An Answered Prayer

January 8, 2012

I love you all so much.  Dad, thanks for that little package of love.  This week was a super hard week.  I wish I could say it was better.  It had some really good points, but it was mostly covered by the difficult.  My Japanese has seen some improvements.  I dunno if people are talking easier to me or if I understand more.  People in this area are really relentless with Japanese and wonder why you don't understand them.  To answer that question, I really don't know if I will transfer at the end of the month.  I think this area will go back down to a two missionary area.  This next transfer, we have 16 people leaving and I think only like 5 or 6 coming in.  It will take a huge hit.  I love most of the people here, but I wouldn't mind leaving.  I love the area, I just haven't had the best of experiences and wouldn't mind putting them all behind me.

So let's talk about some good.  The Kasugai elders met with Brother Shinoda! I wrote him a letter that they gave him.  They were super nice to him.  He said he loved the Christmas letter and what you said about him made him feel really good.  The elders asked him if he wanted to see Sister Shinoda again, and he said he would do anything...which includes taking all the lessons.  He is doing it! Elder Ikdea asked him if he wanted me to perform his baptism, he said "of course if i do it".  So, pray for him, it'll happen.  It's sad the way it's happening with the death, but this could be a huge blessing. 

I started doing word flash cards,  it's helping a lot.  We had a total of zero show up for FHE haha that was awesome.  Something fun, I ate eel this week! It was pretty good, the texture is weird and you can still see some of the scales, but nonetheless, it was good.  Everyone in the apartment but me has been sick this past week.  Last man standing, me against them, if I get 50 kills, I'm invincible (Halo reference).  The game is infected.  We had a Korean food party on Saturday with all the youth.  It was pretty fun.  We ate chijimi. 

So I had some really hard days.  Almost four days of my companion not talking to me at all for no reason.  Three days this week we didn't leave the apartment til 5 because I begged the other companionship to let us come with them.  One day I just got on my knees and prayed so hard for help.  What I needed to do to help Him and try to get more work going.  I apologized that I had never prayed this diligently before, but I needed His help.  Everyone went to bed early, I laid in bed just thinking and hoping an answer would come.  The phone rang and it was Elder Hollister from the honbu (mission home).  He asked how I was and I said I was good, then he asked if everything was alright and i said ya.  He just replied with, `are you sure?`  I just told him what had been going on and he asked a few questions.  At the end, he simply said, `are you being completely obedient`? I said, 'of course'.  He said, `That's my boy. Just do everything you can to be obedient and be an example.  That's all you can do.  The best is all we and the Lord asks of you.`  Then right before he hung up I thanked him and he just said, `Of course. I just had a strong prompting I needed to call my son.  I love you`. THAT was an answer to my prayers.  I just rolled over in bed on my knees and just said thank you.  It was amazing. He does answer prayers, we just have to knock and He will answer.

I love this, as much as times can be really hard, I grow from them.  I'm excited about you guys and love you. I'm excited for the opportunity of the brothers, and maybe Caroline, of serving missions.  This is great.  Have fun, don't do anything stupid.  Jake, get up earlier

From the man

Elder Parry

A Little Bit Frustrating

January 1, 2012

Elder Parry with one of his Christmas packages.

One of the awesome treats in his package!

Darth Maul Light Saber Chopsticks!

It sounds like a pretty exciting week at home! I can't believe Sister Eyring had her homecoming, I saw her the day she went into the MTC, time has just flown.  Good for her, and I'm excited to see Dad's talk.   Yesterday was Elder Hollister's birthday, so I called him to wish him a happy birthday.  He said I have a ton of stuff in the honbu (mission home) including a packaged item from dad, so I'm excited for this week.  No, I felt no earthquake, what happened?  Fun little fact, the guy who plays Napoleon Dynamite served in this mission.  Ya pretty awesome.

So this week had its many ups and downs, mostly frustration.  This week was not a highlight.  We had some good things happen though.  I told the others that we need to host a Family Home Evening every week so we started last week! Only three other people showed up, but we did Jenga, shared a short message and had a small treat.  The Bishop announced it in Sacrament Meeting, so more people should come now.  We told everyone to invite friends or neighbors that have interest.  I'm thinking this will help things pick up here in Kariya.

We had a great new family come to eikeiwa (English class)this week.  Self referral.  We had a fun time at eikeiwa, which is good because that day was not an enjoyable one.  But the guy loves sports and working out.  He has a league for over 20 baseball.  He wants me and Hiruta to come play for him! He said, you can wear your tag over the jersey so you can still represent hahaha I'm so excited.  We have been playing catch in the mornings and I have the church's bat and I take some practice swings haha its awesome.  He shows a real interest in the church, which is better.

This lady in our ward, who already gave me a huge blanket for Christmas, gave us a bunch of furniture this week! She moved houses and the new house came with a bumch of newer stuff.  It's awesome, our apartment feels a lot more homey and has a lot more space.  We also have gotten a TON of food from people, including Taco Bell sauce and seasoning, peanut butter, and other American foods from a member.  So great.

We met with a new investigator, his name is Romero.  He is the nicest guy I have ever met.  He took us out to lunch at a small Italian cafe.  He kept ordering food and is just so nice.  He speaks very simple Japanese and English.  We asked him how his Book of Mormon reading has gone, and he said in broken English "I love this book.  When I read it, I feel so peaceful and happy.  I feel like I am flying".  I felt the Spirit so strong.  He actually does sky diving as a hobby which is cool.  He has to work 16 hours a day to support his family, so he doesn't have a lot of time to meet or go to church.  I KNOW HE WANTS IT, he just needs a little help from the time God above. Because of him, Elder Momose and I are going to learn how to do a simple prayer in Portuguese.  It will be very short and simple, but I think it will touch his heart if he hears it in his own language.

So New Years was....yeah.  Japan didn't prove any parties or anything.  It wasn't any different to me, less of a party than America.  We had nabe Saturday night at a members which is good, but nabe is bad news for a white shirt.  It was a long ongoing battle.  New Years Day was probably the worst day of me mission so far.  Church was church.  Then a member took us to his house to eat.  The food sucked, everything was raw, vegetables, or tasted like soggy bread.  I always get `amari` and `zen zen` and those kind of adverbs mixed up, so I guess when she asked me if I didn't like all the food I said yes.  The brother got angry and said it was Japanese culture.  I felt so bad.  First, they should understand I still can't understand.  Second, I had a companion who didn't back me up or help. I was super angry.  Then, we were there until 9:00 and we showed up at 3:00.  It sucked.  It really wasn't fun at all and I was frustrated.  I kinda figured out that the second week of transfers is just no good, and frustrating.  Hopefully it improves.

I love you all, I'm glad New Years was fun and enjoyable.  I really do love you all.  Thank you for all the love and support.

The Elder Shortboob

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

December 18, 2011

Hello!

So this week sounds like it was a crazy one for the fam. It was also a very crazy one for me. To start, I'm so sorry about Sister Shinoda. I was shocked to see that email. She has called several times since I have been in Kariya. She wanted to go get food. I hope Brother Shinoda still wants to, we would love to take him.

So as I said, this week was crazy. Elder Kishi became the comesarian (supply elder) so he left on Wednesday to get special training at the honbu (mission home). So I got put with the other two elders in my apartment until today. I'm staying in Kariya. My new companion is the one Kishi is replacing, haha yes he is nihongin (Japanese) too. He is very cool. I've met him several times. This should be very fun. I know he will wanna get right to work since he has been in the honbu since before I started my mission. He goes home pretty soon too, so more motivation to go! and my Japanese will continue to improve.

Well, we kinda had a funeral too this week. Sad to say that now. Elder Kekauoha is going home today, so for district meeting we did an awesome testimony meeting and had a little funeral party. It was fun, we left and got some food afterwards. Oh ya, and since Kishi left, I had the phone. I didn't want it but I had it. I ended up talking to Elder K like every night, it was awesome. I will miss him, he was so fun and an awesome missionary.

We had two Christmas parties on Saturday. One for the ward and one for a member's school. She teaches English at a school for like 4th graders age. So we had some fun playing games and helping her out. Our ward one was like any regular one in Utah, not too special. And actually we had another party on Wednesday for a Homes Without a Father Organization. It was great to introduce the church to them and just to give service to them. We had to make almost 200 sandwiches for the party.

Talked to Sefa yesterday at church for a long time. Talked about his mission. He gave each of us a Mon ($100) for Christmas haha, I might go buy a new suit. It was pretty awesome. I'm glad everything at home is going great, I love you. Here's the info for calls next week. Either we talk on mine or your Christmas. Yours would be better. The call can only be about 45 minutes. So there you go! Let me know!

Elder Parry

Visit from a Seventy

December 11, 2011

Are you kidding me?! Pujols to the Angels!?!? That is just crazy. That's not as big of a deal as I thought he was gonna sign for.  He's in the AL now, tough goin'. I want the AL to come back and be the best league again.  I'm done with this NL crap haha, sounds pretty exciting.  I had no idea that Europe was even on anyone's minds.  A ton of Japanese people here want to go to Germany.  I think that's a weird tourist attraction.  But whatever, they all want to.

I'm glad everything at home is going well, this was for sure a week to remember.  We had Elder Gary E. Stevenson come talk to our mission last Wednesday.  We all got to meet and talk to him before.  His wife is a Higley (Sam's teacher's husbands are her brothers) so it was a great connection.  They said they love the area where we live.  She wanted to move there, but he got called an area 70 so they live in Tokyo haha, quite a difference.  The meeting was amazing though.  I seriously have the best mission president anyone could have.  He brought the spirit in so strong and it was so great to listen.  Elder Stevenson was the best too.  He said a lot of things that were answers to my prayers. Those experiences are ones that I will never forget.

So next a quick sidenote, I was looking at the conference Liahona, and Dad, is that your friend Henry from Colombia? It's in the first half. I saw it and knew it looked familiar.  And another thing, some people from the Okazaki Ward yesterday said you were in a Liahona years ago and that you are famous. What is this?! Awesome, my dad is famous everywhere.

We had a pretty fun ping pong party with some investigators and recent converts.  I am getting so good haha, it was a lot of fun though.  Japanese are way good at it. They consider it a sport, pathetic.

Elder Heo got a $150 package of kimchee the other day.  It smells awful.  He was so excited.  He said it was real. I had it and it tasted no different from any kimchee I had had.  Everything smelled so awful.  Yesterday, I had a drink of milk and it tasted like kimchee.  I got super angry.  You know what I do when I'm angry, I took all the kimchee and threw it out on the deck and said to him in a raised voice to never bring the kimchee back in the apartment.  He was bummed and angry all day, but the other elders were really happy I did it too.  Japanese people are too conservative.

I went on a pretty fun exchange on Friday.  I went with Elder Kekaouha.  He is from Hawaii and he goes home next week so I was his last exchange.  It was a lot of fun.  He served in Kariya for a while, so we visited people he wanted to see and did TIM TAM SLAMS! Best things ever.

Saturday, I had to take him back to Nonami, then go to Toyohashi, then to Meito and back home.  So since you don't know how long this is, it was about 7 hours on a train and almost $70 of train tickets.  It was a very long day.  But it was fun to go around and see places.  I have been to every area of this zone. Pretty cool.

We went to go watch the Christmas devotional yesterday.  Good thing we only made it for President Monson's talk and I was the only English speaker.  It kinda made me angry, Japanese people have the worst sense of time. Yes, worse than Mormons and Polys, haha oh well. As you can see it was a pretty fun week.  I love you all, haven't got the package yet.  Enjoy Europe and home, talk to you soon!

Elder Parry

200 Oranges & a Vinegar Museum

December 4, 2011

Sounds like a very exciting week! I do wish I could've been there to experience it and help out (major wind storm and clean up).  That would've been fun to do.  But to be completely honest, not a lot happened this past week.  We started out by going to an all-you-can eat sushi place last Monday and using the Sefa Mon.  It was amazing.  Have you had ebiabocado? It's shrimp, lettuce, mayo and avocado.  BEST THING EVER!!! I loved it and it was sooo good.  I had probably 10 plates of  just that. So yes that was very fun.  One of our ward members gave us about 200 oranges, so we made homemade orange juice with them.  We ended up with about 6 or 7 gallons, so that was fun too haha.

We had a six-month party last Thursday! I can't believe how fast it has gone.  It has been one awesome ride.  We had ton katsu and homemade orange juice, of course.  I cooked dinner five times this past week! I made some way good sweet and sour chicken but the nihonjin said it was too sweet, haha it was really good though. 

We have been getting a lot of calls from the APs this past week about my companionship, one of our investigators and a lot of stuff.  It is crazy. I feel like we are in the middle of everything in the mission.  Even President Baird has called a few times.  In this situation, as a missionary, I don't like having the spotlight like this.  Usually the spotlight is great, but not like this here.  It's hard, but I think it will stop this week and things should improve.  Transfers ends at the end of next week and I can't believe it, I swear it just started.

 

So I had an argument with the other elders on what is better, American or Japanese girls haha. Obviously it's American haha, it was pretty funny though.  We had some fun meals on Saturday.  We made this way good chicken, then this member called and said he was coming over to pick us up and take us to a less active's house.  So we ate way fast, but it was way hot, so we kept burning our mouths and just going haha.  It was a funny scene.  Then when he came, he had Big Macs for us, so we struggled through those.  Then this family took us to an all-you-can-eat Italian Restaurant.  We struggled through that.  Yes, that was a difficult day haha.  The member ended up taking us to a vinegar museum.  Ya, it was weird.  I didn't know vinegar deserved a museum, but when the tour ended, all the nihonjin ran for the store and bought a bunch of vinegar.  It was entertaining.

Well, that's the update from the big easy over seasy! I hope things clear up over there.  Sounds like an adventure though!  Love you all so much!

Elder Parry

aka shortboob

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