Week 74

EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Holy smacker doodle!  That's a lot of hullaballoo happening.  Wow, here I was expecting to leave as things were nice and peaceful and come back and have things be relatively the same, save people have changed a little and stuff like that.  Yet while I'm gone, the world says "Hey! Let's do a backflip!" I guess things are starting to happen.  Like I knew stuff was gonna change but holy smokes.

 One thing that I learned in the Elder Oaks conference was that, well I already knew it but the way he explained it made it way more clear to me, when we go to church to take the sacrament, in the prayer are the words "That we may always have his Spirit to be with us."  He told us a story about a man who went inactive for many many years.  His wife and children were still active but he was not.  Then one day he began making decisions that affected his family, saying that he was getting revelation to do so.  Elder Oaks then said in a powerful voice. "If you don't partake of the sacrament, then you will not have the spirit to be with you.  And at that time you can receive revelation, BUT IT WILL NOT BE FROM GOD."  I was like  woooooaaaaaahhhhhhhh. 

A couple years ago... heh heh.  Funny to think that I've already spent all of 2011 in Japan.  Can't say "Last year when I was home..." anymore haha. 

A picture of my potato cannon?  On a memory card somewhere...?  Or the computer?... Haha I have no clue. 

And Ben getting a job like that.  Wow.  I think that would be ichiban besuto (the best thing) for him would be to be able to get a room.  But wow, Ben moving out.  Life keeps going huh?

And the Elder Oaks conference was incredible.  He's so awesome and he said a lot of things that I needed to hear.  We also got to hear President Hallstrom speak.  And we got to go up and shake their hands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Told him my name and where I'm from, I did.  Haha, and then during his talk he said "Wasn't there a missionary from Canada here (there were actually 2 of us, and we just happened to be sitting right next to each other) and we raised our hands and he looked at us and smiled "Oh yes. There you are."  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was sooooooo awesome!!!  But yeah it was the best.

So yeah that's the insights of Elder Keith on everything.  Haha.  Keep me posted on this whirlwind ok?  Wonder what life will be like when the weather's calm haha.  Love you tonnes!

Elder Keith

キース長老

Week 73

Konbanwa (Good evening)

 

My week has been pretty darn good.  WE GET TO GO AND HAVE A CONFERENCE WITH ELDER OAKS TOMORROW!!!!!!! AND WE GET TO SHAKE HIS HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

The conference went way good.  Until the end.  Well like the end wasn't bad but we thought to have a testimony part of it, and no one save like 2 were willing to bear their testimonies... so that was kinda bumpy but the rest was good. 

And I got the calendar thanks!  It's awesome haha. 

 

Annnnnnnndddd I was wondering if you could send me a picture of me with my potato cannon.... if that's possilbe.  The rugby ones are awesome. 

 

Thanks so much.  Love from me in Japan, to you in Canada!!!

 

Elder Keith

キース長老

Week 72

Konnichiwa!

Ahhh they're closing the Hawkesbury area huh?  That's a way bummer.  But to be honest the work was kinda slow in Hawkesbury.  The thing is, when the work like that gets hard in an area like Hawkesbury, the solution isn't more tracting.  It's member work.   The thing is that members don't realize who of their friends are being prepared to hear the gospel.  It's either that the missionaries weren't asking, or the members just weren't willing to invite their friends.  Like even me before my mission I was like that.  Especially being at work in the new environment and stuff.  If I was then, who I am now, I would have invited so many more people to hear the gospel. 

Haha, there's my rant for the week.

No one really knows what a mission is like, or even really understands why they go until they get there and are doing it.  Like at first, I came on my mission, I knew I wanted to come and that it would be a great experience, but I had no idea why.  I looked at dendo as more of something I was supposed to do then something I wanted to do.  I've come to love the gospel, love the people, and it's become an experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. 

Well the coat has an inner jacket, kinda like a spring jacket, and an outer one.  Either one can be worn individually.  And together they will be super warm.  I don't think it will ever get that cold though... And then once winter's over I'll either give it away or leave it in the apartment for some other missionary down the road haha. 

No progress with the English person quite yet.  And actually the work is a little slow in the area.  Unfortunately.  But we're gonna be doing our best to change that.  We didn't have too much chance to do that last week because we were so busy preparing for zone conference (we had to give training) and Stake Presidents Meeting (yeah we participate in that too).

Settled into being zone leader?  Yeah I guess so.   Haha.

So yeah that's what's been happening recently in my life.  Fun stuff.  And we get to go have a conference with Elder Oaks and Elder Hallstrom next Tuesday!  WAHOOOO!!!!!!  But yeah life is awesome. Japanese is fun.  Missionary work rocks my socks.  And because it was so close to Valentines, I got so much chocolate from so many different females at church on Sunday.  After you pick yourself up off the floor, just know that there's nothing sketchy about it.  The girls/RS were giving chocolate to all the brothers.  And then of course everyone loves the missionaries.  At least here they do.  Haha that's no lie.  My new ward is sooooo awesome!  

Thanks for everything!!  You guys mean the world to me!  Love you

Elder Keith

キース長老

Week 71

Hey!!!!!!

My first week as a zone leader?  Well it's going pretty well.  I find myself a lot busier nowadays.  I have to spend more time doing other things than proselyting sometimes.  Like, now I have to prepare trainings and such.  And it being a whitewash, or flush as it's called there, adds a nice twist to the challenge.  Yeah not throwing anything at me at all.  They're throwing ME!!  haha. 

Well I'm here in Japan on Feb 6, 2012 and it's still ok to hang up your clothes outside without having to worry about them freezing at all.

It's not very often that I have the chance to use English any more either haha.  Like in all my other wards there has been at least one member who was an American, or an English companion, or other English elders in the apartment.  But not in this area.  My companion understands a lot of English but I do my best not to speak it.  My only other chance than that is when we have Eikaiwa once a week.

And 3 semesters until Adam's done... yikes.  That's like... wow.  And not to mention the time I'm coming home at, but there's a slight possibility that I might probably maybe be able to potentially make it home before that.   Maybe.

And finding time for my journal... Well time gets made.  Every now and again. haha.  I'm actually doing my best to catch up right now.  I'm still like a little over a month behind haha.  (embarassed face).

And well even if the stuff's not done by the time that I get back, I'll be there to help haha. 

17 Miracles?  No I don't think so...  Is it new?  If so then for sure not.

Something interesting that I've done this week.  Well I got to move into a new apartment and discover that anything I could almost ever want is here.  Like food out the wazoo.  Bread as far as the eye can see.  A sweet coat from Missionary Mall that's in super good condition and looks to have been worth probably about $170+.  Yeah life gets pretty good as a missionary.

A spiritual high moment for me?  Probably when Elder Sakae and I were planning for an upcoming zone conference.  We were discussing what we could do and throwing out ideas and with the theme that we chose, when an idea felt right, we both knew it.  And the ideas that began coming fit perfectly into our theme.  It was awesome.  That and we housed (did door to door) into someone who spoke English so I had to take over.  And she has interest!!!  It's awesome. 

And unfortunately I'm outta time.  But I want you know that I send my love.  Thank for everything.心より愛しているよ。(google translate that ;))

Love you

Elder Keith

キース長老