Just another manic Monday (Week 83)

Well I appreciate all of your emails. I really enjoyed them this week. I liked your email, Dad, with the running thing. You said you didn't know where you were going with that but you totally did. You wanted me to apply it to myself in my dendo. Which I did. And I really enjoyed it. It made me want to work hard. I feel like I have been working harder than ever on my mission. And I will try to work even harder as I get closer to the end.

Speaking of the end I had to fight President this week for getting released in November rather than January. So that Disneyland thing better really happen. That is the only reason he let me take the November transfer. But now I know when I'm going home. That is how you all know I am an old missionary. When you get the call asking when you are going home you have gotten old. But I will ganbaru to the end.

Mom I also thank you for your email. I just really enjoyed it. And it was really nice to hear about Momoko. I haven't had any sort of contact with them since I left Kumamoto. But I have been anxious about her mission call. I am so excited.

I had a good birthday. The elders in my home made me a wonderful birthday breakfast and I got a bunch of phone calls from random missionaries telling me happy birthday. And then the next day our wonderful ward mission leader and his wife came into district meeting and brought a costco cake and said it wasn't late because it was still my birthday in america. It was a delicious cake. I ate a lot. So it was fun.

I have been extremely busy lately. I still don't feel like I have been able to be with my companion. Literally about half of this week was spent with Elder Eckman or with another missionary on splits and the two beans were left to dendo together. So it has been interesting. I have two companions and they just switch off every other day almost. It is so weird. I really feel like Elder Eckman is my companion. Not Elder Braswell. That may be a problem. So I will try to fix it.

We have been working really hard but I feel like I wasn't able to get enough done. I don't get to dendo as much. But our zone did really well. The APs told me this morning that our zone contacted more than any zone this week. We talked to as many people as three other zones put together this week. I don't know what is happening. But it is way cool. And Saijo district is just flourishing under the leadership of my beloved Elder Dolbin. So things have been going well for the zone as a whole.

No one ever told me that people are having babies and stuff. Until I got a letter from Aunt Manny. She keeps me updated very well. So don't worry. I already know.

Also I got the package from Tiffany and Jon. It was really nice. And I liked the cookies. And I will reply to the little kids as soon as I can. Maybe today. Maybe. But they dropped the news on me that Travis is a cop now. I had no idea he was leaving the painting business. So that was another surprise. I want to be a cop someday.

Well. I don't really know what else to say. I am just busy and stressed but somehow I still have fun. Elder Eckman and I are going to train the zone tomorrow and it will be pretty fun. I'll tell you about it next week though. It should be fun. I love you all. Have a wonderful day.

Love Elder Liddle

I got me a crazy job. (Week 82)

So to clear up confusion every zone has two zone leaders. They are companions. Because the job is pretty big and busy. But I am not companions with the other zone leader. I am just living with him. And both of our companions are beans. So we are both zone leader/trainers. Which are both jobs that require a fair amount of focus. Its been nuts. And I was only given one week to learn this area and now I have to teach it to 5 missionaries new to this area. So it has been way crazy. And hard. And stressful. This morning has already just been full of so much stuff I have to do. I haven't even had the opportunity to sit back and think about being 22. I might just do that when I get home or something. It sounds like you have had a crazy morning too. Ganbatte. So yeah. I am just busy. And I might be stuck with this job until I go home. We'll see.

So my new companion is named Elder Braswell from Ohio. I live with Elder Eckman from Idaho and his new missionary Elder Nartker also from Idaho. I had to organize how everyone got to their areas because I was the only zone leader here for about a day. And then Elder Eckman didn't show up with all the new missionaries and the new sisters weren't there either. So I had fun with that and figured it out. And now everyone is safe and sound in their sorezore no areas.

I feel like I have two companions because I am with Elder Braswell by default and I am with Elder Eckman all the time trying to figure out how to be a zone leader and figuring out what to do and stuff. So that has been interesting. Its been fun. I have been having a good time. I just always feel lost.

We have only one investigator. His name is R_____ from Peru. I don't know if I said anything about him before. I can't remember. He came to church yesterday so that was cool. I don't know if he is really that interested right now but he is our only one right now and he did say he had some interest. So I hope to see some cool stuff there.

Last night we had dinner with a chinese recent convert and her nonmember husband and mother and friend. It was way fun. The husband sat by me and I was all nervous that he was going to be weird because we are religious people but I totally had an awesome time just talking to him for a long time. I also got to blow their minds with all of my Chinese knowledge. I have been studying. So it was just fun. And maybe there is some potential with her husband.

I have one fear. I am afraid that I am not spending enough time focusing on my bean right now. It has been such a stress to learn the area and do all of my zone leader duties that I haven't had much time to even just sit and talk with him. So I hope he is ok and stuff. I just don't know. I know he must be stressed and stuff because this is all new to him. So I hope I can still be a good trainer to him.

Well. That has been my week I guess. I hope to have a good p day today but maybe I'll just work instead. Its more productive. P days are overrated anyway. I have already seen everything there is to see in Hiroshima.

I love you all. I am having a good time trying to figure everything out and I am just ready to go party and dendo and party dendo. Have a wonderful day.

Love Elder Birthday Boy

p.s. I'm 22 on the 22nd!

Greetings from the land of Light! (Week 81)

I had the craziest week. So last Tuesday I went to Fukuoka for the new zone leader training and then the mission leader conference. And it was way cool. I love being in the mission home. And I asked President where I was going to transfer to. And he said he didn't know yet. But I tried to persuade him to transfer me to Hikari because it is still the same ward as Saijo. And I basically already know that area.

Then I went back to Saijo and got a call on Thursday from president. And he said he would tell me where I was transferring a week early. Transfers are this coming Thursday. And he told me I was going to Hikari! Yay! Now I get to be Elder Eliason's companion again. But he said there was a catch. I had to transfer the same day to learn the area because Elder Eliason is transferring to the mission home. He actually already transferred on Sunday. So now I am with Elder Dolbin and Elder Clayton in Hikari until Elder Clayton goes home on Thursday. So I am zone leader and District leader for this week. And I have one week to know this area well enough to teach it to my new companion. Which I heard is also a new zone leader. So I have one week to master being zone leader so I can teach him how to do it. But then he isn't going to be my companion. Hikari area is going to be a 4 man area next transfer and me and the other zone leader will train new missionaries at the same time. And then also sisters will come to this area too. So I have to teach five other missionaries this area after only having it for one week. While also trying to run Saijo. So I am about to explode. I have no idea what is going on. And I don't really get to know this area well because Elder Clayton is preparing to go home and stuff and has a lot to do. So its just been crazy. I don't know how I am going to take care of a whole zone. But we'll do it somehow.

I really don't know how any investigators are doing because I only spent two days in Saijo this week and one of those was p day. So I don't know. But last week we were at the church and some random guy came up looking for our pastor. he wanted to talk to him. And I said he doesn't come here until Sunday. So he said he would come back. We wanted to meet him again because he seems so cool but we had to give him to the zone leaders because it is their area. And they set up an appointment to teach him and then I got transferred and got to teach him. So that was cool. His name is R_____. He's from Peru. And he is the only investigator in this area right now. All the rest of them dropped or got baptized recently. So I am almost starting over here. But the one investigator we have I found. So that's fun.

Also Elder Dolbin is going to go trainer next transfer. I am so proud. My son gets a baby of his own.

And happy birthday mom. I don't have much time and I wish I could say more. But I will say I love you very much. And I am happy that you are my mom. I hope you have a happy birthday. I wish I could send you a cool present. But alas. I love you. Have a good day.

I love you all. I hope you are all happy. Have a wonderful day.

Love Elder Liddle

Transfer calls! kind of... (Week 80)

Well everyone. This transfer will be coming to a close on July 18. And transfer calls will be on July 16 just like normal. But what is less than normal is that I half received my transfer call already. I was called a few days ago by one of the assistants to the president late at night and he told me that I was going to transfer on the 18th. But I don't know where yet. The reason he called me so early is because President wants me to become a zone leader. And tomorrow all the zone leaders and new zone leaders will go to Fukuoka for a meeting with President. So. Its not 100% until the day of. Anything can change. But probably not. I am going to be zone leader somewhere next transfer. Probably until the end of my mission. I am quite nervous. Zone leader has a lot of responsibility and is very involved in the workings of the mission. But whatever. I'll do anything President asks me to do. But it means I'll have to leave Saijo. I really don't want to. It is too wonderful here.

I will put forth my one last request to not have a package sent to me. You put too much money in my account for a package too. Besides. I want to send a package home before I transfer and sending so many packages back and forth gets confusing and then we can't remember who sent what package to who and its just a big hairy mess. So you should just not send one. :) Yoroshiku.

We didn't get to meet with as many investigators as I would have liked this week. But whatever. I guess that's just how Japan is. Too busy. But we met with G_____. And it was awesome. He is praying really hard to know if this is real. And he really wants to know. So please pray with all of your hearts that this beautiful man will get and recognize an answer to his sincere prayers. He is so important.

We also got a new investigator from Eikaiwa this week. We taught her with our Eikaiwa coordinator because they are good friends and he used to teach her in junior high. Her name is Y_____. And it was  my first lesson inside the church since coming to Saijo. And it was awesome. We will teach her again this week. She's 18 just so you know.

Also we taught the whole T_____ family. I haven't talked much about them recently. Brother T_____ takes us out to eat a lot. And on his rugby team a new tongan moved in who is less active right now but he served a mission a few years ago. So we had him there and Brother T_____'s whole family together for dinner which was huge and then a lesson on eternal families and temples. And it was awesome. And we asked J_____, the new guy, to participate in the lesson before hand and he gave a great portion of the lesson showing me up with his knowledge of the bible. I really need to read more of that book. It was just so awesome. I have never taught a whole big family like that before. And it was so fun. And they said we can teach them again.

I miss Utah. You said you had that day where you were sweating like crazy until the sun went down. I don't mean to one up you but I don't stop sweating until I get into the one room in my apartment with an air conditioner. You just sweat all the time here. From places you never knew could sweat. I love Japan. But the humidity and their intensely horrible way of doing ac is just not acceptable. I think I will live in Utah forever.

Well I am going to go have a good p day now. And buy a nice piece of wrist clothing. Have a good day all you beautiful little souls.

Love Elder Liddle