I don't know how else to
describe this past week but the shortest, longest, busiest, jam-packed week of
the mission.
This week was a special week for the Honbu (mission home) because we had all of the new and returning missionaries filtering through here. The new missionaries all come in on Tuesday night at like 10:00 and stay at the mission home until they leave for their areas on Thursday. Then the returning missionaries come in on Thursday, go through and do a temple session with all of the Honbu elders, have a testimony meeting, and leave on Friday to head back home. And somehow during all of this, I'm supposed to learn how a recorder works, make the FM news (Fukuoka mission newsletter) and organize the transfer board and the call board.... it was a bit of a busy week! :)
The first couple of days here we went out and met with as many members as we could before we got busy with the transfer schedule. We had a really nice meeting with the Bishop on Sunday and with this family with triplets on Monday night. I really like all of the ward members here in Fukuoka, I'm really excited to work here and I can't wait to see how this transfer goes. People have been telling me that it's really intimidating to work in Fukuoka Ward because there are a bunch of members that are returned APs from other missions, and most everybody has a strong opinion about what a missionary should be, and should be doing. But I think that'll be a great boost to learn from everybody and I'm excited to see some more miracles here in Fukuoka! At the meeting we had with the Bishop on Sunday I shared with them Mom's conversion story and they were all really moved and asked me to share it with everybody in the ward on Sunday. They noticed a lot of similarities between the problems they have as members in Japan (being so small in comparison) and being a member in a small branch being persecuted in the south and have the hardships be the source of your faith. I think it's definitely a message that is beneficial for all the members in Japan, and pretty much everywhere.
I think one of the things I am going to like most about being in the Honbu is the chance to work with all of the new missionaries as they come in every 6 weeks! One of my responsibilities as Recorder is Safety Coordinator for the mission covering bicycles and vehicles.... (I know, who would ever put Me in charge of safety for over 140 people?? 0_0) Which means that I have to get a license here in Japan, which is notorious for being a very nearly impossible test! Not to mention the fact that I haven't touched a car in over a year, the fact that it's all backwards, and I'll be driving a car that we affectionately call the "vanimal". But with the ability to drive, it becomes extremely important for all of the transportation needed for the new missionaries. I got to be part of picking them up, being with them for their first experience of dendo out in the streets, and, of course, getting all the hospitality from the Mission mom with meals every day! (I actually had my first real meal at our house today after being here for almost a week.... ) This group of missionaries is just an awesome bunch of fireballs. It's usual to see missionaries scared or a little timid as they come in, but this group just came out swinging and going at it, I'm really excited to see how they all go!
One of the other responsibilities I have is to do a presentation for all of the missionaries introducing them to all of the things that a Recorder does. The APs have a slide show already set up and I am just supposed to talk from that, but I had never seen any of the slide show before I actually had to stand up and present it. So I was seeing the slide show for the first time with the new missionaries (beans). I think from that slide show is where I learned more about what it is I am exactly supposed to do as a recorder, than from the previous 2 days.... I think the presentation went well though! One thing I'm in charge of is putting all of the data for baptisms in the mission (and essentially all data really) and I told them all that I'll be waiting for a letter from each of them this transfer telling me about their baptisms!
By far though, the best part of transfer week is the last temple session and testimony meeting of all of the missionaries going back home. This time we had 3 people finish their missions and 1 person taking a break for medical purposes. It was a little bit surreal because all four of them were missionaries that I had looked up to throughout my mission and I was so happy to be there at the end and see what their mission meant to each and every one of them. It was a special experience going through the temple with all of them and then having a nice evening with them. The testimony meeting was powerful, especially when the missionary who is going home for medical reasons spoke. He's a missionary that I've worked with closely before and have gotten to know pretty well. He talked about hope, conviction, and expressed a desire to finish the task that he has set out on. His words stuck with me and made me think, "Any missionaries that are struggling, thinking about going home, or having a hard time for any reason; they need to come and see this testimony at the end of the mission." You see the joy, the passion, and the testimony that each of them holds and the power gained from their missions. It's definitely an experience in my mission that I cannot, nor want, to forget.
I'm glad to come and work in this capacity here in the mission home and see the wonderful things that go on in the mission. It'll take a little getting used to the big city (now I'm in a maze again, but this one is with taller walls....) but it looks like it's going to be awesome!
I hope you all have a great week！
This week was a special week for the Honbu (mission home) because we had all of the new and returning missionaries filtering through here. The new missionaries all come in on Tuesday night at like 10:00 and stay at the mission home until they leave for their areas on Thursday. Then the returning missionaries come in on Thursday, go through and do a temple session with all of the Honbu elders, have a testimony meeting, and leave on Friday to head back home. And somehow during all of this, I'm supposed to learn how a recorder works, make the FM news (Fukuoka mission newsletter) and organize the transfer board and the call board.... it was a bit of a busy week! :)
The first couple of days here we went out and met with as many members as we could before we got busy with the transfer schedule. We had a really nice meeting with the Bishop on Sunday and with this family with triplets on Monday night. I really like all of the ward members here in Fukuoka, I'm really excited to work here and I can't wait to see how this transfer goes. People have been telling me that it's really intimidating to work in Fukuoka Ward because there are a bunch of members that are returned APs from other missions, and most everybody has a strong opinion about what a missionary should be, and should be doing. But I think that'll be a great boost to learn from everybody and I'm excited to see some more miracles here in Fukuoka! At the meeting we had with the Bishop on Sunday I shared with them Mom's conversion story and they were all really moved and asked me to share it with everybody in the ward on Sunday. They noticed a lot of similarities between the problems they have as members in Japan (being so small in comparison) and being a member in a small branch being persecuted in the south and have the hardships be the source of your faith. I think it's definitely a message that is beneficial for all the members in Japan, and pretty much everywhere.
I think one of the things I am going to like most about being in the Honbu is the chance to work with all of the new missionaries as they come in every 6 weeks! One of my responsibilities as Recorder is Safety Coordinator for the mission covering bicycles and vehicles.... (I know, who would ever put Me in charge of safety for over 140 people?? 0_0) Which means that I have to get a license here in Japan, which is notorious for being a very nearly impossible test! Not to mention the fact that I haven't touched a car in over a year, the fact that it's all backwards, and I'll be driving a car that we affectionately call the "vanimal". But with the ability to drive, it becomes extremely important for all of the transportation needed for the new missionaries. I got to be part of picking them up, being with them for their first experience of dendo out in the streets, and, of course, getting all the hospitality from the Mission mom with meals every day! (I actually had my first real meal at our house today after being here for almost a week.... ) This group of missionaries is just an awesome bunch of fireballs. It's usual to see missionaries scared or a little timid as they come in, but this group just came out swinging and going at it, I'm really excited to see how they all go!
One of the other responsibilities I have is to do a presentation for all of the missionaries introducing them to all of the things that a Recorder does. The APs have a slide show already set up and I am just supposed to talk from that, but I had never seen any of the slide show before I actually had to stand up and present it. So I was seeing the slide show for the first time with the new missionaries (beans). I think from that slide show is where I learned more about what it is I am exactly supposed to do as a recorder, than from the previous 2 days.... I think the presentation went well though! One thing I'm in charge of is putting all of the data for baptisms in the mission (and essentially all data really) and I told them all that I'll be waiting for a letter from each of them this transfer telling me about their baptisms!
By far though, the best part of transfer week is the last temple session and testimony meeting of all of the missionaries going back home. This time we had 3 people finish their missions and 1 person taking a break for medical purposes. It was a little bit surreal because all four of them were missionaries that I had looked up to throughout my mission and I was so happy to be there at the end and see what their mission meant to each and every one of them. It was a special experience going through the temple with all of them and then having a nice evening with them. The testimony meeting was powerful, especially when the missionary who is going home for medical reasons spoke. He's a missionary that I've worked with closely before and have gotten to know pretty well. He talked about hope, conviction, and expressed a desire to finish the task that he has set out on. His words stuck with me and made me think, "Any missionaries that are struggling, thinking about going home, or having a hard time for any reason; they need to come and see this testimony at the end of the mission." You see the joy, the passion, and the testimony that each of them holds and the power gained from their missions. It's definitely an experience in my mission that I cannot, nor want, to forget.
I'm glad to come and work in this capacity here in the mission home and see the wonderful things that go on in the mission. It'll take a little getting used to the big city (now I'm in a maze again, but this one is with taller walls....) but it looks like it's going to be awesome!
I hope you all have a great week！
Elder Everett
エベレット長老
PS: It feels really weird now that I have to sign official documents that are going to be on church file forever.... Or the fact that I am in charge of everybody's information as a missionary....
PPS: I never realized how much a hassle it was to book hotels for somebody else... especially in a different language!
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