Don't Worry Too Much!

March 22, 2010 Last week we received an email from President McIntyre telling us that he had given Grady permission to email us from a member's house. We were so excited to get another email! We all emailed him on Sunday and then we kept checking the computer for his email to arrive. As you might guess, it didn't arrive--at least not before we had to go to bed! We got up this morning and we found the much anticipated email that had arrived at 3 AM! It is very short, but as always, we're just so happy to hear from Grady! We love getting his letters, even when they're short!

Hey guys! Sorry this email is so late. I just got back from a planetarium. It was pretty fun. This week was awesome! I went to Miyazu again and found a way prepared person to hear the gospel and visited less actives with less actives. It was awesome. I don't really have much contact with Leo but now I am helping a 25 year old guy named Tatsuya. His baptismal date is April 18th. It looks good and he really is a great guy．Ｊａｐan is awesome and I really can say that the spirit has helped me out the most. I am happy everyday because the spirit is amazing when you serve others. This has really helped me. I am sorry that this email is so short but my Pday is about to end. The mission is great and I love you all. A couple letters should be arriving soon so don't worry too much. Thanks again for everything. Till next time. Bye Bye

Written March 6th received March 18th--The bad part about Grady being able to email periodically is that it upsets our letter schedule!! Since he emailed on March 1st we haven't received a letter for 18 days because after he emailed he couldn't write for a week and then it takes about another week or more for us to get his letters!! Oh well, we're just so happy to get his letters, whenever they come!

Dear Family,

I just got my P-day changed because I am going to a concert in Osaka, so I don't have much time. Sorry. This week was great. The members, investigators and less active members are progressing well. I love helping people grow in something that has eternal consequences. The gospel is great! Leo was supposed to go to Osaka with us today, but his parents are really opposed to the church. I haven't talked to them, yet, but the situation sounds difficult for Leo. Please pray for him and his family. I am excited to help his parents realize the blessings of the gospel. I know miracles can happen. This week I met with two young moms who are both in the process of getting divorced. They are both very optimistic about life and they felt the spirit during the lesson. Some people are really prepared to hear the gospel. I'm sorry this was short, but I love you all. Thanks for all the letters and the food and stuff! Very tasty! I promise I'll write more next week. Bye!

A SECOND Letter this Week!!!

Grady with his new companion, Elder Thayer

March 1, 2010--We unexpectedly received an email this week! I felt really bad because every week I've been emailing Grady on Sunday night, just in case he happened to find a place to email. This week I didn't because I figured there was no way he would be able to email--but he did. Oh well, I guess he was able to read all the old emails!! We received TWO letters this week!! Such a bonus!

Osu Hey kazoku. Genki desu ka? O sashiburi. Hey family it has been quite a while since you have heard from me. I am still in Maizuru but I am in a different area today that has email. So sorry I still won't have email for a while. This is a special thing and it feels weird to type on a computer again. I have a new companion named Elder Thayer. He is from Texas but has lived all over the place. He lived in Germany for 4 years! Pretty sweet. He is on his 5th transfer and I am on my 6th. He is good at Japanese and I learn a lot. It was really weird speaking in English again. I like Japanese better. I think I am improving but I want to be better at communicating with the people. O and recently the church got a new email service for the missionaries. It is google mail now and it is a lot better. This is my new address for when we can email again. Maizuru is still as sweet as usual. This week I went to a place called Miyazu again. It is the 3rd prettiest place in Japan. Ill send pictures. This is where brother Kizaki lives. (the less active who is 70) We visited again and he took us to a look out place. He doesn't remember the missionaries names that baptised him. Sorry. These last two weeks have been great. Leo, the 17 year old Filipino is doing pretty well. This Saturday we are going with him to Osaka with some members to a Janice Kapp Perry concert. Pretty wild huh! Leos mom doesn't want Leo to get baptized but I am optimistic. I know anything can happen with the Lords help. Yesterday me and Elder Thayer were housing and a way nice older man let us in. We talked about the gospel together and then his wife came home. They are both way nice and we set up a return appointment for later this week. While I have been in maizuru miracles like this happen everyday. I know that it might sound like something normal but to me these are little miracles. I feel super blessed to receive these everyday. There are a lot of prepared people all over the world. It is kinda crazy to think about but they probably are the friends that we would have never thought would except the gospel. I know this because I see it everyday here in Japan. This morning as I was studying I was reading over one Of Elder Eyring's talks in the most recent conference. It talked about how some people can lose the belief of God for many reasons but one is because they think that God doesn't love them. As I was reading this I felt Gods love through the spirit way strong. I know that God loves me. If I don't feel the spirit at least once a day something is wrong. I cant count how many times on my mission that I have felt specifically Gods love. God helps me everyday and I cant explain exactly how but he does. I love these people and you guys. I know you guys are a million miles away but thanks. I have found another family for two years I guess. They are very special to me and I desire their salvation a lot. Thanks again and Hope to hear from you soon!

Still in Maizuru and Loving it!

Grady and Elder Thayer at a bowling activity with the Maizuru Branch

Written February 22, Received March 1

Dear Family, How are you guys?! I got your letter the other day. Thanks a lot! It was good to hear from you again. Rudy's Westy Van sounds cool The FedEx business sounds fun. Olivia--Keep going! As President Hinckley said, "Things will work out." I'll answer your questions first. In Maizuru there are a lot of less actives. In 1991 the Branch had 3 members and all of them were women. The missionaries were the leadership. In a six month span 17 people were baptised. Those 17 either moved or are less active now. Only one comes to church every week. I remember when dad asked me if I was teaching any families. Now I am teaching 3 families. They are all less active families with kids that haven't been baptized. A lot of miracles have been happening here. This is a special area. I am staying warm. I got a package and I have eaten the fish. It is way fresh! I haven't gotten the name of the missionaries yet (that taught the older man that he found had been baptized when he was 24). Sorry. This week I got a new companion. Iwasa Choro transferred to Osaka. This is my 6th companion! He has lived all over including Germany for 4 years, but most recently in Texas. His name is Elder Thayer and we are getting along great! One of our investigators' names is Asuka. She is 12 but her birthday is this Friday. She asked us to come and teach her about the Book of Mormon. Pretty crazy, huh?! I have never had an investigator ask me to meet and teach them. She is so smart and really understands the scriptures. I am excited to be here when she gets baptized. This area is awesome and I love it! The branch is amazing and special things are going on. Thanks for everything and I know that God knows all of us personally and we can have a personal relationship with Him. Thanks again and I love you all!

Food Poisoning?!?!

Grady with an Art Volunteer at the Community Center

Written February 15th, Received February 23rd

Hey Family!

Thanks for all the letters and the Valentines Box! The candy was good and the branch liked it too. Your letters are all nice and I enjoy them. I'm sorry about Grandpa but it sounds like the pacemaker thing will help out. Mom, I forgot how much you liked reading. That's pretty cool. If you could send me some pictures of you guys. I want to re-do my picture book. Rudy, another Westy! What more could a man ask for. I can't think of anything. Good luck (ganbate)

Well, I'm sorry it is taking so long for my letters to get to you. Did you give the one to Lenzi to her?

This week in Maizuru was pretty wild. Monday started out pretty rough but awesome. Last week were interviews and all of us missionaries went out to eat at an all you can eat meat place. It was way good and i left full. On Monday I woke up with a fever and chills. I found out later this week that the whole zone had some case of the diarrhea. What a coincidence? I am convinced that it was the meat place. But it gets funnier. At Eikawa (English Class) this week I was on an exchange with Elder Soloman. He is from Florida and both of us had the runs. Because the church is so small the bathroom is right there so we couldn't go all night. The class went well and we it. It was pretty funny. I feel a lot better now so it's all good.

I have been taking more pictures lately, so I think you guys will be happy. This week I felt really blessed and even though I was sick, we got a lot done. One investigator named Asuka Chan really progressed. She is the 12 year old investigator whose parents are less active. She really understands the scriptures well and isway smart. I learned this week that the Book of Mormon is a very powerful book. The Book of Mormon and the Spirit change people, not me. Asuka chan agreed to prepare for baptism because she understood the scriptures. This helped my testimony grow about the scriptures. I love Japan and my mission . This area I am in is where I am supposed to be and I know there are people here just waiting to baptized. You guys are great and thanks again. Til next week. Have a good one!

A Lot of Little Miracles

Written February 7th, Received February 16th

Dear Family,

Hey Guys! Thanks for the letter! It was good to hear from you again. It had been awhile, huh? I still haven't found an Internet place in Maizuru, but there is one in the area next to me. I might go over there once in a while to email.

It sounds like all is going well at home. Dad, to answer your questions about cars--you're not missing out, but Japan has a lot more diesel SUV's. There are a ton of little tiny cars: Suzuki, Daitatsu, Toyoto, Honda and Mazda are pretty popular. They have a lot of cool diesel Landcruisers, 4-runners and Caro van looking cars. Diesel is pretty cheap here, I guess. A lot of the little cars are 4-wheel drive, too. Sounds like Rudy is going to have a fleet of VW Vans! Pretty funny!

This week was pretty good. I had the interview by President McIntyre that he does every transfer. It went well, as usual and it sounds like I am staying in Maizuru (A.K.A. "the zoo!) Iwasa Chorro might transfer, but we don't know. This week was filled with a lot of little miracles. I met a guy and his wife who are from Salt Lake in the middle of nowhere in Japan. Little stuff like that. Leo accepted to follow the Word of Wisdom and came to church with no sleep. He is sacrificing to follow Jesus Christ. I love seeing people make changes for something they can't see yet. We all know that when we follow the commandments we will be blessed. These investigators haven't experienced this yet. This Gospel is true and people like Leo all around are trying to find this out. I am so thankful for the Spirit and how it witnesses of truth. You guys are great and thanks for being so strong. Japan and the mission are great! Til next week-Peace!

Answers to lots of Questions

This week I sent Grady a list of questions that he could just fill in the blanks and send the paper back. This kind of makes me laugh because when Grady was in High School I used to ask him so many questions that he would get kind of cranky with me!! Since he's been on his mission he's been so good to answer all of my questions!

How did you get to Maizuru? Did you take your stuff or ship it? There isn't a train straight to Maizuru so I used buses. I only had to carry my carry-on bag. I shipped the rest.

Do you still ride your bike? How is it working? I got another bike from the Mission Office--it is a lot better.

How was your birthday? Did you get our package? I kept my birthday secret! lol! But, thanks for the package. The peanut butter is delicious.

Are you staying warm? Yes, my clothes are working out really well. Thanks.

Have you given any talks in Japanese yet? What did you speak on? I have given two talks so far. The first was on Family and the next was on Jesus Christ. They were fun to prepare!

Tell us about your companion. He is Japanese and really quiet. His house is only 2 hours by bus! Crazy, huh? He is really nice and has put up with me.

Can you communicate very well with him since he doesn't speak English? Yes, but it must hurt his ears all day. He doesn't correct me very much because he is used to foreigners speaking Japanese.

Tell us about any investigators you have. We have a couple really good investigators. One's name is Leo. He is Filipino. Dad, where did you serve in the Philippines? He is 17 and is planning on getting baptized on February 28th.

Do you eat any fruit? Yes, I eat fruit!

How many missionaries are in your area? Just me and Chorro Iwasa. Most areas are like that.

What are your church responsibilities? I give a talk every other week and I bless the Sacrament

Just Plain HAPPY!!

Written January 31, Received February 10th--Hey Family! I'm sorry again for all the confusion. I am doing just fine. President McIntyre called me and told me that you guys had emailed him. I knew it would happen! It was pretty funny. But sorry for the inconvenience.

I really love this area I am in now. The members are sweet. It is gorgeous and I am just happy. I have a pretty good story for you guys this week. This Saturday I helped move a less active lady in my branch. . . . there was a lot to do to clean up the apartment and help this lady. This lady really needed our help. We made it fun and Leo (17 year old investigator) really understands why I am in Japan. Throughout the day I would share with him a quick scripture like Mosiah 2:17 (And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.) After service we all decided on a baptismal date for Leo. He is getting baptized on the 28th of February! Service is great! I have to cut this short but I love you guys and I am having a great experience here. I look forward to your letters! Sorry we are going old -school. Talk to you soon!

First "Old School" Letter

Written January 25th, Received February 3 All I can say is Sorry for all the confusion. My bad! Are you guys doing all right? The only place to email here in Maizuru closed down last week. Sorry. I thought it was only closed because of a holiday, but I guess it is actually our of business. (he wrote "Bummer" in Japanese characters!)

I'm sorry for the confusion. It is kinda a downer but a lot worse things could happen. We'll just have to do it the old school way.

These last two weeks have been great! Things have really picked up. There are a couple really good investigators tha are progressing well. The other day a pretty sweet thing happened. There is a city in my area called Miyazu. It is a long way away and right on the coast. Me and Iwasa Choro decided to go there and check it out. It was about 17 miles by bike up and down hills. By the time we got there we were way tired. We started housing and then we decided to say a prayer. I was prompted to go to a house right on the Buddhist Temple site. We knocked on the door and an old man answered and he said, "Oh, come on in Elders." We didn't know what to do. We entered and it turns out that Kizaki was baptized when he was 24. He is now inactive but way nice. God really helps his young 19 year old inexperienced missionaries. I was way thankful. This week we had 11 people to church! I know it sounds crazy, but this is almost double the active members. I love the ward here. They are way hilarious. It reminds me of Seinfeld sometimes. Each person has their own personality and they really work well together. Oh, and by the way, thanks for all the presents and stuff! Those gloves are sweet! They really work well. I'll tell you a little about one of the investigators. Her name is Asuka. She is 12 years old and both of her parents are less active. She is way smart and she brings her Book of Mormon to school. She really loves to study and has a strong testimony. Things are looking good for her baptism but her parents aren't very encouraging. The family really is important. The ward and us are her family, I guess. She said one of her first prayers in front of people yesterday. She is way cool. The mission is great and I love these people. i feel the spirit when I testify every day. I am way thankful for this. You guys are way nice and I am glad I am part of the family. Thanks again and I'll talk to you soon.

No More Emails

For the next 3 1/2 weeks we didn't hear from Grady. When we hadn't heard for two weeks I emailed President McIntyre and he emailed me back and said he would check on Grady. He said that he had seen him the week before at Zone Conference and that he was great. He emailed me right back and said that he had called Grady and the only place to email in Maizuru had closed down. From then on we needed to send letters in the mail! We wrote right away because we realized that if we hadn't heard from him, he hadn't heard from us either! We waited another week or so and finally got a letter. It was so good to hear from him again. We really miss the easiness of email, but it is also very nice to get a hand written letter. I'll type his letters in so that we won't miss reading them on his blog!

Shivering with a Warm Heart!

Grady in Maizuru! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

January 10, 2010 Hey family! How is everything goin? Sounds like all is well again and you guys are having fun as usual. I am in Maizuru and yes it is pretty cold. The wet cold is definitely worse than the dry. It is weird. I have a ton of clothing on but still am cold. But My heart is warm so it is alright. Alright that was kinda corny but really I already love this place. My companion is from the Hiroshima mission and he is way nice. He is smaller than me so that is nice. It is embarrassing when a Japanese person is taller than me. Ya the long garments will probably be nice. This and next transfer are supposed to be the coldest of the year. This area is super rural. Not many people walking around. I do a lot of housing but stop every person I see while riding my bike. This place really is rural. It is the second smallest branch in the mission. We have 7 active members and a lot of less active. Pretty wild huh! We had church yesterday and it was awesome! The branch president passed the sacrament and was the usher. He has lots of jobs. I smiled and laughed the whole day because of how funny the branch is. There really are a lot of characters. Our church is on the 2nd floor of a building. Definitely different than anything I have been too. The store right below us on the first store is a store like Blockbuster. So just imagine a little two room apartment on top of a blockbuster and that is exactly what the branch looks like. It was pretty surprising to say the least. I can see how missionaries can get discouraged. There are no youth, only 7 people come, and you do a lot of housing regularly. But I haven’t been happier! The members are probably the most humble people I have ever met and I just feel so good about the future. These members aren’t rich, and don’t have fancy things. They have something much better, a deep conviction that God loves them, Jesus is their Savior, and that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration. I have already grown in the few days that I have been here. These members really are amazing. I miss Abeno but I am ready to help these faithful saints of God build the kingdom of God together. They really have a fire right now to share the gospel and I need their help. O and all the members are converts. The Maizuru area is beautiful. I have mountains all around me. It is completely different than Osaka. O and I have a talk every other week! It will be pretty funny. I remember you guys asking about if the Japanese people can have a good time. Well the last ward and branch I have been in are hilarious! There have been times when I have been crying because these people are so funny. They really are a happy people. Mom the talk sounded like it went well. Thanks for being so positive. I guess one funny thing about my apartment is that the sink and the shower are together! Ya it is pretty hard to wash your hands when the floor is soaking with water. They have some funny things here. Ya it snowed the first two days I was here but I found some brand new Dickie boots at the Abeno apartment and grabbed them. I will probably wear them. Thanks again for all the emails and stuff. You guys are great. Ill probably send a camera card today. Sorry I have been so bad about that. I love the mission and the people and I hope you guys have a good day. Love you and I’ll talk to you next week.

Meant to be Japanese!

January 1, 2010 Happy New Year! Thanks for the Email again. Sounds like the Christmas break was way fun. Have you gotten my package yet? Is it snowing a lot in Idaho this year? How has the skiing been and how is everyone? Transfer calls were today and I am transferring to a new area. Maizuru is the new areas name. It is at the top of the mission and is super cold. It is right along the coast and it snows a lot I guess. It is supposed to be super pretty but very rural. It has a small branch so I think I am in for a big surprise. Change is good but it doesn’t mean that I wont miss Abeno. My new companion is Japanese and he doesn’t speak any English. I guess I was meant to become Japanese or something. I am very excited and I hope that Suzuki is prepared to show his new companion around and take care of the investigators. I am thinking about the questions that you asked me and it is hard to tell you. I have had so many good experiences and I cant really put my finger on one. In the last year baptisms have tripled for the Kobe mission so it is improving. Pres. McIntyre’s focus for his first half of the mission was to get the missionaries pumped up for missionary work. But now he is going to still focus on the missionaries but put more emphasis on helping members. More than 3/4 of the baptisms were found by the missionaries’ own efforts. It is working but there is a better way. The missionaries shouldn’t even have to find investigators. They should be teaching people all day. I know it sounds kinda crazy but this is the way Gordon B. Hinckley explained it. Maybe tell about Bansho, the older man that looked like Papa. That is very special to me. Or you could say how sweet the toilets are! The majority have heated seats. I hope I haven’t said anything negative about my mission because it has only been good. I have really felt the Lord’s love and help in different ways than before. Advice for the young people? Missions are sweet but they shouldn’t wait to do missionary work. They should start right now. I would give anything to have one of the young members in my ward bring a friend to church or invite them to have the discussions. It is the missionaries’ obligation to help anyone in the ward with anything especially missionary work. The overall theme I think of my mission would be love and patience. I really do love this people. I still can’t understand half of what they are saying to me but I can feel their love. I have also learned to be patient, especially with myself. Sometimes things don’t happen exactly as planned and you just have to pick yourself up and run with it. You guys are awesome and I really do love you. _The mission is great and thanks for all the support. All I really need is a new belt and maybe some warmer gloves like snowboarding ones or something. It is pretty cold. Next time I talk to you I will be in the arctic of the Kobe mission. Till next time! Love you all. O and tell the ward thanks for all the letters and stuff. They are so nice.

Lathered Up in Good Company

December 27, 2009 Hello again! It seems like yesterday that I was talking to you guys. It was really good to hear your voices again. This last week was really good. I am glad to hear that everyone back at home is doing well. Tell Miles hello for me. That is such a bummer. Oh, and if you could get me Austin, Kyle’s and Travis’s new address. thanks. This Christmas was definitely different for all of us. It was probably the most humble Christmas that I have had, but it will always be a special one to me. After you guys called me Suzuki, Magidman, Escalante, and some investigators and members went to the zoo. Do you remember Mamor? Me and Harris taught him and he was baptized in Higashi Osaka. Well he came with us to the zoo. He hasn’t been very active in the church since he was baptized so he really appreciated the invite. The zoo was way fun. I realized that the people I went with were good friends of mine that I have taught the gospel to. That is a special relationship. Mamor and Hiroki, ( an English student) both have tons of tattoos and just look wild. It is pretty funny to be with them. After the zoo we had the Christmas dinner. there were about 25 people that showed up! A lot more than what we had expected. It was way fun and it was a potluck dinner thing. A member made tons of curry so that was the main course. All in all it was very humble, different, unorganized, but I know that all that were there went away knowing that Jesus Christ is their Savior. I mean when you have a bunch of 19 year old kids trying to run a Christmas party you can’t expect much more. I feel so young. After dinner we taught a short lesson about Christ and the spirit was really strong. During the dinner I took time to observe all the people that were there. More than half were not members, 2 were recent converts, 7 missionaries, and some returned missionaries in our ward. There was people from Australia, Canada, china, Japan, Brazil, and America. Definitely the most diverse group I have ever spent Christmas with. Mamor was pretty deep in thought a lot of the night. He said that when I called him to invite him to come it was the highlight of his week. I know this was something very simple but it really touched me. This Christmas really made me think about Dad’s term, "lather up in good company" I was definitely lathered up in great company this Christmas. It was very special to me and I will never forget it. This doesn’t mean that I forgot about my family or anything. I just know that I simply won’t see you guys for a while so I am making a new family that I will always remember. Thanks for everything and I really love you guys. I really am learning how to love everyone. My companion, other missionaries, investigators, people that are rude, and myself. I hope I can keep on improving and become like Christ. Thanks again for everything and I will talk to you guys next week.

The Christmas Phone Call

Talking to Grady on Christmas Eve!!

December 24, 2009 We got to call Grady today! It was truly the most exciting, sweet experience that I have ever had. Gus had to work today, Christmas Eve, so we were so worried about him getting home in time to talk to Grady. He's been getting home so late, but I should have known that it would all work out!! It did and we actually all ended up waiting around a little. We had told Grady that we would call around 1PM his time on Christmas, 9pm our time Christmas Eve. Around 8:30 our time we couldn't wait any longer so I dialed the number. A voicemail answered and it was a Japanese woman, speaking in very fast Japanese! I thought I must have had the wrong number, so I dialed again and this time Grady answered! He said that every cell phone in Japan has that same voicemail! He sounded sooooo good! Exactly like himself. Each of us had an extension except Lenzi and Jon, and they shared one. It was so fun to all sit around together and talk to him. We asked lots of questions and he answered them all. He spoke some Japanese to Olivia and it sounded good to us! He had his companion say hello to us (he doesn't speak English!) and the other two Elders in the apartment said hello, too. No one had invited them over for Christmas dinner, but they were planning a dinner for their investigators which was even better! Not once did he sound sad, homesick or even a little discouraged. He was completely upbeat and happy--and much to our relief--he was still so funny! We told him we were a little worried that he had become so serious and maybe wasn't as funny and he was so hurt!! Throughout the conversation he kept saying, "I can't believe you guys thought I wasn't still funny! I am sooo funny!!" He was just the same, only better!! (Like that is even possible!) He was polite and considerate, so interested in us. He expressed his deep love for the people of Japan and he told us how his truly loved his mission. I asked him if he was even a bit homesick (I probably shouldn't have asked this) and he said no. He said that he loved us, and of course missed us, but that he was so happy on his mission and he just didn't have time to feel homesick. I am so thankful for this and even though I know he must feel discouraged at times, it is such a comfort to know that he is working his heart out to be positive and full of faith! All of us ended the conversation crying, but he sounded strong, happy and content. I didn't hear even the smallest sniffle or break in his voice. And for that I am so grateful! He truly seems to understand his purpose and he is taking his responsibility so seriously. He isn't letting himself get down or think negatively about anything! What a great example he is to all of us!

Getting the Phone Number

Grady Christmas Caroling with his zone in Osaka

December 20, 2009 Hey guys. They switched our p-day from today to Christmas for some reason but I can email today to tell you guys what time to call. Ya call me between 9-10 your time. That is totally fine. I want to talk to everyone. I'll be ready for your call. I'll give you my number again just in case. 080-2149-6208. I'm excited to talk to you guys! Talk to you soon.

The "Accident"

December 13, 2009 Hey family thanks for the emails! I didn’t get to read all of them because I am in a big hurry. Sorry next week will be better. This morning I had a little accident. I cut my pinky toe really bad and had to go to the doctor. It bled a ton but I didn’t have to get stitches. We found out when we talked to Grady at Christmas that he had accidentally kicked a broken glass blender that was outside their apartment. The garbage company picks up different kinds of garbage on different days--and I guess it wasn't the glass day yet! I think he said it cut under his toenail very deep. It sounds so awful and thinking that he had to walk on that foot just makes me cringe. He said it hurt pretty bad, and that it kept bleeding and soaking his sock, but that he didn't miss a day going out and doing missionary work! We are going to Kyoto today for presents for family. I made everyone late so I feel horrible so I have to make this short. Sorry. The Christmas calls are on my Christmas day. And you guys call me. My number is 080~2149~6208. They told us to do it in the morning but maybe I could do it at lunch to so the whole family can talk. Sorry for the rush I’ll give you more info next week. This week was another great week and I love the people. I love looking them in the eye and telling them that God exists and he loves them. It is a simple concept but they really can feel the spirit through those simple words. Thanks for all the packages! They are great! Love you all and talk to you next week.

Are You Genki? ( I have no idea what this means!!)

December 6, 2009 Are you genki? Hey family it was good to hear from you again. Everyone sounds all happy and ready for Christmas. Christmas sounds busy as usual. That buffet sure does sound good and the Music and spoken word was always fun to go to. The buffets hear are pretty different. The most popular ones are the all you can eat meat places. There is a grill in the middle of the table and you just cook the raw meat yourself. It is way good but pretty expensive. A member took us to one that was $60 a person. Crazy huh. Man that is a bummer that Miles and Wyatt are both home. When you see Wyatt or Miles tell them write or email me. I haven’t heard from him for a long time. I’m sorry you guys are missing me. I guess I should have been more of a nuisance or something so you could take a deep breath of fresh air when I left. lol. I’ll answer the questions now. I did receive the package and everything was in tact. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to bust into the salami. It is huge! I am pretty sure that I got the camera card. Should I take more pictures? Don’t be afraid to tell me the truth. I still don’t know about the Christmas thing but I guess that you usually call. The language is fun. I think I am improving more because I am really forced to use it to communicate with almost everyone. I still can’t understand too well but I translated for this white guy from Colorado at church yesterday and I was surprised at how much I understood. He is a member but was just visiting. Suzuki really doesn’t know any English. Communication is definitely way hard. I hear the words differently than what they really sound like so a lot goes misunderstood. I am feeling great. I am staying warm and my headaches are pretty good. We are really focusing on Moriya san right now. He is 43 and two of his kids are baptized. He is scheduled to be baptized on the 20th of December. I have been trying to figure out how interested he is. I have really been praying about how to help him realize how important baptism is. This week every time we met the spirit was way strong and I know that he felt it. The Lord really does answer prayers because now I feel that he is sincere. This transfer has been different. We aren’t finding as many investigators as in other transfers. I have really relied on the Lord to help me in everything. I might be down on myself but I feel the spirit everyday as I testify about Christ. This tells me that I need patience and that I am talking how the Lord would want me to. This is so comforting. The other day me and Suzuki had just got home from a long day of trying to find people. We definitely got rejected a lot and I could tell that he was a little down. It made me think how blessed I am to know the restored gospel. Every person that rejected to even talk for one minute may never get that chance again. It is pretty sad and both of us felt really blessed that night. These people are lost and they haven’t thought about things like life after death, or receiving direction from something they can’t see. Simply explaining the Holy Ghost is so foreign to them. This is exactly why this church is true. We believe very strongly that there is one way back to live with our Heavenly Father forever. These strangers that I talk to everyday aren’t strangers to me. Heck, I don’t know, maybe I am talking to my best friend in the pre-earth life that came to earth knowing that this life wasn’t going to be easy. I feel a special bond with them and I do love them. Thanks for all the emails and I hope you can feel my love through these emails. Hope to hear from you soon. And I love you again.

Speaking Full-time Japanese

November 29, 2009 Hey guys! How is is going? Sounds like Thanksgiving went well and it was fun. Thanks for the emails every week. It is nice to hear from you all. I’ll answer some questions first. Well I am on my 4th companion now. Elder Nicerio went home to Australia last week. My new companion is Japanese and doesn’t speak any English. Kinda funny huh. I really don’t speak any English now. I am on my 4th transfer in Japan and he is on his 3rd. We are both 19 and very inexperienced. There is a senior and a junior companion in a companionship and I am the senior which means that I am supposed to be the example and have more responsibilities. Ya, it is pretty funny because communication is definitely limited. He is way cool and fun to be with. He is less hesitant to open up his mouth but that is what I am for. It really isn’t awkward for me. A combination of me not understanding everything and my testimony I guess make it like that. We are working pretty well together. I really have needed to rely even more on the Lord. I do feel inadequite. (dont make fun of my spelling, I am forgeting a lot of English words and how they are spelled) I really am just trying to follow promptings and relying on the spirit and the Love I have for these people. My companions name is elder Suzuki and he hasn’t heard from his family in a while so it would really be nice for him to receive a something for Christmas. Thanks a lot. I can listen to the MormonTabernacle Choir. Thanks a lot. And if you could send the conference talks on CD that would be sweet. I love listening to them. I haven’t gotten the package yet so I am a little worried about the cheese. I don’t know the details about Christmas yet, sorry. the Pres. hasn’t told us yet. Well I have to make this short, sorry. We are going somewhere today and are running a little late. The other night we contacted this skateboarder guy in a park. He was 29 and shinto. We talked about the Book of Mormon and what it was about. After that I was prompted to talk about temples. I felt the spirit very strong and I started to get emotional. I could barely talk. I know that I am directed to God’s prepared people for a reason. Thanks and I love you. Bye