Elder Spencer D. Brinkerhoff

Sunday, June 17, 2018

2018 Jun 17 - Something or Other

Fun week, full of lots of Junkais. Monday, the Sendai Elders came down and we went bowling and then went on exchanges. I went with Elder Miyano and it was a blast. Tuesday, best district meeting I’ve done so, the sisters are still tired so, we watched the Testaments, great district meeting. Then we went to do exchanges in Kagoshima shinai. Wednesday, I went with Elder Nukaya, he is one of the ZLs and had a blast, he is way funny. Then came back and taught Eikaiwa. Thursday, weekly planning and then we went to visit a LA but, he couldn’t met so we 伝道 near by, we were able to make a RA though. Friday, pretty busy. We went to visit an investigator but, he said he didn’t want to continue learning because his son got angry, so, sad day. Saturday, walked outside the door and everything was covered in ash, and the air was filled with it. It looked super post-apocalyptic and depressing. We did have another English lesson with Ihara Takuya, it was way fun. Sunday, went to Kagoshima支部 to watch a conference and I was able to met the Sendai members again, I was way happy about that. Then had a lesson with the Oyamas but, they weren’t able to met then with Matsuyama, we made a RA with him on Thursday and he asked some questions and we ended teaching all of lesson 2 on the stop and it was pretty interesting. This Morning, met with and talked to Nakamura about the word of wisdom and it went pretty good.

Miyano, Chase, Williams, Me

The drawing is something Elder Miyano drew

Aruma兄弟 (in front of me) Niina, Higashi兄弟

Aoki姉妹 (behind Higashi兄弟)

Other Higashi兄弟(behind Aoki姉妹)

Elder Chase in the back

This is why there is so much ash in the air. Sakurajima is an active volcano a crossed the bay

Sunday, June 10, 2018

2018 Jun 10 - Busy Week

A lot of moving around this week and a lot of sleeping. Monday, slept and then went out to 伝道. Tuesday, fun district meeting then had a pancake party. FHE was also a lot of fun. Wednesday, 伝道, but wee were able to talk to some way cool people in the morning. Eikaiwa was the usual fun. Thursday, went to a member’s, Kikunaga姉妹, house and had a meal, one problem and it was that she lives up a mountain so, it was kind of hard to get there. Then weekly planning and in the evening the 姉妹お願いed us to get them some drinks and we took the initiative and bought them for more then they actually needed

and then fixed their bikes. Friday, had companion exchanges with the Sendai elders and I went with Elder Williams and it was a blast, first an Eikaiwa student, Hiroshi, took us to eat lunch with his friends and then we taught a little bit of English. Saturday, had a lesson with a LA family, the Utsunomiya, and it was way good, they are a great family. Then we went to go get some Shirokuma with Ookawabata and a member. Don’t know quit how but I got a little bit sick from it. Sunday, church was great, in the evening we had a planning session for the 夏祭り that is coming up so, that was fun.

1 got way dirty from fixing bikes

2&3 the District

Williams, Miyano, Sis Foote, Sis Countryman, Chase, Me

4 we fancy

5 the Shirokuma

6 fancy food

Video, Sister Foote acting as a Dinosaur

Sunday, June 3, 2018

2018 Jun 3 - Fun Week

Fun week, a ton of going around happened. Monday, went to Kagoshima area and hung out with a lot of missionaries at the Teaching Station. Then we went to visit a little visit a LA family and it was way fun. Tuesday, drove up to Kumamoto for a 大会. Way good, it was the last training we got from Egan 会長と姉妹. The ZTM’s theme was a lot about opening your mouth, way good. We also got pocket Wifi to use Line and social media when ever we need to. We also had a way fun FHE. Wednesday, I payed my fast offering, after 8ish months, it was nice. Eikaiwa was pretty fun too. Thursday, week planning was fun. Friday, had mensetsu and it was way fun, last mensetsu with Egan会長. Also, there was a mix up on times and the district before us took up a lot of time. Then we had a lesson with Ookawabata, he is a past Eikaiwa student who has interest in join or church. Saturday, we had planned a lesson with Ihara family but, the had to cancel. So, 伝道 until the evening in which we had a lesson with Takumaくん which was pretty good. Sunday, Takuma and Ookawabata came to church. After church we had a lesson with Ookawabata and it was pretty good. Then we tried to cook some chicken we got, and it didn’t work very well.

1 Elder Takaku!!!!

2 was doing my hair and saw how beautiful it was

3 my lovely anklet

Video

1 how I “take out” my contacts, Some how I convinced a different sister that this is the way you take out contacts

2 Sister Sakuma(native 日本人）trying to figure out what this guy is saying

Sunday, May 27, 2018

2018 May 27 - NCT (No Cool Title)

Yep, I can’t really remember what all went down this week but, here are some of the highlights. Monday, chilled in Kagoshima. Tuesday, we had a FHE at the church with the branch president and another member came too. Wednesday, we fun District Meeting about setting goals, way good. Eikaiwa was also a ton of fun. Little side note, I have officially given up on wearing contacts, it rains ash about every day of the week and hurts a ton. Thursday, so we planned a lesson with the recent convert, Nakamura, on Saturday but, had a brain fart and thought it was today so, a lot of waiting for nothing. Friday, had a lesson but, it feel through but, instead of it being the normal no one answered the door, he left a note saying he couldn’t met because of work!! Still has high potential. Saturday, the lesson with Nakamura was good and then we taught a kid, Ihara Takuya, some English. Sunday, had a service project were we sang to a bunch of old people, good fun. Then we tried to find a member family that is a little less active. The problem with Japan is there address system sucks, so, we went around for over an hour trying to find them then we tried to find them by knocking on peoples doors and still couldn’t find them so, we had to give up. Also, a member left his phone at the church and asked us for some help, so, waited at the church until we had to go home and he was a no show. Fun day.

1 best fender ever

2 Elder Chase kindly killed a bug for me

3 purple rice, yummy

Video FHE

Sunday, May 20, 2018

2018 May 20 - I Wish It Was Water That Was Raining

Fun week so far, working hard. Monday, lovely Pday and a Skype call home, the family is doing good. Tuesday, a friend of member taught us how to make some Japanese style food, way good. Wednesday, had District Meeting then Eikaiwa in the evening, DTM was way fun, trained about unity. Thursday, weekly planning was fun. In the evening we tried to find a less active but, didn’t find her instead we were able to have some way good talks with the people in a nearby apartment. Friday, we had a devotional from Elder Relund about member missionary work, a cool tatoe he used was that like chopsticks, members and missionaries have to work together. The 姉妹 also passed us an investigator who is pretty 金人. Lots of 伝道 had a RA but, sadly wasn’t home but, we did find some other really cool people. Sunday, fun day, lots of time at the church, we were doing singing practice, then ward council. But, when we were going to our 伝道 area, it started to rain ash, luckily I had switch to glasses after trying to 伝道 but gave up and went back and switched.

Question, where do you feel the line between faith filled, realistic goals and faith filled, unrealistic goals is?

1 the 姉妹 gave us chocolate and we left it outside

2 pocket full of ash

Video, don’t ask questions, I don’t know

I forgot this, a spider attacked on Friday (video)

I was not bitten, but it moved really fast. I don’t think Japanese spiders are actually venomous.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

2018 May 13 - Mother's Day

So, good Mother’s Day call, my family is doing great. This week was transfers and I’m still in Taniyama and still District Leader and my new comp is Elder Chase, way fun. It’s so weird to have an American comp after 6 months of Japanese comps.

Pictures

1 Yuma, he doesn’t like hugs