Last post from Japan. One week until we start our trek home! It is
getting more difficult to say goodbye to these wonderful people here.
So we say "see you later". Hope we can come back again soon.
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| Monday for FHE we had a new guest. Bess loves playing with beatles. |
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| Jyunichi also stopped by. We have not seen him for a while. |
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| Wada Choro brought the treats for district meeting, Oishii! (delicious) | | |
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| On Tuesday Measawa Kyodai let us take a picture of him without his helmet. |
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| Wednesday we traveled to Sendai in Kagoshima to check apartments. Usui and Mukaitani Choro enjoy the rewards of hard work. |
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| Taniyama Choro needed new pillows. Beckstrand Choro tested the pillows at the store. |
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| Beckstrand and Allen Choro after dinner. You would not know that a typhoon is passing by. Maybe that is why no one else was at the restaurant! |
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| Wednesday we started with the Taniyama Shimai, Shichijo and Hinode. |
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| The Kagoshima Choro, McKinney and Trane, have a baptismal date and a very clean apartment! |
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| The Miyakonojo Choro, Kwon and Hill, got a new microwave and dinner. Japanese barbeque! |
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| We saw this full double rainbow on the way to Miyazaki. Does that mean no more typhoons? |
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| Miyazaki Choro, Kanaida and Fujimaki loved 31 flavors on Friday. |
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| We went back to 31 flavors for this great companionship of Miyagawa and Latu Shimai. What a great bunch of apartments to visit! |
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| Saturday we toured our favorite places around Kumamoto with the Mission office couple, Elder and Sister Beus. First, Mount Aso. Then to the Shirakawa Fountainhead. No dropped cell phones this time. |
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| We had a wonderful buffet lunch and then spent the afternoon and evening at Suizenji Park. Here is a 91 year old mother and her daughter at one of the booths. We think they gave us more than we bought. |
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| Sunday the Nagamini Ward gave us a farewell dinner. Sam and several of our Eikaiwa students came to the dinner. We were so excited to see them and all the Ward family. |
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| We love the food that is prepared here. |
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| Missionaries, Young Men and Young Women sang "Families can be Together Forever" in English. |
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| A skit showing how Tom recieved revelation that he was to marry Bess. Well, he wanted to shoot a bull elk, but it did not happen. He got a better prize. |
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| Sister Takahashi shows how Bess loves to garden. Honeydew melon! |
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| The Ward also celebrated the Maui family's July 25th Temple sealing Sunday evening. |
We have loved this past 18 months serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints here in Kumamoto, Japan. It has been the best thing we have ever done for us and the Lord. We have learned many things:
House
work is fun to help your wife with.
If you stay flexible you do not get
bent out of shape.
Not to stay home on raining days!
Tom has learned to be a better
driver.
Learned patience from
the Japanese people.
Learned more about the Gospel and
the scriptures
Bess learned she only has to prepare a half of a Relief Society or Young Women's lesson, the translation takes up the other half.
One cannot get ahead of the
Lord. We've received more blessings and
service than we've given out.
Next to the Lord, members are the best help to the missionaries .
We have felt the joy of being able to
serve others.
We found out that it is never
convenient to serve, but one needs to serve when people need it. (late night hospital runs, etc)
You do not have to speak the
language for people to feel the Spirit of Christ.
How to love people the first time
you meet them.
All things can be overcome through
the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
D&C 18: 15 And if it so
be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people,
and bring, save it be one asoul unto me,
how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
We love you!
Grandma and Grandpa.
Mom and Dad,
Bess and Tom
