Weekly Kumamotes Mail

I'm in Kumamoto city, a 4 hour bus ride from our area, and today we are going to check out this castle and tomorrow we are getting training from our leaders. Last night I stayed at my dad's house. He is really proud of me now that I am a big boy.

This old dude at a vege store was so fascinated with my companion, Elder Wheatley, and I (being gaijin), so much so that he grabbed my companions face and is like, "Yep, this is the face of an American," and grabs my face and moves it around a little "Yep, this is the face of an Australian." So that was flattering.

Mayumi, our investigator with a baptisimal date for next month, met with us and her friend who is a less-active member who referred Mayumi to us, and we taught them an awesome lesson. Before we even brought it up, Mayumi mentioned her baptisimal date and said she will be baptised on that date. She said she wants the gift of the Holy Ghost and it really seems like she has a sincere desire!

Umeda came to Church for the fifth week in a row, her insecurity about her family's view on religion is what has been stopping her from really commiting to being baptised, although she had a date recently (the date has now passed). We taught her this week about Temples and Family History and even gave her a My Family pamphlet to fill out with information and stories about her relatives and ancestors - and she absolutely loved it! We told her that we know she can be baptised in the near future and that we will want to make another goal with her to work towards, as the recent one has passed - and she, unexpectedly to be honest, said that she would like to make a goal for within 3 months (earlier in the week she said if she makes a goal to be baptised it won't be for a year). Her testimony is growing stronger and stronger every day, and so is her desire to be baptised.

Also this old guy we met at a party on my previous companion's, Elder Culverwell, last day turned up to Church today.. he is way hard to understand though but he is preatty cool! Old dude rocks this snapback, he knows how the real world is. Word.

Photos wa our district went out to lunch in Beppu and we took a dumb picture, us four Nobeokans took a dumb picture together, and my Dad, Elder Rogers, were working out when someone took a dumb picture of us. 

Yes.

Weekly nanbashiyottoka Mail

That's Kummamoto ben for 'what are you doing!'

Elder Culverwell, my companion was transferred to my bean area - Ishigaki! I have a new companion who is two transfers away from dying, Elder Wheatley from Idaho. Elder Keikyu, the other missionary in Nobeoka, was transferred to Miyako, the island next to Ishigaki.

Yesterday we did this crazy activity in like some jungle and that was way sick.

I have too many photos to send to write a good email so here is what I wrote to Kaicho, livin' large in the copy and paste life.

Elder Wheatley is a good bloke, and already we have seen some fair dinkum miracles!

Umeda, our progressing investigator with a baptismal date, doesn't feel ready for baptism just now, and has a few problems with her family, but I can tell you she has becoming more and more ready. She has made lots of changes in her life, she is living the word of wisdom and reads the Book of Mormon for half an hour each night before she sleeps no matter what. She came to Church for the fourth time this week!

Yasuyo, the Mum of our investigator family, was well-receiving of us this week as it was the first time we attempted to share a scripture with her in a while and it turned into a great discussion about God where, again, in her own words and thoughts caught herself in a state of realization that, contrary to what she's thought her whole life, relying on God can bring so many more blessings than a life not. Great step in the right direction for her and her family, since we have been rebuilding our relationship with them!

Mayumi, our new investigator who was a referral from our less-active member, is amazing! She came to Church and accepted a baptismal date for October. In her words 'I want to be baptized, because I want to be clean.'

So there's that!
Awesome week, as always, and I feel like I am working closer and closer with the Lord as each prayer, each disappointment and each triumph passes! Elder Culverwell did so much for this area so I am so excited for him in Ishigaki - my old area!

Photos: Elder Culverwell and I at Yasuyo's and her family's house with a few friends the night before he transferred.

Our last photo!

Weekly kuyashikunakatta Mail

This week was full-on! So much happened, here are some highlights.
Yasuyo and her family, our investigator family who kind of dropped us a week weeks ago, are back in full, we have visited her and her family a heap, and she told us she will listen to our messages again. She and her daughter Yuri also came to Church for the third time (first time since we were dropped) and then that day she spent 45 mins on the phone to Elder Culverwell expressing her feelings - that she is seriously considering the Church. That made for a perfect opportunity for us to invite her to start reading and praying again!
We taught Umeda, who has a baptisimal date for the 20th, a number of the commandments and she came to Church for the third time, but this week, she came wearing a skirt and was happy to sit up closer to the front next to Watanabe Shimai (who has been fellowshipping her) - both for the first time ever. She has gained so much more confidence and faith over the last two months, I am so excited for her! I can see her changing, and she has been so very accepting of everything since we set her baptismal date!

We also have two new solid investigators from this week who we both taught and set up new appointments with, so Nobeoka is really moving forward and I am so glad to be a part of it!!

Our Mission President set a goal for 200 people to be at Church this past Sunday, across the mission, so we gambaru'd and reached it! From that my faith grew so much.

Also heaps more stuff happened but you have no time to read any more so look at the photos, miss me, then get off your computer and go dendo.

Yoroshiku!

Photos: Kuroki Kyodai & Shimai, our ward mission leader and ward missionary - we had a barbeque with them last week. Mecha oishikatta

We went to this cool place and took a photo because it's transfer calls and someone is going to leave *cough* Keikyu Choro.