Tokorozawa - Japan Tokyo South Mission

Week 22 - February 21, 2016

Happy almost end of February everyone!

That was a lame title.

So this week was kind of similar to the last. Elder Uemura was sick still but he is mostly healed now so that's good. Is it weird that I love washing dishes now? I also love cleaning everything. I did a lot of that this week and I actually quite enjoyed it.

But, ya, as usual Ekaiwa was great and we are trying to help our advanced class learn things they don't know. We planned a lot this week and were able to contact a lot of people. That was a great point of this week. We contacted tons of people and I contacted a former investigator who is totally down to meet with us and have lunch or something.

Also our investigator K-- S-- is really progressing. His prayers really, really got better and we had a great lesson with him on the plan of salvation. And...... He committed to be baptized!!!! Hurray! Our date is April 2, so we will do everything we can to prepare and get him ready and excited for that. Everyone if you could pray that he will continue to progress and have his desire to be baptized that would be great, cause we want him back in celestial kingdom with Heavenly Father! And that is basically the highlight of this week.

We have been working hard and doing our very best. Honestly, everyone that's what it's about. No matter your circumstances, just remember that your ultimate goal is getting back to love with our Father in Heaven. Once we accept that, then it's not hard to make decisions anymore, we just follow the one that gets us there. And that's my sermon for this week.

Everyone, thanks for the emails and keep going strong. Sorry I don't have any pictures this week but I still love you all!!

Elder Molen

Birthday Bowling in Japan

Bowling

February 14, 2016
Week 21

So this week some stuff happened. Exciting huh?

Well, actually not that many exciting things happened his week cause Elder Uemura got sick and we basically had a lot of sitting around time. We did some dendo but didn't have much success until Saturday.  Saturday we met a guy named Alex. He is half Japanese and half American and he is way chill. We talked to him about the restoration and other stuff, and he agreed to meet the following Wednesday! So that is way awesome. Then later that day we talked to a ton of people at this park that was just filled with people. It was really warm Saturday and Sunday so there were a lot of people everywhere.  We invited a lot of people to church and do our best this week.

Sunday was was Valentine's Day!! It feels weird cause every day feels the same to me now, but we had church and spend most of our time there submitting things and having meetings and having a lesson. And today we went bowling for my birthday. It was pretty fun cause we went as a district again and it was a party. So ya that's basically the exciting stuff for this week.

I ask everyone to try to be more grateful this week cause there are so many things that we don't realize that are a huge blessing. As you try to find the good and be more grateful you will become more happy.  

I did terrible until I got a turkey on the last set.

Sincerely,
Elder Molen

Mt. Fuji in the Distance, Tokorozawa, Japan

February 7, 2016

Week 20

This is our apartment and there's Mount Fuji!

Ya, I'm still immature sometimes even though I'm a missionary, hence this subject line.

So this week.... Was pretty interesting.

Tuesday:  We basically just went out and did [proselytingze] all day long. We didn't have a whole lot of success but we did invite a lot of people to church and stuff so that was good.

Wednesday:  We had the President Whiting conference. President Whiting, the Asia North Area President came and did a tour. It was way awesome to hear some of the stuff he said. He talked a lot about the premortal life and our futures. It really inspired a lot of the missionaries to live up to the standards that were expected before and the ones expected of our future. He talked about having more faith to baptize and things like that.  It was way good. Then we came back and had Ekaiwa which was great because lots of people came and we had some great discussion.

Thursday: We had weekly planning and that was obviously a joy cause who doesn't love that? I don't really remember what happened on Thursday, but we did some dendo after dinner but didn't really find anyone.

Friday:  So today we had district meeting and it was way interesting. Our district is just funny and we all will have a good time together this transfer. After that we had an appointment for our investigator K-- San to come and play some ping pong then have a lesson -- which we did.  The lesson was interesting. He lacks confidence and stuff like that so we are trying to help him have more and trust in God. I think
he will start progressing a lot. Then we had dinner with him and after that he went home. Then we rode our bikes pretty far to a more country side area. And we shared a short message with a member who's mother (she was a grandma) died recently. I think they really appreciated it. Then we rode home.

Saturday:  We had a lot of time to go out and dendo, so we did. We went to a park and talked to people and found a [us] who had met missionaries 40 years earlier, so that was way cool. We talked to a lot of people and it was a good day. In the evening we rode a long way to a member's house and talked to him, and he shared about some of his mission memories and it was really cool to hear.

Sunday:  Gotta love it when you can actually understand what the people in church are saying instead of just being helpless. We basically stayed at the church most of the day building relationships with members and we had another lesson with K--- San. We are hoping he can understand how to pray cause he has struggled with that. Then we had a shokuji at a member's house which was way fun. We just
have a good ole time talking to each other and joking around.

Today: I'm writing this email at Denny's. It's not the same as America.

I love you all. The gospel is true and never forget that you are a child of God.

Tokorozawa, Japan

February 1, 2016
Week 19

So basically all that's happened this week is transfers.

Elder Phillips (my mom, as in my follow-up trainer) and I got split up. But I went through Tokyo and past all the way to a more rural place than Yokohama.

My new companion is Elder Uemura. He is Japanese and super happy and a good worker. We have found 2 new investigators this week and have some potential investigators as well. The ward is nice and I think it is going to be a great time here. We visited a less active who speaks like 5 languages and is really into history. We had an interesting conversation. When he talked to me he said, "Yes, what is it my child?" So, yeah, that's interesting he he. Anyway, yeah that's kinda the update.

Oh yeah! We moved apartments to the sisters apartment and they are moving to a different apartment, because the old apartment is just that, old. And tons of people got sick there and it was pretty nasty. But now we are in a way nice apartment and it's awesome. Well that's it for this week. Love you all and always remember to read the scriptures cause they are great!

Love, Elder Molen. These are some old photos but I didn't send them so here they are. Enjoy!

Transfer from Kohoku to Tokorozawa!

January 24, 2016
Week 18

This is weird that I'm a fourth done already.

Tuesday: So Tuesday I went on splits in Kanagawa with one my of my zone leaders, Elder Nagano. It was a pretty normal day of dendo. We tried to talk to everyone and did a nice kubari, so that was a joy. We met with a recent convert and we taught him more about keeping the Sabbath day holy and it was pretty good. We showed the Bible video of Jesus walking on water and Peter getting out of the boat as well and taught about focusing on the Savior.

Wednesday: We had zone meeting today and talked a lot about being the light that people can look to in order to find the gospel. Well, I don't really know what happened in the day time. At night we had Boy Scout Ekaiwa and they are as happy and crazy as ever. A lot of them are pretty good at English.

Thursday:  Today we had weekly planning. This is our last week of the transfer and it was pretty weird how fast it went. We planned for next week and are waiting to see how transfers go. After that we were supposed to teach kids Ekaiwa but nobody showed up that day so we ended up teaching the sisters (who are both Japanese), a member, and the sister's investigator. So that was pretty funny. Then we had real Ekaiwa and my students told me not to transfer because I guess I am pretty good at English. But ya, I think they will be sad and so will I. I tried to get some of them to come to church since it could be my last week.

Friday:  So today we had district meeting and we talked about the situations of all our investigators.

The District

After district meeting Elder Phillips and I visited a K----- Kyodai who owns the okonomyaki shop and then we visited a less active who wasn't there as usual. After that we came back and had dinner then went over to center. We tried to walk around and find people but there weren't a ton and there wasn't much success but when we were going back to the train station, we ran into a man named K--- San. He listened to some of what we had to say and was way nice. At the end he gave us both little bananas, so that was pretty sick. [sick meaning awesome]

Saturday:  Transfer calls!!! So I am going to transfer and I am going to Tokorozawa! One of the elders from my MTC group, Elder Burnham, is there. There is also a Costco there and a bunch of other fun stuff. So I am way excited!! But it is also pretty far away. I am also pretty sad because I will have to leave all of the awesome members in Kohoku. I will also have to leave all of my Ekaiwa students. But it will be an
interesting change. Elder Phillips is also transferring
which is weird cause we didn't think he would.

Me and Kento

He is going to Machida, so we are being separated, but it was a good run. Then we are at Sizeriya for lunch and it was cool to hear where everyone is going. Then we went to dendo and we talked to one guy and we taught him about the Book of Mormon. He said he would read it but he lives kind of far away, but it was a great contact cause we got his phone number as well. Then we had stake priesthood meeting which was obviously awesome.

Sunday:  So today was pretty sad cause we had to all say goodbye and stuff. We bore our testimonies and talked to all the members. After church Elder Ikeda and

I went on a split to visit the [it's], a couple who was less active but who we helped reactivate through a period of time. They were very grateful and fed us tons, and we
shared about enduring to the end. We came back and I had to say goodbye to an investigator named Kento. I was like the first person to meet him of all the missionaries and we became really good friends. He lives in the Kanagawa area so that's why I haven't been teaching him but we are still way good friends. I told him I would probably end up coming back to the Yokohama area before I go back to America. It was pretty sad but I think we will definitely see each other again. Then elder Phillips and I visited a family and told them that we were
transferring and shared a message. They are way nice and we had a great time.

Today: so we got haircuts and ate shyabu shyabu. Pretty good p-day so far. Tomorrow I have to pack for transfers so that is gonna be interesting. Well everyone I love you all and want you all to know that Jesus is our savior and that through him and focusing on him, we will never fall. Until next week!