Random good week :)

Dear Family,

 

 Well this week has been tiring! We've been going as hard in the dendo as possible and man is it exhausting. We taught a ton of lessons this week, not all sit down lessons, a lot on the street and things like that. But it was great me and Elder Aoki are getting along well and enjoying life. We were in weekly planning and talking about 2 man apartments verses 4 man apartments for a bit and I realized on my mission I've gotten a lot better at "living" skills. For example cleaning and staying organized, throwing things away, doing things preventatively, using things effectively, that type of thing. So I'm sure mom will be happy to hear about that! I don't wait until the shower or toilet are moldy before cleaning!

 

 This week we had a few meetings, one with president Wada for our every 2 transfer interview, and one for zone meeting. We gave a training in zone meeting about teaching the plan of salvation in different ways, we shared our examples and other people pitched in theirs too. It was cool I think everyone learned some things. And we translated as well. Elder Aoki hadn't done his Christmas call home yet so we did that this week as well, but other than that we spent all our time with investigators/recent converts and out finding. We found quite a few new PI's and good solid people who want to learn about Jesus Christ so when they become investigators I'll let you know more about them! I think I mentioned a man named Suzuki San the other day, he's an investigator now. He's been an investigator before but we think he is ready now, and so every time we go over he gives us tons of sugar filled things and tells us it's all healthy because of what color it is and that that's how he lived to be 73. He's kinda crazy but lots of fun.

 

 Also just this past Saturday Kato San had his BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW! Guess what, he passed! So this Saturday Kato will be getting Baptized at the closest area to us, Atsugi. I was the one who first got him into lessons so this is going to be really cool. I'll also be the one baptizing him. So assuming all goes well, as it should, I'll be baptizing him this next Saturday the 26th. Kato San is an awesome guy, but he's not very social, he's got some difficulties with that, but it's been that way since he was born. He's about 48 and hasn't gotten married. He works at a ramen shop over in a nearby city, but over time he's grown on me a lot, I really do love the guy. So we're all excited for him. That's the big highlight of this email haha so here in Odawara we've had one baptism a month since December. Maybe soon we can make it a ward!

 

 There have also been lots of fun things this week, for example going on a quick trip with brother Takeuchi to see some of his childhood town. And a member from Takao Chiba Kun came all the way down here to see me and was freaking out, I'm glad at least some people from my past areas still remember me! He's a good friend. Also yesterday we got invited to some random kids birthday party by some members in the branch. The wife is Filipino so when we got there we weren't super surprised to find out that it was an all Filipino thing... We were the only Japanese and Americans there... And it was 99 percent ladies. So we felt quite awkward, and even better, the member that we know (the Filipino’s husband) just peaced out once he dropped us off... It was probably one of the strangest events as a missionary but it was a great memory. I'll laugh about that one for a while. Elder Aoki thought the Filipino food was nasty so I almost had to help him finish. But anyways I've been having a great week, it's been lots of fun, and the randomness is exciting, but the results are the best. Kato is getting baptized, our recent converts are going strong, and we are finding more investigators by the day. We are just going as hard as we can in faith and God is blessing us. I'm so glad everyone at home is enjoying life and doing well, I know that the more we strive to live the gospel the more we can do that. I hope all of you get some cool missionary experiences this week too! Anyways I love all of you!

 

 Love,

 Elder Gailey

 

 P.s. Thanks for the pictures! And I pulled out 100 dollars today for a ping pong paddle... No it's not a 100 dollar ping pong paddle but I'll use that 100 for a while. Thanks!

 

 P.p.s. Thanks for taking care of apartment stuff for me mom! I love you!

 

 P.p.p.s. Look at us rocking nice haircuts dad! That story was great!

Elder Gailey's Zone

Elder Gailey and Chiba Kun

Elder Gailey and Hiro Kun

Mitsuishi (three stones)

Another week, another haircut...

Dear Family,
 

Hello everyone! How was your week this last week?? It's been pretty darn rainy here so probably about the same! I love the rain but sometimes as a missionary it's a fair bit obnoxious.  This past week I sent Elder Okada home and Elder Aoki became my companion. It's been a good time overall I would say for sure!
 

So in the last few days Elder Okada didn't do too good of a job of packing and what not so the transfer day was pretty darn busy. But it was good none the less. We taught some lessons to brother Takeuchi and to Kato San and they went really good. Kato San is looking better and better, he's not a "golden" investigator by any means but he's trying, and that's what matters, he is actually scheduled for a baptismal interview on Friday, and if he passes he'll be baptized next week on the 26th. Since I've been with him from the start I hope he can do it but I would say there is about a 50/50 chance he either passes or doesn't. His testimony isn't super strong, but he's trying. So we'll see what will come in the next few weeks! If so maybe I could perform his baptism! We'll see!
 

Elder Aoki has been a really good companion so far. He's a really good teacher and really good and talking with people. He has gotten a pretty good relationship with brother Takeuchi so I'm happy about that. We've spent at least some time with Takeuchi every day for about the last week and a half. Which is a lot for sure. Today he gave me a haircut... Well tried to. He's not a super good hair cutter... But he tried. I ended up having to have Elder Aoki help and do a lot on my own to make it look a little better, but it could be worse I suppose! I look very much like I'm in the army but it's comfy and easy. Next time I'll go to a 10 dollar place though for sure.
 

As far as new investigators now we have 2 new people that we are meeting with regularly. The first is a man from the "former investigators" section of our area book named Suzuki. He's a nice old man who loves Jesus. So we're meeting him a couple times this week probably. And the next is a man who doesn't have much interest but he wants to do our family English program, so we are doing that until he leaves for a volunteer trip in April. His name is Hayashi. If it goes well with them you'll hear more about them next week! But we've been enjoying our time lately, I've got my study spot all set up real nice and stuff so everything is settling in nicely here in Odawara. The recent converts are strong and really helping out, it's a great thing to see.
 

As far as fun random things, I tried something new this week! Since Sister Law's companion transferred and a new Greenie came in we went out to sushi to meet the new sister, and I ate a squid leg sushi! It's been a while since I've eaten some weird stuff, so I tried it! Don't gag too hard when you see the picture! I've been working as hard as I can and slowly but surely it's starting to pay off and the work here is picking up. I hope everyone back home is trying new things and enjoying life too! That video of Ollie is great! Nothing quite so pure as a babies laugh. Also dads pictures were sweet! And Morgan has a nice flashy futuristic skirt! Thanks for all the good updates! As far as returning home we got our "death" letters today, so my return date is the 19th. They discourage parents coming to pick us up but it is the parents decision so if you have decided one way or the other let me know so I can tell them at the mission home.
 

I love you guys! I pray for each one of you individually every night, along with my investigators and things. Slowly through my mission those prayers are getting longer and longer and more and more sincere. It truly is a huge blessing that we have to be able to speak with our Heavenly Father anytime. He helps me out so much in so many ways. I hope all of you remember to say your prayers every day, all day long, because it really will make a difference. Anyways, I love you all, have a great week!
 

Elder Gailey

Saying Goodbye to Elder Okada

Crazy Waves

Dinner with Elder Okada

Goodbye to Elder Okada

Onishi Family

Sushi Squid

Elder Gailey cooked a "goodbye" steak for Elder Okada

Takeuchi teaching the Elders

Miracles miracles miracles!

Dear Family,

Well how was all of your weeks? I hope it was a grand ol time full of goodness and fun things! Sounds like dad has been pretty busy already as a 2nd counselor. I'm proud of him as ever! Moms doing an awesome job taking care of everyone and even me from 10,000 miles away. I'm very grateful to have awesome parents for sure. This week has been good, we did a lot of stuff and almost had 3 new investigators, but it turns out just 2 because one of them stood us up. Bummer right? But still! We got some new investigators. So at very least that was good. We had some really busy days and some days with practically nothing. So it went a little up and down but overall was really good. Elder Okada will be peacing out of the Odawara party for his home in Kobe pretty soon, this Thursday to be exact, and my new companion is going to be... Elder Aoki! One of the most English fluent Japanese elders in the mission! So even though I was hoping for an American companion, I can still speak more English than I can now! Elder Okada tries real hard but it doesn't really come across and it always seems that in the times where I actually want something to come across well it doesn't meet because I'm not Japanese so the nuances are a little off. So being able to speak a little more English will be quite nice. And I don't have to translate every day! It definitely was a blessing and it helped my Japanese a lot. So despite the joy of getting to speak English more I will miss a lot of things.

Anyways this last week we were supposed to have zone Pday but it rained, just like today! So nothing really exciting happened that day until we were doing some housing. We decided we should visit a person that the sisters had met (he's from Mexico) and so when we knocked on the door out came a fluent English speaking Mexican man. So we chatted for a bit and after about 15 minutes I had testified about Joseph Smith and he agreed to hear more, even just for a little bit. So we met him again on Thursday. Thursday we taught him the whole restoration and he accepted the Book of Mormon (not too much intention to read it... But it's a start!) and then on Saturday he came to a fiesta in our zone leaders area held by some Mexican missionaries. So it was a good week for him! His name is Ryuichi (he's half Japanese) but he leaves next week for Mexico so if we get him well set up they can progress with him there! Then after meeting him the first time we did a Kubari Kai, and that's when I met my man Ken. He first walked past me glaring a little bit. Then came back later expecting me to try and talk to him, and obviously I did. So for the next hour while I was talking to Ken we had a huge conversation about why we can't just say "there is one God but everyone can just choose what they think about him and it will all turn out ok" because regardless of what we choose or what we decide, it doesn't change who God is. It doesn't change that God is our loving Heavenly Father with a body of flesh and bones who gave us a way to return to him. And for an hour we talked about this and finally I bore testimony of Joseph Smith and that he really did restore the church, and everything changed. Ken realized that there is importance in what is true and what's not, he realized that we can't just decide what's true and he agreed to meet with me again on Friday. Well Friday came and went and still no sign mission. I may not be baptizing him right now, but I feel like in at least a little way I was able to be a vehicle through which the spirit could teach him that there is something more out there for him when he's ready. So there's a nice story for everyone I hope you enjoyed it! It was a grand old time.

We also found a new investigator on our busy day Saturday, we had to meet Kato San (he's an investigator again) at the station at 4:00 and about 3:30 we met a guy housing named Hanaki. And well he got visited a few weeks ago and received a pamphlet from the Jehovah's witnesses. But that gave us a perfect opportunity to teach him the restoration. So we did and he really liked it gave us his phone number and we're going back there sometime this week! Awesome miracle. Then we ran to the station, barely made it, and went to a baptism in Kamiooka where I saw Elder Poffenberger again! It was lots of fun. Then on the way home we stopped at the fiesta to see if Ryuichi was there, he hadn't arrived yet so we had to go meet Takeuchi Kyoudai who was having some struggles this week with his testimony but now he's stronger than ever. But while waiting for a train a man said "hey elders!" In English and it turns out he's been less active for 10 years because there is no church where he lived but he returned just a few weeks ago to japan and has been really feeling he needs to go to church, and saw us and we gave him his churches address and I think he went! Crazy miracles! But yeah! Awesome stuff! Hope there's even more next week!

Also this Sunday, a fun thing that happened was a random American member walked in while Elder Okada and I were teaching young men's, and said he's here on business trip, so I got talking to him, his name is brother Chaz Clark. He's from Minnesota or something but he works for Toyota. So I translated for him in sacrament meeting and then afterwards we got talking. Turns out he's got a mechanical engineering degree and works on auto braking systems. But as a result he gets to drive all kinds of nice cars around all day. Sweet job right? I'm not good at explaining but it sounded way fun! So basically now I'm thinking I don't know what I want to do when I get home... I'll need to experiment a lot at college. Scary stuff but if I ever need info he gave me his number and stuff so I'm getting connections! Woo!

I think that's just about the whole week, so I hope all of you have a ridiculously fun week and enjoy life to its fullest! Feel free to shoot me some lines on how you're doing, I know everyone's life is busy and stuff so I hope it's all going well and that everyone is healthy and happy. For today my testimony is that I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I know that he did so much to forward the work of the lord. And that he really did, like so many of us, lack wisdom. And that when he lacked wisdom he asked God. And when he asked God, he received a real answer and because of that answer we are here now and can be together forever. I love you guys all so much, have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Gailey

P.S. Keep me updated on how everything's going with the college stuff, thanks so much for all that you do for me! You're the best! I love you!

 

 

Hey everyone,

Here's the final addition to my email! On Wednesday my buddy Yamamoto San came all the way from Tokorozawa to visit me and we ate 30 dollar sushi! It was way crazy! But it was a really good time, and he gave me a sick Japanese watch! He's an awesome guy, and he really respects me and my belief and I was able to teach him a lesson for the first time since I left! It was awesome!

Elder Gailey

Sushi with Yamamoto San

 

 

 

Making Chocolates 

 

 

Elder Okada

 

 

Odawara Family

 

Countryside

 

 

 

 

 

プルコギ！ Blugogi (the meat we ate!)

Dear Family,

 

Well this week has been a good one. Elder Okada and I have been getting along really well. There were some times before when we struggled, but it was mainly when we had to start going tracting and stuff a lot, and the reason was that because we hadn't done it a lot we weren't used to how each other does it yet. So once we got used to each other it all leveled out and is going really well. We're doing our best. I'm pretty sad he has to return at the end, I wouldn't mind going another transfer with him, but a new companion will be cool too. Speaking of that our transfer call day is Saturday so it's already here! Crazy how fast transfers are going now. I only have 4 left... Takeuchi Kyoudai who has become probably my best friend in the branch, was telling me after I taught him a lesson on the plan of salvation that I only have 5 months left. I only have 5 months left. It seems so short. I'm excited to see everyone but starting to understand what everyone has been saying about it going quick at the end. Who knew?

Well this week has been good. We've been out dendoing a lot, but as far as new investigators, this week was rather unsuccessful. We were able to do a lot of Kubari Kai's this week. So some of the cool things I saw while we were doing that was that at one point when I was getting really cold during a Kubari Kai I was wondering whether I should take a quick break and grab some hot chocolate, but I didn't want to stop talking to people. So I said a quick prayer and kept going, and then not even 3 minutes later a guy with some interest stopped to talk with me, I shared as much as he could and then he had to go but before going he said, let me get you something so he bought me and Elder Okada hot chocolate! Haha! He was cool, then he introduced me to his super drunk buddies but it was a fun time!

So yeah basically all our free time this week was spent in finding. Still no luck but soon we'll find some. I guess there was an Indian man that I met during a Kubari as well that said he would come to church and gave me his card! He didn't come but it was another small miracle. The biggest 3 things this week were splits, Takeuchi Kyoudai's mom's baptism, and zone meeting. I went on splits with Elder Masaki (my Hawaiian zone leader) and it was way cool, we found probably 7 PI's and got a new investigator, all for Fujisawa area but it was lots of fun! Most of them were pretty young so that was a bonus as well. Then Elder Okada and I on Saturday started to fill up the font for Takeuchi Shimai and well I swear Satan goes his hardest when the font is filling up, it has problems every single time regardless of what church it's at. Lol we had it going for about 20 minutes and the water mysteriously turned off, so we started heating some pans, then went to check and still no water. Then when we turned around heaven won the battle because a ward member of the building we were at showed up and fixed it for us! Bam! And at the baptism we were able to have everything go off without a hitch. I actually got called to speak there as well, so I gave a 10 minute talk in probably the best Japanese I've used up to this point on my mission and played the piano for the baptism. It was a really cool time, the spirit was nice and strong. And at zone meeting I got called in to randomly translate and play piano, so good thing I can do those things now! We haven't had a lot of success this week but overall it was really good I think. Elder Okada and I are enjoying life still.

As a matter of fact, on the day of the baptism on the way to the church we passed by a professional soccer stadium the "Shonan Bellmare" and boy was it a nice sound and feeling. It made me miss the good old sounders games with dad a lot! Also dad asked how Japanese is, it's getting better slowly, I'm pretty good now, but reading and writing are both slow but reading is better than writing. Darn kanji make life way difficult but help at the same time! As for new experiences... Speaking at a baptism was pretty crazy! Okada makes mackerel for us all the time, and I eat way Japanese stuff all the time cuz he likes it and I can't cook his Japanese food lol but it's great, it's all delicious! I'm excited to show all of you the delicious foods! OH also we were going to go to a way expensive yakiniku restaurant this transfer but instead at Costco bought nice meat, and boy was it delicious! I dunno! If I forgot anything just ask me some questions afterwards! Oh by the way, Elder Poffenberger isn't in, but I'll know probably tomorrow whether Elder Turley (he was my first companion in Hachioji) is able to tomorrow, if he can't I'll probably just have to go solo. I'll let you know this week! And I just sent my katanas home, it cost 60 dollars and I sent them by plane! In total they were exactly 190 dollars. Woo! I kept them cheap comparatively! Anyways I've been really enjoying life and recently re discovered the fun that I can have while studying the gospel, specifically Joseph smith. It's been lots of fun studying about him. There really was so much preparation put into him and the restoration. It was clearly guided by Heavenly Father in every way. I know that the church is true and I hope everyone has an awesome week. Remember who you are! Love you!

Love,

Elder Gailey
 

Elder Gailey's Zone

  

 

Elder Gailey's Meat from Costco

 

 

Elder Okada and Elder Gailey with Black Eggs

(they are supposed to add 7 years to your life)

 

Elder Okada and Elder Gailey eating the black eggs

 



Elder Okada and Elder Gailey eating dessert

Kampai (Cheers)!