Sorry I'm late again. (Week 57)

My P day is still Monday but I haven't had a normal P day all transfer so I have to keep emailing late. I haven't really had a P day yet. There is a place we usually email in Saijo but we haven't actually emailed there yet. We have been emailing at the church in Hiroshima. Saijo doesn't have a church. And so we have to ride trains to Hiroshima a lot. Like an hour train. Trains are the most common transportation in Japan but this is my first area that I have actually used them. They're kind of confusing.

So I have been busy this week again. Nothing new. I just keep doing stuff. And then I have a hard time remembering what I did when I email you.

We had stake conference here this past week. I went to the priesthood meeting and the general meeting. And the only talks I understood were Elder Tashiro of the seventy. He is super cool. He lives in Kumamoto so I got to see him a lot during my time in Tsuboi. It made me miss Kumamoto quite a bit to see him but it was good. He gave really good talks. One that might have changed my life forever. He is just a super cool man.

Just a quick update on my bodilyness. My knees are as bad as ever. My back has been giving me grief. It has been in a little bit of pain. No big deal. But it did keep me from doing much one day. I feel like an old man. I think I have a slight cold. I am just as attractive as I ever was. Probably more. So don't worry. That part is still going good. So things are ok. I'm just slightly baffled by how many things can go wrong in one little body at such a time in one's mission. Stress.

So we have an investigator named S_____ san. well he is a nice man. And we had a nice little meeting on Sunday. Japanese was particularly difficult for me on Sunday so I struggled but even with my lame Japanese I felt the Spirit quite strongly and then Sakai san even said some very nice stuff about me. He's just a nice guy. I hope things go well with him.

Tell Kujo I love her. Elder Stratford thinks Kujo is super cute. Just so you know. He is one of my zone leaders. Elder Amor's companion. I thought Kujo would like the compliment while she's feeling a little under the weather with her tummy. Unless by now she is all better. I don't know how long ago you emailed. Do you know what kujo means in Japanese? I think I heard it meant extermination or something.

I love you all back home. Have a good day. Tanoshiku ganbarimasho.

Love Josh.

And another one bites the dust (Week 56)

So here I am in my second week in Saijo with two wonderful companions. And then on Monday I found out that my beloved Elder Gandy is being emergency transferred to Nago in Okinawa. Because a missionary got sick and had to go home and we are the only three man that can afford to lose someone. So I said goodbye to my two week companion this morning as he left on his Shinkansen.

And about my pants. It was my striped suit. and I don't have a picture. I could take a picture of my ninja jammies because there is no way I would wear those on my bike without pants over them. But that still isn't my pants. So I don't know. Don't worry about it. Don't spend money. I'm fine and we have another person going missionary pretty quick so save your kachang for her.

And Kate. Keep ganbaruing. I'm excited for you to serve a mission. It really is a good experience. And maybe you will go to Japan and then we could talk to each other. Or you could go to china. I've been working on my chinese. I have no idea how to type it but I can say lets go to church and you are handsome and he is ugly and happy birthday. Anyways. In case you wondered what I would do to prepare better for a mission if I could go back its study Preach My Gospel. Especially chapter 1 and chapter 3. Keep me posted on the goings on of your mission stuff.

So I had something super delicious last week and again yesterday. Its called Yukimi daifuku. Erika knows what daifuku is so have her explain it. But instead of bean paste in the middle its ice cream. It was the best thing I've ever eaten in this country. And then yesterday Elder Yamanashi deep fried some Yukimidaifuku and it was the best thing I've ever eaten. I love it so much. I hope somewhere in america has it. But I doubt it.

And I am in contact with the mission doctor who resides in Tokyo as of this week about my knee. He told me to do some stuff and call him again in a month. So. In a month we'll see if I'm better or need to try something new. I don't have much faith in his ideas but we'll see how it goes. I'd rather see a doctor who can see me especially while I have a companion who is fluent in English and Japanese but whatever. It is what it is. And I'll be fine because God will take care of me.

And deodorant is absolutely impossible to find here. I have been lucky and gotten some from missionaries going home soon that they wouldn't use so I have always had some. But soon everyone will be gone except me and a bunch of new missionaries so I will be out of luck. And toothbrushes are incredibly small here. I don't really like my current toothbrush but whatever. other than that I'm fine. Except I found out how much glasses cost here. They can cost a lot but there are many that cost lilke 4000 to 8000 yen for the glasses and the exam and everything and tax and everything. Is that cheap? I don't really know. But it seems cheap. if so I might want to onegai you because contacts don't always agree with me and it gets difficult when I'm trying to dendo and my eyes can't stay open and stuff. but I don't want to ask for money. So you decide what is good and what isn't. You have another missionary coming up so focus on her more than me.

Well I should go now. I love you all.

I am Giddianhi.

First week in Saijo (Week 55)

So I was transferred to a place called Saijo in Hiroshima.  The first week was exciting I guess.

I have met a few investigators now. A mother and her three children. They are very kind people and the mother is really looking for the truth. She is a very good person. I still don't know much about them and they speak a lot of Hiroshima language so I have a very hard time understanding them. I was just getting used to Kumamoto language. Why does Japan have such different ways of speaking across their country? That just makes my life harder. But maybe I'll learn it sometime. I've got Yamanashi 長老 to help me so it should be ok. He's great and fluent in english. So I have already learned a lot from him. So this mother and children. One thing I am worried about is she said her husband, who lives in Germany right now for work, said he would divorce her if she joined a church. So that's slightly worrying. I hope it all works out.

So just to help you understand Elder Yamanashi's personality a little I want to tell you a small experience I had with him. We housed  into a scary old man that just went off on us and how we are wrong and how he hates churches about Jesus Christ. And then Elder Yamanshi waited for him to finish and gave him a pamphlet about the Restoration and set up an appointment to come again and kept saying on the way home how much he loves that kind man. Another experience I had with him was when Elder Gandy and I were walking behind him side by side and he turned around and just smiled really big. I asked him why he was smiling and he said because there are two angels walking behind him. And he is absolutely sincere when he says things like this. Elder Yamanashi is a very different person. He is the most pure and wonderful person I have ever met. I am very privileged to get to work with him and Elder Gandy. They are wonderful.

And we ate at a members house last night and they were very kind wonderful people. I really enjoyed myself. And the husband is a kind of doctor and helped me out with my hurting knees and back. I don't know if I told you about my back but there was a day when I couldn't even walk this week because of it. But I'm doing better now. I feel better after last nights appointment but we didn't have much time so I couldn't get it all done. Maybe later. I still hurt a bit. But whatever. If I die I die. And then keep dendoing in the spirit world.

Well I don't have much time today. I did leave my pants in Tsuboi in the trash so I don't have them now. And I really like the tan ninja jammies. But don't worry too much. I won't die. And I do have one more pair of pants for my suit.

I love you. Have a good day.

Love Josh

Good Morning (Week 54)

Hello. So its Saturday for me but Saturday just became my P day for next week. We are taking a bus to Fukuoka with Y_____ and Momoko and Kancho and an American girl whose name escapes me to see the temple. And to get permission for that we had to make today P day. So I'm emailing.

So I wrote that other email on an iphone. And it was way hard so I didn't really give much information. About the bike crash. It was crazy. I flew into a wall. It was kind of like cool runnings when they crash their bobsled. It could have been really bad. But I'm not hurt. I just bruised and cut up my hand and my knee. My head is fine. It didn't even hurt. Elder Morris was riding behind me and said he wouldn't have been surprised if I didn't get up after. It looked really bad. But I am quite alright. Just a little achy. And my hand is funny colors. And I ripped my pants apart. That was my favorite suit. And it even went through my tan ninja jammies. Now there is a hole in the knee. There is a hole in my skin too but that will heal. My ninja jammies won't. So I'm pretty sad about that.

So the baptism didn't happen. Y_____ couldn't get permission. I am very sad. And she is too. She cried. We all got together and started preparing for the baptism and everything because she was going to try one more time to get permission. We even started filling the font. And then she called her mom and her mom said no. And then she cried. It broke my heart. But she said she will be baptized someday. We don't know when. But she said she will absolutely get baptized. And her dad called our zone leaders telling us to back off and not teach her. And I hear he told her she can't go to church anymore.

So we just had transfers. Elder Morris and I stayed together again. That almost guarantees me another transfer after this one here in tsuboi. And President made me a senior companion now. So Elder Morris and I are both senior. which means next transfer I will probably get a missionary younger than me. I'm pretty scared about that. But whatever. Tanoshiku ganbarimasho! I'll be fine.

Other than that things are pretty normal. I don't have much to report. But Tsuboi became my favorite area. I love Ishigaki and it will have a special place in my heart forever. It is such a wonderful place. But Tsuboi is now my favorite. I love it here. And I hope I can stay for a really long time.

I love you all. Sorry if I didn't answer any questions you may have wanted answered. I don't have a lot of time. If you want them answered then ask one more time and I will answer them next week. I promise. I love you all. Have a good week. I'll talk to you later. I'm going to go party in Fukuoka now. Bye bye.

Love Josh

Hi (Week 53)

It is a week long holiday here so the email place is closed. So this will be short because I'm using an iPhone. The baptism didn't go through. Y_____ couldn't get permission from her parents. And her dad called our zone leaders and told us to stop teaching her. We have taught her everything so it's ok. Her dad just thinks we are moving way too fast. So someday she will get baptized. She said she will keep going and absolutely get baptized someday. So it's sad. But ok.

And can you see if I can get new pants for my striped suit? I crashed my bike pretty bad and it ripped through my pants on the knee and thigh where my keys were. It was a pretty intense crash. I was going really fast and flew over a sidewalk and then landed and slid at high speeds head first onto a stone wall and slid along it for a few seconds until I stopped. And I probably would have died if I wasn't wearing a helmet. But I'm ok so don't worry. I didn't really get hurt. Just my hand.

This is way annoying to type on so I'm going to stop now. I love you. You will get a better email next week.

Love josh.