Mission Home Farewell

Week 105: August 6, 2018 - The last email...

Hey everyone!

Well, I guess this is the last one... I seem to be coming home on

Friday. With that noted, I guess there isn't really a lot of big news,

or at least nothing that will compare to the end of my time in Japan.

Of things that happened, when we were dendoing this past week Elder

Burr and I went to a small apartment, the type that normally really

old people and young college kids live in. We were knocking on the

doors, and out of one of them a large man opens up. He is from Africa,

specifically Cameroon, which we learn after getting over our surprise,

and has been Christian his entire life. He even runs back inside to

get his bible, and we just have a good talk about Jesus Christ, and

church, and long story short he decides to come on Sunday, because he

hasn't been in a few months. And then he actually shows up! Just a

great little miracle to end with, to help someone else feel the peace

of the Savior even a little more, and to share the Book of Mormon,

which he was really interested in.

We also met up with Kotaro, one of the kids Elder Valdivia and I met

way back when, and played some football with him. It ties into our

kickball dendo on Saturday, where we got with some other young kids,

and just built relationships. There are just so many good people here,

and the hardest part is always breaking the ice, because it's always a

little odd when random foreigners come up and start speaking with you.

I feel like we are getting better, and Kumamoto is in a good place.

Besides that, I've just had the chance to learn from the master

teacher for two straight years. It would be impossible to put all my

experiences in words, let alone on paper, but to close suffice it to

say that I know this has been two years doing the work of God. He

lives, and desires above all else to help us find everlasting and

eternal happiness. That is why He send His son, to guide us and allow

us a path home. That is why He answers prayers, to ease burdens and

comfort us. I have experienced all that and more, and testify thereof

in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Mitchell Woodhouse

Week 104: July 29, 2018 - 24th from Japan

Hey everyone!

It was the 24th of July! Even though you would never expect the

holiday celebrating pioneers to make it out of Utah and Idaho, find

peace in knowing that missionaries across the world still remember it!

Granted, we didn't do anything special, besides teach eikaiwa, but it

was in our thoughts, which I guess is where everything starts.

After that bit of news, I honestly don't have much to report on. It

just felt like a good week of being a missionary. We got to tract,

talk to college kids, testify of the Book of Mormon, focus on the

importance of the restoration, and look at how the gospel fits into

our own lives. I think one of my favorite moments was just Sunday

morning, before church, as Elder Burr and I stopped in a park to write

our testimonies in a Book of Mormon we were giving to a professor from

Pennsylvania.  It was just one of those actions that felt good, that

felt right. We also met up with a man named Tateba, who was here for

work until Sunday, so we met him in a park and unfolded the Plan of

Salvation. Just experiences where I fully felt that I was fulfilling

my calling to teach the gospel to all the world.

Besides that, my last thought is just on revelation. I've had a lot of

time to think and study on my mission, and one of the conclusions is

that God wants to teach us. He will freely reveal the secrets of

heaven to those who desire and search, if we would only put in the

effort. It's taken a lot of studying, but I know that if we feel it as

the desire of our heart, He will guide us, as He led the Israelites of

old. Makes being a missionary, and really just going through life,

that much easier.

Love you!

Elder Woodhouse

Week 103: July 22, 2018 - Junkais and Kickball

Hey everyone!

It's been another great week doing the Lords work. As some people may

have heard, or noticed (I have no idea what the weather has been in

the states), Japan has been under an oppressive heat wave. Thankfully,

we haven't noticed it horribly, but rather, have been taking lots of

salts and liquids, so things are going great and we are all safe.

And, the work is progressing well! One of the coolest miracles for me

continues to be Nathan, for the very reason that it barely feels as if

we are teaching him. When we talked about the gospel of Christ this

week, he already had his beliefs and knowledge about faith,

repentance, the need for baptism, and the Holy Ghost. He even asked

about infant baptisms, because the idea of individual accountability

has been on his mind, and I felt blessed to have a concrete answer

that God has revealed, both in the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book

of Mormon, that those young children are covered by the Atonement of

Jesus Christ. It's just a special experience to work with him, as he

prepares for his defense, and makes the time for God.

We also had a couple junkais, and I got to work with Elder Wheeler on

Wednesday, and Elder Watanabe on Friday. With Elder Wheeler, we got to

teach Nathan about the reason for trials, as centered on personal

growth, and then we undertook something called the king size

challenge. It's a bowl of beef and rice, rumored to be about 1 kg of

food, though I'm not sure about the weight. For size, pictures are

attached. It's actually the second time I've tried, with the first

being my first transfer in Japan, way back in Yamaguchi. Kind fun to

bring things in full circle. Elder Watanabe also helped with that,

because I lived with him on Ishigaki, but somehow that was 8 months

ago! The largest thing time has helped with is to allow me to see the

growth and changes he has already made on his mission. It makes me

think about how much I have changed, and what we need to do in order

to become who God needs. One thought is the difference between passive

and active changes. Obviously, if we just sit around, eventually

things will happen. But, if we reach out as President Nelson has

recommended, we will find ourselves higher and farther along the path

than we could ever imagine. It just takes some effort.

Last thing from this week was a party on pday! Not really, but we did

go play kickball with some eikaiwa students, and it was a good time to

get outside. Made me realize how much I miss sports, but a good chance

to be with people nonetheless.

That's about it!

Love you all!

Elder Woodhouse

Week 102: July 15, 2018 - We met the Mission President!

Hey everyone!

Thanks again for your concern, the part of Japan where I am (Kumamoto)

is still safe, and didn't get hit by weather at all. I've also heard

from the Hiroshima area, where it was worse, that all missionaries are

doing fine, and recovery is well on its way. Thanks for all the

prayers and thoughts!

With weather out of the way, we had a decently exciting week, with the

capstone probably being meeting President and Sister Mack! Due to the

number of missionaries they are meeting, it was impressive, because

they managed to meet each individual one on one for a couple minutes.

It makes me sad, because I won't get to keep learning from them that

much longer, but the training we did get was very well thought through

and spiritual. President Mack talked a lot about the doctrine of

Christ, our five foundations of faith that build us through life. In

order, that is Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, The gift of

the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. The key, as he taught, is

that these aren't simple things you do once, or once a week, or even

once a day. The goal is to interlace them into your very being, until

you are the living gospel, because then your very actions will teach

others more of the Savior. So, his challenge was to think about what

we can do, as individuals, to weave this doctrine more fully into who

we are, and become more as our Savior. Really a deep challenge, and

one that I'm still working on identifying. But a great conference,

where I learned and thought a lot.

After that we had junkais with Beppu, which allowed us to go ham with

the extra elders, and learn more about them. I think that it is one of

my favorite things I've been able to do, is to develop relationships

with individuals, and grow, not through them, but with them, as we

elevate each other. Such a unique opportunity that God gives each of

us, to be the leaven in the lives of all.

Our other way cool experience was after Beppu went home, as Elder Burr

and I were street contacting. We met these two kids on Thursday, both

15/16 students at one of the Christian high schools in the area. They

were nice, said they wanted to learn a little more, so we set up an

appointment for Saturday. As we keep talking over text, we learn that

not only both of them would be coming, but, in fact, the entire boxing

team would come to the church to learn about Christ after practice.

So, Elder Burr and I get to teach seven of these amazing young men

about the restoration. It felt like I'd already moved into the young

men's presidency! But they were very mature, had good questions, and

just a spiritual experience for all of us. And, of course, we got a

picture with them!

It was a great week!

Love you all!

Elder Woodhouse

Week 101: July 8, 2018 - Plans and Rain

Hey everyone!

So for those who haven't heard, apparently Japan has been under a

severe rainstorm, with floods and landslides all around the country.

To be honest, we are all doing fine, and I didn't realize it was that

bad, but in case anyone was wondering about the weather, it's sunny

now!

We had a fairly good week, with the aforementioned rain putting a

damper on most people's desire to stop on the street, but still saw a

lot of miracles and had good conversations with everyone. One person

that sticks out is an investigator we are working with named Nathan.

Last month he submitted his dissertation on chiral chemistry, which

has freed up time for him to meet before his thesis defense this

month. So far we have discussed the restoration, and the Plan of

Salvation, and the reason I mention it is because none of this seems

new to him. He has taken everything in stride, and interwoven it into

his life, because the words of God are speaking through us to his

soul. It's helped me to realize how much power we hold, and what He

has entrusted us as missionaries to share. And, how much this does

mean in the lives of everyone we talk to?

Our other exciting news this week was planning for the Meet the

Presidents meeting tomorrow. Everyone is really excited to meet Mack

Kaicho, and we have the opportunity of helping the missionaries in the

zone to learn through him the will of the Lord. So lots of time spent

in prayer, planning, and reconfirming what people need to be taught.

Amazing opportunities!

Last note, horse meat is famous in Kumamoto, so of course we got some

ramen with it last week.

Lots of love!

Elder Woodhouse

Week 100: July 1, 2018 - July?

Hey everyone!

It honestly feels like just yesterday that I emailed, which is crazy!

Our apartment is keeping all of the missionaries, and the zone as a

whole only switched 6 out of 24, so now that the craziness of

transfers is gone, we should be settling back down. With a new Mission

President! President Mack and his wife came over the weekend, and are

now the Lords mouthpiece for the Japan Fukuoka Mission. We don't get

to meet them until next week, at the meet the president tour, but it's

both normal and odd at the same time. Really normal, because both

President Mack and President Egan were simply conveying the will of

the Lord. But odd, because President Egan is gone, and I now get to

reflect over everything he taught me. Thankfully, we have lots of

study time to do so, and I'm sure it will last a lifetime.

Besides that switch, one of the fun things that the Tsuboi ward did

last week was to have a Nagashi-somen party, which translates to

running noodles (I think). The video should be self explanatory, but

we got to meet with all of the members, and eat noodles and socialize,

which I think was really good for us.

That's one of the things that we need to be focusing on, because in

reality both members and missionaries are doing the same grand

redemptive work. One of the miracles we saw this week wasn't a

referral, but talking to one of the older members about other people

who used to come to church. Elder Burr and I were able to visit one of

them, Oyama Kyodai, and it was just a spiritual experience. You can

tell that the gospel, when truly lived, changes your heart and

elevates it unto God. It gives you a purpose, a reason, and the means

to accomplish them. It is comfort in times of need, and joy in times

of sorrow. Of course, these things take effort, but one you have

engraved them into who you are, people can see that. Just a cool

experience to get a glimpse of how a God sees him.

Besides that, just a standard week doing the best work in the whole

world! Kumamoto is the best!

Love you all,

Elder Woodhouse

Week 99: June 24, 2018 - Another transfer week...

Good Afternoon!

It's been another good week in Tsuboi, including some last minute

travel plans to Beppu, on the other side of Kyushu, and then meeting

and talking to lots of amazing people. It's also the last week of the

transfer, so transfer calls are due any minute, but we don't have any

information yet. Most likely, things stay as they are, but, it's in

the hands of God. What we do know is that President Mack is starting

this transfer, so everyone is excited to meet him!

But as for this week, as I mentioned we went to Beppu on Friday, which

is about a 4 hour bus ride, to do a baptismal interview for them. It

was a crazy day of travel, capped by the return on Saturday morning,

yet remained a spiritual experience the entire time. The girl being

baptized is 18, and just by talking with her you could see the changes

that God has wrought in her life already. She has so many plans and

ambitions, to become a surgeon and the such, and knowing that God will

be with her every step of the way is comforting, and a good reminder

for me to see. We also spent the night with the Beppu elders,

including Elder Arnold, and it was fun to see the growth he has made

from the time we were together on Ishigaki. The Lord guides and shapes

us, and it's just up to us to trust the final product.

Besides that, we met a cool man named Okuda last week, and went back

on Monday to talk more with him. He used to be involved with the

mafia, but that involvement has given him a very independent outlook

on life. So rather than listening to us teach a bunch of lessons, he

has determined to 'come and see'. After experimenting for himself,

coming to church, and personally feeling, he will decide if this is

indeed Gods church, and if this is indeed something he needs in his

life. If only more people had that mentality! We aren't trying to

force anything on anyone, but as I promised him, God will keep his

promises. He will help you, and bestow peace upon weary souls, if you

allow him to. If and when you test his words. Which makes this Sunday

all the more exciting!

That's about what our week turned into. We have the honor everyday of

working with and among amazing people, and I can't imagine it ever

stopping. Thanks for all of your support!

Love,

Elder Woodhouse

So it turns out nobody is transferring! Here's to another 6 weeks!