When at first you don't succeed. . .

Stop. Just stop right now. Succeed.



Beloved peoples... What's up!?!?!

This week was fantastically short! But that is also really sad because it is now the end of the transfer and a little bird told us pretty much that Elder Hansen is transferring. (Insert tear here). But that's
ok, because we will party it up before that time!!! Haha! Let's starting off with a couple of highlights!

        On Monday, we had an appointment that night and it was going to be awesome...until we realized that he appointment was for the next week! Bwahahaha!  And then our other appointment fell through so we had a lot of time...so naturally we prayed and asked for a miracle and where
to go. And Elder Hansen had the thought that was really weird to go to Mini Stop. Which is like a gas station with out the gas pumps... So we went and there was only one guy in front of it. So, of course, we talked to him... And it was a guy that Elder Hansen had met in the post office when I was mailing something!! So we gave him a Book of Mormon and set a next appointment!!!

        Then on Tuesday, it rained!!! So we biked really, really far and visited a member. But, we realized when she answered the door that it was the wrong member. Problem: we have two Sugiyama families in our ward and they are even related, but they don't live together. We were trying to visit the older one (the dad of the husband of the house that we did visit) so that we could find out his  schedule and go home teaching with him. Turns out he lives really close...but we went and visited the other Sugiyama's house and only the wife was home so we shared a message with her on the doorstep. She was happy and surprised that we came. But it was a really good visit, even though we didn't mean to visit her. Haha! Solution: next time look at the first name!!!

        Then on Wednesday the big thing that happened was that we got to go visit the Uematsu family that we do mogi lessons with!! It was awesome and we were teaching tithing and so naturally the best way to teach that is to just throw candy at people. Because that is essentially tithing. But it was sad because we only are going to have 3 more lessons with them and then we have to drop them unless they have interest in the message.

        Then we got to do DKK (our weekly planning) on Thursday and it was a success! It didn't take all day long this time! It was about and hour and a half shorter than normal! Then we were going to have a lesson with someone before eikaiwa, but he ended up having to go to Yokohama. So that was just a little frustrating. Then we had Eikaiwa!!!

        On Friday, we had DTM and it was a special one! A whole other district came to ours! So we had about fourteen people here! Awesome! And I didn't have to translate because Elder McClellan (one of our zone leaders) was willing to do it! The reason they came was because right now the zone leaders are also the district leaders for one of our districts and we were going to having a koukan so the zone leaders had to come to us. So they thought it would just be easier to have everyone come here instead of figuring out what to do for them. But it was fun! And it was a good lesson about how we should be using PMG more. We learned a lot from each other about how we use it and what is
effective and what is not. Then Elder Hansen went with Elder Burns to Shizuoka and Elder McClellan came with me! So we went out to lunch! Yay! We had sushi and I learned something that I didn't know before! At Kappazushi (a sushi restaurant) if it has a pink plate, it has wasabi on it. If it have a yellow plate, it doesn't! Haha! I've never really gone to Kappazushi before. I always go to the other ones. And we had a great lesson with some less actives!

        Then on Saturday, we biked really far again! We went and visited the Itou family and shared a message with them! Then we were talking and we ended up asking them to pray with us and to tell us where they think we should go to find a new investigator. So Itou Shimai said that we should go to Mini Stop! Haha! Another Mini Stop! So we went and talked to everyone there and lo and behold!!! We found a new investigator! Miracle! And so then we got to tell them at church!

        Speaking of Church! There were so many people there. It was a baptism day, one of the member's eight year old son got baptized. And also we had a shokujikai for a couple that recently got married. So there were a ton of people there! And an Elder that served here about six years ago came a visited with his family! Haha! And Uchimura Shimai, a sister that just finished her mission in this area, came!  So church was really good! We had a good time! And the baptism was great!

        Well anyway this week was on fire, we started really working hard to help the member's faith to grow and to help them do member missionary work. We were worried at the first that we wouldn't have enough time to find new investigators and it was not good because at the beginning of the week we dropped a lot of people. But since we did what we were told and worked with the members, by the end of the week we found six new, solid investigators. We were amazed because pretty much any time we went finding, we found someone. And now the members are going to invite people too, so this ward is going to get huge!

        That's about it for my weekly rant, I hope you've enjoyed it. Peace out to you my homies! Go eat some good sushi!

Sister, Elder Richardson Brother for President! Bwahahaha

They did fast and pray oft...

Well everyone this is it, the moment you've all been waiting for...That's right, my email for the week.

First I would like to start with a question: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Now with the email!

        At the beginning of the week, it felt really slow (just like every week). But then at the end of the week, it felt like the beginning of the week was at least two weeks ago! So me telling these stories is
like just remembering them! So sometimes I might leave things out and I might change a few things on accident. So after that little disclaimer, let's begin!

        At the beginning of the week, after we emailed on pday, we went shopping. It was awesome! And we both had a little hankering for ice cream and the shopping center that we normally go to had a Baskin Robbins on the bottom floor. So we got some ice cream, and when we were done shopping it was a sure good thing that we went when we did. On the way out, the line was wrapped all the way around the bottom floor and it just wasn't moving very quickly. That day, they were doing appreciation day and so from that 15:00 until 17:00 the regular cone was only 100 yen, which is about a dollar. So we were lucky with that. Unfortunately we we not able to get the discount because of the time and also we bought a double! Why would you buy just one scoop of ice cream?!?!?! Then we did some other stuff. Like housing! Yay!

        Then on Tuesday, we visited with a lot of members. Or at least it felt like a lot. It was only 3 but still. We have been sharing the talk by M. Russell Ballard in October 1984 because he challenged us
all to go out and be member missionaries. I would recommend reading the talk, it was really good. And so we have been giving his challenge of praying about and setting a date to find someone for the
missionaries to teach. And that lesson pretty much describes our entire week, we have been sharing that talk and some scriptures and parts of PMG with members all week, and they have all committed that they will choose a date and work to it! Awesome! And we had talked about it on Monday and had decided to fast every other day this week because we were looking at our investigator pool and decided if we needed help ever, it was then. So we fasted on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Satruday. It was a really great experience. And we saw a lot of small miracles this week.

        Then we went on Wednesday to the Uematsu family and it was. Awesome! We talked about the Ten Commandments and they already knew a lot of them! It was really fun and they are always so nice. And the rest of the day, we had our weekly planning and that's about it. But it was good to be able to plan for the week!

        On Thursday, we had a koukan! And it was really fun, I got to be with the legendary Elder Tallent in Numazu! We had a good time and talked to a homeless guy that is Brazilian and his name is Georgie. He doesn't want to be in Japan anymore and can't find a job to go home. That really is too bad. And they keep extending his visa because he doesn't have enough money to be deported even. So he is in a really tough place. And we got to teach eikaiwa and it was really fun! But it was a little weird to teach a different area's eikaiwa class.

        Then on Friday we had DTM taught by our lovely district leader: Elder Hansen! And it was a good one, but it was really hard because he asked me to translate the meeting for the Yuasa Couple and so I had to figure out how to say all sorts of words that we just don't use and I had to talk really fast. There were a couple times that I had to ask them to stop talking for a second. But that's ok I guess. Then we went over to a member's house for lunch and we shared a message about member missionary work with him. And it went great! He was really willing to try it and said that he has tried before but didn't really follow through with it so he will try again and that he will follow through this time. Then we went to a park and visited a family and their friends and I did a magic trick for them, because you know, I'm a magician. Hahahaha! And we shared a message with them and played red
light, green light with the kids! It was awesome! Then we had an appointment that fell through so we biked around talking to people for a little bit before our other appointment with some members. And we met a guy from England! He was super cool and his name was Graham. We talked to him for a little while and then he even accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon! Unfortunately he is going  home to England next month so we won't get to be the ones to teach him, but we at least got to meet him! He is awesome! Then we went to the Baba's house for dinner and a family home evening! It was super fun. We talked to them for a while and we had sushi! Which we had to make... I'm definitely
not pro at that yet. But it was still great! And they also accepted the challenge to pick a date and to find someone. It was a really fun time and we did some magic and played some games with them and it was a great FHE.

        Then on Saturday, we went to a Kendo meet. The Uematsu family invited us because Kokoro was competing! So we went and stayed for a little bit and it was really a cool thing to watch. Then we went home and did our regular studies! Yay!then we went out and tried to visit the person that we had an appointment with the day before, but he wasn't home. So we went housing and there were a few people that said that we could come back. And then we had dinner at McDonald's! It was good and
there were a ton of people there! Mostly high school students, but we didn't really get to talk to any of them. Then we visited with the Nonaka Fufu and Ooki Kyodai. We shared with them the message of member dendo and they all said they would try it too. So there are three more people who were added to our Army of Helaman.

        Then on Sunday, we had a great Sacrament Meeting! And one of our New investigators came! He is called Mizusawa, but that's not his real name. I can't remember his real name because it is in Persian. He is from Iran and is super funny! He comes to eikaiwa and he told us that he wanted to learn about Christianity and so we have started lessons. He came and even wore a suit! He looked pretty spiffy. Then that night we went and visited the Nasu family and shared a message with the
sisters about Christlike attributes. It was really good, the one that I got (we drew them out of a bowl) was Knowledge. So I guess that's a sign that I have to study harder. Or just better.

        But that's about it for this week! I hope you all had a good time and that you take advantage of the opportunities around you...but not the people!! Haha!

Have a great week!

Richerrun 長老

 Games with Baba family. 

 Kendo competition.

 Kokoro at Kendo.

 Magic tricks.  I had to do it twice because the kids didn't watch the first time.

 Part 1 with the Nasu family.

 Part 2.

 Part 3.

 Graham.

 Mizusawa came to church!

 Sports night!

Stuff and Stuff! :)

Hello!

        This week was really fast! We did a lot of stuff! First off, on Monday, we had our p-day and did the usual, because there is really nothing for missionaries to do in Fuji... Then we had a lesson with
Inoue! It was awesome! We talked about the plan of salvation. He thought that it was cool and we asked him to be baptized. He said that he would have to think about it because it was all new to him, but he didn't say that he was really opposed to the idea. Also, big news!!! He cleaned up his apartment a little bit! And believe me, a little goes a long way. He really said that he wants to change his life around. So cool! Then we went housing that night! Yay!

        Then on Tuesday we had a good time going up the mountain (pretty much) and tried to visit our Less active who is in an old folks home, but he was sleeping at the time and so we didn't want to bother him. And then we went to this park that is near there and there was a new museum, so naturally there are people there. So we went to talk to people there and there were some cool things in the park and then we popped in the museum really quickly and it was pretty cool, I got a picture of part of it, not sure if we were allowed to or not, but we did. Then we went to see some other people and visited Yoshimura. We asked what he was doing for golden week and he said nothing. (By the
way, it was golden week, which is like a bunch of holidays right in a row so most people have the week off and go visit family and whatnot). So we asked if Yoshimura wanted to play ping pong at the church and he said sure! So we decided to go do that on Thursday.

        So on Wednesday, we visited the Uematsu Family. They are so awesome! We got to talk about the Word of Wisdom with them and explain it better. They thought it was really good. And they wanted to know why all of it was bad, so we had a good time. Then we got to do a little English lesson with Kokoro-chan. It was way fun. That family is super awesome. The lesson was a little weird though because it was in the morning because they couldn't do it that night so they asked if they could do it in the morning because they didn't have work or school because of golden week. So on the way back it felt like it was about four in the afternoon but it was like around ten. So then we went back inside and finished our studies. Then went out and did a little housing while we were waiting for an appointment we had with a Canadian lady and the sisters and such. She is awesome! She believes basically the same as we do with just a few things that are different. We think that she will be really easy for the sisters to teach or really hard. She has some really cool ideas though, not gospel replanted, but still cool. Like she is really big into psychology and she told us about how to ask "clean questions" that don't lead the hearer into thinking about anything but watch they really think about. It is hard. But I think that it could be really effective in lessons so that we can know what the investigators are thinking about and not what they think based on an accidentally leading type question. But now we have passed a ton of investigators that we found housing to the sisters. I mean, shock, all the people who are home are the moms that don't work... Wow.

        Then on Thursday morning we had today shuffle our studies again because this was the day that we decided to play ping pong with Yoshimura. It was really fun, but then at the end we decided to drop him as an investigator because he just wants keeping commitments and has no desire to change. He took it really well though. Then we finished our studies and then did weekly planning! Yippee. But it was good. We got some good stuff planned and made some good goals. Then we went housing again and dropped another investigator because we have a rule where if you haven't met them in three weeks you have to drop them...so he was dropped.

        Then on Friday we had ZTM! It was really fun! It was the first on of the transfer so we got to meet some of the new people. And our zone is really fun! We all reviewed what we learned form Elder Choi's conference and how we can apply it in dendo. One of the things that he told us to do more than once was, if you don't like it... Like it. So the zone leaders took one of his examples literally and they went out and bought us all natto. Which Elder Hansen and I had already bought
some to eat this week and had been eating, so we were like oh, no big deal. (For those of you who don't know, natto is fermented soy beans, and a lot of people don't like it). So they made us all eat it and it was fun. It was a good training, and not just because there was food.

        Then for Saturday, we housed really close to our apartment and found a danchi that had a lot of gaijin and I got to use my mastered Spanish for two people. And we got to use our mastered Portuguese and found a family with our mad Portuguese skills. (Actually, we talked English with on of the daughters). And then we found a PI with my mad Spanish skills. So you know...masters of languages. Then we went to McDonalds! Yay! And we tried the new Clubhouse burger, but I got chicken. You know it be good my friends...so good. Get the golden set and they give you lemon soda and cheese for your fries!!! It is great!

        Then on Sunday, we had fast Sunday because you know last week was stake conference. So we got to have testimony meeting and it was great. Then we got to go around and talk to people ... imagine that! So we decided to do the thing where you pray whenever you come to an intersection you pray and ask where you go. We actually found a couple of people. Then we went housing!!! Again!!!

        Well that's about it for this week! I hope you all have a great time! And for the people that are a day or so behind me, Happy Mothers Day! I congratulate all you others for having children. And I respect all of you for dealing with them...especially through their teen age years. I would like to share a poem that i think is appropriate for the occasion.

The Name of Mother

“The noblest thoughts my soul can claim.
The holiest words my tongue can frame,
Unworthy are to frame the name
More sacred than all other.
An infant when her love first came,
A man, I find it just the same:
Reverently I breathe her name--
The blessed name of mother.”
                --George Griffith Fetter

Well I hope you have a great day and week and etc.

Love, Sister Richardson 長老

 

Left to right: (Sisters) Tyler, Yamaguchi, Graviet, Wynn, Talbot, Amada, Foote, Henderson, Yuasa
(Elders) Tallent, Burns, Myers, Baur, Iwaasa, Hansen, Walker, McClellan, Chinn, Yuasa, ME!

Hello, I'm Sister Richardson!

¡Hola! Cómo estás ? I had a little extra time one day, so as you can see, I have now mastered Spanish.

        So this week went by extremely quickly. We worked like normal on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but on Thursday, we had to go to another area to stay the night for a mission conference that we had on Friday.  And then on Friday we had the conference all day and made it home at about 22:15. The train rides were really long. But it was ok, because the conference was super great! We learned a ton! It was from Elder Choi of the Asia North Area Presidency and he is hilarious, but also
he really shared a good message.

        But before I get into that, let me tell about the other days of this week. On Monday, we had pday, then at night we had a lesson! We found a guy while we were housing and he is actually interested in what we have to say. We talked to him about God and who He is and who we are because of that. He had a couple of really good questions and so we know that he is actually thinking about what we are telling him.

        Then on Tuesday we went and visited a less active and then a former investigator and that was good. Then on the way home for dinner, we saw Inoue, the guy we had a lesson with the day before, and talked to him on the street. It is awesome because we learned a lot. He said that he wants to change his life right now and he is looking for a job and we asked if there was anything we could do to help and he was excited and asked if we would really help him. So we are trying to help him find something and then we are going to deal with his apartment. He is one of those guys that just stays inside all day and reads manga. And he is a NEET (young person who is not in education, employment or training). But it is ok. He really wants to change, so we are going to find a way to ask him if he needs help cleaning his apartment. Then we will have even more of the Spirit in the lessons with him.

       Then on Wednesday, we wore pink. LOL. But anyway, we were told to make sure our "Go-Bag" is ready for an emergency. It is a yellow bag that has emergency supplies, or at least it is supposed to. And so that afternoon we went and updated it and then Elder Hansen wanted to go over some first aid with me and so I got to feel like I was a scout camp again, but this time I was teaching someone who cared and who wasn't twelve. Yay. But it was good because it was the stuff we need to know in case of a real disaster.

        Then all of Thursday was spent on a train pretty much. We went to Okazaki with Elders Klein, Tsuru, and Yamada! It was way fun! They are really funny. And Elder Klein was Elder Hansen's trainer, (or in missionary terms "Father") and since Elder Hansen is technically my follow-up trainer, (the companion after you finish training completely, and in missionary terms "Mother") Elder Klein is my Grandpa! Family trees are weird. But it was really good! And there was a new sandwich at McDonald's! And when we were walking home from the mall where we ate and talked to people we passed a Starbucks and we saw the Sisters' Bikes so we walked in and it was... Sister Thompson and Sister Thomas! When I was in Gifu, Sister Thompson was one of the sisters there the whole time! So that was cool. And I accidentally introduced myself to sister Thomas as Sister Richardson. So you
know...whatever.

        Then Friday was more trains to Nagoya for the conference and the conference. Boy we learned a lot. He talked to us about how we can be more successful and what we need to change. One of the things he encouraged us to do, which at first sounds weird, is to sing in the shower room. And also throughout the day. Also we were told to raise our bar, just because things have been a certain way in the past, we don't need to live that anymore. We are here to preach repentance to people and help them to receive baptism so if they are not willing to do those things, we have to move on. So Elder Hansen and I realized that we need to give our investigators (well some of them) only one more chance and then move on so that we can find the people that are ready to receive the gospel. So we are going pretty heavy on keeping and making commitments.

        We learned a lot more about things but I don't want to type it all, so sorry, maybe later I will share more.  Then that night we rode trains home and it took a long time. We were so tired of it by the end.

        On Saturday, since we couldn't on Thursday, we did Weekly planning. It was good and we think that it was better to do it after the conference anyway because then we can immediately implement all of what Elder Choi told us to do. So we had some good planning and then we worked.

        Yesterday on Sunday, we had stake conference and it was really good! We had a guy named Mayama show up and we taught him a lesson. Elder Hansen had taught him before but he wasn't very responsive. But this time he was great! We told him that he is a child of God. So he was like, does that make me a heavenly being? And we said, well not yet, we aren't perfect yet right and he was like, true. So he was really interested in that and had a lot of really good questions like "if there is a Heavenly Father, is there a Heavenly Mother?" So that was really interesting. He really wants to know about the things that we can teach now, but he won't give us his address and has no phone, so
it is hard.

        Anyway, that's about it for my life this week, sorry, it was short and boring. But oh well, at least you all didn't have to live it!  Hahaha.

Sister Richardson 長老

 In Okazaki, The one building that just describes American.

 Emergency Evacuation Drill! Featuring Fuji! With special guest, The Go-Bag!

Big Koi for Children's Day

Contents of the Go-Bag.