Sorry once again the week before last's letter.

September 18, 2017

Dear Family and Friends, 

First, a word about my companion: 

Elder Kikuchi is so funny and really has made these weeks so entertaining. He has some limited english that he uses just to be hilarious and it is the best thing ever. He loves these words. "Marvelous, flabbergasted, sexy, overwhelming, pronto, amaaaazing, faabulous, 

*I throw out an idea, and Pigeon boy likes the idea, so he says* "Are you Genius? Are you Freaking Genius?" And then he holds out his hand to shake mine as if we just made a very successful business deal/decision. Haha he is literally the funniest person ever, so I am just laughing all the time, and am so glad that I have had the opportunity to experience Elder Kikuchi as a companion. He is the perfect balance, because he really knows how to work hard, and isn't afraid to do hard things, but he just chooses to make everything fun. In our mission it can be pretty common, in fact almost all of the older missionaries, and some missionaries throughout their whole mission have a tendency to say that they are tired, at least like 10 times a day. But Elder Kikuchi and I really don't like that, and don't want to be tired, and when Kikuchi choro came here I asked him if he is tired often, and he just told me "missionaries don't get tired!" Haha so awesome! He worked at his Family's motorcycle shop for the last four years part time while in school, and for the last year before his mission full time, every day at 8:30 in the morning until about 12-1 am the next morning, everyday except Sunday! Him and his dad would usually just eat 1 meal a day, because no time, and because there is so much stress that all you can think about is work and what you are doing. He didn't really know what he was doing, but he just had to figure out numerous difficult problems on motorcycles, without knowing how, and while the person was watching him and talking to him as he was trying to focus on fixing the bike.

Elder Kikuchi's house got burned down when he was 12, and he just sat there and had to watch it burn, nothing that could be done. His 13 year old neighbor, whose house was back to back to his, was cooking, and decided to go to the bathroom while the fire was still on, and somehow the fire got out of control, and that house was also a cleaning shop, and so that house completely burned to the ground, and the fire got all inside Kikuchi choro's house and burned everything in side of it, including his favorite cat. 

He was baptized with his mom when he was 9, and then 3 years later his Dad was also baptized. Then later when his younger two siblings turned 8 they were also baptized. He considers himself 3/4 first generation, and 1/4 second generation, in the church. 

He has taught me a lot, from watching him and experiencing his attitude about life. His mission has also not been easy, at all. He has been to the 3 probably hardest areas of the mission. And was also in the mission office for 3 transfers as the "Comissarian" who basically runs everything for the function of the mission, and is definitely the most stressful position in the mission. Only Japanese elders become the comissarian. On top of that, in those hard areas he had the hardest companions that our mission could give. Two of his past companions have had to go home, many of his past companions had big problems, and were not obedient, or doing very good things. He has had some very crazy transfers. But the coolest thing about Elder Kikuchi is that he takes it all with a smile, and he really has learned how to live a really hard life, happily. He is incredible. Please most of you reading this are in America. Be grateful. We are so blessed, and have so much, so many reasons to rejoice and be happy. 

Monday 8/4

Today we didn't have Pday because we are going to the temple on Wednesday. We still hadn't done weekly planning yet, so we did that, and it was super awesome! I really love the new way of planning that the church has come out with for missionaries. There is a new chapter that replaces chapter 8 of PMG, and it is called "How can I fulfill my purpose" and it really did teach me how I can truly fulfill my purpose. We make very specific goals, especially for our investigator Takahashi. We set a goal for him to get baptized in 3 months. Then we really prayed about and considered what plans we needed to accomplish in order for that goal to be accomplished. We made a plan to have him get in the home of at least 3 different members before those 3 months are over; kind of 1 per month. This is just an example of one goal, but we are really excited to see what happens with his progression because of careful and diligent planning. Today we also had a little surprise birthday party with a member for one of the sister missionaries. It was fun. We made French toast and the crazy grandma member started eating French toast with mashed potatoes which was so hilarious. She then took all of the left over French toast and ate it for the next couple days with mashed potatoes, apparently. 😂 

Tuesday 8/5 

Today we went with an awesome investigator, the son of a great recent convert mom, to lunch for his Birthday! It was really fun. Then we were able to meet some of the kids of families that we are focusing on, and are close to getting baptized, at the park.  We played some crazy soccer, and I was riding my bike on some dirt with no hands and my bike slid out and I fell..lol. We also had English class today and so that was fun. I tried teaching them all about filtering what they allow to take place in their minds, and I think that they could grasp a little bit of what I was saying. 

Wednesday 8/6 

Today we went to the temple! It was probably my favorite time at the temple so far. I felt so close to God, and it was especially cool because President McClure and his wife were the witness couple! And then the coolest thing was that they had us do sealing's with them after the session, and so I got to be sealed to them as a son! It was a very cool experience and great blessing to be able, for the first time in a very long time for me, and for most missionaries who never have, to participate in a temple sealing. Afterward we had an opportunity to talk to President McClure and we talked about some really interesting things about the church, and I also learned that North America no longer has any branches and districts, only wards and stakes! So cool. I also saw a lot of members from my first area's ward! I love them so much! Afterwards we went and ate at a really cool ramen place. It was so good! 

Wednesday night we had an appointment with Takahashi, and we had made our plan for him, and we knew that we needed to get a member there. So I called Yamamoto kyoudai, and it was difficult, but he ended up being able to make time to come at the end of our lesson with Takahashi. He came, we had a really awesome time, and they really started a good relationship. Takahashi lives alone, because his wife died 1 year ago. Brother Yamamoto talked about talking to his wife and seeing if they could help him with food, and so that was really awesome! We talked with Yamamoto kyoudai about bringing takahashi to their home and eating dinner with them there, and he seemed like that would be a pretty good idea! We were really excited! 

Thursday 8/7 

Today we had one major success! We went to Yamamoto family's house, were able to talk to Sister Yamamoto, and were able to talk with her about takahashi kyoudai, and she was so awesome and started giving some ideas, and then asked if it would be best to invite him over for dinner, and we're like, "yeah that would be so awesome!" So then she started talking about when, and I thought she was talking about like the next weekend, but she was actually saying that they could do it any time in the evening, on the 9th 10th 11th or 12th! What! That kind of thing never happens! No one has that kind of time, and no one is willing to do something like that so quickly! We were so pumped. Now all we had to do was get Takahashi on board. We sang a song with her and then prayed and while we were praying I had the feeling that we should take a video of her inviting him to this dinner and when and stuff, because then he would actually be more prone to want to come. I was worried she's think that that might be to weird or scary, but I decided to throw out my "crazy idea". She loved the idea, and made the best video ever in one try!! I will send the video, so watch it! It was so awesome! We went and showed him the video right after that, and he was super surprised, and agreed that he would find a time that worked on one of those 4 nights! Such an awesome success! We made the goal, made a plan, and then did what we could to carry out our plan, and God really came through!! Such an awesome day! 

8/8 Friday 

Today we went on splits with the Muroran Elders. I was on splits with a first transfer Japanese Elder, Elder Kusume! He is such an awesome elder and is actually from Elder Kikuchi's home ward! They were actually best friends from before the mission! So lucky that they got called to the same mission! It was really a really good day, and we were able to work a lot with members, including meeting yokoishi papa and his family. It was an awesome time. 

8/9 Saturday  

Today was one of the best days of my mission. We had a mission tour with Elder Gay; our new Area President. I cannot write everything that happened, but I was greatly changed by this meeting. There is something tangible and amazing happening here in Hokkaido. Things are changing, and the change is going to shock the world, as President Erying has promised. Faith depends upon our action. We may feel that we have strong faith, but if our action doesn't reflect that, then we do not actually have that faith. We have exactly as much faith as we do actions that represent our faith in the Savior. I learned that I do not have Agency, because I have chosen to give my agency to God. I can trust God, and be willing to do whatever he asks of me, and trust that the will do more with my life than I could ever do for myself. This is a wonderful truth that I really want to sink deep into me, and continually turn my agency over to God throughout my life. 

We also had a leadership council meeting with Elder Gay after the meeting, but back at the mission home, and so we all jumped in cars and rode back to the mission home, but I was fortunate to be able to ride in the same car as President and Sister McClure and Gay! It was so cool to be able to talk with President Gay and McClure from the backseat. Elder Gay went to Harvard, and got into a program that only 7 people got into, one of the hardest programs to get into in all of Harvard. He has 7 children, and has seemed to have succeeded in all ways that are desirable, and so I was really interested in hearing his story. Such a successful man, and such a man of God. President Erying has an amazing prophecy about Japan, and he told Elder Gay when he set him apart as the area president that he is being sent there to fulfill the prophecy, in other words the world is going to be amazed by the changes that are going to happen in Japan, and the amazing huge temple that we have here will go from having 3 stakes (most have between 15 and 25 stakes) to having numerous stakes that will fill the temple. It is our faith, and it will be a lot of Elder Gay's faith, but it is God's miracle. Men will call Elder Gay and President McClure and President Erying "visionary men" as Laman and Lemuel called Lehi, but they are men of God, and they are about his business, and I have chosen to do everything that I can to follow them and also be about God's work, here in this land. 

That night we were able to meet with Yokoishi papa and we had an awesome lesson with him about overcoming trials through prayer, and relying on Christ. We showed him the "mountains to climb" video, and it was a really awesome spiritual lesson with him. He is so strong, and I love being able to really see the faith that he has in Jesus Christ. 

8/10 Sunday 

Today we were able to have a really good time at church, and really felt the spirit really strong. Elder Kikuchi gave an awesome talk. We were able to meet a few investigators that are all friends after church, and also were able to introduce them to a lot of members, and then had a really good lesson about prayer and building their relationship with God. 

Then after that we went caroling with all 6 of us missionaries in this area, to all of the people that we are focusing on right now. It was super awesome, and really fun to sing and to be able to have such a fun time with awesome members and investigators.

Then we went to the yamamoto's to plan how we were going to help takahashi the most. Then we went and picked up Takahashi with brother Yamamoto, and had a wonderful dinner at their house, and with one of their kids. Takahashi really enjoyed the company and the food, and talked a lot! He talked so much, but they just listened so well, and really helped him to feel loved. It was so awesome. Then we were able to hear some of their conversion story, and help Takahashi see how it works to join the church and what kind of effort it takes. It was so awesome. We are really so impressed with God and that He was able to bring to pass such a quick miracle with helping Brother Takahashi to have time with a member in their home. Sorry this is so long! 

I have learned so many things, and don't want to forget anything, and my journal hasn't exactly been amazing lately;) 

I am so grateful for you and for this Gospel. It is all true. I know it. I love you. 

Love, 

コノバー長老
Elder Conover

Photos:

1. God's Army

2. Teaching investigator's at the church. 

3. Brother Takahashi at the Yamamoto's for dinner! 

4. A few weeks ago in Hakodate, Elder Kim, such an awesome previous companion! 

Last Week's Weekly Email

September 11, 2017

Dear family and Friends,
This has been one of the craziest weeks of my mission! I will try and
give you a quick rundown of the experiences that we had.



Monday 8/28
Today we went to the temple with one of our junior high school
investigators for the family home evening that President has in the
mission home every month. It was really fun and there were a ton of
people there. It was a really fun night, and we were able to teach
Te-chan about the Book of Mormon, and commit him to start reading in
the Book of Mormon and praying everyday. We accidentally took a train
that came 3 minutes before the train that we were supposed to ride
came, so we got on the local train, which stops at all of the stops,
so we got home even later than we would have, but I could really see
that this was God's hand, because we ended up being able to have a
really good lesson with te-chan on the train, but if we had taken the
right train, then we would have had not as much time, but also would
have been with the sister missionaries, so we all probably would have
talked to te-chan, and not been able to teach him the way that the
were able to. I really saw throughout this week that God really does
plan accidents, and coincidences, and He uses them to further His
work.



Tuesday 8/29
Today we went to Hakodate. Hakodate is the very bottom of Hokkaido;
which isthe top part of Japan. We got there and started splits with
the Elder's there right away. I was on splits with Elder Murdock, who
goes home in 2 months. He is the district leader down there, and is
really doing a good job, finishing his mission really strong. We
started streeting, and I realized that I had lost my name tag at some
point from when we got off the train. (4 hour train to Hakodate btw.)
We prayed and retraced our tracks. We weren't able to find it, but I
decided that we should continue, and hope that the train people would
maybe find it, I had given my number to them. We kept talking to
people, and in the parking lot of a McDonald's we stopped this 17 year
old High school student. We shared with him the Message of the
Restoration and gave him the Book of Mormon, committed him to read the
introduction after having read the last part of it with him, and
taught him how to pray, and invited him to pray that night. He really
felt the spirit and readily accepted everything that we taught him. We
were able to make a really solid appointment for that next Saturday,
and were able to exchange numbers. It was a really powerful experience
again of God's timing. God really does know his children and it was
His plan for us to meet him at that time in that place. God is
wonderful. We had a great rest of the day, and talked with and were
able to teach a lot of people.



Wednesday 8/30
Today we participated in District Meeting in the Hakodate district. It
was a really awesome meeting, and it is really fun to be able to go
and participate and give training in the districts in the Zone. We
finished splits, also went to a really cool Hamburger place that is
only in Hakodate, and then went to go home and Elder Kikuchi had left
his train ticket in the Apartment! Our train was at 2:56 and he
realized that he didn't have his ticket at 2:40. We had the other two
elders (good old Elder Kim, my old companion) to book it down and
bring his ticket for us. We got our bikes up next to the train and had
everything ready, we just needed to get his ticket in the next 2
minutes. We got his ticket in 3 minutes, and so the train left. We
literally only missed it by 1 minute. So we defeatedly walked down the
platform and had to wait for the next train which was at 4:34. We were
able to talk to a few people and finish doing feedback about our
splits, so it worked out not too bad. Then we got on the train and
rode back...we made it to Muroran train station, where we had actually
wanted to get off and help some missionaries there, but then after
consulting with Elder Akamatsu, we decided that it would be better not
to go and so we weren't going to.


But when our train got to that train stop, it just stopped, and sat
there for an hour. We started wondering what this might mean. There
was apparently trouble on the tracks, and they kept on walking up and
down the train apologizing in this very non-apologetic voice. Haha so
funny. My companion is hilarious and his way of imitating other
Japanese people is hilarious. So we ended up being in a situation
where we had been sitting there on the train for an hour and a half,
and we had no option other than to either be home past 10:30, or get
off and go stay at the elder's apartment there that night. So we chose
the latter and went and scared them out of there mind by kikuchi choro
pretending to be the Japanese mafia. Haha funniest thing of my life.
That was the first night that I have had with 3 other Japanese elders
and so it was way fun to hear so much real Japanese and really be able
to talk with them.

President McClure Called us the next morning and was really happy that
we had ended up in Muroran, because he needed us to be there to help a
sister who needed to go home, to go home smoothly. We were able to
really help the sisters and it was a really big miracle that we were
there. Again God's timing and God really does create "Coincidences".
With Kikuchi choro forgetting his ticket, with the train stopping for
an hour and a half at the one stop of many that we actually knew, it
was all very odd, and it really ended up being God's will for us to be
there. It was really cool to be able to be used in helping God bring
to pass a miracle. That is the thing that I love the most as a
missionary.


Friday 9/1
Today we had mission leadership conference, where we learned so much
about Goals, and about making plans. There is a new process in a new
chapter of PMG that the church has made. This process is truly
inspired.
1. Pray and seek for revelation.
2. Set Goals
3. Make inspired plans
4. Pray Again
We follow this process in planning for people, and it really is
amazing how when you use this proccces you can actually see people
progress as you carry out the plan that you made for them, and God
really helps our goal to be accomplished, because through planning and
really seeking for guidance, we made it his plan and not our own. His
goal and not just our wish. This is truly the key to us not being
alone in trying to do His work. we need God's help because this is His
works, and if we do it on our own then we cannot do anything.

Saturday 9/2
Today was the most full day of my mission. We had an early lunch and
did service for an older sister in the ward with te-chan. It was
really awesome. Then we taught him the first vision, and invited him
to be baptized, we made a weak baptismal date, but decided not to set
it until we could get him to feel more comfortable to with the date
that he was thinking about. Then we booked it back to the other city
in our area and went to another meal that we had with a member there,
and then went to a festival around that members house where we met a
ton of investigators and had fun there. Then we rode back to eniwa,
our other city again and taught our investigator Brother Takahashi. We
were able to also invite him to set a goal for when he would be
baptized, but he said that he would do it the next Wednesday, and so
we weren't able to make a date with him yet.
9/3
On Sunday after church we went with one of our new cool new younger
investigators to a festival and walked around outside and talked with
him. Then we went to the church and had a family home evening at the
church with him and with another family that we're working with to be
baptized soon; the sister's family but mikoto is 12 and he has such a
high desire to be baptized; we are working with him a lot. It was a
great day. While we were in the car with our investigator, he tried
turning on his music to show us what music he listens to, and a
strange miracle occurred, the music would only come out with static,
and he couldn't make it work, even though everything was set up to
work perfectly! Then when we got to the church he went back out into
his car to fix it, and got it to work. He took us home, tried to play
it when we got back in the car, and again it wouldn't work! It was so
cool! God really does help people to recognize who the missionaries
are and helps them see that there is something more to the message
that we are sharing. Wonderful day.

That was last week, I will try and get out this week's letter next
week, but last week was to full of miracles to not have a record. I
love you so much! I know that this is God's work. I love this work
with all my heart might, mind, and strength. This last week was one of
the most life changing weeks of my life, so I will write you about it
in detail, but we had a visit from Elder Gay the new area President
here. He is an amazing man, and completely changed our mission. So
exciting. I love you and am so grateful for your support and love.
Love,
コノバー長老
Elder Conover

"YPigeon boy" (Elder Kikuchi's favorite thing to call people.)

August 28, 2017

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a great pretty normal week, with a super awesome
companion! I love being in Eniwa-chitose so much. This area I have
learned and changed for the better so much in this area.
As a missionary I have often wondered what really is affective, and
how we can really help people, and really do what God wants us to do
the most. It is very hard to come up with the best solution, but I
really love trying to progress, and always change and try new and
improved ideas. I have really realized the past week that I have to
figure out how to work with members, and really get them to start
working and planning their individual missionaries efforts, over a
long term period of time. The missionaries will leave, and I will
leave this area, but the members will stay, and they can continue to
build their work and help God for long term. This is really what we
need in Japan, and through this we will finally be able to see many
people join the church.

This week we had a number of funny experiences, we have been doing a
lot of talking to people in all kinds of circumstances. Haha Elder
Kikuchi, my companion loves pigeons, and he is just the funnest
missionary in the whole mission, but he is also a really good worker,
and is just so fun and easy to work hard with.

I am going to describe this week more with pictures this time, so here you go.

Pictures:



1. Elder Hymas and his family came to our English class before the
flew back to Tokyo. It was really fun to talk with them. I can't
believe that Elder Hymas is done with his mission. He was a great
missionary, and a great friend. I will see him back up at BYUI when I
get back.


2. I get pretty intense when I teach English class here. (Then again,
I get intense when I do just about anything in Japan..;))


3. I found more caterpillars 🐛 "Poisons"


4. Playing soccer with some new investigators at a park by the church.
-I love summer.


5. We rescued a butterfly that was trapped inside a store. (Elder
kikuchi slyly grabbed that basket and in the flick of an eye whipped
it around and caught the butterfly. #ninja.