Hey guys!

It’s been a minute since my last email. I just wanted to write a quick email to say that I’m OK. More than OK.

I love you all so much!

Tsuyama is really fun. We just get to work all the time which is awesome. Finding never stops. (And I really like finding). We have a few friends who really need help with faith. I’ve learned that there’s A LOT I need to learn about how to teach (despite teaching like what, 24/7 in Osaka?). It’s not my doctrinal knowledge. And it’s not my Japanese. Luckily, I speak better than most here. And I’ve surprised a few of my friends here with how well I know the Book of Mormon. haha. You’d be surprised how much actually goes into teaching besides the obvious.

I broke my bicycle too two weeks ago. Beware of random rocks at night. I rolled over the handlebars and the front tire is completely bent in half. There was a melon in my backpack that was completely smashed. It’s left quite a stain in my backpack. I was completely fine. I know God (and a helmet) protected me then. Luckily, a previous missionary left his bike here, so while I wait for my tire I can use his.

I found out last Saturday that a family of 3 which the Spirit lead us to in Osaka is getting baptized. I taught them a few lessons before I got emergency transfered to Tsuyama a week after finding them. They’re on date for baptism next week. When I found out they accepted a date for baptism, I cried. Quite a bit, actually, because Osaka was quite difficult for me, and I was worried I didn’t make enough of a difference there. I think it shows me really clearly that the Lord’s plan is far bigger than my own. I’ve really been humbled by it. Please pray that all will go well for Lacey and Joe, and their daughter Yumi. They’re a really lovely Chinese family. I can’t wait for when Abeno has a Chinese branch. It’s coming soon. I think the new family should make it 10? And that’s not including the three other families who were also investigating the church.

This tiny branch in Tsuyama is full of really old members. There’s about 4 active Priesthood holders that come every week (youngest is maybe around 50/60). There’s no young family here that’s (still actively) part of the Church. I wanna find a family to come to Church and become active members so badly. I’m going to keep trying. We have two or three families who should be coming to our children’s English class next week. I don’t even know their names yet. We just found them and I forgot to ask them their names. lol.

Being in a branch for missionary work is actually really fun. Abeno ward was pretty rigid, I felt, so I didn’t have as much impact there. And I was a small fish in a huge pond. Everyone has an ability to help bring others to Christ in a Church ward. Well, it turns out that when you lose the members, you become a really big fish in a super small pond. It’s the opposite kind of feeling. It’s really true that when you’re in a branch everything hinges on your performance as a missionary. I think everyone knows that there are good missionaries and there are average missionaries. I’m working hard so that I can learn how to be the good missionary.

That’s about it from this side of the rice paddy. See you all next time.

愛しているよ Elder Son

Prayer roll (if you would like it): Lacey, Joe, and Yumi (sorry they’re actually Chinese names but this is how the American hears it. It’s more like Lei Shi and Jo?). Maria Kei Mrs. Nishioka Mrs. Matsuoka Mrs. Tsukiyama Mrs. and Mr. Okada Mr. Kawakami Mrs. Kanda