Fall is fully here

Hi everyone! It’s me and we had another surprise Typhoon last night! It was super fun! But more about that later, here is what happened this week:

Tuesday: We studied in the morning and went to this place called Kanazawa Hakkei and Kanazawa Bunko. They are 2 ekis in the very south of our area that are supposed to have a lot of college students, but they did not have very many people on a Tuesday. We tried to go to an island park, Nojima Park, but there was no one there. It was really nice though. Everything down there on the coast reminded me of Corpus Christi and Galveston. It had the same 雰囲気 too. Sorry, this is one of the words that I will have to relearn in English. In order to get there, we biked for an hour, so then we biked back. One of the best things to happen to me there was tortellini. I found some tortellini for 3 dollars, so of course I biked it back with me. Now I need to get a Seiyu to get Classico. At night, we went to Kamiooka Eki to street and house. We met some nice people housing who were more than happy to tell us that everyone around here is old and not interested, even though they were maybe 40-50. They were really nice though.

Wednesday: Eikaiwa! After sitting for most of the day in Zone Conference, which was really good, we had Eikaiwa and had a good Gospel discussion with 4 people staying and a really good game of Mango, Mango, Mango. At zone Conference we learned about the new Christmas initiative, which will be light the World again. We are all really excited to do it this year, especially because we got to do it last year too. One goal that we have is to help church members realize that it is more than just a Christmas Day, it is a Christmas season of service and love. If you have any ideas on how to do that, those are very welcome.

Thursday: Monthly Planning. We have Line! We have been waiting to get Line, so everyone is happy to be able to contact new people on the streets and members and investigators. We will be able to get a lot more contact information now from people that are interested, but never check their email.
At night, we visited a family to pray to help the dendō in their area, and to hear the advice that they had to give us about Kamiooka. We got lost on the way there, so by the time we had gotten there, talked with them, and left, it was time to go home.

Friday: We thought that we were going to have an apartment check as of yesterday, but it got canceled in the morning. Instead, we just got some chairs, a cutting board and a new pan from the Yokosuka Military Couple, the Nelsons. Then immediately after they left, we had to get to district meeting, which was really good. I gave a training on how to teach who Jesus Christ is. Then we went home, studied, had some rest, and went to Gumyoji to the police station to check if we could kubari. As I had expected, it is a no with out paperwork, so we are filling that out right now. Then we streeted in Kamiooka and got some fabric for a tie making event on Saturday. After dinner, we went back to Kamiooka for a lesson with our College Student and the American Intern as a doseki. It was a really good lesson and he will be reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it hopefully. We will follow up at the Halloween party next week.

Saturday: Studies, and then a tie making event. No one came. We decided to write our reports and leave to go and street in Gumyoji. Gumyoji reminded me of the Professor Layton game: The Diabolical Box. I like that game. It started to storm at night and Elder Casper needed to rest, so we returned and contacted.

Sunday: Today was really good. It was a 5th Sunday and the lesson was on Family History, which they are focusing on because the temple is closed. The members in Japan are being challenged to store up family members to take to the temple when they are able to in Sapporo or Fukuoka, or for some people, in 2020. We were also able to introduce the mission goal for the wards to everyone. It is code named “White Christmas” because we want to see every ward baptize one person by Christmas with one addition baptismal date and to repeat that by February 1st. The dates don’t really matter, the planning and coordination between wards and missionaries is what is needed for the mission to grow. Then we had a shokujikai, or potluck lunch. It was really good, I met some really cool members, like one who is going into video game design and another who is so good at English. He served in Hawaii and if I hadn’t met his wife and kids, I would have said that he was maybe 21ish. Then we did stats, went home because Elder Casper was super wiped out from church, and did our studies. The Typhoon kind of started, but we still went out to visit a Peruvian man with the Atsugi Elders on the phone for better Spanish. My Spanish is so bad... we need Gavin here in Japan. But, new investigator! We met the PI’s wife and she will be going to church on Sunday! We walked to that house through, the typhoon, so as Elder Poff, the zone leader would say, #Obedienceistheprice. That is the new zone theme. When we are obedient, no matter the cost, we will receive blessings.

Monday: P-day. We will not be doing much this week. We have to stay home, so we went to Gyomu’s and I made a cake in the microwave. I might make a sculpture or make a tie too. It is beautiful weather again, just like last week, so maybe if we have a storm every Sunday, I will be okay with that. Tonight we will street and house up north in Yoshinocho and then switch to Gumyoji to catch the late commuters.

I hope that you all have a good week at home, we will be trying to have one this week. Things that I am looking forward to is the Ward Halloween party on Saturday, which the ward is depending on the missionaries a lot because they don’t quite know what it is. I have found out that a Japanese Halloween tradition is a Piñata, which I associate with a Fiesta or Birthday party. I look forward to seeing what all of little kids dress up as. 

I love you all, またね！皆さんが素晴らしい方々ですね、ジーキー頑張れ、私は帰る時に日本語を話すように友人が必要ですね！
マーフィー長老

Please just spell it Kamiooka

Hello Everyone! Sorry about last weeks short picture email.

So yeah, I have transferred to Kamiooka in Yokohama. It is not far from the Wharves or from the center of Yokohama. It is a lot bigger area than Hibarigaoka or Machida, with lots of hills and smaller subway stations and ekis. My companion is Elder Casper from Morgan, Utah. The other elders in the apartment are Elders Poff and Hattanda. Elder Poff and Elder Casper went into the MTC at the same time as me. Elder Hattanda is a couple of months older than us.

But anyways, here are some things that I wanted to put in my email last week:
•I had 3 punctures in my back tire in 2 days (Always the back...)
•We went out with the Lowes to find some less actives and we found one! (So out of the 7 we were given, 3 have been face-to-face contacted)
•We had Sriracha Popcorn and watched a movie about the history of dendō in Japan and temple construction.

But anyways, here is this week:
•Monday: My last lesson with the High Schooler. He is super smart and we made him tacos. I will have to keep in contact with him on Facebook to see when he will head to America and Canada.
•Tuesday: We packed and cleaned, it was a lot easier this time, so i guess 3rd times the charm? I have only transferred 3 times, so Kamiooka is my 4th area. I could die here though. But I have lots of time left, so I am not to worried. Then we were going to street, but the door kept getting knocked on and by the time that it was time to go, it was time to do studies. We had to be at the church for a shokuji of Sukiyaki with the rest of the district, except the Zone Leaders, and that was hilarious. The sister who put it on had to run and grab some eggs, but while she was gone, we learned how to make Sukiyaki from the Electrician, who we just randomly asked if he knew how to make it. He surprisingly did and it was really good. We invited him to dinner, but he didn’t stay.
•Wednesday: We had to clean some of the kitchen a bit more and then we had a English lesson with the Preacher and his student! They are always really interesting to talk to and to be around. We made them milkshakes and we had a good time. Then we went home and did our studies, went and got ready for Eikaiwa a little bit early and contacted. It was a good last Eikaiwa and we were able to talk to one man who had come to church on Sunday and invited him to take the lessons and to come to church again. He said yes! I won’t be there, but maybe he will be happier.
•Thursday: Train time. My transfer was pretty easy, I just had to take a train from Tamagawagakuen-Mae to Shonandai (Fujisawa), and from there a train to Gumyoji, in Yokohama. Way nice, not crowded, the car was air conditioned, I packed smarter so that I didn’t have to carry a bunch of stuff. Then when I got here, we ate some lunch and went to the church to plan. We have lots of work to do, so we are excited to get going. Then afterwards we went out for ramen as a District. We decided to go and visit a member who is in Japan on an internship and to share a quick message with him. He was super cool and he served in Nagoya when Elder Yamashita was the Mission President there. (He served in Nanao and a bunch of other crazy places). We ended up talking about his mission a lot and then we housed around his apartment and streeted home to go and contact.
•Friday: Today was crazy, I got called into Kichijoji to go to a District Leader training meeting, so we left in the morning and got back at night. We took some good trains through the mission and all over the place, so that was fun. Lots of standing. It was a good training, but kind of like the last one. Then we ended up doing our studies and contacting some more while elder Casper rested, (He is a little sick right now, so pray for him).
•Saturday: We rested in the morning while i contacted and watched the rain, then we did studies after everyone was good to go and then we headed to Kamiooka eki, we made it there, had to turn around, but then we saw a high councilor from machida, but I didn’t know him. It was really cool, he called out to us from his work, but because neither of us recognized him, we started to dendō him. It was a good chance. Then we went home, i made dinner and we went to the church for game night. We played around the world ping-pong and another hard version of ping-pong. It was really cool. Also, Elder Casper almost beat Miyagawa Shimai,  one of the sister missionaries at Shogi, so that was impressive. Then we wrote our reports and got home before the storm really started.
•Sunday: First day of Church in Kamiooka. Started with a good DCS with the ward mission leader having gotten back not to long ago from Sendai as a missionary. He is super nice. We will get to help the ward with a halloween party in a couple of weeks with a game/activity. If you have any ideas, please share them. Then we did Sacrament meeting, we taught about keeping the Sabbath day holy in Sunday school, then we met the Elders quorum, which is really tiny, but super funny. Then we talked to some people, including an older brother who told me a lot of funny jokes in English. We went home after sending stats and ate lunch and then started to house in the rain, we had to turn back, so we went home, I made dinner and we did our studies and contacted. The typhoon went right over us in the night, but no one woke up.
•Monday: P-day 1: Chinatown. I did not think that I would ever return to the Chinatown in Yamate. The last time I went there it was with Elders Spackman, Millard, and Molen in December. Wow, flashbacks! It was fun, we had some good chinese food after being invited into every restraunt. We say at least 3 panda themed shops, lots of classic gates, and lots of funny clothing. I really love how Chinatowns smell in Asia. It is what I think of when people ask me, “What does Asia smell like?”. Then we are writing emails and are about to go home and street in Gumyoji.

I love you all and a good conference reference for you this week is from President Boyd K. Packer titled “The Witness”. It is one of my favorite talks. I try and bear my testimony as powerfully as President Packer, but he takes the cake every time.
Have a great week of school and I hope that you are ready for Halloween next week, bye-bye, あいしています！
マーフィー長老

 

Last week here, then a new place

I know everyone enjoyed the planner pictures Connor sent but here is some info from letters to family that you may all enjoy as well.


We didn’t get to meet with everyone that we wanted to this week, but it was still really good. We met with the Family and the High School student. The kids had been fighting, so we changed our lesson to help them not to fight. The High School student is great, he just needs to pray a bit more and to apply what he is learning. He is progressing now. We had an Eikaiwa student come to Church yesterday so we had a lesson with him.

So I am transferring to Kamiooka, so i am jumpy, but Elder Casper, my next companion is really nice. There are no members that live close to our apartment here, but we will see about in Kamiooka, Minami, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. I will miss the Pontes Family from Brazil. We had a message for them yesterday so we went to their house and they are just the nicest people I have met here. His testimony is so strong and pure and he is one of the strongest members that i have ever met. The stake patriarch here was baptized by Brother Welch’s dad and Asada Kyōdai.

Conference Week

I have run out of time this week, but here is a quick run down.
-Tuesday: District Meeting, Kubarikai, Studies, and Housing in Narusedai. We met a man who we introduced ourselves, said that we said that we had a video to share with him, and he said hai, wakarimashita, which usually means that they are coming to the door, but he just hung up instead. It was really funny, we were convinced that he was coming to the door, so we waited for a couple of minutes, but he never came. Good time to wait, the next person said that we could come back.
-Wednesday: We went to help with an English class at the Love the Lord Jesus Church down the street, and there was one student and the teacher. It was really interesting, then we did studies and did our Eikaiwa.
-Thursday: We studied, did Weekly Planning and went to teach the family in Ikuta. They were doing good and have been praying and reading. At dinner with the college students, i found some new samurai words. Samurai-go is really interesting.
-Friday was weird. We had a lesson with a high school student with Abe Chōrō and Salamanopoulos Chōrō and then played basketball with them. Then we did studies and made some stuff for sports night and a baking class. Then we had sports night and had a lesson after sports night with the college student.
-Saturday and sunday were basically the same. We did studies and then watched Conference. We had steak for dinner on Saturday with an investigator it was only 10 dollars and SO good!
My favorite talk from conference was Elder Andersen’s, the last one of Conference. I want to challenge you all to read it and find something to apply from it in your life for the next little bit. I will be reading the Book of Mormon more seriously.


I love you all, have a good week!
マーフィー長老

Houston, there is no longer a problem

Inbox... Online
Outbox... Online
Engines... Online
Receiver... Online
Thrusters... Online
3... 2... 1... October skies are here!

My email is back! Yay!

This was a super busy week and We are both thoroughly exhausted.... but GENKI!

Monday Evening: We went to the north part of Tsurukawa past the danchi blocks, and we saw a huge lighting storm over Tokyo. We turned around and went back to the eki for dendō at that point. It was really nice, we streeted home and had a good evening.

Tuesday: We had district meeting and we went early to maybe have a lesson with a boy that will be passed off to us this week, but he didn’t come, so we mogied with the zone leaders. District meeting was good, then we went to have a kubarikai in Machida Eki. It went really well. I met a Chinese lady and a guy that was half Swedish, half Somalian. Kubari is always super fun. Then we went to the church to get my iPad fixed by the wonderful Elder Lewis. I have no idea how he did that, he had me remake the account, turn off internet connection, turn on airplane mode, and then it was back. MAGIC! At night, we met this kid who we starting talking to said that he was reading a book called 神様の望み, or God’s Wish. It was a good conversation, so we gave him a Book of Mormon.

Wednesday: Today we went to Minami Machida and saw a freeway and lots of imported cars. The whole eki was just car dealerships and construction. No one stopped for us, but it was a good learning experience. Lots of good housing and a nice park. Then we went to Eikaiwa and gave out a Book of Mormon after watching the Mormon Message: “A Book of Mormon Story”. You should watch it.

Thursday: We got ready for teaching The Family, went to the Eki and caught a train for Kichijoji. We had Facebook Training today. We were there for the afternoon and had Okinawaan Taco Rice for lunch and then had Tayaki. We went home after companion study and streeted in the rain in Ikuta before teaching The Family. Then we had dinner with College Students and went home for Language Study.

Friday: Monthly Planning, had a good afternoon doing that. At night we went to a family  for dinner, and talked to their teenagers about dendō. Then we rushed to the church for a lesson with our College Student and it went really well. He has been really thinking about everything. Hopefully he will come to church soon.

Saturday: We visited all of our less actives at once with Elder Lowe and it went really well. We found all of their addresses and left them all letters. Then we started fasting and the blessings came pouring down from heaven. I talked to an investigator that I taught a year ago and he was always really sad and depressed and couldn’t sleep, but now he is happy and has a job. I am so happy for him. A family that I found on splits with Salamanopoulos Chōrō knows the only other Sri Lankan that we know, a member in Tokorozawa, and is kind of interested now. Our 3rd year high schooler is ready to receive an answer to his prayer. Really good day.

Sunday: DCS, Fast Sunday, Gospel Doctrines class about the Salt Lake Temple, being with the Young Men, meeting and teaching a new investigator that has a baptismal date, stats, going to Tsurukawa to street, teaching lessons to Freshman, and doing 12 weeks.

Monday: Zone Pday, we had a “service” in the morning where we went to a Pentecostal Church and had a conversation about the Second Coming and the last verse of Moroni. Interesting morning. Then we came to play volleyball and maybe drink smoothies for Salamanopoulos Chōrō’s birthday. Tonight we have a dinner with the Lieutenant. That will start a nice busy week of lessons and activities.


Love you all, see you later!

Test - (2nd week of ipad issues)

Hi Everyone! i am using a different way of emailing you this week, but i just wanted to keep it short, i am low on time...

Thank you all for saying that you could see the test email, sorry, i couldn't see the responses, but thanks anyways! We are still working hard here in Machida and have had a great week. We taught two Families this week. One was with Elder Bird and one with Elder Salamanopolous. They both went very well and I hope that they take the steps that they can to come closer together as a family. We are going to be working a lot as a ward to help strengthen everyone until we can see a baptism in the 2nd Ward, it has been a while, over a year, but i have faith that someone in our area is ready to know God. I have heard a lot of amazing things that happened with Harvey. Don't forget to record the miracles that you saw and i know that you saw them. Someone is watching out for all of you.
Some shout outs,
-Gavin, congratulations on the biggest area in your mission. the biggest one in Tokyo South is an entire Prefecture, Yamanashi.
-Jicky, are you still planning on taking the JPLT? If so, there is a great app, it is called Japanese and i am using that and its JPLT tools to study right now.
-Benson, congratulations on a call to California, my companion is from there.
-Elder Greer, nice tiger picture.
I love you all, have a great week!

まーふぃーちょうろう