Week 56

Hey!!!!!!!

So I'm kinda running low on time today.  We thought it would be a good idea to go and see a 'trick art museum'  it was way awesome!  I'll send you some of the pictures when I myself get them.  My camera died so I had other people take pictures of me xD.  Ahahahaha. 

So to answer some questions:

Well I guess it's not that black suits are not allowed but if you wear all black (white shirt, but black everything else, tie included) that is what they wear only to funerals.  Yeah it's a cultural thing and so I think they put an over-emphasis on it just to be careful and make sure that some people don't accidentally offend anyone.

The new suit that I bought was 16,000￥ Which is $210.  But it came with 2 pair of pants and it's machine washable.  And I was in drastic need of a new suit.  It didn't click when I first arrived that I should save one suit to only wear Sundays and conferences and such, so I alternated days throughout all last winter.  And let's just say neither of them is the cleanest thing in the world.  I may actually not even have one of them at the moment...  heh heh heh... some things never change huh?

Yeah putting money in my account would be awesome, all though there is one thing I kinda wanna request... Could you get me a big package of hershey kisses?  We can't really find those here in Japan.  If there's anything else then you can put money into my account but other than that... xD

The adjustment to Fuchu is going well.  It gets easier with every passing day.  It's very tokai (city) compared to slightly inaka (country) Kofu.  But it's going well.  I was so busy that I had absolutely no time to worry about anything else then what was I was doing.  I was coordinating the missionary end of things for a SA activity that happened here in Fuchu.  I had to coordinate and get 30 missionaries into this area on the same day at the same time.  I have never spent so much time on the phone in my life!  But was it ever fun xD.  Well I didn't think so like 5 days ago but looking back it wasn't that bad!  But it was way good for both the missionaries and SA's alike so I feel good about it.

Ahhh russets were they called?  Naru hodo (I see).  Well we were just given a lot of apples  (like 38) from one of the other elders whose parents have connections.  Good thing too because apples here go for like $150 EACH!  Yeah right.  Our problem now is to find people to give them to because we can't eat them all ourselves.

So the ward is like 80-90ish people

Do we have any investigators?  Yes but they're not doing so well right now.  Not quite sure what they want from meeting with us.

Large city

Things are going well as district leader.  Everyone in my district is soooo awesome!

We all meet together usually at least twice a week.  Once for district meeting and once for an investigator sports night.  oh and one of the elders in my district is Canadian.  His name is Elder Roberts and he's from Cardston.  He actually knew Dawson for a couple months before they came to Ontario.  How awesome is that?

The weather is gradually getting cooler. -finally-.  but yeah we won't see snow until like February probably. =( I've realized I really miss snow!

Well there was a huge typhoon the other day.  Typhoon Roke.  I was in the middle of that bad boy xD.  But beyond that it hasn't been too bad.  In Kofu though I actually did bike through a typhoon (a different one) to go see an investigator.  That was wet!  xD

So yeah that's what's up with me.  I'm doing well for the most part.

Still working on battling some rashes that developed due to excessive sweaty shirt and skin contact during the summer but yeah. I'm good!  Don't even worry about it!  xD  Glad to hear that everyone is doing well in and with everything.  And thanks for Thiago's address.  That made me happy.

 

Thank you for everything.  Love you so much.

 

Elder Keith

キース長老

 

Week 55

Konnichiwa!

 

Yes all in Japan is going rather well.  Yep working hard, yep enjoying spreading the gospel!  Being district leader is still going well indeed.  No complaints whatsoever.  Well I have like no time anymore to write in my journal but I do enjoy calling everyone every night to talk.  xD 

That's great that Brother Pelletier is doing better.  That's gotta be a hard thing, a 6 bypass heart surgery.  what does that even mean anyway?  Yeah I can picture Sandy really working to do his best as branch president.  That's right Davin leaves on his mission way soon too!  Waaaahhh.  Speaking of missions.  I know he's just barely started walking again but how is Ben in regards to mission prep?  He's got like less than a year then he's eligible to go right? 

One of the things that I realized that I have to do a lot of as district leader is coordinating.  I have to plan out when district meetings happen and then I have to go and do splits.  It seems like all the coordinating of rides and people going places and stuff that I did before my mission was just preparing me haha.  In regards to that talk at general conference too, it's way fun to look back and see how far I've come.  I recently went on a split with a missionary who was on his 2nd transfer (like 2.5 months out) and when we went streeting (tracting) he would say as much as he could and then he would look to me and I would take over.  I can remember when that would happen to me and I would look at my companion and wait for him to take over.  It is very rarely that that happens to me now.  I'm nowhere near fluent but it's not very hard for me to convey the ideas that I want to express.

So tell me another story from your mission dad, I'm curious as to what a non-Japanese mission is like.  Because basically all missionaries who come to Japan have this image that missionary work in your own language is easy.  I'm wondering if that's actually the case or not.

So yeah this week, we really didn't have too much happening.  It feels like things are getting busier but we'll see whether it's actually the case or not. 

I had the chance to go to an American base today too!  My companion's parents are in the military, and so we went and picked up a bunch of stuff.  It was sooooooooo weird to go there.  Like you have absolutely no idea.  My eyes were SO wide the entire time.  Like, it made me way uncomfortable.  It was so weird.  

But yeah that's what's up with me this past week.  What kind of things do you guys want to hear about Japan/me/anything?

Let me know!

Thanks so much, you guys are absolutely terrific.  Love you Mom and Dad!

 

Elder Keith

キース長老

Week 54

こんにちは！(Konnichiwa!)

 

Yes all is well in my end of the world! 

Ahhh, the KFG Keith Family Gathering, or in this case, the Keith Family Gourgefest! How I miss those days and those feasts and how I look forward to them upon my return home!  Rolling out to the car, oh yes.

Nope no thanksgiving celebration here.  I had one sister send me an email (it was a coordination email about a mission prep activity that I'm kinda like organizing (at least from the missionary side) so don't worry I don't break rules. xD) and at the end of it she said, "oh yeah happy Canadian thanksgiving.  So that was the extent of my thankgivingness. xD  There again I do spend all of my time giving thanks and giving people the gospel so I don't feel bad haha.  Some of the National Holidays... O-shogastu (new year-->This is a HUGE holiday here in Japan).  Golden week --> a string of holidays that gives everyone like a week off.  Christmas(although it's not as big).  and yeah that for the most part is it.

My new area is good I guess.  I like a lot of the people already.  The rest I just don't know yet.  My new companion is a way nice guy too!  I think though that since my 5th transfer (I'm on 8 now) that President Albrecht has been putting me with certain companions for certain reasons.  More on that to come in a later letter.  I love being DL too actually.  I just love to have so much interaction with so many missionaries.  It helps me create friendships with them that could otherwise be a little harder.  Yeah it's more work but I do feel up to the challenge.  And we had a district leader conference the other day, and in it I resolved not only to be a district leader but to be THE district leader.  I want to be the one that people talk about and remember, I want to be the one that changes peoples lives.  And so I do my best! 

Yeah I really miss the Leulu's (Vonnie and her husband Roma) too.  And their 2 kids Edyson and Alejandra.

They have a special place in my heart.

 

Do I need anything?  Not really.  I actually just bought a new suit.  xD  It was a pretty good price and very stylish xD.  So yeah no I'm doing good.  Although maybe some more socks, like the ones you sent last time... Yoroshiku onegai shimasu (I desire you to be nice to me-  very common Japanese phrase)

 

Yes conference was terrific!  I loved every bit of it.  And it went by far too fast.  I remember when I was young I couldn't wait for it to be over, and now I am startled when I realize that there's only 1 speaker left.  Funny how people change eh?  And yeah President Monson is a bucket of laughs. heh heh.

 

So you know how we used to talk about touching people's lives.  Who was I supposed to touch.  Well until now I've realized some of the people that I came here to help.  I wanted to share it with you. 

-a SPAM container wrapped in paper with pictures and messages written by 2 little girls from Seto ward.  They are Maho and Shio.

-a letter from a boy named Sam from Tama he wrote me and I received the letter while I was in Kofu.

-a postcard from Koji and Aya. Aya was less active in Seto and Koji her boyfriend.  Through our visits, they got married and he was baptized. 

-a picture in a glass frame from Kazushi from my last night in Tama

-some money given to me by Vonnie, I couldn't refuse it because she said in their culture it's rude to refuse a gift. They gave me the money because they didn't have time to get a gift.  Roma then leaned in and told me that it was so good to have me do FHE with them.  He said it was great to have all of us present but that I was the one that helped them strengthen their testimonies the most.

-some email excerpts (from 2 letters) from a woman named Sharmeen that I had the privilege of finding and teaching while I was in Kofu:

"So happy to read of all the great things going on in your life.  You have been a blessing to me."

"Today is my birthday, October 10th and thank you for being one of the best gifts I've received in my 37 years of living.  Big hug, Sharmeen :)"

That might sound kinda weird unless you know this woman.  She is so full of love and when we found her she was actually going through a harder time in life and we were able to help her out. 

It's things and gifts like these that make any little bit of suffering that I have to endure as a missionary worth it.  I don't think this is all the people that I have been able to help but, but these are the ones that I know for sure.  I have made friends here that have become friends for life.  This mission has been a truly wonderful experience for me. Thank you for guiding me to it.  Love you so much!

 

Your Son

Elder Keith

キース長老

Week 53

Heyyyyyyy,

 

Yes... I am... over... the... hill... *sniffle.*  I'm not ready to be done yet.  But it's going well.  I love being a missionary.  I love the help that I have the ability to give people right now. 

 

No I haven't seen conference yet.  We will see it this coming Saturday and Sunday.  And I'm super excited for it.  It's like one of the highlights of the year for missionaries.  Yeah I know the Japanese speaker that's being talked about.  Yamashita meaning 山下 'under a mountain.'  President Albrecht watched conference and he was telling us a little bit about it.  I'm super excited.

 

To be honest I love being DL soooooo much because it puts me in a position to help the people in my district.  And one of the requirements is that I call everyone every night.  So my journal time at night dies but I get to make a stronger friendship with those in my district and if they need it I can help them.  And you know me I love talking on the phone xD.  Just kidding.  Yeah we have sisters in the district too and they're both Japanese, so when I call them I basically can't speak English.  But it's no problem for me now.  While my Japanese is not perfect I can basically get the point that I'm trying to make across.  It's truly remarkable how the Lord helps us do what we think (or once thought) impossible.  Well the 4 cents are much appreciated.  I will remember them.  Yeah I've gotta take time now too and get used to a new companion again.  So I'm gonna apply those to my own companionship too.

 

So yeah that's basically the what's up for me here in Japan,  I thought I would include some pictures too, you can pick which ones for the calendar but to make up for the length this time I included some pictures.  A quick preview of the memory card to come ;)  Thanks so much for everything.  Your support has really helped me through the hard times on my mission.  Take care.  Love you sooo much.

 

Elder Keith

キース長老