Summer Vacation on the Sea of Japan

With the kids finally out of school and transfers over, we took a one night two day trip to the Japan Sea. The kids will be leaving for part of the summer so this was our only time to do something together as a family. Jeff Evans was visiting as well so we were happy he could join us. He will put in his mission papers in a few weeks. We travelled a few hours by car to Toyooka City and the little beach town of Takeno. We stayed at the Seaside Hotel and enjoyed the beach and hot springs baths.

The countryside was beautiful in this very small town. They did not even have a convenience store which is really strange for Japan. The hotel was pretty nice for a small Japanese style place. The kids had a great night of fireworks on the beach after we drove into Toyooka city for dinner and visited the local bowling alley for a few games. That was our Monday FHE. We then drove back to Takeno and our hotel and we all enjoyed our second trip to the onsen bath. Very relaxing.

This is the hotel behind us in the picture above.

We visited the Marine World located about a 20 minute drive away from Takeno. It was very nice with all kinds of shows and activities.

This was the penguin walk. They just marched around the courtyard and had a great time. Sister McIntyre thought they were cute.

Julie and the kids getting a shot of the little guys.

Mom and Dad out by the ocean at Marine World.

The giant sea lion show was very nice. They loved to dive off the rocks.
An action shot.

They also had a little fishing place where you can catch fish and then they will prepare them for you by making them into tempura right there. We had them for lunch. Real fresh fish and chips!

Everyone caught a couple. It was not very hard.

They were small but great for tempura.

The men with their catch.

Cutting and cleaning.

Batter and fry.

Watching the whole process.

Enjoying the fish. Some of the kids are not big fish eaters, but everyone tried it and actually liked it. Although you would not know it by some of their faces!

The highlight of the trip for Rika was the interaction with the dolphins. She loves dolphins and had a couple chances to touch and play with them.

She got to pet these two in one of the shows and pose for some photos.

They would not let her take them home.

Petting real dolphins was not enough for Sister McIntyre. She had to climb on this statue and pose for a picture as well! A nice family shot by the dolphin.

Mom and the boys.

Being around the dolphins seems to have caused mom to be in a really good mood.

We had a chance to play dolphin trainer as well. Here Julie and Jeff are ready to go.

Ricky shaking fins with a dolphin before getting in the water.

Julie feeds one after he did a trick for her.

Jeff getting ready to give a command.

James takes a turn.

They also had a pair of huge walruses there. This are how big his underwear would be if he wore them! The trainers are feeding the big guy here. He was so big and friendly. Although he is 27 times the weight of Julie.

There was some time for the kids to play on the beach as well. They buried James. That is what you get when you are the youngest.

The boys try a little body surfing.

Yes, we conquered the sea. Way to go Jim!

The water was still a little cool, but very clear. The beach was nice as well and not crowed at all yet. Japan summer season does not open until late July after the rainy season. We are in the rainy season now, but the weather was beautiful. On the way home, we timed our drive to stop in Kita Rokko around 7:45 pm just in time to see the fireflies near the little creek behind the church. It was a great day and a half and the kids enjoyed it very much. They are off to Utah tomorrow. Julie will be back in BYU and the boys at summer camps. Jeff will be getting ready for his mission.

Happy Birthday Julie!

Julie's birthday was June 12th at the end of a busy transfer week. We had a chance to have some cake, go out to dinner and go bowling. I am sure she loves this picture! Julie turned 19 and will be going back to BYU for Summer Term this coming week. She will take the boys back with her and they will attend summer camps in Utah. of course Of course Rika and I will remain here on our mission!

Ricky enjoying some cake while Julie opens a present.

June 2009 Transfer Week - This was a Big One

We welcomed 13 new missionaries to the mission this past week. It was the biggest transfer of the year and it followed a District Conference and Stake Conference in consecutive weeks as well as having the boys finish school and Julie here with everyone getting ready for summer. It was a busy week to say the least. This was also a unique transfer as we had more Japanese missionaries than foreign enter the field. 8 Japanese and 5 foreign.

Here are the new missionaries front row sitting left to right Elder Novak, Sister McIntyre and Sammy, Sister Hayase, Sister Kobayashi, President, Elder Buerger. Standing in back Elders Kodama, Imi, Iwasa, Kimura, Matsuki, Shinozaki, McBurney, Homer and Akina. Breakfast in the morning one transfer week. Elders Pyper, Andrews and Fishler.

Elders Matsuki, Kodama, Kimura, Soloman, and Sisters Hayase, Kobayashi and Pyper. Below: Elders Matsuoka, McBurney, Iwasa, Buerger, Homer, Shinozaki and Novak.

We saw 12 missionaries return home. We lost a lot of great missionaries! We had a few parents meet their sons this time as well. Missionaries in this group are Elders Beecher, Christiansen, Kondo, Fruean, Bohman, Thompson, Goodey, Bahr, Howells, Badger, Bushman and Openshaw.
The final breakfast in the mission home. We were able to spend about a whole year with this group (12 of their 21 months in Japan). For most of them that was more than half their mission as they were in the MTC for three months. We have seen them grow as men and in their testimonies. We have watched as the Lord worked through them to bring souls unto Christ and raise the standard, vision and results of the Kobe Mission.

Baptism Pictures from the Field

Some recent convert pictures from the field. These are some of our converts so far this month. Yamaguchi Shimai with Elders Fukui and Steele in Akashi, Kobe Stake.

Hirakata Jun Kyodai with Elders Rasmussen, Bohman and Fishler, Kobe Ward. He was baptized by Brother Hamaguchi, who was baptized eariler this year himself!

Eri Tanaka with Elders Beecher and Latimer in Sekime Ward, Osaka Stake.

Elders Sorenson and Ashmore with Takase Kyodai from Takatsuki Ward, Osaka North Stake.

Micheal Ono with Elders Kunihiro and Obata in the Sakai Ward, Osaka Sakai Stake.

Elders Bahr and Murphy with Kinoshita Kyodai from the Hirakata Ward, Osaka Stake.

Elders Bushman and Maeno with Hashizume Shimai who was baptized in the Higashi Osaka Ward, Osaka Stake.

Middle School Dance - James and Friends

School is out for the summer! The kids held a dance near the school on Rokko Island last week and James got all dressed up with his friends to attend. That is James in the middle with the pink tie he bought especially for the dance.

They tried to see how many different girls they could dance with. The fingers are how many at that point. There were too many to post on the blog!

Not sure what they were doing here in James' room, but it looks real strange...

Very cool Jimbo!

Elder Solomon is Doing Great After Bike Spill

Elder Drew Solomon took a spill on his bike two days ago and broke his collar bone. The separation was wide enough and misaligned so we were advised to have it repaired with surgery. With the operation he will be back working in less than two weeks. Without the operation he would have been laid up for several more weeks waiting for the bone to heal.

Not the best picture but he was just out of surgery and still had the oxygen mask on. He will be released tomorrow, the day after the procedure, just in time for Sister Yumisashi's baptism, one of his investigators. Elder Solomon has made friends with all his roommates and nurses at the hospital. He has not stopped working as a missionary even from his hospital bed. Bike accidents are scary. We encourage the missionaries to slow down, but accidents happen even when missionaries are careful and obey the laws and rules. We are glad Elder Solomon is going to be just fine.

June Birthdays in the Office

After a district lunch in the office this week, we had some cake in honor of our three birthdays. Julie, who is still with us for a few more weeks, and Elders Bohman and Rasmussen all have birthdays this month.Sister McIntyre made the traditional look alike face cookie for each of them.The elders got another treat from Sister McIntyre. She made them APW aprons which they are proudly modeling below. APW stands for Assistant to the President's Wife. Not an official mission term, but I think she is jealous because I have three assistants and she has none. Elder Fishler is looking for his apron soon I suppose. Elder Bohman goes home next week and we figure he can use this at school. If nothing else, it will certainly make him popular with the co-eds at BYU.

Prom 2009 - Ricky and friends

This past week the Canadian Academy, the international school the boys attend here in Kobe, held their Junior Prom. We had several of Ricky's friends meet up at the mission home for pictures before heading out.The awkward part of pinning on the flowers. Ricky went with Nanao, who is in his class at school.

They had a good time and it was the first prom for Ricky and most of them.

Mom helping out with the wrist corsage. The dinner-dance was held at a nice restaurant up on a hill overlooking Kobe harbor.

The school was closed the prior week because of the swine flu scare. The kids came prepared.

Making Pottery in Kyoto

President Tamaya of the Kyoto Stake is a well known potter and artisan in Japan. His works are beautiful. He lives in the mountains outside of Kyoto in a wonderful picturesque valley along side a little stream. He built a workshop for his pottery next to his house and Rika and Julie visited him recently and were able to create some art of their own.
Soon there will be fireflies in the hills and Rika looks forward to returning to see them.Julie with President Tamaya in front of his home.

Rika at the wheel.

Julie took some classes in pottery and enjoys creating useful and decorative pottery. They look forward to visiting again sometime. We are grateful to President Tamaya for letting them have some fun at his wonderfiul home and workshop.