Kouchi Branch Conference March 27, 2011

Sunday we attended the Kouchi Branch Conference on Shikoku. Kouchi is a wonderful branch in the Matsuyama Member District.

Here is a picture of the church. It has been remodeled inside (converted into a church) and is very clean and functional. Seating capacity in the chapel is 80 people. We had 57 in attendance branch conference.Kouchi is on the Pacific Coast of Shikoku Island. It takes about 3.5 hours by car to get there by car from Kobe. At one point you drive straight across from the Inland Sea to the Pacific Coast. This takes you across some rugged mountainous country and the expressway literally takes you more through the mountains than over them. There are 22 tunnels on the way and most are several kilometers long. Kouchi is the 4th largest city on Shikoku. It is a castle town and boasts a proud history. This is a view of part of the city from the castle park. After conference on our way home we took a walk through the castle park which is only a few minutes by car from the church.

The cherry blossoms were just barely starting to bloom, but this one tree was already looking like spring had sprung.

Near the entrance to the park below the castle.

Elders Escalante and Tsushima serving in Kouchi. Kouchi Sisters preparing for lunch after conference.

Some of the food. There was a lot more.

The Takemura Family minus Brother Takemura who is in Tokyo. The Takemura's live in Tokyo and Brother Takemura worked with me for many years at Franklin Covey. Sister Takemura is originally from Kouchi and she is in town with the kids visiting her family.

We also met the Yamamoto family. Brother Yamamoto served with me in Tokyo as a young missionary. He now has this wonderful family. Unfortunately he was away in Tokyo on business and not in this picture with us.

It was a wonderful day in Kouchi. After arriving home we enjoyed dinner with James who stayed back in Kobe with the missionaries.

Hirakata Area Missionaries March 25th 2011

This past week we visited the missionaries in the Hirakata Ward, Osaka Stake. We had a short training with them and inspected the apartments. We recently increased the number of missionaries here to accommodate the additional missionaries from the Tokyo Mission. A great group of missionaries.

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.

Family Interviewed and Featured in Newspaper Articles in US

Article about emergency preparedness in Japan and the recent disasters at these two links. Our family was interviewed for the story.

http://www.mormontimes.com/article/20183/Church-members-resilient-after-disasters

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705369201/Church-members-resilient-after-disasters.html

More Pictures of Tokyo and Kobe Missionaries in Kobe

It was a very busy few days as we welcomed 42 missionaries from the evacuated Tokyo Mission into Kobe. Meals, sleeping arrangements, transfers and new assignments needed to be worked through, announced and implemented with little or no preparation time. Nevertheless, it has been a wonderful experience. For many of the missionaries it was a sweet reunion as they were reconnected with their friends from the MTC and even home. To witness the love and support these missionaries have shown for each other has been a wonderful blessing.

Elder Priddis, one of our senior missionaries, goes through the apartment keys for a group of missionaries heading out to their new area with new companions. Tokyo missionaries arriving and greeted by Kobe missionaries.

Happy to be in Kobe!

Missionaries reunited who were together in the MTC.

Meal time.

All 42 missionaries are now settled and working in new areas in the Kobe Mission. Most of the Tokyo missionaries are now paired with a Kobe missionary. Amid all the confusion and inconvenience, there are some real benefits and blessings that will ultimately come from this mixing of missionaries. I see this as a unique and great opportunity for the Tokyo and Kobe missions to share best practices and ultimately strengthen both missions. As these missions are eventually put back to their original structures, they will both be filled with missionaries with new insights, ideas and experiences to draw upon. The benefits of this synergy will be exciting to see in the coming months and years.

Training in Okayama

Last week the scheduled three day Leadership Training in Okayama was cut to one day so we could return to Kobe to prepare for the arrival of the relocated missionaries from Tokyo. The day we held the training we focused on studying about our purpose as missionaries and understanding better the Doctrine of Christ.

Missionaries practice teaching each other and provide feedback to improve their teaching skills.

In the coming week or two we will return to Okayama and complete the remaining training.

Sister Nakajima - New Missionary to Serve at Temple Square

This past week Sister Nakajima was set apart as a missionary and departed to the Utah MTC. She has been assigned to serve in the Salt Lake City, Utah, Temple Square Mission. Her father currently serves as the District President of the Matsuyama District in Shikoku.

Returning Group April 2011

12 missionaries returned home from the Japan Kobe Mission this week. They were scheduled to return in April, but were released a few weeks early to make room for the relocation of missionaries from Sendai and Tokyo into the other missions in Japan. This was a great group of missionaries and were were sad to see them go. They have served great missions here.

Before all the evacuated missionaries arrived from Tokyo we had chance to treat them to a farewell meal and devotional meeting.

In the picture below front row: Elders Iwasa, Uehara and Sisters Patrick and Tohara. Back row: Elders Novak, Hrper, Nunes, Honma, Beurger, McBurney, Homer and Maxfield.

Marugame Branch Conference - Takamatsu District Shikoku

Sunday March 20th we attended the Marugame Branch conference. After the conference the branch had a pot luck lunch. Sister McIntyre with President Iwaki's daughter (Emi) and grandchildren who also attended the conference.

After the conference I set apart Elder Fukuta of the Tokushima Branch as a missionary. He enters the MTC in Utah this week.

Tokyo Mission Evacuated - 42 New Missionaries Arrive in Kobe from Tokyo Mission

This afternoon, March 17th, 42 wonderful missionaries arrived by chartered bus at the Kobe Mission Home after a 7 hour bus ride from the Tokyo Mission. They have all been reassigned to Kobe for an undetermined period of time.

Most only had a few hours to pack before making their way to catch the bus. Nevertheless, they were happy, excited and full of energy as we greeted them and welcomed them to the Kobe Mission.

The Kobe office staff, assistants and the 12 returning missionaries joined us in hugging and shaking hands with our new missionaries.

Many of them were together in the MTC or knew each other prior to their missions.

Sisters all got hugs from Sister McIntyre. We have 8 new sisters and 34 elders.

Except for most of their bikes, they brought all their bags and belongings.
Bags were all stored in the church and the missionaries gathered in the chapel of the Kobe Stake Center for some orientation.

All new missionaries received a Kobe Mission Binder with important information about the mission. After some introductions and orientation, we had Q & A time and then ate dinner.

Currey rice, salad and cookies were prepared by Sister McIntyre and Sister Ise. We fed a small army of about 65 missionaries total.

Some new Kobe missionaries

A group of new Kobe sisters

4 new sisters stayed at the Kobe sister's apartment and 4 in the mission home. All the elders slept on futons in the church. We had 45 elders in the church and 16 in the apartment. The biggest challenge, showering in the morning!

The night before, having just gotten the final information about the incoming Tokyo missionaries that afternoon, we were working on the transfer board until about 2am to figure out how to accommodate 42 additional missionaries. In the end, it worked out beautifully.

In the morning each reassigned missionary will get their companion and area assignments and transfer to their new area. We are so excited to work with these great missionaries. We could feel such a powerful spirit from them.

Japan Disaster Update # 6

March 17th (Japan Time) the Japan Kobe Mission will receive 42 missionaries from the Tokyo Mission as part of the evacuation of the Tokyo and Sendai Missions. These missionaries will serve in Kobe for an undetermined period of time. Since we are uncertain as to how long the current situation will continue, these missionaries will be assigned to labor in new and existing areas in the Kobe Mission. It is anticipated that many of them will complete their mission here while others may, at a later, date return to Tokyo. The Sendai missionaries are all being reassigned to the Sapporo Mission and the balance of the Tokyo missionaries will be reassigned to the Nagoya and Fukuoka Missions.
Missionaries currently in the MTC scheduled to arrive in Japan in April, will be delayed until further notice. Depending on the situation, they could temporarily or permanently be assigned to other missions in Japan or other locations. This is still not decided. As part of this emergency transfer, missionaries scheduled to return home from the Japan Kobe Mission in April (as well as in all other Japan Missions), will be released later this week. Although the new release date is a few weeks earlier than anticipated and a surprise to all, they have fulfilled their full mission terms and we are grateful for their selfless service and sacrifice. There are 12 missionaries from Kobe being released this week due to the current situation.
The areas of the Sendai Mission are in a serious disaster condition. The disaster and pending worries about radiation leaks from the Fukushima power plant are also causing problems in Tokyo. There are food and water shortages. Gasoline is hard to come by even in Tokyo and nearly non-existent in Sendai.
Please visit the church web site for further information and updates. I will try to keep posting what information I can here as things change. Please continue to pray for all those affected by these events.

President McIntyre

Earthquake Update #5

If you are not aware, the church has held an official press conference regarding the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear/radiation situation in Japan. You can watch the video at KSL.com.
As Elder Holland says in the press conference, missionaries in Sendai and Tokyo will be relocated to other missions throughout Japan. At this point we do not know how many missionaries will go to each mission and how long they will remain. We will update you when we know more. We do know the Kobe Mission has the capacity to accommodate many more missionaries if needed. We will keep you posted. Please know we are safe and well in Kobe and ready to help as we can. We are a very safe distance from the affected areas.
We expect this to begin immediately.

President McIntyre

Earthquake Update #4

To the Families of all our Missionaries,

First of all thank you for all your prayers and concerns. Here in the Japan Kobe Mission all is well. All missionaries are safe and missionaries with family in the affected areas have all been able to contact their relatives and confirm their safety.
We understand many of you are now concerned with the possible radiation fallout from the nuclear power plants in Fukushima. Please be assured the areas in the Kobe Mission are several hundred miles away from Fukushima and do not fall in any normal path of wind currents that would be cause for alarm should there be any radioactive leakage or possible problems from the power plants. Also note that as of now there has not been any significant leakage to cause alarm. Fukushima City, which is some distance inland from the power plant, is Sister McIntyre's hometown and most all her family and relatives still reside there. So know that we are watching this situation with much interest and concern. Our hearts go out to the people of Japan and our prayers are with them.

President McIntyre

Fukuchiyama District Conference - March 2011

This past Sunday we held District Conference for the Fukuchiyama Member District. It was attended by about 100 members from the Toyooka, Maizuru, Fukuchiyama and Nishiwaki Branches. Elder Aoyagi of the Seventy presided. Here are some of the children from these branches.

Group picture on Sunday afternoon. Not all in attendance are pictured as this taken after the main session and lunch. The Sunday meetings were held in the Nishiwaki District Center.