New Mission President; President and Sister Smith

Dear Peoples that I know, and ones that I don't,  (hey, that's everybody) 

Let me tell you a story- 

I was fasting to know how to better learn this backwards (literally) language.

Then a little thought came into my mind. "Only use Japanese." So, now I've only been using Japanese. Only speaking Japanese, reading Japanese, writing Japanese. 

But of course there are some exceptions- Such as English class, and writing you guys, and my journal for my posterity and most of my personal study. 

I have a question for Austin: did you ever get the point that you only studied in your mission language? 

So, if my English starts getting weird, - ごめんね

So- we got a transfer call last night. 

And half of my poor little district is being sent to other places. 

My companion as well as Gallacher姉妹 is going to a place called Odate, where the branch has only 7 active members. 

Kurokawa 姉妹 too is heading else where. 

My new companion's name is Igawa-長老. Elder Igawa. And guess what- HE'S JAPANESE!!!! YES!!! FINALLY!

Apparently from what I hear he doesn't really speak English- so that's a good thing. :) 日本語だけですよね。よし。。

This week ね、It's been as good as ever. 

We met a black guy named Justin from America at the train station, as well as another Nepal人 (guy from Nepal. that's the kanji for guy. see... It looks like a little guy. :) ) I got both of their numbers, so hopefully we can teach them sometime soon. 

This week we rode on a bus for 3 and 1/2 hours to Sendai 仙台(hermit-shine)- and hit an hour transfer to Yamagata 山形(Mountain Form/Shape), where we were able to be the new Mission President: President Smith. 

He's a pretty good guy. His wife is hilarious. She's amazing at speaking, and she has an attitude. She spoke in English, and it was like listening to a book on tape, except she hadn't scripted any of it. She didn't even use notes (I don't think). She fun to talk to. She would do 'interviews' with the companions of the person being "INTERVIEWED" by the President. We ran out of time, so we didn't get to do it, but there was a Japanese Elder (Rassmussen-Choro's companion.) who as she shook his hand thanking him said in Japanese: "Yep, I have no idea what you were saying." She laughed and said "I have no idea what he just said." and laughed and kept walking. 

Probably not that funny to you, but they both, not understanding each other said pretty much exactly the same thing. 

President Smith is a good guy. He served a mission in Fukuoka when we was young. His Japanese is both good and bad. He's a little out of practice, but he still uses some Japanese words that I don't understand. 

I love this mission. I love being able to work for the Lord. 

Our investigators seem to be avoiding us- but that won't stop missionaries. 

An example of our missionary persistence: 

We set up a meeting with our Branch Mission Leader for after church so that we could plan our Dendo Fireside that we were going to do the next week. 

He didn't come to church, let alone the meeting that day. We sat after church, together as a district. 

"What should we do?" someone asked. 

"Does anyone have any ideas?" I responded with a question. 

Gallacher Shimai's hand shot up. "We could ride our bikes to his house, and do the meeting." 

Well, it was fast Sunday at around 1:30, and their house was about an hour and twenty minutes away... uphill.... 

So we went. :) 

There was a popped tire and some crying from one of the Shimai, but we made it. 

His dad (the first counselor in the branch) opened the door, and let us in. He walked upstairs to try and get his son to return from bed, but returned in vain. 

He came to deliver the sad news- 

My amazing companion asked: "can we go up?" He instantly replied "go for it." 

So my companion literally picked him up out of bed and shook him awake. 

"We love you...!" I said quietly. And he laughed. 

"Can I at least take a shower first?" 

"sure." 

So we did a district meeting while we were waiting, and then had an excellent planning meeting. Man. I love our branch mission leader. but like really, not being sarcastic. I love him. 

anyway! I'll attach a picture of our zone combined with 山形zone. 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Elder Wheelwright

President and Sister Smith with some of the missionaries

Buddha likes me!

    A giant shinto bell... Kurokawa Shimai  said it was okay to ring it. I wasn't so sure. 

She pointed and some of the writing written on the stick to pull back to ring it and said "it says to ring it hard!" 

And then she did.... A deep low, explosion like sound shot out, and just like a movie birds flew away, and my hair stood on end... 

Then everyone in the district rang it.... She's Japanese and she said it was okay, so... 

 

Japan is Beautiful in the Spring

Very Beautiful