Tuesday, February 11th, 2014

Hello family,

I am currently riding a bus on my way to the airport.  Not to go home
or anything, but to pick up all of the new missionaries!
We had a very interesting and rather peculiar week this last week.  It
snowed about 6 inches here in Tokyo and you would have thought that
the bombs dropped and WW3 had started cause everything was shut down
and all heck was breaking loose.  They just don't ever get snow here
and no one knows how to drive generally, so when it snows things just
go crazy.  But I am safe and turned crisis into opportunity in the
snow.

We went to a local park and Elder Medeiros, Elder Call, and I built a
giant American snow man, after recruiting some help from some high
school students.  In Japan, they only use two snow balls to make a
snow man, but we flexed our American power and made a 7ft tall, three
balled snow man.  By the time we were putting the finishing touches
on, a crowd of about 30 people had gathered to take pictures.  We
seized the opportunity and took lots of pictures with everyone and
introduced them to the church and to the various programs that we are
involved in.  After staying there for a few hours, we contacted over
40 people, got a few phone numbers, and took a bunch of names for
people to add on Facebook (btw I will pilot an online dendo Facebook
program this next week so don't get surprised if I start using my
Facebook again, haha).  We were wet, but we didn't really feel the cold
as we talked to all of those people and had some fun in the snow.

Elder Call, my former companion in Kawasaki, is now my new companion
and the newest assistant.  He will be my final companion and work with
me till the very end.  He and I are way close, way good buddies, and
so I am way excited to be working with him again.  Elder Medeiros is
leaving on Friday for Hawaii, he doesn't want to go but I don't pity
him at all.  I mean, he is going back to Hawaii, haha, nothin' better than
that.

It's going to be a busy week, no rest for the weary.  But I am really
excited to be working with all of the new missionaries.  It's one of
my favorite parts of being an assistant.

Love everyone and talk to you soon!

Elder Crandall
Sent from my iPad

Thanks for the picture, Elder Call!