11/27/2011

Hey, hey, hey,

Wow, my sister and my brother-in-law didn`t forsake me this week! Good job you two, good job. Holy cow, I can`t believe both Thanksgiving and Black Friday already passed by! ぜんぜん意識してなかった！That`s so ridiculous, what in the world happened to November. Well, I`m glad you guys were able to get some Black Friday shopping done. Did you guys go off and buy something new for the house? I remember when we spent a certain Black Friday in front of Old Navy waiting in line just so Richard could get some free Legos Starwars video game...dfksljjfdsajfkldsa

Oh yeah, and as for Christmas transfers chances are that I`m going to stay in Kobe. Mainly, because president doesn`t want that many people transferring in and out right before Christmas day. Which is good, I wouldn`t want to be transferred out just before Christmas and お正月(New Years) I would be terribly lonely! Nothing goes on during New Years in Japan because everybody goes and hibernates in their houses that time of year. So, the point is, you could probably send packages anytime.

Dad, I love how I don`t know anything about your life. Since when did you go on a European backpacking adventure in your mid-twenties? Garbage, how do I not know these things! Well, I do believe that we need to take a good road trip to New York or something after my mission so we can have a good amount of time to talk about your life. You too Mom, I don`t even know anything about you either. Plus, your conversion stories are good tools to use when we got certain investigators struggling about things. So yeah, get ready for a good old interrogation half a year from now, okay?

Anyways, this week was quick as usual. Oh yeah, Sister Funabiki was baptized yesterday! It was so great, I swear she is a super star! She testified a lot about missionary work and the concept of repentance during her testimony. Whats better than seeing an elect who`s heart had been prepared for ages to accept the gospel...and then is all gung-ho about going and spread the gospel to her family and friends after her baptism? Well, I had the honors to preform the baptism. It was a really good experience for me because I was able to really think deeply throughout the week about my responsibility of being a priesthood holder. I don`t know, especially after watching last conference I realized that I should probably try to realize the strength of the priesthood and how important it is within the whole big picture. I mean, that`s why the Restoration was so important! Not only because the gospel was restored, but the authority to perform everything that is necessary for salvation was. Yeah, it was a good opportunity for me to think things through again.

Well, other than that this week was pretty hectic running around the zone again. Oh, and we also had a zone conference earlier this week and President picked on me. During a presentation, he picked me out of the crowd and made me teach baptism in front of two zones. What made it worse was that he said "alright Elder Saito, now show us why you`re a zone leader!" right before the mogi. No pressure right? haha but no worries, I was able to teach it just fine. I mean, I`ve been teaching baptism for a whole year and a half now, I better be able to do it right? But no, it was all the Spirit teaching through me though. I swear, that's the best feeling. When you know the Spirit is teaching through you and the Lord is using you as a mouth piece. Cause I`ve felt times when I knew the Spirit wasn`t in the lesson...and it was painful! Anyways, life is good.

Okay well, I`m gonna go now. We need to go and get things done this P-day because President is pulling a barbecue party for all the zone leaders today before zone leader council. Gotta love that guy! Hope you guys have another awesome week!!!

I love ya!!! Peace.

Mucho Love,

Elder Saito

11/20/2011

Dear family,

Hello family! Its good to hear from all of you guys again. Well, here I am, complaining about time once again. Can`t believe its already Thanksgiving week already...goodness. I swear, I have no idea what happens to my days, no months anymore. Well anyways, how`s everything doing?

I see Selena and Richard have become slothful and didn`t send me an email this week. Excellent, excellent. I hope they read this statement, remorse for their wrong doings, repent and send me an email for once! I`m not a terrible person, I`m just fulfilling my responsibility as a missionary by crying repentance to my brethren. But as for you faithful parents of mine, thank you!

Well, this week was interesting. Mainly because we were only in our area for...three days maybe? Elder Meyer and I were able to travel around the zone and give good training to each companionship about organizational skills and follow up techniques. I know what you`re thinking, learning organizational skills from Elder Saito?! But trust me on this one, I have a good idea of what I`m doing...or at least I think I do. But it seems to be helping the zone out quite a lot already, especially them younger missionaries. The travel expenses were filthy expensive but it was well worth the empty wallets and bank accounts because we were able to strengthen the younger generation of missionaries so they can fulfill their responsibility as missionaries. I mean, the Lord has entrusted us with His precious elect, of course we have to do our best so that each and everyone of them is nourished by the good word of God and accounted for.

Oh, I was also sick this week as well. Nothing big, just a small cold but I was exhausted from traveling on the trains so much. But its all okay because I was able to perform when it came to teaching and finding just fine so no problemo! The best memory of the exchanges was when we went up to Kitarokko to work with young Elder Jeppson and Wilcox. We didn`t really think ahead when we planned to kokan because we knew it was going to rain but...nevertheless we didn`t bring any rain gear whatsoever. And in Japan, when it rains...it RAINS. Elder Jeppson and I had planned to go all the way to Sanda to go streeting because Kitarokko is a pretty inaka (country) area. Its a good 45 min bike ride over to the next city...and yes, we rode through the rain. You should of seen it, I swear the ocean was just falling on us! At first the rain was unbelievably cold and my suit and dinky jacket I found in the apartment didn`t do me much. I was soaked head to toe. But it was good, because we were able to talk to a lot of good people in the rain. They probably thought I was crazy...but who doesn`t? I don`t know, actually really enjoyed it though. I love the rain, I love the country side and I love long bike rides because there`s no one to talk to. It reminded me of all the good times I had as a younger missionary fro some reason. Anywho, the rain eventually got warmer throughout the day and then ceased right about the time we ended the companion exchange. BUT IT WAS AWESOME!

Well, I gotta go now. I need to go bake some brownies for my investigator`s birthday now. Gotta show my sheep that I love them! Yeah but good news, the Kobe sisters have a baptism going through this coming week and the investigator asked me to baptize her! I`m telling you, she is awesome! True definition of a "golden investigator." I`m honored to be able to help her take that first step to come closer to Christ. Please pray for her this week okay?!

Sweet, I love ya guys!

Elder Saito

11/7/2011

Hey family!

Well, I gotta tell you, its been quite another crazy week! Its been fast as usual, but that`s pretty much what I say in every email now-a-days. Oh yeah, thanks a bunch for the package...well suitcase by the way! I was way surprised, I didn`t think you would actually go through all of the work to send me a whole suitcase full of stuff. Yeah, its a wonderful feeling when you can say that you`re wearing something that actually belongs to you other than your garments. The white shirts are great, only problem is that the sleeves are a little shorter than usual but whateves, nobody actually cares when you`re a missionary. And the suit is sharp! I look like a Japanese business man prancing around in that stellar black suit. Its a good thing that I don`t need to look like a homeless person walking the streets of Kobe anymore. bahaha. Thanks mucho mucho!

 

Oh yeah, sorry for not writing Obachan back for a while. I`ve been so busy on P-day that I haven`t had any time to respond to anyone. But I`ll be sure to jump on to that ASAP. Seriously, Kobe just drains all of your time! But its all for a good cause. For example, we woke up today, got ready and jumped onto a 2 hour train ride to go teach an AWESOME young Chinese couple. Yeah that`s what I do on my preparation days, I teach the Elect. Seriously, this couple is the bomb! One of our members in our Gaijin (white-people) branch referred them and we taught them a bit of the Plan of Happiness yesterday. Man, they absolutely love the Plan of Happiness! Its amazing, we went over to the members house earlier today because its the only day that the couple can meet this week other than Sunday. We finished up the Plan of Happiness and they understood and accepted all of it! After we taught the Atonement, I asked whether they believe that they can be cleansed through Jesus Christ and they answered right of the bat, "Yes!" Ah, I love this couple so much! I tell ya, its awesome just being able teach and testify about eternal families and happiness. What better way to feel the spirit you know? Ah and it was a heart-melter when we had the husband pray at the end. He was praying in Chinese so we had no idea what he was saying but the wife started to tear up during the prayer. Turns out through out that during the prayer he was praying, thanking the Lord that he could be together with his wife for all eternity and how happy he is! Well, it is called the Plan of Happiness for a reason you know? I`m so excited for this couple, we`ve got them working towards baptism in the upcoming months and hopefully we can get them sealed in the temple too!

Well, Kobe is treating me well as you can tell. But wow, this transfer ended so darn quickly!!! So, I got my transfer call...and I`m being emergency transferred to Arkansas.

 

No, just kidding. I would cry! Twice! Nah, but I`m just gonna stay as a zone leader with good old Elder Meyer as my companion. I love that kid so much, we`re going to have another blast of a transfer. I just hope this one doesn`t go as fast as this last one did though! Seriously, time is going faster and faster. I blink, and I`ll be talking to you on Christmas day, conversing of all the classes I`ll be taking seven months later. Barf. I just try not to think about it! Time is literally my worst enemy right now. Curse you! I mean, its already been four years since I was playing football under Coach Pope and now he`s retired! Curses. Whatever, I`m not bitter that I`m getting old.

 

Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. I`m way stoked! This next transfer is gonna be full of miracles! I mean, we just barely got a referral from the sister missionaries. We gonna be teaching a Jamaican women! Whats better than being a Japanese-American teaching a Jamaican person about Jesus Christ and how His gospel has been restored in Kobe, Japan? That`s right, not much.

 

Well, I`ve gotta go and write some letters now. Thanks a bunch for everything! Oh yeah, Happy (late) Halloween! Please, please, please continue praying for the elect over here in Japan. They need your prayers! I`m good, no worries about me okay? Life is good.

 

Random fact of the day, this is how you say "My name is Elder Saito" in Chinese: Woshu Chetahn Jonglaou

Spelling is probably completely off...but whatever.

 

Mucho Amor!!!

Elder Saito