And so it begins (Week 94)

We had a nice successful transfer week this week. It was crazy as usual with problems right and left but everyone transferred just fine and now the whole zone is safe. There were quite a few changes made in my zone. I am not transferring just like I thought. Elder Eckman is not transferring. But Elder Braswell transferred down to a place called Yanai in Yamaguchi. And a new missionary came here to Hikari named Elder Alexander. My beautiful Elder Dolbin finally transferred out of Saijo. I was so sad to see him go. But he went to Kumamoto! Go Kumamoto! To be zone leader there. He is such a boss. And I will get to see him still a couple more times because all the zone leaders go to Fukuoka every month to meet with President. And now most of the Saijo missionaries are new to the area. Including Elder Trane! I finally get to work with my home boy! And not only is he in my zone but the same ward! That's what I'm talking about. We get our last one together. That is most of the stuff you would care about I think.

 

And now I begin my last transfer. Now more than ever my theme song is Alma 36:24. 楽しく頑張りましょう！

 

People keep treating me like I'm going home soon. It is really strange. It kind of makes me sad. I don't want to leave Japan. I love it here. I love these people. I love you guys too though. I really want to see you again. I can basically make any Japanese girl cry by how I talk about how much I love my family and just want to see my mom and my dog again. Just so you know.

 

So the sisters had a baptism this past week! It was pretty cool. She was my investigator until we passed her to the sisters to start teaching. Her name is Sister Ikkaku. Kind of an interesting name. I've never heard it before. But she is way cool. And her progression exploded after we gave her to the sisters. So that was awesome. There have been quite a few baptisms in this ward this year. All of which I have been privileged to see. I have been in this ward for a really long time.

 

I got pretty sick this week. With like a cold or something. I am still kind of feeling it a little. But I called the mission nurse about it and she ordered me to go home and sleep until I was better. So I had a whole day where I did nothing. Nothing but feel like garbage. It was pretty bad. Probably the sickest I have ever been on my mission. But I am feeling much better now. I still haven't seen a doctor about that other problem. No time. Just dendo. Mom, don't worry. I am doing fine. I'm just tired. Dendoing like this for a year and 10 months will make a guy tired.

 

So I got accepted to UVU today. I got it all taken care of. It was way harder and crazier than I like to think about and its too much to tell you here. But I'll tell you about it in 5 and a half weeks.

 

So is Thanksgiving after I come home?

 

So we visited O______ M_____ chan again on the top of her mountain. Get ready to start crying. So she is on the top of this mountain in the hospital for who knows how long. She doesn't know when she is going to get out. And it is obviously for some sort of mental/emotional problem. You can tell by her arms that she was once extremely dangerous to herself. So its no question that she struggles with some intense depression. But it looks like she is doing much better these days. She seems happy when we visit and there are no fresh scars. And then she said that her family has never visited her there. The last time she was there she was in for three months. I don't even know before that. She gets like two week breaks here and there. And then she said she never wants to go home and that her mother has said to her that she doesn't ever need to come home. Which is the Japanese way of saying I don't want you to come back. So she is just this 17 year old girl trapped in a hospital on the top of a mountain that has no loving family. I just wanted to take her home with me and show her what life is really all about. I want to show her my family and I want her to know what it feels like to have a family that loves you. So please go adopt her. It is just so sad. I don't know what to do. Just teach the gospel I guess.

 

E__ chan is awesome. She came to General Conference and she has just finished reading the Book of Mormon and the scripture guide in the back that they have in the Japanese Book of Mormon. She is just so awesome. And her baptism date is coming up at the end of the month. So we'll see how it goes. But I think that she is probably ready to be baptized. And I would be surprised if she didn't get baptized this month. Assuming everything with parents goes ok and they don't change their mind. Pray that all goes well.

 

General Conference rocked. I loved it.

 

Well I will talk to you in a week. I hope you are all doing well. I sure love you all.

 

Love リドル長老

I love mountain pear people (Week 93)

So the water fight last week was pretty good. There was approximately 260 water balloons and two squirt guns. Elder Eckman and I each had one balloon and a squirt gun. And then over twenty other missionaries had their water balloons and all attacked us. We counted on them turning on each other so we would get a break. But they didn't until the very end. So I was nailed by a few water balloons. They cornered me and just kept throwing them until I was saved by a phone call. And one of their balloons broke my balloon. So mine just got me all wet too. I got wasted. And then after I took the phone Elder Eckman got wasted. It was pretty good.

The rest of the week was pretty good. Really tiring. Really stressful. I feel like my health has not been that great these past few weeks. I am more tired than I think I should be. It has been difficult. And Elder Eckman called Sister Gustafson about it. She thinks I might need to go to the doctor. But we'll see. I'm just tired.

Yesterday we biked up a mountain to visit M_____ chan in the hospital. She will be there for maybe more than a month. And she is a pretty good investigator. So we want to keep visiting her. But the mountain climbing was death. I really did just about die. I am not in very good shape.  And then we came back and I started to feel dehydrated. So I bought food and a huge drink. And we kept working. And then at around 7:00 I started dying and my head hurt really bad and I felt sick. And we went back to the apartment and I just laid there and about died. I couldn't eat or drink because it made me sick. And I died. And then had to go out and work more at the end. But I didn't die. And now I feel more normal. So that was an adventure.

M_____ chan is really cool. I like her. She said she likes the bible more than the Book of Mormon. Which I have never heard. Especially from a Japanese person. Most of them have never read the bible. But she has. And she is really kind and wants to hear more about this. She said we can visit any time in the visiting hours. We might take the bus next time. She really is up on the top of a mountain. She is in the hospital for probably depression reasons. Which can't be easy for her. And she said that no one ever comes to visit her. No friends or family come. She does have friends inside the hospital. But it is hard for her. So pray for her. She's really a cool girl.

We found a new investigator yesterday named S_____ san. Please pray for him and that we will be able to meet him again and that his heart will be open to the Spirit.

Today is transfer call day. I haven't got my call yet but yesterday we called the mission home and asked a few questions so I know about me and some of my zone early. But all that information is subject to change until transfer calls start being made. So as far as I know Elder Eckman and I are not transferring. Which is probably how it will stay. But I'll know for sure in a couple hours. In two days I begin my last transfer. I don't feel ready for my mission to end. I feel like I am still the same person as when I started. I kind of wanted to come back a changed man. But I suppose I still have time to work on that. So 楽しく頑張りましょう！

This past saturday there was a talent show in one of the other wards. And they invited the whole stake. So I went. And it was good. Lots of really good talent out there. And they got word that I can now play the violin like a cello and they got a violin for me to play. So I played it. It was so hard. But I did better than the time in Fukuoka. And it was received well by the members. So I guess it was good. But it wasn't my cello. Oh how I miss my cello.

I hope you are all having a good day. Conference sounds good. I'll get to see it this coming saturday and sunday. I love you.

Love Josh.

書きたいことはない (Week 92)

Well it is good to be with you once again. I will try to share my adventures with you in the least boring way that I can. But lately I just feel like things have always been the same as the previous week.

Last week we had that BBQ which was really fun. Lots of fun people there. I guess its normal to me now but the food at Japanese BBQs is different. All the meat comes in small portions and they bbq lots of vegetables and there is always rice in some form. And their sauces are really Japanese. And you eat everything with chopsticks. And the most popular drink is the tea. I'm looking forward to some real BBQ sometime after I leave. This just doesn't cut it. But the people were really cool. I sure love the Japanese people.

Our week was pretty good I guess. We went to a far away place that is up a long hill that takes about an hour to get there because my body is weak. And we found an investigator from a long time ago. A nice family with 4 kids. That is way more kids than normal Japanese people. And they were cool. But not so interested in the Gospel. So we housed near there and found this girl in an apartment building near the old investigators house. She has a cool name. When you pronounce it make sure you say the t sounds clearly and not like a d. O_____ M_____. It took me a couple tries to understand what she had said. Anyways. She is really nice and wants us to come back. And I get the feeling that she really needs to understand that she is a loved daughter of God. There were a few things that gave Elder Eckman and I both that impression. So please pray for her. Pray that all will go well and that we will be able to teach her and that she will be able to understand it and feel the Spirit.

Near the new investigator there is a less active member who we started visiting this week. He is less active because he has kind of a mental problem and its hard for him to be around a lot of people. I had met him before but always with another member who did all the talking while he just stood there. But when we went alone he smiled at us when he opened the door and he actually talked to us. And we visited again a couple days later and he played the guitar and sang for us. In English. He is a really cool guy.

Yesterday the Hatsukaichi ward did their dendo fireside and the Hatsukaichi sisters wanted us to go do it with them. So we did. And it went really well. That is such a wonderful ward. During one of the role plays we asked them to do a sister came up to me and said her nonmember friend was just outside and wanted me to invite him to an activity coming up and give him the flyer and stuff. And so she took me too him and then she dendoed him hard core and I just stood there and watched it happen and handed him the flyer but said almost nothing. That's the way it should be. Members do everything with the missionaries just being there. And then later that day she came up to me to talk to me about a less active member in Hikari ward. A woman named Z_____ s_____. I met her once before a really long time ago. Probably in February. And she told me that Z_____ s_____ was kind of having a hard time and she wants her seven year old son to be baptized next year and she saw us missionaries the other day and wanted to talk but couldn't. So we decided to visit her yesterday. I have tried to visit her on multiple occasions and she has never answered the door. But she did this time. And we had a wonderful talk. And she just was way cool. We will probably go for a p day and bike with her to Miyajima. Road biking. So it should be fun. She is super cool. That was really fun.

It has started to get cooler here but its still really hot. I still sweat every day. The leaves are just barely starting to change. Fall here is cooler but they say it won't really get like cold until November. Which is terrible because October 1 marks the day that we have to wear suits every single day. That's like tomorrow desho?  Well. I am excited for cold weather. I love the cold much more than the hot.

Today we will have zone p day. We are going to have a water fight. The deal at the beginning of the month was if the zone could accomplish a certain amount of the monthly goals then they get a certain amount of water balloons. And the more they accomplish the more balloons they get and the less the zone leaders get. And our zone owned this month. They surpassed all the goals but two. So I am going to get wasted today. But it should be fun. And then we will BBQ the American way. Kind of. Its still pretty Japanese. There will be rice and stuff. But it will be good. I love rice.

I love you all. I hope you are all having a wonderful day. I'll talk to yall later.

Love Geri Geri chan

Howday (Week 91)

Well it has been yet another week. And I feel I don't have much to report again. But I'll do my best.

So the Carp game last week was the bomb. It was way taihen to take care of everything and getting everyone to the game but then it was an awesome game. To be honest it was the first time I have even seen the Carp score. But they won 5 to 4. And the only reason the other team scored from 1 to 4 is because in the last inning they put in some pitcher who wasn't very good. But they told me graduated from UVU so that was cool. There are like 4 guys on the team who aren't Japanese. Anyways. It was just super fun. Easily the funnest P day I have had in a long time. Maybe the funnest ever. I kind of yelled myself a little hoarse. And for a couple days I sounded really manly.

I'm sorry to hear that dad has to head out again. That is quite unfortunate. But he will be able to do good there so its all good right?

So I am having a few problems getting everything set for going to school in January. But hopefully it will all work out. Just pray. The hardest thing is only being able to do anything about it once a week. I would be really komatteiru if I couldn't get to school in January. So pray.

We were able to meet with our one investigator H_____ san. She is a friend of a member. She is pretty cool but not really progressing too much. She just seems like she likes to learn about a lot of religions. She wants to find the true one. But she doesn't necessarily seem like she is willing to do what she needs to in order to find out if its true. And she has the strangest questions that cause doubts in her. So its hard to teach her. But we are ganbaruing. And all should work out in the end. Other than that my other investigator we gave to the sister missionaries because it would work out much better if they taught her. And she came to church yesterday so that was cool. We had 4 nonmembers in our ward yesterday. It was awesome.

When I was in Saijo with Elder Dolbin a 23 year old girl found Elder Dolbin when he was on splits with someone else and knew all about missionaries and stuff. And we started teaching her. Her name is A_____. Perhaps I have told you about her before. Well I didn't get to teach her that much while I was in Saijo. But Elder Dolbin has continued to teach her. And yesterday she got baptized. It was really cool. She really is awesome. That is the first time I have had a person I taught get baptized. And I was privileged enough to see it. It was so good. The Spirit was so strong. I am so glad I was able to be there. She really is awesome.

So that was my week. Good stuff happened. And I am excited to work harder this week. And with that I'm off. I've got a bbq to attend in one of the other areas in our zone and it should be a party. I love you.

Love Elder Liddle

飛びたければ羽ばたかないといけない (Week 90)

Well it has been another week. It has been crazy. I can't remember any of it.

I went to two different areas for splits this past week. Which I am never doing twice in one week ever again. Its way tiring and makes dendo in my own area almost impossible. But we did our best. And I had fun working with some of the missionaries in my zone.

I got to go to Tohma kyodais house for dinner on Saturday. He lives in Saijo so its way far and I haven't been able to meet him for a long time outside of church. So that was fun. Lots of fun. And the Saijo sister missionaries were there too. They are a ton of fun. Hilarious people. And Tohma kyodai is fun too. I had a really good time being with him again.

I saw a watch I want for 200 bucks. kana...? Maybe just 150 kana..? yoroshiku. Buying it will help the salvation of the man selling it. He came up to us and knew all about missionaries and our church and was just way cool. So yoroshiku. :)

Today we are going to another Hiroshima Carp baseball game. This time with almost the whole zone and with a bunch of members. There will be like 30 people there. So I am really excited for that. It should be super fun.

Our investigators are going kind of slow this week. We did teach a couple of them this week. One of them twice. But the progress is slow. I really want to find someone new. Its been a long time since I have found a new one.

I never cook. I will never be able to. That's just a cold hard fact of life. So I could never cook for anyone. But I would love to talk about missionary work in Japan. That's my favorite thing.

I really don't have much to say this week. I was just way busy and had no time to do all the stuff I needed to do but I was trying. I really love the mission. It is really hard. Every day is hard. But it is so awesome. I never want to go home. But I also would like to have a break sometimes. You never get rest out here. Its constant work.

My knee is still holding up its rebellious ways even though I am using that chinese medicine. But whatever. Its fine.

Well I'm sorry this is a lame email. I love you all. I hope you are all happy. I pray for you all the time.

Love Josh

No Subject For You (Week 89)

This week was pretty good I guess. I never get as much done as I want to and things just never seem to move forward as much as I want but I guess that's ok.

That's cool that you had a crazy storm. We never have anything crazy here. Just rain. More rain than I've ever seen in Utah. But just rain. I love working in the rain. Its always so hard and annoying and I get soaked if I don't wear my rain suit but the harder your conditions are the more likely you are to see miracles for working through them.

My knee is not in good shape. You asked if it was still my right knee. Its still my knee that had surgery. The left one. The right one hurts sometimes too but not nearly as much. I am experiencing more problems in the left one by far. But a nice chinese lady in the ward heard about it and just gave me some old crazy chinese medicine so we'll see if that helps. It smells pretty bad.

Erika, メールしてくれ。日本語はそんなに難しくないでしょう。

So this week we had another MLC in Fukuoka and I got to ride that Shinkansen. And then a bus back. The shinkansen takes like 1 hour. An hour and a half if you take the slow one. But the bus takes like 5 hours. I don't like the bus. But being in Fukuoka is fun. I got to see my beloved Yamanashi 長老 again. And Trane 長老. And my beloved Chung Cholo but I don't think I've ever talked about him to you before. He is Elder Dolbin's friend from back home and I love him almost as much as I love Elder Dolbin. And I love seeing President. I made your cheesecake for President and Sister Gustafson back when they came up for zone conference and they really liked it and Sister Gustafson asked for the recipe. So I gave it to her this week.

We did a zone training meeting again this week too. That is always exciting. I get really nervous training people. Especially a whole zone. That is 24 people listening to what I say and taking it in to make them better missionaries and stuff. I'm just a 普通 missionary. I don't feel like I can really teach them anything but I do my best. And somehow it all works out.

Our investigators really didn't progress at all this week. I think because they were just too busy to meet. We'll see about this week.

I just want to say I love the members in Hikari ward. So much. There is a fairly recent convert here named Hanzawa Kyodai. And he is so awesome. We visit him weekly. He is kind of a shy guy. He didn't ever say anything to me for my first like 4 transfers in Saijo. But then all of a sudden he started talking to me. I would talk to him almost every week at church and eventually he just broke out of his shell and started talking to me. To be honest I can't understand everything he says but I don't think that matters. I just need to listen I guess. But he is so cool. Over a month ago we started visiting him at his house. And the first time just broke my heart. He told us about how much he really isn't getting paid at work and he said sometimes he doesn't have enough food. So now we visit every week to make sure he is happy and has food. And we bring him orange juice too. He can't afford anything that tastes good. He can only afford the very basic stuff. And sometimes he can't afford it. Shortly after that first time we went to a member we knew would help and she gave us a huge bag of rice to give him. And we doorbell ditched it at his apartment. And the next day we had an Uno party at the church because Hanzawa Kyodai likes Uno. And he told us about someone leaving rice on his door. And we just said how cool it was and how it was probably angels that left it. (He told us once way before he met missionaries that Mary would protect him and give him food when he was homeless so he totally believed the angel thing) Anywho. I just love him. And I thought I'd tell you about him. I love all the members here. I just don't have the time to talk about all of them.

Hey does anyone know if you can bring a bike on an airplane from Japan? I just got a bag to put my bike in so now I can take it on trains and stuff but I want to know if I can take it on a plane. If I can I want to take my bike home. But I don't know how to find out if I can.

Yesterday Elder Eckman and I were told three times that we seem like we could be gay. For various reasons. None of which were actually gay. Except maybe wearing matching pink ties and watches.

We have also been told on more than one occasion while at meal appointments with members or investigators that we should be comedians together. Its really just Elder Eckman. He makes everyone laugh and he uses me as the target.

Well. That was my week. I love you all so much. I miss you. I can't wait to see you sometime in the distant future. By the way I am now being treated by the members as someone who is going home soon. Its really weird. Have a good week.

Love Elder Liddle

Another psycho transfer week (Week 88)

Well we had transfers and nothing really went the way I expected. Elder Eckman's companion transferred way far away to Miyakonojo and the missionary transferring from Miyakonojo came here. His name is Ishikawa cholo. And he is now companions with my bean, Elder Braswell. And Elder Eckman is my companion. We are having so much fun. It has been a party all the time with him. And now we can focus on being zone leaders and it has been so much easier. President said there are no longer any zone leader/trainers in the mission. So that is good. And saijo went from two missionaries to having sister missionaris too as well as a senior couple who will arrive this week. I already knew all that and was way excited for saijo. And then I got the call and it turns out saijo is actually receiving two more elders as well. So it went from two man to eight man. Go saijo! And now our ward will have 15 missionaries every week until saijo gets its own branch. Also the Hikari sisters went from two man to three. It was crazy and super busy and I had so much to take care of but this time I had a companion to help me and everyone got home safe.

I'm speaking a lot more Japanese now with Ishikawa Choro here and because Elder Eckman is so good at Japanese. We speak a lot to each other in Japanese. So maybe I'll get good at this language before I go home. Cross your fingers.

On transfer day I attempted to carry a fairly normal suitcase up some stairs for one of the sisters transferring in something happened to my knee. It just shot pain through it and I couldn't support myself with that leg while holding the suitcase. The pain mostly went away when I put the suitcase down but it still doesn't feel too good. And today I started to feel the pain again when I was just walking myself up some stairs. So I don't know if I did something to it or not. But it doesn't feel great. Oh well. I will ganbaru to the end.

So on Tuesday President called me before our official transfer call to talk to me about some stuff and what I think about what he was thinking to do for transfers in my zone. I'm so important. :) But then he asked me if I wanted to transfer. He said I've got only two transfers left. I'm an old missionary. So I am on the top of the list to get what he wants. And he said he knows how stressed and hard this has been this past transfer and he wants me to have fun as I end my mission. So if I wanted to transfer and have a better experience he would make it happen. And then I told him I love this area. I love this ward. I want to give Hikari my all until the very end. And he said ok. That's what will happen. And he said that was his plan because I worked so hard in Saijo and loved it so much that he wanted me to be able to see what was happening there because of my work. I don't think I really worked that hard. But President sure is nice. So I will be here until the end. Unless something happens no one forsees. We'll see. But I want to stay. If I do it will mean 11 months in the same ward. Go Hikari ward!

Yesterday we had two investigators at church! T_____ san came. He is pretty cool but he doesn't look like he really wants to listen to the lessons. He just wants to come to church. And we are giving him to the other Hikari elders because Elder Braswell knew him too and they don't have anyone right now. Our other investigator is named H_____ san. She is a referral from a nice lady in the ward and she really seems like she is solid. She is really nice and seems to really be progressing already. I've only met her once. And Elder Eckman met her twice. But already she seems really good. So hopefully we see good stuff there.

Saijo also had an investigator there! All six months in Saijo I only had an investigator at church three times. I am so happy for Elder Dolbin. And it really looks like she could get baptized. She is really solid. Her name is A_____. Perhaps I told you something about her when I was still there. Elder Dolbin and I found her. So she is awesome. And the ward members were awesome with her. We barely saw her because the ward was taking care of her. It was awesome. Hikari ward is so good. I love it here.

Yesterday Tohma Kyodai talked to me at church. He is the one who gave me a watch. He is one of three active members living in Saijo's area. And I love him so much. Brother Tohma is the guy. Anyways. He talked to me. And he said his favorite missionary finally went home this past week and he didn't realize until he was already gone. And it made him sad. The missionary who reactivated Tohma kyodai. And he told me to not go home. He told me to stay forever in Hikari ward. I really love that man. And I can really feel his love for me. I think he was sad when I transferred to Hikari. I can't see him nearly as much. Only on Sunday. But we will visit him this week I think. Maybe next week. Anyways. I just love that guy.

Our ward mission leader, Tanaka kyodai, was released yesterday. That was way sad for me. I love that guy too. He is so wonderful. The best ward mission leader I have ever worked with. He is just the bomb diggety. And I gave him a big hug and told him he is my Japanese dad. And then he told me he loved me and I told him I love him and we said Tanoshiku Ganbarimasho! He is so wonderful. I'm sad he isn't our ward mission leader anymore but we will still work with him a lot.

Our new ward mission leader is named Gepford kyodai. He is American. Three American families moved into the ward. So that has been way fun. Lots of translating for them. But Gepford kyodai speaks Japanese. And he really seems like he will be a legit ward mission leader so I am excited to work with him. Him and the 14 other missionaries.

Tomorrow I get to ride another Shinkansen to Fukuoka for Mission Leadership Conference. That will be way fun. I love going to the mission home and meeting President.

And this morning I went to Miyajima again. It was really fun to see in the morning. I'll attach pictures and stuff. It was cool.

That was my second time to go to the Fukuoka temple. It was cool. I got English headphones but sometimes I took them off to listen to the Japanese. And it was really cool to hear in Japanese. Some of it is better than listening in English. But I don't want to make mistakes so I always made sure to have English on me.

Well I hope you are all doing well. I love you all. I hope you are happy. I will go now and write again in a weeks time to tell you of the fantastic adventures here in Hikari, the land of Light. (Hikari means light)

Love Josh

good week.
leg hurts.
miyajima.
mlc