Kento and Iru are Sister Arito`s kids. Yu chan is 10 years old and is one of Iru chan`s friends. Kageyama is 40 and met with the missionaries about 5 years ago when he was looking for a job. He found a job and it was on Sunday so he stopped meeting. He recently lost his job and met the missionaries randomly at a mall. He realized that God always puts the missionaries in his path when he needs it so he his meeting with the missionaries and coming to church. Yesterday a way sweet thing happened at church. After sacrament meeting a girl named Yuri came to the church. She is fluent in English and got baptized in San Francisco in another church when she was going to college there. She wants to find a church to go to in Yonago so she looked on the internet and found ours! It was a miracle and she seems pretty prepared. I have felt so blessed lately and my whole life to be apart of things from God. It is pretty special to witness. I am always speechless. Last week I went to Kobe to receive training and tonight I am going to Okayama until Thursday night to receive more. Pretty wild huh! While in Kobe I was trained a little bit on how to help the members. All of us missionaries received more information on the Rescue Plan. About a year ago Pres. Monson gave a talk about how to help and "rescue" our friends. This is how I have been trying to help my friends like Dana and Kody. Right now in my ward everyone is way fired up because there have been 3 baptisms in the last 2 months and they really want to share the gospel. The plan is as follows:
1. Name List: Write down everyone's name you know.
2. Rescue Ladder: Pray about your friends and choose three or more that you feel good about.
Write down there name and make a goal. The goal is something that you can do, not what they choose. For example your goal isn't for them to get baptized, it is for you to invite them to get baptized. Our purpose is to Invite other to come unto Christ.
To achieve the goal you start with a little goals leading up to the big goal. For example if I wanted to invite my friend to church I would first pray for them everyday. Then maybe serve them by baking them cookies or something. And so on. This is working really well with the members and they really are feeling the joy of the Gospel. I know that our friends are prepared to hear the word but we may never know unless we Invite. Ill send you copies of the lists today and if you want you can try it out with me. For example recently I have been praying and I felt that I should do something for Marrisa. I have never met her but I know that the gospel will bring her joy so I want to help. You guys are great and you really are good examples. The gospel really does bring joy. I cant really explain exactly how really well but I know that by following Christ`s teachings I have found the most joy in my life. For example right now I just feel good. I have a lot to work on and my flaws are endless but I am a child of God who has been blessed with the opportunity to hear the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want everyone to have this same opportunity so I will boldly invite as many of God`s children as I can to come unto Christ. The gospel is simple and it is rooted in the love that Jesus has for us. He Atoned for us and I know this is true. I love you all and keep up the good work. You guys are awesome! Love ya

This is the Iwasa family. Grady was companions with their son in one of his areas.

October 31, 2010~~Konnichiwa! Thanks for the emails again. I enjoy them every week. Wow Miles is home and Kyle is leaving. Pretty sweet but I don't know where Kyle is going? Tell me next week. That is awesome that so many people that we know are going on missions. Pretty sweet. O and dad, thanks for telling me about your week. I need to be more observent and look out for those people. I guess I had a pretty cool experience the other day. Me and Kimura were housing and a lady answered the door with her 8 year old daughter with her. The lady wasn''t responding well to the message but when I looked the little girl in the eye I felt something. The spirit was way strong and I know that she will have an opportunity later in life to hear the gospel. In the Bible it talks about how parents will reject Christ in front of their children and then deny them the opportunity to hear. I see this almost everyday and it is heart wrenching but God has a plan for everyone. Arito san is doing way good. The more I get to know her the more I understand how God must feel when he sees one of his children get baptized. Dad, today when you talked about those people who if they would just accept the gospel would become happier, it made me think of Arito san. Yesterday at church when sister Arito was taking the sacrament I felt way happy for her. She really wants to go to the temple so I am really motivated to help her out. I have another quick story for you guys today about a man named Brother Yawata. He got baptized 2 years ago after being an investigator for about 7 years. He was homeless for 5 of those 7 years. When he got baptized he regretted not doing it 7 years earlier. He has had a tough life but he knows God lives now. When he first met the missionaries he prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true. God answered him in a lot of different ways that he realized later but one way was simply through the spirit. He felt it but didn't act for 7 years. When he finally acted and received the Holy ghost he said it was amazing. Do we really realize how special the Holy ghost is? I know that I am still learning. I love you guys and the people in Japan are accepting a message close to our hearts. Thanks for helping me in my conversion process. You all were in a sense my missionaries if I think about it. I love you all and till next time.

O and I forgot. If you could send me some advil and a couple long sleeve shirts. I gave a couple away so I am low. Thanks

Our Friends are Being Prepared to Hear the Gospel

Baptism of Arito Kazumi~The young man who baptized her left on a mission shortly after.

October 24, 2010 Hey everyone! Sounds like your week was sweet! Happy birthday Olivia! I bought a present for you last week but didn't get around to sending it. Sorry. Ill send it today. Mom, thanks for the talk. I really liked it. Wow a lot of things are happening in Twin Falls. Is kyle going on a mission. I haven't heard from him for ever. O and if you could the Japanese talks would be sweet. Thank you. I don't know if any of the kids need anything but if you want. I'm telling you, there are tons. Like 40 of them! There are the craziest kids ever. Church is pretty wild sometimes. Dad and Rudy! You guys got a 360 van! Nice. Good luck. Well this week for me was awesome. Arito Kazumi san got baptized! We asked her if she wanted to do it a week earlier and she was all for it. Satan was really working on her because she was so prepared for the gospel. The baptism was in the morning and it was way spiritual. She really is like a new person. Her three kids came too and she also invited all her friends. There was a lot of nonmembers there. It was awesome. Since meeting Arito san she has introduced 3 of her friends to us and one has a baptismal date. Arito san felt the joy of the gospel and wanted to share it. She is a way good example. The other day before her baptism we were in a lesson and she was testifying to her friend. She said that she didn't know if the church was true yet but that she knew that by getting baptized her family would grow stronger and her testimony would grow. Arito san didn't join 5 or so other churches because it didn't feel right and she had problems with the teachings. After this she kinda gave up on religion and met us. 3 weeks after meeting us she was baptized and now is enduring to the end just like all of us. Nothing can explain how this happened other than the spirit. She felt the spirit when she prayed, while reading the Book of Mormon, and at church. The gospel is simple and she felt the spirit. I am way thankful for her and her family. Her kids also want to get baptized. Recently I have realized how simple missionary work is. Me and you and everyone in this church asked to convince our friends of the truth by our words. We are asked to find the elect that will feel the spirit and want more in there lives. The way we find this out is by opening our mouths and testifying like Arito san. If our friends aren't ready we love them and serve them. If they are it is a miracle from God. Every person that I have seen get baptized was prepared by God in some way or another. This is really humbling. Our friends are being prepared to hear the gospel. This is a Promise from God, his son Jesus Christ and his prophets. I didn't understand this doctrine before coming on a mission. I don't completely understand it now but I am trying my hardest. I know Christ live and God is preparing his children in ways we cant even comprehend. The Church is true and because of this the word eternity has meaning again. I love you all and I know I talked a lot about gospel stuff. It is a passion now I guess. You guys are great, the mission is awesome and I love you again. Till next time.

The Work in Japan is Awesome!

October 17, 2010--Hey everyone! How`s Idaho? Is it getting cold yet? Thanks for all the emails! It was good to hear from you again. I`ll answer the questions first. I got the package, Thankyou. The toothbrushes are great! I gave my comp one and he uses it too. Pretty cute huh. My winter clothes are in great condition. I wont be needing anything new. But thankyou. I have tons of socks and garments too. Sorry, I just dont need anything. My area is awesome! The ward has about 100 active member and about 40 of them are kids under 16. Mostly really little kids. The primary is huge. My comp is way cool and we get along well. He worked at a toyota factory putting together cars to earn money for his mission. His family isnt the richest family in the world so he probably wont get a ton for christmas. I dont know if me or him will be comps at christmas but if we are maybe if you could not give me as much and buy some stuff for him. His suits are getting pretty bad, etc. Ill keep you posted. Olivia! Way to go! Sharing the gospel is fun, right. You are a way good example for the family. Keep it up. If you want any suggestions or help just shoot me an email. Marrisa sounds like a good friend. I totally forgot about the missionary lessons at the home Brian and Alex. Was I really there? I feel awful. If I knew what I know now I would have offered some help to the missionaries. This week was sweet! Tons af miracles and some new people getting ready for baptism. Brother Kamitani is also doing way good. He came to stake conference yesterday with his sister who is a member. I am meeting him tonight at the church to start the after baptism lessons. Arito san is also doing way well. She is following the commandments and is definately one of Gods elect. Satan is really trying her testimony right now. She is getting baptized on Halloween! The other day she did something pretty cool. Last week Arito san Invited her friend Yamasaki to hear the discussions. She accepted and we met a couple of days ago. Yamasaki accepted to be baptized and follow the Word of Wisdom but she likes everything in the Wordo of wisdom except drugs. She said that it would be way hard to stop drinking and smoking, coffee, and green tea. Arito san helped out a lot when she said, "I thought the same thing but when I prayed for help the urge went away" Pretty powerful huh. Arito san is way cool and I cant wait to see her family grow in the gospel. The other new person is named Kamei. He is 16 and way tall. Over 6 foot and he plays volleyball. He is way pure and is really progressing. Last week he brought the BOOk of Mormon to school and was reading it in between tests! Lately I have felt way thankful to be apart of Gods work. No words can explain the joy I feel when I see someone change through the gospel of jesus christ in a short couple of weeks. Yesterday Pres. McIntyre talked in the stake conference about Member missionary work. I thought is was pretty easy to understand. He gave some simple advice. Look and pray for opportunities to share the gospel. when these opportunities are given to us we act by following the spirit. He also said to simply let out friends know that we are Mormon. I remember when I was in high school and I thought that everyone knew I was mormon. I was shocked when a couple of close friends came up to me and said "I didnt know you were Mormon" These should never happen. It is our responsibility to let our friends know what we do on Sundays and throughout the week. The church is true and I love sharing this with people. The work in Japan is awesome and I love it. I am way thankful to be a part of the Church of Jesus christ. Have a great week and good luck in everything! O and thanks for the Picture book. It is awesome!

The Best Phone Call Ever!

Baptism of Kamitani San!!!!

October 10, 2010---Hey everyone! I'll tell you up front that today I only have 10 minutes to email. Sorry. This week was awesome, especially yesterday. Kamitani san got baptized! Last Monday when we taught him he said he needed more time. We told him to really pray about it this week and when he got an answer he could get baptized. Well on Thursday when he was praying he felt the Holy Ghost and it told him to get baptized. When we called him on Friday he told us what happened and it had to be one of the best phone calls ever. "Sorry a little better than Christmas" LOL. He is way prepared and when he was receiving the Holy Ghost the blessing was really easy to understand. The brother that blessed him told Kamitani that if he prayed, read the scriptures, obeyed the commandments, and went to church his life would be blessed. I felt like I was listening to a prophet or something. I don't know about you guys but this General conference was way simple. The brethren pretty much said what this humble Japanese member told to Kamitani san. This tells me that God is influencing everything and when we do things through the spirit it is God's will. I know the Gospel is true and really simple. I love you guys and till next week!

Sharing the Gospel

October 3, 12010~~Hey everyone! Thanks for the emails! That is way sweet that Dr. Thompson got baptized! How did he get baptized? If you know I would like to know. You guys sound way happy and I am glad that you are thinking about sharing the gospel. I have been thinking about that too lately. Of course I am sharing the gospel everyday but in a different way. I don't really know any of the people that I share the gospel with. It seems harder but sharing the gospel with our friends should be easier. Yesterday me and Kimura did a fireside with the ward about missionary work. Some of the members are really fired up about sharing the gospel but most aren't. Pres. McIntyre has this saying that I think is true. You get 80 percent of the results from 20 percent of the people. The 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the baptisms come from 20 percent of the missionaries, 80 percent of the referrals come from 20 percent of the members, }ETC. I was talking to Elder Nielsen this week and he said that the Boise Idaho mission was the 2nd highest baptising mission in the world! I was way surprised because I can't remember ever seeing an investigator at church even. Has there been a lot of people getting baptized in our stake? Do you guys have a personal and family missionary plan? Even though I am in Japan I would like to help. I can write letters to our nonmember friends or something. Think about it and next week tell me what you think. I think helping someone become eligible for the Celestial Kindgom is the best way for a family to become closer. The mission has made missionary work become very clear and doable. I am in a country where there is no mutual, not many activities, everyone works like crazy, and they don't usually visit less actives because there are so many and they have no time. I am sorry if I sound a little harsh or something but with all this going against God's plan there are still lots of baptisms happening. If I would've known what I know now about how to help my friends feel the joy of the Gospel there is no doubt some would've been baptized and made a promise with God. One thing every member can do is study Preach My Gospel. There was an article about how members can use the PMG in the September enzign. It was way good. If I had any advice for you guys it would be what Olivia did. First decide who, then make a goal, prepare for the goal by studying the PMG, and then do it. The PMG will help out a ton. I am sorry I have talked a lot about this but I felt that you guys really are thinking about sharing the gospel. Keep it Up! It is hard sometimes but it is worth it. Ok, now for a quick story about a sweet little family getting ready for baptism! We found ARITO san housing about 2 weeks ago. She had a ton of interest and wanted to find truth. We had a lesson at the church last Monday and she brought her son Kento too. He had interest and they both accepted to be baptized on Halloween. It gets better though. 2 days ago there was a baptism in the ward. A cute little 8 year old girl named Matsumoto. Arito san and 3 of her kids and her friend and her kid came to the baptism. It was sweet! The members were fellowshiping and everyone became good friends. Arito's kids are all above 8 years old and they came to church yesterday because they loved the baptism. I have been wanting to help a family get batized my whole mission. This is a way special opportunity. Kamitani san is hopefully getting baptized this coming sunday. I have really felt blessed lately. God really loves his children. Thanks for your prayers. I really appreciate them and I know the investigators do too. Today was a little long but Missionary work really is the life blood of the church. I love you guys and I hope you have success in sharing the gospel. Till next week

Acting on Promptings

September 26, 2010--Hey! Thanks for the emails and stuff. I can't believe I didn't write down the address. I feel retarded. Lately I have been doing those things. I may have told you last week but I was at a party and and they had some big 2 liter bottles of juice out to drink. Everyone had their individual cup but for some reason I spaced it and just drank out of the 2 liter bottle on accident. A girl in junior high saw me and said, "Eh!" Nande! Why! I was way embarassed but everyone had a good laugh. Olivia that is sweet that you gave a Book of Mormon to someone. Good job! Did you guys get my camera cards? If you did I have a favor to ask. I have been wanting a picture book of mission pictures too. If you guys could make a book for me it would be great. The only other thing I needed was some more toothbrushes. I have tons of everything else. Thankyou. Kamitani san actually didn't get baptized this week. To make a long story short he passed the interview and was set yesterday to get baptized but he called us up Thursday night and said he needed some more time. I won't get into the details but he has a way strong testimony but Satan is real and he really doesn't want Kamitani to get baptized. In my experience I have never seen a baptism go according to plans. Satan is real and these people getting ready for baptism have real concerns and they can only overcome them through the spirit. It was a little disapointing but he has a new date for October 10th. I know it will happen. Last night I ate at a member house. Their house was built by an american and it was sweet! Way spacious and it had Carpet! That is way rare here. The food was way good but the best thing that happened was that Kamitani san came with us. The family had FHE and he really saw how an eternal family does things. They aren't perfect, they still fight, but they love eachother. I tried putting myself in an investigators shoes and it was interesting. I couldn't exactly put my finger on what was different about the family but there was something different. They had a different feeling. I know that this is from the covenants we make at baptism and the temple. It was way special and I really want to have an eternal family. Thanks for being a good example to me and don't be afraid to share boldly what is different about you. We have the restored gospel. This is way special and I can't describe it in words. This week I got a letter from Dana. It was pretty special. He said he was thinking about me about 2 weeks ago and then he got my letter shortly after. He said that he believes in God and he really wants to change his life. He was really grateful and felt that the letter was from God. This just reminded me that we really need to act on promptings. I know that Dana is a child of God and he needs the atonement of Jesus Christ just as much as I do. I love you all and Thanks again. Till next week!

Grady wrote this letter in response to Gus' letter--

It is starting to get cold here now. My companion is way cool and he is from Hokaido, Japan. It is the coldest part in Japan. The stars in Japan are hard to see most of the time. Not like Idaho. I mostly find new people by housing, streeting, and biking. When we find the investigator they have about a 50 percent chance of showing up usually. This just means that we have to find more. My days are usually balanced with activities like proselyting, teaching investigators and member, Eikaiwa, sports activities, etc. The members usually sit in on the lessons. This is one of the most important parts of misionary work. Have you ever sat in a lesson before? You should try it out. It is probably a way good experience. This was fast but this is my usual day. Members are way important in missionary work. Keep up the good work.

The Work is Great and I Love It!

September 19, 2010---Hey Family! You guys had a pretty busy last two weeks! It was good to hear from you again. Sorry about last week. Rudy, I have started to like bikes too. On my speedometer it says I have gone over a thousand miles! This was from about 5 months ago. I bike everyday but am not in good shape. Olivia your pictures look good. The Japanese people always say that you look pretty. The baptism looked sweet! That was really cool for you guys to see that. Mom thanks for thinking about the Ise`s and putting them on the prayer roll. Well a lot has changed since last time we talked. I am in a new area called Yonaga. It is in the Tottori prefecture. I am still right by the ocean but the winter is about the same as Maizuru. Way cold. Right now it is cooling off and it will be cold again soon. Crazy how time flies. The Yonago ward is way big. About 60 active members with tons of little kids. The sacrament meeting is just like in America. Tons of babies crying and making noise. Kinda refreshing. O and one crazy thing is that one of my companions family lives in the ward. Do you remember Elder Iwasa? When I went to Maizuru he was my first companion. His family is way cool! It was sad to say good bye to everyone in Niihama especially the Ise family but this is where I am supposed to be. My new companion is named Elder Kimura. He is from Hokaido. The Schenk kid went there on his mission. He is way cool and also proselyted in Maizuru so we have some good stories. I am a zone leader again and I am really motivated to help out the missionaries in the zone. The zone isn't performing very well and I am excited to help the missionaries find joy in the work. I am not perfect by any means but I know why I am here and I love sharing it with everyone. I have to go but Ill share one quick story. This week on Sunday there is a baptism scheduled. The guys name is Kamitani San and he is about 30. His sister is a member and he is a way good guy. Yesterday I asked him why he wants to be baptized and his answer was pretty sincere. He said, "I want to start a new life and live with God." He is struggling right now with a few things but his desires are pure. I felt like I was in the scriptures when in Mosiah 18 Alma asked the people " Is this the desires of your hearts?" I am very thankful for the opportunity to help people make steps towards baptism and eternal life. There are tons of prepared people all over the world. I am here to teach the elect. This week in Yonago I honestly can say that a few very elect people accepted to meet again. The work is great and I love it. You guys are awesome and I love you. Till next week!

No News Tonight!

September, 12, 2010--No email this week! I hate it when this happens! He warned us last week that he might not be able to email this week. Oh, well, we know he is fine and doing what he should be doing. We just so look forward to his Sunday night emails and when they don't come, it's a little dissapointing--o.k.--a lot disappointing! But we've gone much longer than this without a letter, so all will be fine!

Practicing Patience

Niihama-- Grady, Elder Kudo and the Sister Missionaries. This is the District and Grady is the District Leader!

September 5, 2010
I'm posting this letter on Grady's blog on Monday, September 6th--his 16 month anniversary! Wow! He's already served 2/3 of his mission and only has 1/3 left! I can honestly say that it is going fairly fast! We all still really miss him, but we love getting his letters and hearing about all the things he is learning. We especially love hearing how much he loves his mission. What a blessing that is!

Hey everyone! Thanks for the emails this week. It sounds like the Middle Fork was fun as usual. I can't believe that you are having a baptism in our pool! Pretty sweet. Have you guys done any lessons with the missionaries? Convert baptisms are sweet. I can`t believe school is starting up again. Everything is going so fast. These last three months have flown by! Transfers are next week and I really don't know what is going to happen. I think one of us is going to transfer but You never know. YOu guys wanted to know a little bit about the city I am in. One famous thing in Niihama is the Breshiin copper mine. It supplied 1/3 of the world's copper about a hundred years ago. Dad you might have interest in that. My area has three cities. Niihama, Saijo, and Shikokuchuo. I live in Niihama and this is also where the church is. Saijo is famous for its water. It is pretty funny. There are a lot of natural springs throughout the city and its free. People are always filling up big containers full of water. Today I was planning on going to Imabari and some islands by bicycle. The plan fell through but next week Ill go. Sorry next week I may not be able to email. Things are going great! I am forgetting English and I don't like speaking it but my Japanese needs work too, so it is pretty wild. When Kudo asks me for a definition of a Japanese word in English I have to think way hard. Kudo wants me to speak more English because his English is getting worse but it is hard. I should be better. The investigators are great. The Ise family came to church and we are planning on having a baptism in the beginning of October. Yesterday was a little miracle. An investigator named Katsumi came to church. His is in his mid 20s and owns a shop called Wild Youth by the train station. He sells clothes and has a bar. He came to church had a lot of interest and accepted to be baptized on October 10th. This is kinda how the commitment for baptism went. When you know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet will you get baptized? He quickly said yes and asked if we could meet every week on Thursday so he could prepare. He seems way prepared and I was way thankful. In Niihama a lot of things have happened that have tried me and Kudo's faith. I have really learned how to be patient. Elder Uchtdof gave a talk about patience and defined it as not simply waiting for an answer but going about and patiently working hard for the goal. I have really tried to become more patient and the Lord has helped. This week was short but I am loving the mission. So many things I can't put into words but to put it simply, awesome. The church is true, the gospel is straight forward and clear, and Christ atoned for everyone. I love you guys and till next week. Peace.

Waiting to Hear the Familiar Ring of the Gospel

Leadership Training in Okayama

August 29, 2010

Hey everyone! Or I guess maybe just Mom. Thanks for the email this week. I really appreciated it. That Picture in Okayama was pretty funny. Those three days were pretty fun. It felt like how the missions in Japan used to be about 20 or 30 years ago. Now there is usually just 2 missionaries per ward but there used to be 20 in some wards! Pretty crazy. That is pretty cool how everyone is going on the Middle fork this week. Lately all the missions in the world have been focusing on teaching more effectively. We are doing this by focusing on 8 principles found in the Preach My Gospel. I think these are way applicable in life to so I'll share them with you.

1. The Doctrine of Christ
2. The Holy Ghost`s Role In Conversion
3. Revelation through Prayer
4. Revelation through The Book of Mormon
5. Revelation through Church Attendance
6. Teach People, Not lessons
7. We invite, they commit, and we follow up.
8. How to Begin Teaching

Focusing on these things have made missionary work more real to me. I thought that you might like a little inside scoop on what the missionaries are learning now. By the way, what do the missionaries in our ward do? Have you had them over recently or helped with missionary work? Have they asked you to do anything? All right Ill tell you about the Ise family now. Yesterday I had a good long talk with the Father Riuji. He is way sincere but thinks he isn't worthy to receive baptism. He really wants to help his family but doesn't exactly know how. Somehow him and his wife Eri think that they need to be perfect before getting baptized. This is why it is so important for members to study the Preach My Gospel. In PMG it states clearly the requirements for baptism and it doesn't say that we have to be perfect or have a perfect relationship with our spouse. These two things are needed for receiving exaltation but fall in the category of enduring to the end. I am sorry if I sound frustrated but if every member read and applied the PMG in there lives and interactions with nonmembers miracles would happen that I can even describe. The Ise family is doing well and progressing in the gospel and I really want to help and improve the way I teach for them and the other people of Japan. I haven't received a letter from Kody yet but time will tell. I have one quick story that I will tell. Me and Kudo visited a lot of less active members this week. One of them was named Sister Takino. She is 69 and still works full time at a coffee shop. 8 A.M to 7 P.M everyday. She lives alone because her kids move out and her husband died about 30 years ago. When she answered the door she was kinda hesitant and I could tell she didn't want to talk. I get this response a lot so it almost doesn't faze me. I started talking to her and she opened up and by the end of our conversation we were good friends. When I first saw her I literally thought that she was around 40 years old. It was amazing. I am always way surprised. I know this story wasn't really exciting or anything but I have learned time and time again on my mission that some people need time to open up. People are naturally apprehensive about a lot of things especially the gospel. This doesn't mean that we don't Share it! I wish I would've known this before my mission. We never know what people have gone through until we ask, or if they are interested in learning about true happiness, the Doctrine of Jesus Christ until we ask. I love The Gospel of Christ because it is so simple and clear. I know that many people are waiting to hear the familiar ring of the gospel and I know that the spirit will guide me to them. Thanks again for everything. I love you guys and Have a great week!

Learning to Listen Better

Hey everyone! Thanks for the email and Dana`s address. Sounds like a pretty fun summer in Idaho. When does school start for everyone? Ill try to memorize the Living Christ with you guys. It sounds fun. I`ll answer your questions first. I didn't get to see Harris and Kody hasn't written me back yet. Kinda a bummer I guess. It is sad to hear about grandpa but what does failing mean? Like dying? I`ll write grandma today and try to help out. Well this week was pretty wild. I was outside of my area more than I was in. I was in Okayama for 3 days. All the district leaders, Zone leaders, and trainers received training from Pres. McIntyre for 3days. It was awesome! I really learned a lot and I am excited to share it with other missionaries. This is the direction missionary work is going now. We are getting trained better so we can be better leaders. The one main thing that I took from the training was that I need to listen better and ask inspired questions. I feel that I am lacking in this category and I want to improve. Teaching to people`s needs is so important and I want to focus more on this. I don`t have much to say this week but yesterday was pretty cool. The Ise family came to church except the mom Eri. She had work. I had a chance to sit down and really talk with RiuJi san, the dad. He is really trying to come closer to Christ. Every night he gets his family together for prayer. They all sit in a circle while holding hands. I know that I always made fun of you mom about the holding hands thing, but it is really helping this family. Pretty cool. I can feel him really getting closer and closer to baptism. Yesterday he committed to quit smoking too. Their family is starting to experience the blessing of the gospel. They just need to enter the gate of baptism and receive the Holy Ghost. I have always tried to listen to my investigators but because of whatever excuse I haven't been the best at it. Lately I have really been seeking the gift of discernment and I have really felt God`s help. This week was great and I really do love the mission. I know I say this a lot but it is true. I feel that everyday I can improve something so that my brothers and sisters can some closer to Christ. I am excited to do this. I love you guys and God bless you!

Things Happen for a Reason

Grady with Moriya, an investigator that he taught in Osaka--

Grady and Elder Kudo with the sister missionaries in their district, at a member's house.

Beautiful Niihama!

President and Sister McIntyre with the new Niihama Branch President, Brother Aoba. His son just returned from serving a mission and is one of his counselors.

August 15, 2010

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the emails. My week was great! Before I forget how is Andrew Wardell doing? If you could I would like to write him a letter. Oh and the only thing that I need is Monkey but. I am almost out. I love that stuff. Well it sounds like everyone is having a great week. Ill answer some questions first. Yes my apartment has an air conditioning in the study/ sleeping room. If I slept in a room without an air conditioner, lets just say it would be disgusting. My apartment is on the second floor so it is pretty hot. Ya I am still in Niihama with Elder Kudo. About the picture thing. I cant go on that website but I think I might send home my camera cards from my old camera for you. It is kinda scary but I think it will be alright. Olivia, it sounds like you are pretty happy. Keep up the good work. Mom, I liked what you said about no matter how strange or random some things are, if they are helping someone we do them. I have felt this a lot on my mission. . These last two transfers have been a little different for me. Because Kudo is very honest, almost brutally honest sometimes I have realized that my Japanese skills aren't where they should be. He is very honest with me and I am learning a ton. He is a good teacher. My other Japanese companions weren't honest with me because they were way nice. I am learning a lot right now. For the first year of my mission I focused on trying to understand Japanese. I didn't really focus a ton on talking. It just came with talking to everyone about the gospel. But recently I have realized that my listening skills are better than my speaking skills. I have a long way to go but I am really trying to learn fast so I can express my feelings better. When this happens it will be easier for the people to feel the spirit. This week some pretty crazy things happened. The Ise family is doing well but is struggling with the Word of Wisdom. The other morning I got a call from a member and he was a little upset. He told me and Kudo to stop committing the Ise family to baptism. His idea is that when they are ready they will tell us. This member is a really great member and shares the gospel with people but has never read "Preach My Gospel". About 8 months ago the 12 apostles told all the missionaries to commit people to baptism almost always in the 1st lesson, and always by the second. The spirit is everything in teaching but the 12 were very direct with this statement. One apostle even said that baptism should be the most used commitment a missionary says. This was hard for me at first but I followed their counsel and miracles happened. I explained this to this member and he was still very set on his idea of helping others come closer to Christ. I am not perfect I make tons of mistakes but I follow the Apostles counsel. I am very optimistic on how the spirit can change people. I have seen this change in my life and tons of people in Japan. This week was definitely a week where I needed to stay positive. Things happen for a reason and I am excited to try to teach through the spirit everyday. I love you guys and your the best. Till next week/

Boldly Testifying

August 8, 2010

Wow! Thanks for all the emails! A lot of new things happened that I didn't know about. Lenzi is pregnant, and Drew is getting married in September! Pretty wild! Rudy keep it up man. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard what happened because I remember how the last week of the river was for me. Maybe not as dramatic but still amusing. Dad, I liked your story about the camera. I guess in my case on a mission it deals with investigators, companions, or members for the most part. My week was pretty interesting. Saturday and Sunday I was in a place called Kochi on an exchange because the Ise family was going to be interviewed for baptism by an elder from Kochi. Kochi was sweet! It was a lot more city than Niihama and there was a ton of people to talk to. I was with Elder Nishio. His dad was my bishop in Amagasaki. Pretty wild, huh? His family lives within the mission boundaries. In Kochi 4 people accepted to hear the message another day. It was nice. One of the investigators, Shiozaki was pretty interesting. He is 20 years old half Australian and half Japanese. When we were talking to him I shared Alma 34:32 with him about our life's purpose. It talks about us preparing to meet God. He bluntly told me that God didn't exist and that scripture had no meaning to him. His comment didn't sit well with me. I boldly testified to him that God existed and that I knew through something called the Holy Ghost. Shiazaki sat there and thought for a moment and then said, " I want to know more about the Holy Ghost and your guys' message. I want to know if God really exists." I learned from this experience that people's hearts can change. Lately in my mission I have felt more meaning in my words. I feel that God has really helped me by having the Holy Ghost testify through me. I can't explain the feeling I get but I love boldly testifying to people and telling them that they can know for themselves. Pres. McIntyre has been telling us to preach repentence. When I first heard this I imagined the old movies with the ministers yelling, telling everyone to repent. But recently I have realized how to do it. Everyone on earth needs baptism to go to the Celestial Kindgom. To recieve baptism we need to repent. This is honestly what I tell people on the street. Looking these Japanese people in the eye who don't even know if God is there and telling them that they can have eternal life with their families is way rewarding. I learned a lot in Kochi. Well, about the Ise family. Well to make a long story short they didn't get interviewed this past week. They are having marital problems that we didn't know about but it looks like Eri, the wife, will still get baptized this coming Sunday. It seems like every time someone is so close to baptism Satan just pulls them away. Me, Kudo and the branch are working hard to help them out. I know that things happen for a reason and I will do everything in my power to help them out. Well, this was kinda long but I love you guys and good luck with everything. The gospel rocks and Jesus is our Savior.

Everywhere I Go, Sweet Blessings Follow

Grady and a couple of young people he met on a bus.

August 1, 2010
Hey everyone! Sounds like all is going well in Idaho. It is sad to hear about Grandpa but it sounds like he is doing better. In Japan they just let people in Grandpa's shape walk around and have the family take care of them. It is pretty wild. I like what Olivia learned at Girl's Camp. Pres. McIntyre talked about that about 4 months ago at a mission conference. He told us all to " make our own weather". It really helped me try to live that way. You guys asked last week how Pres. and Sister McIntyre are. Pres. McIntyre is way bold and cares about people a lot. He has a funny sense of humor. He has a good balance of laying down the hammer when we need a little repremanding and being way spiritual at the same time. I like him a lot. Sister McIntyre is way funny! She is way nice and I have talked to her a lot on my mission. When we get interviewed by Pres. she goes over some other things with each companionship. These little meetings are probably supposed to last about 15 to 30 minutes but I am always with her for about an hour. We just talk and talk. She is way cool. Do you remember my second companion Budge? Well he is my Zone leader and yesterday we were on an exchange. It was just like old times but we could communicate with people a little better and have both learned a lot of good life lessons. I'll tell you about a cool experience we had together yesterday with the Ise family. Budge came to Niihama to interview them for the baptism next week. They are both struggling with the Word of wisdom so we were both praying hard. About a week ago I felt prompted to call Budge and tell him that he would play an important role in their conversion. He and I had no idea why, but we found out yesterday. Yesterday at church we had a lesson with the Ise family where they expressed why they wanted to be baptized. The mom, Eri San, said that she was doing it for her kids and so that she could be "saved" and have eternal life. When she said this I knew that she was ready for baptism. I felt the spirit probably one of the strongest times of my life. After Eri went it was Riyuji's turn. He said he was getting baptized not only for his family but for himself too. He said I want eternal life. These were some of the most pure humble reasons for baptism that I have heard. They are getting baptized on the 15th now. I am way excited for them. I know that you pray for my investigators everyday but they really need help with the word of wisdom. Oh. and the prompting I had was real. Budge testified about why he knew the church was true and why he was a missionary. He really gave credit to his parents for teaching him the gospel. The spirit was way strong because this couple was seeing living evidence of what teaching the gospel in the home can do. They really needed to hear Budge's testimony. I am also very thankful for my parents. If you wouldn't have taught me the gospel I don't know where I would be. I love it here! It seems like everywhere I go, sweet blessings follow. That is about all I've got this week. I'll try to send some pictures today. Niihama is beautiful like Maizuru. Well, I love the mission and I really feel like this is where I am supposed to be. I love you all and till next week!

"Time is Flying and I Love Being a Missionary"

July 25, 2010

Hey guys! I just got your email-- thanks. I am on a college campus about 3 minutes away from my apartment and they have free internet access. It is way cool. Well thanks for all the good emails this week. It was nice to hear from you all. Rudy, the Japanese you wrote on your helmet means 'gay' in Japanese. Just kidding!! It has something to do with an Alaskan boat or something. Pretty sick. Oh. Dad I asked about the tenkara and no one knew what I was talking about sorry. Good luck on the river. Olivia --riding a bike everyday eh. That's cool and congrats on losing 20 pounds. I got on the scale the other day and I was down to 140! Weird huh! It is so hot here! I think I am just sweating all the weight off. Ill be talking to someone at their door and sweat will be just dripping. I have a big hand towel that I bring around. It has been 92 to 95 degrees but with the humidity it is insane. I got a little tan though and I make my own weather so it is all right. The Ise family is doing great. They have almost quit smoking completely and accepted to pay tithing after baptism. They seem really ready to be baptized. Next Sunday is their interview for baptism so Ill let you know how it goes. Kinoshita hasn't been able to meet but there is a new guy getting ready for baptism. His name is Kan and he is from china. He is 18 and is probably one of the nicest people I have known. He still has a long ways to go but things will work out. Oh, and do you remember Hayashi in Amagasaki? He is 23 and taught kindergarten. Well, me and Campbell found him and set a date with him and then I transferred. He got baptized on Saturday and was confirmed yesterday. Way cool. Oh, and Yamashita, the recently baptized convert in Amagasaki has a place to live now! The ward really helped him out and things really look good for him. He got the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday. Things really look good for those two. This week I had some cool experiences. They were simple but they meant a lot to me. I felt that I wasn't loving the people as much as I should and not testifying about Jesus Christ enough. I focused on these two things and I just felt a lot better. The spirit is awesome and I am so thankful to have its' guidance. Oh ya, and Dad I am not a Zone leader anymore. Yesterday during the Ise familie's lesson a lot of cool things happened. The Manabe family, a family in the ward, was sitting in on the lesson. They tesfied so boldy, and told so many good experiences from tithing that it was probably hard for the Ise family to say no. Jk, but really tithing is real and the spirit was so strong. Elder Kudo's dad also had a good experience. His dad was baptized at 19 in Sendai. When he got baptized he said that he wasn't considered family anymore and his family never talked to him again. After getting baptized his dad wanted to serve a mission. He worked really hard and got all the money he needed and then it was all stolen by a robber. Pretty sad but his ward all got together and helped out but he still didn't have enough money. Kudo's dad needed a miracle. His dad's friend had worked for money to go on a mission too but his dad was against it and didn't let him go. Kudo's dad's friend gave him the money that he had saved and it was exactly enough. Pretty sweet miracle and I thought you would like it. His dad returned with no money and the first thing he did was pay tithing. He really had a testimony of the church. Sorry for all these stories but I was really touched. Well this email has been long but to sum it up I am doing great. Time is still flying and I love being a missionary. This is the most rewarding thing I have done and it is because I am helping people learn about the most important thing on earth--Jesus Christ's pure gospel restored to the earth. There is only one way to eternal happiness with our families and it is through the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love you all and I hope to hear from you soon. Oh, and thanks for the package!

Niihama is Sweet!!

This is the Branch building in Niihama

July 18, 2010

Hey everyone. Sorry about last week. The email I just sent was the email I wrote last week. I was at a free computer but it couldn't handle emailing it. Bummer. Today I am at a nice Internet cafe. Well thank you so much for getting Kody`s address for me. I'll write him today. Sounds like he had a really good experience with the missionaries. How is Niihama? Well Niihama is sweet! I love it and I can't even tell you how blessed I feel to be here. The Ise family is doing well and a new guy named Kinoshita is getting ready for baptism too. These last two weeks have been insane! There are tons of people to teach and I am loving it. A ton of miracles have happened and I am really thankful for the spirit. Do you remember Moriya? He was the guy in Osaka that I taught that had a lot of baptismal dates. His daughters were baptized. Well his family lives 2 minutes from my apartment. His daughters aren't coming to church but I met the mom yesterday and I really feel that I was sent here for a reason. I'll tell you about a quick thing that happened yesterday. Me and Kudo went to a girl named Anris' house to teach her. Her dad was there and I could tell that their relationship wasn't normal. Her dad didn't like us very much but we taught her the restored gospel none the less. She is the same age as me and really sincere. When I looked her in the eyes and testified that her life could become better through the gospel the spirit was really strong. It seemed like she understood and she wanted to change her life but she still didn't accept to meet again. I know this kinda sounds like a sad story but as I was riding my bike home I felt prompted to pray for her. When I prayed I felt that everything would be all right and she would have a good life somehow. I know that unseen things happen everyday and God really loves ALL his children. Niihama is awesome and the mission is awesome. I'll send you some pictures next week. Sorry. I have been bad about that lately. Well I love you all and I'll talk to you next week!

The Church is True No Matter Where We Live and I Love It!

July 18, 2010 (This was really written on July 11, but it didn't send!)

Hey guys! Yes I have email! But I just found it so I dont have much time. Sorry. I got the conference talks and they are great. Thanks Mom and lenzi. From Kobe it took almost 5 hours to get to Niihama. I got my camera-- an Olympus 12 megapixel and it only cost $75. The pool looked pretty wild! Good luck. I'll be quick, but to put it simply-- Niihama is sweet. The people are way nice and it is a little more city than Maizuru, but not much. The branch has about 20 active members and the church building is pretty funny. These week was awesome! A lot of new investigators were found and the Ise family is getting ready for baptism. The Ise family has 3 kids and one is baptized but the rest aren't. They have been coming to church every week for the last 6 months and we set a baptismal date with them for August 8th. The mom said that she felt good at church and she wanted to feel that more. The Holy Ghost is a great gift that I know that I take for granted. Anyway the branch is awesome and I definately feel something special here. My companion is elder Kudo from Tokyo. He is cool and more outgoing than my other Japanese comps. I am excited for Niihama. The church is true no matter where we live and I love it. I am sorry this was short but next week I promise I'll have more time. I love you guys and till next week.! Oh and if you could get me Dana Cooper's address that would be sweet

No Email but Some Pictures from President McIntyre's Blog

July 12, 2010-- Zone Leader Council in Kobe. In the morning they hiked with President and Sister McIntyre. Grady is in the orange shirt.

Well, we didn't receive an email last night. We thought this might happen because of the new area and especially because they weren't replacing any mssionaries who could show them where to email. Hopefully he'll find somewhere to email for next week, but if not, we'll just send letters! These pictures were on President McIntyre's Mission Blog. These must be right before he transferred to Niihama.

These are the toys Grady sent! The little one says three things in Japanese when you push a button! So funny!

The New Japan Kobe Mission

July 8, 2010--Today is the day that they are combining part of the Hiroshima Mission with the Kobe Mission. The Kobe mission will be adding 32 more missionaries from the Hiroshima Mission. Grady will be transferring to the area of Niihama on the Island of Shikoku. It is in the Hiroshima Mission area. He will have a native companion, Elder Kudo. They will be in an area where there haven't been missionaries for six months. I'm sure he'll do great!

Today we also received the box he sent two months ago. I've been so worried it wouldn't get here because he sent it by boat--but it did get here!! Inside it were some letters and a couple of funny Japanese toys. I have heard such horror stories about sending things by boat and I'm so grateful his letters didn't get lost!

On the Way to Niihama

July 4, 2010

Hello everyone! Well Sounds like all is well with the family. Thanks for doing all that research and stuff for me. That is cool that Rudy gets to go on the Middle Fork every week. This week I really don't have much time. I am sorry. Yesterday church was pretty cool. 4 Investigators came to church and it was a good testimony meeting. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone but I am excited to go to Niihama. Quick story about fast offerings. When I paid fast offerings before I never saw first hand what it was used for. This week I saw what it should be used for. Brother Yamashita is still homeless and and sometimes goes a day or two without food. It is also hard for him to sleep because it is raining a lot. He gets really light headed and just isn't good. This is where our fast offerings go. To humble people in need. He hasn't accepted help yet but I think he will come around. This is how our fast offerings should help. Well , I'm sorry it was short but I know this church is true and it is really neat to experience the change the spirit can do. I love you guys and Ill send pictures soon. Smell ya later.

Knockin' On Heaven's Door

June 27, 2010

Hey everyone! Thanks for the emails and pictures! Sounds like you guys had a fun time this week. Did you get Kody Graham's address? And how is Andrew Wardell doing? Drew looked pretty good. Sounds like he had a good mission. Sorry I haven't sent many pictures. My camera is not charged because I left my charger in Maizuru. OOps. But before I forget here are the Camera choices that I have. Olympus FE-400, Olympus u water u-550wp, Casio ex-512, Casio Ex-gi, Niko coolpix 53000. Here are some of the choices. One of the Casio's is pretty expensive. I am transferring so I have to buy it next Pday so if you could find the best one and in the email next week tell me about it. Thanks. You guys are too nice. But ya I am transferring. I transfer on July 8th to the island of Shikoku. It is in the Hiroshima Mission and like Maizuru. It is like 5 or more hours away from the mission home. Pretty out there. My area is called Niihama and missionaries haven't been in it for a while. Me and a Japanese elder named Kudo are going in knowing nothing about it. The branch has about 20 members and I am excited. It is definitely in the middle of know where and I am saying goodbye to civilization. I don't know if I will have email or not but it was fun while it lasted! lol. I won`t be a Zone Leader anymore either. Pretty much I will be with Campbell choro for a transfer and a half when it is all said and done. When I leave another elder from the Hiroshima mission will replace me. All right, there is all the boring informational stuff. Sorry. Yamashita is doing good but he is still homeless with no job. It is really sad and I can't do a whole lot for him. This is where the ward comes in but it is hard because there is no way to contact him. Kind of a tough situation but he has all he needs, which is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. You all will probably like this story. Me and Campbell were riding home for the night trying to make curfew. I was truckin along on my bike when I saw this guy in a park playing the guitar. I felt that we should talk to him so we stopped and went up to him. His name was Hirano and is way nice. He is really good at the guitar and you will never guess what song he played for us. You guessed it Guns and roses knockin on heavens door. He was way good at imitating Axel rose. It turns out that Hiranos son had recently died and that Hirano almost committed suicide because he missed him so much. We shared the special message of the Plan of Salvation and he wants to hear more. I wish you guys could've been there. It was just super special because I know he was prepared to hear the message. Oh, and this is another good story. There is this other investigator named Hayashi. He is 23 and has already seen two baptisms. At the second baptism the spirit was really strong when the guy Shota got baptized. I asked Hayashi if he felt anything different when Shota got baptized and he said doki doki, which is like excited. Hayashi felt a feeling that is hard to explain because it is from a higher force. Hayashi felt the spirit and he wants to feel it more. He has a baptismal date for July 24th. If I look back on my mission so far the people that have progressed towards baptism or have gotten baptized was because of personal experiences that they felt. Hayashi accepted to be baptized without hearing any lessons. He simply saw a baptism, felt the spirit and wanted that in his life. On the way home he asked if we were Catholic or Protestant. This tells me that perfect understanding is impossible but perfectly understanding a feeling isn't. Well I have to go because I am going to a Brazilian all you can eat restaurant with Sarai, the Brazilian investigator, and some other people. The mission is great and I love it. I am very happy and loving it. Best experience of my life. I love you all and feel blessed to be apart of such a great family. Till next week.

Homeless with a Strong Testimony

June 20, 2010 Brother Yamashita in Amagasaki was baptized by Elders Campbell and Bowman.

Hey everyone! Happy Father's day Dad! I am not going to lie, I found out that it was fathers day like 2 days ago so I didn't get you a present. Sorry. I have thought a lot about what I learned from you dad. One thing that I realized the other day was being giving. You would always be so generous with customers, maybe even to giving to much in me and moms opinion sometimes, but we were wrong. I have realized that you can never be too nice to someone. I can't believe Kody got baptized! I want to know more because I think I could've done a better job. Maybe I could've invited him to church or something. I remember when I was little and me Kody and karl used to play together. Kody would always make fun of Joseph Smith and Mormons. This just tells me that God has a plan and is in control. We have been doing a thing lately with the members here that you guys might want to do if you haven't all ready. We have the members right down all there less active and nonmember friends names down on a list and start praying for them. Maybe if I would've done this I could've helped Kody out more. Could you please get his address for me so I can write him or give him my address or something. Thanks. Well this week for me was great! Yamashita got baptized! He was so happy and was really changed through the atonement. He is still homeless but now he is a homeless man with a strong testimony of the Restored Gospel. I learned that if we follow the commandments our circumstances won't always drastically change but we will be blessed no matter what. I wish you guys could talk to him or something. Yesterday was Stake Conference and Elder Nelson spoke. He testified about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and I know he is an apostle of God. Another cool thing happened yesterday. There was an investigator named Fujimoto that came to the Stake Conference. He wants to get baptized but has some problems. Yamashita looked him in the eye and boldly testified of how the Holy Ghost and Christ's Atonement changed him and that he got baptized just a couple of days ago. Anyone can gain a testimony through the Holy Ghost. Oh, and before I forget I looked at cameras and they are way cheap. I forgot to bring the paper with the names of them so you guys could look them up for me. But next week. They are all 12 megapixels and between 80 and 130 dollars. Pretty cheap I think. Well I have to go but thanks for everything and don't be afraid to share the gospel. I share it with complete strangers everyday and I kind of regret not being a better friend to Kody. People are being prepared every day to hear this amazing message but they usually aren't who we expect. You guys are awesome and I love you. Till next week!

God Really Loves His Children

June 13, 2010

Brother Kawabe, who Grady and Elder Thayer found, was baptized in the Sea of Japan by Elders Thayer and Kimura.

Hey family! Thanks for the email. It was interesting to hear about all the news and stuff. I'll quickly answer some of the questions first. About the exercise thing, that program must have picked the cream of the crop because I definitely don't run 3 miles every morning. My workout usually consists of sit ups, push ups, stretching, and studying vocabulary. But recently I have been running and practicing soccer in the church parking lot. It is pretty fun. I am definitely not in the best shape but I feel healthy. Last week I went to a volleyball league and played. It was way fun and a lot of people to talk to. Ya I got everything. Thanks. The shoes are great! The package should take a month or so to get to you. Last Pday I went to Kobe for a sports activity. They are pretty fun but I haven't been to a temple for a long time. I am doing pretty good. But thanks. I like what Riley said about people repenting. It is super true. This week was way crazy. A lot of ups and downs but I have made it a goal to not to be acted upon, but to make my own weather. Yamashita was looking super solid up until last Saturday, the day of his baptism. On Friday he had a job interview and on Saturday he had to go and tryout for the job. Me, Campbell and Yamashita fasted for him to find a job and it happened but on the worst possible day. Kind of a bummer but he said that he had Sunday off so we changed his date to yesterday. Yesterday was crazy. There were about 7 investigators that were supposed to come to church but none of them showed up uncluding Yamashita. This was disappointing and everyone was bummed. The worst part is that Yamashita has no address or cell phone. After church I met a new investigator at the church named Emi. She is about 24 and is way open minded. She committed to be baptized on July 10th. I really needed this because I was just sick to my stomach. God really answered my prayer. After the lesson I went to look for Yamashita. Me and Campbell found him and he is getting baptized tommorrow. He missed church because he wants a job that has Sundays off and because he really wants to pay tithing. He feels bad because he can't pay it right now. He went to Osaka for a job interview with his friend that helped him get the interview. He was in a pretty tough situation. Sorry that was a long story but yes, he is still getting baptized and is really thinking about after baptism stuff, which is rare. In my experience most people just look at getting baptized then kinda worry about enduring to the end later. Yamashita is thinking about eternity which is great. He has really been changed through the spirit and sincerely repented. This gospel is true and thousands of people are changing through the spirit everyday. I love my new family in Japan but not as much as you guys. Thanks for always being there. Time is flying which makes this work more urgent. I know that I was sent here for certain people and I really want to meet them. Maizuru had a baptism on Saturday. It was a guy that Me and Thayer found that smoked 50 cigarettes a day. God really loves his children. Till next week. See ya later!

" This Week Was Awesome!"

June 6, 2010

The Kobe District--Sister McIntyre made Elder Campbell, Grady's companion, a Birthday Cookie! Yum!!

Most the elders ordered this triple decker hamburger thingy. And all the rice and soup you can eat made them happy missionaries.

Hey everyone! Thanks for the emailed pictures! It was nice to see the family again. I'll try to send some pics pretty soon here. I'll answer the questions first because I really don't have much time. I have a lesson in 30 minutes. Sorry. I don't know yet if I'll transfer to the Hiroshima area or not. The Costco here is huge a way busy. It is hard to shop at because it is so big. It has a food court like ours but is about twice as much (I'm not sure if this means twice as big or twice as expensive). It is still way good though. I haven't looked for a camera yet because mine takes really good pictures I think. If the pictures were bad I would buy another one but they seem good. If you guys think differently, ya I'll buy another one. It sounds like dad is still buying some sweet rides. That is too bad about the Volkswagen but good luck. Dad said Olivia had a wreck on her bike? That sounds pretty wild. Hope you are all right Olivia. Rudy, how is the bicycle? Hope you like it. This week was awesome! Yamashita is getting baptized on Saturday. He has a way strong testimony. I'll tell you a little bit about it. After we taught the Plan of Salvation he went to where he sleeps, ``on a bench underneath a tree`` and prayed to God. When he was praying he started to cry and felt a burning in his chest. He explained it as a force that was not from him or human. From that experience he realized that the gospel is real and not just a nice story. He accepted every commandment willingly and bore a sweet testimony at Sacrament yesterday. He is homeless but is looking for a job. He said something yesterday that touched me. Yesterday we taught how to pay tithes and offerings with the bishop. After the lesson Yamashita looked at me and said that he couldn't wait to find a job so he could pay tithing. This is how commandments should be looked at. They are for us and we should be excited to follow them. Again, I feel super blessed to be part of such a life changing process. Yamashita is as prepared as someone could be to receive baptism. And it isn't because of anything special that me and Campbell did. Yamashita is prepared because he experimented of the good news that Joseph Smith died for. This has been a great transfer and I am way excited to see Yamashita progress in the gospel. The gospel is true and people are realizing this everyday through the power of the Holy Ghost. I love you guys and thanks for being good examples to me. till next time. BYe BYE