Week 45: June 12, 2017 - Transfers have come!

Hey everybody!

Sorry for the late email this week, but it's transfer week! And...

I'm staying in Okinawa! As well as Elder Barker and Elder Dibble.

However, they are now companions with each other, and I will receive a

new companion, Elder Ishizu, transferring from Kurume city. Lucky for

me, Elder Ishizu is Japanese, so I will have many chances to learn at

an even faster pace than I am currently going. So that's probably the

biggest news from this week.

Besides that, we had a solid last week as a trio. Sachiko and Takuya

continue to progress every time we meet them, and I have no doubt they

will be baptized. Unfortunately, they ran into an ultra busy work

schedule, and haven't been able to make it to church recently, but

they are still reading and praying, and able to build that personal

relationship with Christ, which is so central to everything we do. I

have definitely been able to learn, both from them and personal

experience, that when we do the small things, when we try to follow

Christ, and give Him the burdens he has already paid for, that He has

already carried, He will take up the rest, and our backs will be made

light, as promised in Mosiah. It's fun to see that happen every single

day.

Our other interesting tidbit was yesterday I had the chance to go on

splits with Dane, one of the 18 year olds from the military ward who

is leaving on his mission in about a month. He wanted to see what

missionaries did, so we went out in the pouring rain and knocked on

houses, talked to people, and taught them of the joy of the gospel. It

was a good experience, I think he realized that we walk quite a bit,

but God put people we needed to meet in front of us. It wasn't a day

that everyone is super interested, but to reestablish for Dane that

the worst a person can say is no. People are all respectful, and they

realize missionaries have a belief, they have a testimony. And from

our perspective, we recognize that everyone may not have time, this

might not be when they can listen. But we know that if they do listen,

it will bless their lives, it will help them find joy. And that is why

we go out every day, to try to help even one person come closer to

Christ.

That's all for now, and that the end of trio number two. I'll email

again next week with a new companion!

Love,

Elder Woodhouse

Week 44: June 5, 2017 - June has been entered!

Thanks to everyone's help, I remembered, it's June! Happy June everyone!

So immersed up on time, and as a result, this will be a quick email.

Suffice to say that the past week has been really busy, full of

lessons with investigators and members, and the occasional split with

Elder Foust or a member just to get me, Elder Barker, and Elder Dibble

everywhere as we need to be.

Our big highlight was working with Sachiko and Takuya again, last

Thursday. We got to talk about more of Gods commandments, and the

benefits we gain by following them, looking at them as guidelines, as

the knowledge a parent gives to their children, because that's exactly

what they are. The amazing news is that as they have been reading and

praying, and most importantly writing down their answers, they

continue to draw closer and closer to receive the ordinance of

baptism, their first step to obtaining a family sealed for time and

eternity.

Besides the news of their upcoming baptism, we also got to work a lot

with the members this past week. Over the weekend the Iha, Omine, and

Ferguson families all invited us over, and while the pictures will

come in the future, it's always amazing to work closely with them, and

get to know their families. I am definitely blessed in this area, and

in turn the work is blessed as members and missionaries work together.

Even in the chaos of a three man, we have found new investigators, new

people to help, all because of our amazing member support.

Lastly, we had the chance to run to the aquarium in Nago today, which

was an amazing experience, just to get out of the same work day by

day. Of course, nothing is ever the same, as you can't cross the same

river twice, but nevertheless is was a nice trip.

Sorry to be short, love you all!

Elder Mitchell Woodhouse

Week 43: May 29, 2017 - Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

I think it's safe to say that most missionaries forget about this
holiday, as it's a normal day for us, at least, as normal as p-day
gets. Our day was highlighted by spending time with some of the
American members, the Jensen family, who were off for the day as well.
They ended up taking us golfing, where I scored a solid +31 in 9
holes, so it's safe to say that I'll stick with missionary work in the
foreseeable future.

But besides our golfing antics, the past week has still been exciting.
As I mentioned last week, Elder Mizukawa left to the office on
Wednesday, so I'm back in another trio, making Elder Barker the first
companion I'll have had twice, if only for three weeks at a time.
Moving back into a trio means we are busy, busy, busy again, but it's
a good type of busy. For example, Friday night we helped the ward host
a takoyaki party, where we invited members, investigators, and all
their friends to come and meet missionaries in a normal environment.
With about 30-40 people coming, it was a fun night, and we actually
were able to invite one of those people to church on Sunday, where she
actually came! But before Sunday we had a Saturday full of service, as
we visited an elderly resting home with the American ward, and got to
mingle and talk with elderly Japanese men and women. It is so much fun
to go and help them smile, and help everyone see and feel the light of
Christ. And that wasn't even everything, because following service we
met with the Aird family for dinner, which included snakes and science
until we returned home. And that doesn't even get to Sunday.

This week, Sunday was our busiest, most hectic day, mainly because of
the loss of Elder Mizukawa. Between the three elders in our
companionship, we had five non-members at church (including Sachiko
and Takuya) and taught three lessons. It's all been part of a movement
by the zone leaders to involve investigators with church attendance,
to help them realize that we aren't crazy, that there are other people
that love them and will help them understand. From the people I get to
work with, it's working well, as they have kept commitments before we
even ask, just knowing that it will be good for them, with this weeks
example being Sachiko and Takuya having no problems with coffee
because they haven't drunk it for a month.

So I guess long story short, things have picked up, but it's still a
blast. More updates of the craziness of Okinawa will come next week,
so until then, thanks for all the love!

Elder Mitchell Woodhouse