Where Does the Time Go?

Holy crap the time flies. This e-mail is being sent late because we had a District BBQ here in 豊田 today by the stadium. We bought a BBQ and meat and we had some fun together. The sisters didn`t come, but that was fine. We kind of struggled with the charcoal, but we still managed to grill up some good steaks and meaty chunks of goodness. I love my district to death!

We had like no time this week to get things done it seemed. We had a lot of appointments, meetings, and a companionship exchange. It was lots of fun and this week is going to be busy too.

Tuesday I went on an exchange with Elder Pennington in 岡崎. It was a lot of fun. Several of you may remember Elder Pennington as the missionary who ran away several transfers ago. Elder Pennington is actually turning into a really good missionary. I really enjoyed getting to work with him and see the change that occurred in him.

Wednesday was kind of a sad day. We had a Zone Conference and it was our last time having the opportunity to see President Yamashita and receiving training from him. He finishes his service as mission president on the 1st of July. It just seems like yesterday I met him for the first time. He is one of Japan`s greatest church leaders and he will be sorely missed by everyone. Him and Sister Yamashita have been such good examples to us missionaries and all the members here in the mission. That night after Eikaiwa, Sister Ichikawa (the mother of the missionary who just go home from Temple Square) asked me to give a blessing due to some pain she was having in her jaw that the dentists couldn`t find a solution to. She wanted to go to Tokyo to the temple with her recently returned daughter and didn`t want to be hindered with pain. I have never given a priesthood blessing in Japanese and was trying to prepare to do so, but they had me do it in English and the daughter translated later. On Thursday morning we received a text that her pain was gone. On Sunday she told us that the pain had only been absent for the duration of their trip, exactly what I promised her in her blessing. Just a little testimony builder that blessings and miracles are truly around us.

On Friday I had DTM and that evening we biked out to visit a Filipino member out in Miyoshi city. We were there a little long and we had to bike really fast to get back to the apartment before 2130. I am faster than Coleman and at a light I turn and look back and he is not behind me. I wait but he doesn`t come. So I bike all the way back to where I last saw him and never saw him the whole way. I called the Zone Leaders and told them I was missing a companion and then was told to pray for some inspiration and then call them back in 5-10 minutes. I follow the instructions and called the other Toyota missionaries and tell them to check my apartment to see if Coleman made it home. After 15 minutes they told me he was back in the apartment much to my joy. As missionaries we are never supposed to be with out our comp. By losing him I was not fulfilling my duty as a companion. That`s why it was spooky for me.

This week we had a lot of member visits. I have grown to really love this ward. I know it sounds crazy for me to say it, but they really have grown on me. It feels like my knew home ward. This ward has grown so much! It is also interesting to see their change their in view of me. In the beginning I definitely felt like they didn`t trust us or the missionaries, but now they ask me for updates on how dendo is and they give me referrals. It`s weird because the other companionship are older missionaries, but the ward leadership communicate through me. This week on Saturday we have transfer calls again and members are tellling me that they don`t want me to transfer. I have no idea what will happen this weekend, but if I do it will be sad to go.

Alight I`ll bring this long e-mail to a close. A big shout out to my little bro, Brock, who is entering the MTC this week to begin his journey. Best of luck kid.

スピードと天使

堅城長老

Grillin` like a villain