Random Shots - May 2011

The new sisters all got aprons from Sister McIntyre. These are the last sisters we will welcome to the mission.

After 5 days in a row of zone conferences, we took the boys and the assistants out to dinner at our favorite Brazilian restaurant.

Delicious as usual.

Four missionaries got aprons from Sister McIntyre. Three traveling training assistants, Elders Kimura, Spohr and Slater and Elder Osaka who worked for several transfers in the office.

We celebrated Elder Camacho's birthday while he was passing through Kobe this past week. We had a big group there as it was transfer week and new missionaries were all with us.

Elder Camacho got a face cookie.

Birthdays in Japan - Sister Priddis and Morgan Hunsaker

Sister Priddis has a birthday recently and got an Apron and Face Cookie from Sister McIntyre

One of Ricky's friends from Tokyo, Morgan, visit and had his birthday here. He got a cookie too!

We also all went to eat at the burger pit, a great place for Kobe Beef burgers!

Birthdays in Kobe End of March 2011

Elder Crapo, recently transferred from Tokyo, was in Kobe for training on his birthday and was treated to a face cookie from Sister McIntyre.Elder Maeda visited Kobe on his birthday to celebrate it with President McIntyre whose birthday was the same day.President got a face cookie too!The missionaries in the Kobe District decorated the office and had a small party for President McIntyre and Elder Maeda. Sister Julie McIntyre serving in Okinawa sent dad a cool T-shirt. The missionaries got president a pair of cool basketball shoes signed by each missionary in the district. President tried them on and wore them during preparation day in the office. Before the party, everyone had lunch together at the Burger Pit where they enjoyed delicious Kobe beef hamburgers and fries. It was a great preparation day in Kobe.

Elder Andrus Celebrates Birthday in Kobe

Elder Andrus, who is from Hokkaido and just newly transferred here from Tokyo, celebrated a birthday with us in Kobe.He is currently assigned to the Kobe Ward and working in the office. Here are some of the other missionaries serving in the Kobe Ward.Three of these missionaries transferred from Tokyo to Kobe. This past week all the Tokyo missionaries seemed to get settled in with their new companions in their new areas and everyone is working hard. We had the chance this week to visit a few districts and zones to see how everyone is doing. Next week we have a three day training planned for mission leaders.

Office Birthdays

Elder McLaws had a birthday this past month while serving in Kobe. Elder Tsushima was in Kobe on his birthday while his companion visited the doctor. He was lucky enough to get a cookie and cake with the Kobe District.

January and February 2011 Updates

Fukuyama Church, Okayama Stake located in Hiroshima Prefecture. We visited Sacrament Meeting in January. After Church we drove to Tokushima for a baptism via the Seto Ohashi (Bridge) which connects Honshu to Shikoku Island.

Zone Leader Council February 2011!

Baptismal Pictures from 2010 in the Mission Office

Transfer Board in President's Office - January 2011

Zone Conferences February 2011

Okamachi Church

Okamachi

Okamachi

MikunigaokaMikunigaoka

Elder Osaka's Birthday in Kobe

January 2011- A New Year Begins!

This past week we held special training for all the sisters in the mission. We now have 21 serving in the Kobe Mission. Each sister received an "I Love Kobe" apron. Right before lunch everyone signed each others aprons. The morning consisted of talks and training by the President and Sister McIntyre and in the afternoon each sister companionship trained the others sister on a missionary principle from Preach My Gospel.

Apron signing

Happy sisters!

Preparing lunch at the mission home.

Eating lunch at the mission home.

It was a wonderful day with the sisters.

We also celebrated a few birthdays this month. Elder Bowman serves in Kobe and got a cookie.
January is mochi pounding month. The Kobe Ward makes mochi each year to welcome the new year. This year President took a turn at pounding while Sister McIntyre sets it.

Well if you've ever wondered if we have snow in the mission, the following pictures should answer that question. This year we have had a lot up on the Japan Sea side of the mission.

These pictures were taken as we entered Tottori prefecture on the way to Yonago.

At interviews in Takamatsu we celebrated a birthday with Elder Emery.

And back in Kobe Sister Wajima had a birthday too.

The first week of January we held our monthly Zone Leader Council in Kobe.

The first Sunday of January we started out the year by visiting a baptism in Tokushima for 87 year old Sister Ono.

On New Year's Day we had a sports activity in Ibaraki and a few of our former missionaries came to see us.

The year ended on a great note with December being our highest month for baptisms since the mission reopened over three years ago. We are confident 2011 will be a great year in the Kobe Mission.

December in the Mission 2010

We held three special training sessions in the mission during December. We took those opportunities to also have special Christmas programs with the missionaries. During lunch we played some holiday games. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and feel the true spirit of Christmas at each session. The training focused on discovering and magnifying our gifts and talents and using them to serve the Lord as missionaries. We also enjoyed several missionary Christmas stories and learned more about the Savior, his life and mission, and the true meaning of Christmas. Elder and Sister Shimada trying to open a gift during our lunch games.

Lunch games during one of the trainings.

Elders playing the oven mitten game.

More fun!

Some parting treats from President and Sister McIntyre and pictures with the missionaries.President and Sister Iwaki joined us at the Osaka training. This is the group at the training held in Okayama.

Sister Shields had a birthday here in Kobe right after Christmas.

The Kobe district and our family celebrate with Sister Shields. Ricky and Erika were back with us from school.

Christmas dinner in the Kobe Mission home.Some singing after dinner.

Sister Kadekaru also had a birthday in Kobe.

She got a face cookie too!

President preparing Christmas treats for the training sessions.

Elder Hinton and his family visited us before departing Japan.

We stopped by to see Elder Escalante in Osaka before Christmas. He was bit by a dog and had stitches in his nose. Sister Escalante, his "real" sister, is also serving here and they are in the same zone. We took this shot of them and sent it to their mother.

Kobe City's Luminaria which is held every December in commemoration of the Kobe Earthquake.Sister McIntyre and Erika hanging on a tree in Nara park.