May 17, 2010

Hello Everyone!

How is everyone doing?!?! Japan is awesome!! This week has really has been way awesome! I got my new companion of course, Elder King, and this week we have done a lot! On Friday night we went to the Bishops and had dinner, and then had family home evening because they didn`t get to do it on Monday night. Dinner was way good, and Family home Evening was even better. I did a quick mogi practice lesson, lesson 3 with them, and then we played a card game. The game was really funny. So there is a lot of cards sitting on the table, and one person reads something, and the first character he says is the card you have to find. The card has a picture and one Japanese character on it. It is really popular here in Gunma. (Like the state Kiryu is in) So we were playing, and they have 3 kids, all girls. So we were playing and the youngest is having a hard time just cause shes young. So she started putting a card under her arm, and when it would get called she would take it. (It started working really really well once the number of cards got really low) It was really funny. And when two people would hit the card at the same time, you would Jan Ken Po for it. (Rock Paper Scissors) Well one time the three daughters hit one card at the same time, actually I think the youngest daughter was last, but instead of waiting to do Jan Ken Po she just took it away. This may not sound funny, but it was really really funny. Like the noise she made and the face she pulled. That night was really really fun.

Then Wednesday night at Eikaiwa (English Conversation Class) was way cool too. We played a really fun game after called Tango Bang Bang Golf. (Tango is Vocab in English) Then after Eikaiwa we taught an investigator Kitazume a quick lesson and gave him a Book of Mormon. He said he would read it. I also left him with Chapter 7 in Alma to Read. Well Friday night I called him to see how he was, and to follow up on the commitment, and I was really amazed. He told me that he had read the chapter, and that it had brought him a lot of comfort. He said that that morning his Grandmother had passed away at the age of about 93. He said that he was really grateful for that we had talked to him on that rainy night, and that his Grandmothers death wasn`t as hard now that he found us. So I`ll give you info about him. We have only taught him about families, and about the Sacrament, and the Book of Mormon. He has come to Church once. When he said that, I asked him, so do you believe that this Church is true? And he said, Well of course I do. Then what he said next really shocked me. He turned to me, and said, `My grandma may be dead, but I`m so glad I found you so that I can be saved. Please save me.` He was being serious too. He just kept saying `Please save me, save me` I told him, that we would help him, and that also we do some work for the dead. I felt like I should explain about the temple a little, and how we do work for those who have passed on, without the opportunity to except it in this life. But I told him that we could talk about it more, and he said he wanted to. Then I told him he should bring his family and we could teach them too, and he said he wanted to. Now this isn`t just some crazy Japanese guy. He is so down to earth, and is a really nice person. I really feel good about him. We still have a lot more to teach, but I feel like we have a pretty solid foundation with him. I really hope he brings his family to church this week. That is the next commitment were planning on giving him. I`m way excited to meet with him next.

So another investigator is Junko. She is an English teacher, and now has a baptismal date. She came to church a few weeks ago and told us that she wanted to become a member of our Church and if she needed to sign anything. We said she would need to be baptized, and she said well how soon can i be baptized. So we have taught her a few times, and two days ago on Sunday we got a baptismal date. Now I don`t want this to become like the last two I have had so far, so I`m really trying hard to keep in touch with her often. We meeting with her tomorrow, and I plan on calling her often to see how her progress is. With Prabat it was very quick and nothing ever really happened. We got a date, but we would only have maybe weekly contact with him. And now we can`t get a hold of him, and when we`ve tried to visit hes been busy. So I really don`t want that to happen. I feel bad about Prabat. I just hope we can get him back. So with Junko I think things will go well, we just need to teach her simply cause I think she feels like theirs so much to do before she gets baptized. It feels like a long road with no light at the end, which is one reason I thought we should get a date, so she could see something at the end, (Not that Baptism is the end..). So I really think things will go well with her, and I`m really excited to see how things with Kitazume turn out. Hes got some good friends in the Ward already so i thing he`ll go well.

So I`m glad everything I`ve heard about home is going well! I hope everyone is still going to church, and still happy as ever. I love you family! I really do. There is not a day that goes by that I don`t think of you. (Except Yesterday). I love my friends too! Whoever reads this of my friends just know I think of you guys too. I may not have enough time to write all of you, but I`m grateful for your friendship. And I promise that if you write me, I`ll write you back. Well Farewell until next week my Beloved loved ones. Ai Shiteiruyo!!

スチュワート　長老