Elder Christopher Crandall: Tuesday Aug. 20th, 2013

Dear Family,

Man, I am tired. It's hot and we are getting worked over by the sun and the heat. We have been riding the trains like nothing else going to the first ever Tokyo South Zone Conference, zone meeting, district meeting, referring investigators, going to members house's for dinner, going to the church for lessons and going to get food everyday. We are always on the train! Through all of our train riding, we found 1 new investigator, but he lives in a different ward so we had to refer him. The trains are fun, but it is expensive and full of sketchy pics and drunk old people, haha. But, ya gotta love it! Love is the motivation.

This past week was what Japan calls Obone. It is a massive holiday where everyone goes back to their home towns and dress up in kimono's and blow up tons of fireworks. There was a large firework show last Saturday that we went to with some ward members and I learned some new explosive vocab words, haha. It was really hard to meet with investigators this last week since everyone goes back to their home towns. However, Masaru is doing well and is looking to be baptized on the 31st. It's interesting to be working with a 10 year old boy. He really is converting unto the Lord and changing himself in his own way, in a 10 year old way. I think of all the experiences that I had when I was a 10 year old in the church and I am so grateful that I had a strong foundation and friends and family in the church. It has helped me grow so much and has blessed me throughout my entire life.

We are nearing the end of Elder Kuniyuki's training. We are going to the honbu tomorrow to receive some training from President Wada and he has asked me to train some other trainers and new missionaries. I'm getting pretty nervous. This is the exact situation I was in when I was in Kawagoe and they transferred me out of there! Transfer calls are next week and I don't know what is gonna happen. I want to stay here and keep on working with Elder Kuniyuki, but who knows. I'll just keep doing my thing and I will be fine.

I am attaching some pictures and what nots. I've got one of Masaru and Kensuke, Marilyn's kids playing around, he is way flexible! And another picture is a drawing from Elder Kuniyuki of one of our members, it was his birthday. One is of a train station table, the Kanji for the Noborito station means "Mexico"and "forbidden", hence Noborito station :) One is a drawing by Elder Mitabi of all three of us before he left.

I hope all these pictures get to you well.

We are going to keep calm and carry on over here. Or rather, keep cool and carry on. The ward has begun to put a lot of trust in us and has been reaching out to us on almost a daily basis with inviting us over for dinner and what not. They always say, "Come over for dinner! And if you have an investigator available, invite him to come over as well!" But in the back of our minds we think, "We will be happy to go over to dinner. If you have any friends or trusted people that are available invite them over as well." That is the ideal situation.

I hope that the transition into regular life will be an easy one for you :) It is weird to hear about school starting up again and stuff like that. Nothing is changing for me! It's only one more school year till I will be home. The end is coming all too fast, and yet I feel as though I just started my mission, haha. がんばろう日本！！！！

I love you and my prayers are always for you, even if my heart is for the people here :)

愛

クランダル長老