2018 July 15 - Well, Only For Me

 Well, this week was crazy. Monday, had a lesson with Hidenori, sadly because he wasn’t able to make it to church so, he isn’t able to get baptized on the 28, in the morning and then just went to a bunch of stores. Then we went and did some streeting. Tuesday, a lot of 伝道, we did try to visit 2 LAs and 2 PI but, sadly no one was home. Wednesday, we went to get Figi長老’s bike from the bike shop. Also had Eikaiwa and that was pretty fun. Thursday, so, Friday we have a big 大会 with us and a near by Zone, 山口. Problem, all the trains are down so, they sent basically everyone to our apartment and didn’t tell us a ton about it. Friday, got to met the Macks!!! And they are way great! It was way cool because for the last little bit has been about contacting and talking to everyone and Mack会長 gets up there and talks about the doctrine of Christ and the conversion of the missionaries, it was great. Then we had a little Companion exchange with the Kure Elders and I went with Elder Sagane, way fun. So you guys remember Elder Walbeck? I had the most loving experience of having him in the apartment for 2 days, so much fun. Saturday, went and did a baptismal interview for one of the Sisters investigators, Aiyaちゃん and she passed! But, getting there and back was difficult because the trains were down so, bus it was and it was blazing hot. When we did get back to the church Sister countryman walked into the chapel and passed out because of heat exhaustion so, that was way fun. We called the Macks and they came down and helped us out. Some members also helped out too and she is all okay now. We then went to go visit a LA, the Higas, and taught them a lesson. Problem, they’re Brazilian, my Companion is Brazilian and I am American so, didn’t not understand the lesson. Sunday, church was good, the Macks talked at church and the both spoke pretty good Japanese. We went to go visit Matsumotoさん, someone we went to go visit last week and wasn’t there but, we were able to met him and he still has a lot of interest and also, his name is Osugi but, ya a lot of interest.

The clean up seems to be going, the trains are down for months and it’s going to take a long time to clean up. We haven’t been able to help a ton but, we are trying to figure out how we can

愛しています

- Brinkerhoff 長老

cool statue in front of the Pokémon store

chips and salsa

the art skills of Elder Weaver 

Me, Inamori, and Jordan(all Elder Lyman’s Companion)

2018 Jul 8 - I am Okay

 Hello Everyone! I am alive. As some of you may know there has been

some pretty bad flooding in the Hiroshima area but, I am perfectly
fine and mostly in effect. But, it was a very interesting week.

Monday, fun Pday, went to visit a very far LA, Hasegawa, and a member,
the Yagais, that lived near by. Way good visit, they are both doing
good. But, on the way back my tire died and it took over a half an
hour of running/speed walk home, it sucked. 

Tuesday, fun district
meeting, great to meet the entire district but, in the evening there
was a “typhoon” and had to go inside. It wasn’t bad at all like, it
didn’t get windy. 

Wednesday, went to go visit that same LA, Hasegawa,
with the sisters and Sister Gawrys’s bike got a punk on the way there.
But, we were able to meet and talk with Hasegawa 姉妹 for a little bit.
Then we took the bike to a bike shop to get it fixed.
Then...........on the way home Elder Figueiredo (Figi)’s bike broke,
his derailleur broke. And we had took walk 3 hours to get it fixed, it
sucked, I めっちゃhate bike problems. Then we had Eikaiwa, that was fun.

Thursday, we did a lot of Street contacting and did weekly planning. 

Friday, the rains came down and it lead to the floods. It was raining crazy hard and we started getting a bunch of warnings from the city. 

Saturday, still raining but, not super hard. Taught Eikaiwa in the morning and then did some street contacting at night. 

Sunday, church was only an hour. Also, we had a different area’s missionaries here because they were out of their area when the rain started and the only place they could make it was our area so, 10 Missionaries at church. Then we when to go visit some members in an area that had been hit pretty hard by flooding to seeing if some members that lived there were okay and they were safe.

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playing Uno with stranded missionaries

some of the effects of the flooding

the members gave us a lot of food, yummy

2018 July 1 - New Transfer

Hey, how is everyone? So, I’ve been transferred up to be a District Leader in the Hikari area and it is a blast and probably my last area, I’m here with one of my doki Elder Weaver and it is going to be an interesting 2 transfers.
Tuesday, hung out in Sendai for the day then for the fun of it, me and Elder Chase went home on the shinkansen. In the evening we had a way fun FHE.
Wednesday, finished packing and had Eikaiwa, sad to go but, it was a pretty good Eikaiwa. 
Thursday, had a forever long bus ride to get to Hiroshima, left about 8 in the morning and got to Hiroshima at about 7:30. But, ya that was fun. So, my new comp is Elder Figi(that is not his full name because I can’t say it) and he is Brazilian and not very good at English or Japanese, this will be fun.
Friday, had a lesson with Kato, he is an investigator here that is preparing to be baptized on the 28! Way excited to be helping him out.
Saturday, we taught a English class in the morning. I also wasn’t feeling super great in the evening so, we weren’t able to 伝道 a ton. 
Sunday, church was cool, I did some translating for an American who was visiting. Had a lesson with a guy named Matsumoto and it went way good and he agreed to met with us again! 

1 found Kai Voorhees (past comp)

2 with Takuma(investigator)

3 Eikaiwa class

Bottom: Masa, Foote, Countryman, West

Naoru, Yamaguchi, Mihoko, Masao, Orio, Hiroshi

Miyuki, Kanji, Keito (behind Mihoko) Chase, Me, Takuma, Kimiaki

4 with Kenshin (member)

5 Winchester and Swapp 

6 Campbell 

7 baker

8 lunch 

9 Sister Shinsato

Doki is the word we use for the people you came to Japan with

And this is him

Hakata is a big bus and train station and is about in the middle of the mission so, it is the easiest gathering place. That is why a lot of missionaries, when they transfer, go to Hakata for Transfer 

 

2018 Jun 25 - It's Transfers!

Hey, so I’m out. I’m going to Hiroshima, actually the city of Hiroshima in Hikari sweet. Don’t have a ton of time to email because we are going to Sendai. Taught a good number of lesson, and took over some of the Sisters’ lesson because they still aren’t well. Went up some giant hills and dendoed up there. 

1 there was a Kimono wearing thing for the sisters in the branch and the Elders weren’t invited so, I wore mine

2 the Sisters need some help throwing stuff away and Elder Chase decided to look to the distance

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 

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 

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