Japan week #31

Hey Everyone! So, the secret is out...I have gone both senior companion, AND trainer, all in one fell swoop!! I was just chilling on p day evening after our day's work was over, and I get a very unusual call from the aps. And, it was my transfer call, telling me all about the fact that President Evans thought I'd make a great trainer, and wanted me to train starting this transfer. So I was more than just a little surprised! I had to get ready to go that Tuesday, and by wednesday morning we were in Sapporo waiting to go get our beans. That's what the new missionaries are called in this mission. ;) Bean chans! We all head upstairs after waiting, and the process of one by one trainers and beans meeting each other began. It was way different to see it all from the other side, now that I'm training. Seeing all of these brand new missionaries who are so lost, but are just SO excited to hit the streets and dive into the missionary life, it's really quite amazing. :) So, I was given Elder Horne, to be my companion for the next two transfers, unless something crazy happens, which almost never does for us Elders. He's from Gilbert, Arizona, so this weather is more than just a little different for him. :P But he's toughing it out like a boss! He did one semester at ASU before heading out, graduated high school in 2013. Which blows my mind...makes me feel so dang old!!! :P And his dad served in the Japan Nagoya mission. So he's got some ties to Japan, which is cool! He's a bit worrried about the language, especially after his first Sunday here in Japan, but I'm way stoked, because that's an area where I feel that I can REALLY help. I have definitely been there, and when I was a bean I had my moments freaking out about the language, so I am looking forward to helping him acclimate well. So my job as a trainer is really quite simple. I just need to help him acclimate to the missionary life smoothly, and help him get some skills that will help him fulfill his purpose here. Finding skils, teaching skills, member skills, the whole shebang. So we have 2 hours of comp study to do lots of practicing, and it's been great. :) My skills have been increasing a ton too, and I've been able to pull out knowledge and tips and what not that I did not even know that I had, so I've been pretty incredibly blessed thus far!

  After I met him, we traveled home Thursday, and started getting to work on Friday. And it's been a blast! It's crazy to realize that this is his first time doing anything, so things that I don't even think about now, I have to make sure I'm thinking about so that I can help him. Finding is way fun. He has no fear! I just tell him to go contact someone and he just does the best he can, and then I am there to help him if he needs it, it's such a cool experience. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. When I got the phone call, I was thinking to myself if I could really handle a bean, if I really knew what I was doing well enough to help someone else. And so it's been a blessing to see that we're being helped in every aspect of our work. It's been way great, can't wait to see how it all turns out! PLUS we have two baptismal dates this transfer, so if we put in our time, and if it's the right timing, and if they both feel it, we might see some pretty incredible miracles in our time together. :) Can't wait! That's basically ALL that happened this week. Glad to hear taht everyone is doing great and having fun, I LOVE that. :) In just 3 short months I'll hit my year mark being set apart as a missionary... Mind is officially blown. ;) Love you all! Have a marvelous week!!

     Love, Mike