Week #30

konnichiwa minasan

I feels like forever since last p-day, things where a bit hectic with transfers, i nearly mess-up with a train transfer and i lost my ticket in the process, thankfully i met other missionaries there and the guy who we spoke to was very nice and, thanks to all the evidence from the other missionaries he let me through without having to buy another which is really good cuz the Train ticket was like 60 bucks. after that i had other senkyoshi with me so it when smoothly, and we got to the plain just fine, i got to see a bunch of people again in Okinawa and some one from my mtc district, oh yeah  and my trainer area chourou is now a zone leader in Fukuoka so i got to see him again, that was cool.

And now i'm on to transfer 5 here in my new aria of shuri in naha Okinawa, its the only landlocked area in Okinawa and also the smallest, but its a ton houses and danchi(apartment building) more or less the residential area, but its great I'm loving it so far and the weathers actually been very nice, I'm just dreading when the summer heat decides to roll around,but, before that its getting in to rainy season here and its going to start coming down like crazy,

My new comp. is elder Zimmerman, he's great, super nice and I'm exited to really get to work with him, I'm in a four man again the other elders are inagaki and Richards chourou there also great and the last couple of days have been really good. the ward here is super cool we have a return mission president and a bunch of return missionaries, every one is super nice.

Now its p-day and I'm ready to get the work started with some knowledge about this area, and really get out there and serve these people, i love being back down here in Okinawa, the people are a bit more laid back and open to talking which is really nice.

Oh yeah we actually have a sort of oven now so i can make things like that if you send some recipes please.

Any way about out of time now, so ill leave you with with my usual susume

i love you all,i really don't know where id be without you, definitely not out here in this wonderful work that's for sure but really you have all been a light in my life that i could learn from feel love and warmth from and always receive help from. always strive to be that kind of person for everyone you meet. keep up the hard work and pray and seek always to do more

stay strong stay faithful stay diligent, just keep swimming

minasan wa otskaresama desu yo

aishitemasu yo!

Connor

Week #29

konnochiwa minasan.

I’m transferring, after 3 great transfers here in ouyam I'm headed on back down to Okinawa I'll tell you the specifics when I know. Unfortunately as we are moving into spring here in yamaguchi the sakura trees are about to bloom, and I'm leaving Honshu and heading to Okinawa which doesn't have sakura trees, right before they really bloom, zannen (unfortunate), but I'm exited to head back to Okinawa, it's gonna be a hot one summer in Okinawa is infamous for heat and humidity especially in the summer, I only hit the tail end of that when I was in Okinawa and some days were still pretty ridiculous. But, shikatta ga nai(nothing can be done).

On the bright side as far as the sakura trees go heavenly father knew how much I wanted to see them and provided a blooming tree, it was totally out of the way and unexpected but I got some pictures, its only in like fourth of the full bloom or even that but its something.

I just found out the name of my area is called shuri, so ya

This week has been really good we had a lot of chances to get out and dendo, which really raises the spirits high, I've been physically tired every night but happy every day, not kanke(relationship) issues really at all and I'm exited to continue in a new place.

We found a new investigator named Ono san he's 18 (just like me!) and going to the daigaku(college) for kiyudo (a Japanese archery sport) unfortunately when we came for the following app. he wasn’t home, zannen desu ne. But I hope they will be able to come in contact with him again,

   

The same day we contacted him was a big finding day, the most contacts and totsuzens (short lessons) I've ever done in one go, it was like 72 contacted people 11 short lessons 3 Books of Mormon and 2 baptismal invitations, it was like half of our weekly total in a day, the most important part however wasn't how many contacted, its really in those found it really helps to keep the spirits high when we keep our eye single to the work, focusing on finding those heavenly father has prepared. And we've definitely found some

Always remember your all as much of missionaries as i am the only difference is that i have the privilege to have this as my only responsibility, always remember that the best missionary work happens through members of the church, not through knocking on doors, the full time missionaries are just individuals who help the wards do missionary work, we're able to focus on those being taught rather than our job or our families but we also can't make the same connections with people as you can at work and through other things because we don't have the sufficient time, we however will happily accept anyone the members have invited. the missionaries are a tool for the Lords work and to the ward, the ward isn't a tool of the missionaries, work hard and keep your eye single to the work and you will see as many and more miracles than we do,

You are all missionaries even if you don't have a name tag, gambate kudasai and never forget, I love you all family friends and all, you're the best, stay strong stay faithful stay diligent just keep swimming.

-Connor

Week #28

i wish i could send you more pictures but my comp has told me to stop except on p-day and we are always packed on p-day i don't think we've been able to go on a zone p-day ever. but it's fine I'll try really hard to get some pics today and get them to you next week.

 so as for my comp. its mostly personal stuff i don't know it all my self suffice to say its stress stuff but we're doing good right now, and i understand how to help him, correction is hard but when its necessary i can still help,

   no worries, i have no intention to give up language study i still study every day, it just hasn't felt as effective as it used to, so I'm looking for other ways to study.

That's really cool that the party went well, i wish i could have been there for it. it must have been fun lifting the pig, i remember.  seems like the party is becoming more and more ya know big it's like we have more to it each time now, ill be exited to participate when i come back,

that's unfortunate that you have to live in Idaho weather right now, the last couple of days here have been beautiful, no wind about high 50s not a cloud in the sky, its great but I'm not going to like it for long once the heat and humidity spike in the summer its going to be reeeealy fun.

   nothing super interesting here aside from the progression of the kingdom but, ya know that's everyday stuff out here, Jordan. things are good here but lately there a little slow with a lot of inside work I'm eager to get back out and house, i never thought I'd say that.

 oh yeah, i meant to remind you, when i come back I'm not going to speak English until my welcome home talk. maybe it's a little mean but it will be fun i know it.

so, i gave a talk on Sunday, the first one since my farewell talk, and i at least was able to say all that i wanted to, but man Japanese is hard sometimes, but I'm starting to be able to say the same idea in an easier to say way so that i don't get held up for too long. every one said it was good but everyone also says my nihongo is good, so its hard to know when they really are just saying it.　anyway my talk was on the joy of missionary work and how by applying steps that missionaries follow to do it the Lords opportunity experiences way members can have the same joy and experiences.

the main points were, first we must make a commitment personally and to heavenly father that his work will come first and where ever you are you will strive to fallow his will and focus on that work.

the second was, praying for opportunities i never did this before my mission because i was afraid he opportunity would actually come and I'd be at a loss for words or just wouldn't know how to act, but really its nothing like pulling a Samuel the Lamenite, in most cases, with you friends just extending the invitation to talk about it is enough, its not something we should ever force on to a friend or any one, but make it an obvious part of your life and don't hide your feelings about it,

third is acting in those opportunities, like if your having lunch with your friend bob, you can say something like ( hay bob i want to share something with you that's important to me, but if your not interested in it after we talk please don't accept. ) this is important because we must recognize that they will learn when there ready to learn not when we are ready to teach them.

the forth more or less is about the above par about not hiding it, make church and work life one in the same talk about things you did at church or experiences from activities with your not yet member friends this gives them an opening to ask questions, along with that, don't flood people with doctrinal things that you like about the gospel. find out the interest why they have that interest and try to teach simply to the apparent needs. for example if they ask a question, a simple response o find out more is why do you ask,

  if we try these things in our lives every day taking every opportunity we will see success and we will really feel joy beyond that of what we expected .

    lastly, making goals and deadlines, like i will find someone who will accept missionary lessons by may 30th, then do all you can to meet that goal, and share the goal with heavenly father, he will help.

i encourage all who read this to try and fallow some of these principles, i know that is you do you will find so much joy and you will help many of Gods children to come unto Christ.i testify of that.

i love you and miss  you but not to much

stay strong stay faithful stay diligent, just keep swimming on through it all

Connor

Week #27

Konnichwa! Genkidesu ka?

Thanks for the encouragement there, thankfully we don't get doors slammed in our faces here everyone is super polite the worst we get is when people say "kekko desu." Things here are going well, and our investigators are doing well, we reactivated a dropped investigator and are working hard with him we have a few exiting things we intend to try to help all of them right now. The language is going well although I've fallen back into a study slump I'm bored of the study method so its not very effective any more, if you have any ideas i'll try them. On the bright side I did learn a lot while it lasted and I feel like understanding is becoming easier, its harder to translate now than it is to just accept things in Japanese, I look forward to more progress.

So as a health up date I started my mission an uncomfortable 310 lbs I currently weigh 270 and it continues to go down each week. I feel a lot more energy and we run a mile every Wednesday and Saturday and I can do the whole thing finally. Pushups are easier too!

Things really are great out here I'm loving and learning more each day and am so grateful for this opportunity to serve Heavenly Father. If you can find a book at Deseret Book called the "Power Of An Everyday Missionary", it's fantastic and it will help with all aspects of member missionary work, it doesn't seem intimidating at all now, READ IT!

That's all I've got time for now sorry. Thanks for all that you guys do have done and are, I love you all so much!

Stay strong stay faithful stay diligent, just keep on a swimming.

Love, your son, brother and friend

Connor

Week #26

konnichwa,

 

Happy to receive the recipes though seeing the ingredients now for the spare ribs I've been doing more or less just that but without the marinating iv been finding a few good ways to cook here and there and its been going well, another thing to add to the list of cook-able's is fish, unfortunately for most of the things made using canned products, we don't see much of them here unfortunately but it kind of forces me to cook with fresh veggies any way so its all good.

 

To answer your question about the letter from kaicho, we became co senior this transfer, didn't really change much since webber choro has been out twice as long as me, but they send the letter any way.

 

So we had zone taikai (conference) this week, yesterday actually, kaicho and the APs trained us about planning and teaching and related subjects, it was really good and its made me think a lot, I really hope to improve from it and will strive to every day I've got.

 

Here's a question for ya pops, how did you make proselytizing activities fun? Cuz any one who does any housing or streeting more or less receives the countless way of saying "NO" quite a few times so how do you keep things fun?

 

I'll keep gambaruing every day, but I expect the same from you all, to explain I will go through my end statements which I always send, stay stong- satan's got an army on his side to work against you every day and is a master at what he does but no skill can stand up to the power we can receive from heavenly father, when you stand firm and have the foundation of faith that he builds us on nothing in this world can break your spirit, 

stay faithful- we live in a world where the things around us change all the time, values are lessening and morals dwindling we however know the one who never changes (I am the same yesterday today and forever), we can always hold on to the lord teaches us because it never changes i may become more specific more understood but it doesn't change and if we have the faith to hold on especiallyto it especially when there seems talwayso be a batter way or no end, the blessings will be opened to us, we will see and understand what heavenly father wants for us.

stay diligent- always work forward  you cant ever let yourself say your done enough keep learning keep praying keep repenting keep serving others enduring to the end doesn't mean sitting it out it means doing the work through it, if we aren't moving forward we're moving backward.

 

I love you all so much, your the best family and friends an 18 year old kid serving his Lord in a strange country could ask for.

Stay strong, stay faithful, stay diligent, and just keep swimming; through it all.

Your son, freind, brother,

Elder Connor Kemp