Saturday, March 26, 2016

No Rest For the Weary

Good morning Sports Fans,

I guess I would like to start this morning with a sports news update.
Every week on Saturday we play baseball with President Ishii at 0700
in the morning at a close by park and today a first occurred while we
played. We just blitzed back from 野並 (Nonami) so we could be there on
time and we started to play and I was playing as catcher with
President Ishii pitching to me. I felt pretty safe with Ishii pitching
to me because he's been playing for decades and I had trust in him.
However, in our second inning he pitched just a little short and the
ball had a really hard bounce right under my glove and I caught a full
softball right into the testicles. The next five minutes or so was
just about everybody laughing and me hopping around to shake the pain
out laughing and wincing. It was so comically funny. Once the pain
subsided a little bit (it still kind of stings) we kept playing, but
so far I'm the first missionary to ever get nailed in the sweet spot
by his mission president.

So this has been a long, busy week starting with last Saturday and
Sunday driving President Mills from the MTC. I, being the newly
licensed driver, took it upon myself to drive throughout all of 岡崎
(Okazaki) Zone on Saturday. We went to every area in the zone to go
participate in mostly practice lessons with members. All we would
essentially do is drive him to the lesson and wait outside or in a
different room until the lesson was done and then move on to the next
area. I am so grateful for the missionaries' patience with the whole
situation. It was very demanding on them and I'm so grateful for their
cooperation. One cool thing was that on Saturday day night our last
stop was in 豊田 (Toyota) and while Mills was in the lesson I got to
literally "drive" down memory lane and go check out the city with
Nakamoto. I was way good to see the place and I was grateful to see it
again for the first time in almost a year. On Sunday we went to church
in the 御器所 (Gokiso) and 福徳 (Fukutoku) areas for church and lessons.
The best part of Sunday was in 御器所 before church there was a baptismal
service before the normal meeting and it was a beautiful service. The
lady being baptized looked so happy and everybody's shared testimonies
were so sweet and the Spirit was definitely felt there. The rest of
the day was driving Mills around to lesson until late at night. I'm so
happy that ordeal is over with. It was a good experience and learned
some stuff from him, but I wasn't sad to drop him off at his hotel and
drive away.

We had two companion exchanges this week. The first was on Wednesday
in 福徳 (Fukutoku) and I got to work with a fantastic ZL, Elder Hall. He
is a way funny guy and it was such a good time to work with him. The
ZLs there are doing such good things and are seeing a lot of success
there. On Thursday we were supposed to go on an exchange with the 野並
(Nonami) guys, but we got really busy closing down the 野並 elder's
apartment. At transfers we shut down the sister missionary area there
completely; meaning we are no longer going to rent an extra apartment
there so we had to clean and move everything out. The ZLs there
decided to move into what was the sisters' apartment so we closed the
one I used to live in. The ZLs hadn't cleaned it much before they left
so we and the Gunnerson's (couple missionaries from the office) took
a moving truck out there and spent the whole day cleaning and moving
things out. It took all day to get stuff out, load it, bring it to the
本部, unload it, and then reload it again when we got rid of it to
recycle it out to a vendor. We ran out of time to do the exchange so
we went on Friday after ZTM. It was way fun to be back in 'Nam. I
worked with my replacement Elder Smith and we went sprinting around the
city to make it to a couple of appointments they had. I got to meet up
with two people I worked a lot with, one was 藤本姉妹 (Sister Fujimoto)
and 有坂会長 (President Arisaka). 藤本姉妹 was so happy to see me again and it
was good to talk to her. The ZLs are still trying to meet with her
husband to teach him. 有坂会長 is still as good as ever and we went out
with him to go visit some less active members which was really
successful. He is one of my favorite leaders that I've met in Japan.
Getting to return back to areas and meet the people you loved is so
good.

The rest of the time in between all of these happening was office work
and we have already started transfer meetings. A lot of work is
getting done and it will just keep rolling on as the next week rises.
We're tired, but what's new. Nakamoto and I are having fun so that's
what truly matters in the end.

Tomorrow is Easter which is strange since it's in March, but just
thought I'd remind you all about it. It's a good opportunity for all
to think back and reflect on what the Savior has done for each of us
and the things that are possible because of Him and His everlasting
atonement for you and me. Because of Christ we have the opportunity to
be resurrected and return to live with our families eternally in the
presence of our Father in Heaven. I know it's true and that's why I'm
here.

Have a great spring season and try not to get diabetes from all the
Easter chocolate!

スピードと天使

堅城長老

写真




Nakamoto wanted a selfie to document the experience. Here's Pres. Mills.


Just hangin' around in 福徳 (Fukutoku)



有坂会長 and I. He's my favorite Branch President.


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