Japan, after 10 months

So, the last week of the transfer is upon us already... today was busy, and it looks like today was just the start. I don't remember a lot of the week, it was all a blur with key points. So here they are, sorry, I don't know the days anymore. we are very tired.

Ward conference and ward picture:
- Temple Day! I got Jesus the Christ in Japanese and will be able to read it by the end of the year, hopefully...
- we met a guy in Kiyose who had been to Dallas and we talked about the Word of Wisdom.
- We talked with Masato a lot at church because he came again! Miracle! He is going to Aomori for a little bit, so if I transfer... but he is doing really well. He meets with us more and is starting to understand the simple messages that we share. We talked about hymns and the purpose of hymns this week because he saw Beauty and the Beast and cried during the song. Most Nihonjin that I have talked to about hymns are always impressed and notice the connection between music and the Spirit.
- went to FHE with Masato and Sawada, an Eikaiwa student. We talked about the Book of Mormon by writing a sentence and then drawing a picture and covering up the sentence for the next person to see the picture and write a sentence about what they see. It is like how when something is translated too many times, it is the wrong idea, but the first time is usually spot on.
- we got talked at by a Jehovahs Witness guy. He didn't let us say anything.
- it rained a lot on Saturday.

Next weeks preview:
- Zone Conference
- transfer calls
- 2 shokujis
- Eikaiwa
- English challenge, ooo, what is that?!?

I hope to hear from you all soon, sorry it was short this week,けど、やっぱり、私は皆さんを 愛していますね。今週の一番美味しい食べ物は林ライスツチュでした。面白い味がありました。
お休みなさい！
マーフィー長老

Spring!

Tuesday: we went to Oizumi Gakuen and streeted and tried to kubari, but it started to rain. We tried to do that for a while. After we went home, we had dinner with the Zone leaders and Tokorozawa elders. Everyone was very wet. It rained all day, but it was fun because eventually everything was too soaked for us to take notice, so we had fun in the puddles. Then we went and housed. We shared the Easter video with some people, so I am glad that they gave us a chance.

Wednesday: wow, lots of meetings. We had Eikaiwa, district meeting, an extra meeting. Elder Burnham gave a great training on following the Spirit. Long day.

Thursday: Weekly planning. Long, but followed by a kiseki! We went to Hoya! Where I have never found anyone to teach. We met a guy who had met missionaries before and he will try to come to church. Then at night we found a guy who couldn't speak or hear, so I used the Shuwa or Japanese sign language. He accepted a pamphlet to read later. Also, elder Winn tried to cook spaghetti without boiling the water first. That was pretty funny.

Friday: today, I took a nap to recover from some bad nights recently. That was awesome. Then we went to street and share more of the Easter video. We housed at night, but no one answered for us.

Saturday: splits with elder carrasco. We had Ward council at 6:00 in the morning, which was not fun. The we got ready for a lesson that fell through, but it was a great plan on the Apostasy and Restoration. Then we went and streeted until, finally, Michiko's baptism! Elder Spackman and I found her a couple of months ago and now she was baptized! She was super happy! Then we went to TOIEC. Masato came this week, but was a bit lost because the other students were pretty advanced.

Sunday: Masato came! Yes! Finally! That was interesting. We went to the YSA class, but it was really the personal preparedness class. Lots of talk about banks and money stuff. Then we went to a members sons baptism and Masato was able to understand a bit more. Then we did stats and streeted, with an evening study time.

Today: we went to seminary today, good memories. Then we had Zone pday today! We played dodgeball, baseball, and soccer! Super fun, but went a little over, so that is why this is so short. Winn Chōrō can jump! We will have temple pday next week.

I love you all, but I have got to run!
さよなら

Wow, did it get warm!

Tuesday: so, we had Zone meeting today, which, I just want to say, went over, but, we planned accordingly and were actually on time to our scheduled activities later. It was a good meeting and lots of good talk about becoming expert missionaries, which is the Zone theme. We talked about using PMG more and how to better help others know why we are in Japan. Then we went and ate taco rice, see the picture to know that no, it is not quite Mexican food, but the closest there is in Japan. We went to the Eki after studies when we got back, but then we had to bike to the other end of the area for a shokuji with the Fukuda's. Fukuda shimai is the grandma of Elder Konno, an elder who just finished his mission. She took us to a really fancy sushi place. New foods that I have eaten: squid head, barnacle, and one other really chewy sea animal.

Wednesday: district meeting, where I asked everyone what their biggest pet peeves were and I successfully made sure that companionship inventory was not opened early, studies, then we went to the Eki of course before dinner. More young people recently, but they are a bit shy. Then we set up for Eikaiwa. We gave the spiritual message on patience using the Tortoise and the Hare, which for our students was turned into the Turtle and the Rabbit.

Thursday: we had lunch with the Boos family, which is half Swiss, half Japanese. They are super nice. They made us enchiladas! We were all so happy! I don't have a picture because they were gone so fast. Boos Kyōdai helps us with Eikaiwa. Then we did weekly planning and had time to go housing before another shokuji, with the Asada's.  We LOVE the Asada's. We did their dishes for them and then went to call some people.

Friday: we went out to eat with Taichi, a 20 year old investigator. We had Tonkatsu and shared the Prince of Peace video with him. He will try to come to the Easter Sunday next week. Then we finished language study and 12 weeks and went to Hoya to visit Uenoyama Kyōdai. He is still super genki and was working on his yard again. We went in and read 1 Nephi 7. He is becoming more and more open with what he learns from the scriptures and he might read on his own this week. Then we went and streeted in Hoya. My goal is still to get an investigator from Hoya. We will do it! At night we went to house the danchis, but this time, there was a new sign. The Green Hills danchi are now off limits. Then we went to the bottom of the hill where there were more complexes and we checked all of the danchi in the immediate area, but they all had the same message. But we will find somewhere where the people are more willing to listen to others.


Saturday and Sunday: General Conference! We were at the church a lot! But Conference was so good! We taught TOEIC in Saturday after Priesthood session. Then after the Sunday sessions, which Kurenuma came to, we had extra time to dendō, so we went and met a guy from England. Maybe when he moves to Hibarigaoka we will talk with him again. He was really nice. We extended our afternoon dendō time a little long, so we ran out of time to house at night, so we did the 12 weeks that we didn't get Tomoda because of Conference.

Everyone, read elder costa's talk! Share it, it will help your friends!

Love you, マーフィー長老！

The Return of Winter

Monday Night: we went housing in the green hills danchi. We housed for a while and then we met The Guy. Goda let us in! We went into a house and taught a guy! Wow, that is a first for me in Japan. Normally, it is just outside in the cold, but not this time, so we are going back tonight to follow up and to see if he really wants to see what we have to share.

Tuesday: we went to Higashikurume because it was raining. We saw so many people walking their dogs. Dog dend身 is a thing by the way. "Oh, cool dog!" "Thanks, what are you doing here?" Is a conversation that we have a lot. Then we went to Shakujikoen Eki because it stopped raining at night. We think that we might have seen the same dog with a different walker. The dog just came and sat next to us and leaned its head on us one at a time.

Wednesday: we had district setting, but I forgot to take a picture. This was my first district meeting and I think that it was all rig. They will get better from here on. Then we went and visited everyone at the Eki. We saw adds for Baskin Robbins on Saturday. We had Eikaiwa and Shig, a fluent advanced class was making fun of the new tests format for the lower classes. I don't know why he was worried about it, he passed easily.

Thursday: Wow, long day. Weekly and Monthly planning. That took the whole afternoon. Then we went to Green hills again. Only one door opened for us and it was the genkiest old lady ever. She said that she was so lonely and she just goes from day to day, but she was always in her own. We talked for 20 minutes, but she said that she was just waiting out her time. But she was super happy and worried about us being in Japan alone and in the dark and cold. Really nice grandma.

Friday: we went to the Eki to dend身 in the morning. Not many people were there though. It was weird. Then we went to do studies. We went to Kiyose because it was raining the last time we wanted to go there. We saw more dogs. Then on our way home, we stoped at Baskin Robbins for 31% off. They gave us dry ice to get the ice cream home safe, so we put it in some juice. Again, Green hills is the danchi that we are working on for housing time.

Saturday: district leader training in Kichijoji. We started with breakfast at McDonald's, did training for a couple hours, really good, helped me wrap my head around what I needed to do. We had Ippudo in Kichijoji for lunch, a really good ramen place. Then we went home and did studies. We went out to dinner with Kurenuma to see how he has been doing. We had fancy Kaiten sushi with him. Then we taught Eiken and TOIEC. Long day.

Sunday: wow, Sunday is our busiest day. We had church, crazy testimony meeting, I will write about it next week, but then after church, we had a lesson with Kunii Ky身dai and Masato. Then we went far away and did service for an elder who just went home's grandma. We will have a shokuji with her tomorrow. Then we ate dinner and did a little bit of study.

Monday: we went to Costco today. I got a card and we won't have to buy eggs or pancakes for a long time. Or rolls. Here is what it looks like.

And guess what we did!
I have to go, but I will talk to you all next week after general conference. Love you,
穴奈白奴奈墿橾