This week we started off by taking a trip up what among the missionaries in the zone is infamously called Mt. Fuji. It`s not worth biking up. Many of the members live up there and it`s a nice place (by the way it`s really called dojo ikuno but that`s lame) but people who have interest here, probably like most everywhere else, are few and far between. Our area boundaries are the Kitarokko Ward boundaries and they extend for about 2+ hours away by bike and so we can`t even go to most of our area. It is also hard because many people in Japan don`t own cars, but then on sunday they don`t want to take trains or the bus to get to church and so travel is hard. We currently have an investigator who was a referral from the Kobe Elders, he couldn`t afford to go to the Kobe ward anymore and since he lives in our ward boundaries technically he should come to our ward but can`t because our ward building is too far away from him as well! We`re working with the members on that one.

 

E.J. is doing well, we just hope he doesn`t have any issues with the commandments and he still needs to come to church twice before he can get baptized. We met with the Sakamoto Family again and they must really like us because they offered to take us and spend the day in Osaka sometime (which I really hope we get to!!) and they asked if after we return if their daughter could do a homestay in america for a short while.... She`s 12 William.... hahaha

 

We had interviews with the Mission President this week which were good. But now I`m scared I`ll be made senior companion next transfer! Worse things could happen.

 

So usually Japanese people say `I`m buddhist!, no thank you!` or something to that extent. People usually aren`t buddhist, or even religious at all, but that`s their excuse to get us to go away. They also love to use the excuses, `I`m about to leave` `We`re eating right now` `I`m Busy!` or sometimes they`ll just straight up say I`m not interested. but anyway this week we were housing and ran into something a little different, `I`m Christian!, No thanks!` We then talked to them about that and they mentioned they were 7th day adventists, we talked about sabbath day worship and what not and I told them that we worship on Sunday because of Christ`s Resurrection and they didn`t know what to say. The same thing happened a bit earlier with a Jehovah`s Witness who I asked what the Holy Ghost`s name was. Silence. HA GOTCHA! sadly these people still rejected us. We also ran into an american on the train on the way back from interviews and talked with him a little, no result.

 

One interesting thing I have noticed is that Japanese people DO NOT expect you to know their language at all! They are especially extremely surprised if you write anything. At a ward activity the ward was making cards for the members to invite their nonmember friends to church and so I made one for Yoshinaga to which he could not believe that I had written a note in Japanese. (I don`t get it, we have entire conversations 3 times a week and he didn`t think I could write him a note in the same language I talk to him in!?! Beats me) They are especially amazed if you can read Kanji. Japanese houses often have a name plate where the Family name is written sometimes in Kanji and often in Romanized Japanese. When we talk to the people at their houses and address them by their name (because `you` is too informal) they are like `how did you know my name?` and we are all `well it`s written right here isn`t it?` and they are all surprised like oh I didn`t think you could read that.

 

Anyway I hope all is well at home! I love and miss you all!

 

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace