Japan week #29

Hey!! So...First things first... I'm SOOOO sorry about last week. Blame Riku Kun, my investigator!! He had a HUGE English test coming up, that he took just this last Sunday, and since I kinda sorta happen to be a native English speaker, I was helping him practice for it. And I didn't watch the time. :( SOOO SORRY!! But this week I have properly managed my time, and have time to write. ;)

    So, last week's big even was music night. We caught a ride to Sapporo with the AP's in their big van Friday afternoon and arrived in Sapporo at around 8:00 pm. And it was a blast. Never thought I'd road trip as a missionary. ;) It was a blast hanging out with the elders, listening to motab, telling Asai Choro to crank the electronic kid songs...great times. :) And Music Night was FLIPPING AMAZING!! Like, it was amazing. We spent all Saturday doing rehearsals, and then had the performance that night. And we rocked it. Everyone's music was superb, everyone was having a great time, and after the performance was over I spent the night in the mission home again. We went to church in Sapporo, and everyone in the ward was saying how this year was the best music night of them all, so we were happy to hear that. ;) And then we caught a train home and went to sleep. ;)

   This week has been pretty normal. Just lots of finding, teaching, and having fun. Nothing really too special or what not happened. Riku Kun is progressing well though. Our first lesson with him was crazy. We taught the Plan of Salvation and he was asking some DEEP questions, and just lots of questions that have no relevance to being saved. But our second lesson with him when we taught the restoration, was VASTLY different. He didn't ask as many questions, and he was really reflective. I think he went home, prayed or read the BoM, or something, and felt something. Because he acted like he was really thinking about how this is relevant to him, so he's really coming along. Plus he still has yet to miss a week of church since the beginning of January, so that's FLIPPING awesome. :)

  We also got to meet with Sato San again. She is incredibly amazing, and is so prepared. She's what we call a 'kinjin' out here. A golden person. SUPER prepared. But this time we met with her, talked about church, because she still hasn't been, and she ended up just basically bearing testimony to us for the next hour. She was talking about how when she thinks that if Joseph Smith didn't do what he didn't, no one would know this gospel, and missionaries wouldn't exist, and she wouldn't have what she haves now, and she gets SO GRATEFUL that he did that. She was also talking about she loves Christ, and how he's always there to protect us and love us. It was incredible. I told her that since we're missionaries that we're the ones who are supposed to do the teaching, but that this time I was taught from her. My testimony really grew, especially about Christ's love. It was such a special hour crammed in her 2x3 foot Genkan. I will never forget the impact she's had on me, and I am so blessed to have been a part of her conversion. Her problem now though is that she can't come to church. She really wants to, but she has to go and help her invalid mother every Sunday during church. And we can't tell her to not do that...So we need a miracle there. But that was our week! Transfers are next week! NUTS, right?? Love you all!

 Love, Mike.

 P.S. The mail man here all ride mopeds. ALL YEAR ROUND. No matter the conditions. And walking to the church we saw one EAT IT HARD on the street, cars flying everywhere to avoid him, it was NUTS. No one got hurt though!