Baptism! Last week in Thorn Tree(Ibaraki)

BAPTISM!

Ibaraki Eikaiwa ( mostly old ladies)

Cleaning the Baptismal Font

It was a good last week in Ibaraki. By the end I was starting to think maybe id be staying and was kind of getting excited, but transfers are happening it looks like. We were told another Typhoon was supposed to come through on Wednesday so they made us cancel our Eikaiwa and stay in the apartment, but it didnt even come through Osaka a little so we were fine. i took a pretty good nap though. We werent able to meet Yonezawa-kyodai until thursday, when we reviewed the baptismal interview and he was way solid on everything. So we set up an interview the next day. So Elder Draper came up and interviewed him after District meeting and yeah he was still way solid. So we started arranging for the baptism with our ward mission leader, who we've kind of been struggling to get to do stuff. But he was way good and arranged everything for the baptismal service Sunday morning. Saturday night we had sports night. all the missionaries from the district came up and it was way fun. Some where in the middle of it, I got a call from President Zinke. He asked about our baptism the next day and I told him things were good to go, and he said that he would be attending the service.

So Sunday morning we had a lovely baptismal service that went down without a hitch for the most part. Yonezawa-kyodai had a bit of an issue with bending his knees, but i still got him under. we had a good laugh about it after. Then throughout church and also for the lunch we had afterwards, the ward was way good about fellowshipping him. It was really awesome. Which is really good because both me and Elder Barker are transfering out this week. So we're going to have to leave him in the wards hands, though we should be able to meet one more time before we head out. It was a really good way to end my time in Ibaraki though. Our apartment here is going from 4 to 2 people and Elder Delmege and a new missionary are going to be taking care of both the Ibaraki and Takatsuki wards. I'm a little bummed that thats happening to Ibaraki, but I guess there are other places in the mission that need it more. Reversely, I'm going to a place by the name of Niihama, which is on the island of Shikoku. It was just a 2 person area, but theres a small branch there with lots of faith and dendo fire so president zinke wants to explode it by putting 4 missionaries there. So I'll be in a 4-man again. And I'll be training a new missionary again. Which, honestly, I'm not super thrilled about. But I think I'll get a solid bean and it should be good. Elder Barker is headed to good ol' Tsuyama. He's going to have a blast there. So yup, I'm off to Shikoku. or 'the rock' as it is called. I got my wish, but now i have to figure out how I'm supposed to pay for the trip out there.

Have a good week everybody in America! but not basil.

Love,

Elder Horton

Kind of a so-so week this last week. We visited a ton of people but weren't able to meet with many at all. But we should have a lot going on this next week. basically if we can meet with Yonezawa-san twice this next week, he should be good to go for his baptism this coming sunday. if not, then it will have to wait until the next week. but from the way things are sounding with transfers, i probably wouldnt be here for it. So hopefully he'll be able to meet with us this next week a couple times. So next email, ill let you know what happened with that and whats happening with transfers. Not much to say about this week other than there was apparently a typhoon in okinawa which caused us to get wet several times this last week. that was lame.

Hope everyone is doing awesome in America and stuff.

Love,

Elder Horton

PS kyoto was cool but if you wanna see the pictures it will have to wait until the after mission slide show.

 

Ibaraki week 16

We had a way busy week this week. i had an exchange with Hanayashiki that was pretty long. Then we had this training thing for trainers in Kobe that we had to go to. At the trainer training thing, we learned about how we need to stop neglecting our study and do it no matter what. meaning on days where we cant do it in the morning, we spend most of the day studying. So probly for the rest of this transfer, we're going to be in the apartment studying a lot.

On saturday, we had a Shogi party again and Yonezawa-san came. Its pretty unfortunate but hes pretty bad at Shogi. We only played one game before starting the lesson, but Barker 長老 destroyed him pretty bad. But he was cool with the law of tithing. So pretty much all he needs is to hear the law of chastity and then he should be looking good for his date on the 25th.

He wasnt able to come to church this week, but we did have another investigator, Morimoto-san come. He's the guy from the religion where they try and 'cleanse' us and eat cookies with medicine in them. So thats a little weird but he had a good time at church anyways. We were asked by the sisters doing primary to come in and share an experience about being a missionary to all the kids. So we go up and stand in front of the class and they point to me and ask "Who knows this Elder's name?" and a few of the kids yell out, "horton 長老！" then they point to my companion and ask the same thing. none of the kids know. now my companions name is 'Barker.' in japanese, it comes out as 'baka.' which roughly translates to 'idiot.' So of course the kids went crazy when they heard his name. and the whole time he was sharing his experience, they were calling him idiot. 

Anyways, i got a good laugh out of the whole thing. 

As always theres probably a lot im forgetting. But we're in Kyoto right now and about to go see some crazy peace shrine. Heian jingu or something. but before that, we gotta get some lunch. Shigeta and Delmege say they want fish, but i dont want fish. i wanna go to shakeys and get all you can eat pizza and water. Guess we'll see what we end up eating.  

Love,

Elder Horton

Tsuyama week 15!

So our new mission president is changing a bunch of stuff around. Like now district leaders actually have responsibility and things they have to do. Basically, unfortunate timing with my becoming district leader. This week we spent some time in Senri with our zone leader and discussed some things that are going to be changing and things we want to do as a district. Then the assistants came to my district meeting on friday to see how the new system is working. One of the assistants, Elder Johnson, called me later and said thanks and gave me an assignment to do some training-like thing at this training for trainers thing that we have on thursday of this week at the mission home. Its not like i hate doing all this extra stuff, but sometimes, it just feels like extra work i dont need. maybe ill get a break next transfer.

But this week was fun anyways. There was a Typhoon that swept through our mission this weekend. They kept us in the apartment for the most part of it, but at one point we were in some pretty intense wind/rain. we were soaked but still went to visit Morimoto-san. We talked with him for a bit, and then he took us into his house and showed us a room that was pure white. like the chairs, the tables, the bookd and everything was white. and there was a scroll with kanji on it, which is typical of a japanese house but then there was also a picture of the guy who apparently founded the religion morimoto-san is currently practicing. and the morimoto-san proceeded to tell us about how the scroll thing and the picture of the dude were his god...? but he also apparently made a promise to god to read the book of mormon. long story short, we have no idea what to do with the guy. definitely wont be focusing on him though.

A guy we will focus on is Yonezawa-san. we met him last monday and taught him the doctrine of christ and committed him to baptism on september 25th. he accepted almost too easily. then he came to church yesterday, we taught him about the plan of salvation and word of wisdom which he also accepted to keep. So he is looking really solid at the moment.

oh man kubo-kyodai just brought us some really good popsicles, but now i can only type with one hand. mine is melon flavored, they love melon in japan btw.

On saturday, i had an exchange with Elder Delmege and we taught a Kamikawa-san before we were sent back because of the typhoon. maybe someday ill tell you about that lesson. it was an odd one.

So between the distric leader stuff and the typhoon, we didnt have a whole of time to work. though we did get to spend a day in the apartment playing shogi. but we still taught a good amount of lessons and had a good week. Next week is looking pretty busy as well though so we'll see.

 

love,

Elder Horton.