2018 Aug 26 - Crazy Week

 Well, this week has been very crazy, we had family home evening with the military branch, mensetsus and zone conference the next day then a beach party with the military branch. It was all way fun though. We were able to met with and talk to Tanner and Damian, recent converts and they are both doing good. Also went on Companion exchanges with the Nago Elders here in Futenma and while me and Elhert were going around a Eisa, Okinawan drum parade. It was way cool to watch. We also visited with a member, the Muraokas and talked with them and at the end we shared a little message about the Book of Mormon. Also, this past week was Obon, Japanese day of the dead, and the ward mission leader invited us to his house to participate in some end of Obon traditions, it was pretty cool. Cool thing from ZTM was the Mack’s talked about the church’s 12 step ARP and how it wasn’t just for addiction but, it was for change in all aspects of our lives, any bad habits or anything like that could be changed through the 12 steps and I thought that was very interesting, I haves had any experience yet but, I’m definitely trying to apply it to my life.

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Video, the performance 

with the performers

sea glass and a cool shell I found

2018 Aug 19 - The Final Count Down

 Well, it was a good week, pretty busy. 

Monday, went bowling on base with a family who’s dad is deployed. In the evening we went out to try and visit a member who hasn’t come to church in a while but, they weren’t there. While we in the area we were able to find someone who was somewhat interested and said we could come back. 

Tuesday, we had District Meeting, the Nago Elders Skyped in and in was pretty good. Then, we cleaned up the church and that took a while. 

Wednesday, we were working on a map project so, we can know where all the members are easier. And it was also pouring rain like crazy. We did have a lesson planned with Yamakawa at 10:30 but, no show. But, he randomly showed up at 1ish and we were able to have a pretty good lesson with him. 

Thursday, had cleaning checks so, cleaned in the morning then had weekly planning and then Eikaiwa, sadly not a lot of people came to Eikaiwa but, it was still fun. Tried to visit some more members who haven’t come to church recently and weren’t able to met them. In the evening a military couple took us out to eat, the Pendergrass. They took us to a restaurant called Sam’s by the Sea, it was really good food and we were able to talk with them and get to know them a lot better which was awesome. 

Saturday, so, there is a couple, the Hughes, that are moving out, back to America. And they asked us for some help and we went over Saturday morning, they gave us chocolate chip pancakes and then we helped them until about noon. They are way cool. Sad to see them go. 

Sunday, church was great, able to talk to and get to know a lot of members. Yamakawaさん also came to church. After church we had a appointment with someone we met the week before but sadly wasn’t there so, contacted the people nearby.

Sadly japan doesn’t really have chocolate chips so, we just use
chocolate bars and it’s about the same

Sis Shinsato, Me, Walters, Sis Johnson

2018 Aug 6 - The Final Transfer

 So, it is transfer day, the last one before I go to Honbu. The week was normal and interesting. Visited a member and set up a time to set up a time to come back and teach them a lesson. Had our final district meeting and it was on the Book of Mormon. Also, an elder in Kure, Elder Sagane got emergency transferred to the mission home to be a office Elder so, his companion Elder Valdivia came to Hikari and is here until Thursday. Fun fact, the APs are suppose to call the ZLs about anything the goes in their zone but, they never called, sweet. Me and Elder Figi had a little bit of a rough time, we were both way tired and both weren’t being very understanding so, some problems but, we were able to get over them and are doing good now. Fun week, APs are slow with transfer calls.

Got calls, going to Futema and I’m dropping from DL to senior comp

funny shirt

me and Figi at the Pokémon store

the District

Ballard, (?), Weaver, Me, Figi, (?), Sis (?), Sis Countryman

me and Ogawa姉妹(served her mission in the Gilbert mission, and served in the highland ward, anyone know her?)

2018 July 29 - A Typhoon Came, Kind of

 Well, it’s been another way busy week. Monday, everyone went to Miyajima, a tourist trap here in Hiroshima. I was way cool and got to see some pretty interesting stuff, they also happen to sell Katanas....... In the evening we went on 同僚交換 with the Kure Elders and it was way fun. 

Tuesday, had a good District Meeting and then normal伝道. Tried to visit some LA but, sadly they weren’t home. There also wasn’t a lot of people at Eikaiwa but, it was still pretty fun. 

Thursday, had cleaning checks in the morning then went to go visit a LA, 宮原 and we were able to share a scripture and pray with him. Then some weekly planning. In the evening we helped out the Sisters by teaching a LA they were planning to teach but, had to go to Saijo for 同僚交換, it went well, the LA’s name is 山田姉妹. Normal day of 伝道, helped the Sisters with a lesson again. 

Saturday, went to Kure again and we were shoveling mud from out of a house for most of the day. In the evening we went to the Bishop’s house and had a meal. It was a blast and we laughed way hard. 

Sunday, Typhoon. Honestly, it wasn’t even a Typhoon, it was just kind of rainy. The real “fun” part was Church was cancelled so, it became another day of 伝道.

We’ve been going to Kure every Saturday now to help
with cleanups. Don’t really have any investigators right now but,
we’re working hard. Honestly, Elder Figi has been doing the cooking
and it is just curry, mabodofu and yakisoba and repeat. His Japanese
is pretty good but, we don’t talk a ton and that is kind of hard.

 

The service project 

Miyajima

Ayaちゃん’s baptism

Miyajima

Miyajima

Miyajima - during high tide these tori gates are under water up to the first  horizontal board

The Service Project - cleaning up after the typhoon

Jackson heard that I was super tired, so he said that he would sleep in my bed to help me be less tired.

2018 July 22 - Flood Relief

 Yep, helped out with the flood relief but sadly, it was just Saturday. 

Monday, went to the Hiroshima castle and looked around, it was pretty cool. 

Tuesday, District Meeting was interesting, Kure couldn’t come up so the Skyped in, had a Sister who had to go home early so, her comp was here and the ZLs were taking her to the bus stop. 

Wednesday, a lot of 伝道 and Eikaiwa was pretty fun, not a ton of people came though. 

Thursday, visited a la, 宮原 and was able to pray with him. Then we went on splits with the ZLs and I went with Elder Weaver and we taught a member a lesson. 

Friday, taught a rc, 古川 and it went pretty good. Then we did some singing practice to get ready for the baptism on Sunday. 

Saturday, we went with some members down to Kure to shovel mud and it was basically all day long. I got really muddy, it was way tiring but was pretty fun to help. 

Sunday, Ayaちゃん got baptized! She is one of the Sisters investigators and is 9. The service was pretty good, she has a fear of water so, it took a couple tries. Then after church we tried to visit Osugiさん but, he wasn’t home.

Sis Gawry, Sis Countryman, Figi, Sis Wolfiden

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