Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Sorry that I'm emailing a day late this week. We had temple p-day this week, which means we didn't have p-day until today. But, as always, it was great to go to the temple. 

So this last week has been pretty interesting. A couple of surprises along the way. Things have really been picking up in Fuchu lately, which makes me really happy. We've been blessed to find several new people to work with, and some of them have quite a bit of promise too.

So this week we had a lesson with the Yamada couple. They're the older couple we've been trying to work with whose daughter is married to an american, lives in America, and was baptizes several years ago. We were able to have a couple from the ward come with us, and we all ate lunch together at the church, then did a church tour with them to help explain what it is we do on Sundays and why it's significant. Mr Yamada didn't seem too terribly thrilled, but he listened respectfully. Mrs Yamada was much more interested, and you could tell that she was really feeling something. It was really exciting. 

So, the biggest surprise of the week was when I was on companion exchanges with the Elders in Fussa. We got a phone call from the AP's, and they wanted to talk with Elder Thurman (a new missionary who's still only on transfer 2). Then they wanted to talk with me. They told me that I was transferring to Kichijoji in that Thursday, and Elder Thurman would be my replacement in Fuchu. Well that came as a surprise to me. I mean, transfers aren't for another week. So, I was transferred early, and now I'm in Kichijoji, and Elder Thurman and Elder Otsuka (who are both only transfer 2) are alone in Fuchu. I hope they have fun together. haha!

Coming to Kichijoji has been fun. I'm in the same area as Elder Fernelius now, so we see alot of each other again. That's way exciting. So I have a funny story from the other day. I'm out streeting with Elder Nagaoka and Elder Fukuchi (my new companions... at least until the regular transfer in a week. Then it will be just me and Elder Fukuchi). We walk by this random small field in the middle of the city with this old man cutting down a persimmon tree all by himself. Like, this guy is old. He's 86. He can hardly stand up straight. So, the tree is already felled, and he's working on cutting it all up into small pieces with a chain saw. But, his chainsaw is so dull that it's literally burning the wood. He was sitting there for at least 5 minutes working on a section maybe 8 inches thick and only made about 2 inches of progress. We talked with him, and found out he was cutting the tree down because it wasn't producing good fruit anymore, all the fruit was bitter. Then, because of the way the tree was laying, the weight of the tree caused his chainsaw to get pinched in the cut he was making and he couldn't get it out. We tried to help, but we couldn't get it out either. He hobbles on off to his house just down the road and comes back with a hand saw. He starts going at it with this handsaw, and he's cutting faster with the hand saw than he was with the chainsaw! Talk about a really dull chain saw. Anyways, we helped him out a bit, and eventually we got his chainsaw free. He opened up a bit then, and we were able to talk with him for a bit. He's a really nice old man, but he's not super interested right now. We're going to keep trying to work with him though. 

The only other exciting news that come to mind right now is that this morning at the temple I ran into a member from the Ushiku Ward. Do you remember the Comba family I taught in Ushiku? Turns out that Sheila, the mom, was baptized last month! I was so excited to hear that! Jose still isn't baptized yet, but I know he will be one of these days. 

That's about it for now. Take care everyone!

Elder Blake

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