Monday, October 24, 2016

October 24, 2016--Transfer 3!

We are writing in the morning so I haven't read your emails yet! We are sending them in the afternoon, I don't know if I'll have time to read or if I'll only have time to send my drafts.

Anyway...New transfers start today! Hancock Choro is leaving me. I'll sure miss that guy. But I'm excited for this next transfer. I am staying in Aomori and Murakami Choro will be my new comp! I haven't met him yet but he is Nihonjin and has been out for around 20 months I think. Pres. Smith said it will be a very unique opportunity because he wasn't always active growing up, so he will benefit from my testimony and I will benefit from his Japanese. Exciting times ahead :)

So you're probably wondering about R's baptism...we have good news and slightly less good news. The slightly less good news is that it didn't happen. But the good news is that it will! We are now planning on November 12th. I hate to keep pushing it back (this is now his 3rd date) but now we know what we need to do in order to make sure that date happens, and it won't be rushed like it would've been this weekend.

So he is all prepared for baptism in terms of the commandments, the only thing holding him back was that he had only come to church one time (it's supposed to be at least 3 times). We called President Smith and he said it is up to us--that we should not worry so much about the number of times he has come in the past, that we need to focus on his personal commitment and use our judgment to gauge his readiness. But we kind of had some resistance from a zone leader who didn't believe he was ready this week, and then we we were having district conference in Misawa so he wouldn't receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for another week, and since everything was last minute it would've been hard to invite members and plan the service. 

So, long story short, we decided that we will wait a couple weeks so he can attend church and we can make sure that he's ready and we're not rushing into it. He's doing so well, he asks us questions about his Book of Mormon reading--like who the Lamb of God is, if the Spirit of the Lord is different than the Holy Ghost, stuff like that. Shows that he is reading with a sincere intent to learn, and he feels comfortable enough to ask us questions.

We did a mission-wide fast this week! It was my first 24 hour fast, it was a cool experience. On Wednesday, all the missionaries across the mission said a district prayer at the same time, for the Lord to pour out His spirit on this people. Then we were each able to end our fast with individual prayers, and I felt closer to God during that prayer than I ever have before. I know He is here helping us and guiding this work! I am trying to work harder to be a more consecrated missionary, and I know He will help me and magnify my efforts. I'm excited to see things in this mission improve!


We went to sushi as a district to end the fast, and it was so fun! We went to one of those places where you order it plate by plate and it comes on a little conveyor belt. I tried some shrimp, salmon, octopus, eel, and some other random fishes. They also had one with steak so I tried that. And they had ice cream so you know I got some of that!! And I tried rice-flavored soda. It was weird. But all the sushi was delicious, I ate soooo much. It seems so cheap when you order it one by one but it really adds up haha. It was ¥100 per plate, each plate had 2 pieces of sushi, and I spent about ¥2300 so you can do the math and figure out how much sushi I ate ;)


We went down to Misawa to watch district conference, with our area seventy presiding. On the way there, Murase Kaicho was already giving 4 people a ride (including us) so his car was full. But a member came to the church and did a joint lesson with us, then he said he could come to Misawa if he could get a ride! We decided it was worth it so we rode there for an hour and a half with 3 people in 2 seats haha. Hancock Choro was like halfway on my lap, and the member kept falling asleep and leaning his head over on Hancock Choro's face on accident haha. It was a very funny car ride. I was pleasantly surprised that I was still able to walk when we arrived.

The conference was god, I am getting better at understanding church talks. Still hard through. IT was way fun to see my doki again though! Nathan Choro is doing so well! We'll still be in the same zone so hopefully we'll be able to do splits again after Zone Training meetings. Love that guy.

So that's been my week! Looking forward to an exciting transfer ahead :)

Love you!

パスケット長老

Elder Paskett
My first Japanese written testimony! Gave this Book of Mormon out on
Tuesday to a girl who is now an investigator for the shimai! 

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