Long Time, No Transfer

This week was CRAZY!  We had transfer calls on Saturday and I thought I was going to be transferred so we set up all these "meet Elder Hall for the last time" appointments.  They all went pretty well and we are eating out with some members tonight as well.  Biggest highlight of the week definitely was yesterday when we FINALLY got our Uganadan investigator Baker to come to church.  It was a tight squeeze in the car as we went with a stalwart member to go and pick him up (which took thirty minutes of daily planning late last night to find someone to do it).  We were kept really busy throughout the week starting off on Tuesday with a baptismal interview.  It was the first time I got the opportunity to interview someone who is Japanese because the other time I interviewed someone they were from Italy and I had to use a translator. It took some time up with travel but it was so cool to meet someone who was ready to be baptized and had a strong connection with God.

The news you have all wanted to hear though is that I am being transferred to Yokkaichi.  I will be opening an area with a second set of elders with another old missionary Elder Bunch who will kill me off.  Not exactly what I was expecting and even though I won't be with a young missionary like I really wanted, I am pretty excited to feel what a whitewash is like and just have six weeks to go Y.O.L.O. and work my hardest.  It is really sad to leave Fukutoku where I have been for over a half a year and where I have so many friends.  I have grown so much in my service here amongst investigators and my fellow missionaries and will always treasure my time here and the spiritual growth I have experienced.  It is hard to say goodbye but I guess it is a good warmup for when I have to say goodbye to Japan and my mission as a whole.

As I am transferring away to go and die, I have pondered a lot about my progress and how I was able to learn so much so that I can continue that pattern in my next area.  As I have pondered the subject, two quotes from Elder Owens conference talk stood out to me.  "In God’s eyes, the greatest leaders have always been the greatest followers." and "There will be times when the path ahead seems dark, but keep following the Savior. He knows the way; in fact, He is the way."  The times I have relied on Christ in my life are the times that I have grown the most while when I forget Him and try to rely on my own power, that is when I fail and stumble off the path.  As we follow Christ's example, we will be more converted and become the examples and leaders the Lord intended us to be.  I am sad that I will be leaving so many good mission friends in missionaries, members, and investigators but I am ever grateful for the impact they have had on me and hope that I helped them to the best of my ability. 

 I love you all and pray that we can all follow Christ's example to help our lives and those around you.  Have a great week!

Elder Hall

ホール長老

Ponderize Scripture

"Therefore, hold on thy way...fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."

-D&C 122:9

Monday Flashback

"So it has definitely been cool to see how the area was dead-in-the-water last transfer and just see how all these crazy miracles are happening now.  We are actually meeting new people and Weekly Planning is not just the same every week because we are meeting with more people so all of our investigators needs and concerns change.  Now I just got to work on my teaching!"

- "Super Sunday" 4/20/15  

Taking Baker to church

My desk!!

My bro Ikeda San!

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Love One A-Bro-ther

This week was busy with two companion exchanges.  Funniest thing that happened was we went to go and get dinner at a restaurant at night.  I went into the bathroom, very awkwardly asked a guy how he was doing as he was leaving the bathroom and he turned out to have been fluent in English and sitting at the table next to us!  So we chatted for a little bit and learned he had taught himself English on his own in four years and randomly has a British accent.  He was reading from the Economist which I can't even read!  He said he was indifferent but said that the elders could talk to him anytime.  He was such a bro!  That is definitely one of the best parts about the mission is being able to meet total bros that you can even possibly hang out with after the mission.  I already have a bro date planned in July 2018 New York at GoGo's Curry with a recent convert here.  Also my good primary pianist friend goes to America often so I offered our home to him whenever (is that alright Mom?).

This week was a really good week for finding.  The sisters recently went through their whole phone and found a guy who had meet with the missionaries three years ago.  They handed him over to us because we can teach him easier because we don't always need to have a member to come with us.  His name is Tokuda San and he came to church yesterday as well.  We invited him to baptism and he said he would think about it.  Also we found a kid on the street Monday night that told us straight up that he had a deep interest in God and taught US a lesson.  Haha.  He wants to play basketball as well which is a big plus and a good way to get on the bro list.  We ate at Mister Donuts with another new investigator this week and he is way down for the good word of God.  Finding always gives you the most interesting stories and is the best way to find those eternal bros.

Now I would like to share a side of Dendo not really talked about in my emails.  Our last mission president, President Yamashita, had as our mission motto, We Are One.  Recently as I have pondered obedience and uniting together as a mission to build a culture of righteousness this mission motto has crept back to the forefront of my mind.  I have realized how important it is for us missionaries to have others to lean against in times of hardship.  You just need a righteous bro sometimes.  As a young missionary I fell under the category of struggling elders, looking for how I can be happy in this strange new life as a missionary and confident in my ever lacking Japanese and Dendo skills.  I was blessed to have many good examples in my trainer, follow-up trainer, and many other leaders and older missionaries surrounding me.  I was able to lean on their testimonies and follow the righteous example they set before me.  This has helped me so much on my mission, this culture of being one so that when one of us elders struggles a bit or has a hard day, they can turn to the elders around them for support and can receive the help he needs to continue in the work of the Lord.

The roles reversed on me this past week as I went on an exchange with an elder that needed a little lifting up.  I knew he wasn't all fine and dandy but as we got into the apartment, I put down my backpack and asked what the plan was.  He laid back on his folded up futon apologized for putting this load on me and then expressed simply "I'm not enjoying my mission, I might go home."  I thought he was half joking at first because some of us elders throw that around as a joke quite often but luckily I recognized it was sincere.  I kind of mentally freaked out but decided to go the chill way, be a loving bro, and share my own mission story.  A young missionary scared to do almost anything with Japanese who had really good companions to help him but still didn't enjoy the Dendo life.  It took me having an irresponsible companion to help me see what would happen if I were to give up.  I didn't learn to enjoy my life as a missionary until much later and after a couple mountains to climb.  After we swapped mission stories, it was a good transition into some formal training to help him so we decided to start off with a prayer.  I won rock, paper, scissors so I offered the prayer.  As I prayed, I started to bless that this elder could get through this hard time and began to thank God for all that he has allowed for me to become on my mission.  I don't know why but I started to cry as I had begun to think how much my mission has changed me and how this elder might lose out on it all.  It was kind of embarrassing but after the prayer, I tried to help him realize all that the Lord can do for Him as he serves him as his missionary and set goals to receive that blessing.  \ I think it helped a little bit.  I am so grateful to be serving as a missionary and for the testimony it has given me that I know will bless me for the rest of my life.  Nothing like a mission can change you if you try your best to be obedient and work hard.  I stumble everyday but am grateful for the constant support I get that has kept me growing these 22 months or so.  I love you and hope that you enjoyed General Conference!  I will share my thoughts on it after I see it this next week. 

 Love you all!

Elder Hall

ホール長老

Ponderize Scripture

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

-Philipines 4:13

Monday Flashback

"Even though this week has been so hard, I have come through it with the undeniable truth that Christ lives and loves us each individually.  He died for us but most importantly, some 2000 years ago, he was resurrected and still lives for us.  Whenever we have fallen and wonder if we ever can get back up, whenever we are hopeless and doubtful, there is always a hand stretched out for us to grab, a hand with the imprints of nails.  I bear my testimony that Christ today lives and that like those apostles after his death, we will one day see Him for ourselves and that we can feel his saving influence in our lives as we turn to him for strength and the enabling power of his perfect and infinite Atonement daily."

- "The Daily Gripe" 4/6/15

 Did someone say, Sakura? *cherry blossom*

Viewing the Sakura with the Satos