Preaching to the police

So here we are at another email. And to be honest it doesn:t feel like I have a whole lot to say this week but I will say what I have.

So this week during personal study I found again my mission goal type thing that I had before I left that I borrowed from the USU ward mission leader. Alma 29:9.....I think. Check it out.

Ok so the fun experience from this week happened Tuesday. We were housing and we get to our 3rd door. I ring, man asks who we are from behind the door as sometimes happens. Anyway I introduce us, he says a lot of things I don:t really understand. So I just thank him for his time and say bye (he didn:t sound too happy either so I felt this was best). Anyway I'm halfway down the stairs when I hear him open the door. Sometimes this also happens with me when people don:t understand me and know that Yamatani choro is there. So Yamatani choro introduces himself but he gets the same angry response. The man asks what we are doing and why. We happily answer these. Then he picks up his phone and dials a number, I assumed what was happening at this point and confirmed when I heard the word 'keisatsu" (police). So he really hates us to the level that he won:t even wait for the police with us and goes inside. So we chillax there fore like 30 minutes. Get some stuff ready for them, ministerial certificate, my alien card, our business cards, etc. So the police car pulls by but starts to pull away. This man had already wasted like 30 minutes of our time, so we didn:t want to wait any longer so we ran the cop car down. We get the "You're wasting my time" look from him but he gets out of the car and asks what we want. Yamatani choro then explains that he probably had just gotten a call about two strange christian men and that we were them. His countenance completely changed. Ha. He just laughed and started filling out the report. Asked some business questions. Then started asking more not business questions. "Why are you doing this? Oh cool. You teach english too? Sweet. Its free?!" Ha. Turned into a miniature lesson. Kinda super fun. Shinno choro told me to dendo the police if they ever were called on me so thats what we did. They ended up with flyers, church map and worship time, and my business card.

Random japanese comment. I found out gray in japanese is *mouse color* weird

We had interviews with President Rasmussen this week. Pretty stressful but interesting. That man can get in your head and he does not mess around. Starts listing off names of members and investigators. "Tell me about them?" "What do they need? What are doing to help them? How could you improve working with them?" I about peed my pants. Also talked about home life which was much more chillaxed and kinda funny because we talked about Mandy and Steve for like 5 minutes. He also said one thing that has racked my mind. "You know why I took you out of Aizu and put you with Yamatani choro right?" .......I don:t know! Ha. He didn:t answer this question for me either. Yes I have learned a lot from being left to die at times by him but I really don:t think President Rasmussen wants to make people suffer. Also an interesting but terrifying thing. In the next two transfers They are replacing 1/4 of the missionaries in the mission. That means half our mission will be in some kind of training senario. Add to this that the MTC has decided that missionaries can learn Japanese faster in the field so they will be sending them 4 weeks sooner. This adds up to a bunch of beans coming in that know less Japanese! Ha. Terrifying.

Random comment. So the church here just got internet so yesterday they were trying to decide if we the missionaries could use the internet with an old computer they had here so we didn:t have to bother the members for their internet stick thing. So they show me the computer and its like a 10 year old Mac! Ha. Sweet. Super slow and it had a password that no one knew so I thought to myself. What would Jesus do? He created the earth right? So he doesn:t want us to throw away computers. So.....I decided it was ok to hack into it. Hence now I:m on it. Felt good to be back into the guts of a computer again. Also they want me to make a website homepage for an LA. Still torn over this. 1. Kinda against the rules ish. However President has been telling me to use my talents to help people so...... Maybe he will let me do it.

Anyway. This week with investigators was hard again. We talked to Chiba san today but he is busy until next week. Hoshi san is doing good. She felt the spirit in the lesson which was awesome and kinda funny to see her super confused of what was happening. Also another investigator is slowly opening up to us.

Also this week when housing I made my first like "all me" new investigator. Run the door bell introduced ourselves, did a short lesson, therefore she became an investigator. Kinda weak one but its was a first for me.

Random comment. Have you ever considered fedexing things? Maybe its more expensive but maybe its cheaper... I don:t know.

Ok super random but you should look up a Michael E from Las Vegas on facebook. If his facebook page is open you will be able to find a video, its the video of the Sendai mission Christmas video.... yeah.

Another random request. So if you ever have quick updates on the american election with Mitt Romney or Huntsman give them to me. I hate politics but it comes up a lot here.

I never knew you wanted to be a coach mother... a lot of things I don:t know about this whole volleyball business.

I know you feel a duty with these packages but still I would request you ok them by me first. Not a third world country, I can get stuff here and I do buy stuff here so when you send stuff I already have its not so helpful. Feel the love but we can be smarter about this.

Anyway. Kinda a poor email this week but between this slow computer and not a whole lot happening thats what happens.

Love you all. Hope all is well with you. Talk to you next week.

Biking in the snow stinks!!

Hi Friends and Family

So this week was the first week I wore my boots. Pretty nice but two problems. They take forever to get on and off which is not so good for Japan when you take your shoes on and off a lot. and riding a bike with them is super annoying. I would walk but Yamatani choro:s shoes are the usual end of mission shoes where they let any liquid up the bottom so if we walk he dies. Sigh.

Thanks for the package. Always nice to get fat american food. Ear warmers are nice and cozy. Kinda block my limited hearing with these quiet people so can:t really use them when out talking to people but still, when riding the bike its super nice. About this new package though. You do realize I:m not in a 3rd world country. I can buy all the stuff you send me at a cheaper price and without shipping so its really not necessary. I realize you don:t trust me to buy these things but really I would if I absolutely needed them. The stuff you are sending right now I already have so it will just make laundry easier.... Other than that it will be the same. Surprises are nice but yeah.

So we visited Miura san, our protestant friend. Before we could even say anything when she opened the door she just goes off. "I think I want to come to church again." That was nice. "I think I will bring my friend too."(then tells us the teachers need to talk slower and louder but whatever, she:s old) "Oh yeah, and I want to read that book you showed me the other day" (of course the book of mormon) "although I really don:t get how you guys pray" "We can teach you that now if you would like." "Yeah do that" So we did. "Ok so I will pray tonight....when else should I pray" "Uh.....anytime, meals, morning, night.." "Oh ok." "Ok so I will see you Sunday and lets talk about your church after" ...."we can do that" Slam. My head was spinning there for a minute but there was a spring in my step the rest of the day....until sunday when she didn:t show. Sigh.

So I still don:t know what was up with this but one day we did a role play with a member and afterwards she gave us these very authentic looking california roll type things. I start to each it and she gets all panicked and says today is special and we have to be facing north north west when we eat......I obeyed but I still have no idea what happened or why.

Biking in the snow stinks!!!! Ha. No only is it cold and your bike hates you but ruts build in the snow, under the snow that throws you around. Then you have to plow your way through the snow which is so tiring. Its basically impossible. But as explained above we can:t walk.....sigh.

The traffic lights here, when they turn green they announce it for the people walking. Nothing special there but when the light turns green (the color is very much green) the voice announces the light has now turned blue.....say what? Only this week did I understand that japanese. Dont: know why.

Ok so this comment might mean more to mandy but still. So there is a movie called "The district" that is just a bunch of missionaries filmed doing their thing and its used for training. I watched it with dad before I left. Anyway. I despise these people now. They are so super good at missionary work. I always thought they were so-so but now i realize that they are super good and it bothers me, why can:t I do that?

Anyway, lots of complaining in this letter. Nothing really worked this week. Half our planned lessons. None with investigators. All our investigators dropped their lessons. Companionship problems. Weather. It was rough. But I know you people worry. I happy, I:m healthy, don:t worry.

Love you all.

The interesting thoughts a Missionary gets to hear

Hello Friends and Family.

Let us begin. This week I should have enough time.

We shall start with investigators.

First "C"san. He is our farthest along. He has a baptism date for next sunday but thats impossible so we will probably change it to the last week of next month when we meet. He is doing good but his job is super busy so he can:t come to church which is his biggest problem. Also I would like him to have a little more desire to be baptized but hopefully that will just come as he keeps his commitments and stuff. We found him from a previous Furukawa elder that was in Yamatani choros old area. When he left said to look him up and we went from there. Basically taught him.

Really its probably impossible to update on all the investigators. We have a ridiculous amount. None of them are really really strong but still its good. "H"san is good. We had another 30 minute lesson this week. Basically said hello, turned on the Restoration DVD and then after it when I was in the middle of testifying she cut me off and said,"its over 30 minutes, lets end, you say the prayer." Ha. Not how I really wanted to end. Met a new investigator that Yamatani choro found on splits this week. She is super pregnant. Gave us a good thing to go off of. Hopefully she is good. Time will tell. Not much else happened with the Aizu grandma. We visited her again yesterday but it was super cold, she had a cold, and she felt the need to remind us that she is buddhist. Whatever.

Yesterday at church we had a big meal after. It was sweet. Brought me back the USU and our "linger longers" Also the other week (good english right?) we met this old lady that used to go to a protestant church and we asked if we could meet with her and share the message and she said she wanted to come to church first (normally that goes the other way but oh well) So she came yesterday (walked like 5 miles in the snow to get here, refused to get a ride). I think she was a little disappointed in church. "Where is your minister?" "Don:t really have one, all volunteers." "There is no cross". "Yeah in this church we don:t use the cross image" "You have different hymns" "....and the same ones" That kind of feeling the whole time. She was so opposite than normal. everyone always thinks we do super weird things in church and when they see it, it's not. We normally get something along the lines of "Well this is.....normalish. A bunch of people grouped together learning about something." But this lady wanted more ordinances and actions. Interesting.

After the food we had a concert. Interesting.

So I might have added this in my last email but I feel like my language skills are getting better than they have ever been but more than ever I get told by people they don:t understand me or they won:t tell me that, but they don:t understand like when I ask questions and they just nod, not a yes or no question. Whatever. I guess it will take time.

We had splits this week and last. It was good. I either hate or love splits.

Ok, you hear the strangest thoughts from people as a missionary and you also see prophesies fulfilled. For example: The other night we were housing(tracting) and met a protestant. Talked for a little bit and we asked what the her church's view of other christian churches was. "Oh we don:t really have a problem with other christian churches."' "So no problem with us?" "Well you have the Book of Mormon......that:s weird" Can you say "A bible, a bible we don:t need another bible?" Sigh. Also our wonderful Coffee feeding lady. We taught the first part of the plan of salvation the other day with her and when I asked her what she thought life before this life was like she gave me that she was an animal that was obedient. And because of this she became a human and then basically at the judgement she will get judged if she will live again on earth. If so as what, or if she will go to a kingdom of glory. I don:t know how to respond to some of these thoughts! Sigh.

So today was transfers. Lot of interesting things happened but of course I didn:t move. Another transfer here in Furukawa with Yamatani choro.

.So there you go. That shall do for this week. Love you all. Talk to you later.

New Investigators

At a member's birthday party

Hey peeps.

So I will start with investigators. So the farthest along one is the old Q who has the baptism date for the fifth (not going to make it because he won:t be coming to church this week and he still has to come at least one more time before). He is pretty solid. He is the reason I email later recently. We teach him lessons on Mondays. He is pretty good. He just needs more faith. This last week he followed the word of wisdom (although he didn:t think he did because he drank tea but it was ok tea (I can never be a senior companion for this reason, I don:t know which teas are ok and what aren:t)). He asks funny questions though, like does God speak Japanese. And he makes me pray in english to start lessons and to be honest I almost forgot how. He will make it.....I think. He is super busy which always scares me and he lives super far away. Never a good combination.

New investigator "H"san. She is a referral from the grandma like woman. She used to go to a catholic church and kinda missed christianity. she comes to eikaiwa(English class) each week. We were able to do a quick lesson this last week and after when we talked to the member that referred her she said she was super excited to hear more so it will go slowly, but things should go well with her.

Our other new investigator we taught last Sunday and set a more concrete appointment for yesterday but alas he wasn:t home. Sigh. I really had high hopes for him. Still do. Only time will tell. He is another once-a-weeker which is always annoying because you prep all week and then if they aren:t home its all for not.

Oh and we taught "T"san again! Yay. After a month of trying she was finally home. Again set a more concrete appointment.....we think. So that should be good.

Oh and we now have two children investigators that are the children of one of our members. The husband isn:t a member but it seems he says they can do what they want. He is super nice.

Anyway back to a bunch of random things.

Question, can you iron suits. Could be helpful for one of my suits since its always under my jacket and gets a little wrinkled.

Recently I have sewn strange things. Gloves, basically tights, etc. Still stink at it but my sewing holds well.

Ok so this branch is crazy. They had a ton of fun! All the time. Kinda not reverent but they are all the best of friends which is good and they do fun weird things. For example. To start sunday school they played this game where the teacher picked someone and then they would pick someone else and try to tempt them into doing something. It was super funny. Not sure what the objective was but still.

Oh I gave a talk in church. Everyone seemed asleep and I:m not sure if anyone understood but whatever.

What is American food? I dont really know what is actually just American food. I get asked a lot.

Its not a quite a scarf I wear and I received it from Shinno choro

Oh my goodness you picky people! I even like miso soup! Psh. Thats all I have to say about that, who's picky now?

~2/24 Elder Oaks comes

My ears are fine, I sent the stuff to alyssa so ask her.

You sent me stuff? This is why I can:t tell you people the truth. I say I:m cold and you start sending stuff. psh.

Ok so yesterday we were housing and we hit this house and it was this old lady so I start to introduce myself. *Are you Christians?* Nothing good ever starts this way. *Well yes we are* *My daughter is Christian* Well good for her I think. *She goes to a Christian church in Aizuwakamatsu* Hm. Well at least I have something to connect with this women with (I imagine its the same other places but everyone here thinks all christian churches are the same). *Oh thats cool, actually about a month ago I lived in Aizu* *Oh really. Yeah she:s part of the .....matsu.....jitsu* (Latter day) I about jumped out of my skin. *What is her name?* Yep it turns out I knew them very well and ate dinner with them a couple of times! Ha. Super awesome but it gets better. So we get back to the apartment and Yamatani choro says *I want to find more out about this family.....lets see if the AP's will let us call Aizu* I:m not going to fight that. So 5 minutes later I:m talking to my daddy! (Shinno choro) Ha. I won:t lie it was as good if not better than the christmas call. (sorry). So quick run down.
New missionaries Japanese sucks, its killing Shinno choro, made me laugh.
Sakkai san is a crazy strong member throwing referals out like candy.
"Y"san is still having some issues
So we had this potential investigator that Shinno choro always felt like we should visit but he was always busy. They finally got a lesson with him and when they extended the baptism commitment he says, *Oh I was already baptized into your church* What!? Ha yep. Super funny although it gets cooler. His daughter now wants to meet the missionaries.

Ok so Yamatani choro just told me we have a lesson in like 10 minutes. He doesn:t tell me a lot of things. Peace out. Sorry I:m not including a lot of stuff. More later.

Japanese Cocoa

A lot to say today so let the randomness begin.

So the other night we were housing and we get to this house and I introduce myself and I get the *You don:t speak my language* look I get often and then he says *Churchie? Churchie people?* And this man is Indian (from India) so next step *Oh you speak English* *Eh....English bad* Oh so you don:t speak english or Japanese....this is a first. We then spend the next five minutes (Yamatani choro and I) acting out our purpose. this includes me acting like god as he prays to me, acting like reading a book, a lot of pointing to the sky. Not sure where we thought we were going with all that because if he wanted to be taught I:m not sure what we would have done. Ha. Anyway it was kinda fun. And yes random.

I received your letters this week! Surprise! I greatly enjoyed them. Even the rebuking of father. Ha. Thank you.

So I was chatting with one of my district members at district meeting and apparently their ward mission leader dendoed(proselyted) in japan before and Elder Oaks came. When he got part way through his talk Elder Oaks stopped. He said you're not worthy, you're going home* What the what!!! Ha. Everyone is scared of him coming now! We aren:t even sure if its a true story. Freaky.

I really have felt some growth in our companionship in this last week. Although its bad when you look forward to companionship inventory I think. Although it is funny with a foreign companion. Both of us speaking in the others language until we run out of words and look it up on our dictionaries and show each other. Ha. He has some good improvement points for me too that are right. I swear its the Carter curse to not be able to talk on a mission. Anyway, continue doing the best I can.

So lately I have been calling people on the phone. Still actually something that Yamatani choro doesn:t have a problem with but I hate calling people on the phone in America in English let alone in Japanese telling them how they should live their life. It's like housing but more intrusive. Although I think we have gotten some good results from it.

Something that Yamatani choro does like and is pretty good at is cooking. He will cook food for like an hour and a half (we only have an hour to make and eat the food ). I have decided I just don:t have patience to cook like this. I pull rice out of the rice cooker. Throw on some mayo (don:t judge me) and eat. Simple. Fast easy.

Something about japanese people. They are super blunt about fatness. Its been a couple of times that people have seen Yamatani:s introduction picture where he is much more skinny from being in sports and they will say, *Oh wow, you surely have gotten fat recently.* What? Took me way off guard the first time I heard it. Not only to Yamatani choro but I have heard numerous uses. This scares me with all these carbs i:m eating. They are going to judge me.

So we biked almost to Kamimachi (maybe you will be able to find it) in the blazing cold wind to meet a LA(less active). Anyway we have a lesson and oh my goodness. I have never known a member could have so little information about the church. We go over lesson one and we get to the atonement and she asks *what is that?* Not a surprise, who really does have a lot of deep knowledge about the atonement. Anyway, trying to make her feel smart I ask if she has heard the word. Nope. Joseph smith she has heard about once or twice. Has no idea who prophets are. Then she told us that Christ:s church is the Catholic church. We then proceeded to point out that we weren:t members of the Catholic church. *Oh....thats true isn:t it* Hopeless! Her house was super cold so she made us some cocoa after. A quick note. Japanese cocoa is kinda not very good in my opinion. Anyway back to the story. So i smell it and it smells weird, taste it, tastes kinda disgusting so I stop drinking it. Yamatani choro also seems skeptical of it so he asks her what it is. *Cocoa* Ok, all set to go, I don:t care if it tastes bad I:m drinking it because its hot. Take a drink. Yamatani choro takes a sip then just shakes his head and says, *This is coffee isn:t it* She proceeds to laugh and laugh. *Yes* What!? Never thought a member would give me coffee then lie about it. Sigh.

Just a note. It is super cold and super windy here. Like unbearably so. We have become inventive in our apartment dendo(proselyting) because its so cold.

Also a note. Japanese people don:t have central heating so everywhere is cold.

So when I was in Aizu everyone told me (other missionaries) that I would hear all the crazy tsunami stories there because they were still affected by the earthquake. Nope. Here is so much worse. These people were the people literally running from it. Have cars swept away. Living in the church off food storage with no electricity. The impact that it has had on these people is crazy. The look on there face every time the smallest earthquake happens. Crazy I tell you.

Dad will be interested in this. Japanese people are freakishly skilled at peeling oranges! Like four perfect parts all connected and barely any of the white stuff still attached. Don:t know how they do it.

So we have taught old old Q last monday and then today. Has a baptism date for 2/5/12. Might actually make it. Kinda super cool. Also found 2 other investigators this week which was awesome. Sorry. I used all my time talking about unimportant stuff and kinda didn:t leave time for the investigator discussion. More on them next week.

President Bangerter's thing was awesome. Someday I want to grow up to be like that man.

I went to the ear doctor today. Thats an email in of itself. Anyway. Their test was a little different and harder than the before one. Didn:t really get them to fax the results (too annoying) but I got a copy which I will copy and send to the hombu(mission office) and then they will fax it so the doctor should get the results in the next few weeks. I will also send a copy in my letter to alyssa this week probably so make sure she gives that to you. Then.....well yeah. Maybe next week follow up with the doctor and if he hasn:t got the results when you receive if from alyssa send it to him.

Sigh.

Well thats all for today I think. Love you all. I:ll write a more coherent letter next week.....maybe. I make no promises.

Also a note I will probably just cycle the memory cards. When I receive one the old one will get thrown in the next letter to Lyssa.I figure since I:m already sending a letter to Washington every week I don:t lose anything if I just send it right away.

Yep. Talk to you later.

An Aizu Baptism!

Furukawa train station

Family!

I swear these weeks have been dragging on between emailings. There still hasn:t been a full week between emailing too! Sigh. Whatever. So let us begin our random assortment of details.

This week I hit my 6 month mark? Right? Crazy. I still can:t decide if its been fast or like forever. For 1 it still feels like I have everything to learn and to do but also feels like I:ve been doing this for my whole life.

So the APs came on Wednesday to watch Eikaiwa. (STRESS!!!!) Only one non-member showed up. We had 1 member, 1 non-member, 1 member who is deaf basically (But he gets used as a joint a lot, I think because since he can:t hear he just sits there) and then 4 missionaries. Not the best showing. Because of this whole holiday thing no one came. Anyway, after Yamatani choro asked Lay choro (ap) if there were any recent baptisms. I kinda was tuned out then I heard *Aizu* My heart skipped a beat then it occured to me that it was Itosan who was Fukata Choro:s investigator. Anyway then Lay choro says, *Oh wait......Koriyama* Huh? No one is in Koriyama....only Aizu elders go.... I scared him with how fast I flipped around *Sakkaisan!!!!!* *Oh yeah that was her name* Apparently Sakkaisan got baptized on the 30th. I missed it by a week and teaching her 1 commandment. Talk about a bitter sweet moment. Super glad she got baptized but man. I, personally even since Shinno choro threw me to the lions with her, taught her every lesson. Whatever, all is well. Sigh.

So we went to a store the other day and they had a whole wall of Totoro merchandise, oh dear was it amazing.

So the other day we got a letter from the Honbu (mission home) and what did is say, Elder Oaks is coming in Feburary! Yay. Shall be awesome to hear from him in deed.....thats about all I have to say about that.

So this last week we have been visiting a bunch of old people from the area book. Talk about learning the importance of keeping records. If I ever meet some of these old missionaries I will have a few words to say to them. The funny thing is how ridiculously old the records are here too. I had never seen records from the 90s until here. Kinda fun because we have like half the members old records so you can see where they had problems....sometimes I feel evil with all this info.

Ok so we were trying to visit this person and he didn:t have a room number in this apartment complex so we just decided to start ringing doors (the beauty of being a missionary, you are never lost, sometimes you just find you an *unexpected house*) So we ring the first door and a man answers and I say my name and he looks at my name tag, normally a sign of *I:m about to slam the door* but he just flips around and starts setting up chairs then invites us in....well I think we found the place. Ha. So we sit and listen to him talk (literally he gave us no time to talk) and in this speech he gives us he tells us this powerful testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon, of our callings, of all this church stuff and in my mind I:m thinking, *Well lets get you in the font* but then I look at his table, hm cigerettes. Then he answers my question. *I would be baptized but I:m Japanese and I can:t give up tea because I:m japanese and since I:m drinking tea anyway I still smoke* Ha. At this point his teaching record flashes in my mind. Oh yes, you are the person that told the missionaries to go talk to the first presidency and say Japanese people don:t have to follow the Word of Wisdom. Very interesting. And of course when we share this experience in our PEC like meeting on Sunday everyone laughs because they have met him. Fun stuff.

Something crazy and awesome. Since arriving in Furukawa we have been fed 13 times. Just saying. Thats not normal.........at all. I have heard of people being fed 10 times during their whole mission time.

So lately since Yamatani choro has not been so in on the whole finding I have been running it. Basically super frustrating. These maps are SO HARD to read. Then add on top of that they are covered in Chinese characters I can:t read but japanese people can. I have been proud of how much I have been able to find but the Japanese address system needs an update.

Which brings to my next one. My companion. I have seen him teach and he teaches good but even when teaching sometimes he just shuts off. This kills me because its normally when a person asks a question I don:t know the meaning of a single word of. He just sits there. I give him the whole not subtle nod to answer. To say anything and he just sits there tuned out. Same thing with a lot of companionship studies. He just sits there. On a good day he will say lets role play and I will be the investigator and while I try to teach he will clip his nails or something. He refuses to do a lot of things. Not out right, he just sits there. Planning is like pulling teeth. I have started treating him like a bean at times and he won:t even react like a bean. So planning is alone most of the time. I ask for advice get none. Although sometimes when we are in the middle of an activity he will then tell me that I:m doing it wrong and what we just did had no meaning. Sigh. I:m trying. I even begged him to critique me during companionship inventory. That actually went ok. The way to bug me the most as a missionary is that you don:t do something that you can do. He does this all day. Must love, must love, must love, must love.

So there are a lot of Christians in this town, just saying.

I found three americans the other day within like 30 minutes. They are so hard to talk to about the gospel. *Hat tip to Mandy*

Tell this Steven to watch out. I have Button as Mandy:s dating advisor in Logan and Lyssa as her dating advisor in Washington, all men have to go through them.

I knew Lindsay wanted to get a job at the MTC, didn:t know she did. Cool.

I:m glad mandy still has her attitude with this whole *That wasn:t helpful* response to her fathers blessing.

Wel that is all for today. I:m ok. don:t think this companion thing is bringing me all the way down. Hopefully we can get things smoothed out soon. Lots of flashbacks to my setting apart as you explained and The Best 2 Years. Both those seem to suggest all will be well, just takes work I guess.

Love,

Elder Carter

Shogatsu! (New Year)

Hello family!

Well its only been like 5 days but still kinda full of stuff we did. Not much missionary work at all but a lot of time with members and that is missionary work so sure. But of course I need to add my random comment. (So I write a list of things I want to say each week and at the beginning of the weeks I always feel like there will be nothing to write so I write really weird things and so you always get weird things)

They put mayo on everything here! Takes me off guard. Just thought I would let you know. Also I had to explain gravy last night....I:m not sure I even understand what gravy really is. Anyway thats my super random comment for the day, more random comments to follow.

So Friday was pretty chillaxed. Tried to visit some people that could become investigators but no one was home so that was disappointing. I met a Muslim, thats a first for me on my mission. 1. He told me he was a Muslim and 2 he did it in English so my response was of course *........cool.* Then he closed the door. Yep could have ran that better but whatever, we have to get the First Presidency:s permission to teach Muslims anyway so whatever. Then 3 hours of weekly planning. My goodness thats rough. Shinno choro and I would do 2 hours on a long day. Also Yamatani choro I still don:t understand. Sometimes he just stops doing everything and just sits. So I suggest we do something, he doesn:t respond, this cycles for a few suggestions all of which I just take as him accepting because he doesn:t disagree and then he says something like *Do you really want to do all that?* *What would you like to do?* *(Insert suggestion)* So therefore I scribble everything out and change it. I:ve decided he doesn:t really like finding....I think. He is really hard to peg. Hopefully the whole relationship building experience will come.

So the next day was Oosooji (Big clean (Spring cleaning basically)). Sincerely was like 8 hours of cleaning straight and you have no idea how disgusting missionaries are (ok so you might but still). There was stuff in there from when the sisters lived in the apartment which was more than a year ago. Also when the earthquake happened water spilled on everyone:s wall (still trying to figure out why....Walls cracked maybe and now are fixed?) anyway and our *gas heater*(we also discovered that it isn:t actually hooked up to anything) was right below all the wetness so guess where had a ton of mold? Yep. Apparently mold is a super big problem here. Anyway, that apartment is beautiful now!

Next day was the first day of the new years starting Shogatsu! Its like their christmas. At Church people realizing that we had no family to go to invited us to three meals (had to decline one) so I was super excited. We get to the first one and the lady just kinda looks at me concerned and says,*I made rice just in case you don:t like this* which I get a lot actually but its always really good. Then she brings it out. I about puked on sight. Its what you imagine Japanese food to be. Whole fishes, Shrimp that have like spikes on them. *Dessert* is a super sweet sweet bean thing, then the soup isn:t so bad but has mochi in it which I had in small quantities before but this is a huge block of it thats impossible to eat. So I do my best and get halfway through...about before my stomach says if I take one more bite it will send it all out. Then I look at our hosts plates.....they ate less then me. Thinking it maybe them just being nice I brush it off. I go in for a another try of my own food and then she tells me, *We don:t really like this food either, that:s why i:m not eating it.* What? they don:t even eat it themselves? Oh dear. So we go home, I let my stomach rest to the next appointment who is bound to be better food.

Come in the room and plates are set out for Yamatani choro and I only....ok? Then they bring out the food and of course its the same disgusting stuff. This time the hosts aren:t even going to try and eat it. Ha. Not a great experience with the culture I must say.

So that brings us to yesterday. Head out early to go to a Jinja (buddhist shrine). Kinda super scary but super fun. We were with a few members. Our only single adult (Kokochan) and one of the sisters are dressed up in the traditional kimonos. Kinda cool. Learn all their rituals, pray to their gods(ok so in my heart I wasn:t I just acted like it). Got my fortune told which was kinda a crappy fortune but I say thats because the Buddha gods don:t like that I:m a missionary. Kinda fun I must say. Get back for the first of two meals planned and I:m scared out of my life for the continued fish fest. Then it comes out and.......its gudon (not sure how to spell) rice with delicious meat on top. Oh how I never loved gudon so much in my life. Then come back to the apartment, chillax for like 6 hours (kinda felt disobedient but its what we were told to do....kinda) then next appointment and she tells us we are having oysters. Scary! They were deep fried though so they were super good. As my host said, *You fry anything and an american will eat it* .....true. Also had mashed potatoes, no idea where they came from but its been awhile my dear potatoes. So over all this holiday has actually been ok, kinda cool. Glad I tried the foods...not sure I want to again.... But good experience.

More random stuff+
So I was looking at pictures of Yamatani's mission that he has in this big binder. Looking at all the missionaries that have already gone home because Yamatani choro is the 2nd longest in the mission missionary right now. But then I see a familiar face. Takes me a second to realize who it is though.......Whetto shimai? Yep. My MTC teacher worked in the same area at the same time as Yamatani choro. Super funny.

Christmas party sounded fun.

We did feel the earthquake....yeah I could write tons of emails about earthquakes here. People get super freaked out now when there are earthquakes. It was in the middle of our lunch appointment and the sister just dropped right into a prayer when it last for more than like a second. Kinda freaky.

One last random comment. It makes me laugh that in that picture you sent of Lindsay and Mandy, Lindsay has a mission planner. She can:t let go! :-)

Well love you, gone too long already. Talk to you next week.