I am not in Naha right now. We flew up for Mission Leader Council. So, I'm spending P day with the Okinawa zone leaders in Fukuoka. I'm way stoked. It's going to be pretty fun.

Forgive me for today's email. I don't have a lot of time.

This last week, we had a exchange with the Yonabaru Elders. That is a tough area. The Elders there are working so hard. There is just not a lot of people home during the day. Also, with all the hills and heat it's really easy to get tired. However, those Elders are working super hard and they know what they are doing. I worked with Elder Miyanishi. I was so impressed. He had planned his day so well. We never had a second of time. We were going the entire day. He packed the day in so well, and he had his travel time down. I was really impressed. He's also a really good teacher.

Also this week, F came to church. I was really nervous because he's a really shy guy and he really doesn't like being in front of people. He really liked it though. He was taking notes during Sacrament meeting and he also had the chance to talk to the bishop about his situation with work and his physical problems. He has a mild back injury. The bishop was really good to him and we were able to figure out a game plan for F san and he seems pretty hopeful. We'll have another chance to meet him later this week as well. Things are just looking good with him.

Along with all that, we're still working as hard as we can. It is so hot. There is no way to not smell bad. I always have deodorant and all these other things to keep the sweat down, but it's not possible. I just feel bad knocking on people's doors looking like I just ran a marathon. It makes people wonder why we are out here though. AND we get lots of free drinks. Sometimes they are tea, but it's always nice to have people watching out for us. Okinawan people are either really really nice.....or SUPER rude....Or sometimes just crazy. It makes dendo fun though.

Anyway, I'm really sorry about this letter. I really don't have lots of time. I just hope you all know I'm super grateful for your support and I love you all! I'm doing the best I can. The church is true!

Elder Low

August 19, 2013

Pretty exhausted this week.

(Click on any photo to enlarge.)

So, next week, you'll be getting emails from me on Tuesday instead of Monday because we get transfer calls next week again. I'm starting to wonder if I'll still be in Nago. My zone leader was talking to me about it and said he thinks I'm going to be replacing my district leader. I think that's a little too much, but I don't know.

Here are the sisters in our zone.....yeah, there are a lot!

 

 

So, at zone p-day. While the sisters were over eating by the couple. I was stitting by these goof balls. Haha, I love them.

 

 

 

 

I had a really successful week with Elder Alger this week. We had more contacts than any other missionaries in the zone this week. It was really awesome. We also have 4 new investigators that look really really promising.

 

In other news, Y-san called me again this week. I've been really worried about her because we really haven't had a specific lesson in three weeks, but she called to tell me about her stituation. She says that she thinks her cancer isn't very serious, but that she is still freaking out. She actually finds out today whether or not she can meet with us THIS week. However, she did tell me some really good things. I asked her how she was handling her stress and she said that she's been praying like crazy.

 

I asked her how that has helped her. She said that she feels like it usually calms her down, but she had a really bad worry about her mother. Her mother had to go have another check up in the Hospital. (Yeah, they both go to the hospital ALL the time) She said she was praying for her mother so hard and praying that she would be able to function that day and not worry about her mother. That day, her mother came back from the hospital. The doctor was surprised to tell her that her sickness had gone from dangerous to full recovery.

 

She told that to me and it didn't register at first. I was absolutely shocked. Her mom is fine now. When she was talking to me on the phone, she was just bawling and thanking me and telling me that she really REALLY needs to meet us. I was so happy to hear that and I'm so excited to meet her again. The only problem is she is always going to the hospital. We are having the whole ward pray for her. She's been prepared......we just need to meet her.

 

Elder Alger and I gave talks about the temple yesterday. He was pretty upset about it.........Haha, I remember my first talk in Nago didn't go so well either. He is freaking out about language. Haha, he's doing good though. That's our major focus. I feel bad, but I keep throwing him in the deep end and make him contact people and see how much he can teach on his own.....I think he's learning fast though.

Other than that, we are excited to work with these new investigators. We'll keep working hard.

 

Love,

Elder Low

July 8, 2013 - Hot in Nago!

So, I didn't have time to respond to a lot last week. Sorry about that. We had Zone P-day. First of all, it is hot. I know you were saying that you checked Nago and that it is 83 degrees or something. Yeah, that's crap. I don't know where you looked up that weather but that sounds like it would be beautiful right now. At about midnight, our little thermometer in our room gets below 95. It's hot and humid and I think I do laundry every day. We have to take showers up to three times a day. It's almost always above 95 if not 100 degrees. I've never been so hot in my entire life. I never thought that having the water heater off is still too hot to shower in. It is HOT!

 

So, our P-day was a blast, but we had some problems. The P-day was all the Okinawan missionaries. The Ginowan zone and the Naha zone. It was lots of fun.....but one elder broke his wrist right before the p-day. He got hit by a car and broke his wrist. It was pretty bad. He sat in the heat while the Williams couple drove around Okinawa looking for him. Poor Elder Grimmer has to have surgery tomorrow for his wrist.

 

The Ginowan zone....and the food. The poor Williams couple did so much for us AND had to deal with Elder Grimmer's arm. They are the best. P.S. they are from Fruit Heights. They keep telling me that when I get home they want to take me to Wingers.

 

 

A self timer photo on the beach of Okinawa. Everyone got crazy sunburned.....except the Nihonjin......and Elder Low. Just looking really dark. :)

 

Me and Elder Hammond (ZL) on the beach.

 He's pretty much the best!

 

 

Then, this week, four missionary bikes were stolen. Don't worry, mine wasn't one of them because I lock my bike. Unfortunately, two of the bikes WERE locked. Those two bikes were the two Okinawan sisters bikes. And another one of the bikes was Elder Grimmer's.......yeah, he had a really rough week this week. The fourth bike was my district leader's...........he just didn't lock it. Haha.

 

So, bad news this week. I think we've lost one of our investigators. He stopped coming to church and he told us to cancel his baptismal date. He doesn't want to think about life after death or baptism he "just want to keep praying and meeting on Wednesdays". Then, on Wednesday, he left a message on our phone ten minutes before our appointment and told us that he's tired and isn't coming. When I called him back to try to schedule another day, he told me "I'll just see you next Wednesday, k?" Needless to say, I'm pretty disappointed. He was getting so excited and I KNOW he's felt the Spirit.

 

On the Up-side, we have another who is going SOOO well. She still hasn't come to church because of her sick mother but she is keeping all her commitments and always getting excited to meet. She says "It always brightens my day". Although she's moving very slow (because she still can't come to church) she's moving. And if it keeps up, she'll get baptized for sure. The sad thing is I'll probably transfer before that happens. Do you realize that I've spent this WHOLE time in Nago?

 

I'm on transfer three which is usually the killer. By the way, next week is transfer calls so my p-day will be on Tuesday. So, we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll be an eternal Nago missionary. A lot of missionaries on Okinawa have been here FOREVER. My zone leader spent five transfers in Futenma and now is the ZL and has been for the last 3 transfers. He only has six more months on his mission. He's had 3 areas total. Two of them have been on Okinawa. I might be on this island for longer than I expected.

 

We have another investigator who will be baptized this month. When this month? I'm not sure yet. However, if he gets more excited, he might die. Haha, he tells EVERYONE. He's a delivery man and we saw him talking to this man by the bus stop......he was talking about his baptism and how excited he is. Hahaha, he makes me smile. I'm really excited for him.

 

Anyway, that's this week. Next week, I have a day in Ishikawa, a day in Okinawa, and not a lot of free time to Dendo.....which is weird. Usually we just ride our bikes around for hours in the heat. I'm really excited for it and can't wait to tell you all about it.

 

Me and Elder Monson.

 

 

Until next week. I love you all

Elder Low

April 23,2013

I'm really sorry that this has taken so long to get to you. Nobody told me that P-day this week was going to be on Tuesday until Sunday evening. I'm just glad I didn't miss mom's birthday! I hope it's great and I miss you mom!

 

Other news, I loved all the photos from you! I hope I can get more photos to you. I wish I could have been at the family party. Those are the best. I miss everyone tons!

 

News from here: We have had a rough week. Let me start from a week ago

 

We had our zone p-day which was a blast. We all went bowling and I won this huge prize thing. The entire bowling alley shut down for a few minutes while this guy came out and said that the first person to get a strike would get a huge prize. The lights all went down and lazers were shooting (totally Japanese style) and then we began.....I was the first person to throw the ball....and my first ball was a strike. The lights came back on and the guy ran over to me and I got my picture taken in this huge Bowling pin suit and I have my picture on the wall at the alley and I got some fun other stuff! I'll try and send you pictures. It was way funny.

 

Then we returned to Nago. Elder Gandy's bike has had a puncture the entire week so we walked all week long....which is rough in Nago because it takes about 30 minutes by bike to get into the city. I've been super stressed because we wouldn't see people for such a long time and then when we finally did, they would just reject us.

 

Here's the good news this week. We taught our investigator from China and it was super successful. At the beginning of the lesson he told us about the bombing in Boston (which is super scary) and then we taugh him about Joseph Smith and the importance of the Book of Mormon and praying to know if it is true. When we closed we didn't have the chance to ask if we could pray. He just said "Would it be alright if we pray right now....maybe we can ask God to help the people in Boston". Elder Gandy and I were shocked....He's amazing.

 

We walked in the rain for a few hours on Saturday (If I didn't have my rain suit I would have been 100% wet). It was extremely unsuccessful, but we did run into one guy that ran back into his house after we gave him a BOM and he came back with towels. He told us that He would read the book and said that he admired us and thought we were amazing and that he could tell our message was from the heart. He was the sweetest man and he kept apologizing for not being able to give us more. BUT HE GAVE US TOWELS! He was way too kind.

 

Other than that, today, a member took us to Nakijin castle site.

 

Nakijin Castle ruins, from the 14th Century

 

 

It was way cool....but I really want to get out and Dendo because we only have 2 investigators and one of them is not progressing. I don't know. I'll keep working hard.

 

I miss you all and hope this school year is ending well.

 

Love,

Elder Low