Okinawa!!

We got a phone call from Preston this afternoon!!  He told us that he is in Okinawa!!  He was reassigned to the Fukuoka Mission of which Okinawa is a part.  He described it as the "Hawaii of Japan" and said that they are in short sleeves.  This is his companion's last transfer, but this transfer lasts for nine weeks instead of the usual six because the last one was cut short due to all the chaos in the country.

When the Tokyo missionaries were being reassigned, he said they were lined up according to seniority and then counted off 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, ... with all the 1's going to the same mission, 2's to the same mission, etc.  Nagoya and Kobe are the other two missions where Tokyo missionaries were sent.

Preston said that when they got to Fukuoka there was a noticeable SIGHHHH!  He said it is so much more relaxed than Tokyo.  Some of the missionaries in Tokyo had already been evacuated from their apartments before the "final" evacuation due to radiation concerns, refinery explosions, contaminated water, and/or lack of food. You know- minor problems! ;)  Anyway, he said the feeling is much more "chill, not in a lazy sort of way, but a now we can get busy with missionary work" sort of way.

His companion, Elder Jordan, also sings, so Preston is excited about that.  His bike is still in the Fussa apartment.  He's not sure what is going to happen to that, so for now he is borrowing one.  They get to ride their bikes along the beach, which is everywhere.  He did say that there is a southern Japan dialect that he has heard about, but he hasn't noticed it with anyone yet.

Preston said that he has not been worried, is not "freaking out," was never in danger himself, and pretty much sees this "reassignment" as a really far away transfer - with a new mission president.  He said things really don't seem too much removed from "normal."  He does feel bad for his poor Tokyo mission president who now has no missionaries.  But, his attitude has been "I'll go where you want me to go, just tell me where!" 

Sorry if this is scattered, I am trying to remember our brief, 10-minute conversation!!  To sum it all up, Preston is doing great.  He is well and happy and ready to get to work in Okinawa.  He will be emailing in couple days, so I will post again then. :)