How did the meeting go with the drunk guy on the 20th? It.... well, on a scale of 1-10 on how good it could've gone, 10 being baptism, and 1 being he killed one of us, I'd put it at a 2-ish.
Was he sober?
Nope.
Was he even home?
Yep... but let's just say we're not doing to visit him again... I don't think I've been hated by someone like that, in a while.
How is the singing and the guitar playing going?
It's going good. Lately the Lord has been using my lack of music talent. On Sunday I played the piano at the Fukushima District Conference Priesthood Session. (praise to the man and come all ye sons of God). That and, I'm also accompanying the whole Zone (on guitar) at our Zone conference on Tuesday.
What has strengthened your testimony this week?
Well... That's a good question. hhmmm.... I was really irritated at something weird that my companion was doing this morning, (I obviously wasn't going to say anything.) Then I just prayed right then that I would be filled with charity and possess the ability to love him. :) .... Then SWVOOP (that's the sound that receiving charity from God makes), I received charity from God, and then what ever he was doing was okay, because I loved him. I love my companion. I don't even remember what he was doing anymore. :) He's a good guy.
Who has been the best investigator you have?
Right now I'd say, Yokoyama-San. He's come to church three times in a row, and we teach him lessons during Sunday school. He's about 38ish and he always comes with the funniest little suits and neckties with wine glasses on them. His breath smells like black coffee and he had a pack of cigarettes poking out of his vest pocket.
He loves reading the Bible in English, and we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon in English and in Japanese and he's been reading everything that we've told him to read so far.
He's super cool. Pray for him ね。
"We had a great opportunity to go to District Conference and associate with the members.
What was particularly interesting to me was the attitude of the Koriyama members towards the missionaries.
All of the members of the church in Japan love and are so helpful to all of the missionaries, but the Koriyama members, not having any missionaries in their branch, seemed especially excited and impressed with the missionaries.
I was touched by one of the sisters testimonies during the Saturday night session.
We had just sang called to serve in a very particular way- first the Elders dake (it means only) were going to sing the first verse in English, then the Sisters the second in English, then we sang the whole song with the congregation in Japanese.
The sister that had played the organ for the song stood up and bore her testimony. It was something like this:
"When the Elders sang the first verse in English, I though 'Oh, their voices are so few.'" (There was actually only five of us singing.) "Then when I heard everyone join in, I knew," she choked with emotion, "that surely they need our help."
We do need their help. We are tiny. If all of the members joined with us in missionary work like they had in singing, the sound of the joy of the gospel would not only fill chapel, but it would fill all of the world. "
Ryutaro and Mami drove from meeting with Boden Choro in Aomori (on their vacation) all the way down to Iwaki to meet me.
I love them.. They gave me a Japanese two piece summer kimono. It's pretty sweet.
This week we were riding with the branch president and his wife down to district conference, and I made the mistake of asking if there were anymore weird Japanese foods.
I've felt like I've done a pretty good job at mastering them. I've done all the raw fish, the squid jerky, the fermented soy beans, the wheat tea (burnt popcorn water), pig intestines, and I actually even enjoy the texture of raw octopus (you've just gotta be careful with octopus and squid, I've almost choked a number of times.)
They said they knew another food that most gajin don't like: Raw pickled squid guts.
Luckily they brought it the next day when we went down so that when we were eating lunch after the Sunday morning session, that we could eat it.
Well, I ate it.
It was a pinkish purplish goo with hard to chew chunks of squid, black and white in color.
I spread it on some of my onigiri (rice ball), and dug in.
Description: You know the smell, of like, when dad is gutting fish, and throwing them in the water? It like that except it's in your mouth, and then mix that with the texture of chopped up tire in snot.... It wasn't bad. :) I might eat it again. I love the members.I love you!!!
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| A Park by our apartment Japan is beautiful!! |
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| Iwasa-shimai, Mr. Mori, and Me |
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