It is a wonderful experience to spend several days with a general authority of the church being taught, instructed and uplifted. Much of our instruction focused on how to use the Book of Mormon and help people commit to read and pray about it. Elder Evans also focused on "finding when you teach and teaching when you find." I know the missionaries felt a wonderful spirit and came away with a renewed energy and commitment to apply what was taught. We love Elder and Sister Evans and appreciate all their council and support.
Most all day Saturday was spent in Ibaraki (Osaka) where Sister McIntyre and I were asked to speak to, and train, about 60 future missionaries with Elder Yamashita, one of our Area Authority Seventies here in Japan, and President Kido of the Osaka North Stake. It was a wonderful day. The Kobe Mission provided about 30 missionaries in the afternoon who went proselyting for a few hours with all the attendees. This annual event is coordinated through the Institute and the local stakes.
Early Sunday morning Sister McIntyre and I were off to Maizuru clear across the country along the Sea of Japan to visit the Maizuru Branch.
The church is located in the building above on the 2nd floor. As you can see there is book and video store below us. In the picture below, Sister McIntyre is pointing to the sign in front of the building which shows the name of the church. It is the top white sign written in Japanese. Not sure what the bottom sign is all about. But we do think there is a lot of "wisdom" taught in the building every Sunday!
The church is located in the building above on the 2nd floor. As you can see there is book and video store below us. In the picture below, Sister McIntyre is pointing to the sign in front of the building which shows the name of the church. It is the top white sign written in Japanese. Not sure what the bottom sign is all about. But we do think there is a lot of "wisdom" taught in the building every Sunday!
Above: Sister McIntyre and Elders Taketomi and Castleton standing in front of the church doors. The Maizuru Branch had 2 investigators attend today and counting us that brought the sacrament meeting attendance to 13. They do have 2 baptisms scheduled for December. The Branch President is a wonderful young man (return missionary) in his thirties. It was a great day getting to know all the members there and speaking to them and learning with them in Sunday School and the other meetings. Maizuru is home to a Japanese Naval Base and other than that it seems to be basically made up of several small fishing and mountain villages. The two non-members who came to church were both Japanese sailors stationed there. They both had a keen interest in what was taught and were very friendly and likable and said they would come again. These small branches are precious. The members that attend are wonderful. I am still seeking for guidance on how we can better support them.
I made it a point to walk out on the beach and touch the water. We went from coast to coast and back today. The Sea of Japan faces China and Korea. The mission home in Kobe looks out over the inland sea and Pacific Ocean towards North America.
We met a very kind grandma in the village as she was cutting flowers and tending her garden. She told us she was born on Christmas Eve and her father, who was Christian, died on Christmas Eve as well. We shared with her some materials and she gave Sister McIntyre some flowers. You can see a persimmon tree in the background. We saw many growing in the valley there. In the fall the leaves drop but they leave the fruit on the trees to sweeten. Grandma told us she had about 30 wild monkeys down in her garden yesterday raiding the trees. We wish we could have seen that.
Below is one of the trees nearly picked clean by the monkey thieves.
We also snapped a shot of the Daikon Radishes being dried by a local resident as we drove through the village.
Here are some more pictures from the Maizuru area...
The Abeno church (above) is in the heart of Osaka and is at least 40 years old. I have the exact date it was built somewhere.
Above is a different angle. The van is the mission president's vehicle. Believe me it gets a lot of kilometers put on it.
Here we are a little closer up at Abeno with some of the Abeno district missionaries. It looks like Sisters Sadler and Yamashita and Elders Stufflebean, Williams and Fruen are with us.
What would the week be without finding an inexpensive all you can eat restaurant with the missionaries. In Mikunigoaka, the district took us to a nice shabu shabu place for lunch and they showed us how much they could eat. It seems they really look forward to doing this once a month or so when we come. The missionaries live on a very conservative budget, but seem to save enough for a meal out as a district once in while.
This past week we also made another trip to the Fukuchiyama branch. Here is a picture of the little church in a building we have rented out. We also took another picture of the Fukuchiyama Castle on the way home.
Here she is with Sister Glenn who is one our newest missionaries to arrive.
And last of all here she is with her little sister, Julie at the Provo Temple!
So after lunch we had a 10 minute hike and a 15 minute trek up the mountain and within 30 minutes it seemed we were out of the world looking down on our mission. At the top there is a park and a nice pavilion we gathered in and read scriptures after singing High on a Mountain Top. We studied about the great prophets that the Lord took up into high mountains and taught them and showed them His vision and the work he had prepared for them. We talked about our work and our vision of the work in our mission and our roles as leaders in realizing that vision. We also discussed how the mount of the Lord in the scriptures often refers to the temple. We talked about the need we have to climb our own mountains each day (go up to the mountain often) to commune with the Lord and get guidance in our lives. I think the missionaries enjoyed it and were inspired by the experience.
Views from the tram on the way up.
Upon returning and having dinner, we had a short family home evening with the boys and then continued our meetings until about 9pm in the mission home. The next morning at 6:30, we had a short service project and cleaned up all the weeds and gutters around the mission home. After showers and breakfast, we had group scripture study time and then finished the morning in our final meeting with testimonies and wrap up training. The missionaries then enjoyed the rest of their preparation day and returned to their areas. I think an extended training session like this could be held a few times a year especially when we change over a lot of the leadership. I believe this will be something they will remember long after their mission's end. The danger is we probably spoiled them with three big meals prepared by Sister McIntyre. I heard comments like, "I have not had a breakfast like that since coming to Japan." Don't worry though, none of these missionaries are underfed. I think they just miss a good meal prepared by mom.
