Ok, so this one is a day late, My bad.... Yesterday for P-day we had a big zone p-day where everyone came together and played Ultimate Frisbee (My disc *Thanks, mom*) and basically hung out for a day. We played various sorts of games and other activities and had this sweet lunch at an all-you-can-eat Soup bar. Have I told you how good bread is here in Japan? I know you always hear about French breads and whatever, but oh man, if all I had to eat was Japanese bread, I would be just fine with that.
Also, Koyama had to burn some CDs for the Zone leaders so I'm typing this e-mail from an Internet Cafe in Japan. Cafe is kind of a loose term, you're in this little cubicle with just everything any computer gaming geek could want: nice headphones, free drink bar, a curry store, food, comics, a bajillion games installed on the computers -- it's kind of intimidating. There's also the fact that as a missionary I can't use any of that, well, maybe the curry shop, but oh man, this place is intense. The chairs are super comfortable though!
So this week, it was a bit rough. It started out pretty strong, a meal appointment with 2 families and an investigator and a companion exchange with Hofu, but after that, it just sort of plummeted until Saturday. So Tuesday's exchange (Koyama is the District leader so he goes on an exchange with everyone in the district at least once a transfer) was way fun as far as working with other missionaries goes, but all of the people we wanted to visit weren't there, and the day was kind of shot; that was the same pattern with Wednesday and Thursday, too. That night though we had a nice lesson with this one woman who makes Kimonos! It was my first time meeting with her, even though she's a pretty regular investigator, so she spent a full hour explaining to us all of her Kimonos and while it was pretty cool to see, it was an awfully long time to hear about Kimonos. They were very pretty, though.
Wednesday was pretty fun at Eikaiwa, we talked about what your dream job is, and what you wanted to be when you grew up. It was a little difficult for me to explain in Japanese after explaining in English, but I think they all got it after a little while. I also found some good methods for teaching and involving the whole class I think. (But any suggestions anybody may have for teaching is greatly appreciated)
Thursday is our planning day for the next week (which takes like 3 hours) and Koyama was sick that day so it took even longer than usual. We had a lesson at 6:30 that evening and essentially planned and then went to that. We learned there though, after waiting for a while, that she can't come on the 3rd Thursday of every month, so that lesson was shot, too. But it's all good because we had a good lesson with the members that were going to help us out with the lesson. We taught them about faith and that if we have any questions about whether a commandment is true or not, that all we have to do is test God, test that commandment, and we will learn of its truthfulness. We read Alma 32:26-28 which is the parable about the Seed and Faith. The only way to know whether a seed is good or not is to plant it and see if it grows. All gospel principles, all things in general follow that same pattern. If you want to find out whether something is true or not, whether it is right or not, whether it is for you or not, you have to put it to the test and see if it will grow. You will see whether or not it will Swell inside you, Enlarge you understanding, Enlighten you mind, or persuade you to Do good, and if it does, than you will know that it is a good seed, a good principle, a good teaching. So whatever you may have a problem with, whether it be Gospel related or not, put it to the test, and you will learn for yourself whether it is good or not.
Friday, I call the slaughter day; oh man, it was a bloodbath. For the first time everyone we visited was home, but by the end of the day we moved 4 people to the former investigator list (when they stop taking lessons whether because they reject the message or because they can't meet any more) and lost 2 other potential investigators. We fell 3 short of our goal for new investigators that day, and our goal was 1. The 13 year old kid from a couple of weeks ago fell through, his mother gave us back both hers and her son's Book of Mormon and the pamphlets we had given them, saying "My husband says that all religious people are bad, so we can't meet with you any more" or something to that effect. 2 of the other people we met that day said that they were busy until November or so, and another one straight up slammed the door in our face as soon as he saw us. And we had such a good relationship before, too. That day, it just felt like a disaster. But at the very last bit, after we lost so many people, we found this one guy who, when he opened the door was all smiles and super nice. Though he was busy and couldn't really talk, he invited us to come back again sometime when he was a little less busy and to come and teach him. Honestly, it was an answer to our prayers (that day we had been fasting too, in order to meet with all our investigators and to be able to come back and teach them) and though we haven't met up with him again yet, soon we will, and we both are hoping for something good!
Saturday was a huge relief. We went to the dance school where we have an investigator (the one that's run by one of our members) and had a great lesson, and a really fun time there interacting with all of the other students and their parents. It was a little long, but we made so many good relationships in that time that it proved to be the most effective time of our whole week. We had a lesson with the member’s 12 year old son (now there's a way good relationship there) and one of the student's mother after the class. We even managed to miss the typhoon that blew through while we were there! After that we went to visit another potential investigator at her job (she works at an Indian curry restaurant which has the best Nan bread ever, and the curry was so good, if a little pricy). She's the Ping pong player who was #1 for High Schoolers in Women's single. It's looking like we should be able to start teaching her pretty soon!
Sunday was good, too. The lessons were so good. We taught Hiroki (the dance student) during the second hour and we learned that Faith is not a perfect knowledge, it isn't knowing everything, it is believing, and hoping, and doing the things which we hear and learn. Faith is action and hope. You have to do before you can believe. When asked whether or not he wanted to be baptized he responded, 「ぜひ」zehi, by all means. Hoorah! Just before that Koyama gave a talk in Sacrament meeting and shared our experience from Friday, it brought him to tears on the stand and there was really nothing I could do to help, though his powerful testimony visibly moved most everyone in the congregation. He doesn't like to share much, but when he opens his heart, it's powerful!
This is a great companionship, and it's sad to think that it could end next week (we have transfer calls come on the 28th) and Koyama’s convinced that he's transferring. We'll just see how it goes. The members started calling us the Mountain Elders (Yama in Koyama means mountain, and everyone forgets my name and calls me Everest). We're all good here, and I can't wait for this coming week, it's going to be crazy busy (we're not actually in Tokuyama until midway through Wednesday) and it's packed from there. I hope everyone back at the states is doing wonderfully. I know it's just about fall time there and the trees should start to be really pretty about now. So I hope you all enjoy everything that you see, and take time to enjoy the little things in life. Good luck in all you do and do cool things!
Oh, and everyone that has written me letters, I should send some soon, I've written a couple but I want to send them off en masse so as to not bust my budget, I'm sorry it's taken so long (oh my word, it's been 5 months to the day). Good luck!
All the best wishes and Love
エベレット長老
Elder Benjamin Charles Everett
Japan Fukuoka Mission
9-16 Hirao-josuimachi,
Chuo-ku,
Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka
810-0029
Chuo-ku,
Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka
810-0029
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