Bess and Tom: June 18 - 24, 2012, Our last Zone Conference!!

This week has been a very spiritual, happy, sad, and oh no week. We did not think about it being our last Zone Conference until President Margetts asked us to bear our testimonies on Tuesday. Thursday we drove to the Yamaguchi zone to check apartments for the last time and said goodbye to 12 wonderful missionaries. We also spoke at the Saturday evening Stake Conference session. We spoke on "The Blessings of the Temple." Our mission is coming to an end too soon! We are wondering how soon and where we will serve our next mission? Bess says Japan, Tom says OK, if we can be in the office where he can speak to someone in English.

Monday we had a Kumamoto Zone P-day activity. We picked up the Shimai and took them to the Kumamoto Castle. We have been to the castle during each season of the year since we have been here. It is always a spectacular sight. It is interesting what the different groups of missionaries focus on. This group liked the moat and water system. We had a demonstration on water as we ran for the car in the rain. It can rain so much and so quick here. We picked up the Kagoshima zone missionaries that evening.

Mueller Shimai and one of the many characters that are at the Castle.

The water system with a lot of money that has been thrown in.

Jay Bishoff wrote a very good book "The Boots of War". Had lots of pictures of shoes and boots of different people in Iraq during the war. We call this picture "the shoes of love". Missionary P-day shoes.

Tuesday we transported more people and attended Zone Conference. We were close to tears most of the day. It was also President and Sister Margett's last conference in Kumamoto. They go home next week and we will get to make more new friends, President and Sister Gustafson.

The Kumamoto Stake provide the very best dinners for Zone Conferences.

The angels that prepare the food. They always prepare a special menu for Bess with her allergy to wheat.

So much good food!

We took pictures with missionaries we were seeing for the last time. Bess, Miyagawa Shimai, and Tom.

President and Sister Margetts saying goodbye to missionaries: Peterson, Jeffery, and Barros Choro.

The corn is very good here. These are the serving sizes. Our neighbors have planted corn for us to eat when we get home! Thanks, Deb and Mark!!!

Wednesday we prepared for Eikaiwa and had an appointment canceled. So we visited Zouza Shimai and her son and a potential investigator before Eikaiwa.

Another heart attack. Not sure how many more Tom can survive!

Thursday in the Yamaguchi Zone we checked Ube and Yanai. It is amazing how good these missionaries are in preparing for apartment checks. They take very good care of their apartments. We stayed in Tokuyama that night.

Ube Shimai, Hattori and Kodama.

Newman and Reed Choro, Tokuyama Apartment.

Kobayashi and Okada Choro had a clean apartment in Hofu.

Yanai Choro, J. Williams and Rhodes.

Friday we inspected Tokuyama, Hofu, and Yamaguchi. They were all clean, too. We took the Zone Leaders out to dinner, before we traveled on to Shimonoseki for the night. At Shimonoseki we went to the Kaikyo Yume Tower. It is 153 meters high. It has a great view of the water way between the Kyushu and Honshu islands.

Zone Leaders, Stirland and Koyama Choro from Yamagachi.

Sunset from the Kaikyo Yume Tower.

View from the Kaikyo Yume Tower.of the Toyoko Inn that we stayed in

A happy couple touring the tower.

Painting of an old couple we found at the top of the tower

Produce section in a grocery store. Everything here is beautiful.

Saturday we helped move missionaries and get the supplies they needed for their new apartment.

We got home in time to go to the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference. We were third and forth on the program. We had wonderful translators, Watanabe Choro and Yoshimi, they must have translated very well as everyone kept telling us how much they enjoyed our talks! We ended our talks in Nehongo. (Japanese) Every speaker, including the 2nd councilor in the Temple Presidency and his wife, spoke on the blessings of the Temple. There are so many blessings we receive as we go to the temple.

Sunday we had a televised session of conference. It was viewed by all the Japanese Stakes and Districts. President Uchtdorf, Elder Oaks, Elder Gong, and Sister Wixcom were the speakers. From them we learned many things. Once again they told us to pray and read the scriptures everyday. President Uchtdorf talked about the joys of missionary work. We love being missionaries and feel the need to work harder. We have felt the joy and love of sharing the Gospel throughout our mission.

This evening we had friends over for dinner. The Shimai made the potato salad. It was a "to die for" dish.. Bess made salmon, pork chops, and the Oaks family jello salad. Tom made the instant chocolate pudding. We learned about the atonement and enjoyed each other.