Mission Adventure Letters 9

Hi everyone, I hope that you liked the pictures! I had time to pull the 100+ pictures from my camera to give to the zone, so it is just a sampling. If you want to see more, you will have to write me and ask for it! (Scheme achieved!)

This week was really busy and it ended with General Conference, which was amazing! You know, usually when I write these, I use my planner to help me, but I forgot it at home.... sorry. I will try to think.

This week: 

Monday: Lesson with Miracle and the newly moved in new member. Went well. The Miracle Girl lives in Hachijoji though, so we will pass her off to the sisters if we can. 

She will go to Institute this week. (Me writing it as this Monday, she really liked Institute and will go again next week!)

Tuesday: I don’t know what happened on this day. I tried writing about it and it turned into Thursday and Friday combined. 

Wednesday: Zone Conference: Learned about Buddhism, Shinto and Confucianism, which really helped us on Thursday with the Police Man! We learned about using pamphlets better when teaching, how to teach those without a Christian Background, and how to start conversations more effectively with a bonus of a TED talk on rejection. That is the 1st YouTube that I have seen in a really long time! Then we did Eikaiwa and I gave the spiritual message on finding Spiritual truth. Everyone liked it even though it was not the video that I had wanted to share, we went with it and taught some new people. 

Thursday: taught the Police Man, went to Fussa/Yokota district meeting, they gave us Easter Candy! Did some weekly planning, and made lots of plans and lesson outlines.

Friday: Splits: Taught The Animator, visited Mai at Nio 仁王 (The Ramen place), and taught the other elder’s less active friend. He needs a lot of support and he calls them maybe 6 times a day. He even seems to know when they are at the church and then he uses the church phone to talk to them. We have no idea how he knows that they are there. 

Saturday: Study in the morning, then straight to open up the church for General Conference! Highlights from Saturday include: Brian K. Taylor: “Am I Really a Child of God?” (YES, you are!), Elder Neil A Anderson: the role of a prophet, Elder David A Bednar: Meekness (that was an amazing talk (Saturday afternoon, 1st talk)), Sister Bonnie L Oscarson: I love how she gives talks. , Elder Dale G Renlund: two brothers and how they were brought together, Elder D Todd Christofferson:  again, the way that he gives talks is amazing and the talk was very good. . Afterwards we ended with me making a traditional milkshake and doing language study. (I miss DQ)

Sunday: Again, early start with DCS, then General Confernce, this time in Japanese. Highlights include: Sister Reyna I Aburto: we need to be united to serve., President Dallin H Oaks: Christ gives us a “lively hope”., President Russell M Nelson: we need to listen to the Holy Ghost to be united., Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf: What day most changed the course of History?., Sister Jean B Bingham: I love how she talks too and that Ministering is not just a one time deal., Bishop Gerald Causese: This is not a Sunday Church., President Russell M Nelson: our message is for all of God’s Children on both sides of the veil; and a temple in Russia and India! 

After confernce, we went to a members house and had Family home evening with them and we got to play Catan, which I have not lost that skill, so Mom and Dad should be ready for when I get back! 

Ok, I hope that you all enjoyed a review of Conference and my scattered thoughts about the week! It was hot, then cold, and now it is hot again, but Japan is beautiful and doing great! 

I hope that you all have a safe week and have fun at school and work! 

バイーバイー

マーフィー長老

Mission Adventure Letters 8

Hi Everyone! How were your weeks? Mine was BUSY! I hope the weekly email is a good end to your Sunday and Easter.

Monday: 

After our Hanami in the park, we met up with a new member/recent convert who has been helping us out a ton and did a mogi of what to do when at work, everyone asks you to go drinking with them. He really appreciated it because he starts work next week. Then we went to McDonalds for dinner for the first time in forever. We saw the other Elders investigator and he was really surprised and came and ate with us too. 

Tuesday: 

Crazy day. We accidentally planned 2 lessons at the same time, with the Animator and with the Policeman, but luckily, our doseki’s were able to come early and we did splits so I biked up north to teach the Animator. It was a really good lesson and we just followed up on Jesus Christ. She is getting more comfortable with us and being more open in her comments and questions. Way good lesson. Then Elder Jödicke gets dropped off in a car to where we met up, and he doesn’t have a bike, so we had to walk home for 45 minutes. Actually, I just sat on my bike all of the way home, so it was nice for me. Then we did Companion study with the APs and that was good to see Elder Poff and Elder Morris. Then we did a huge planning session to try and get ready for what we had in the week. It kind of worked. We set up Eikaiwa, did lesson reports, planned more lessons, and contacted PI’s and members to set up events. I also painted Easter Eggs the wrong way, but the member that I gave them to really liked them anyways. 

Wednesday: 

Fussa District meeting first thing in the morning, good train ride. Then we went to the far side of our area and meet a members husband, the Writer, who is not a member and he taught us calligraphy and we had a hanami. It was way nice and he is really cool. His wife is a calligraphy master and she even has a different name because of that. Then we had a lesson with an Eikaiwa student who would like to be baptized, but is waiting for her husband to give her permission. Eikaiwa was great, and we played Mango, Mango, Mango, which I will teach you when I see you. 

Thursday: 

MLC in Kichijoji for all day...  yeah. It was good, just long. When we finally got home we ate dinner and did all of the contacting and planning that we didn’t get to do on Tuesday, or at least most of it... long day. We got in contact with a new person who called the church and wants to meet with the missionaries #Miracle.

Friday:

Met with the Miracle girl who already seems to know all of the lessons. Wow. That has never happened before! It was a way good lesson with the new member (Computer Whiz). Afterwards, Brother Computer Whiz fixed the church printer in about 3 minutes and then we went to our next lesson, which was the German Girl, who is learning German from Elder Jödicke. It also went really well, we taught about Easter and she opened up about wanting to know more about what happens after we die. Then we went and Elder Jödicke taught some members the violin while Brother Computer Whiz and I messed around with an Electric Base Guitar. We also spent 20 minutes looking for some picks that never showed up. Then we assembled the dendō team and did a good kubari followed by tasty curry and cake and then a surprise lesson with the Pilot! Our specialty now is having 5 dosekis at all of the lessons and using 30 inch TVs as our iPads. Way more effective. Everyone can see. Then we raced home after a good lesson.

Saturday: 

Kunitachi District Meeting was good, we got some good district goals going, then we went and ate lunch before fasting with the Writer, his wife the Shodo master, and our best member friend. They tested us to see how much we could eat, so even though it was a cafe, we ate a ton. Then we took a bus that they showed us to Fuchu and did District meeting there too. We gave a training on Follow up. Then we got home, did language study and contacting and then Game Night, where a lot of people who don’t usually come came and we had a great time! 

Sunday: Easter and Fast and Testimony meeting. Was good, Miracle Girl, Animator and Eikaiwa Student came to church and had a good experience, then after church we taught 2 lessons again on member splits (I wonder if the Elders at home do that?). They both went well, but then we had a 2+ hour DCS with our new Dendō Shunin, and the bishop and the 2nd counselor in the Stake Presidency. It was great, but we were all hungry. So we went home and wanted tempura, but when we finished making it, our favorite member called and said that she wanted to feed us at her shop, and we said that we had made tempura, but she said give me your order and bring the tempura with you, so we ate too much. It was really tasty though. Then we did a 3rd planning session, so hopefully this week will go well for our investigators! 

Long letter, wow, that is huge, I hope you all read it all of the way through. It is already April. Time is flying and we are super busy and I already feel like the summer is coming. 

I hope that everyone enjoyed conference, we can’t wait until next week for it to be translated. 

Have a great week! 

BYE

Elder Murphy

Mission Adventure Letters 7

Yes a very nice week, the second of the transfer, and it went good. 

Monday: We ended up going to FHE with a member who just moved into the ward and it was the smallest one that I have ever seen. Maybe 20 people were there. The record is 100. It was good though. It talked about how even though everyone in the world is different, we are all children of God and He loves us so much. 

Tuesday: We did Violin, Bassoon, and Clarinet practice, but they changed the sheet music on Elder Jödicke, so that was hard. Then we went to the Old Folks home and had a good talk with everyone! At the end of the day, our appointment fell through and we made cheesecake for the Animator, and then went to SPM in Kichijoji. Is rained.

Wednesday: our lesson with the Animator fell through because she was there from  3pm Tuesday to about 8am Wednesday working on a piece.  大変！So we contacted everyone, then went to Indo Curry with some members and Eikaiwa Students. Elder Shepherd tried to eat 10 naan, which he has done before, but this restraunt’s naan was twice the size as normal so he only ate 6. Gross. Then we Skyped into Fussa District meeting, which I would not recommend, we just sat at the screen for an hour and a half. Then we prepped Eikawa and did Eikaiwa! 

Thursday: we had Giant Karaage, (Fried Chicken) and almost exploded it was so much food. Then we did district meeting for us, and started weekly planning. In the evening, we celebrated a members birthday and then visited another for her birthday as well! It was fun, and we went all across the area to do it. 

Friday: Splits with Elder Shepherd. We started by teaching Seminary! Too early for the students, they didn’t do much. 

We did studies, which were really good, and we did some lesson planning.

Then we went to visit a member who  wasn’t home and we went from Yaho, almost Nishi-Fuchu to Tachikawa eki on bike in 17 minutes, new record. (I taught him a new road to use) Then we had a kubarikai and it was with 5 members, because they are all so awesome! Then we had a miracle lesson with someone who wants to be baptized, so he will be baptized soon! After dinner, we visited a less active who is way interesting in too many ways. 

Saturday: Today is really easy to summarize: 

Music Hour (Went well 95 people, 20 non members)

Lesson on German (Ich es gut) 

Sunday: Also easy to summarize (I am short on time) 

Church 

10 minute lesson with the Animator

Ward Council

Study 

Lesson with the Pilot 

Way good

I have to run, but I will catch you next week! 

ELDER MURPHY 

Mission Adventure Letters 6

And Welcome Back to another Adventure from Elder Murphy where in this episode we will review last week, look ahead to next week, and think about something deep/not deep. 

LAST WEEK:

Tuesday: Cleaning, after contacting, followed by studies, and biking to visit and house around a member that turned out to not be home. Cleaning highlights, so that you all can know that I can clean, are the Stove, the wall behind the stove, and the fridge. They all look brand-new now! 

Wednesday: Lesson with the Animator with Ebato Kyōdai followed by lunch and a nice long talk with another older member, he is really funny. That took a lot longer than we planned, but then when we got back to the church to set up for Eikaiwa, there was a member from the Philippines waiting outside using the Wi-fi, so we gave him some food and let him in and he did companionship study with us! Cool guy!. For Eikaiwa, we had a Transfer Party instead of the game to say goodbye to Elder De Andrade. BYE!

Thursday: The actual time to say Bye to Elder De Andrade. We then went and did a trio lesson with the Police Man and superstar member, which was a great lesson, but it went over so Elder Howard was waiting for a long time at the Eki. Then we went to follow up with an interesting referral, a man who stands with a “REPENT” sign at the eki with a loudspeaker. He was way nice! Then we did weekly planning and our studies after going back to the Eki for a break from planning.... 

Friday: District Meetings in Fuchu and Kunitachi, and a surprise appearance of a less active that we didn’t know existed. That was cool, at night we started a visit every member spree and got to 3 houses. We can speed up I think. 

Saturday: We did an interesting service for Kunitachi City, we basically just clapped for 2 hours while people generated electricity with a bike. Then we had lunch and did Music Night Practice, which we were there to just move things around. Then we ran to Fussa. At night we did Game Night!

Sunday: Ward Council, new bishop, no dendo shunin, and a doseki lesson with 5 members present. Then did stats, study, continued member visit blitz. 

I have to leave, and go to Kichijoji for FHE, but please read this! 

Ensign 2018 March, 1st presidency message: 

If you ever wonder whether Heavenly Father will truly speak to you, I would remind you of the simple yet profound words that our Primary children sing: “[You are] a child of God, and he has sent [you] here.” His purpose is to help you return “to live with him someday.”

If you approach Heavenly Father as His child, you can ask Him with a sincere heart, “Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do.” He will speak to you through His Holy Spirit, and it is then up to you “to do his will.” I promise that if you do, “rich blessings are in store.”

The Lord’s guidance is needed today as much as it ever has been in the world’s history. As we prepare to hear the word of the Lord, may we diligently seek the Spirit of truth so that when the Lord speaks through His servants, we can understand, become edified, and rejoice together.

I testify that “by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against [us]; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before [us], and cause the heavens to shake for [our] good, and his name’s glory.”

です。

I love you, bye,

Elder Murphy!

Mission Adventure Letters 5

Hi Everyone!

This week’s Nutshell! 

- Splits with the APs, I went with Elder Morris. We were busy and did all of our dendō within a block #Kichijoji #officesplits. 

- We went to Polynesian Night! It was way better than last year. 

- Transfers: We are both staying in Kunitachi! Elder De Andrade is leaving to Tokorozawa. Elder Howard, an elder who was my doki, but went home in the MTC and came back a year later. 

- We had a great Sunday!  

Next Week! 

- Service Project for the City, we get to ride bikes. 

I think that is it, but we will have fun cleaning and finding some new friends! 

BYE!

Elder Murphy 

Mission Adventure Letters 4

Hello Everyone!
How was your week?
Mine was good, and it was busy, but this up coming week is going to be even crazier!

The week in Review:
- Tuesday: Splits with De Andrade Chōrō. We went to Fussa District meeting, and taught the Policeman and gave a brief Church tour. It went pretty well! Then when we had ended splits, we went to SPM (Stake Priesthood Meeting) which is basically a meeting that correlates the Stake and the Mission. It was at 8pm in Kichijoji, so it was a good night adventure.

- Wednesday: Weekly planning (From last week...) oops. And we set up Eikaiwa and went to visit a referral from Taiwan ( The Animator). She was home! And then we had Eikaiwa and a lesson with the Helicopter Pilot. That was great! Oh, we also had interviews with the President in the afternoon. We were last and it was delayed, but we still ended up sticking to our schedule, so that was a miracle and then met a man from somewhere in Southeast Asia on the way home. He was nice.

- Thursday: MLC and contacting. Had a good training on communication, will use again. We had a lot of good talks as the Mission and got to get ready for next Zone conference.

- Friday: Lesson with The Animator, went really well, we went with the Ward Mission leader and he dosekied for us. Then we went out to kaiten sushi, ate a lot of ebi tempura sushi. We were able to have a good meeting with him to discuss the wards needs and then he came to district meeting. To finish the day of we had a member kubarikai at Tachikawa. It turns out that the people in Tachikawa are really hard to get attention from. Will try again. By the way, i gave the communication training from MLC the day after it was first given.

Saturday: Weird day: Lesson with the Animator, went well, picked up snacks for Game Night, went home, ate lunch, went to Fuchu for district meeting, ended staying an extra hour, came home did language study and did Game Night. It was fun. It just went by so fast and does not seem like 3 days ago.

Sunday: Great Sunday! it was a Fast Sunday, and lots of random people came. There was a group of Idahoans that came with a guy that served here 30 years ago, a random lady from Taiwan showed up and stayed for all of church. Lots of new people and lots of confusion, but the good kind. Then we helped the Young Men and Young Women get ready for Music Night. We will probably end up singing the As Sisters in Zion/ Army of Helaman medley. Then we did this last weeks weekly planning.

Today: We went to a game store with a member to help them buy a board game that they really wanted to play. We ate tonkatsu and milkshakes with him. He is nice. Then we went to get Elder Jödicke’s hair cut. And then it was raining so we stalled in a mall. Now we will bike to meet with more members for dinner north of Tachikawa.

This week:
- Splits with the APs (Assistants to the Mission President)
- Splits with Elder Shepard (District leader)
- Polynesian Night
- probably some other things that I forgot.

I hope that you all have a stupendous week!
Ganbatte!
Elder Murphy