Dear Family and friends,
This week has been crazy!! I don't even really know where to begin,
but I guess I could start with last Monday night. We got back to the
apartment, and I raced into the bathroom. In the middle of using the
bathroom my phone rings. No big deal, but I pull it out, and see that
it is the AP's. I was already finishing, so I quickly finish, and
answer the phone, and then proceed to receive my transfer call. I
found out that I would be Staying in Toyohira!! So that was a
surprise, and really if you receive your transfer call on Monday it
means that you are training a new missionary, so that basically told
me that, before he told me that I would be training! It was quite a
shock, because I really thought that I was leaving, but I was thrilled
to be able to stay in Toyohira, and to be able to train a new
missionary from the MTC. The other elders came home, and we played a
game where we both hadn't received a call from the AP's, but then we
both found out, and I found out that Elder Graham, who came in and sat
next to me in the MTC, and who came and transferred into my area this
last transfer was also going to be going trainer, so we were going to
be training together!! Craziest thing ever!! I've never heard of two
Elders who came into the mission at the same time, training two
missionaries who also came to the mission at the same time, in the
same area!!
And then the next few days were like this...
Wednesday Dec. 7
Today we went to honbu and were able to receive training on how to
train our beans. After training we took Elder Pace, and Elder Yabutani
(I love him), back to Toyohira, and I went on splits with both of
them. I was feeling the power of God, and we were able to find 3
really good investigators. The first investigator we found was named
Satou San. He was shoveling snow, and I pressed him to let us help, by
picking up a shovel myself, and just doing it. We served him, and he
opened up really well to hearing our message. We were able to make
another appointment for Friday, so that was really exciting. Then we
found a family!! A mom and dad, with a little 1 year old. They also
agreed to listen to the message. And then we found an older guy who
seemed not too open, but was okay with talking to us. We talked with
everyone, and Yabutani choro was a little bit amazed by how much
success we were able to have in just 2 hours. It was pretty amazing.
It made me feel adequate to train, which was a really great blessing.
Thursday Dec. 8
Today was a really cool day. I met my new missionary! He is fresh out
of the MTC! His name is Elder Bennion, and I love him already. He is a
really good guy, and I am so happy to be able to be his trainer. We
all walked into the room in President Nakatsuka's Home, and there were
all of the beans, just sitting there. The first person I saw was a guy
who was from my high school!! Matt Jenson! haha I remember when we
went on a group date for a dance in high school. So funny! I thought
that I would train him, but then I didn't, but I was kind of happy
too, because it would have just been like in high school. Anyway we
were able to get our beans, and then get going! I ripped my pants, so
that was kind of sad and akward. Especially when Coyama shimai, (She
is so cool, and is training and is stl on transfer 6, (BOSS)) but she
just told me, "did you know your pants ripped?" (In japanese of
course.) So I just laughed, and told her yes, she asked how. lol, just
from kind of falling I guess! But I was able to lower my back enough
to be able to make it so most people couldn't see, but she is really
short, so she was able to still see apparently. haha. Anyway, we made
it back to the area, and were able to have a good first day! We worked
really hard, and found 4 new investigators!! The coolest thing ever
happened! We found this guy named kuroki san; I started talking to him
on the street, and he just said that he was going home. We talked
about his hobbies, and found out that we were the same age. I asked
him if we could come back with him to his apartment and talk with him.
To my pleasant surprise, he said okay, and so we were able to go back
and talk to him. I thought that he would just talk to us in his
gankan, but he let us in, which was so cool!! Nothing like that has
ever happened in my mission before! We came in, sat on his couch, and
taught him about God's plan for us as his children. The spirit was
there, and it was a really good lesson, and it was weird that for the
first time in my mission my compaion not only knew less what was going
on than me, but didn't know anything that was going on. It was so
interesting. It was kind of cool to be able to have full control..lol.
Although Elder bennion did add a nice, "Do you have any questions?",
at a time that was really great, so that was awesome!! I thought a
little bit too much about how cool it would be to make a baptismal
date on my first day with my bean, so I asked him to be baptized, but
it was too much for me, and not enough t for him, and so he did not
respond too well to it. He wasn't all that interested in the idea of
being baptized. I have to always remember to listen to the spirit, and
really not think about myself when teaching people. I still felt good
though, because I know that we should always be asking more people to
be baptized. After that we were able to meet with Himwari chan. She
said something really cool: I knew that you wouldn't trasnfer, because
I prayed that you wouldn't! Such a cool thing to hear! God really does
answer prayers! Then we were able to go play kingball which was really
awesome for our brand new beans to be able to experience. It was a
really great day. I am really looking forward to this transfer.
Friday Dec. 9
Today I had a really good time with my companion. Elder Bennion is
such a great guy. He is so willing to work, and has such great
desires. I hope that I can be able to become really great companions
with him. It is so fun watching someone experience Japan for the first
time. We were able to go and meet with Satou San, who I found by
helping him with shoveling his snow, with Yabutani and pace choro. He
was really awesome! He is not quite a golden investigator, but It
seems like we will be able to meet him really well twice a week, so
that seems like it will work out really good, and he should be able to
progress! Also today we were able to meet with Chi San! He was doing
really good. It was really great to be able to visit with Chi San. He
is a really good guy. I really hope that Chi San can develop real
faith, and become a member of the church. It was overall a really
great day.
My companion is really hard on himself, and had a hard time in the
MTC, but I think that it is so cool the experiences that God has given
me in order to be able to train him right now. It is really cool how
God's timing really is all perfect, and I really am supposed to be
here right now. A great testimony builder that I am worthy, and that I
doing what the Lord wants me to do.
Saturday Dec. 10
Today was a really crazy day. It snowed all day!! Literally like 4
feet. I have never seen anything like it!! We shoveled the snow in the
church 3 times, because it just kept on coming down, and making it
necessary to be done again! Haha so crazy. It was a really fun day. We
were able to really experience some snow that I was always wanting to
experience, and walking around, and wearing my boots all worked really
great!! Such an awesome day! My companion is really great!
Sunday Dec. 11
Today was a crazy miracle. We were able to talk with a member Brother
Konno. He was able to open up with us, and take us to three different
friends, and introduced us to them at their houses!!! I have never
even heard of that kind of thing even being possible in Japan!! Such a
cool experience. My faith and testimony was strengthened so much!! I
love the mission!!!
Sorry this is all over the place!! It has been an insane week!! I love
and miss you all!! Thank you for all your support and love!
Love,
コノバー長老
Elder Conover
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