Transfer to new area

Hello everyone!

So my new area is fantastic! We have a few bases in the area, so I have this nice mix of working with Americans and Japanese. The ride there was a bit of a journey. I was carrying a gym bag a suitcase there. On the way to the station another elder had my suitcase. Well I find my train and notice it's going to leave soon. Like really soon. So I take my gym bag and throw it on the train, and while I'm quickly turning to grab my suitcase and put it on....the doors close. But fortunately my bag got off a couple of stops later and I was able to pick it up. It was pretty funny. We were all freaking out because we thought the Japanese people on the train might be a little worried that some foreigner threw a black back on a train just as the doors were closing. Not the best image. One thing that's great about having a military branch in the area is that we get a lot of meal appointments here. We helped one family buffer their floors and after got to go to Taco Bell. Tell you what, probably the best Taco Bell have ever had.  A really nice family also had us over for Mother's Day dinner. It was really kind of them not only because they fed four missionaries, but they also let an investigator come.

Anyway I'm running low on time.

Love you all,

Elder Davies

Getting transferred!

Hey everybody! So this was the last week of the transfer. Unfortunately I got everybody else sick so we still had some inside days. But we were able to get a few dinner appointments because people are afraid that one of us is getting transferred. And as it so happens I'm getting transferred! I'm leaving lovely Kohoku to go to Yamato. In Yamato I'll have the pleasure of serving the Zama Military Ward. It's exciting to be able to work with some military members but I'm really nervous that I'll loose all the Japanese that I've picked up since being here. My new companion is named Elder Gammon, he will be transfer 2 so I'll be finishing up the last half of his training. I'm pretty excited to go and work in a new area, but I will really miss Kohoku. The ward members here have been really nice and it will be sad not to work with them anymore.

So I'm really excited for today. We have a lunch appointment with a college student that we met a few days ago. And besides the fact we are going to the best tsukemen place ever (like ramen but broth and noodles are separate and you dunk the noodles) he's a classmate with the stake president’s son. I think we're gonna have a really good time and maybe even do a church tour after.

Well I wish all the mothers out there a happy Mother's Day!

Love,

Elder Davies

Not a good week….

29 April 2014

So this week was a bit of a sick week. My companion and I didn't get much done. Hopefully we get better. The thing that's hard is it's just different sickness after sickness. And it goes back and forth between Elder Huntsman and I. But we still did a couple of things this week.

On Thursday we did a small service project. Somebody was moving from here to Nagoya, so we packed and carried boxes. It was really fun. It was for a less active and a guy who would be just flying out to the MTC to start his mission.

We also had training this week for an upcoming open house in Yamate. Yamate was the first place the church got established when it came to Japan, so there is a lot of historical influence.

I feel bad that there's not much to write this week. Hopefully when we recover I'll have some miracle stories for you.

Love,

Elder Davies

My Testimony of Jesus

Happy Easter everyone. Easter in Japan isn't really that big yet, but we did a couple of things. The church had a sunrise service, it was really good. It was just a lot of people's testimony of Christ. Also my companion and I made Easter eggs...we used markers to color eggs. I'll send the picture we took. If you’re wondering, I drew the bunny :D Also we watched the new video called "Because of Him." It's only a couple of minutes long but it's fantastic. If you haven't seen it yet I recommend that you take a look. 

http://easter.mormon.org

Also last week we went to a concert. One of our English students performs in a choir and got us free tickets to his concert that they only do every 3 years. It was a fantastic concert…all about flowers blooming. Our student was super excited to see us after, it was nice to be able to support him. Other than that not much has happened this week. We've been spending most of our days trying to find people. We don't really have any investigators right now, so we’re just talking to a lot of people on the street.

So instead of 5 questions, because it's Easter my Dad has asked for me to share my testimony of Christ.

My testimony of Christ is simple. I may have never seen Christ. And I may never see Him while in this earthly body, but I know He lives. I know He lives because I have felt His love. And because I have felt His love, I know that He wasn't just a man that said some nice things two thousand years ago. But He was the Son of God, and He left us the perfect example to follow. As a child, He learned from His parents, He increased in knowledge precept by precept, He was baptized by a man holding God’s authority, He went and traveled to preach the word of our Father, He atoned for the sins of the world, and for speaking the truth, He was crucified. However, death was not His end. On the third day He rose from the dead. Christ conquered death, so we would be able to follow His example and live again. I testify that Jesus is the Christ. That He lives in a resurrected body of flesh and blood. That He is a God of the living, not the dead. That we will live again with our loved ones. And while we live now, He is anxiously engaged in our lives. That He has not abandoned us on this earth, but continues to talk to us not only through the Holy Ghost to our hearts but also through the Prophets that He has given us to guide us. Last of all I testify that He loves every single one of us. And that every single one of us can feel His love, no matter the circumstances. 

I testify of these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ,

Amen.

We gave up chocolate and Mormons don't even observe Lent!

So right now chocolate is the worst thing in the world. The sister missionaries here have an investigator who is having problems with the word of wisdom. She apparently smokes a pack a day, drinks 8 beers, and drinks a ton of coffee everyday. And to break addictions is really hard, especially when it's part of your daily routine. To help support her, the sisters have gone on a chocolate fast. They aren't eating chocolate to help support giving up all tobacco and stuff. Elder Huntsman and I were asked to join the fast. I felt kind of bad at first because we don't really eat that much chocolate, and we didn't feel like we were giving up much. I don't know why, but ever since we started this fast we have been receiving so much free chocolate and things with chocolate in it. Kinda bites but it's ok. The sisters’ investigator is really progressing. She is down to two cigarettes and a cup of coffee a day. I think she might be getting baptized soon.

Also this week we had general conference. It was fantastic. I was luckily able to watch it in English. We had a small room upstairs in the church were it was being played. The room was packed full of missionaries. We invited a lot of our friends to come show up, but only one came. Unfortunately, he didn't enjoy it that much. But he did think the conference center was a nice building. A little bummed that all he got from it is that our church has a nice building in Utah.

Anyway these weeks questions:

1. You said your companion is from Utah, which town?

    He's from Alpine. I think it's close to Provo.

2. What is Elder Huntsman like?

    Really funny. He's a bit of a music nerd. Likes music and video games. And likes playing video game music. He's really good at peeling onions. One might call him the best.

3. Did Elder Huntsman go to college before his mission? If so, where?

    UVU. I think that's Utah Valley University.

4. What are some things he likes to do?

    He loves to play trumpet. Though he says he really wants to learn French horn.

5. What is something funny about Elder Huntsman?

    He is really good at flailing his arms. In fact all of his companions have picked up his flaily arms. Including me.