Weekly Baptism Mail

Let me tell you a little story.

On Ishigaki, my first area, I was transfered just a few weeks before our investigator Nakamichi was baptized, but I wasn't annoyed or disappointed in any way because I knew it was right for me, so I continued singing 'I'll go where you want me to go,' and during my first week in Nobeoka (in June) I saw an awesome miracle! An Eikaiwa student, Umeda Nozomi, came up to me and asked if we had a Church website where she could learn about the Church. Ever since then we have been teaching her, and she has gained a lot of faith.

Through her desire to learn and know, love of the Book of Mormon, countless prayers, hard work on not only her part but of the part of many members and missionaries, and many, many miracles and tender mercies from the Lord, she was able to overcome what was holding her back from just taking that extra step of faith and this weekend... she was baptized.

Elder Wheatley baptized her and I confirmed her the next day, and I have been just extactic. The Spirit was so strong at all her meetings leading up to her baptisimal service, at the service itself and at Church the next day. She even bore her testimony and shared her conversion story at her baptismal service.

The miracle of a mission!

This week was transfer calls, and all four of us are staying here in Nobeoka - this will be my fourth. I will be transfer 7, gettin' old ;)

Mata ne

Weekly Ya'll Haters Is Done Mail

Someone give me a beat, I'm gonna drop this miracle,

So Rieko Shimai, a recent convert from last year, has a young family with two little girls, but for the longest time her husband has been quite against the Church to the point that a few months ago we were careful about contacting her, because we were worried about her husband.

We had a dinner all together last month, and her husband came, and he really connected with Elder Wheatley! He, Takayoshi his name is, was faced with a decision at work that humbled him. One day he came out of an argument with his boss and saw us riding past his work, he waved, and what we found out later was that at that time he thought to himself that he wanted to meet us again. So last week we went over to their place for dinner, he came down to welcome us at the bikes, and during the evening he said recently he has felt that family prayer is an important thing... despite never having done it, or ever wanting to!

Flash forward to now, he has been talking to his wife and he wants to not only meet us again, but wants to hear the missionary lessons. His heart is changing, and it has been a huge testimony builder that the Lord sends us where we need to be, because this change of heart has started to happen both as Elder Wheatley was transferred here, and as the Lord has put certain things in his life for him to humble himself.

It doesn't sound that spectacular, but it is a huge miracle. We have an appointment this week, it's so exciting to be a part of this! Also Umeda has a baptismal date for October 18 but she wasn't sure if she could meet that date, but we will be meeting tomorrow, so there's a cliffhanger for you!

Photos: 1) Elder Just and I bought these sweet gold snapbacks

2) Got some new suteki photos for my wall, what better way to show them off than to pose with my decent sized Kumamon fan and yanki swag?

Weekly Beach Life Mail

We went to the beach last P-Day and we liked it so much that we went back twice! Once a few mornings later for the sunrise and to play frisbee, and again later in the week, but it was just before a typhoon came so it was crazy windy and I nearly got blown into Oz.

Oh yeah so I guess another typhoon came. We went outside to see if it would work if we shampoo'd our hair in the typhoon rain but the rain stopped.

It's all coming together with our investigator Umeda! his past weekend she fasted to recognise an answer from Heavenly Father that this Church is true, and she came to the full 3 hour program for the first time in two months (this was her 7th time to church in a row). Tonight we will meet her and will extend to her a baptisimal invite, to be baptised on October 18! I'm so excited.
I've really gained a lot of love for her, and a long with that, our other investigators. I've learnt patience and in helping her become more Christlike and to look towards God, I have realised that I have done those two things myself!
The miracle of a mission!

Also this older man called Miyawaki has come to Church three weeks in a row, and he read a Liahona from cover to cover so we started teaching him.. and he is pretty funny. But I can hardly understand him, and he thinks I can. That makes for some interesting moments, actually.

Heard some great news from home, particularly about UYC. Send me more photos onegaishimasu.

P.S. No we didn't go swimming at the beach

Weekly Get Pera or Die Trying Mail

Hora! Chanto read this.

Went to Kumamoto, big city with heaps of people, hit up this sick castle, then I got to Dendo with my Dad (Elder Rogers my trainer). It was way nostalgic but this time I could understand and speak that one language. Kind of.

This morning we got up at 5 and went to the top of this mountain with our Branch Mission Leader to watch the sunrise which was cool but I feel like a zombie now.

Our investigator Umeda is the best, she came to Church for the 6th time in a row, and is still reading and praying every day, and has told us she wants to fast with us this week to be able to recognise answers to her prayers (after we spent a great lesson on how to recognise the Spirit and recognise answers).

I asked the other Elders about what we did this week, Elder Just said: Went to a castle, then went broke.

That about sums it up.

Bye. Elder Wheeler.

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.