It's MAY 21! I've been hearing about this day for a couple weeks now from the Students at Eikaiwa. They've been telling me that there's a solar eclipse coming right over where we're at today.... I didn't realize how rare this was. I asked the teacher at seminary today if he was getting ready to see it. He told me he was, because the next time it will be visible from here is in 62 years! This is a once-in-a-62-year event! And of course the sky is completely covered in clouds. But hopefully we'll see at least a little bit of it!
Ok, so this has been a super week! We started out with a junkai (companion exchange) over in Nobeoka! So they live in a different prefecture from us, and their prefecture is famous for a food called Chicken Nanban, and apparently Nobeoka is the best city for Chicken Nanban in the prefecture, and we went to this place called Ogura's, which is the best restaurant in Nobeoka for Chicken Nanban! I had some good food that day! Other food adventures: Wednesday was the half way mark for the transfer and we had a fried food lunch (man, frying food without a dedicated pot is hard, messy, and smelly....) then Friday we had a special lunch at a steak restaurant (:D) that also had all-you-can-eat curry and rice, bread, soup, salad, and drinks! I had a 650 g. tower of hamburger steak that about killed me.... with the other food involved, I ate well over 2 lbs of food that lunch.
But Junkais aren't all about the food (though it may be a large part) we also have a great time seeing members from all around and talking to people everywhere. I don't know what it is about those times, but everyone talks about the Junkai miracles, and they happen all the time! People that normally can't meet magically happen to be home, people tend to listen more, members come to help, and it's just a special time! Then there's the time back in the apartment where we get to hang out, talk, and have the big missionary sleepover! It's especially good here in Oita, because we don't get to see any other missionaries except for on Junkais.... and once a transfer on Zone Conference (which is this coming Tuesday actually!) Elder Gandy taught us this card game called "Idiot" which might just be more addicting than Farkle, and possibly just as good has Hearts, the other games that seem to take all the time during a scout camp out (or, you know, big missionary sleepovers).
I don't know what it was about this week, but most everybody that we went to visit either fell through, weren't home, or were too busy to talk to us this week. But something amazing did happen. Lately we haven't been able to set specific times for meetings, but this week we decided that we wanted to focus on setting times and somehow, though we haven't been able to make any appointments this transfer, a refocus got us 12 new appointments for the coming weeks. It is so much easier to plan a day when you have things already scheduled out!
The other super thing about this week.... YAKUSHIJI GOT BAPTIZED! Yesterday we had the baptismal service before church. It was a really nice meeting, a lot of the members made it out, some less active members too! Elder Gandy got to perform the baptism (his first one!) and we both participated in the confirmation! It was a great day. She's been working hard for this, and at 58, she's becoming a great example to other investigators that feel like they can't convert because of age. When it comes to salvation, age is no factor. No matter how old you are, what you've done, how far you've strayed, or how worthy or unworthy you may feel, the Lord is waiting for you with open arms; we just have to make the steps. Whether those steps are toward baptism, or toward taking the sacrament again and renewing those baptismal covenants, there is no separation too long, sin too big, or person too insignificant for the love of the Savior.
That Sunday we also had 3 less-active members make it out to church too! 2 of them we had called and invited, and one came entirely of his own free will! Then that night we called on one of our members and made some visits to some other les- active members. Both people that we got to meet last night were special occurrences. One hadn't had any contact with the church in over 3 years, and the other in 4 years! I don't know what it was about yesterday, but people were home, we had a member with us, and everything worked out in the perfect timing of the Lord! It was the first time that that member had worked with the missionaries in 2 years and what an experience it turned out to be! It is amazing what can happen with the missionaries and the members work together in a spirit of unity, calling on the power of heaven directing them to those who are waiting! This is the work of the Lord, and we are lucky to be a part of it! It's like I tell Elder Gandy all the time "How great is our calling!"
Today we make the 4 hour bus ride to Kumamoto for zone conference, but it's all good (I'll try to not fall into temptation and watch the bus video again..... even if it is good Japanese practice.)
Ok, so this has been a super week! We started out with a junkai (companion exchange) over in Nobeoka! So they live in a different prefecture from us, and their prefecture is famous for a food called Chicken Nanban, and apparently Nobeoka is the best city for Chicken Nanban in the prefecture, and we went to this place called Ogura's, which is the best restaurant in Nobeoka for Chicken Nanban! I had some good food that day! Other food adventures: Wednesday was the half way mark for the transfer and we had a fried food lunch (man, frying food without a dedicated pot is hard, messy, and smelly....) then Friday we had a special lunch at a steak restaurant (:D) that also had all-you-can-eat curry and rice, bread, soup, salad, and drinks! I had a 650 g. tower of hamburger steak that about killed me.... with the other food involved, I ate well over 2 lbs of food that lunch.
But Junkais aren't all about the food (though it may be a large part) we also have a great time seeing members from all around and talking to people everywhere. I don't know what it is about those times, but everyone talks about the Junkai miracles, and they happen all the time! People that normally can't meet magically happen to be home, people tend to listen more, members come to help, and it's just a special time! Then there's the time back in the apartment where we get to hang out, talk, and have the big missionary sleepover! It's especially good here in Oita, because we don't get to see any other missionaries except for on Junkais.... and once a transfer on Zone Conference (which is this coming Tuesday actually!) Elder Gandy taught us this card game called "Idiot" which might just be more addicting than Farkle, and possibly just as good has Hearts, the other games that seem to take all the time during a scout camp out (or, you know, big missionary sleepovers).
I don't know what it was about this week, but most everybody that we went to visit either fell through, weren't home, or were too busy to talk to us this week. But something amazing did happen. Lately we haven't been able to set specific times for meetings, but this week we decided that we wanted to focus on setting times and somehow, though we haven't been able to make any appointments this transfer, a refocus got us 12 new appointments for the coming weeks. It is so much easier to plan a day when you have things already scheduled out!
The other super thing about this week.... YAKUSHIJI GOT BAPTIZED! Yesterday we had the baptismal service before church. It was a really nice meeting, a lot of the members made it out, some less active members too! Elder Gandy got to perform the baptism (his first one!) and we both participated in the confirmation! It was a great day. She's been working hard for this, and at 58, she's becoming a great example to other investigators that feel like they can't convert because of age. When it comes to salvation, age is no factor. No matter how old you are, what you've done, how far you've strayed, or how worthy or unworthy you may feel, the Lord is waiting for you with open arms; we just have to make the steps. Whether those steps are toward baptism, or toward taking the sacrament again and renewing those baptismal covenants, there is no separation too long, sin too big, or person too insignificant for the love of the Savior.
That Sunday we also had 3 less-active members make it out to church too! 2 of them we had called and invited, and one came entirely of his own free will! Then that night we called on one of our members and made some visits to some other les- active members. Both people that we got to meet last night were special occurrences. One hadn't had any contact with the church in over 3 years, and the other in 4 years! I don't know what it was about yesterday, but people were home, we had a member with us, and everything worked out in the perfect timing of the Lord! It was the first time that that member had worked with the missionaries in 2 years and what an experience it turned out to be! It is amazing what can happen with the missionaries and the members work together in a spirit of unity, calling on the power of heaven directing them to those who are waiting! This is the work of the Lord, and we are lucky to be a part of it! It's like I tell Elder Gandy all the time "How great is our calling!"
Today we make the 4 hour bus ride to Kumamoto for zone conference, but it's all good (I'll try to not fall into temptation and watch the bus video again..... even if it is good Japanese practice.)
Love from Japan,
Elder Everett
Elder Benjamin C Everett
Japan Fukuoka Mission
9-16 Hirao-josuimachi
Chuo-ku
Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka
810-0029
JAPAN
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