21 New Missionaries Arrive - April 19, 2011 - Largest Group to Date

April 19th we picked up 21 new missionaries from the airport. They spent an extra week in the MTC due to the tsumami. They were very excited to finally make it here to the mission.This was the largest group of new missionaries we have ever received. Part of the group at dinner the night before leaving to their first area of service. The rest of the group at dinner.
Our three new sisters with their new aprons from Sister McIntyre. Sisters Yuki, Baird and Smith. Morning exercise with the new group was a lot of fun. A 6:30 am run up to the park and a trip through the obstacle course.

25th Wedding Anniversary!

April 19th was also our 25th wedding anniversary. We spent it with these 21 new missionaries.We hope to have a private date sometime next week!

Erika's Birthday, Our Anniversary and Another Week Passes

President Daniels sent us some pictures of Sister McIntyre this past week. Her birthday was the 12th. She is wearing the blue sweater sitting next to Pres. Daniels. This must have been a recent zone conference. Below - Erika is sitting next to Sister Daniels during zone conference lunch. We sent her a care package for her birthday and of course correspond by email every week like all parents of missionaries do.

Looks like they had dessert or birthday cake for everyone! Erika is doing wonderful and enjoying her mission in Sapporo! She is glad it is finally warming up a little and the snow is melting!

This week we travelled to Iwade to do interviews in the Wakayama Sakai Zone and also Mikunigaoka for the Sakai Mikuni Zone interviews. Saturday I travelled to Kyoto and conducted training with all the bishops in the stake (at the request of the stake president) regarding the Preach My Gospel missionary program. Sister McIntyre travelled to Abeno in Osaka to attend the baptism of Sister Emi Miura.
Here is Sister Miura with several missionaries starting from the right - Elders Latimer, Maeno, Harris, Sisters Kogawa, Miura (in White) and Meyers and Elder Kanno.

Sunday the 19th was our 23rd wedding anniversary. We were invited to speak at the Ibaraki Ward Conference on the topic of (you guessed it) missionary work. Somehow word got out about it being our anniversary and the ward missionaries made gifts for us. Standing next to me is Brother Yoshino who was Sister McIntyre's institute teacher in Tokyo 27 years ago when she first joined the church. He also served as a mission president in Japan several years ago. The Iwaki Family also gave us some delicious chocolates. We were very touched by everyone's kindness and enjoyed the conference and visiting with the members there. Above we are pictured with Elders Capener and Castleton and the 4 ward missionaries.

It is official now. We have been married for more than half my life (and in a few months the same will be true for Rika). 23 of 46 years. I don't remember much about what it was like without Rika and I don't think I want to. I often think how amazing it is that we were born on opposite sides of the world into very different circumstances and cultures and yet have ended up together with a wonderful family united by our love of each other and the gospel. Sister McIntyre joined the church as a 17 year old young woman. Over the next several years our paths crossed many times. At times we were in the same place at the same time (on both sides of the globe) and did not even know each other. But somehow after my mission we ended up in the same ward at BYU, eventually began dating, and were married two years later. To be able to serve together here in Kobe is like a dream to us. We would have never imagined we would be asked to do this, but we are glad we were and can serve the Lord and Japanese people. It is miraculous to us to look back over our lives and see how the Lord has taught us and prepared us to do the things He wants us to do. That evening, the Kobe Elders and Sisters joined Ricky, James and us for cake (made by the members in Ibaraki). We will have two more anniversaries while we serve with our 25th just a few months before we complete our term of service.

Ricky and James both gave nice talks in Sacrament meeting today about the Aaronic Priesthood and the Duty to God Program. We left right after their talks and made our way to Ibaraki in time for the ward conference there. Next week we have more interviews and will be opening two new apartments. Also, next weekend Julie returns to Japan from BYU and will spend spring term with us. We are excited to see her. We are also starting to prepare for a big transfer. We have 9 new missionaries coming in the end of the month.