Happy Thanksgiving

I had a fun idea someone told me about, their mom gave them a scavenger hunt for the mission.  A list of things that the missionary has to get a picture by, I thought that sounded fun.  So I'm glad things at home are were really fun! I guess it's not really home, but whatever. 

Thanksgiving was great, remember how I said I went on an exchange that day?  Well guess what? It was with Elder Hollister in Kasugai!!!  Haha it was so fun.  President Baird asked us to do three things: service, have a nice meal, and write home.  So I did all three.  We helped this guy clean his car yard again.  That was fun until the sun went down and Elder Hollister and I only had shorts and a t-shirt on.  It got down to 6 degrees celcius.  Haha, we are morons, it was very fun, and on the bike ride back we were struggling haha.  We went to the church to make the dinner.  That was really fun. We failed on the yams, and I forgot the jello, but it was amazing.  Actually, there was so much food, I prepared a second dinner on Saturday for the Kariya elders with chicken, and the Jello and a success for the yams.  It was so awesome.  I had so much fun in Kasugai. 

Actually, Elder Hollister came to do the baptismal interview the next day and our investigator got baptized! But he came and did it and we all hung out all morning.  Making a Mission Impossible video (because that's the only song I remember from all my years of piano haha) and played some ping pong.  Elder Hollister`s companion was in Kariya for 10 months, so ward members came to be with him.  It was a lot of fun.

Saya got baptized! It was great.  The meeting went great, except she was really loud and distracting at times.  I feel that Japanese people mature slower, but whatever.  It was great.  She made it on the first dunk, so Elder Hiruta called it a 'first round knockout'.  I guess their last baptism took like three times haha.  We had a party after with her family and some ward members.  We made okunamiaki, tacoyaki, Korean food, and cake.  Cake isn't the same, not at all.  But it was really fun!

So things with Elder Kishi were tough this week.  I feel like my MTC experience was very good for me, because the patience I learned there is helping me now.  It's tough, he's not nearly the worker Elder Hollister is, and it's hard to lead when you don't know the language like your companion.  This ward is different too, people think I know way more Japanese than I do and are just relentless. It's kind of a downer sometimes.  But luckily I got give other gaigin in the ward!

Things are awesome. I'm thankful to be on a mission and to have a great family that loves and supports me back home. I love all of you and wish for the best! I hope you enjoy the letter that will come from this neck of the woods.

Wanna know something cool about being in Japan?  I am a gaigin, which is translated to foreigner.  I have this thing call gaigin power.  I am bigger than almost every one, and I stand out like pee in the snow.  People always move out of the way for me haha. I bumped into someone and said excuse me because it was my fault.  They looked up and saw I was a gaigin and were all sorry and scared haha.  But because I have gaigin power, everyone wants to talk to me so that really helps! Even though I can't speak well, they just love listening to me and they think it's crazy I know any in the first place.  So yes, that is awesome.

           

I  just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and how thankful I am to be out here serving a mission.  I officially hit my 6 month mark and time has flown by.  I am 1/4 done and I know it will go even faster now.  I am thankful to be out here together as a band of brothers doing our Savior's work for Him.  As President Eyring said this last conference, 'Push yourself beyond your endurance.  Work past the point others would've taken a rest.'  Do the work and have fun.  I am thankful for this short opportunity. HOIZA! (Hope of Isreal Zion's Army)

Sponpon,

Elder Parry

Sefa Mons

Well Hellooo!

Things are quite different here in Kariya.  I have only met like three investigators.  But one of them is getting baptized this Sunday!  It's so cool.  And Elder Kishi makes me teach most of the lessons to her so I actually feel like a big part of this one.  Her name is Saya and she is about 18.  Her mom is less active and the rest of her family are like non existent members.  But through her baptism, hopefully the rest of the family will come back to church!

Yes I got the package.  That was for two people?  Gosh, there's enough in there to feed like six.  I'm going on an exchange Thursday (Thanksgiving).  I don't know where or with who.  I have a good possibility of going to Kasugai!  Which would be awesome.  I don't know what's going on yet though.  Thursday is President Baird's birthday actually. He said proselyte in the morning and have a nice meal in the afternoon and be thankful for what you have.  So that will be fun.

 

So this week, Elder Kishi has decided to put carrots in many random spots that I frequently go to.  So that's fun seeing those all over the place haha.  I also wrestle at least one of the other elders every night.  It's so funny.  The Korean is so weak its funny.  I lose respect every day for Koreans because of him.  He always uses my loofa! And my body wash! I know it's the rule 'what's yours is mine' on the mission, but that's personal!  And he doesn't ask before he uses anything!

Oh my goodness, these elders can really cook.  It's amazing! We`ve had so much I don't even know the names of.  They are making me learn to cook so I can do all of it too.  I started making a recipe book too haha. 

So, I met the coolest ward member yesterday.  His name is Sefa.  He's a returned missionary, Tongan.  Yes, I was rejoicing that I got to see a Polynesian.  He is probably 6'4" and about 280 pounds of pure muscles.  By far the biggest guy I have EVER seen.  No joke. I can't explain it.  He loves the missionaries.  He plays professional rugby here which is so tight.  He said he would play with us sometime.  He also is so rich he just gives us mons ($100) every time he sees us.  I guess they are called Sefa Mons.  Haha.

Things are different.  I get really frustrated sometimes with Elder Kishi.  He likes to hang out at people's houses for too long.  I have been praying hard this week to know what to do! I love you all and am so thankful for you all! Have fun in the dirty AZ!

You are so dumb, for realz,

Elder Parry

Pocky Day

November 13, 2011

OK, so this is gonna have to be quick because we get less time to email here in Kariya.  Kariya is pretty great. Elder Kishi is a complete goof. If Ramsey were Japanese, he would be Elder Kishi for sure.  He is a goof and it's fun to work with him, he's not as hard of a worker as Elder Hollister is but we`re gonna make it! The apartment is awesome. We have four people that live in our apartment, a bean and Elder Hiruta! We were in the MTC together and I love him, he`s so awesome and funny.   It really is way fun.  Japanese all the time is tough, but I can already see improvement.  They speak very good English though, so if I can't get a sentence I just say it in English and they understand most of the time.  It's all fun though.  the apartment is very big, 7th floor, has a park across the street we go play like soccer, basketball, catch, and frisbee every morning, but there is a train track behind the apartment that goes off all the time. Other than that it's great. They can all really cook, so that's fun. and there's a workout room so that's a bonus.  I actually really like nato! Everyday for breakfast: nato, tuna, and rice haha.

Last Monday was a complete frenzy, I was running all over packing and writing meishis (notes on the back of business cards) for people.  It was a mess. I already know a few things I left behind. Haha that's ok though, it's not too hard to get.

So since I have 3 roommates who can't speak much English, I had to teach eikeiwa (English class)! It was a literal disaster. The people in the class can't speak English at all so they didn't help at all.  And the elders didn't tell me how they do the class, so the whole time I was just wingin' it and the class people had problems the whole time.  One very nice lady said that I just barely got here so give me a break. That was nice.  I was so frustrated haha.  I can already see improvement in my Japanese. its hard in lessons because they speak Japanese to each other and it's hard to keep up.  But it will come.

So Friday was Pocky day (11/11/11)! So yes we had a huge party. I would send pictures, but it's a public computer so I can't connect it.  Sorry.  We had so much Pocky (chocolate covered pretezel sticks).  Like $20 worth. We played ping pong and ate Pocky with an investigator. It was way fun. Nihonjin (Japanese) are super weird, but it was way fun!

We had stake conference yesterday.  President Baird and Elder Stevensen of the Seventy spoke.  I got to see people from Kasugai! It was awesome and a pretty fun, relaxing day.  So as you can see, besides moving and the people, nothing special really happened.  I was told something really cool by Elder Hollister. He had someone tell him that right when he gets off the plane from Japan to go to the temple.  He said after the session to report how the mission was and just talk to the Lord.  That was something really cool that I wanna do!  I love you all, thanks for all the love, support and prayers!

Elder Parry

Transferred

Sounds like a great week from home!

OK, transfers were this morning, drum roll......................................................I got transferred to Kariya. Kinda disappointed, but I know I am supposed to go there. I got a companion who speaks no English....yes, NO English. I don't know what to do haha.  But the Lord knows it will work out, so I'm just gonna do my best.

We had the baptism yesterday and it was awesome! Tan Kyodai is so awesome. He was so happy and he shared his testimony and was just smiling and all over the place. When he got the Holy Ghost, it was so awesome, I like felt it ran down my arms into him.  That was such an awesome experience.  In fact on Saturday, he invited us over to his place to check it out. While we were over there, his roommate was asking us questions and he became a new investigator! He said when he gets baptized he wants Tan to do it.  Good thing I won't be there...this week was really awesome though.

We had a waffle party on Saturday, that made me really happy. I have a question, could you send me some pictures of me playing football and baseball? Like real photo copies please, those would be fun to show people.

Other than the baptism, I can't really think of anything that really stands out for this past week. We went and blew up air bags at a members house, that was fun. They go flying haha!

I'm doin' pretty good though. Pretty nervous for the next six weeks. It will be baptism by fire. I don't really have a solid ground in Japanese, so I'm really nervous. I'm just gonna be packing today and trying to write letters I haven't been able to write for a few weeks. We have had to wear suits and it's still bloody hot, so that's no fun. Man, me and Elder Hollister had a great time. I was praying we'd stay together this next transfer. It's ok though it will work out.

Sorry this email isn't as long, I don't have a lot to say. I love everything a lot and miss y'all!

Elder Parry