A new beginning

October 31, 2016

Dear family and friends,
To start of I will tell you what happened with transfers!!


My wonderful companion and friend Elder Akamatsu, transferred. We were
not able to hold out one more transfer. (Not that we really had much
hope.) but my new companion is another Japanese Elder! Elder Satou!!
He is actually my same transfer, we came to Japan together!!! He is a
really good guy, and it is great working with him. I also became
senior companion, so that has been a fun new stressor. The best part
of it all though, is guess who else came into my apartment!! ELDER
GRAHAM!!! Elder Graham is now companions with Elder Bede!! Elder Bede
stayed, which I was really hoping for, but then Graham choro came,
which was way out of my dreams. Elder Graham and I started our
missions in the same room, spent 24/7 together in the MTC, and then I
was so pumped to find out two transfers ago, that we were in the same
district!! (The last two transfers we were in the same district.) But
then he came to my apartment, with elder Bede who has also became one
of my great buddies, (he's a straight comedian, (the quiet kind)). But
anyway life is good and we have such a young apartment with straight
hommies from the same douki (douki means the group that it came to
Japan with.)


This week we have been able to teach 3 different families, one family
in particular, a mom with two little kids, has some really good
potential, and has a real need for the gospel in her life. Oyamada
family.

The gospel, and the work of Jesus Christ goes forth, with or without
you. But think about what it means if you are with it, and also if you
aren't. If you choose to let the gospel pass you, and do not really
embrace the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ in your life,
even as a member, then you will not be able to received the promised
blessings, and reap the rewards that come from a gospel centered life.
In looking at the members here, as a missionary, it is easy to see the
members who are full of life, and have such a passion for the gospel,
always seeking to be better, and be able to more fully embrace the
gospel, and then also the members who simply come to church, and don't
seem to really be very happy. In general, the members that are the
happiest, are always the ones who are giving the most of themselves,
to the Savior, and to his work. I know that as we give of ourselves,
and really submit our will to his that we will be able to experience
the promised blessings, and happiness of the gospel in our lives,
personally and individually. The love of the Father, and of the Savior
is real. It is personal, and it is intimate, but it is up to us
whether or not we open our hearts to feel it. I challenge you to give
more of yourself. Do things that are hard for you to do, take risks,
push your comfort zone; for Christ, and see what he will do for you.


Today we were able to go see Sapporo dome; This is the famous dome
that has the soccer field that levitates and is always outside, but
for games it levitates in and replaces the baseball feild! After that
we went to see the statue "Boys be ambitious" that Elder Yamashita
referenced in his talk in general conference!