April 10, 2016

Hello everyone!!! 

Sorry this week is going to be kinda short. We have a district activity today so we don't have a lot of time to email. We are going to go see a castle so next week expect pictures of that! 

So on Tuesday me and elder Baldwin decided to do something we had never done before...proselyte at the big Nagano station. There are so many people there it's crazy! I have never been to a place with so many people, it was interesting. However we had a really good time and had some really interesting talks and got rejected really hard some other times. It was a good new way to do some proselyting and we will for sure do it again sometime soon. 

Wednesday we had an apartment check...we passed with like 110%! The senior missionaries walked in and the elder just looked at the sister and was like " do we even need to check this?" It was super funny! So yeah we are known for our clean apartment. 

Friday we had district meeting which was really good and then we went out as a district and got shabu shabu. So shabu shabu is a type of restaurant where it's all you can eat meat. The meat comes in really thin strips and you have a bowl of super hot boiling water in front of you and you throw the meat in there and it cooks in like 2 minutes then you dip it in some sauce and enjoy. It way good and when missionaries go we go hard, especially cause it's all you can eat. So that was fun. 

Friday we also met with one of our investigators. He just got back from a trip to Utah and we ended up talking about temples because he went and saw the salt lake temple while he was in Utah. It went really well and he really enjoyed the concept of eternal families and what we do in the temple. 

Saturday and Sunday was conference!!! Yay!! So turns out our branch didn't get the English version this time so we just ended up watching it in Japanese. It was way fun and also a way cool experience. I understood about 60% of it so that was good. I still got a lot out of it but will for sure be watching it again in English so that I can get the fullness out of it. Also a lot of the talks get a little different of a meaning when they are translated into Japanese. It was all in all a great conference and I really enjoyed it. I felt so blessed the whole time to be able to have the opportunity to hear from our prophet and other leaders. 

Also yesterday we were able to take some pictures of the sakura trees. They are really pretty right now so it was perfect. We also went to Zenkoji temple this week which was way awesome. It's like the third most popular temple in Japan or something I think. It's way cool and also pretty close. 

This Saturday is transfer calls!!!! Ahh!!! This transfer went by way fast it unbelievable. Well Saturday I'll find out where and with who the next 6 weeks of my life will be spent. 

So that's it for the week! I hope everyone is doing well! Love and miss you all! 

Elder Myers

Zenkoji Temple

Zenkoji Temple

Zenkoji Temple

Beautiful Country

what a scene.....

Cherry Blossoms....wow

more blossoms

non-stop blossoms....awesome

April 3, 2016

Hello 皆!

Hope everyone enjoyed conference this weekend! I heard it was awesome, but isn't it always! Haha! I get to watch it this coming weekend, Yes Japan is a week late! However I'm so excited! It's such a privilege we have to hear from a living prophet and apostles. I know they are directed by the spirit cause they always seem to say exactly what I need to hear every conference. I truly treasure general conference and hearing from the chosen servants of the Lord. 

Well we had a great week here and we were nice and busy so that always makes for a good week.

Tuesday we met with our 23 year old investigator, Miyashita, and had a good time together. We played ping pong and I went undefeated! Haha! We hung out with him for a while and then we had a good lesson. We shared with him the Easter video and he really liked it. He loves Jesus! Sadly he is starting his new job and he will be traveling around so we won't be able to really visit with him from now on. We are going to try and do Skype lessons or something with him. He is awesome and wants to keep investigating! 

On Wednesday we went out with a member and the senior missionaries and drove around and met a ton of less actives. It was way fun! We ended up getting lunch at this really expensive Sushi place which was great. It's always good to go out and do work with members. Always makes for a good time. 

Thursday we went and helped a recently returned missionary, who is going to go to college here, move into his apartment. It was fun but I felt bad for the guy cause we could tell he didn't want to be home. However after that we were heading to a lesson with an investigator and we were riding there with a member and we were stopping people on the street. It was way cool to do some street contacts with a member. We actually ended up getting a new investigator out of it so that was awesome. 

We had an exchange on Friday so that's always fun. I went to Ueda which is my district leaders area. However I was there with the district leaders companion, elder whited. He was actually In the mtc the same time as me so we are the same transfer. We had a good time and did some good work together. Then we swung by the Brazilian store there and I went crazy! In Nagano we don't have one so whenever I go to Ueda I always go to the Brazil store and go crazy. So yeah I ate some really good Brazilian food that day. We also went by the castle in Ueda and got a pic with some cool samurai that were there. Ueda is famous for its samurai. It was all in all a fun exchange. 

On a not so happy note, a recent convert here, Okada, is really really sick and has been in and out of the hospital recently. We had the opportunity on Sunday to go take him the sacrament and to give him a blessing. He is one awesome guy! We love him to death! He has so much faith and is just such a special soul. We are really hoping he gets better! 

Well I am doing great out here and it's finally starting to warm up which makes me super happy! Also this week the cherry blossoms should be in full bloom so expect some cool pics next week. Love you all! 

Elder Myers

a Japanese house, made of sticks and mud

eating some sushi.....so good

Sakura flowers

The Last Samurai

March 27, 2016

Elder Baldwin and I had a fun week this week. Not a TON happened but we still really enjoyed it. This is kinda how it went...

On Tuesday we went out with the kamio couple (senior missionaries) and we tried to visit some less actives. It was really fun to work with them and watch them do their thing. We all four had a good time working together. 

On Wednesday I gave Elder Baldwin and myself hair cuts. It ended up pretty good. I didn't destroy either of our hairs so I think we are good. Then in the evening we visited with a recent convert and boy is she awesome. She has some of the strongest faith I've ever seen. It's amazing! We love visiting with her! 

On Friday we decided to go visit a member who lives on the top of a mountain ( like no joke). We went hard core and rode all the way up the mountain. We had to stop so many times because we thought our legs were going to fall off. Then coming down we were just zooming about 35 mph down the mountain. It was crazy! So yeah our legs are still recovering from the experience. 

On Saturday we went to visit the Dias family and when we got there they weren't home and so we gave them a nice ring on the phone. Well after talking to them for a couple minutes they tell me that they are moving back to Komatsu! I was so shocked!! They ended up getting their old job back and are moving back to Komatsu this week to start working there again. Kinda sad that they are leaving Nagano but it's okay. That was a big shocker this week and we are trying to work everything out so that they can make a good transition back to Komatsu. 

Lastly, everyone in Nagano forgot it was Easter this Sunday!!!! It was crazy!!! Not a single talk was given about Easter or anything. Elder Baldwin and I didn't even realize it was Easter till late Sunday night. It just felt like a regular Sunday, it was interesting. However although I didn't really celebrate eater this year I do KNOW that my savior lives. I KNOW that he suffered and died for me. I KNOW that on the third day he lived again and because he lives we can all live again. I KNOW because he lives we can all find joy in the knowledge that we can be with our families forever. I KNOW that because of the Savior I am never alone. I KNOW that my Savior loves me! 

I hope you all have a great week and may the Lord bless you all! 

Elder Myers

Elder Baldwin didn't know what to do with his hands

The Nagano Zone