SO, I will only email you guys one last time after this....It's a little bit crazy. I'm getting really scared. Haha, It's a little bit ridiculous. I had a good week though.

This last Saturday, the Omuta branch went to the Fukuoka temple so I had the opportunity to go with them. It was my first time going to the temple to do a session in Fukuoka. It was SO great. I was so happy and it was also the first time for me to go to the temple with the new changes. I had so much dendo fire after that. AND the Fukuoka temple is beautiful. I just love the temple. Also, while I was there, I ran into Nakaima Kaicho. He's the Stake President of the Okinawa stake. I was so excited to see him. He told me all about Naha and how things are. He's wonderful and it was great to get to work with him there.

This last week, we found a sweet couple to teach. The K couple. They brought us into their house and tried to give us tea and coffee. It was a great teaching opportunity and they are going to let us come back. They wouldn't stop feeding us. Haha, they gave us just about everything they could find to feed us. They were very sweet.

T san is kinda sick. It looks like we can't visit her. Maybe we'll drop off some fruit for her family or something. She just doesn't have any hope for anything and because of that she won't try anything. We're really just trying to lift her up now. We'll see how it goes.

Other than that, I'm still just going as hard as I can. I'm getting so so tired and temptation tells me that I can't really accomplish anything in two weeks, but I'm still going as hard as I can. Haha, I didn't think that the end would be this rough. I still love it though. I love sharing this Gospel and I love representing my Savior here in Japan. I'll be emailing on Tuesday next week so that will be my last email from here.

Ahhhh. that's so sad.

Anyway, I'll make every second count!

Love you all,

Elder Low

Sunset in Naha

So, first things first, I have to ask you for a favor. Our mission has asked every missionary to complete the "my family" pamphlet by September. We're starting to use them for family history. I'm sure you've seen it, but in order to fill it out, I need Kanji for all the names on Mom's side of the family and I also am going to need pictures of the grandparents. I need to get that packet filled out ASAP. If you could do that it would be really appreciated.

Anyway, I had a crazy week with almost no time for normal dendo. We were in Fukuoka last Sunday through Wednesday. It was the funnest time. Probably too much fun for missionaries.

Zone Leaders at the Fukuoka Temple

On P-day, after we emailed, we went back to the Honbu and asked what we could do for President and he gave us four tickets to the zoo across the street. He told us to have a good time and then at six go find some investigators for Fukuoka. So, we spent the day at the zoo and having fun around Fukuoka.

At the Zoo

It was SO much fun. Elder Chung is one of the Elders in Okinawa and I don't know if you remember him, but he's pretty much my best friend in the mission. I've really been able to work with him a lot and he's one of the funnest people I know.

On bikes in Fukuoka

A hot day in Fukuoka. Two of the bikes broke....so we had to walk back to the honbu.

That night, I had the chance to work with Elder Fender in Fukuoka and we had a really successful day. We found 3 new investigators that were all really solid. It was wonderful. The next day, we had an awesome training from President and the AP's and then we went home to Naha to prepare for two trainings for the Zone. It's been a lot of training here. It has gone really well though.

We weren't able to really teach any of our investigators this week. It was really slow, but we had a little bit of time to go finding and we found quite a few cool people. We found a cute old couple in a tiny apartment. The Husband was watching Sumo and told us to leave and that he didn't need our message, but the wife said she would love to hear the message. We were able to teach her a little and make a new appointment. She said that her husband was going to yell at her afterwards, but that it was ok. Haha, it was way funny because right after that, we said a prayer and we could hear them bickering. He was saying that they had their religion and she was saying that she wants to hear what we have to say and that we had such pure hearts and all this sweet stuff. Haha, I hope the next lesson goes ok.

Our Eikaiwa students

So, as you know, today is our transfer calls. I don't know what's going on yet, but I hope I stay. I really love this area and the people here. Of course I'll do whatever the Lord has in store for me. I just have come to really love these people.

Anyway, that was my week. It was a busy one. Maybe next week I'll be somewhere new. We'll see. I love you all and I'll talk to you all next week.

Love,

Elder Low

March 18, 2013 - First Week in Japan

Hello!

It's nuts over here! I'm don't really know how to begin. I really have had so much traveling the last week that there isn't a TON to report on. Let me begin.

So, I left on Monday morning to the airport and called mom and dad. It was so crazy to hear your voices. I really loved it. Then we got on the plane and left for Seattle. Everyone in my group is so cool! I love my Doki. :)

We landed in Seattle and we were there for a few hours. I had the chance to speak to a few Japanese people with Elder Otani (one of the Native Japanese Elders). It was so fun. I still have lots to learn, but I felt like I was understanding a lot of the Japanese being spoken. We also had our first meal that wasn't MTC food! It was tasted SOOoooo good. I was in heaven.

Then, we had our ten hour plane ride all the way over to Japan. It was kinda hard to not turn on a movie. The guy next to me was only watching movies with vampires.....hahaha, he was watching Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer and Breaking Dawn Part Two. I thought it was funny....cuz he was like....50 or something. It was kinda awkard sitting by him. He also really didn't want to let me out of the row to go to the bathroom, but eventually he let me go. Otherwise, it was a pretty good flight.

When we landed in Tokyo, I was so so so happy. Everyone else was exhausted, but I was too excited. I remember landing in that airport 6 years ago. I was having trouble sitting still. THEN we found out that our flight was delayed because there was a Typhoon and we couldn't fly to Fukuoka quite yet. Haha, yeah, so we spent another two hours in Tokyo.

We finally left for Fukuoka and I slept the entire flight. We landed at about 11:30. It was really late. The APs and the President and his wife were waiting there for us. They took us back to the Honbu. Man, that was the coolest thing EVER. We were sleeping underneath the Fukuoka Temple. It was also a really nice house. The president is one of the nicest people. His wife is way cool too. She had me and some other Elders do some chores around the house the next day......It was actually way fun. I miss homey chores.

So, now I'm in Nago and my companions name is Elder Gandy. He's really nice. and yes......it's pretty hot. But it's pretty. My big worry though: People in Nago have a heavy heavy dialect.....Yeah. The Native missionaries have trouble understanding them. That scene in "The Best Two Years" where Elder Calhoon says "That's not the language they taught me in the MTC"....yeah. That's me right now. IT IS SOOO HARD! They also talk super fast and have a heavy accent. It kinda sounds like spanish. I feel really dumb.

Anyway, I don't have tons of time. I love you all and I will send more pictures soon.

Love,

Elder Randy Kazuhiro Low