October 31, 2010

Hey family!

It`s finally my preparation day again and I am emailing you from Yonabaru in Okinawa...the Hawaii of Japan! My companion Elder Hardy is a stud and we`re getting work done here in Yonabaru. It`s such an interesting situation...we`re white washing this area which means that there were two elders here before and they both transferred out, and then we were transferred in. So bascially neither of us know too much about the area. But the Lord is on our side and we`ve already made 2 new investigators after about 5 hours of dendo`ing (proselyting). This area hasn`t had a baptism all year and we`re hoping to have 2 people come unto Christ and be baptized this transfer.

So fun story. I was delayed coming to Okinawa because there was this crazy T4 typhoon here and it`s the strongest they`ve had in a long time, like years. So I stayed in the mission home an extra day, and I was able to meet all the dying missionaries (the one`s that were going home in the next couple of days). They imparted me with their knowledge and I had some awesome dendo`ing experiences.

So I need to tell you about my mission president. He is the nicest man ever. I thought that when I got to Japan, it was all going to be about "numbers" and having no fun. It`s all about the love. He is the most loving man ever and every missionary here is so happy. It`s weird to say this but I`ve been told countless times that there are just not any bad missionaries in this mission. Every missionary here is way good and I`ve met a bunch of them already because I got stuck in Fukuoka. Thanks a lot T4 typhoon! No but really, it`s such a great place. The first day I went out and passed out muryo eikaiwa`s (fliers for free english conversation classes). It was so fun singing on random street corners (in english) and talking to everyone (in japanese) and giving them stuff. Ah! So great. That night we went streeting too and this elder, Elder Shaner (he`s the best) and we talked to a ton of people. I felt prompted to talk some some guy who was sitting on the side of the road smoking and drinking. So I did it. He was way nice and he really needs Jesus Christ. We talked and I gave him a Book of Mormon! It was the best. Elder Shaner had gotten a phone call too, and so I got to do it by myself.
The other day I went out to buy a bike and it was way difficult because I didn`t have enough money on my card! Elder Savage...a senior couple missionary had to lend me 10000 yen so that I could but the bike. Apparently the Japan is in a stage of deflation so the strength of the yen to the dollar is increasing. It was like 87 yen to the dollar when i went into the MTC, so the money I had then would`ve been close to what I needed for a bike, but now it`s like 79. I am going to need to pay this brother back in the near future. Onegaishimasu! I don`t really have any more money needs except some time in the future I might buy an electronic dictionary. I`m actually making it pretty ok without one though so we`ll see.

One more good story.

Yesterday, I went to pick up a guitar from a member after church so that I can play for a ward activity on Wednesday. On the way there my brand new bike(totemo suteki which means very nice) got a flat tire. I was way bummed. So I had to walk my bike to the members house and back and carry a guitar and such. Elder Hardy just laughed and we had the best "boken" (adventure) ever. So many things went right after I my tire went flat. I was really annoyed at first but I came to see that Heavenly Father gives us trials, only to make us see something or appreciate something that we didn`t before. We had so many tender mercies walking there. We found a public phone. We found a port a potty (which was important)! And as a background to why these were tender mercies the city I`m serving in is very inaka which means it`s out in the countryside and houses don`t have addresses. On top of that, me and Elder Hardy are white washing the area (explanation of white washing at the beginning of the email). So, we`re walking our bikes and we happen to run into some kids outside a house who were members! There are not many members here at all...that was a miracle! And then they led us to another brother`s house who could help me fix my bike, so no worries there! And then to top it off, the guitar fit into Elder Hardy`s backpack (sort of) which made it easier to carry back.

Well, I love you all. Just for the record, Japan is about 15 hours or so ahead of you, so it`s a little after one thirty in the afternoon on a monday here in Japan. I`ll write you today!

Love,
Robert

PS If you are going to send me a package send me...hmm, maybe tortillas, and peanut butter and salsa. Those things are way way expensive here in Japan...so that`d be great! Oh, and some taco powder/seasoning and drink mixes (the great value ones were way good)! Thank you so much family!

PPS An apple here in Japan is $2 an apple! How crazy is that?!