New mission!?

Note from Mom:

Preston has been reassigned to the Fukuoka Mission for one transfer.  At that time it will be decided where he will spend the rest his mission.  Elder and Sister Arnell sent some pictures of Preston as they were packing up and leaving the area.  (The Arnells are also being transferred to the Fukuoka Mission so hopefully we can continue to get updates and pictures. :)

So fun to see him!!  :)

I am FINE! But thanks for asking. ;)

Hello Friends and Family!

 

I am totally fine.  :)  We have about one earthquake a day, just a little shiver and the city might turn off our power to conserve energy.  This is a bizarre experience.  Yes, we have enough food; the people from the base won't stop buying us groceries.  :)  We are totally taken care of.  I don't think we'll be doing any humanitarian aid here.  Several of the areas in our mission that border the beach have been evacuated.  Our trains in Fussa are shut down indefinitely to save power.  The lines at the gas stations are incredibly long always.  The shelves at the stores are cleaned off.  It is a really weird experience.  We're just doing what we normally do, because our area wasn't damaged.  People are off work because our trains are not running.  I don't really know how to describe it because to be honest, I still don't know what is going on.  We're just doing what we did before this all happened.

 

Anyway, no time.  Had an awesome lesson yesterday with a guy named Brandon Chamberlain on the Base.  Brad and Jill, we're prepping him for you, because he is going to San Antonio in April.  He says he knows you.  He is taken the discussions though, and I really think he will progress well.  We have been receiving some referrals!  We're contacting another one today, Japanese.  We've received about six referrals since I've been here, and it's awesome.

 

I have lost structure to my emails because of time for the last two weeks but bear with me.  I'll get it back on track.  I am so humbled by the inquiries and the prayers.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  I've got to go.  Sorry.  Keep asking the Arnells what's up.  They'll tell you what is true and what the media is blowing out of proportions (which it is so doing).

 

I love you!!  Thank you!!

 

Elder Jenkins 

Earthquake!

HI!!  :)

 

Being in an earthquake is weird.  It's like being on a boat, only bigger.  It makes you really dizzy, too.  All the missionaries in the Japan Tokyo Mission are accounted for and safe.  I was actually at the Honbu (the mission home) at the time of the earthquake.  We had just said a closing prayer to our 3 Zone Special Training.  It was the weirdest sensation.  I was sitting and talking to someone that was standing up and they started to sway.  I got dizzy and then noticed that the lights hanging on the ceiling were shaking, too.  President Albrecht ordered us outside and on to the field by the church.  It lasted about five minutes.  The trains all canceled and we were all stuck at the Honbu.  Three zones worth of missionaries (about fifty missionaries) all stayed at the honbu last night.  It was definitely a mission memory.  We watched The Other Side of Heaven at the church and then we all slept on the mission home floor.

 

This was such a blessing to be together when it happened.  One of the zones at the honbu, Chiba, was the most damaged area in our mission.  Yet we were all safe at the mission home.  Not a coincidence.  There was an oil refinery that blew up right by one of the Chiba missionary apartments.  The Lord knows how to time things.  He is in control.  We still haven't heard from the Japan Sendai Mission.  They got hit really really bad; power, water, cell phones, and Internet are down.  The Tokyo Mission is okay though.

 

There have been about ten to twelve after shocks, but they weren't as bad as the first one.  The last one to happen was at breakfast this morning.  The trains that Elder Beazer and I needed were working so we made it back to our apartment by lunch.  Some missionaries are still stuck at the honbu though, because the trains aren't running.  There were a lot of people on the streets last night; a lot of people slept at work and at school.

 

Well, this email is on orders from President Albrecht, but I think it is long enough.  I am safe and unphased.  Fussa was far enough to have been shaken but remains undamaged.  One can fell off the shelf at our apartment; other than that there is nothing wrong in Fussa.  Please don't worry about me, and send me any brief information that you have about the earthquake.  Missionaries gossip like middle school girls so I don't trust the information that I am getting from them.  :)  I heard that where we were (at the honbu), it was about a 5.0 on the magnitude scale.  Being in an earthquake is weird and nauseating.

 

I am totally fine.  I love you!  Pray for the people in Sendai, Japan, the people along the coast, and the missionaries in the northern missions.  I love you!!  Don't worry about me.  I am totally safe where I am.

 

Talk to you on Tuesday!

 

Jenkins Choro

 

PS:  Welcome home Trevik!

Don't get burnt!

KONNICHIWA!!!!  Friends and family!!

This transfer is going to be a blazing fire, so don't get burnt!  Elder Beazer is awesome!!  He is one of the Zone Leaders and we had a great first Sunday.  We are going to have a great great experience!  Elder Beazer is such an incredible example; I feel like this little kid trying to follow his older brother.  I am so so happy!  :)

Language Lesson and Ah-ha moment:  I am in the Fussa area.  It has two kanji, and I've known them since I've gotten here.  However. when you combine the meanings something awesome happens.  Well, the Japanese keyboard has stopped working but the two kanji are fuku (blessing. fortune) and sei (life).  Put the kanji together and it reads: fussa.  Blessed life, fortunate life.  That is the perfect theme for this transfer!  I love it!  I am living and working in a place called, "Blessed Life!"  :D  I love this. . .

Funny Moment:  Elder beazer and I have pointless arguments like me and Dallin always do.  They are so funny!  We just start laughing when we have nothing to say, because they take such a stupid direction.  Laughing is soooo therapeutic.

Spiritual Moment: Yes, Trevik, I cry a lot!  :P  I have been seeing more and more the tender mercies of the Lord.  They are everywhere.  There are celestial moments daily.  So anyway, after bearing my testimony on Sunday, Sister Salmon (good friends with Jill and wife of the District President) approached me.  I started bawling and I just thanked her for being a mom and doing it right.  I am such a softy, but Sunday is the best day because it is so spiritually charged!  I love it!

Vijay. . . keep praying for him.  Ishizawa-san. . . keep praying for him.  Pray for Jerel and Youhe-san to call us back.  I love you all!  Have a wonderful week!  Mom, I love your little hugging smiley face thing.  Since I can't hug you all I will just smile and wave.  ~

I LOVE YOU!!

Elder Jenkins

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