Sunday, November 21, 2010

So it was another good week.

Last Prep.day we headed out to a nearby temple and took some pictures.
My comp is way into photography and is way good so we got some pretty good ones I will try to send a few to you today. Hope you like them.

We were way busy this week with all sorts of splits and lessons and stuff I think I will just go over the main stuff.

We had 3 lessons with Horimoto this week and he is going to be baptized next week! Yeah way excited for him. He has a problem with tobacco and we had lesson with him about it and the spirit was super strong. He wanted to follow god and his teachings but said it would be really hard for him to quit so we took a few minutes and all prayed together and when we were done he looked up and said he had made his decision. To quit and follow what god wants him to do. A way spiritual lesson and it was way cool to see one of our investigators so determined to follow what the Lord wants him to do. This week we will have his interview which he should do just fine getting through and then have his service on Sunday.

I went on a few splits around Osaka which was fun. Able to find some investigators in different areas which hopefully will help them. One of the districts is having a lot of problems hopefully we can help them out this coming week.

One of the families we found Yamamoto we were suppose to have a lesson with. We got to meet the husband and he tried to tell us that he didn't have interest but we started talking with him and he ended up having some interest after all and we were able to set up another appointment that is a little shaky. We will see what happens I guess this coming week hopefully it all works out.

Anyways other than that this week was pretty normal. I was out of the area quite a bit and next week we will only be in our area for around 2 days. We have a Leadership training mtg and zone leader council so we will be in Kobe for 4 days. I will not be having prep day on Monday next week but Sat. the 4th of Dec. So yeah I wont be sending you and email next Monday but on sat.

Anyways thanks for all the stuff with school its way awesome that you did that for me. As for the Christmas package I don't need much. I would rather you put money in my account so I can buy stuff to take home or things when I get back to tell you the truth but candy and maybe a CD or two that is on the list that i sent you would be great. Don't worry about any clothes or anything. Oh and I do need toothpaste just one tube should be fine. Can't believe its already that time again. Transfer will be over in 2 weeks way crazy.

Love you tons
Cam

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Hey

Another great week down in Wakayama. It has got to be one of my favorite
if not my favorite area so far. People are way nice and it just seems to be easy to find people.

On Monday night after Prep. we headed out to do some housing. During most of my mission I haven't had much luck with housing but for some reason here in Wakayama we are doing really well with it. We were able to find 2 Families! Way cool. Teaching families in our mission is super rare so we are way excited. It was a great way to start the week off.

Tuesday - We ran around a lot doing different stuff and it wasn't the most productive day in the world. We went back to one of the families to see if her husband said it would be ok for us to come over the next day. Turns out he has work but said it would be fine for us to come the next week. She also gave us a bunch of Mandrin Oranges because she felt bad. Way nice. I can't wait to teach them. They have a daughter that looks like she is one or two years old so we are pretty excited.
The lesson will be this Wednesday.

Wednesday - We had District Mtg. and then went out streeting. We tried hard but didn't have a ton of luck unfortunately.

Thursday - We headed out to Tanabe first thing in the morning. It was a ton of fun going back to see one of my old areas. It really brought back a ton of memories and I even got to meet some of the members and random people I knew back when I was there. One of the members brought some sushi over to the apt. later that night which was way nice of him. We were able to find around 7 new investigators with all 4 missionaries so it was way awesome. I did a split with Elder Chappell's comp. who is a great missionary. Elder Chappell is an awesome missionary and it was way fun to see him.

Friday - We headed out to the area below Tanabe, Shingu. It's way far away about 3 hours from Tanabe and 5 from Wakayama. It was fun to go down there and see those elders. We didn't have as much luck as in Tanabe and were not able to find but we were able to improve on some of the things we focused on which was nice.

Sat. - We took the 5 hour train back home and got back in time to teach Horimoto a lesson. We taught Tithing, Fasting and Lesson 3 (Christs Gospel) and he accepted it all. He is looking really solid and will most likely be baptized on the 28th from what it looks like.

He really believes that we found him through Gods guidance and that God reached out to him again which is totally true. I love the guy a ton and am way grateful that I have had this chance to teach him.

We also went out to eat with Shinta. He has been feeling alot of pressure lately so we decided to just go out to eat as friends and not pressure him so much with a lesson. We got to be better friends and invited him to come to church the next day.

Sunday - Horimoto was suppose to come to church but felt sick or something like that so he couldn't make it. Hopefully he is ok and nothing is wrong. We will meet him on Tuesday. Shinta came to church and it seemed like he had a good time. After church we went out streeting and were able to get 2 there. We also did some housing afterwords and got one new investigator there.

Later that night we didn't have much time and were waiting for an investigator to show up and we got a call from the AP. He had a few questions for us and told us that he had just gotten done doing a baptismal interview for a family of 4 and that they were all going to be baptized the next week. We honestly were way jealous and after the call said a prayer so that we could find a family in the last 15 min.
we had. We hopped on our bikes and took off down a street near the church to knock on a few doors. Of course the road I took turned out to be dead end so we just decided to do it because we only had a few minutes. We started and got rejected a few times and then we knocked on one door that was way awesome. We told her who we were through the intercom and she came running outside and said she knew who we were and stuff and said we could come back some time. She has 2 kids and a husband. Of course she has to check with her husband but we are way excited. Our prayer was totally answered and we were guided down a street that seemed like a waste of time but turned out to be where we needed to be. Great way to end the week.

So it was a good busy week. This next week is pretty open. We have 2 splits but they will be in our area so it will be a nice break. We should be getting Horimoto's interview done so we can hopefully see if he is ready or not.
Things are going awesome and I love Wakayama its the best

Tell whit thanks for the letter and I will try to get one off soon as a I can.

Love you tons
Cam

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Hey

Sounds like a crazy week. Good for springville beating Timpview and humbling them a bit. I bet its nice to see springville with a nice team for once.

So this was a way crazy, busy, awesome week.

Tuesday we had Zone Leader Conference in Kobe which is always a blast.
We had a lot of big discussions and talked about how we can make the mission better and what direction we need to go. We were in Kobe all day and didn't get any time to do any work in our area.

Wednesday we headed back and had an exchange with the elders in the next area to us. We had an alright time and were able to find one investigator which was cool.

Thursday - We had District Meeting which is always a blast. One of my comps from when I was in Habikino Elder Draper is in my district again so it was a ton of fun to see him and talk about being in Habikino together. He of course wanted to know what happened to all the investigators we had together and stuff so it was fun.
We also had a lesson that night with one of our investigators that is committed to baptism named Shotaro. We taught him The plan of Salvation and it went really well. We also taught him the Word of Wisdom and he is going to keep it from now on. He really had tons of good questions during the lesson and is reading the BOM and Praying everyday. Really prepared and we are excited to see where he goes.

Friday - We had another exchange this time in Osaka in an area called Senboku we both went down and worked with the 2 other missionaries in their area. It was pretty fun and we had a good time. We were able to find some new investigators for them to teach so we felt good about the exchange.

Sat. - I woke up on time and the first thing my comp. said to me was `we have a problem` turns out he had been throwing up since 2 in the morning until 6:30. We ate at a Chinese place the day before after District Mtg. and he had something bad and got way bad food poising. We had 4 lessons that day so we took our time going back home and had the Elders in the area next to us come back over and help us get them done.

I taught while 1 elder and my comp stayed in the apt. The first lesson we had to cancel but we made it in time for the 2nd.
We taught Horimoto again and it went way well. We started the Plan of Salvation and also the Wow. He said the WOW would be hard but he is going to do it. He has a way strong testimony of Christ and is saying that he really feels like this is god reaching out to him and bringing him back to church. He really loves church and talking to us and is doing amazing. We totally were lead to him and he is way prepared. Later that night we taught another lesson but he didn't have much interest and decided to stop after that.

Sunday - Way good day. My comp had gotten mostly better so we headed over to church and taught Horimoto again. Finished up plan of salvation and just kind of talked. He is way golden. We had Sunday school with him where we learned about tithing which he is fine with.

We have Sacrament last in this ward and it was testimony mtg. We were able to get 2 other investigators there for sac. mtg. so we were pretty happy about that. (Shinta and Shotaro came). Since it was Shotaros first time we sat with him and had members sit with Shinta and Horimoto. About halfway through sac. mtg. I heard some get up and go up and it was our investigator Horimoto. Yeah i was pretty scared but he bore a way awesome testimony about Jesus Christ and how he is his savior. Man you should have seen the faces of the members as he got up there it was the best. Everyone was way impressed and really warmed up to him after that. He should if he doesn't have any problems get baptized in 2 or 3 weeks.

Shotaro and Shinta both liked it and had a good time. After sac. mtg.
there was a baptism for a 8 year old girl and Shotaro went. At the end they have everyone go up and congratulate her and shake her hand and when Shotaro shook her hand he said `I want to get baptized like you and even though your only 8 you are my sempi (Means like senior kind of if you translate it) way cool. He is looking really good but is way busy so it might take him a little longer.
We were able to find 1 more investigator that day so it was good.

So a way good week. My poor comp. puked his guts out but is doing fine now that its all out of him. Yeah he is a half his mom is full Japanese. We get along way good and are having a good time. This next week I get to go back to Tanabe on an exchange so I am way excited.
Its going to be a ton of fun.

Thanks for everything Love you tons
Cam

Monday, November 1, 2010

It was a way good week to start off the transfer. I have a new comp and his name is Elder Everett. A really good missionary from Syracuse, Utah. He actually use to live on the Duplex street around the same time we were there too.

Anyways I don't have a ton of time but I will write down some of the highpoints of the week.

So last week Elder Muraoka and I found this guy named Horimoto and set up an appointment with him. It was a little iffy if he would come or not but he showed up. Elder Everett and I took him to the church and started our lesson and tour. We found out that he had gone to church for around 8 or 9 years when he was younger and was feeling like he needed to go back lately and since we invited him he decided to go. It was pretty easy to teach him and we hit pretty hard on the restoration and the need for authority that was restored through Joseph Smith. We committed him to be baptized by someone holding that authority for 11/28 and he accepted. He also came the church the next day and hit off great with the members. He is looking really good and we can't wait to keep on teaching him.

We also had a first lesson with a 21 year old guy named Shotaro. He showed up to his lesson in a suit so we were pretty surprised and when we started teaching he asked us what we talked about. We told him we talk about God and how we can learn if he is there or not and he replied I really really want to know please tell me… yeah pretty awesome way to start off a lesson. Anyways he asked tons of good question and is really really prepared for the gospel. He just needs faith and the experience now. We also committed him for the 28th and he accepted. He is doing great and already reading and praying.

Wha’ts crazy is that both of those lessons happened in the same day and during that day we found 6 new investigators. It was probably one of the most successful days of my mission easy.

We had a really good starting week and were able to find 12 new investigators and up our people that are committed to baptism to 6 so we are pretty happy with how its going at the moment but we should see some more good stuff this week.

This next transfer is going to fly by and be just as busy as the last I think. We have alot of exchanges planned and we have a few meetings that we have to go to so we should stay pretty busy.
I got your package this week which was awesome. Thanks so much. Did Derrick and Whit get my letters? Hopefully they write me back soon.

Love you tons thanks for everything
Cam