Still in Fussa!

Hello Friends and Family!!

 

I am still in Fussa and my new companion's name is elder Beazer.  He is six foot six, and AWESOME.  I have almost cried several times but have refrained for fear of startling Elder Beazer.  This transfer is going to be amazing.  We've hit the ground running.  We have some really strong goals that were going to work on, and we can speak English.  :)  The Lord knows how to stretch us, prepare us, and bless us so personally.  His plan is prescribed just for me.  He has one for you, too.  Yes it's for you - you the one reading this right now.  It is so personal.

 

Right now Vijay does not have a date.  Pray for him to have the opportunity to feel the Spirit without a doubt.  We have one investigator with a date.  Ishizawa san (san is Mr. in Japanese) has a date for the end of March.  Pray for him to be strengthened.  He is a really good guy who wants to change and learn about God.

 

Ah-ha Moment:  Faith is a gift of personal righteousness.  It's a gift.  I have thought a lot about this since entering the mission.  Why is my faith so strong?  Why do I feel so deeply in my spirit that the words of the prophets are so true?  Why is my testimony so strong?  It is a gift.  I can claim nothing but my efforts to follow God.  That's all I've done.  I've said I wanted to follow Him, and I'm doing it the best that I can.  Faith is a gift of righteous living.  Obedience is the first law of heaven and it is the law that brings the most blessings.

 

That's all I have time for.  I love you all!!

 

Have a great week!!

 

Jenkins 長老

Hi! :)

Well Hello hello!!

This past week has been a new adventure!  I'll just go straight into the list, because I know you'll all want to hear about Elder Holland.

Funny Moment:  I was on splits this past week with the District Leader, Elder Romney, and I did the stupidest thing.  :)  We were talking to this really cool (really tall!) man.  We had a good conversation and as he went to walk away I offered a pamphlet.  I said, "This is a simple meal."  I meant to say this is a simple introduction.  Shokuji is meal, Shokai is introduction.  I said this is a simple shokuji.  The man smiled and took it.  I didn't realize my mistake until I turned around.  Then in panic I turned around and yelled back to him, "Shokai!"  He laughed.  Elder Romney cheered me up though.  He said that man will have a hard time forgetting our conversation now because of my silly mistake.  :D

Cultural Tid-bit:  Cars again.  :)  I like the cars here.  :)  They are all so new.  Insurance spikes like crazy the older your car is and there are strict check-ups.  And the color of your license plate is a sign of your car's emission levels.  It's kind of smart.  You only see old work trucks.  I don't like it though.  I want to drive Bertha until she dies.  :)  By the way, how is Bertha?

Ah-ha Moment:  The role of the Holy Ghost is like super important.  I was reading D&C 130:22 when it just hit me.  Wait, the Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead.  That means He's really important.  And just learning the little ways that I feel the Holy Ghost.  :)  So awesome.

Spiritual Moment:  Here you go; the moment you've all been waiting for.  Yes, Elder Holland was incredible!  No I did not talk to him, but I did shake his hand.  He is such an incredible speaker!!  All the missionaries were in this tiny little chapel, and he took the mic and walked around the chapel.  The most powerful thing he said was this: "If I find you at some later date and learn that you have gone inactive in this church, I will find you - then he gave some threat.  How dare you be here in Japan, telling others to change their lives, and not be willing to change your own.  You've been guaranteed one convert, you.  So get up on time and study."  Man, it was powerful!  Then we went back to our area picked up Vijay and went to Elder Holland's fireside.  That was incredible, too!  He spoke about God's individual and personal love for each of us.  He said, "We don't tell stories about stakes, wards, or groups.  We tell stories about individuals.  Yes, working together as a family for salvation is so extremely important, but that is not enough until you are in it personally.  It's about the individual's conversion.  It's about you."  It was awesome.  I cried more in that fireside than I did during the missionary one.  It really touched Vijay, too.  He really liked it.  It was just an all around awesome day.

The Yokota branch is awesome.  Yes, I have met all the people that Brad and Jill know.  We have a lot of member meals scheduled.  :)  Well, I have to go.  It's the last week of the transfer and my companion is going home!  We have a lot of things to do to get him ready!  I love you all!  Thank you for the prayers!!  I love you!  I love you!!

Forward, pressing forward,

Jenkins 長老

Surprise (again!)

Hello Friends and family!

This email goes to show you that I don't know what is going on half the time.  We are just emailing and shopping for food today.  Then we're working!  Woo!  We're going to Tokyo Tower with an investigator on Saturday; that will be our P-day.

The zoo was fun last week!  It was soooo cheap!  It was like $5!  :P  However, I felt so bad for those animals!  They looked so sad!  It was still fun; I saw some native Japanese animals and asian animals.

Funny Moment:  I went on splits last week with the zone leader, Renfroe Choro.  It was so fun!  We talked to so many people!  Well anyway, we walked around this corner and ran into this older lady caring a guitar and violin.  We just said hello and she started speaking English to us.  But she slurred and spoke really slow.  She sounded like she was from the deep south.  That combined with what she said was perfect:  "WOW!  You... two... are... haaaandsommmme.  If... yoooouuu had a Japanese gu'friend that would be good."  The wow was the best part, because she openned her mouth soooo wide.  Renfroe Choro and I laughed about it for the rest of the day.  We kept saying, "WOW!"  O, good times.

Cultural Tidbit:  You don't wear shoes in the house.  All houses, even apartments, have a little square in the entryway that is the lowest part of the house.  You take off your shoes, leave them in this little section, and then step up into the house.  You can wear slippers, and sometimes people have a couple extra pairs for visitors.  Just an interesting, fun little cultural thing.

Ah-ha Moment:  I don't know how many more times this concept is going to have to be pounded in to my thick head, but I'm not going to die.  :)  The Lord let's us struggle, but as promised He delivers us just before we can't bear it.  That is a repeating cycle, especially this transfer.  I will feel completely overwhelmed, and then something happens to relieve the pressure.  The Lord keeps His promises.  He will not give us more then we can bear.  I feel that sustaining every day.  Literally, I feel something holding me up when I want to crumble and be swept into the corner.  Thank you for your prayers.  I feel them and your love.  Thank you.  I also feel my Savior's love for me, too.

Spiritual Moment:  Mom, please schedule a chiropractor's apointment for when I get home.  :)  I am going to need it really bad.  I crashed on my bike this week.  Yes, it was embarrassing (Dallin, stop laughing).  It broke my bell.  :(  I am fine though just a tweeked shoulder and a bruise I don't even feel.  But the awesome part was that I wasn't hit by a car.  Japanese roads are super narrow, yet the crash timing was perfect.  If  I had done it 3 seconds before or after I would have hit the cars.  Matono Choro told me I should bear my testimony about it in sacrament meeting yesterday; so I did.  That's when it hit.  I realized how coordinated that crash was.  The Japanese ward was really touched by it, too.  Tender mercies, perfect timing, and blessings of protection are real.

Well, Elder Holland is coming next Tuesday, so P-day is on monday.  That is for sure.  I will be emailing next Monday.  :)

Our investigators are Nandi, Vijay, Emi, and Rikay.  Three of those are English speakers.  :D  And we recieved two referals on Sunday from the Yokata Branch (more English speakers :D).  So yeah.  :)  Busy busy!  Just pray that I can know what I need to do because this is hard with a native and all these Enlgish lessons.  Thank you for your prayers and your love!  I love you all!!  Have a wonderful week!

Forward, pressing forward,

Jenkins Choro

Hi!!!!!

No time!  We are going to the Zoo today!!!  Woohoo!!  This has to be super fast!

We have three baptismal dates and were extending a fourth this week!  Thank you for the prayers!

Ah-ha Moment: The gift of tongues is a powerful gift.  It is a real gift.  My understanding has jumped so much in the last two and a half weeks!  I understand when it is really necessary and struggle when it's not.  :)  The gifts of the Spirit are so real!!

Cultural moment:  Children.  The children here are so undisciplined!  They are so abusive to each other and I realized why.  The parents never get mad.  They just say stop, but we all know that kids don't do that.  :)  It is very different here.  :)  I am glad I was raised in America!

Funny Moment:  We were teaching a lesson to an English class student (It was in Japanese), and we were talking about the tree of life vision.  I wasn't understanding much because of the topic, but i did understand one part very well.  Matono choro asked the man if he wanted to eat the fruit, and the investigator straight up said no!!!!!  Like immediately!  I almost started laughing but that would have made matono choro mad.  It was so funny though!  Straight up: "No thanks!"  So yeah, we are probably going to drop him; he argues and doesn't really have interest.

Spiritual Moment:  No offense but most of these are so personal I don't want to share them or get very specific.  I have had so many though!  I would say this weeks spiritual moment would be this:  I finally accepted a part of my patriarchal blessing that I had been in denial about before and I have seen so many blessings in just a week for it.  Just taking that to the Lord this week in prayer was so empowering.

Next week's P-Day will be on my saturday not Tuesday.  Sorry.  :)

Forward pressing forward!

Jenkins Choro

PS:  The Yokota branch is incredible!!

Ups and Downs

Friends and Family!

こんにちは！！

What a week of ups and downs this has been!  Where do I start!?!

There is a Japanese ward, Fussa, and an American Military branch, Yokota, in this area.  They are awesome!  Amazing members in both!!  Going to church in English was bizarre.  I have forgotten already how to interact with English speakers.  I love that branch!!  The fussa ward is smaller  than the Fujisawa ward but there are still good people in that ward.

For your information:  It takes seven days to get a letter (Grandma).  I have connections on the base with the Fussa missionary couple that might get American postage rates.  :)  I will try to figure this out.

Ah-ha:  I have been so nauseous, graugy (SP?), and tired lately!  I was racking my brain this week trying to figure out why.  I was thinking and I caught myself saying, "this is how I use to feel all the time. . ."  Until I started the blood type diet!!  AH-HA!!!!  I am fine with not eating what I want on my mission; I'm okay with that.  I am a missionary.  I'm just glad I have an explanation for why I feel sick all the time.  That was my ah-ha moment this week, and it hit me like a rock.  This is how I use to feel all the time!  Maybe I should go into nutrition and medicine. . .

Funny Moment: I laugh at my companion a lot.  He is goofy.  He talks about girls and I try to ignore it but he's goofy.

Cultural Moment:  I have experienced my first Japanese funeral.  A 76 year old sister from the Fussa ward passed away on Thursday.  Saturday was the funeral and it was a cross between a Japanese and a Mormon funeral.  I wasn't allowed to smile; that was super hard!  This sister was in the first primary presidency in Japan.  It was an interesting experience.  Oh, and everyone is cremated in Japan.  Thankfully, we didn't have to go to that ceremony.  This ward really loved her; I wish I could have met her.

Spiritual moment:  Which one, which one. . .  We had a mogi, which is a role play, lesson with a member in the Fussa Ward this week.  He's American but he speaks fluent Japanese.  The lesson was in English for Elder Matono to practice.  I didn't know the member at all when we started, bacause it was my third day here.  Anyway, during the lesson I felt to just drop the role play and I testified to him about what the last general conference was about: return to the basics.  I really felt the Spirit during the lesson.  After it was over he said thank you and mention that he had just recently reactivated and that he was grateful for the things we talked about.  He is an awesome brother.  It was just one of many lessons this week.

Well, this week was busy busy!  I love this area!  The Yokota and Fussa wards are awesome!

I love you all!!!!!

Elder Jenkins

Surprise!

Hello friends and family!

I bet you are all wondering why I am emailing a day early!  I transferred!  I am now in Fussa and my new companions name is Elder Matono!  I have an air force base in my area but I don't know if it is the one that Jill and Brad were at.  I'll find out on Sunday when I ask around.  This has to be fast because tomorrow is super busy.

Funny Moment:  I already have the reputation of vampire because I ask people what their blood types are all the time.  Anyway, Abraham choro drew this awesome little picture in my journal of my "bat form."  It made my day.  It looks so funny.

Ah-ha Moment:  I had a chance this weekend to sit down and write all the things I've learned from last transfer.  I cried a lot because I have been so blessed!  The Lord really knows what He is doing.  I am in an area now that has an english and a Japanese branch.  My new companion is super fun already.  I came into this area and it has two baptismal dates already.  I love being a missionary.  :)   I sang in sacrament meeting yesterday (on my last Sunday in Fujisawa) and by the end literally half the ward's women were crying.  I was able to hold it until I sat down, and then I started bawling.  I am going to miss that ward!  Such wonderful people are in it!  I am going to miss the people we were working with, too!

Cultural moment: Cars.  They look so cool here!  Cool little thing:  when they stop at a light, the headlights dim.  Then when the car starts moving again, the headlights brighten.  Little innovations.  So cool.

Spiritual moment:  By my mom's recommendation, I printed out a general conference talk entitled, "But If Not. . ."  I've read it 6 times in the last six days and each time I've felt this deep burning inside me.  Go read it and you'll find my testimony.

Well, gotta go!  I love you all!  I'll have more details next week!

Forward, pressing forward,

Jenkins 長老

PS:  My companion is a nihonjin!!  Japanese only!!  AAaAAAaaaaHAHHhhha!!  :D

Friends and Family:

Hello Friends and Family,

No time this week, sorry this will be fast.

Ah-ha:  Tanner.  Tanner, I want to give you a hug so bad!  I think I got a glimpse into your mind and your world this past week.  I had this ah-ha moment were I just thought, "Tanner and I are a lot alike."  Anyway, I love you Tanner!!

Funny Moment:  We have sports night every friday where we play ping pong (wipe that smile off your face Dallin) and basketball.  We have investigators go, so we go.  Anyway, there is this old lady that comes to English class that is a legend at ping pong among the missionaries.  (She isn't a member.)  And she was crazy good!  She looked so graceful when she played, especially because her opponent jumped like a rabbit EVERYTIME he hit the ball (and he yelped).  So I played her next. . . AND I BEAT HER!!  IN YOUR FACE DALLIN!!!!!!  :P   . . .     But I lost when we played the next four games and everyone else there kept beating me too.  (STOP LAUGHING, DALLIN!!)  I beat her once though!  Yay me!

Cultural Event:  Mochi.  Mochi is smashed rice that you can do whatever you want with.  You can put it in sweet bean paste (my favorite), roll it in some brown powder, wrap it around ice cream, eat it plain, wrap it in nori (seaweed), or whatever.  So yesterday we had a mochitsuki, which is a rice smashing party!  I took a couple hits and I only missed twice (stop laughing, Dallin!)  I eat sooooo much mochi!  :D  So good!  Mika came too!  We talked for a bit.  She still has no interest in doing any real investigating.  :(   She had fun at the party though!

Spiritual Moment:  I have had so many little crying moments that nobody else knows about, because I have felt the Spirit so strong (whether from study, pondering, or feeling it from members).  It happened again yesterday.  At the mochitsuki, I watched this four year old girl guide a girl Kirsi's age around a room of church pictures.  I started bawling to myself, because it was so awesome to see this little girl testify to this other girl in Japanese (I understood what she said too!) about the importance of the Savior as she showed her pictures of Him.

Well, I have to go!  Know that I am so okay and that I LOVE JAPAN!!!!  This week was fun!  We met a Japanese WWII veteran (its in the journal, Mom, don't worry), got attacked by children at a park, drank the South American version of weed (just kidding, it's called matte and it's gross), and I got my $100 electronic dictionary and bike light (with fresh batteries I had just put in) stolen!!  Yay!  Busy busy!  I love you all!  Have a wonderful week!

Forward, Pressing forward,

Jenkins 長老