Week 60

Dearest Parentals xD,

Actually mom you did spell konnichiwa right.  Yes I am doing terrifically well.  Me and my *ahem* new missionary xD.  We're not really supposed to use the word 'bean.'  But that's ok, I never told you that.  But yeah our district leader also asked us to make a special effort not to say it because there are like 4 missionaries (out of 10) in our district who are brand spankin new. 

Yeah I'll tuck that question away and get back to you.  And I'll try and get that next memory card off to you before too long.  It's got a lot of good stuff in it.  xD 

Heh heh.  Giving long talks heh heh.  I remember way back when I used to go with Dad to give talks.  I remember that back in those days my talks were a collection of quotes and passages and excerpts.  I remember one in particular where I was sharing something about parables... and I went on and on... Tim Lahache came and told me after "I didn't know if you were gonna stop (then he chuckled).  But yeah.  Good times good times.  But in any case, you're not alone on the long-winded part mom. xD 

Haha, I think Thomas has discovered what going to other wards is like.  It's way fun haha.  I must say about my current ward too!  There are many young kids... and the chapel isn't as big as usual.  But I love the people here.  It's just that sometimes sacrament meetings are a little bit more noisy than normal. 

Maybe before planning for Florida, plan and save to come pick me up?  kana? (that means like 'i wonder' kinda thing.  like maybe?)  I don't know all the ins and outs of picking up and stuff like that like if everyone can come or stuff.  Because I definitely want to come back with everyone and if you two are the only ones who can come to pick me up from my mission then I want to go back with the boys.  Or everyone doesn't matter to me ^_^  I just want you all to see Japan with me.  Because for sure I'm coming back to Japan.  Not sure for what reason yet. (work?kana?) but yeah Japan's kinda become a part of me. 

 

Do I get many letters.  In a one word answer, No.  Haha.  I get like 1 every 3-6 weeks from Dawson, but usually I get a couple a transfer.  So yeah, no.  Not alot.

But yeah I'm genki and awesome.  Thanks for everything.  I love you.

Hope your week goes awesome!!

Elder Keith

キース長老

ps: We've really started a big 'last push' in our mission recently.  Which is why we are so busy.  We set the goal to get 60 baptisms in our companionship this transfer to help towards the mission goal of 300 by the years end.  We are currently sitting at around ~130 I think.  So yeah that's kinda what kinda environment we've got right now.  Everyone's supercharged, and working hard.  And we are no exception.  Love you guys!

Week 59

Hey Mom and Dad,

So yes things are looking rather good for me right now.  Save we became/will become busier than we have ever been before!  Our mission goal was to have 300 baptisms by the end of the year, and because of the earthquake we suffered a little bit of a setback. Unfortunately.  We are currently sitting at just over 100 but we've all committed to get that goal.  And so, as a result, myself and my NEW companion, have set a goal to try and get 60 baptisms here in Fuchu.  So we're going to be VERY busy.

Speaking of new companions... yes he is here.  His name is Elder Hosier and he is from Alamo Nevada.  And life's been one big adventure since.  Our first week has been way good.  We're way similar.  And I mean way similar.  He reminds me a lot of colin actually.  Not his personality but the way he looks.  It's weird. And cool.  In a funny sorta way.  Yeah I remember being that new.  Being with him takes me right back.  It's hard to think that almost a year has gone by since I first came to Japan and as experiencing the same thing that he's going through now.  Yeah I kinda recorded my first impression of  Japan.  Well like I recorded what we did and how I felt, and then reading those entries makes me remember the stuff that I didn't write down.  It's incredible.  I've actually gone back a few times and read what it was like for me.  It's funny to see the change in myself, how my emotions slowed down and my thinking changed etc.  And my taste buds.  I realize some of the things I like now, I didn't like back then.  And Derek's getting ready to go on his mission!  That's awesome.  I think he's ready to go on a misson xD.  You guys had an area seventy come to your stake conference?  Way cool!  I got to see one at the last stake conference that I went to.  You're getting snowflakes!!!  No fair!  I haven't even started wearing a suit jacket on a regular basis yet.  It's still super warm out. 

And yeah Dad would have to have one in my honour wouldn't he (a slurpee).   -_-'  hahaha.  well get the good kind!  xD but the thing they do have in japan that I haven't seen anywhere else is melon flavour.  like green honeydew melon in anything you can think of.  melon soda, melon pan (bread) , melon slurpees, it's wayyy dang good.  ahhhhhhmmmmmm.  maybe just a big bag of hershey kisses.  I want the kisses to give to people because in japanese my name is read 'ki-su'  which is very close to the japanese word for kiss which is kisu.  (the [-] elongates the sound. But yeah things are going way good with me on this end.  How's everyone else doing?

Love you

Elder Keith

キース長老

Week 58

こんにちは！！(konnnichiwa)

Yes this letter finds me in terrific shape!!  I've stopped chafing (finally) xD.  Mentally doing awesome.  Spiritually...maybe like soaring is a good word for it.  So my favourite thing about my mission so far... Probably the chance to study every day and really have my life focused on the gospel.  But then there's going back for Mai's baptism.  Coming back to the honbu (mission home) after coming back from Nagoya.  I LOVE the food.  I love the people.  The culture.  The respect that everyone has for each other.  The cheapness of certain snacks. The language. 

I think the biggest adjustment would probably have to be living with other people's quirks.  Every new companion I have has something different.  Some way they like to do things etc.  And it's just something that I've had to make an adjustment to.  They don't start fights but it's really opened my eyes more as to the diversity that there really is in the world. 

Have I done any sleep walking or talking?  Yes.  My zone leader was with me on splits and I remember him telling me that the night before I told him he was on the wrong side of the road... heh heh heh.

What do I dislike most?  Probably the serious lack of slurpee machines despite the unrivaled number of 7/11's.  There are more 7/11's here than anywhere else I've ever seen.  Even Florida.  But in my almost year here, I've only seen 1 slurpee machine. 

Do I dream in Japanese?  Occasionally.  Not very often.  And I think there was one that I had where in the dream it was Japanese, but I still didn't understand it.

Did I get transferred?  No. But my companion did.  He was a great guy.  And my new companion is... not...yet...in... Japan...

Yes that means what you might think it means.  Elder Keith is going to be training a brand new missionary.  Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!

I'm nervous but excited.  I'll let you know how it goes.  They get here on Tuesday and we meet them on Wednesday.  So that means yes I don't even know who it is yet.  I'll find out the same time that my new companion does.  And then we'll be off xD.  So yes.  Next big adventure!  Heh heh heh.  WHOOOOOOO!

The boys are getting tall.  Wow.  Dang.  I thought that I would have a little bit longer before I was the shortest of us all.  Well "us" being the boys. 

The highlight of my week?  Receiving transfer calls. I've actually really wanted to train for a little bit now.  Then we also got to have a terrific dinner with a potential investigator family that is absolutely in love with us.  And we feel the same love for them.  It was so awesome.

It really make me feel good, and happy to hear that everyone is doing awesome!  It really sounds like things have gotten like awesomely better since I left.  Not that things were bad.  They weren't.  But things just sound so great now.  I'm excited to come home.  But not excited to leave the mission xD.  If that makes sense.  Japan's just become a part of me you know?

Well that's my shpeel for the week.  I'll let you know how things go with my bean(greenie) next week.  Love you so much!

Elder Keith

キース長老

Week 57

Heyy! 

 

Yeah my week has been pretty busy.  There's pretty much always something we can be doing as missionaries.  So yesterday I got to go a WWII museum with one of our investigators.  It's called Yasukuni shrine and it was pretty cool I guess.  They had a lot of stuff that was like 'legit.'  Like swords, guns, artillery, uniforms etc.  It's actually a really controversial place because the ashes of the war dead are there and the Japanese usually pray to their war dead.  But it's controversial because among the Japanese war dead are some internationally recognized war criminals.  So when the Prime Minister goes to pray there, countries like China and Korea get really offended.  But we were fine. 

Our companionship is going really well.  We get along terrifically.  The only thing is that we get transfer calls this weekend and since my companion has been here for 4 transfers (the equivalent of 6 months) there is like a 99.99% chance that he will be transferring out.  Which will leave me and I have a really big suspicion that President Albrecht is going to ask me to train next transfer.  We had a big group last transfer and I think we have a big group coming this transfer too, and a new rule in place says that trainers and new missionaries stay together for 2 transfers, that gives me a very high possibility of training.

The work is progressing... yes.  It doesn't feel very fast right now but I think that this transfer my focus wasn't supposed to be entirely on investigators.  Which may sound strange because that's the image most people have about missionaries and missionary work but this is the case only the majority of the time.  Not quite all the time.

Naaahhhh.  My rash is doing better thanks.  It's clearing up as the colder weather comes in and as I remember to put that cream on it.  heh heh heh. xD Yeah I now know well the effects that sweaty shirts have on a guy.  My torso was chafing really badly, all summer and only a few days ago has started clearing up... heh heh heh...  xD  ahhh life.  ups and downs eh?

So yeah it's been a rather interesting turn of events recently for me xD.  But life is going way awesome.  I'll let you know how transfers go next week when I email but for now I'm outta time.  Thank you so much.  Love you bunches!

 

Elder Keith

キ ー ス 長 老

(ki i su choh roh)