Week 22

Hello, My name is Elder Keith and I am serving in an area called Tama, in Japan. 

Japan, the land where very few things change over time.  It is not uncommon for me to see grown men playing pokemon on their nintendo ds's while we ride on trains.  if there's not vending machines every 50ft then you have left japan.  it takes a while for you to get used to the "irashaimase!!!" that almost gets yelled at you every time you enter a store.  There are fads here but the fads are the same  as they were 20 years ago.  pokemon, hellokitty, anything old that came from japan is still popular.  no joke.  as a result of that, contrary to what many of you were probably hoping, the odds are that i am not going to grow up while i am here.  sorry to dash your hopes.  and in this society it is still perfectly acceptable, even normal to see 19-20 year old girls dress up like princess (and some go all out) and go about their day.  My companion (who goes home on monday) and i get a chuckle every time we see one. 

so last week i got to go and hear elder holland speak to all us missionaries.  i also got to shake his hand!!!!  it was so cool.  You can definitely feel the testimony that he radiates.  the second cool thing was that i got to spend a day with a japanese missionary.  what an experience.  and the final event that happened was that, today, i got to go to the tokyo temple.  It was magnificent.  And unfortunately my time for the week is up.  love you all.  take care.

気をつけてね。愛しています。しつもんがあれば、どうぞうたずねて下さい。

私は神様の宣教師です。　がんばって下さい。

キース長老

Elder Keith

Week 21

皆さん，こんにちわ。　皆わ元気でしょう。　私のために今週は楽しかったよ。ま、あの。。。明日に全ての宣教師がホーランド長老の大会へ行きます。

So for those of you not so Japanesely inclined that basically said, "Hello, You're all well right?  This week, for me was fun.  Uh, tomorrow all the missionaries in the mission get to go to a conference where Elder Holland will be the key speaker."

Yes that is the highlight of the Japan Tokyo Missionaries right now.  We get to listen to Elder Holland and Elder Rasband come and talk to us.  I'm super stoked. 

So on another note.  Happy Valentines Day to you all.  Hugs from me to all of you.  Yeah, well Valentines has to be the most anticlimactic holiday when you're a missionary.  Well, my companion (who's been in 9 areas) has told me that in some areas you get a lot of chocolate from people but nothing from this area so far. But there are more important things that I've got to do.  Such as saving people's salvation, and practicing ping-pong (or takkyu as it's called here).  No I'm kidding about the ping-pong but a lot of people here are REALLY good.  Sasuga Nihonjin ne?  Meaning: Typical Japanese people right? 

So there's another event for me that's coming up.  Splits.  This is where 2 missionary pairs, trade companions for a day.  That wouldn't be an event except that on Thursday I will be spending the day with a 日本人。A Japanese Elder by the name of Fukushima.  Who doesn't speak much English at all.  Well がんばります。　I'll do my best.  I trust everyone is well.  　皆さんありがとうございます。　気をつけてね。

Week 20

So... exciting events over the past 2 weeks.  Well...  last week we went to the Tama Zoo.  That was pretty dang fun.  And it was cheap too, like 600 yen for the whole day!  It was a rather good deal.  This past Sunday too we had stake conference.  I think I only understood when Sister Albrecht, our mission president's wife got up and spoke with a translator, and then when President Albrecht got up and spoke because his Japanese was not as complex as the rest of the people who got up and spoke.  So even though I paid attention the entire time, there really wasn't too much that I understood.  Japanese really turns out to be a slightly difficult language.  Who woulda thought eh?  I will say one thing though, everyone here in Japan is really genki!  Genki means healthy happy full of energy and the like.  

One of our investigators has a baptismal date set for the 19th and then we taught a man and his wife this morning who were extremely interested in the Gospel and want to bring their 2 daughters to learn about the gospel too and we committed them to baptism for the 15 of march.  They're real 金人　kinjin or golden investigators.  Yeah the work is going real well but it's still hard.  But oh well such is a mission right? 

 

Just thinking about it too, I realize that I've probably repeated myself in some of the earlier posts and for that I apologize.  When you become a missionary you start having a LOT to think about, especially if you're learning a language, and I can remember thinking, "did I write that already... nahhh."  But even though it's been probably the busiest time in my life I can honestly say that it honestly the best 2 years.  Even so far.  My companion, Elder DeBuse goes home at the end of the transfer so it's kinda fun to contrast.  I always tease him about being an old missionary.  But you definitely gain a greater appreciation for the scriptures and for the importance of bringing people to Christ.  It really is the way to salvation and eternal happiness.  I encourage all you young men, and young women, to prepare yourself and go on a mission.  It's definitely the best experience you will have.  I've had a little bit of a chance to work with the senior couple too.  They're terrific people and definitely needed.  Well with that I will close and cross my fingers that I have enough time and memory space to write next week.  皆さん元気になってね。　愛しています。　気をつけて下さい。

Week 19

So, yes indeed this letter finds me in good spirits. Well, I have a little headache becuase we spent the day at the zoo but yeah i'm good.  So, I was just informed that i need to rush right now becuase we're gonna be late for an appointment. Sorry!  Ok. so the nitty gritty of a missionary day.  I wake up at 530 with my companion. Then by 545 i'm in the study reading my book of mormon in japanese.  It's really a struggle because im tired.  Then at 630 i shower and have breakfast and then i read my english scriptures until 8.  Then i start my personal study.  i usually do pmg and other church books.  Then at 9 we have comp study.  Then language study at 10.  We finish study at 11 and then we make lunch.  We usually have whatevers quick.  We're outta the house by 12 and then we ride bikes to wherever and then go streeting or housing (both=tracting),  for however many hours. Sometimes people do even stop or acknowledge us. So then we keep going with that and we go to any lessons we had planned and then we return to the apartment at 8 and have dinner and do planning for the next day. and then we go to bed.  So yeah sorry this can't be longer.

love you and miss you

Elder Keith