Sunday, September 24, 2017

2017 09 24 Interesting Week




Sooooooo...
... this was an interesting week. We spent a lot of time housing and about the same amount of time he told be people that they had no interest as soon as we said our name, to say the least, we are very done with this week.

Monday (月 Getsu 曜日yobi):
The zone leaders came down and we played basketball with them and it was way fun. Then 伝道 (Dendo - tracting) was not very fun.


letters and candy I got from the YW back home(the package says YM but, I kinda doubt that)

Tuesday (火 Moku 曜日yobi):
Today’s district meeting was cool. We got to meet the district leader and he is pretty cool.

Wednesday (水 Sui 曜日yobi):
Today we had a lesson with Karisoko. He is pretty interesting and I'm not sure what exactly was taught in the lesson. After that, Eikaiwa (English conversation class) was fun.
we had a hard day, so Root Beer - prepare

Thursday (木 Moku 曜日yobi):
Today we had our weekly planning. While we were out to 伝道 (Dendo - tracting) in the evening we found a random drunk guy that we had a mini-lesson with.

we had a hard day, so Root Beer - chug

Friday (金 Kin 曜日yobi):
Today we had a lesson with Tamura, in which we played a game with him then shared a spiritual message. He’s a way cool kid.

we had a hard day, so Root Beer - recover

Saturday (土 do 曜日yobi):
ALL DAY 伝道 (Dendo - tracting). *sigh* We did talk to one cool person today. She has 15 dogs and was catholic, but is a different religion now. We just had a nice chat with her.

Sunday (日 nichi 曜日yobi):
A member got baptized today! We gave a blessing to a Filipino member, and we went with the Kumamoto sisters to teach one of their investigators. This week was pretty hard and we lost a ton of motivation during the week but, it's a new week, hopefully it'll be better.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

2017 09 17 Typhoon Day



CRAZY...
... It was a crazy week this week, only about 2/7 days we actually followed our plan for the day but it was way interesting.

Monday (月 Getsu 曜日yobi):
Today was a good Pday. After it ended we went over to a members house and had FHE and that was a ton of fun.

something that we made at FHE

Tuesday (火 Moku 曜日yobi):
Today we helped a member get rid of a ton of trash and then we got ready for our 大会 (tai kai - conference) tomorrow. We went and picked up everyone and brought them to the apartment.

Wednesday (水 Sui 曜日yobi):
Today we had a Zone 大会 (tai kai - conference) and it was way cool. The main thing I learned from it was about goal setting and that got me way pumped. Then we talked with an Eikaiwa (English conversation class) student a little bit about the gospel and then taught Eikaiwa (English conversation class).

Honbu (mission home) keeps on sending my mail to Elder Campbell

Thursday (木 Moku 曜日yobi):
So, the Sister missionaries had an odd experience at their apartment last night and they asked us to go and bless it. But before they would let us come in, they decided that it had to be cleaned and that took ALL morning! We did ended up NOT being able to go over there in the morning. After that we did our weekly planning meeting and THEN we went over and gave the 姉妹 (shimai - sister) blessings then went and did home teaching.


Shougi, Japanese chess

Friday (金 Kin 曜日yobi):
Today we had a lesson with Suwa and I didn't understand a ton of it but it was good. Then the Kumamoto Shimai (sisters) had a investigator that was going to come to the church and they asked us to join them. Unfortunately their investigator was a no-show so we helped out and fixed the Shimai's (sister’s) bikes.


Origami

Saturday (土 do 曜日yobi):
We waited at the church AGAIN to help with the Kumamoto Shimai's (sister’s) investigator but he was again a no-show. Soooo, we went to visit another one of their potential investigators but he also wasn't home. We ended the day eating dinner with the Nagamine Shimai's (sister’s) investigator and I got to try playing some Japanese drums, way fun!

Sunday (日 nichi 曜日yobi):

You may have seen an email about this, but the Typhoon showed up. I wasn't really too windy but it was super rainy. When we got the “all clear” from the mission home, we geared up and went out with a bunch of rain gear on. BUT, it cleared up annoyingly fast. Still, it was a good day. I wrapped up the day and I got a bit bored so, I made some origami.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

2017 09 12 Transfer update

Spencer has moved south down the island to Kumamoto. I looked around on the internet to see if anybody had posted an image of the mission boundaries but I didn't find any information. 

I sent this off to spencer so that he would have a little more information about Kumamoto...

HISTORY
Katō Kiyomasa, a contemporary of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was made daimyo (powerful Japanese feudal lords) of half of the (old) administrative region of Higo in 1588. After that, Kiyomasa built Kumamoto Castle. Due to its many innovative defensive designs, Kumamoto Castle was considered impregnable, and Kiyomasa enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest castle-builders in Japanese history. After Kiyomasa died in 1611, his son, Tadahiro, succeeded him, but Tadahiro was removed by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1632, replacing him with the Hosokawa clan.

Near the end of World War II, Kumamto experienced several air raids, and the greatest one on the night of June 30 to July 1, 1945. About one third of the city was burned, and more than 300 people died.

After the effects of the air raids, the Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii decided to construct a Peace Pagoda atop Mount Hanaoka in the city to commemorate all those lost in war, and to promote peace. Inaugurated in 1954, this pagoda held significance, as it would inspire Fujii and his followers to build over eighty more in many locations across the world including India, Sri Lanka, the United States and the United Kingdom.

A series of earthquakes struck the area beginning April 14, 2016, including a tremor with moment magnitude 7.1 early in the morning of April 16, 2016, local time.

LANDMARKS
The city's most famous landmark is Kumamoto Castle, a large and, in its day, extremely well fortified Japanese castle. The donjon (castle central keep) is a concrete reconstruction built in the 1970s, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle, which was assaulted during the Satsuma Rebellion and sacked and burned after a 53-day siege. It was during this time that the tradition of eating basashi (RAW HORSE MEAT?!?!?!) originated. Basashi remains popular in Kumamoto and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Japan, though these days it is usually considered a delicacy.

Miyamoto Musashi lived the last part of his life in Kumamoto. His tomb and the cave where he resided during his final years (known as Reigandō, or "spirit rock cave") is situated close by. He penned the famous Go Rin no Sho (The Book of Five Rings) whilst living here.

Kumamoto is also home to Suizen-ji Jōju-en, a formal garden neighboring Suizenji Temple approximately 3 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto Castle.

A notable shrine is Takahashi Inari Shrine.

Suizenji Park is also home to the Suizenji Municipal Stadium, where the city's football team, Roasso Kumamoto used to play regularly, but nowadays they use the larger KKWing Stadium in Higashi Ward.

The downtown area has a commercial district centred on two shopping arcades, the Shimotori and Kamitori, which extend for several city blocks. The main department stores are located here along with a vast number of smaller retailers, restaurants, and bars. Many local festivals are held in or near the arcades.

Cultural venues include the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art and Kumamoto Prefectural Theater.

Kumamoto has a prefectural mascot, "Kumamon". Kumamon is a black bear with red cheeks.

The Kumamoto Castle Marathon is a yearly event in Kumamoto City. It was established in commemoration of Kumamoto becoming a designated city in 2012. The 1997 World Men's Handball Championship was also played in town.

SCHOOLS
Kumamoto University 
Kumamoto Gakuen University 
Sojo University 
Prefectural University of Kumamoto

CHURCH INFO
There are 5 Wards, 3 Branches in the Kumamoto Japan Stake. They are...

Kumamoto Ward 
Nagamine Ward 
Oita Ward 
Shimizu Ward 
Tsuboi Ward 
Nobeoka Branch 
Ohmuta Branch 
Yatsushiro Branch

Sunday, September 10, 2017

2017 09 10 Nagamine, in Kumamoto not Miyazaki




WELL...
... Transfer are not fun. You literally have to fit your entire life for the past couple months, into 3 suitcases and a backpack, it is the worst.

Monday (月 Getsu 曜日yobi):
No report

Tuesday (火 Moku 曜日yobi):
Today was spent buying some stuff, teaching lessons and partying at the Aoki's house, fun day.

not sure how to explain
most of the branch at goodbye party

Wednesday (水 Sui 曜日yobi):
We spent today trying to fit everything into my suitcase then Re-packing when I realized I forgot some things. Then repeating until everything was done.

Sakiさん (san - “Mrs”)
Niina and her sister Saki

Thursday (木 Moku 曜日yobi):
It was a pretty sad day today. It’s sad to say goodbye to most of the Branch and some other people. After that I had a 3 hour bus ride to Kumamoto and that took forever. When I finally got there and found new comp and then went straight to the apartment and unpacked. BLAH! That always sucks. Elder Lyman is way cool. We have very similar personalities and it looks like this transfer is going to be way fun.

at the Eki (train station)
transfer buddy, Elder Miyano

Friday (金 Kin 曜日yobi):
Today we planned for the week and dendo (tracting).

I hate hate unpacking
KitKats vending machine
Saturday (土 do 曜日yobi):
Today we taught a lesson in the morning, then helped a member that just moved to a new place. We helped him to move in his washing machine then we went out to eat with him. While we were out he surprised us and bought us some new shirts! This guy is such a stud! Then in the evening we were going to help the Shimai (sister missionaries) clean their investigator's apartment but they canceled on us at the last minute. We took the opportunity and went to dendo (tracting) instead.

cool light bulbs
the stud member

member here
gift from Haruna

Sunday (日 nichi 曜日yobi):
Today was a good day. I gave a little intro in church and that was cool. One of my investigators for Sendai was here today! Sister Haruna was here to visit and that was cool to see her. In the evening we went back to help the sisters and cleaned their investigator's apartment. It was pretty nasty but looks a TON better now.

Elder Lyman
Elder Lyman

Monday, September 4, 2017

2017 09 04 Transfer week




WELL...
... it is now the last Pday of the transfer, which makes me kinda of sad. It's been a way fun transfer and has felt like no time. Sadly, we haven't gotten our transfer calls yet so, we can only guess what is going to happen.

Monday (月 Getsu 曜日yobi):
Today we had a RA (Return Appointments) scheduled with Miki, but when we got there she wasn't home. That evening we went to Taniyama for 巡回 (junkai - patrol / splits).



the District

Tuesday (火 Moku 曜日yobi):
I was 巡回 (junkai - patrol / splits) with Elder Larson and this kid is a GIANT and it was pretty interesting. After District meeting we had a district birthday party because most everyone's birthday was this transfer and we did a little gift exchange and I literally got a white elephant for my white elephant gift exchange. It took me a little bit to get the joke, but I got it… literally.

Wednesday (水 Sui 曜日yobi):
Today we had a lesson early in the morning with Kamimasuさん (san - “Mr” / “Mrs”), then we had a lesson with ジジたけ (Jijitake - a person’s name) in the afternoon then that evening we ate dinner with Take (pronounced Tah-Kay) because he is leave for New Zealand, it was a pretty interesting day, a ton of fun.

my white elephant
it came with red markers and I had a bit of fun with that

Thursday (木 Moku 曜日yobi):
Today we had our weekly planning and then I went to a 模擬 (mogi - mock/practice) lesson with Miyabi and... I passed off my LAST lesson Mastery to him! That was pretty exciting.

Friday (金 Kin 曜日yobi):
So, we normally do kid's Eikaiwa (English conversation class) in a kinda far place and normally take a train but, today we decided to bike there instead. The plan was that we could 伝道 (Dendo - tracting) there better if we had our bikes. Well, it took forever to get there and then after we had Eikaiwa (English conversation class) we visited some of the sick students that couldn't make it to class that day. Then we ended planning with them for a little bit and ended not having a ton of time for 伝道 (Dendo - tracting).
Saturday (土 do 曜日yobi):
Today we  basically 伝道 (Dendo - tracting) all day and ended the day having talked to 60 people! AND we also were able to have a lesson on the spot with someone. Just for reference,  the normal high our daily contacts is for us is to talk to about 30 people and THAT’S pretty high.

we found a ton of Pokéballs and had some fun with pictures

Sunday (日 nichi 曜日yobi):
Today a daughter of a Less active member came to church. Her name is Niina, she’s a 16 year old in high school student. She had been taking the missionary lessons in Kagoshima and has a great desire to get baptized. Since she lives here and will be going to the church in 川内 (Kawauchi) we are going to be teaching her. I am way excited to start teaching her because she is way prepared to accept the gospel. After that we talked with Haruna for a little bit then went over to the Aoki's house to teach Madoka姉妹 (shimai - sister) and break our fast over there. After that we went out and 伝道 (Dendo - tracting) a little bit but didn't see a ton of people.

Monday (月 Getsu 曜日yobi):
Oh awkward Monday... not Pday Monday, yep it was interesting. So, it started to rain so we didn't use our bikes. We went to go visit Miki and she dropped us because she doesn't have enough time to be able to meet with us. After that we walked near our area and got distracted by some tadpoles so, we took a little break trying to catch them, it was great fun. When we got back to the apartment we called Niina. Since the legal age is 20 in Japan she needs permission to get permission to be baptized and take the lessons. We were calling just to double check that she had permission and her mom said it was all good. Then w got some 伝道 (Dendo - tracting)

in that evening. It's been a way fun week and a way good transfer. We aren't sure about transfers because we haven't gotten a call, but since I've been here the longest I have the highest chance of transferring but, we have no idea IF or WHERE to...