New Investigator

March 25, 2012

This was a great email from home. Thank you so much. I was so glad to hear about all the fun going on at home! I can't believe The Hunger Games came out already. I swear it was coming out next year, but I guess 2012 isn't next year anymore. I'll be sure to wish Sister Baird a happy birthday. She has been a great help to me since being out here. I'm really glad Boog got the letter. I was sitting around and felt like I needed to send him a note, so I did. As dad keeps telling me, even when you don't know why, follow the promptings and great things will happen.

So this week was the most awful/great week. It wasn't that awful or that great. Let me explain. We have been teaching members about getting ready for conference because most people don't. People have been coming up to us thanking us a bunch. On Wednesday, we visited like five people, and only one went smoothly. One investigator who has an impossible accent, went off for like 45 minutes on stupid questions, then we asked him to read the introduction and he did it right there out loud. We then visited a member and she went off on why there are no missionaries in China, how long by plane does it take to get to Salt Lake City, and she had a friend she referred us too who is a devil worshipper. Then we visited Narita, who is on the downhill pretty fast, and Mochizuki Kyodai taught all three lessons in an hour and it was just so long and hard to pay attention. We visited that referral and he went off in his even more impossible accent about why there would be a God if his wife has cancer and son has depression for 2 HOURS! Then he kept telling us we sucked at Japanese and needed to study. I told him we needed to go. He then followed us out. I told the member at church and she thanked me and said she was gonna set up an appointment to meet and teach him in his house. I refuse to go, I won't go. Waste of time.

So that was tough, but we got a new investigator! A referral from a friend in Spain. He is Ronal Kakiguchi. Way nice. He was way excited when he figured out who we were. He seems pretty sick or very unhealthy, but he is a prepared person. Prepared Son of God!

We had a fun dinner last night. It was with Suzuki Shimai, she is from the Mueller Park 4th Ward but has been living in Japan for almost eight years. The Kawasakis were also there. They are the nicest people ever. They are just the friends to everyone. Everyone who needs help or friends, that's them. They make dinner for different people every Sunday night. It's the best, I love them! God works his hands through his children, and I have been a witness of it many a times. We had a great time just talking and having fun. By the way, she graduated from Bountiful in 1996, any of the uncles graduate close to her? I though Ryan, I'm not sure.

This was a real growing week, had a lot of fun and I loved it. I love being out here and seeing God's miracles on a daily basis!

Your Missionary

Elder Parry

Cherry Blossoms

March 18, 2012
Sounds like a crazy week at home. Things were pretty crazy here too! I absolutely love Elder Schade. He is transfer 4, half Japanese, but didn't speak it before. He is from Heber, Utah and loves soccer. It is so much fun. He stayed in the BYU halls right across the street from me. We have had a pretty good week together. There was a lot of drama last week during transfers. Elders Ashcroft and Dinkel became trainers. Kariya closed down. Momose went home early. We had an emergency transfer because a ward mission leader had a recent convert die at his house and he blamed it on the missionaries. Things are just crazy, you'd think we were the Dallas Cowboys.

I had an awesome birthday.  I took Iwata to the train station early and switched with Bardzinski because we both didn't transfer. We didn't have p-day, so we took advantage. Thanks for the awesome birthday package! We went and looked at SAKURA (cherry blossoms) boo ya again. Then we went to the dollar store and timed ourselves for 15 minutes and found as much funny English as possible. Then we went to the suit store and Elder Bardzinski  asked the lady if they had any 'birthday suits' hahaha.  She was serious and took my size and led me to some suits. She said lighter birthday suits are the best. We asked the price. It was around $500. Birthday suits in Japan are around $500 I guess, hahaha.

We had a ton of rain this weekend. I got plastered. We rode our bikes about 36 kilometers and my rain gear didn't even fight it off completely so I got soaked. But on the way, they had a dog frisbee contest, so we watched that for a while haha.

We taught Mirei and the lesson went pretty well. I invited her to baptism at the end and she accepted. except when I gave her a date, she said she couldn't do it because her family is Buddhist and her boyfriend won't let her (he is 66, she is 36, that's already messed up) she said she'll come to church in secret and get baptized if she can get an answer.

I talked with Elder Ashcroft, Eiji and his family became investigators! He said it's getting harder and harder to teach Shinoda san. He is getting more stubborn and fights every question. I called him trying to tell him to not worry too much and just let the missionaries talk. They're losing faith in him.  He said they will keep teaching him though.

We finished the week with a game night with a family from the ward. It was very fun. They are a nice cute little family. It's good to be here with an American, it's good to have support from the ward, it's good to be the king haha.

Elder Parry

Awesome Miracles

So you guys are gonna hate me, maybe not as much as Iwata hates me right now, but transfer calls are in an hour and I'm e-mailing now.  We are busy after calls so we have to e-mail now.  Some people are taking us out for lunch for my birthday, which reminds me HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD hope you have a great day.  I just realized that it's not your birthday there, well I guess I am the first so ha I win! Haha that sounds way awesome from Spring Training. That's way awesome how Sam and Isaac got to be bat boys for the Angels and be so close with everyone, especially The Machine (Albert Pujols).  I got the package and I have to wait until tomorrow to open it.  The Numazu Elders are coming over tonight and we are all gonna celebrate because one of them for sure will transfer.  But for that next package, I'm on the last of the serum, so I probably need that.  I don't know what's in the birthday package, so I have nothing I need haha.

This week was amazing.  We had some awesome miracles.  We did sports night and I was doing so bad at basketball.  I had to get a new brace because my knee had been swelling up haha.  It's ok now though.  It was way fun playing volleyball, my team won 25-4, we did pretty good.  We did an exchange after that and that was really fun and awesome.  Elders Iwata and Bardzinski found an investigator while I was gone! He is a way tough investigator, he just asked the most irrelevant questions for two hours. 

Yes I got the birthday package and the package from dad.  I didn't wait--thanks for the shirt! It's way awesome.  I also got a package from Thomas which made me way happy.  His pictures look so fun.   And he sent real candy from America.  And I got a way sweet tie from him.  He's the man.

I had been praying for new eikeiwa (English class) students this week.  Right before it began I got a random call from two guys who didn't know how to get to the church, so I helped them. They are two 26 year olds, play in a band, way chill and nice guys.  I asked them how they found us.  He said he found an eikeiwa pass a long card in the bathroom at the train station and it said to invite a friend, so he did and they came! How awesome is that!? We talked about the introduction to the Book of Mormon and they had never heard of Christ, the Book of Mormon, or the Bible.  They were all like this must be great stuff they are the words of prophets and God right?  Two new investigators!  Booya.  It was way awesome and I know it wasn't a coincidence. 

Good last DTM (district meeting) of the transfer.  Masuda Shimai is dying (going home) today, so we did a funeral and had some fun. We talked about eikeiwa so it was all in English and we sang the national anthem for the opening song.  We did a pot luck after and had some amazing food.  We then had a lesson with Mirei. She speaks fluent English so I do all the lessons.  After we taught her Lesson 2 (Plan of Salvation), I asked her to pray.  She said 'Heavenly Father, please help me to know if this is true, sorry I only prayed once this week, I will try to pray more.  Thank you for all my many things that make me happy,....'  It was a way awesome prayer and just filled me with the spirit. 

Now the not so great.  Elder Iwata got lost going to an appointment and on the way home.  It was pouring rain and I wasn't going too fast.  I lost him for almost 30 minutes one of the times.  On the way home, he went a different way home and I didn't know because I was leading. I was furious at him and didn't talk to him the rest of the night.  We had a bit of a disagreement and I told him that he speaks too honorifically with me and it's really hard for a foreigner to understand his Japanese.  I was furious.  I had to go sit in the bathroom for like 20 minutes to settle down. 

Well, I love you all, I'll stay on until the calls come and give you an update when it happens.  Happy Birthday again!

The Boob The Boob The Boob

Elder Parry

Note from Becky:  Evan's companion was transferred today and he received a new companion, an American named Elder Shade. 

Rainy Days

Hello!

Unfortunately, it is raining pretty dang hard here, so we weren't able to see the waterfalls.  ut the member still took us to a way far less active's house and took us exploring after.  He also took us to a steak house.  He is so nice.  We said when you guys pick me up he would take us all exploring.  I got some way sweet pictures.  We went to Iwa Moto Yama last week! It was way cool.  It was about a 800-meter hike up a mountain that had a bunch of temples and shrines.  Then at the top, they had different platforms that could look out over the ocean, city, and over to Fuji, but Fuji wasn't visible that day.  It has been really cold and rainy for almost the past two weeks.  It is kinda of miserable, but whatever, it has to go on.

I talked with Shinoda-san on the phone for a while.  He is kinda struggling and he keeps throwing fits with the Elders and being way stubborn.  This is going to be a long process.  Elder Ashcroft told me they have taught him the three kingdoms five times and he still doesn't understand. Please remember him in your prayers.

We went to an all-you-can-eat pizza place, so good haha, but still not american.  We had a lesson at the investigator's house with six cats, including the Godzilla one.  I like to call it Jabba, like from Star Wars haha.  I had fur all over me after a good hour lesson.  Speaking of lessons, they were so hard this week.  Elder I took control and spoke for 90% of the time, the spirit was never present, and we always left the investigator feeling more confused than before.  Not very fun.

We had an interesting exchange on Thursday.  The four of us went to this yakisoba place in a temple, then we split up.  The elder I was with realized he left his bag on the train.  We had to go all the way to Hamamatsu to go get it.  It's like a two and a half hour train ride.  We then had to come back and go straight to eikeiwa (English class).  We got a new student! I was scared though, because we have three older ladies who are just so mean to everyone.  But only one came and elder Bardzinski just completely shut her down the whole time.  She tried to tell him where Sydney was in Australia, he is from Australia, and he just told her "I'm Australian, so sit down".  It was funny, and awesome. Haha, I hope she doesn't come back.

I got letters from Thomas and Kevin this week! I was so happy.  I hadn't gotten mail for a long while before that.  That's about it from this week.  Not too much happened, just the normal.  I almost killed Iwata, that's about normal too.  I'm hoping for a change on my birthday next week.  Well, that's all folks!

Love you,

Elder Parry

P.S. Elder Bardzinksi saw the picture of the family and told me to tell Caroline that he thought she looked very pretty in the picture.

Elder Shinoda Parry

Shelom!

This week was very hard, and had some good involved.  I think it all started when I broke a mirror in our apartment last Monday.  Like I needed more bad luck than I already have haha.  Before I begin, I wanna tell you something cool.  I had a feeling about a month ago to write Thomas's brother, Louie, who is in jail.  I got a letter back from him and he was so awesome and loving and nice.  He kept saying over and over again how grateful he was for me and you guys for taking care of Thomas.  I told him when he gets out in August, that he was more than welcome to visit you guys at the house.  He told me several times to thank you for everything.

We had a bad start to Tuesday but it turned into an amazing day.  I just prayed for a better attitude and help and it worked! I was all over the place.  It did help that the ward is taking food to Narita.  He was ten times happier! And I got to also see a cat that weighs about 25 pounds! It was the biggest and fattest cat I have ever seen! It made me laugh out loud.  All the rest of her 5 cats are pretty normal though haha.  And I was in a weird mood for katsu so we rode around looking for katsu for a while.  In fact, I'm eating some right now too hahah.

We had a fun exchange between three companionships.  I stayed with Elder Hilyard (Woods Cross High School), Elder Bardzinski stayed in Numazu with Elder Nelson, a Zone Leader, and Elder Iwata went to Hamamatsu with Elder Hiruta.  We met up the next day at District Meeting and had a way fun time! We just did a family home evening for our meeting and it was way fun.  We played a game and had a short spiritual message and had refreshments.  I was Papa Parry and we had Mama Masuda, haha it was funny. 

Saturday was tough.  We rode about 40 miles on our bikes.  We had planned to meet 9 people and met with none! No one was home! Another fun thing, I had to give a talk yesterday but didn't know until they announced it haha.  I did a nice 10 minute talk on scripture power on the spot.  Boo ya.  Another thing before I forget, next p-day a member is taking us to the water falls at the base of Mt. Fuji, so I will email later that day, sorry, it will be very late for you guys.

Hope you enjoyed your week.  Mine was good, Elder Iwata is actually a really hard comp but he wants to work and be obedient so it's good.  All the Shimai (sisters) in the district asked the gaijin (Americans) what our 'Japanese name' is.  I was proud to say mine is Shinoda haha, so my Japanese name is that haha.

From Elder 'Shinoda' Parry

Evan Gave Himself a Haircut?

 Well Hello!

Sounds like things are going great/not/exciting back home.  I would probably say that's how this week was for me too haha.  Gosh Grandma she can't stay at her house for very long huh? That stinks, really stinks, about Isaac. I guess I could say that my Valentine's day was better.  We had Zone Conference and it was pretty great.  I got to be with President and Sister Baird and Elder Hollister.  It was great and we had a lot of fun.  I got the package, thanks a lot! I gave some of the chocolates to Nishimuro Shimai because it was her birthday.  It was a really fun day.  We have 16 missionaries in this zone and 4 are going home after this transfer, it's crazy.  We had a pretty good time and it was very spiritual as well.  After the conference, Elder Hilyard and I went on an exchange, we got back pretty late so we didn't do much.  We did eat some Mexican with the tortillas you sent! Amazing as always.  The mission home got a new couple so we haven't gotten reimbursed for money in a long time.  So we have been getting by with little money, but I needed a haircut.  So i found some clippers in our apartment and did it myself.  Haha it looks really good! It's a lot  better than the ones I have had in Japan so far. It's really short so I won't have to cut it again for a while.   

So cool story from last p-day.  There is this kimono shop that has always caught my eye.  I went in just to look at the beautiful dresses.  This lady showed me to a side room that had little pieces of kimono for like 400 yen each.  I looked and wanted a bunch.  I picked out four I couldn't decide between.  She and her husband were like "You're missionaires right"? "You come here for two years and teach about your church and learn Japanese right"? I was so surprised, I said that was exactly us.  The guy was like you can have all four for 1000 yen.  Haha it was so cool, they were way nice.  We talked for a good while after.

So I read those baseball articles Dad sent.  Baseball is not baseball in Japan. Someone in my ward said that they play yakkyu and we play baseball haha, I'm so happy I played in America where I could have fun and not get beat all the time.  I did eat crap on my bike again this week.  I couldn't make it over the stupid lip of the curb and just rolled over and rolled for like 10 feet.  I was already not enjoying that day.  In fact, I didn't enjoy a lot after DTM on Friday to Sunday night.  Elder Iwata is starting to get on my nerves bad.  He is extremely oblivious and has absolutely no relationship skills.  He also doesn't even care I'm senior.  He goes behind my back and makes appointments and doesn't tell me.  He does that same stuff throughout the day,  changing appointments and not telling me. Luckily he can't understand any English, so if I'm mad or need it, I call the other missionaries and vent.  It's super hard. I guess he's been this bad before too.

We went bowling Saturday night.  People in Japan can't do sports at all.  I don't try at sports and win by a lot all the time, haha its pretty awesome.  But we have this investigator who has depression problems and doesn't have money to buy food.  I have been praying for weeks to get support from members and get them to want to do missionary work.  Yesterday, they met together and planned who was going to make dinner for him every night for almost a month! I was so happy when I heard.  I think this will bring the ward together and get them to want to help us out more too.  This is the beginning of something great here in FUJI!

I love you all, don't do anything stupid. I know it's fun, but you probably shoudn't.

Elder Evan

Who Knew That Could Happen?

Good morning to you.

This week was a good one with a few stand out points.  First I'll answer questions.  No one from my doki (MTC group) is in my zone. Elder Dinkel just transferred to Nagano zone, Fuji is way different because it is a huge mountain, lots of mountains.  It reminds me of a Japanese version of Bountiful.  Our schedule isn't too different, my new companion is hard in different ways.  He is older and area senior so he tries to take over all the lessons and scheduling.  I guess that's how it is all the time in my situation, gaijin is senior over a native.  It's ok though, he wants to work hard. And I had members that told me about the Super Bowl haha, it was funny having them tell me, they didn't know how to explain some stuff.

We got two new investigators! One was a referral and the other was from eikeiwa (English) class.  It was awesome and they seem to have pretty good interest. One speaks fluent English so I get to do it all in English. My companion can understand a lot but can't speak at all.  Which is funny, because when I talk about him to the other elders in our district we call him Dexter so he can't pick out his name haha.  Speaking of district, I LOVE our district.  I went on an exchange to Numazu with elder Bardzinski, he is from Australia. It was so fun.  I did Tim Tam Slams with an Australian for the first time.  Ee really helped me with some stuff with Elder Iwata and being a new senior in a struggling area.  It was an awesome exchange.

We had sports night! A member in our ward is a principal and lets us use the gym once a month and invite investigators and members and others come and play.  There were like 15 who came.  We had two investigators I hadn't met come.  They are awesome.  Numazu always comes too and they brought their 6'10" investigator from Senegal who is the number 1 or 2 basketball player in all of Japan for high school, he is awesome.  We played basketball and I did alright, but people thought I was like a God.  I love being American haha. We then played volleyball and I gave Elder Hilyard crap the whole time.  Trash talking about Bountiful and Woods Cross haha it was really fun.

After district meeting, we went to a place called Cats Cafe.  You get a meal then an all-you-can- eat parfait bar. It was SO GOOD! I had like five parfaits haha. I figure I can get away with it now because I can't seem to keep weight for too long haha. One of the sisters in our district thought I was Polynesian, so when I said Thomas was my 'adopted' brother, she didn't think twice about it haha. She thought he was my real brother haha, I love having sisters in our district...

Church was nice yesterday.  I gave a 15 minute talk in Japanese, who knew that could happen? I did mess up and say that Thomas was my younger twin.  I always mess up words when I'm in front of a lot of people.  We also sang all seven verses of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.  That is probably my favorite song.  And we tried to do an FF with someone and he said he has no friends.  He was dead serious too but said it in a joking way. Took me off guard.

This week was good, the more and more I get into my mission, the less and less I want it to end, i love it here! I LOVE ALL OF YOU

The Boob