Well this week was a
doozy. It started out pretty slow, but it got busy really fast. So we spent
most of the beginning of the week getting Elder Brummett and the apartment
ready to transfer. He would pack and I would clean type deal. Although a couple
times we did splits so I went with elder Kerr (district leader) and the other 2
were packing. Then on Thursday it was transfer day so I got my "new"
companion that day! Like I told you last week his name is Elder Soane Moa and
he's from New Zealand. He was here in my district last transfer, just in the 2
man apartment, but now he is in the regular 4 man apartment and as far as we
can tell the mission is closing down the 2 man. So anyways, he was in
Tokorozawa C with their investigators last transfer so now this transfer we are
Tokorozawa B with all of mine and his investigators combined. So it is a very
full area book now. I think we have somewhere around 14 investigators, 4
progressing investigators, and 1 baptismal date (talk about that later). So
anyways that's the update on the transfer stuff, other than that generally it
is not as hot recently, granted we've been teaching and planning more so there
has been some good time spent in the church and apartment, but still when we go
out to dendo it's not as hot. Actually it's raining like crazy right now and
was so cold in the apartment I had to use a blanket for studies. But anyways
that's the current update.
So on pday, we went
bowling! Man was that fun! I'm not a super good bowler, but I played pretty
decent! So that was cool. There was an investigator from elder Moa and his
companion that came and we were able to do some get to know you stuff which was
really good, hopefully we can work some more with him now that he's one of my
investigators too. But we got a call right around the end of bowling from a
member who we were planning to eat lunch with. But when he called he said that
he was at the restaurant already an hour and a half early. So we finished
bowling and rode the 45 minute ride all the way back as fast as possible, and
made it by the original time, but the member was mad we weren't there an hour
and a half early. Anyways that was interesting. Then then next couple days we
dendo'd when possible and packed and cleaned the rest. We were able to see a p.i.
Named Christian one more time before he went back to France on Tuesday, and
elder Kerr and I met a way crazy guy in a park. He was just chilling on a bench
so we said hello and he would just go off on how he knows Christianity then ask
us to teach him then he would say "oh I know that already!" Then his
mom yelled from his apartment (he was 27 mind you) for him to stop talking to
the gaijin and come in to which he yelled back to shut up so we talked a tiny
bit more and headed out. It was interesting for sure. Eikaiwa this week was
weird too! None of he advanced students (the class I teach) were there so we
waited and a guy who is more fluent in English than we are came in and talked
with us for an hour about health and random movies and problems with obesity.
Way weird night. Then on Thursday it switched back to normal.
Thursday was spent mostly
getting Elder Brummett and Elder Nichalson ready to transfer and sending them
off on their train. Then Elder Moa and I did weekly planning and got ready to teach
one of their investigators Yokoyama San, but he got hung up at work so he
couldn't make it. But we got everything planned for all our investigators and
it was good. We were able to do some regular dendo on Friday but then at 6:00
we had another lesson with Yamamoto. We had a ward member, brother ochiai there
to help and it did help for sure. We were reading in 2 nephi 31 with Yamamoto
and I felt like we should stop and talk about a scripture in there I'm pretty
sure it was verse 12. It talks about following Christ and being baptized so you
can receive the Holy Ghost. We talked about it and about religion and his
thought processes and stuff and at all the questions he moved closer and closer
to the Christian side of the discussion. Then we talked about prayer and why
it's important, what it is, and how to do it, and even though he said he
understood prayer before, he really didn't because it was all new what we
explained. Then we asked him to pray, and he was shy so he said no for the
lesson but accepted the invitation to pray before next week! So he may be
making some more progress soon! Booya! Then we went to our game night thing and
Doctor Azuma (the potential investigator one) came again! First time in a
while.
Then Azuma (the
investigator one) came to the church on Saturday for his lesson. Boy oh boy was
that a good time. We had a member there who was recently within the last 6
months reactivated. He wanted to help the missionaries so he came and we taught
Azuma the gospel of Jesus Christ. At the beginning I asked him if he had faith
in Jesus Christ, and he laughed at me then said in perfect English "if I
didn't have faith in Christ I wouldn't be coming to our lessons!" Which
made us all laugh. Anyways towards the end of the lesson with lots of testimonies
and stuff, even from the member we talked about baptism again. His only problem
with baptism is he has to get his wife to tell him he can, but that's a bit
difficult if he doesn't talk to her about it. So anyways we talked about it and
set a date for September 5th. He said if his wife will let him, he will be
baptized on that day! And so we made some plans to teach him every week and to
follow up lots to see how his wife is with it, and I think he'll be able to
make it!
Then Sunday was full of
surprises too. We were going through church like normal, none of our
investigators could come to sacrament so we were just setting things up with
members, then someone comes and grabs us and says that there is someone looking
for us in the front area. So we head out there and Doctor Azuma and his wife
had just arrived (the potential investigator one, not the one with the
baptismal date) and so we went over and said hello, and the sisters took his
wife to gospel principles and we talked with him for a second. Then after
introducing him to a member (Brother Suda) he said he came to hear a lesson
from us so Brother Suda found a room and we all 4 went in and started teaching
a lesson, mostly just calming his fears about churches and religion. But he
built a good friendship with Brother Suda so by the end he was willing to give
prayer a try and he really liked it. He said he would try it out again in
private throughout the week! But because we finally got another lesson with him
he is now an investigator too! So watch out in the emails for Azuma (baptismal
date) and Doctor Azuma (the new investigator). Then yesterday we did a bunch of
housing and an old lady almost fell over and died while talking to us but she
managed to catch herself on a tree and didn't die. So anyways that's the bulk
of my week!
I hope everyone has had a
good week at home! It sounds like everyone is back at their normal homes safe
and sound, and that everyone has been enjoying their days. Kaiden's videos were
the best! And all the pictures too were great, thanks everyone! Who knew baby
carrots would keep dad awake the whole way home! I can't believe this week I
hit my year mark, hump day! It feels like it's been 10 years some days and 10
days other days. But now that it's here it's really cool to be able to look
back and see how I've grown, what I've gotten better at, what I still need to
work on. It's pretty intense. But it's been a great week and it'll be a great
last year I think. I'm excited to still have another year for working, but I am
excited to be back driving up to rainier for dad to take pictures. Anyways
thanks for all the updates! I hope everyone has a great week this week and that
we all remember the power of prayer. I love you guys!
Love,
Elder Gailey P.S. I'm on the lookout for it mom! Also the package should be there probably at the very end of the month so no worries. Thanks! Hey if you have any time could you send me some bagpipe hymns or something? Thanks!
Last Day with Elder Crandall
Bowling!
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