6/8/14 Transfer Week!

Hey! It's been hot and rainy this week. School isn't out, but it sounds like everyone is running wild over there. Tell Mara to keep up the good work!

The only thing I said to Elder Christofferson was "thanks for coming" and when he asked me what we were doing I said we were taking a picture together and he said he wanted to join in. He didn't talk about "preparing for marriage" I guess. It was more like why it's important and stuff. It's still scary.

Transfer week went great! Elder Lee is my new companion along with Tomita E staying! It's not crowded at all because the Honbu is big. There are six desks and two showers so we have room for one more if necessary. If you can see the list online, what more can I tell you about where everyone went? hahaha

The Evans will actually live in Salt Lake when they go back! Pretty cool. You'll probably be able to meet them for sure! Sister Evans was just asking about when Connor got back and I had no idea so thanks for letting me know! Is your comment about him getting a job just a light version of saying the same thing to me?? W

By the way. I realllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly want to extend!!!!!!!!! I've been thinking about it a lot and it was one of the biggest things on my mind lately. There's definitely a lot of praying and stuff to do about it, but I don't have anything to do when I get home besides speak at church and wait til next year to try to go to BYU. I also really wish that I could spend my last transfer as a normal missionary. It's kinda tough having to be in an office almost all the time, but I need to have joy in what the Lord wants me to do. Right now I really hope he wants me to extend. Would you be ok with that? Kaicho kinda said that they would probably be happy to have me extend, but he thought that you wouldn't be too interested in it. Anyways yeah. That's what I have been thinking about lately.

A new porchlight/carpet/paint? I won't even recognize the house when I get back which is 100% daijoubu (OK)

So yeah. Monday was way fun. We went to the Moiwa district activity and hiked Moiwa mtn. We took some pretty sweet pictures. Did I ever tell you how much I love melon pan? I love it. I've gotten recipes from members before, but you should try to find some and maybe make some. They had melon pan ice cream (Melon pan right out of the oven with ice cream in the middle like a sandwich) and it was really good. We shopped and cleaned and then I did Lee E's training from 6 til the end of the day. Tuesday we had a lot of transfer calls, prep, eating lunch with Andersen E's district and then found out that I will never be able to drive in Japan. Lee E too! He had an Idaho license so he would have to renew it in person. Kaicho might not be too happy about that hahaha. After all that, we went to get the beans at night! They are way fun!!! There was only one Elder, Elder Gubler, but he was way chill. The shimai were especially fun this time around. Two nihonjin, one from Okinawa and one from nearby Tokyo, but used to live in Hokkaido working on different kinds of farms! I wish I could be a bean again. I've probably seen the new missionary training more than 5 times now w. Wednesday we had all the bean stuff; breakfast at the Evans, workshops, meeting trainers, more workshops, dinner, testimony meeting, the works. During testimony meeting, Kaicho made me bear my testimony too because he will be gone at the end of this transfer and won't get to hear mine in that kind of a setting. It was completely totsuzen (unexpected), but I think I did pretty well. All the beans went home, so Thursday night we ate the Evans breakfast with the missionaries that stayed the night the day before. The transfer spot went well, but was way short. I didn't take any pictures or anything. After that the sisters had a taikai IN OUR APARTMENT. ah. We cleaned it a lot before, but they had like a clothing exchange.... So now there are like 4 giant bags of old shimai clothes... ew... wwwwwww I don't really remember what we did after that! Friday was a day of a LOT of preparations for this transfer. At night we tried to shizen dendo at the Yosakoi dance festival, but it wasn't too effective... Yeah. On Saturday was the same kinda feel, but we had a talent show at night. I played with Evans S again. It was the same song as before. Sunday was good too and we actually had time to dendo!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today we have a zone activity (for all the missionaries that are close to Sapporo... two zones and a half) so we'll do the scroll signing thing. Yeaaaaah. I had to wake up early to get email time. sleepy.
Here are some pictures.
I love you! Aishiteimasu!

Hutchinson Choro

View from the top of Mt. Moiwa

Odori and and Atsubetsu Zone Activity, climbing Maruyama

Pres. & Sister Evans at the Zone Activity BBQ

4/13/14 Crazy birthday!

My birthday has already been pretty crazy so far!
I'll just tell you right away....
I got my transfer call last night...!

I became Assistant to the President!!!!
Whoa!
SO that's probably the biggest news! I spend p-day here getting packed (though I packed everything last night) and then head to the honbu by six to begin training and stuff. I'll probably be giving people transfer calls, preparing for bean training, and heading to the airport to pick the younguns up ;D

Thank you soo much for the money! That's a lot hahaha! I'll try to be thrifty with it. I love you so much! I won't forget to get cool things for you guys too.

It is for sure crazy being 21. I do kinda feel like it though. Mara looks like she's having fun! Is there a Lincoln movie out??? Hahaha I'm glad that joke is still going on. How are the soccer boys? (inside joke from when Mara was 6)

I bet the Luau was fun too! I'm glad everyone is remembering me and stuff hahah! I will not be trunky though!!!! In the honbu I'll probably spend a LOT of time doing 'not dendo' so I will have to work hard to take advantage of every chance I get to work outside ;D.

I actually was able to fit a lot of my stuff in my suitcases so I might wait a bit before sending stuff home. Stuff that I'll throw out is probably the old short sleeve shirts that got really sweaty and the thermals that are all pretty ripped up. Still usable, but a member bought me some nice new ones from Uniqlo. Anyway I'm looking forward to the b-day package! I thought the last package was the b-day package hahahaha. Conference was super great! I watched all of it on Saturday day and Sunday and only had to watch one session in Japanese ;D I'm glad you're enjoying Alma as well!

The sister missionaries and Mara's food must've been fun! I hope you find opportunities to work with them a lot! :D Thanks for the pictures! Also, guess who didn't forget the camera plug? Yeah!
Here's the summary real quick.
Monday was a way fun P-day! We went to Mt. Moiwa in Sapporo with an Eikaiwa student, then to a ski jump w/ museum, then to a buffet, then to Ebetsu where we went to an Onsen! Pretty full day! The next day I went on splits in Ebetsu after doing the workshop we did last week for the Ebetsu missionaries. Nishime E did a way cool example about spending every second in your day like it's money. I'll have to tell it to you someday because it'd take too much time. Splits in Ebetsu were fun! I went with Louis E who is a bean chan! We saw some great miracles and visited a member who is so strong I was blown away.

Wednesday we went to a small area in Iwamizawa to visit a member on her b-day then went to Takikawa to have a baptismal interview! It was a 16 year old girl that went to youth conference and felt the spirit super strong and overcame all her doubts. Way fun! We spent the night there and then headed home to have DKK and Eikaiwa. The next day was splits with the APs!!! I went with Watabe choro and we just worked hard finding all day! It felt great even though it was still cold. Saturday was of course all day conference! It was great though! Sunday was conference and lots of eating with members! Adachi showed up just in time for Pres. Monson's talk but had to leave afterwards. We also did lots of finding after church and then I got my call!!!
I love you so much! Time is running out so... Pictures!!! :D
aishiteimasu!
Hutchinson Choro

This morning's surprise from Nishime E (spells out HAPPY BIRTHDAY one letter at a time)

Birthday cake from a member!

After the interview

View from Mt. Moiwa

Museum @ski jump

famous yakitori

Nishime E and his tempura don

My crazy curries one and two