I really can see the Lord`s hand in my progress

日本の冒険！ Adventures in Japan! Week 6.

Transfers! Guess where I`m going? haha just kidding. 1st transfers never get transfered. ^^ I`m not ready to leave 城陽　anyway! haha.

So we were not able to meet with either of our progressing investigators until Sunday, but it was still an excellent week!

So in order to know where the Lord wants us to go to find his elect, we decided to try 伝道 (translation? uhhh.... missionary work? I think?) in various places. haha. We biked over 40 miles this week. 32 of them were in 2 days. haha. We found some really good places, and some really good people. Taught a few people right there on the street! unfortunately none of them wanted the second lesson. blech. People are soooo busy!

We met again with the 小松 family. (the family we had sushi with earlier, at their home). We finished helping with English translation for the speech contest, had a meal (sushi again! woot!) and taught a short lesson. Unfortuantely, the less active father and son were not around for that part. They usually are. It was a good message anyway though. ^^ We got some really good referrals that we will meet this week!

We also met with some of the less young people in the ward and got dinner at an itailian place. Way good food. Had a great time, they are all way fun! taught a quick message, and it was a great experience.

Ok. So crazy day of the week story. So we went up North to check out good 伝道 spots. (Sorry, missionaries here just use that word and I don`t know how to replace it! haha.) We found 2 malls in extremely close proximity, where we can 伝道 between. Also there are lots of crazy high high-ways. like 5 stories high. The cross walks are like 3 stories high, as well, which is pretty cool. Wierd thing is, when you get up high you can see the 2 malls, but all around the 2 malls is RICE FIELDS. TONS of them. haha. Totally not a city-like area, but there are 2 HUGE malls just right there in the middle. Pretty weird. Anyway, after that we went further north to visit a less active we hadn`t met with yet, on the extreme north border of the area. hour and a half from our apart. by bike. We met with her at 8 PM, and had a great lesson. Then it was 8:40. uhhh....... a little late. Especially since we didn`t have dinner yet. So, instead of going back to the apartment, we called the district leader, and then we went north to his apartment, which was in the southern part of the area to our north. There we ate quickly, planned for the next day, and crashed. haha. Next day we had a morning appointment with the 小松 Family. haha. So we woke up early, biked 2 hours back to our apartment, showered, made some food to share, and headed over. haha. Pretty crazy day. I was way tired. But it was fun, I guess. Especially since Elder Henderson is getting transfered, so that was our last chance to see him. Hopefully our next district leader is as good as he was!

So last P-day we went to 奈良。 WAY cool place. I thought there were just like, a couple deer or something. WRONG. Tons of temples, shops, shrines, and millions of deer. Lots of 外人 as well, which was weird. more discription of the awesomeness in the pics.

Today we are going to relax from going to awesome places. write some letters. Study tons of Japanese. Etc. fun stuff!

By the way, I haven`t really mentioned how the Japanese is coming, have I?

So going into the MTC, I studied Japanese alone, and didn`t have much time to do it. The last 2 weeks I learned a ton.

First week into the mission, the new training plan focused on MASTERING Japanese. Not just getting pretty good.

So I figure the Lord wants me to figure out the language NOW, not later, and I am not opposed to the idea.

I have leared SO much these last few weeks, and I`ve begun to use appropriate honorifics and humble words and phrases, and its really making a difference.

Understanding is still hard, and even harder when they think I`m totally fluent. haha. But its also improving way fast!

I really can see the Lord`s hand in my progress. And through the progress, I am more able to push forward in God`s Work.

Anyway, Sunday we taught 二口兄弟。 Way good lesson. He has determined that he will continue to come to church Every week! even though it is really tough with his work. We moved his baptism date to the 16th of September, because his schedule has been rough and we havn`t been able to meet as often as before. The 16th though gives us plenty of time, and he is way excited to be baptized! Things are definately looking up for him.

森村兄弟 was too busy to meet last week, but we are meeting with him tonight. Should be good! He is progressing well.

Well, have a crazy awesome week!

皆さん、愛しているよ！＾＾
じゃあ、またねぇ！
オーライリ長老

Next week, on Adventures in Japan!
Elder O`Reilly meets with several new investigators, both of his progressing investigators, and meets tons of new people on the street! Also, A party is thrown in English Conversation Class, to which many people come and it is very successful! ^o^

So this is an outside mall. Pretty sick! and by sick I mean awesome.
 Not the vomitting kind. ugh. Yeah this is in 奈良.

So you buy these cracker things, and then the deer attack you until you feed them. That`s basically how it works. haha! The deer often wait right by the place you buy the crackers.
奈良公園！ there are TONS of little deer walking everywhere, in the middle of a huge city! Its so crazy!

A cool war god thing. Don`t know any of the details,
 but don`t make him angry!! Also in 奈良.

Cool temple in 奈良. Don`t really know the details, haha,
 there were a lot of them, hard to remember which one this was, haha.

COOL temlpe in 奈良. Biggest budda in Japan inside! WAY cool.
 There were tons of cool statues and models inside.