Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter Week 4-18 - 4-24-11

This was our first transfer week. How does that effect us? We are not going anywhere. Well, it is amazing how attached one gets to missionaries. They are all so kind and full of love for all people. It was hard to let some go, but it was easy to meet new ones that will be our friends instantly. Monday we spend some of the day with the missionaries while they emailed home. Christensen Shimai went to a basket weaving class with the Relief Society Sisters and Christensen Choro was hungry and went shopping for food. We had family home evening with investigators, Tobias and missionaries. We played games, had a spiritual message and chocolate chip cookies we baked 9 at a time in our, smaller than a toaster oven, oven.












Back row: Tom, Kurakawa Choro, Kohei, Nishio Choro, Amousu, Tobias

Front row: Johnson and Barraclough Shimai, Fukino, Bess, Inamori Choro

Tuesday, we went to the District meeting and received an award from the Zone Leaders for achieving the goals made for this transfer period of 5 Baptisms! Great job! We then joined the other district and made Chinese dumplings. That was a fun activity and tasted really good. They even made Christensen Shimai dumplings with rice flour so she could eat them. That night we team taught a shimai with the Tsuboi Choro. She wants to get baptized, but is still working it through with her mother.


Back row: Farb, Lyon, Buckingham, Inamori, Baba, Triffitt, Kurakawa, Maeda and Nishio Choro.

Front row: Johnson, Barraclough Shimai, Tom, Bess, Harada and Yamada Shimai.





Chinese dumplings and background music.

On Wednesday, we prepared for the new semester of Eikaiwa. We printed material and made 8 dozen and bagged 5 dozen cookies for Eikaiwa. Cookies at 9 every 10 minutes took quite a while! We attended Eikaiwa. Christensen Shimai did an excellent job with her lesson and recieved pickled bamboo sprouts from Sueyoshi Kaneo. Also, Fujimoto Junichiro brought her some maps of Kumamoto that are in English. The missionaries received their transfer calls and we lose Kurakawa, Farb, and Triffitt Choro from our districts. They will be greatly missed, but we will make new friends tomorrow!


Eikaiwa group that stays for games. At least half of the group leaves because they work early.

Thursday, we took Kurakawa Choro to the bus and tried not to cry as he is going to Takasu to be a District leader/Trainer for Ushiro Choro who is a new "Bean" fresh from the MTC. Poor Choro will be very tired for his entire training period as Kurakawa Choro doesn't stop.

We picked up Kim Choro from the bus stop and visited a 63 year old member in the hospital who broke his leg when he crashed on a bike. This was Matsunaga who baptized in March. The hospital was like walking into one of ours 30 years ago! Matsunaga-san has to stay in the four man room for 5 weeks while his leg heals.


On the way to the Bus stop!!


Kim Choro, a Korean born, Hawaii raised until 15 and then moved to Utah. A student at UVU.

Has never had Roast Beef. Tom promised him one while he is here. Costco, here we come!

That night we taught an English class to Nakagawa Azusu and her three daughters,Karin 16, Kokoro 14, and Hanna who is 10. They want to learn gospel terms and phrases to help the girls when they serve a mission. It was a fun lesson and evening.

Friday, we went to Yatsushiro with the Zone Leaders to pick up a bike for an investigator, Amousu from Benin Africa. It had been out in the weather all winter so it was rusty. When we tried to take it apart with the few tools we had, we had a problem. Inamori Choro ran across the street and borrowed tools we could use. It went faster then. On the way back we bought a tool kit and oil. We were suppose to team teach a different shimai that evening with the Tsuboi Choro so we hurried. We delivered and put the bike together and started home to drop off the Zone Leaders.


Yatsushiro Shimai apartment, 4 Choro trying to make a bike small enough to fit in the trunk.

As we were coming to a back up at a light Christensen Choro turned left to take a short cut. Yes, one of the "Christensen Shortcuts" pointed out by the 3 Choro in the back seat. He forgot to look to the left side of the car and ran into a motor scooter that was passing. The man on the scooter was scraped up some. A few scratches on the scooter and 2.5 hours spent with the police infestation, it took 4 of them to figure things out. No charges and no chance of anyone sueing anyone.


Thank goodness Kim Choro speaks very good English and Japanese so he could translate as Nishio Choro took charge of everything for us.

We did not made it to our appointment and Christensen Choro got another lesson in patience. Also, maybe he will learn to listen to the "Quiet" promptings of his companion who advised that we did not have enough time to deliver the bike and make it to teach in Tsuboi that night.

We did go to sports night but just watched. There was a new man from Morocco there. Tobias brought him. He is a big person, but the little Japanese gave him all he wanted in soccer in the church recreation hall.


Adile and Tobias and a tall Japanese member.

Saturday, we had an Eikaiwa and Transfer planning meeting and then with the Shimai went to where Li Gang worked since he has not been to church for a couple of weeks. The place he works is where people come to have English conversations and eat and relax. He was glad to see us and we enjoyed ourselves. We found a Canadian man named Nicolas and a woman from the Philippeans, Corrine, who wanted to learn more about the church and got Li to commit to come to Church in the morning.


Corrine, Barraclough, Johnson Shimai, Bess, Tom, Nicolas and Li Gang.


A plate from Tonga, Tobias gave it to us Thursday before Christensen Choro took out his first scooter.

Sunday Li made it! We went to 6 hours of church today plus choir practice. Tobias was made assistant Ward Mission Leader today. We are tired tonight.

Every week we find more blessings as we serve the Lord. Even in times of trouble we have been in the keeping of our Father-in Heaven as we have been comforted and led to the right answers at the right time. There have been "angels" put in our way many times and we are so grateful for these blessings.

As we read and study our scriptures we find more answers to help not only us but others as they need help.

Love,

Christensen Fufu (Couple)

P.S. Jeffery Choro from Glenwood is a new "Bean" working with Lyon Choro in Shimizu. We met him last night and he is going to be a great Choro. Lyon Choro is his Trainer. Lyon Choro is one of the best. We'll have pictures next week as we are having a Zone P-Day at the Bowling Alley tomorrow.






Sunday, April 17, 2011

11 Apr - 17 Apr 2011

Sunset off our baranda (balcony).

















The week started out with a bang! The Three Choros fixed P-day lunch for us, sukiyaki complete with the raw egg. It was a great meal. We had fun and made some goods plans. Tuesday we went to District Meeting and went out to lunch with the other District and Miyazaki Rie, who is planning on being baptized this Sunday. We then had the privilege to take Trifitt Choro to the doctor for a health problem. Then we took him to the hospital where he got some medicine and claims he "lost the rest of my dignity."


Triffitt Choro and Miyazaka Rie


Buckingham Choro (waiting for companion at the Hospital)

On Wednesday we had a couple of planning meetings for the new year of Eikaiwa (English Classes). We then attended Eikaiwa. Sister Christensen is now an old hand at teaching English and does very well! She didn't receive a present from a male student this week, she did talk one more in to stay and play the fun games afterwards.

Thursday we went with two investigators, Higashi Kodei and Veda Kohei, a ward missionary, Yamanokuchi Yu, the three Choro, two Shimia, two ward ladies, Stewart Sayuri and Hitomi Masuda, who is deaf, to Amakusu. Masuda wanted us to see the town she grew up in. We ate at the Kona Kona Cafe, owned by a member. The food was great and the weather was hot! First heat of the season, it was nice other than the sun burned my head!


Kona Kona Cafe, Sayuri is taking the picture.

We went to a Monument that honored 1,000s of Christians that were killed. We went to a Shrine which was very pretty. The gardens and buildings were a delight to see.


Masuda and the Missionaries...someone lost their shoes?


The Choro insisted this looked like a wedding picture! Ha! Notice the window peepers!


Japanese Moroni Statue!


We borrowed Sayuri for a daughter, she is getting her papers filled out to serve a mission. She hopes to go stateside as they don't need anyone in Japan yet.


Masuda and Kohei who can't get his father's permission to be baptized. Keep him in your prayers please.


Three Choro going AWOL


Sayuri...we love her! She also speaks a little English.


Large Graveyard

On Friday the Choro were in and out all day making items and printing on the computer. We went to sports night where we had three teams. We played for 90 minutes and I made my first soccer goal ever. Bess missed it!!





Action was too fast for camera! Buckingham Choro tried to speed it up.



Warmups with the plastic football and Best Cheerleader!!

Saturday we prepared for a new year of Eikaiwa and helped the three Zone Leader Choro and our Aussie and Tazmania Choro with baptism programs, provided the computer, ink, and paper, and attended a baptism of Higashi Kodei, one of the investigators we traveled with Thursday. He also is one of the sakka (soccer) players. His Baptism was a great experience. He bore a very strong testimony.


Nishio Choro, Inamori Choro, Higashi Kodei and Kurakawa Choro.

Sunday we attended church and the baptism of Miyazaki Rie. The Choro and Shimia are wonders!


Buckingham Choro, Miyazaki Rie and son and Triffitt Choro.

The Gospel is spreading so fast! The Japanese people are very obedient. It is a previlege to be among them and learn from them.

We would encourage you each to read the Book of Morman and pray each day! This brings such amazing blessings as we prepare ourselves to recieve the Lord's word for each of us.

We know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. We have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams and would wish for each of you the same blessings! Our mission is truly a blessing. We encourage each of you to plan and prepare to serve.

Love,

Dad and Mom

Grandpa and Grandma

Tom and Bess

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Cherry Blossom Time 4 - 10 April 2011

This week has been very busy. On Monday we went as a Zone to the Kumamoto Castle in downtown Kumamoto for P-day. The Cherry blossoms are in full bloom. We started with a buffet diner at the train station. The food was Delicious and the Missionaries had a lot of fun being together. We then walked to the castle down streets lined with cherry blossoms. We spied some Koi fish in the river, hope ours will be that big went we get home! The castle was built in the 1600s and was fun to tour and see all the flowers!

Sign says LDS missionaries table that way.
Lyon and Buckingham Choro with ice cream
Triffitt is holding the official ice cream cup. The others have drink cups full

Statue as we entered Castle
Koi in moat.
See Barraclough Shimai, she had to eat fast!
.

Cherry Blossoms
Speak,see and hear no evil
All of us and some of Castle



Yes,, there are ninja warriors!
Sign to keep ninjas off the wall
Entrance to Castle
Hole where they throw Prisoners
Choro checking out how long it took a rock to hit the bottom
   Centuries old tree, wish we could bring it home!

Another turret of Castle
 Leaving Castle tired


Cherry Blossoms beloved by Japanese
On Tuesday we went to District meeting and then out to lunch with the two districts. The food was ordered  by pushing a button and inserting money. The food was then brought to our tables and was very good. We then walked with Johnson and Barraclough Shimai to the store to get them new glasses. While we were waiting for the glass to be built we did some shopping for food Bess could eat. We ended up at an international market two levels below the ground. There was everything a person could imagine there, if you were willing to pay the price. We then picked up the glasses after only an hour and a half!


District meeting?
Grocery Store
 On Wednesday we had our weekly Missionary Ward Coordination meeting with Brother Rogers (the Nagamini Ward Mission Leader) and learned about a member that arrived today from Tonga. His name is Tobias Topu. He is coming to Japan to study at the University. He is married and has three year old twin boys. His family will come to Japan in about 6 months to join him. We also had a Aikaiwa (English class) planning meeting to plan for the next semester which starts on suiyobi (Wed) the 27th of April. At Aikaiwa Bess received another present for another one of her male students. I guess they like her! A large bag of oranges which we shared with others.

Thursday we traveled to Nobeoka to inspect apartments. The trip was over the mountains on two lane roads. It took about three hours and was a very beautiful drive with all the cherry blossoms along the way. We inspected the apartment and had lunch with Barino and Nascimento Choro. We brought the new futon that they needed with us.

We then traveled to Oita and spent the night in a small not too clean hotel. We would of asked for a different room, but we could not speak the language. In the morning I looked out the window and saw a Toyoko Inn. We stayed in that brand name Hotel last week and it was very clean. Darn. We inspected Wilson and Zaico Choro's apartment, bought them some needed items and traveled to Fukuoka to the Costco. The Chicken Bake was the best ever. After stocking up on supplies we traveled home.
Love that Kobi (mold),
  Hit the porcelain every time!
Those are twin beds
  Beauty tucked on every spot


One of many tunnels

No wasted space
 Cherry Blossoms and mist
Saturday we attended General conference all day. Yes, it was the same one that you had last week in Utah. Tobias brought a fellow student, Amous, (nonmember) to the conference. He is from Benin, next to Nigeria. After the priesthood session they and two Shimai came to dinner and we got to know them and ask questions. He accepted a Japanese Book of Mormon and would like to talk again.

Sunday was conference all day with another Baptism afterward. Li Shin Kyo, a 20 year old Chinese was baptized. He is a very special person. We are hoping for three baptisms next week!

Kurakawa, Nishio and Christensen Choro doing windows

En Manri, Lyon Choro, and Li Shin Kyo
  Tobias, Amous, Shimai and us after dinner


Picture of Soy sauce on Tom's camera so we could find some more at the store.
 Conference was the best! It seemed that there was an answer to all the things we need help with. We are so grateful for a Heavenly Father who know our needs and a Savior who loves us and Atoned for our sins. Our hearts break when we think of how much pain our sins inflicted on Him and we hope to follow Him always. The Gospel is true and there is much work to be done. We love you all, and yes, Taralee the See, Speak and Hear no evil picture was for you...Knew you would appreciate it. Love, Dad and Mom Grandpa and Grandma Christensen Choro and Shima.