Dearest Family,
I can't believe it is Halloween either!! I was in the exact same place last year for Halloween so it's been really natsukashii (I don't know that in English) to see all the same people and smell the same smells in the same settings as last year. Today was the first kinda cold day, not too cold, but cold enough to complain that it is cold, haha. We had a fun week, an interesting week for sure. But we have some cool plans coming up and I am looking forward to this next week!!
I was able to go on splits with Elder Allred (he is from Vegas) this past week and check out the Kamiooka Ward situation and the great work that they are doing over there. Elder Allred is doing great. He is being obedient, he is working smart, he is being a loving and patient companion with Elder Lumberg, and possibly for the first time he is starting to feel a deep conversion for himself and really starting to learn how to preach the gospel.
He shared with me his conversion experience and I felt the spirit very strongly. He has come a long way since the start of his mission and I can see that he is feeling a lot of the joy that comes from living and believing the gospel. He and I have a close relationship, my BYU roommates were his best friends growing up, and he shared with me a lot of his true feelings on things. He is very patient and he is willing to and ready to serve in Kamiooka till the end of his mission. Although they haven't started teaching a whole lot, he is planting a lot of seeds and is doing his part over there. He recently white washed into his area and so things have been slow. It was a good chance for me to add my little bit of effort into the work in that corner of the vineyard and get some fun planting opportunities. We went to a volunteer center and spent two hours playing games and eating cake with some mentally handicapped kids who were just the funnest people ever. The missionaries have been doing that for a while so there are a lot of friends to the missionaries there and we were able to strengthen our relationship with them and prepare people to hear the gospel.
On Sunday, we had 4 people who we were expecting to come to church, but 1 at a time, before church started, they called us and cancelled on us. In fact one of them we met up with us later that evening, Katsufumi San (an old guy who has read the BOM three times). Turns out that he had some pretty extreme beliefs and ended up dropping himself on the grounds that he has graduated from religion and a new age religion has started up and he is transitioning into the future. I'm still not sure what that means either. We have 1 very slowly progressing investigator who keeps all his commitments except church attendance, and 1 investigator who is a kinjin, (Yaguchi) but can't meet, and is waiting for his school test results to come back. We have a whiteboard in our apartment full of tons of PI's that never meet up or work on Sundays, and we spend a good amount of time finding and having quality conversations with people. Things aren't bad, but they aren't good yet. Our problem right now is just a huge lack of member support. Mostly, it's coming in the form of no action. Everything that is going on is all talk and no action. I have hope that they are coming out of the sleep and waking up to be a part of the hastening of the work, but it seems like they are dazed and dizzy.
For example, with Sasaki San, who used to come to church every week, he did this for like 3 months. About 1 month ago he stopped coming to church cause he felt out to place. Today was the first day that anyone had asked about him. The Elder's Quorum President and the Bishop asked what was the name of the old guy that would always come and then asked us what his story was. We told them that he hasn't come in over a month and they were surprised to hear that. Elder Hill and I are wondering why it took them a month after he stopped coming to start asking about him. He will unfortunately be known as the old guy dressed in normal clothes that stood in the corner. Also, we haven't had ward missionaries in over 6 months. Elder Hill has literally seen no change in any of the dendo plans or any progress in those plans in the last 8 months. The first week I got here I asked to have a sit down discussion with the Bishop about the ward vision and he gave me this long winded speech about a Single Adult FHE and getting that started for the dendo team. Afterwards I asked Elder Hill about it and he said that they said the exact same thing to him 8 months ago and they still are only in the discussion phase of it.
This is the 6th ward that I have been in and I don't know what it is, but this has been the hardest ward to love. During the Sacrament today I repented of the bad feelings and thoughts that I have had towards the ward and recommitted to unconditionally love them and think no evil towards them. I did my best and I lasted until like 10 minutes after Sacrament Meeting was over when I went up to a member who was standing by himself and tried to engage in conversations with him and he gave me a little smile and walked away and didn't even talk back. I told myself that he had something better to do, but I felt like I got rejected on the inside. The only time I've been to a members house for the past two months was when the Ito's invited us over for dinner. And we live in their house technically!!! I don't know what it is, but there is a cold relationship between most members and the missionaries. I am trying to love them more, I really am. Please talk to the missionaries that are in our ward back home. If they talk to you, please talk back. I feel bad for this ward, it has had all of the best missionaries in it for the past 2 years, but only has had 2 baptisms. I'll keep doing my best to love and serve them, I'll even defend their flocks when the time comes.
He shared with me his conversion experience and I felt the spirit very strongly. He has come a long way since the start of his mission and I can see that he is feeling a lot of the joy that comes from living and believing the gospel. He and I have a close relationship, my BYU roommates were his best friends growing up, and he shared with me a lot of his true feelings on things. He is very patient and he is willing to and ready to serve in Kamiooka till the end of his mission. Although they haven't started teaching a whole lot, he is planting a lot of seeds and is doing his part over there. He recently white washed into his area and so things have been slow. It was a good chance for me to add my little bit of effort into the work in that corner of the vineyard and get some fun planting opportunities. We went to a volunteer center and spent two hours playing games and eating cake with some mentally handicapped kids who were just the funnest people ever. The missionaries have been doing that for a while so there are a lot of friends to the missionaries there and we were able to strengthen our relationship with them and prepare people to hear the gospel.
On Sunday, we had 4 people who we were expecting to come to church, but 1 at a time, before church started, they called us and cancelled on us. In fact one of them we met up with us later that evening, Katsufumi San (an old guy who has read the BOM three times). Turns out that he had some pretty extreme beliefs and ended up dropping himself on the grounds that he has graduated from religion and a new age religion has started up and he is transitioning into the future. I'm still not sure what that means either. We have 1 very slowly progressing investigator who keeps all his commitments except church attendance, and 1 investigator who is a kinjin, (Yaguchi) but can't meet, and is waiting for his school test results to come back. We have a whiteboard in our apartment full of tons of PI's that never meet up or work on Sundays, and we spend a good amount of time finding and having quality conversations with people. Things aren't bad, but they aren't good yet. Our problem right now is just a huge lack of member support. Mostly, it's coming in the form of no action. Everything that is going on is all talk and no action. I have hope that they are coming out of the sleep and waking up to be a part of the hastening of the work, but it seems like they are dazed and dizzy.
For example, with Sasaki San, who used to come to church every week, he did this for like 3 months. About 1 month ago he stopped coming to church cause he felt out to place. Today was the first day that anyone had asked about him. The Elder's Quorum President and the Bishop asked what was the name of the old guy that would always come and then asked us what his story was. We told them that he hasn't come in over a month and they were surprised to hear that. Elder Hill and I are wondering why it took them a month after he stopped coming to start asking about him. He will unfortunately be known as the old guy dressed in normal clothes that stood in the corner. Also, we haven't had ward missionaries in over 6 months. Elder Hill has literally seen no change in any of the dendo plans or any progress in those plans in the last 8 months. The first week I got here I asked to have a sit down discussion with the Bishop about the ward vision and he gave me this long winded speech about a Single Adult FHE and getting that started for the dendo team. Afterwards I asked Elder Hill about it and he said that they said the exact same thing to him 8 months ago and they still are only in the discussion phase of it.
This is the 6th ward that I have been in and I don't know what it is, but this has been the hardest ward to love. During the Sacrament today I repented of the bad feelings and thoughts that I have had towards the ward and recommitted to unconditionally love them and think no evil towards them. I did my best and I lasted until like 10 minutes after Sacrament Meeting was over when I went up to a member who was standing by himself and tried to engage in conversations with him and he gave me a little smile and walked away and didn't even talk back. I told myself that he had something better to do, but I felt like I got rejected on the inside. The only time I've been to a members house for the past two months was when the Ito's invited us over for dinner. And we live in their house technically!!! I don't know what it is, but there is a cold relationship between most members and the missionaries. I am trying to love them more, I really am. Please talk to the missionaries that are in our ward back home. If they talk to you, please talk back. I feel bad for this ward, it has had all of the best missionaries in it for the past 2 years, but only has had 2 baptisms. I'll keep doing my best to love and serve them, I'll even defend their flocks when the time comes.
I love Elder Hill. He is the funniest companion that I have ever had. He's only got 6 weeks left on his mission, but don't tell him that! On a brighter note, the gospel is still true. And I have been going through the New Testament recently and keeping track of all of the questions that Christ asks during his ministry. He asks a lot of questions. I want to improve my question teaching skills more and I figure the best way to do that is to follow the example of the master teacher. It's been enlightening so far and I've got a lot more scriptures to read before I'm done.
Well, I'm glad everyone is enjoying the Halloween festivities. To answer Connor's question, I think I had close to perfect grades in 8th grade with mostly honors classes. But that was a long time ago so I don't remember too well. Good luck in English. The best way to get better at English is to read books, and books that are harder than what you are used to. Try some Herman Melvile or Charles Dickens. That'll stretch your comprehension ability. I miss books like those, but Jesus the Christ has been a good substitute. :)
I love you all so much!! 家族を愛してます！！！お気をつけてくれ！！！
愛
クランダル長老
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