It's finally turning into spring -- and not cold!

"The Best Picture you Have Ever Seen!"

Week 24 - March 6, 2016

I love the warm weather that's coming. So this week!

Wednesday:  So we went back to the old Tokorozawa apartment and cleaned everything and got rid of everything because the comissarian, Elder Shimizu, came to close it cause we aren't staying there -- obviously. That was fun getting rid of all that stuff. After dinner we had Ekaiwa which as usual was a good time. I played the game with the less experienced students and it was way fun. We played telephone charades and it was way funny.

Thursday:  Probably the weirdest day I've had so far. We want to Hanno and we didn't really know it was a tourist place. It was a way nice stay so we tried to go find people to talk to. We ended up talking to this old couple who were tourists and they started taking us with them lol. I felt like a tourist for a while, and I told Elder Uemura that we should probably try to escape so we could proselyte more but then we talked with them more about church stuff and their beliefs and it was interesting. We finally got to the park, which we earlier told them we were trying to go to.  So then, naturally, they said "Oh, won't you sit and have some sushi with us?" So ya we had sushi in the park with old people.

It was actually the man's anniversary of his father's death so that's why they were doing something interesting. So we shared some more stuff and I explained the Book of Mormon to them and how it can help them. He said he has his own beliefs but he was super thankful for the book and we signed our testimonies in it. So it started out not how I was hoping but turned out way good and I think that eventually he will accept the gospel. Then we basically had do write a bunch of stuff that night.

View from halfway up the mountain in Hanno

Friday:  We finally got to do weekly planning so that was good cause we got an awesome plan set up for this month and next week. Then in the evening we went and visited a less active family cause it was their daughter's birthday. So we gave them a cake and sang happy birthday, and that was kind of it -- sadly. Then we wrote notes to another less active family and left them in their mailbox.

Saturday:  We got transfer calls!!  So Elder Uemura and I are still companions and in Tokorozawa so nothing changed there. Sadly, Elder Burnham is going. It was good doing some high school buddy and doki (same missionary group) dendo but it's time for him to go. Then we had district meeting which was a great last district meeting. Then we had a kubari Kai ( a passing out flyers time).  We passed out "Meet the Mormons" flyers 'cause we are playing that for free on Saturday and having a free dinner so we want everyone to come. It went super well. Then with the youth that helped with the kubari, we went to a way fun okonomyaki place. It was all you can eat and way hot in there cause everyone gets a big grill in front of them. You have to take your shoes off to go in so it felt way Japanese even though we do that at our house and everyone else's house as well.

Okonomyaki, Tokorozawa, Japan

Meet the Mormons - K-- San is in the middle.

Sunday:  K-- San came again and instead of wearing normal clothes he wore a suit! We were all way surprised and happy cause he is so awesome. We taught him about the Ten Commandments and tithing and he committed to both so that was just way great. Then after dinner we did some housing and found someone who said we could come back. He's 19 and I hope that he will have interest enough to hear more.

Now today:  We have done things at light speed, had shyabu shyabu and rode around in the rain so it's been pretty great so far. Anyway, I love you all and if things in your life seem dark just remember our Savior is the light of the world,

Elder Molen