The Most Far East Missionary in the Mission!

This week was transfers!  So I'm finally out of the Honbu, and now  I'm in this branch called Mihara, back in Hiroshima!  It's the farthest East unit in the mission, so I've been telling everyone else that Honbu is just trying to make me more far eastern.  :)

I don't know if I've ever had a more bi-polar week in my mission.  The first of the week was new year’s eve, the biggest celebration in Japan, and it was also transfer week, the busiest time in a transfer!  From Monday until Thursday morning we were rushing around trying to meet with members, get ready for the new missionaries and for the returning missionaries, and I was working on training a new recorder!  There just didn't seem to be enough hours in a day to do everything that needed to be done.

Then Thursday came around and I got shipped off to Mihara.  I left around 9 AM and came in around 3 that evening.  Ever since then we've been going Mihara pace.  Mihara is this little town on the outskirts of the Hiroshima Prefecture that essentially closes up by 8:00.  So we're usually back around that time to the apartment to eat dinner and call our investigators and members.  By the time that's all over, we've planned and done everything else, we still have like an hour left in the apartment!  I've got time to write in the journal, read the scriptures, study the language, and there's still time to spare.  I'm still not sure what to do with all the time.  It's been a crazy experience to see the 2 different worlds.  I don't know if anyone else can quite understand the juxtaposed lifestyle switch I've had this week mid mission, I can only imagine come April when it all goes topsy-turvy again.

Here in Mihara though, I feel like I'm a completely different missionary.  I've been going out to talk to everybody within sight, trying to find like I've never found before.  I can clearly tell that I am a different missionary now from the Elder Everett who went to the Honbu a couple of months ago.  It's too bad to think that I only have 3 and a half months left now that I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of it, but rest assured, I will do all within my power to make the best with whatever time, wherever or to whomever I'm called to serve. 

I'm reminded of a quote from Heber C. Kimball after being called to serve in England:

"Once I understood the will of the Lord, I knew that I would go forth under any hazard, knowing that the Lord Almighty will guide me in the path that I must go."  (I may have fudged it a little bit...)

I hope you all have a great week and good luck with your new year's resolutions! 

Elder Everett

エベレット長老