Picnic it Japan April 25 to May 1, 2011

Tsutamori Shimai, Nascimento, Christensen and Inamori Choro in first picture with Wilson Choro in the background. Barino Choro, Yamada Shimai, Christensen Choro, Johnson Shimai, Inamori Choro and Harada Shimai all lined up to bowl.

Bowling Group plus one new member in front.

All the Shimai, Johnson, Harada, new bean Tsutamori, Tokyo Yamada, Barraclough and Christensen.

On Monday we attended Kumamoto Zone Preparation Day. We ate at the buffet at the Bus Station again. The food was still really good! We then went bowling. Christensen Choro rented the largest shoes they had and they were still small! We got to meet the new missionaries that transferred into the Zone. They are all wonderful young men and a wonderful young woman. We received another Australian, Battye Choro. He won't replace Triffitt Choro that transferred, but it helps. We had Family Home Evening at the church that night since we had 4 extra Choros and 3 extra Shimai. Christensen Shimai made a very good chocolate chip oatmeal cake! There were no leftovers.

The whole Zone and tunnels on the road to Nobeoka

Tuesday we had a brief Zone Meeting and then broke into District Meetings. Afterward we practiced a song that we are singing in Stake Conference this month. We are also singing with the Nagamini Ward at Stake Conference. We are having a hard time with the words, let alone the music. We will sing quietly. After District Meeting we took the three missionaries from Nobeoka and three futons to Nobeoka. The drive was beautiful. The cherry blossoms we saw three weeks ago had been replaced with other very colorful blossoms. It still took 2.5 hours each way and the road is still very narrow and winding. We got home about 9 pm.

Wednesday we recoved from our trip and prepared for Eikaiwa. That evening we attended a sign language class and Eikaiwa. Afterward some of the group finished 3rd Nephi and we discussed what we had learned from it and shared our favorite verses with the group. There is one member, Pam, that has attended church the last couple of weeks,who said the closing prayer. The first time in public!

We found out that Inamori Choro was transferring back to Tokyo to open the Mission again so we took him out to his Favorite Sushi bar.

Sushi food, Egg over rice, can't remember the name, we just point at what we want.

Touch ordering pad at the Sushi bar. Kim, Nishio and Inamori Choro at Inamori Choro's last supper.

Kimono day. Johnson, Barraclough, Nakagawa and Hayashi Shimai.

The finished product after more than an hour and at least 12 pieces of clothing each plus toe sock and tiny shoes which, by the way, hurt like !!!!

Hayashi Shimai. These were all her Kimonos.

Thursday Christensen, Barraclough and Johnson Shimai were dressed in kimonos by two Shimai in the ward. It took them about two hours, but they enjoyed the activity and looked lovely!

We taught Engish class to the Nakagawa family again.

Friday we went on a Kumamoto Ward Primary party. When we heard that it was a tree climbing activity we wondered. We went and found out. There were a couple of men to teach us how to climb trees with ropes. It was really fun and we had a great picnic after. There was alot of lakes and trees and open space!

Monkeys in a tree? Barraclough Shimai and Tom. From top down, Nishio, Maeda, Kim, Inamori and Battye Choro.

Nishio, Maeda, Kim and Inamodi Choro.

Barraclough, Johnson Shimai, Bess and Masuda Shimai.

back of Fukuhara Bishopu and his daughter and tree expert.

Budding Jugglers and new Eikaiwa student Ryo with thumbs up!

We honestly can't remember what we did on Saturday! We were sure tired though!

On Sunday we took Nishio Choro one of our Zone Leaders to Omuta to the Branch meetings there. They had about twenty kids in the branch and we really enjoyed being with them. There was a little three year old girl named Mina that wanted Christensen Shimai to hold her, then the sweet little thing gave her kisses on the cheek. Bess was ready to either take that little one home with us or pack up and go home to the Grandchildren.

We got home and then went to Maki Family's home for dinner. It was the funnest dinner we have been to.

Tobias Topu, Maki-san and two of his four children. Maki and Johnson Shimai.

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.

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