I don't think I have as much patience as I thought I did...

Sup! So since last week, here is the updates! We have had snow up past our heads here and it doesn't look like its going to stop anytime soon. Walking all the way out here to email was a pain! And I'm pretty sure my shoes are going to be ruined after this winter...haha. I decided that wearing the snowboots was not a good idea because it pretty much burned off the hairs on my leg and that expirience wasn't that fun, so I'm wearing regular shoes in this winter weather. Dendo has been great!!! Love it this week and all weeks! Well I guess I'll start on last Tuesday.

Tuesday, we had a lesson with Ol' man Mizuguchi and he spoked our lesson!! I was kinda furious, cause I saw him go into his house and then he didn't come to the door, but yeah...and then later that day we had another lesson planned and he spoked our lesson too and then it was blizzarding and snowing and cold and miserable and we decided that life wasn't worth living!!!! (just kidding...I'm just trying to make it dramatic...) and then we decided to pray to what to do next, because we were all out of ideas, and then we were like, alright lets try knocking these houses (next to where we were standing at the time) and then as we were doing these houses, the 1st house instantly closed the door on us, so I thought to myself...(ohh, either past missionaries or the Jehovah's Witness' have been here recently...maybe this block has been dendoed already...) but we eventually decided to keep knocking that block of houses...and I was getting all kinds of excuses about how they are Japanese and they don't need God, and all sorts of beautiful excuses about how...argh...yeah, so I was getting kind of upset at everyones really really really dumb excuses, and so this one house, me and Rueffy stop at, I'm like "k, you do this one...cause I'm getting frusterated with everyones excuses..." and so he knocks the house and a girl comes to the door and when she opens it, I recognize her...I wasn't sure exactly who she was, but I knew we met somewhere. Turns out that the girl has been to church before with Nene and I have met the mom before. But we set an appointment to come back on Friday and when we did we taught the Mom and the son and the daughter. Miyuki, Takumi, and Kasumi. All became investigators...that's right! Take that world! We found another family!...of course through the Spirit...not by our own means...Not to mention, we prayed before we housed that block so there is another expirience where prayer is real! It was zawezome.

Gomen...Wednesday, not much...just tryed finding people. We had good spirit that day. Sang primary songs...

Thursday...ohh yeah, thursday...blehh...we got to teach Saito Shizue today and that lesson went ok....it wasn't as I hoped it would be, so yeah, but then after that me, Rueffy and Tanaka kyodai...one of the recent converts...went to this one ladys house...Igarashi-san's and ate curry and this one bacon stuff that was pretty good. Anyway, she is a Jehovah's Witness and she loves telling us about Armageddon and Paradise. It's kinda funny. Plus we got some of their books! Score! Anyways, Yeah, she didn't know that Jesus Christ and the Resurection of the Body was in the Book of Mormon. So yeah...and she kept calling my comp...Baby-chan. It was quite entertaining. But yeah, aparantly she Loves the mormon missionaries for some reason. I don't know why...

Friday...Ohh yeah, this day was amazing! We had every one of our lessons show up! I didn't think it was possible, but yeah! We got 2 more investigators this week...to make a total of 5 for the week. It was definatly an awesome week! Met Tatsuya and he was pretty cool. The lesson with Sugawara Miyuki's family was a blast! We were only planning on doing like a little lesson but they were like on the edge of their seats wanting to here more, and I just couldn't help it!!! How can you refrain from teaching a family about the gospel when they are on the edge of their seats like that...so unfortunatly...we got home a little past curfew...cough cough...maybe a lot past curfew, but the lesson on the other-hand was WAY good! I can't even believe how good it was!

Saturday...we found another kinjin family...golden...and that was about it.

Sunday...church of course was awesome just like EVERY week...

Monday...we taught Sugawara-san...the one crazy guy...that likes psychology...but his lesson was amazing this last time! He pretty much taught us about How perfect the plan of Salvation was to us...I can't even begin to explain to you the conversation we had, but it was ridiculous! He really opened my eyes as to how perfect the plan of salvation is. I finally understand what we mean when we say the Fullness of the gospel is restored. Can you even Fathom how big the world FULLNESS is??? After that lesson I finally understood what the word Fullness meant. It was a good lesson! He finally accepted a commitment to pray, so that was good. He pretty much needs to get baptized, cause he is crazy...I can't even put into words on this computer monitor...it's ridiculous.

Anyways...well we got to go. Have a blast! Good luck with stuff and life and stuff! Peace!

hmm...the subject of this email...what to call it...

Hey! Wasappu! How is everyone doing!?! Long time no see! haha...I think it's been like 2 weeks eh? My bad...dendo is just so fun I just can't stop! (Not to mention it takes forever to get out here to email...) But yeah! So new news...the gospel is true!...ohh wait, thats old news...umm...I got a new companion! He is pretty cool. He was my Kohai in the MTC...meaning he came to the MTC the transfer after I did, he is a California-jin. (California-ite) and his name is long...just like my last companion, and no one can say his name...haha it's Ruefenacht choro! I don't have a picture yet, but we'll get one up here soon!...maybe. But yeah, so we got transfers and I stayed in Tsuruoka and got a new companion and became district leader, and I am just so overwhelmed with new stuff that I could blow a cork! The good news is...Ruefenacht choro is a WAY good cook! He has only made 2 meals for us so far, but they were DELICIOUS! So yeah, thats the good news. These past weeks we haven't been able to get ahold of many people, which is sad...and people just keep spokeing our lessons...(is that japanese?) They don't show up to our lessons...so not very good, but ohh well...I guess me and Rueffy are going to have to find tons more people, and we have had a pretty good start! So I guess this week we pretty much met with a Less Active that hasn't been contacted by the missionaries in 20 years...Funami kyodai...and we had dinner with him at this one restaurant. He was pretty cool, but I hope he can make it back! I think we sparked something inside that he hasn't felt in a long long time.

Then on transfer call day we helped the Moving truck get unstuck out of the road in front of our house. Me and Hiltbrand choro strait up pushed the giant moving truck out of the snow, so that was a pretty cool miracle. they were also trying to use a cable to pull the truck out, and the cable snapped and just about hit us but we stepped back just in time, or we would've probably gone to the hospital. Later that day we had dinner at McDonalds with the Saito family. They were sad that Hiltbrand was transfering, but I think they are ok. Hiltbrand gave them a testimony and I really think they are going to get baptized this month (Feb)...my mind is in next month...haha...but yeah, so Nene...the 15 year old in the Saito family...she had a high school exam and we told her to pray before she takes it and she did, and we found out her results on Monday, and she passed! So I think she is realizing the power of prayer and She pretty much comes to church every week, so the daughter is ready, but if we could just get some time with the mom to teach her then we would totally be set! Cause the mom is as prepared as can be!

We also taught Sugawara and he went crazy with his thought process and...haha...I don't think it was good for Ruefenacht choro, cause we were using super intense language...super difficult to understand concepts, so I think I failed at having the spirit there, but next week we'll see. He is starting to understand the importance of the Book of Mormon. But by next week, we should have a ton of new people that Ruefenacht choro and I will find, so look forward to that, as well as the baptism announcement of the Saito family, cause I guarentee they are getting baptized.

Anyways, hope everyone is great! Be safe and don't get into any car wrecks and such. Hope school is good for those going to school, and hope work is enjoyable for those at work. May the Lord bless you for your successes and may He strengthen you in your faults! Have a wonderful day!

Crazy stuff...This is Kizuna and Me, chillin at KFC and playing Mario...haha (I'm not the one playing Mario, btw)

So last time on "Adventures with Lay Choro" we talked about some adventures with investigators...It was a scary go, but the Lord's team pulls through! Woo! Haha...jk, I don't know if that's blasphemy or not...Anyways...

On Sunday we met with an old investigator named Miura and he makes cakes...he is AMAZING at making cakes its ridiculous! Anyways, he told us all about his Buddist ideas and how he can't change and we had a good time!...eating his cake! Haha...Why is tradition such a hard thing to break! Anyways...hes 60 years old and was going to go skiing in Tsuruoka...I hear that the skiing is pretty fun here...but we pretty much didn't get anywhere with him in terms of progression.

Monday...we met with Saito san. She is a referal from Yamagata...and she is pretty weird. She speaks Shonai-ben (it's a type of language...thing...dialect...thing) and speaks like a shinkansen (bullet train)!!! But hopefully she can get somewhere.

Tuesday...we went to Yamagata and Dendo'ed there a bit. We met this guy that fed the local homeless cats...haha, he was kinda funny. But yeah...we met a ton of people in Yamagata and set up some lessons for the elders there, so hopefully they can get some good investigators.

Wednesday...we came home from Yamagata and housed a little, and found Igarashi-san...he likes Western Movies and has a little intrest in learning about Jesus Christ. (We visited him today and he wasn't home...:() But that was about it.

Thursday...ohh wait...thats today. We visited Tabuchi-san and he is an old guy that can't remember ANYTHING! He always tells us that we are Tskaresama's (I'm not sure the translation for this one...). That it must be difficult to dendo in Japan. And he tells us that he studys the bible in his study group twice a month! And he has been to Rome, and he studys the bible twice a month! And tells us it must be difficult to dendo in Japan, but he studys the bible twice a month! His wife also studys the bible and they usually go to bible study twice a month! Yeaaaaaaaah...haha, he is pretty cool though. He's been to Rome...(not to mention he studys the bible twice a month...haha) Sorry....Anyways! Then we visited a bunch of people and we were talking to people in the streets and stuff and we were talking to this one old guy in the street in front of Macdonalds and then this one guy just out of nowhere comes up to us and says "Hey! I want to be your friend!" and so we told the old guy to have a good day and we turned to this guy...haha. Who does that??? Who walks up to two missionaries and tells us that they want to be friends! I dunno...it's crazy. But we got his number and are going to meet him on Saturday.

Also yesterday...I'm sorry, on a funny note...my comp picked up a bat on the side of the road because it was a blizzard and the bat looked like it was about to die, but the funny part was after he picked it up he had no idea what to do with it! I had no idea what he was planning on doing with it, so we spent like 5 minutes trying to figure out what to do with the bat in my comps hands...it was funny...maybe it's a "You had to be there" moment, but I thought it was hilarious...and it also illustrates a good point! Don't jump into life without a Goal, or you'll wander around aimlessly knowing not what to do. Yes, I learned that lesson from my beloved companion! Anyways...I hope all is well in the States and I hope everyone is doing Fantastically! Please Sleep well tonight and don't jump into life without a goal! Hahaha...Bai bai!

Have a Happy January 8th!

Hey! Sorry it's been a while since I last said anything, but yeah, everything is going great here in Tsuruoka! It's snowing way bad here and we just about can't ride bikes, but today we pushed through it ok. hahaha...oops...I guess the last time was on the 22nd....hmmm...well! There is a ton that happened since the 22nd! I got to talk with my mami and papi on the 26th...(25th in US) and it was pretty good! I got a package from some people and letters and Christmas wishes and it was pretty good! Thank you all for letters and support and prayers and anything else that you do to help me and all missionaries in general! Well we had a Baptism date with Ko on the 30th of December and well...lets just say that the power of the devil is real people!!! He is out there and works even to the day of covenant! She was all ready to go and we did a lesson on the 28th with her about Baptism again and she was even more ready to go and then we did another one on the 29th and she had slipped through, and we couldn't do the Baptism on the 30th. It's too bad, but the good news is that she is still as strong as she ever was! We still meet with her often! She is doing really great! The reason she couldn't make the Baptism is because of some fear issues. Fear and Faith are opposite forces and lets just say that she had a little bit more fear than faith. Which is totally understandable! Her reason for not wanting to get baptised is because of her teacher. Her teacher is anti-Christian and in order to get into Graduate School she needs that teachers help, so she was a little bit afraid that if she were to get Baptised that she wouldn't be able to make it to Graduate School. And so with that she decided she didn't want to do it, and that's that! We are still working really hard with her on Faith and putting your trust in the Lord in all things. I know that it will all work out for her if she puts her trust 1st in the Lord. We have just been trying to get her faith up and she'll come around.

As for now we met with Kim (the other Chinese girl) and on this last lesson we had with her, I felt assured that she was going to get baptised soon. She had totally changed from the 1st time we met her, and I think she'll come around too...the only problem with her is that she works really crazy shifts and can't meet very often. But we're going to start trying to meet more and see where she goes.

Also there is the Saito Family and they are crazy! I love them! It's a family of a Mom and 15yr daughter, 12yr son, 5yr son and they are crazy! They are so awesome! Shizue is the mom, Nene is the daughter, Ren and Kizuna are the boys. We just taught them their 1st official lesson today, but we met them about last month...actually no...like october or november or something...and we taught them about the Restoration and Kizuna was being a distraction...haha, but of course a mom's attention span and focusing rate is way stronger then anything we can imagine and the Spirit was totally there! She understood things from the Restoration video that even I didn't know you could understand from it! It was crazy! But yeah, the kids were a little preoccupied, but Shizue was crazy focused and was way into it! She even started crying a little when she was talking about her family and things...it's pretty much official. She's totally getting baptized with her family and they are going to be eternal! But yeah, teaching families is totally the best! I love it!

umm...other then that we have still been working with everyone. Since it was the holidays from last time I wrote we haven't really found anyone new, cause everyone is inside and it's too cold to talk to us, and there wasn't any time cause of the holidays, but now Dendo should start getting better! I'm excited! Tomorrow we should be having a Less Active come back to church for the 1st time in a long time...like 20 years or something. But it should be great! Ohh yeah, we dropped the Ugandian...he was just not keeping our commitments so unfortunatly we had to stop meeting with him. Umm...other then that, we went to Sendai and I got to see my Dendo papi! The one who trained me...Takaki choro was doing pretty good. Kamisugi is crazy full of people!

Umm...I can't really think of anything else that we did. And I don't have my December planner, cause the new month started, so I don't remember what I did before the 3rd...on the 3rd we met with Sugawara san and he's pretty cool. We met him on the street and we have talked to him every week since then. He won't give us his home phone cause it's his parents number and he doesn't have a cell phone and doesn't have an email address, so we pretty much have no way of contacting him, but he shows up to all our appointments! He is good...he's a good listener but won't accept commitments to do things on his own. I don't know what to do with him! All his ideas about the world and about human nature are right in line with the gospel, but he won't accept doing things on his own.

Anyways...sorry, this may be long and there is no picture, but next time I'll put some more pictures up and we'll see what happens...coming out here to email is a pain...especially in the snow, so we'll see! Well, have a wonderful wonderful January 8th! My January 8th is halfover, but friends and familys in the US are still applicable for a wonderful Januray 8th! Bai-Bai!