Week #11

no worries about the money II've got my bike and an electric dictionary whatever left will do me well enough if i ever get any souvenirs, thanks so much.

 

k ill just start by saying that, the lord hand is in nago so strongly, we have seen so many miracles lately we have a baptismal date with one investigator and and one who we only met two days ago but wants repentance and baptism. and others that are progressing so well. and thats just our companionship the other comp. has great things too. the ward is being strengthened there is a new bishop and the members are being strengthened.

 

for me the language is progressing slowly but surely, i have seen a few thing progressing, even though i don't have much chances to think about it.

my dorio has taken up the responsibility of trying to make me do all the contacting, which is good and i know its one of the best ways for me to get better but ahhh its hard at first. but i know that if i do my best and stay obedient the lord will fill my bind with the words to say and i have seen it happen.

 

it feels so much like home already, i'm stuck right now in that time limbo were it feels like every thing  goes by slowly and quickly at the same time. but i do feel like its crazy that my first transfers almost half over ,SOOO weird. the missionaries here are great, there such good elders and teachers to me. the members are cool too there are like 6 who went to BYU so there like fluent in ego.there all really nice and the little kids think I'm a jungle gym.

 

we do definitely bike allot since most of our time is spent tracting, but an upside to that is that its a good workout I'm down to around 290 so thats good. also i have had a few chances too draw , its all related to the work like i drew a picture of the plan of salvation. and was doing some flier ideas for some ward activities we might plan.

 

i just want you all to know that i love it out here i love there people and i understand the importance of this work, one thing i would like to challenge you all to do is read the book "the power of an every day missionary" its about member missionary work, and just remember this isn't just work for a missionary its the most important work we can do missionary or member. this doesn't mean you need to go tracting or anything just be as active as you can to help the missionaries in the areas and make the gospel, church callings and everything part of everything you do thinking back to what the home ward is like its crazy how big it is we have like around 15 active members and like 50 in-actives but every little things the members do to help is amazing to have. i know this church is true, i know of the importance of every member you all have a part to play, even if it doesn't seem it at times, don't loose sight of the important things and remember were it all comes from. our father in heaven blesses us more than we can comprehend. when you actively search for them and try to see you will, i know it.

i love you all and pray for you

your son and friend

elder connor kemp

Week #10-- New Area!

Side note from Samantha-- this letter made me cry because I am so proud of my little baby brother who's not such a little baby anymore...

THATS AUSOME!!!!

those are the coolest insults are the best ive ever hered, thank you so much for that.

okokok, ill get down to the important stuff,

my first area is nago okinawa its a pritty little area kind of rural and really humid,okinawas one of the hottest and most humid islands,but im getting used to it. cant whait for the time when the tan comes that everyone aparently gets.

my companion is elder Aai he is japanese but he' fluent in both languages so thats nice, he's tiny,he is 5'4" and only a 100 pounds,i sent a picture so you will see. but he's great

the sinior couple taking care of us and a few other arias, are great, there the nicest people, there allready doing everything they can to help me like getting my a thiker pad no matter how much i say they dont need to worry,a bigger desk chair which i kind of do need and doing every thing they can to get me my bike, thankfully there is a bunch of american bases on okinawa so we my be able to get one that fits me. the food is tasty and im going to a ramen shop after this wich is ausome, first time for athentic ramen, but dont worry we dont eat out much.

speeping on the ground isnt bad the pads are prity soft so im comfotable.

the mosquitose are bad enough for me to already have like 12 bites even though i have only seen one, i dont get it.

the apartment is pretty nice and we stay with another companionship there we are the only ones there a two hour bus ride from the next missionaries, the ward here is tiny like 6 people but the there are a bunch of inactives so we will do our best to fix that. we are not alloud to streat contact women but we can at houses wich is kind of funny. havent had the chance to do a real lesson yet because it was canceled but i will soon most all the area hase been tracted but we will keep over laping it i guess. i whent on splits with the zone leades for tracting on saterday night in okinawa that was fun and we found a posible investigator for the missionary's there so that was really cool the little old bike they had extra for me to use while i was waiting for min broke the second time i tride to ride it, thats prity much all for now but ill leave you with a messege.

despite things around you that scaire you, for me the lenguage, allways push through and do as much as you can you are never asked you do some thing you cannot do that is that is the reason my favorite scripture is 1st nephi 3:7 the lord dosnt give commandments that you cannot compliet he will provid a way for me its both the companion of the holy ghost and a fluent copanion. not to mention you never really know what you capable of untill you try. so push aside fear push aside other concerns the fist priority is the lords work, that is true for me and for you. nevere forget you are not allone.

i love you all and thank you all

matane!

elder connor james kemp

Week #9- MISSION FIELD!!!!

hi this letter may be a little short cuz i don't have much time but ill start off by saying ahh this keyboard is weird naze! 

so ya im in nehon (in caps) its supa humid here in fukuoka. the flights were slow and boring so don't even ask but they were totally worth the wait cuz guess what, im in nihon sorry i had to say it again.so since ive been here ive met the mission prez and his wife and sleaped in the miss home, got so much sleep also went through an orientation and right after, went out to the streets for an hour to proselyte or dendo. it was kind of scary but fun and i found out we could only speak to men which is funny.

demo but anyway every thing is small ahhh(also in caps) my head nearly hits the door way at the church and every one says the other houses are worse, but i shall press on.

i just got out of an interview with Gustafson kaisho and he said to tell you that he sincerely appreciates all you have done to prepared me for this and i would also like to thank you for being such an un repayable blessing to me thank you for being such wonderful parents and for every one who is not one of my parents thank you for being such wonderful siblings or friends. 

here is a little story from the airport in portland 

so we spoke to a lady who we found　out was lds and had a niece on a mission but if it were not for my doryo stoping to speak to her we would not have talked to a man who saw us and gave us a back pack of an elder who lost it which had all his stuff passport and all then after that some one asked why we were called elders and we explained then gave him an momon.org card. but any way from that my message today is don't be afraid to open your mouth you never know what the lord has for you to do. listen tot he spirit and push aside fear. i will try to do the same.　i love you and miss you i am safe and and in hihon(in caps) 

ケンプ長老

Week #8--MTC

thank you for that experience you shared it helps more than you know .

im so sorry that you had to go through that i remember when i got one of my baby teeth pulled and thought that if i could feel this it would hurt so bad ahhh!! im so sorry. im also so happy for you that you had a good golf game and im sad i couldn't be there to eat sushi with you but when you come to pick me up in nihon ill take you to the best sushi and ramen and other food places so be ready for that.

so this week being my last is really good scary and exciting all at the same time i want to get there so bad but i also feel like if i go now, no will understand me and i wont be able to teach at all but i also know that as long as i try my best the lord will make up the rest. but its still scary.

so i will be here for general conference which is really cool, its so weird iv never been so exited for general conference exeped for getting to where PJ's all day but ive herd so many talks that are so good that the thought of getting so many more is so exiting, its sad the thought of leaving half of my district in tokyo, demo , i also think that i would much rather go out and do this work that fulfill my own desires. 

we as daisenpai sing a song in sacrament we sang "god be with you till we meet again". that song is always so sad.

iv got my travel plans and yaaa i get tio wake up at 3 am so that will be loads of fun. ill send an email with my call time later.

i had a cool experience with our lesson yesterday we have been told that the best lessons much of the time are when the investigator speaks more than us. and that was exactly what happen the spirit was so strong but it also wouldn't let me talk which i didn't realize till after. i was so confused during feeling like "i feel the spirit so strong but i cant remember how to speak nihongo what the heck" any way after the lesson our sensei told me that sometimes the spirit only wants us to watch so that he can teach, and that made me feel better. anyway even though we didn't go over much other than clearing up a single point it felt like one of the best lessons ever.

so as always ill leave you with a message of sorts

we gave the lesson on sunday to our district, on faith

the opposite of faith is fear, much of the time we are afraid to do the things the spirit prompts us to do because we are af of how we will feel what others will think of us or the other things it will take us from. 

do you notice the pattern with all of those. me me me when we decide we don't matter and turn outwards we begin to have true faith. we will never receive a prompting that will hurt us if we fallow it at least not spiritually, we are blessed when we fallow promptings always, don't be concerned about about what others think the only ones who will think badly of you are the ones who's opinions matter the least the only thing that really matters is if we are good in our father in heavens eyes, and there is no thing more important at those moments that those promptings never let fear stop you from fallowing promptings i have before and it never does you good. there is no greater guide than the spirit he knows so much more about a situation than we ever will,l listen to him.if you do this i know you will not be lead astray. iesu kirisut no mina ni yote o akashi simasu, amen.

i love you all so much 

i miss you and am praying for you

till next time, matane

kemp choro