Japan 8 months 2 weeks-46

We got artsy. 

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

my best Asian Friend. 

Asian stole my camera. There are so many of these hahahahaha I love him. 

Boots. They are evil. 

I am so good at pictionary. 

This is the hotel the onsen was in 

My last companion. He went home this transfer. He finished his time. I love him dearly. He will be missed. 

This is a picture of me and my mtc companion. 

My district         That is right the mission presidents wife is in my district...

 I have a lot to report on. First the most important. The onsen. The onsen is literally the most magical place on the planet. (In case you forgot it is a public bath thing) First we got there and got a little towel to carry around with us (which you are supposed to get wet anyways so I don't really understand the purpose of it) and then you go and take a shower while sitting on a little stool. They had the most amazing shampoo ever. It was horse oil things. I used it like 80 times. Then we went and got in to pools. They have a lot of pools with different temperatures. Really really hot, with cold air around you, really really hot with hot air around you, really really hot and you are outside, warm, hot with bubbles, really really hot with jets, a steam room, a sauna, and a really really cold pool, oh and a fountain in the middle of the room that you take buckets of water and pour them on yourself. The deepest pool. was about 3 feet. It was amazing. I swam for a little bit. I was completely underwater and basically swimming, but then it got way to hot and I felt dizzy. Oh and an old man was giving me weird looks. One very awkward thing about the onsens is that the workers are all women and they have to come in and check the temperatures of the pools every 2 hours, so yeah.... That was a little weird.. But over all it was one of the best experiences of my life and I must go again. Seriously if you ever have the change GO! 

Next. This last tuesday we decided to do some dendo inside of a store. We cant contact people, unless in a natural way. The first person I tried was this lady next to some scarfs. I am old and sophisticated now so I wear scarfs and had to use it to contact this lady. I went up to her and asked her if they were mens or womens scarfs. She said mens and started to walk away so I asked her if she has any osusume's.... um that means, recommendations? She then said, "I speak english so what do you need?" Oh no... Hahaha well it turned into her saying "I have time I am just waiting for my next appointment (what?....) so lets go and get tea." We went to this cafe nearby and she bought us tea. That lead into a word of wisdom talk and then into our beliefs. She told us "let me make this very very clear. I have no interest in religion" So that kinda stopped there, but she loves English and said that she wants us to come to her school where she teaches over 50 high school students and teach them for a little bit. WHAT?! YES! Crazy lady helped us! Oh and then she randomly started speaking in fluent french. 

Next. On Wednesday we went back to an appointment with a lady that would not tell me her name the first time we met her. Well turns out it was her test. She said that last time we talked to her, her grandkids had a ton of interest and wanted to listen (they were listening in the room next door, but we could't see them) but she wanted to make sure we were serious before she told us her name. We came back and read the Book of Mormon with them and the whole environment changed. They all listened and got really quiet. We ended with a prayer and they said for us to come back everyday. It was amazing. But a little awkward moment was we saw the grandma a few days ago on the street and she saw us and ran across the street and hit behind a car... That was a little weird, but okay because we are visiting her on Wednesday. It was a huge miracle. 

Last. Yesterday I was struggling so hard. I was tired and just being so lazy. For some reason (this hasn't happened in forever) but I got scared while I was talking to people. I was embarrassed by my Japanese. Well I said a quick prayer in my heart right after my companion said, "Yeah you could have tried a lot harder on that last contact. That was bad" and the next lady we contacted was amazing. Her husband died 7 years ago and she really wants to meet us again. We testified so hard, but she kept saying that it is too hard to believe. She wants to believe but it is too hard. I got a little emotional and testified to her that I know we will see our families again and that she can know for herself that it is true. She then said, "Okay I will listen, I will try to know." We have an appointment with her next Sunday. 

Also the Henmi family came to church this week too! It was a very powerful day. Henmi Shimai (The mom) came up to us after church and was just crying because she said that they talked about depression in class (Elder Hollands Talk) and it really hit her because she has really bad depression. In the ward she was last in they would get at her and say, 'You are a single mom you need to watch after your kids! Work harder and get over your depression." It was really hard for her and she stopped going to church. She said that the missionaries help her know that she is doing what she needs to do and that if she comes to church she can get the help she needs. It was powerful. I almost started crying, but I didn't... One of like the only times. I cry too much hahaha. But this week was amazing. I love you all so much! 

Be excellent to each other. 

Mecham Choro. 

Answers to questions: Well I am going to answer your questions now. I am not singing love at home with kent choro, but I did just see him. I am singing at the fireside in February and March. There are two. I am singing three songs that we are all in Nearer my God to Thee, Onward Christian Soldiers, Spirit of God. Then I am singing Homeward Bound too. I am playing piano in Where can I turn for peace and the I'll go where you want me to go(the one I wrote) and then playing organ in choose the right. 

I will write about the onsen.

I have the same companion. To Dr. Jorgensen. We have 2 heaters in our apartment. We are lucky, most people only have one. But no central heating. It is just this giant metal box with a fire that starts inside and heats the rooms, but we have to turn it off when we sleep, so we use a lot of blankets.  The temple is about 2 hours away by plane. maybe only an hour. Bus Impossible. Train like 6 hours. Car Impossible. There is a train that goes underwater, but no highway. The ice castles are in 2 weeks. I am going. My teeth are great actually. I am going to bleach in the morning from now on and I need to use more fl but I have been doing pretty good with it. 

Japan 8 months 1 week-45

Study time

Are my teeth white???

dearest family and friends I have great news. Today I am also short on time because we have plans to party for the last p-day of the transfer. That is right transfers are next week, but that is okay I am almost 98% sure nothing will be changing for me. But on to the great news. I am going to the Onsen. An Onsen is the public baths they have in Japan. Yes. I am very excited to be culturized. Hopefully I survive. But onto this past weeks events-

Moiwa does not have a lot of investigators right now and the investigators we do have are not progressing as quickly as we want them to. For example our investigator Jace san (one of the two investigators we have) only speaks to us in English and refuses to be baptized in Japan because he wants to move to Europe, but he loves coming to church and is keeping every commitment we have extended to him. He started with 22 cigarettes (#gorts) a day and now he is down to 8. He is working way hard. Working with him is a lot of fun becuase it is the first time I have ever taught in English. It is a lot harder than I thought it would be. It is really fun to focus on the words I say and really listen to what I am saying. When I teach in Japanese, sometime I forget to think about the words I am saying because I am focused on how I am saying it or making sure I am saying the sentence right, but actually thinking about the specific words I am using and how it will change the lesson was a lot of fun. Words are really powerful. Oh funny story he swore in the middle of the lesson and I laughed out loud.

This week we also were able to meet with one of my old investigators Aoki san. She was my investigator when I first got to Japan. She was WAY happy to hear that I came back. We talked for a long time and in the end she said,"Guess what?! I have been praying!" WHAT?? When I left we dropped her because she said she has no interest and doesn't feel like her prayers are answered. Well she said she has been getting a lot of help through prayer and is trying. It was music to my ears.

Yesterday we met with the Henmi Family. The didn't come to church this sunday.... I figured out that their situation is a lot deeper than I thought. They really need the missionaries. We went over after church and she told us how she felt so bad they couldn't make it to church today and felt like she should call us right when we pinged the door. We also visited her on Friday and right when Henmi Shimai said, 'Where are the Elders? They haven't visited us in a week!' we pinged their door. We were able to share messages about endurance and how important that is when fighting depression. There isn't really much we can do physically to help them, but we go over often and do what we can to spiritually strengthen them. Next we are going to talk about Elder Hollands talk from conference about depression. I am excited and nervous for that.

Moiwa is coming a long great. We are out every day doing a lot of finding and walking a lot. We meet a lot of people who listen, but don't act. They feel the spirit and I KNOW they feel the spirit, but they don't act. It made me think about what I can do better to act. There are times when I feel the spirit, but I doubt and don't act. So I made a goal to change that and from that change we were able to meet 4 new amazing people this week. ONE MAY BE A FAMILY!! We taught the daughter. So I am, as always, excited for this next week. I love you all! Be excellent to each other.

Japan 8 months-44 weeks

Asians are soo good at this game. 

It snows all of the time. 

This is my new companion... 

one of the many thousand dinner appointments we had 

Weeeeee


I have no p-day again.. Yaaaaaay. We have music practice all day today. So I will start and end very quickly so I can send pictures. This week we met with one of our investigators (basically the only one we have) Jace san. He is Japanese, but likes to go by Jace and speak to us in English. So we talked to him and he said he really wants to learn more about God and wants to follow Christ. We invited him to be baptized and he said, "Only in Europe." Oh... Okay. We tried, but it just got really confusing so we are going to work a lot harder with him from now on. The biggest miracle we saw this week was with a new family that just moved in called the Henmi family. It is a single mom who is a return missionary, and 2 boys ages 16 and 13. They are so awesome. We went over 4 times this week to help them move into their tiny tiny apartment with tons of boxes and trash everywhere. They were very tired and needed a lot of help. At the end of the night we sat down and talked about her mission. She said it was amazing and she learned sooo much from it, but due to issues involving her ex husband, she became unable to go to church. She doesn't even know how to cook food. After her divorce she had a helper come over and cook and clean everyday, now she is on her own for the first time. She was really nervous about coming back to church but there were so many miracles that helped her. Yesterday 23 years ago she was baptized. She told us how she felt like she couldn't do all of the unpacking and cooking on her own and really needed help. We did our best to help her, but we couldn't be there all day. She realized that she will receive the help she needs through trusting Christ and going to church. Well it was amazing. She and her 2 kids came and stayed the whole three hours and 2 hours after church just talking with members. There were members there that she served with on her mission. She had so many connections and said that she will be coming every week from now on. It was an amazing feeling. One of my best friends in Germany right now sent me a letter and talked about the discouragements of missionaries. Missionary success is not measured by baptisms, but there is definitely a huge pressure on them. I haven't seen one yet and neither has she. What I learned yesterday is that our purpose is really to invite others to come unto Christ. Yesterday 3 members came back to Christ and that felt just like a baptism for me. It was a hard, but amazing week. I love you all so very much. Be excellent to each other! 

Mecham Choro.  

japan 7 months 4 weeks-43

I am busy on P-day... Again. We have music practice in one hour and it takes 45 minutes to get the to church where it is at. So I will be very quick.

This last week we went to SO many members houses. We have dinner appointments every day and some days we had multiple. It was sooo much fun. They were so much fun and some of them remembered me! So the craziest thing here right now is the snow. It is out of  control. Within a few minutes it feels like it snows a foot. Wow I have no time to talk about the snow when even crazier things happened.

The first investigator I met with this week was Ogo san. He is homeless. Yeah... Really homeless. We had an appointment with him at 2 at the mission office but he showed up at 10 and hung out until we got there at 12 when we a got a call saying he was there. We show up and I had no idea where this homeless man came from and why were are teaching him. We go uptsairs to teach him and it just gets out of control. The whole time all I could think was that there is a homeless man in front of me who smells horrible and is looking at me like he is going to die tomorrow. I couldn't teach him because I didn't know what to do. My companion just barely got to Japan so he didn't really understand the situtation either. We prayed together with him for him to be able to get the help he needs and we finish and he said "okay where do I get food now?" What?... So the appointment we had with him was not to teach him but to help him find food and figure out how to live. He said that he feels like he is going to die and needed help. I then figured out what was going on because the assistant to the mission president came in and explained everything. We called a member that was helping Ogo san to find a shelter and it ended with us talking with a member for 4 hours on the phone trying to help this homeless man. Welcome back to Sapporo!

The next crazy story was at church. A ton of members we SO happy to see me and I was SO happy to see them, but the happiest person was an investigator of the Sisters. Her name is Kawashima san. I have eaten at her house before. Well she freaked out when she saw me and attacked. She said how she is going to bring me a ton of food and wants to teach me to dance and I have to teach her how to play drums. (I can play drums?) A member came up and said that I should start teaching her lessons and get her baptized. Kawashima san then said in english, "YES! I Hatetsu the sisters!" So now I am teaching Kawashima san, an old lady who is obbessed with me. Yay... Sadly I missed this crazy people. I am so exctied to be working in my First area again.

To end on a good note, yesterday I was feeling a little bit nervous about all of the new responsibilities I have and I said a quick prayer to be the example I need to be. We went out to go house an apartment and the first person we talked to had a ton of interest and we were able to teach him a lesson and schedule an appointment. The whole rest of the day I felt comforted that I can do this and it has been a high ever since. I love you all! I will send pictures next week! I am sooo sorry. No time. Be excellent to each other!

Mecham Choro.

japan 7 months 3 weeks-42

HAPPY NEW YEAR! So I have no time because we have a lunch appointment with a member in 5 minutes. So here is what has happened in the last two days. I have no time to report on the rest. 

On Monday at 12:46 I got a call from the mission president telling me that I am transferring. Yes that is correct. I transferred. I am back in Moiwa. My first area was Odori, but I focused in Moiwa and this time I am back in Moiwa. So there was an issue with a missionary in his area and he needed to leave and be with who my companion was, so I had to leave. It was the hardest call ever. I love Tomakomai so much. But here is what happened. I am now senior companion and a follow up trainer... I got back to Moiwa yesterday still haven't unpacked. But right after I got my emergency transfer call we got stopped by a van of screaming people. They said that they needed "gaijin" because they can't speak english. Their son was robbed in Germany and they stole his Passport (somehow he made it back to Japan) but they needed us to cancel his flight and stuff. Then they told us about how they got robbed last night and they needed help with their house. Wow. Then I had to tell all of the members that I was transferring and try to visit as many of them as possible. I visited my favorite family ever (the Ikeda family) and it was super dramatic. It started with all of them crying then we played with pokemon figures, then they said that they were going to come say goodbye to me at the train station. So we got back from saying goodbye to members and then I had to pack until 3 in the morning. Got up at 6 and went to the train station. 15 members came to the train station to say goodbye to me. They all cried. It was so hard. I felt like I was leaving on my mission all over again. Then I get to Sapporo and we go back to the apartment. I drop off my stuff and we start reading the Book of Mormon. Yesterday was read the Book of Mormon all day (day) and so I have not unpacked. Then they told me that we have a ton of appointments today so now I am emailing as fast as my little fingers will move so we aren't late. And now you are up to speed. Mission life is more dramatic than anything on this planet. DANIEL SNOW SAN! CONGRATULATIONS! I love you both and I am so excited for you! I will attempt to email next week, but I am back in Sapporo so there are tons of missionaries who want to email at the same time. I love you all so much. Be excellent to each other! 

Japan 7 months 2 weeks-41

I am keeping this weeks letter shorter because 1. I am out of time and 2. I get to talk to home in two days... 

Well this week was a week. It was one of the first weeks that actually felt like a week. Most of the time it feels longer or shorter, but this week felt like 7 days. We tried to visit a lot of our investigators, but all except one were gone or busy. The one we were able to meet with was Fukuya san. She is really progressing. We found her about 3 weeks ago and this last Saturday when we met with her there was a big difference from the first time we met with her. When we showed up at her house she immediately let us in, we sat down in the Genkon and she ran into her room to grab her Book of Mormon. We taught her the plan of Salvation and she listened so closely the whole time. An awesome experience that we had during that lesson was when we began to explain the atonement. The word for atonement in Japanese is 'aganai' but it is a really hard kanji so most Japanese people don't understand it at all. We had to explain it as simply as we could. When we were explaining it to her simply, somehow the words we were saying seemed to be exactly what she needed to hear. It was one of those awesome moments when you can feel that what you are saying is exactly what they needed. #holyghost. Another awesome miracle we saw this week was when we biked way far out (yes we are still biking in the snow and ice that is everywhere and I fall almost everyday) to visit one of our Investigators. She was busy so she didn't even come to the door. So we housed around her block. When I turned down this one street to decide where to house I felt like there was a specific block we needed to go to. When we started pinging the doors I got really nervous. I don't know why, but I felt all of this pressure, like I was the first image they are going to have of the Church and I need to be the best I can. Most of the people we pinged have met us before and had no interest, but there was this one house and for some reason I felt like I needed to use really polite Japanese when I talked through the intercom. Somehow it worked and she quickly came to the door. We were able to teach a lesson to a mom who just had her first baby. She had a ton of interest and kept asking us a lot of questions. We ended the lesson by singing the ABC's to her daughter in English, and her saying, ' I want to know about eternal families. I want to believe. Come back next Thursday.' YES WE WILL. There are always miracles. Every week. Just be prepared and worthy to act upon the promptings. 

Oh also yesterday the members of the branch gave us Christmas presents. Seriously the most Christmas presents I have ever received. It was out of control. I wanted to send a picture, but my camera is being stupid and not letting me, but I will try next week. 

I love you all so very much. I love Christmas time when no matter who you are, you can feel the 'Christmas spirit' which is the love of Christ. He loves all of us and lets do our best to always remember Him and serve others to show our love for Him. Be excellent to each other! 

Japan 7 months 1 week-40

anus. 

I never got an MTC picture so I did one in Japan.

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea sdpogihasdoglaas

I will forever ruin the sisters pictures! 

Please zoom up to the faces on this lovely picture. I was violated. 

I took my asian fotossss. 

We went to a lighthouse for our district activity. 

These things are everywhere and I love them. 

my favorite family. 

We set up a christmas tree with the Ikeda family! 

The view from the mountain we climbed at night. 

we are so arsty. 

JUST FOR YOU ALENA!!!!!! IT HAS GERMAN ON IT! 

I love Japanese Graffiti. 

Happy boy

Special

I got a little racist. 

We went to a burger place right by the mountain that plays christmas music all year long and has giant santas everywhere. It was amazing. 

The chrismas burger place. 'lucky pierrot' 

We all got the futocho burgers. They are so huge. They only make 25 a day and there were 6 of us that ordered them. When they bring them to us they have a bell that the ring and tell everyone that we are eating something extremely unhealthy. Then they pray for us. 

It hurt. 

 Sweet! I finished pictures! I hope you enjoyed them. Thank you very much.

I can't believe how fast time is going. We are almost to 2014?! What?!?! I guess I am trunky because I am so excited for the new year. Mostly because New Years in Japan is out of control (So I have heard) 'I am just so freakin' excited!' #kristinwiig They have this one festival thing here where they have these giant hammers and they smash rice until it turns into Mochi and we eat it for days. I am especially excited for that. Okay well here is the extremely anti-climactic news. I DIDN'T TRANSFER!!! YAY! Nothing changed at all. I am still in Tomakomai with the same companion. It was soooo funny. Our whole district tried to guess where everyone was going, but we were all so off. 

So for the next six weeks I will be in Tomakomai with Elder Galeria having a party until the 6 weeks ends and I kill my companion (kill him because he is going home). Well here is what has happened since the last email:

This week was full of dramatic events that overlapped each other and made it just feel like one long day. First, Sunday last week I was asked to sing a Solo in Sacrament meeting because they all thought I was going to transfer. I was also asked to wear a specific tie that a member bought me. She spent 200$ on my companion and I. Each of us got 2, 50$ ties... It was ridiculous. Well I chose to sing 'Abide with me Tis' Eve'n Tide'. My companion said that they only sing that songs at funerals so it would be so great to sing it right before I leave Tomakomai (WHICH I DID NOT!! YES!!!) So I was super nervous because it was my first solo ever and I suck at singing. I also did it in Japanese so I had to really focus on the words because most of the time I can just mumble vowel sounds if I can't read the words fast enough. Well I thought I did okay while I was singing. I refused to look at people because I was scared and couldn't look away from the words. I looked up right at the very end and messed up the words and almost laughed. I went and sat down and looked at everyone. Everyone in the room was crying. I was so confused. It took awhile for the next speaker to come up because he was crying. Woops.. Hahaha well it just got even more dramatic after that. Tons of members we way sad because they thought I was going to get transferred and texted us throughout the week asking us if we knew yet. Well yesterday at church when all of the members saw that neither of us changed they were so happy. It was so funny to see the members faces when they saw me. 

The biggest and most exciting thing that happened this week was with one of our new investigators, Fukuya san. We have been struggling so hard to get a baptismal date. My district had no baptismal dates for 3 transfers in a row. Elder Galeria and I worked so hard with a lot of our investigators this last transfer to make a baptismal date, but it didn't work. Well two days ago we met with Fukuya san and talked to her about baptism. We told her how much it would benefit her life and how many blessing she would receive. We asked her to be baptized and she said no. WHAT?! We felt the spirit so strong and thought she was going to say yes. All of the sudden she starts asking us a ton of random questions about our families and about America. We kept trying to refocus back onto baptism, but she was so distracted. 'So baptism is this great promise' 'How many siblings do you have?' '3 siblings, but baptism is great.' 'Do you like instant ramen?' 'I like baptism.' That was basically our conversation. Finally we got in control of the conversation and asked her one more time if she would be baptized when she knows that this is the true church. Somehow it all changed and she said yes. I was so shocked. It was amazing. That was our huge miracle for this week. Well I am WAY out of email time but I love you all so much. 

Be excellent to each other!

-Elder Jake Snow Mecham Choro.