We had a really busy week. Lots of work and lots of great things going on.

Our Investigator, T san, is probably our biggest focus right now. We have been really working to meet her husband or to get her to Church. This week, the goal was to get to Church. She almost committed, but some things came up. It turns out that she has some sort of Anxiety and Depression and she has attacks when she's around lots of people. We assured her that she had nothing to worry about and that the people at church were very kind and nice. Apparently these attacks come out A LOT. She says that she would feel so bad if she had one at Church. That's also the reason she's always home. They don't happen when she's staying at home, but apparently shopping is even difficult for her. We aren't quite sure what we are going to do with her. The Next goal is find a time to meet her Husband. I think if a member drives us home after visiting her, we can meet her husband.

Also, we found some good people to meet with this week so we're getting busy with lessons again. I love it that way. It's way better than being told off.

This week, we also had a zone conference. It went really well. Kaicho asked all the missionaries who were dying to bear their testimonies. It was really awful. I got really emotional and cried in front of the whole zone. It was super embarrassing. It just sunk in that I only have a little bit more time to do this great work here in Japan. I love these people so much and I love this mission.

At Zone Conference

After zone conference, I had an interview with Kaicho. He gave me and the others in my district a special assignment to go out of our areas to go find a new area to open up. He gave us some cities that we have to go find and work in. He said, "I have to get this done before you go home. This is why I sent you here". I'm so grateful that Kaicho trusts me. It's kinda scary though. We'll be working out in the middle of nowhere with no members. Haha, I get to be a pioneer for Kumamoto stake. Haha, I feel pretty cool. It's also a good way to keep me from going trunky. So that's great.

Anyway, I love being a missionary. I keep meeting these people and It's just amazing to be the person to introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them.

Being a missionary is the best job in the world. I can't believe how I didn't understand that before I came. I didn't realize at all what it would be. I didn't think it would be this kind of work. Everyone says that it is fun. That's not really a good word. There are times when it is "fun", but that's not the best part of being a missionary. It's just the happiest work. I hope the young men in the 8th ward (or whatever the heck it's called now) know that this is not worth missing out on. I didn't realize how blessed I would be for coming out here.

I love you all and I know this Church is true!

Love,

Elder Low

I've  had a really busy week. It was a little rough.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up and had no voice at all. Nothing but air coming out of my throat. It was awful because my body wasn't really hurting or weak. I had plenty of energy to work, but because I couldn't talk to anyone, Sister Gustafson had me grounded. I had to stay in the apartment all day long. The voice was still way bad on Wednesday so I had to have a member take me to the hospital. We went in and the doctor gave me all these meds.....but failed to tell me what was wrong. I guess he knew what he was doing though because the meds fixed me right up.

On Thursday, we had to go to the airport to pick up all the Elders from the two islands. They came up for Zone Conference. It was really really busy with them because we had 10 Elders in our little apartment and then in Oroku they had about 10 Elders. It was really rough....especially cooking. I made SO much Curry. It was really good though. Also, Zone Conference went really well.

Zone Conference (Click any photo to enlarge.)

After Zone Conference, we had a meeting with the entire Stake Presidency, Ginowan Zone Leaders, the AP's and Kaicho. It was such an intense meeting. I can tell that Kaicho was a pretty serious business man before the mission. At one point, he had everyone in the room on the phone. He really gets down to business. He also wants us to double our Eikaiwa in Naha. That's a pretty big task that we are about to jump on. It's going to be exciting.

After the meeting, Kaicho asked me for our Zone actuals for the month of June. I was so excited to report them. We had more New Investigators and more Baptismal dates than any other zone in the mission. He was so impressed. I was so Ureshii. This zone is doing so well.

Also, Elder Gordon and I found 7 new investigators this week. One of them came to church. Her name is Suzuka.....but she goes by Suzy.She's 20 years old and she's a friend of one of the members here in Naha. She came to sports night and said she's always had interest in the church. It was pretty fun having her at church. There are LOTS of young men, but not lots of young women so the young men were all excited. Haha.

Dinner at a member's house

The only tough thing about this week is we made about three appointments for tomorrow.....and we are not allowed to dendo tomorrow. Apparently, there is a huge Typhoon coming in. Kaicho called and said that the winds will be strong enough to knock a bus over. We were given assignments to prepare today for tomorrow and to not even open up our doors tomorrow. I'm a little concerned. I think everything will be ok though. It will just be a little disappointing to stay inside all day. I already did it twice this week. Maybe we'll play shogi or something.

Anyway, the work is going really well. I'm loving the work.....I really want to go out and work, but it looks like we might be stuck here a little bit. Don't worry about me though. Everything is going well.

I love you all,

Elder Low

We had another busy week this week. This last Tuesday and Wednesday we had to do Zone training meetings with all the missionaries here on Okinawa and the ones down on the islands. It went really well. We did a training on teaching people without a Christian background. All the missionaries seemed to like it.

Also this week we had a lesson with F. I wrote about him forever ago. He called us because he wanted a job and he's getting desperate......so I told him to meet us at the church and he came. We talked about his situation and....He's in pretty bad circumstances. Every day, he walks for hours because he can't sit down. He's almost always thinking about suicide and his family situation isn't very good either. When we meet him he doesn't seem like he has depression, but whenever he talks about his personal life, it is very clear how bad he's doing.

We promised him the blessings of the Gospel and he said that he didn't know if he could believe it, but we didn't want to give up on him so we asked him to try. He was able to make a Baptismal date for the 24th of August. He's not super interested, but he agreed to give it a shot.

On Wednesday, we went to English class for the first time in a very long time. It was really fun. However, right after that we had an appointment with the Stake Presidency about all the Baptismal dates in the zone. I was very pleased to report that we had one in every single ward in the zone. The Stake President was very impressed. The Missionaries are working very hard. I was so excited. The zone is doing very well.

Me and my companion in the rain.

The heat has gotten a lot worse in the last couple days. Humidity is so high that we start sweating the second we step outside. I'm getting really tan though. Even though it is getting super hot down here.....I don't really want to leave. I love it down here. Also, today is our transfer calls. We'll be finding that out later, but next Saturday is a huge conference with ALL the members on Okinawa. If I don't transfer, I'll get to see Brother Miyagi from Nago! I hear he is the best member missionary up there. He gives me a call every once in a while (Technically against the rules, but nobody gave him my number.....I don't know how he knows it. President laughed when I told him about it). He always invites me to Nago ward activities. I don't think he understands that I can't go to them, but he called me and said that I had better come to the Okinawa conference. I hope he doesn't get mad if I transfer.

Naha at night

The last Monday, we got to go to Zone p-day and spend the day with all the missionaries in this zone and Ginowan zone. It was so awesome. We played dodgeball for an hour and then watched an approved movie. It was called Ephraim's Rescue. It was probably the best Church film I have ever seen. It was about Ephraim Hanks. It had two people that I knew as well. (James Gaisford from my EFY company and my English teacher Mr. Anderson) I was absolutely amazed. It might have been because I haven't seen a movie in a year and a half.....but I would recommend it to all of you. Maybe watch it for FHE or something.

In other news, I'm translating more than ever now. We now have 2 Japanese missionaries in our zone that don't speak English at all so I had to translate ZTM for them. Then, there are also about 7 non-Japanese-speakers in our ward and now I'm translating for them. Also, I was assigned to translate for somebody in Stake Conference next week. I feel so bad for everyone that I translate for. It is SO hard. I always fall behind and then start simplifying everything. It also wears me out. Haha, it's a mental battle to think of words fast enough. When I translate into English, I often say the words in Japanese on accident. We never say "Study". Missionaries always use Japanese for that word, so the poor people listening to me ask what the heck I'm talking about and then I fall behind. However, I  do feel pretty cool when I remember really difficult words. I think the missionaries in my zone just think I have Horrible Japanese though.

Anyway, that was my week. I love you all and hope you had an awesome Father's day. Things are going really well out here.

Elder Low

Still being a missionary. Still loving it. Elder Dursteler and I had a pretty good week. A couple of disappointments, but nothing too bad. Pretty standard. Here are the highlights of the week:

We had Zone Conference on Thursday. It was pretty nuts. We had 6 elders staying in our apartment. Two AP's and the Elders from Ishigaki.....It was kinda crazy. Not a lot of room in a missionary apartment with four guys.....adding six was a little much. It was good though. Then we had zone conference....haha, and I kinda got sick. Not super sick, but I had a crazy head ache and I've had a pretty annoying cold recently. Not a bad one to keep me inside all the time.....just a little annoying. It was a really good conference though. I love getting to see president and I feel like he really trusts me.....But I was pretty quiet on that day.

Zone Conference. Click to enlarge.

Our investigator U san came to church yesterday......Haha, he's 22.....and he really likes this 19 year old girl in our ward. He told us that earlier in the week and we didn't take it super seriously.....Then he came to church with this bag full of presents.....Haha, he kept asking where she was and when he finally found her, he asked her to sit by him.....she said no. THEN in sunday school he was telling us, "I think after church, I'm going to confess my love to her".....She denied him again and he was really disappointed.....but he's coming to church next week!!

Also, we have been working really hard with K san....... We really focused on testifying on how he can overcome all things because the Savior overcame all things. If he relies on the Atonement, he can quit smoking. This week, we are going to really follow up with him to make sure he's doing the basic things.

We also had a dinner appointment with one of our new investigators. His name is T....actually, he brought his wife too. We had a really awesome talk about the Book of Mormon and how it has blessed our lives. They seemed pretty interested and in the end they took a book.

Other than that, our week was pretty normal. Lots of hard work. Falling asleep REALLY fast at 10:30. It's really nice being able to sleep so easily when you work so hard. I'm doing great....still trying to figure out pictures...are you getting them yet?

Love,

Elder Low

I have had a really busy week this week. I flew up to Fukuoka and had a great time with all the zone leaders in the mission. It was kinda weird. I had just been in Fukuoka two days earlier....It's crazy. My mission just spent a couple thousand dollars on me so that I could come up to Fukuoka. I feel really blessed. Also, because we have the islands Miyako and Ishigaki in our  zone, we had to have a special Skype training meeting with the two islands. In other words, Elder Dursteller and I have spent the last week training the zone about what we learned from Fukuoka.

The zone is really great. Lots of cool people.... My companion Elder Dursteller is WAY out of my league. His Japanese is perfect. His teaching is amazing. He's a spiritual giant. I feel so bad. I'm trying to keep up. He's just a really really good missionary. I'm learning so much from him.

This week, we made another Baptismal date with our investigator. He's kinda crazy....to say it simply, he randomly cancels appointments and then shows up to them anyway. It's gotten to the point that we just show up when he cancels and he still comes. BUT he is really interested in the Book of Mormon and wants revelation from God.

Other than that, this next month is Zone conference and the mission is going to have a 7 to 8 hour zone conference. President Gustafsen is having all the missionaries prepare to demonstrate how to do all aspects of the work. I'm so so excited. It's going to be really fun.

Other than that, I'm still working hard and we're still seeing great success. The Ward is great and HUGE. I can't wait to see more miracles. We have already been so blessed.

Elder Low

 

So, I'm doing a lot better out here. Still need people to teach, but we got a new investigator this week. She's awesome. She scheduled a quick English lesson with us and came and only asked questions about the church. She has lots of interest and we are meeting her again on Wednesday.

Yesterday I spend the day with President Asato from Fukuoka. He drove us around to a bunch of less active families and it was so great. We gave priesthood blessings to every family we met and it was way powerful. Also, we visited an investigator that has been our investigator for YEARS and he has interest again. He's coming to church again. He's a boss.

I'm loving my companionship now. Tri-panionships are rough, but I really like my two companions so it's good. I still get to be the translator but it's really good for me.

I have Elder Nara in my companionship now, so my Japanese is flying. I love it. Haha, Elder Chantry and I had a fun conversation with Elder Nara. Elder Chantry asked Elder Nara what his favorite Japanese word was. Elder Nara said the word for Fluffy.....Then he asked Elder Chantry his favorite. Elder Chantry said 罪悪感  Which means Guilt. He's pretty funny.

 

Another quick funny experience with Elder Chantry. We were riding our bikes and we passed a car. He called out to me and said, "Did you see that guy in the car?" I said "no" and just kept going.

 

"He was smoking," said Elder Chantry.......I was super freaked out......I gave him a look and he said "No....like with a cigarette. He was smoking". We had to pull over I was laughing so hard.

 

Also.....this is going to sound really lame, but Elder Chantry and I have been working out a LOT this last transfer. Haha, we have a schedule and everything. My body is always sore, but it's good! I feel a lot more healthy....most of the time. I still need to figure out how I'm going to stop eating so much Ramen. ;)

Man, I don't have lots to report on. OH WAIT!

I bought a suit this week. Before you start shaking your head listen to this.

I went to a Aoyama. It's a pretty expensive suit place. We just walked in because...I don't know. Maybe it was revelation. I walked in and found a 400 dollar suit.....The guy there said that he needed someone my size because nobody fits in this suit. Get this....he sold it to me for 30 bucks. My suit was cheeper than my train ticket to Zone conference. I'm pretty pleased. ;) Maybe dad is still shaking his head.......PS your office looks pretty sick dad.....Especially the tiki statue. I'm pretty jealous. The only cool think on my desk is my Okinawa Shisa and my white board (haha, I have a pretty big white board. It's cool.....don't judge me.....it makes me feel important).

Lunch at McDonalds

 

Anyway, I love you all. Keep me all updated on what you're doing!

Musical Experiment

Elder Low

Elder Chantry and I have been fighting to find new investigators...We have about 30 friends who love us....but won't listen to the message at ALL. We go visit them often and try to get them to try it out for a little bit, but most of the just say they are Buddhist so they can't.....It's kinda a lame excuse.

We had the opportunity to eat mexican food last night with some members. It was excellent.

BUT we had ZTM and I got to talk to Elder Wirthlin. He's doing great. I love talking to him and he gave me some really good ideas. He's doing amazing things right now.

 

The Zone

 

Ice cream chaser to a sushi lunch.

That's gross.

 

 

I really don't know what else to tell you. Elder Chantry and I have been doing this door to door business all week and it's been difficult. Lots of rejections. I'm really grateful that Elder Chantry is such a boss though. He's really positive and I love that about him.

 

OH! My Eikaiwa class wants to know the Kanji for Kazuhiro.....I never learned it. Haha, my bad. My Eikaiwa class loves me. It kinda worries me because they keep saying that they won't come if I leave.......and I'm bound to leave sometime.....but I love them all.

 

I'm carrying two asthma inhalers all the time. It's been worse than it has been for most of my life....BUT, I'm doing really well with it. No big attacks. Just lots of wheezing after riding my bike. Isahaya has lots of hills and the cold wind is a little rough. I have to take little breaks sometimes. BUT I have a sweet new scarf from mom. (Thanks mom. I love it!)

 

Yeah, that's me. Had a tough week, but I'm not getting down on that. We'll keep working hard and you better believe we are going to see success.

Love,

Elder Low

 

With Elder Wirthlin

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

My Zone

 

At church, waiting for English class

 

Thanksgiving dinner

 

Christmas decorations downtown

 

 

So, I watched the videos of you guys flying your new robot. My first thought was, "wow....my family are all such dorks...........I kinda want to try flying that thing though...." Haha, looks like fun.

 

However, I no longer recognize the voices of Sam or Clint.....kinda freaking me out.

 

So, this week we had three new investigators. One of them is named Saori. I told her my mom was named Saori and she flipped out. She seems really good. Also, we met two Chinese investigators. One is named Shu. Haha, apparently he called the Jehovah's Witnesses once to ask them about their church and they thought he meant "Shu" as in the Japanese word for The Lord.....A little Japanese humor but he's way interested in Christ.

 

The Sisters in Nagasaki have an investigator who is about to be baptized. She's a 14 year old girl. Her mom is a member but wanted her to choose to be baptized on her own and she's finally ready to be baptized. We are all really excited.

 

So, I'm a little on the edge right now. I'm worried, but I'm sure it will be ok. I had a crazy baptism study session yesterday. Read Moroni 8 and the district leader packet and PMG. It was kinda fun. :)

 

I have a really busy week this week and I'm super pumped. You may have noticed in my photos that I spent the last week with Tendonitis. I woke up last pday from a nap and couldn't move my wrist...It hurt SO bad. I had to go see a doctor from the mission. He told me to wrap it....so I looked kinda　funny all week. People kept asking me what I did and it was a great dendo tool.

 

Me with tendonitis

My companion with his favorite chocolate.

 

 

I also saw Elder Mormon Redd at zone taikai. That was a blast. We went up to Fukuoka and talked about the commitment process....kinda what we did in mission prep all the time. It was a nice review.

 

With Elder Redd

 

 

 

My MTC Group

Fukuoka

 

 

Food of the Week: Purunima Curry Restaurant

"All You Can Eat"

"Incredibly Delicious"

 

 

 

 

Anyway, that's all I have this week. I love you all and miss you.

Love,

Elder Low

So.....today I'm sick....Haha, yeah. However, not sick enough to be in bed. I threw up this morning....which is the best of ways to get up. I feel much better after that though. Still a little weak. I think it might have been something I ate. We were a little short on food this week so I had to kinda dig around to find food on Sunday.....and I think it made me a little sick. I'm fine though.

 

Also, as you can see in my pictures, I'm super busy. On Thursday, the whole zone went to Sasebo for zone training meeting. It was awesome to meet the whole zone......Also, I had to do the translations for the Japanese Elders.....that's how young our zone is. My zone leaders are both as old as I am. So that was fun. It made me feel really stupid. The Japanese Elders were super nice about it and stuff.....but I think they might have been a little confused with my Japanese.

 

The zone

(Click on any photo to enlarge.)

Lunch with the zone.

 

Travelling with the zone

 

That night, I stayed in Nagasaki city and had a really awesome experience with one of the brand new missionaries. His name is Elder Fender and he JUST graduated from high school. We were walking down the street in Nagasaki and there was a man that Elder Fender ran up to and started testifying......He's pretty fearless. I just kinda stood back....but the man seemed to be getting really angry. Soon, the man pointed at him and said he didn't want to talk at all. He seemed......pretty ticked so I thought it was a good idea to jump in. I told him that we were just sharing a message that has brought us lots of joy. He then told us about how an hour earlier, he got divorced and lost custody of his children and he didn't want to talk to anyone. He also said something like, "Where is God? Not in my life." I began to testify about how it was no coincidence that he ran into us when he did. I told him that God was in his life, but he hasn't noticed yet. I gave him my number and told him to give us a call.....and then he started crying.

 

He said he needed time to calm down and then he would call. Then he grabbed my planner and said if he doesn't call in a week, call him. He wrote his name and address and phone number in my planner. It was quite a miracle. Haha, Elder Fender was so excited.....of course I was too. :)

 

The next day, I got on a train to Fukuoka. President asked me to help him in training a bunch of younger missionaries. It was SCARY. He had me get up in front of the AP'S and all the other missionaries there and tell them what I was doing last transfer and what I plan to do next transfer and he asked questions about everything. What was working and what wasn't. It was good though.

 

At the mission home

At District Leader training with the President

 

Then I took a train back home.

 

Long week. Also, We had a fireside in church about how the members can help us with dendo. It was really good...but there was a member who contradicted everything we said and told us that it was the missionaries job to find people.......I'm pretty sure he was sleeping during conference or something because I think that someone might have said something about member missionary work.....I don't know.

 

Anyway, the work is going well.

 

 

Other than that, I'm loving the work out here.

 

 

Preparing lunch

Looks heavenly

 

 

I miss you all.

Elder Low