ISHINOMAKI

So... Nothing really new has happ- JYODON (joke) I'M IN JAPAN!!!

So we woke up at like 2:30 in the MTC and jumped on a bus. We almost missed it.

I think it's actually really funny how much they expect the missionaries to do on their own. I love it in fact. They didn't ask, or count to see if everyone was there, they just drove away, right when they said they would. We would get a bulletin every week at the MTC, and I thought it was a joke when they put on it in bold letters }DONT MISS YOUR BUS} but apparently it's a real thing. + (that's a smiley face. + = smile face)

So, yep. Calling you was a little odd, so I'm sorry if I sounded confused or tired.

Then began the plane ride! We headed to Detroit where I had my first real life missionary experience.

I was sitting next to this guy who looked about my age and I was trying to figure out a way to talk to him about the gospel, then BAM! he asked and pointed at my name badge+ “So are you all from a business or something_?”

I smiled probably too big- “No. We're missionaries.”

“For what church?”

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. A lot of people call us Mormons.”

“... So multiple wives and stuff?”

I explained.

Then he “So... What do you believe?”

IT WAS GREAT!!! He was asking me everything! But... Yep. His Catholic grandmother was sitting right next to him. I tried to give him a pass along card... and he just stared at it.

“I'm a gonna have to say no.”

YES! My first rejection!

Then we got on the plane and headed to Nagoya.

So Delta airlines, I believe they have a misinterpretation of the word “short”

“and then we'll be headed off on our short flight to Nagoya.”

Short is not equal to 14 hours.

I got the middle seat. So sleeping was super easy.

We landed, and all 26ish of us missionaries crawled out of the plane looking like zombies.

The landing was interesting, because I thought we were landing in the ocean. The Nagoya airport is on a little island next to another island. (like the rest of Japan)

My first impression of Japan was a good one. I saw a statue of a ninja lowering himself from the ceiling making a peace sign. Very un-stereotypical.

Then we went though customs. Which, and now for once I'm not using sarcasm, was super easy. we just walked though and they gave us our gaijin cards. (foreigner cards)

Then we checked our luggage again, and hopped on another plane.

The ride was silent. The only white people were the missionaries. and all of us couldn't think.

A note about Japanese people: They are the most amazing people... Really. Their every action is out of respect for others. They seem quiet at first, but every single person we've talked to, once you say “konichiwa” they've smiled, bowed, and talked back.

A note about bowing: whenever you bow, they bow back. This can lead to what I call the never ending bowing chain. If you're not sure who bowed first, you just keep going back and forth like a teeter-totter until someone stops. My record is five times back and forth. 10 bows. Disuki! (I love it!)

But really, you will never meet a more polite and more beautiful people in all of the world. I love them all. I don't understand what they're saying, but I love them.

so... We were herded together, and met our mission president; who, though I say this a lot, is an amazing man. We had our first taste of Japanese food- ham sandwiches!!... and potato chips with sea-weed. :)

A note about Japanese food: it's amazing... most of the time.

The weird things I've eaten: Raw egg, fish sausage, an egg and mayo sandwich with more mayo than egg. Also, their big macks here have rice on them. Oh, and fermented things... I don't speak Japanese, so when I can, I'll tell you what they are.

Amazing things I've eaten: REAL ramen, made by an actual chef. (there's a good dendo _(missionary work) story behind that. Then, Calpris. CALPRIS!! We do not have this in America. Its a drink that tastes like the nectar from the heavens. IT comes in so many flavors, so it's hard to describe exactly what it tastes like. A pinkish one tastes like liquid hi-chews. It's amazing.... OH.... so many good foods!!! I haven't had sushi yet, but I'll let you know when I do.

AH! Alright, the fruit. There is a reason I didn't like fruit in America, that's because I had Japanese fruit in the pre- existence. It is the most glorious and sweet thing in the world. Almost as sweet as the fruit of the tree of life, if not just as sweet. There's a picture of Lehi taking the fruit of the tree, where he's laying by the roots.  That is exactly how I looked, and felt.

Alright, I could go on about food forever.

We were all taken into a room and trained. We had a translator for when the AP's talked to us. Then they announced our companionships. I am in a Tri-panionship, with 1 native named Ohori Choro, and an Elder from Park City who is also new. (Willey Choro) Ohori Choro is our trainer, and he doesn't really speak English.

I found this out when we met the only other white guy in Sendai at a light. He was from the UK and was teaching English here. We talked about how he got the job etc., and a little about the gospel. After Ohori Choro said “He say he catolic?”

But he does excellent, and if we talk slowly, he get's what's going on.

So why the tripanonship? Because there are so many new missionaries and not enough trainers. Next transfer they're going to make some of the 12 week missionaries be trainers (Scary..) and Rassmusan Kyicho looked at me and winked when he told us that. shiver.

We were assigned to labor in Ishinomaki, which is were the tsunami hit the hardest.

We got off the bus (the train line is still destroyed) and stepped onto cracked streets. They've tried to cover the cracks with asphalt, and scrub the water lines off the walls, but the cracks and stains run deeper than their streets and walls; the cracks are in their hearts.

There's empty patches where there are just weeds growing where houses used to be. And if you look carefully behind some giant curtain walls, you can see piles of broken cars and houses. We, for service, went to the temporary shelters and many of the people are still shell shocked. Don't get me wrong, most smile, laugh, and play, but some just sit in silence. We listened to this one Obaachan (grandmother/ older woman) tell us with tears brimming in her eyes about how 10 of her friends died.

Nihonjin are amazing at keeping themselves together. They never cry. (and they always laugh :) )

We had Church yesterday, and it's just as every other LDS Church, except the people sing louder. :) There's only about 30ish members or less that come to Church, and the city is bigger than Ogden.

The Members here are the most amazing thing. Members will take hours of their days and go out and take us to their friends to teach them. They are the most amazing people. They give us food and smiles. We're teaching an investigator. We, one of the brothers from church, and us three gathered into his little shop on stools and taught him about God, and the Book of Mormon. Someone actually came into the story while we were teaching, so he jumped up and went to the register. To be honest, and this is how it is nearly all the time when people speak, I didn't understand hardly anything he said, but in the middle of the lesson the brother from church turned and looked at me with serious eyes and said in slow English;

“He's started to believe in God”

I testified that though reading the Book of Mormon and praying we can receive answers to our questions. Which seems like the simplest idea to us, but for a person who's never know God, it's life changing. At the end of the lesson our investigator prayed for the first time in his life. (He/s over 50)

I don't have a ton of time. But I know that this Gospel is true, and these people are giving their all for it, because it means so much to them. We shouldn't treat it lightly.

I love it here and I love the people.

I'll send you some pictures and my address in just a sec.

I love you all!!!

Just as a last thing, I love this place, and I love the people. Everyone keeps telling me how hard and difficult this is going to be, and it's hard, but there's no where that I'd rather be.

3 times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening) this sweet peaceful little melody plays throughout the entire city. It confused me, but I loved it anyway. I just found out today that the city uses the tsunami alarm speakers to play it throughout the city.

By the way, I haven't see anyone else that's white in all of Ishinomaki, and there's thousands of people here. It's really easy to start conversations having two white people, Ohori Choro says. I love this place. I love the Lord, and I love you all.

:) trust in God. He' ll make everything better. My English is going. Gomenasai.

Aishiteimasu!

Matane