Monday, November 17, 2014

November 17, 2014

Heard from Jarek yesterday. What a funny kid. I just had to laugh with him and then cried cuz we miss him so much. Just can't imagine him hopping around on one leg.

Week 2 in Japan is down we had a lot of fun this week! We had 2 different yoga classes very very interesting the first yoga class we hit our bodies for the first 20 or so minutes then it got a little bit normal with the usual yoga stuff but it still definately wasn't any kind of yoga class that I've ever done in America. The next yoga class was laughter yoga and this class oh jeez I don't even know how to explain it was just so wierd we basically just hopped around and laughed at each other that was super awkward for me but you just have to make the best out of that situation.
 
The weeks fly by in my opinion the days are sometimes super long and sleep I forgot what it feels like to sleep in with out a worry or a care. Hahah but anyways it was a pretty long week we had a lot of time to do housing, not gonna say that it is my fav. but its fun i guess, you get to meet a lot of interesting people so that is pretty fun, a lot of people will listen until you say you are a missionary then they say like oh religion i have no interest, and then you get the few people who tell you to go home or something like that. Then there are the really nice people that listen and after say I'm good. I think my favorite one so far is I'm house sitting i guess people do that in Japan or it is the poorest excuse I have ever heard!! haha
 
Well fun week still wish I could just speak this tough language! But Anyways love you all and I will send some pictures next week!
 
Elder Stevens
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Good to hear AF is doing so well!! I hope I get to be a part of the baptisms but it seems like people accept and then it has to get postponed because they don't come to church enough but ya anyways I do teach english class every week it is pretty scary IDK i hate teaching small groups of people it is hard for me. I the food I have eaten has be good execpt one plate of food that had some kind of paste and raw tuna on top it was awful but I choked it down because I was starving. We really don't do all that much aside from street house and appointments. The weather is pretty accurate. There is about a foot that stuck to the ground but they do a pretty good job clearing the streets and the roads though. I ridden old bikes but we are on foot now until the end of winter so ya. I am doing well the language barrier is really tough though I just wish I were english speaking sometimes it would be so much easier for me i think sometimes.. Anyways I think that you send stuff the the mission home then they send it to the missionaries. I love you guys and sorry mom I will try to remember to put the name on the list I just copied and pasted last week and forget that I missed the name the week before.
Love you sooo much wish I had already been out for 23 months 
 
 Elder Stevens
 

Sunday, November 9, 2014

November  9, 2014

First real email from Jarek since he has been in Japan. He is all grown up and I'm not there to see him. This is real tough for me. But I love that he is so excited to be there in Japan and has really enjoyed his first week there.
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Wow it was an amazing first week I have absolutely no idea what is really going on I can pick up a some grammar and some vocab that I have learned but it really is amazing how little you actually know when you get here!!
 
We got to Japan wednesday night then thursday we had orientation until about 4 and after that we went and did some contacting I was super nervous to do the contacting it was hard too, because after you said something when they talked back you like don't understand what they said! Friday we split up and went to our different areas my first area is Asahikawa which is one of the coldest areas in the mission so im super excited for that. we have like 20 investigators right now!! We have had about 6 visits with investigators over the 3 days that I have been in Asahikawa I love visiting with the people the first visit the guy spoke really good english so i was able to speak a bit of english and that was really good. we went from one baptismal date to 3 baptismal dates so I guess I came at the right time haha but really I was able to testify a bit during those lessons where we set up the dates for baptism and it was awesome!! My companion and I taught the advanced English class on friday night, it was fun to speak english. On sunday I got to do a self intro in japanese and also bear my testimony I was super nervous for that but it was fun to do that!! I am so excited to be in Japan even though I don't know what is going on all the time I am so excited to be here right now!!
 
I used Chop sticks for the first time, I am not terrible at eating with them I was able to eat everything with them so that was good! Everything I have eaten so far has been absolutely delicious! My companion is Elder Horne, he is from Arizona and he as been out for 6 transfers he is on his 7th, he is really cool and he is super smart and a hard worker! We live with two other elders, Elder Roopinia and Elder Dobashi they are the zone leaders Elder Roopinia is from Tahiti and Elder Dobashi is from Saitama Japan. Our Apartment is the second biggest one in our mission so that is really nice.
 
I know this church is true and I know that with the Lord's help that I will be able to speak this language and help more people come unto Christ I love you all and hope everything is going great!!
 
-Elder Stevens
 
 

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

November 3, 2014
 
Before Jarek left for Japan, he was able to call us from the airport and we talked to him for a few minutes. It was so good to hear his voice. We all took turns asking him questions. He said that he was excited but nervous because he knows he will be lost the first couple of months. He felt like food wise he would be ok. He was planning on getting a rice maker and then just frying eggs or something with it. Rice is pretty cheap there. He said he would try to be as frugal as possible. I told him not to worry. What a great kid!! Honestly, I'm not sure I would be able to do what he is doing but I wasn't as smart as him at that age either.  Okay, point taken :)
 
November 4, 2014 at 11:00 pm
 
Hey Family!! Just emailing and letting you know that I made it safe to Japan Ready to work and stuff. I'll email again on P-day
Love you soo much!!
Elder Stevens