Leg Rash

I'll give y'all a rundown. The bike brakes haven't come in yet. The missionaries in Kagoshima couldn't get them because the bike shops people are crazy, and then our friend Miwa is getting them and I'm paying her back and life will be good but until then we still have to walk everywhere which is really not fun at all because it's super hot but we're working hard and though the spirit which leads me to the highlight of the week: we found a new investigator named Nakagawa! He is like 25 and has a kid on the way and we taught him twice this last week and have an appointment for Tuesday. He hasn't read from the Book of Mormon yet though and his wife is kind of not liking the fact he's talking with us he said. 

This week, Peterson Kaicho from the mission presidency came to Amami and taught Nakagawa with us and he's actually a very nice man. He has lived in Japan for thirty years and is fluent, and you can literally just feel love radiating from his presence. It's the coolest thing ever and that's because he loves the way Christ would have us live: with faith, hope and charity, but the greatest is charity. You can tell who the happiest people are and they're always the ones that have charity. It may not necessarily be someone that is a member of the church. For example my boy Gandhi. But he had charity and love, and that's why everybody loves him. In the Book of Mormon we read that charity is the pure love of Christ. If we have charity, we do the things Christ would do himself. We think the way he would. We say the things he would. It's really a simple thing. If Christ wouldn't do it, don't do it. Love the way he would. That's charity.


This week I got a rash on my leg and we went to the doctor and it's okay now but I want to show a picture. It's probably because I wore shorts walking through bushes in a service project, or a bug bite reaction.


Oh also we dropped our phone in a bowl of ramen at some dirty little ramen shop that wasn't even that good and it was too expensive for half decent ramen but the gyoza was good and it doesn't work anymore so that's nice but the mission office has tons of phones for things like this so everything's okay so don't try to call me this week okay.



Anyways, love you all!



餡土瀧 K. 赦輝長老
日本福岡伝道部

愛してるわ〜

a super pretty beach that was way sunny

a shack we hid in when it poured rain that's actually a restaurant

a weird floating bug

leg rash

 

We Found a Habu

I'm staying and Elder Woolston is gone, he went up to Miyakonojo in Miyazaki ken, and I have a new comp named 石津長老 Elder Ishizu. He's way cool. He's two transfers under me and from Osaka. There's another Japanese Elder that's come down too, and his name is 羽岡長老 Elder Haoka. So pretty much my Japanese is going to get way good. At least I hope haha oh hey mom I need a new journal soon so can you get one at B&N like the one I have
and send that? I'm pretty sure it makes it past my year mark but you know, the sooner the better. I have a page written for everyday of my mission and it's pretty cool with my calligraphic writing. We can't go into bookstores so I just needed the assistance with obtaining that.

Last week not much happened because of transfers. Packed, left, waited. Elder Woolston is a stud and I'll sure miss that guy. He'll do great things along his mission though. Already has. So before we drove up to the airport an hour away we are at go go curry, because you know, curry is my favourite food (not really a joke, I love love love curry) and then took a nap in the car up. I don't have any problem really communicating with these Japanese elders. Obviously they're fluent, they've lived here their whole lives, but I can understand whatever they say. It helps that the one that's not my companion is from Tokyo where they speak so clean Japanese and it's very easy to understand. But because my bike is still down, and my comps hasn't come yet, we've been walking everywhere which isn't effective because nobody is really on the streets and the places we go take forty five minutes to an hour walking there, and then do that back, so time is limited. But we're working hard. It's hot.

So I read some stuff about the "spirit of conversion" and there was like 5 things that came up and all five I actually wanted to study about so that was pretty cool. But the one that stands out right now is hymns. In the introduction of our hymnal, the first presidency has stated that people should study, ponder, and memorize hymns, but I don't think we do that enough, so I started going through and I'm going to do like a hymn a week or every two weeks or something like that and go through because I learned that:

1. They strengthen your testimony in the restoration 
2. Strengthen your testimony of the atonement 
3. Puts you in a place and setting that you are receptive to the spirit. Like how cool is that? 

Before I even did any of this, the song "The Morning Breaks" has been going through my head.

1. The morning breaks, the shadows flee    Lo, Zion's standard is unfurled! The dawning of a brighter day, The dawning of a brighter day Majestic rises on the world.

2. The clouds of error disappear Before the rays of truth divine; The glory bursting from afar The glory bursting from afar Wide o'er the nations soon will shine.

For hundreds of years the fulness of the gospel that Jesus Christ had taught had disappeared. Darkness and misunderstanding spread, but when the gospel was restored through Joseph Smith, a brighter day dawned. Light has spread. Glory bursts. The gospel is being spread through every nation. The church just got recognition in Vietnam! This is a
work that cannot be stopped! It cannot fail! Millions across the globe have found truth and light! And all you have to do is read the Book of Mormon and pray about whether or not it's true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet with the intent to act upon the answer you receive from God. It's simple. It's easy. It's the truth! But I think the most profound part of the hymn "The Morning Breaks" is found in this line that states truth.

"Jehovah speaks!" He speaks! He leads this church! He still gives revelation to his apostles and he is working to bring us back to him! He speaks! He lives!

 my comp is the one in the back right

we found a habu in the wild. we thought about catching it to get $30 but we didnt  

 kamada kyodai, a less active, and his sick ping pong paddle 

Talent Show

(Elder Tschirki thought he sent the group email but apparently it did not go through). This is the family email. I asked him if he was getting transferred...

I have no idea where I'm going yet, we usually don't get our calls until around dinner here and so ill tell you next week I guess! It's a toss up. Either of us could leave. Tell the neighbors they're going to want to move when I get back because I'm going to get an amp and trash it on guitar all the time and get way good and start a punk band and get famous and have so much money that I'll use to be a van and live in the parking lot of vasa for free and shower there and work out and
eat at home. That's a pretty good life I think. Just warn them.

Anyways, this week we came home from Kagoshima on Monday night, so we got home at 5 AM on Tuesday and got back into work. My bike brakes got ruined somehow and nobody on Amami fixes mountain bikes because nobody uses mountain bikes, just mamacharis. So our zone leader in Kagoshima is buying some brake pads and sending them down this next week. So that means we had to walk everyday! YES. In case you aren't aware, Amami is always about 100% humidity, and this last week we hit Thirty-one degrees. That's way hot. It was so hot that both me and my comp sweat through out clothes completely lol it's disgusting, so ain't nobody going to complain about heat to me or I'm going to just point at us and say "excuse me".

But besides that, we did a talent show on Saturday night and it was very fun. We had a few investigators show up and it was a good time. I played piano and I'll put that at the end of the email. THEN, we had 31 people at church! We average
8-10. Now before you get too pumped, let me explain. We had the district president and his son come, which is the Sano's son and grandson, and then another member in the district presidency, and then one of our investigators, Miwa, came with her two kids, and the others investigator Nori, who also brought two kids came, and then we had two other investigators come on our side. We had three! That's a lot for here. Four total. Awesome! And they all enjoyed church too! Anyways so talking to District President Sano Kaicho was amazing. He speaks so cleanly and clearly. He speaks like he's from Tokyo. He speaks actual Japanese. Now I know that I'm on Amami and that is a part of Japan, but everybody here speaks very dirty (like southern in America, but worse) and not clear Japanese and then on top of that, old people only speak in Amami's language (it's not written so it's going to die out, but we like learning phrases because the natives love it) and then they mix them and it's not really Japanese. So while missionaries in Tokyo learn probably faster and clearer Japanese they can't come here and understand anything, whereas we learn dirty Japanese and are also able to understand clear Japanese too. Plus dirty Japanese is fun :)

That's really all that happened this week. Lots of walking, sweating, and drinking Mugicha. My bike should be fixed next week so we will see.

 愛してるわ～

シャーキー長老

Elder Tschirki

#getbuckets

Japanese graffiti is usually just something like this. It says "unchi" which is poop.

 

Here is Drew playing the song for the talent show.

We Met Elder Cook in Fukuoka

Anyways so the reason we were in Fukuoka yesterday is because Elder Cook from the 12 came and spoke to us, and it was amazing. 

So first, the story of how we got there. We left Saturday night to go on a 12 hour ferry to Kagoshima, the bottom tip of Japan. We then took a two our Shinkansen ride up to Fukuoka, gathered, listened to the training, took another two hour Shinkansen back to Kagoshima, stayed the night there, and are having pday here in Kagoshima and go home tonight on another twelve hour ferry. But it was so worth it. Elder Cook got up and dropped straight fire. If he was a rapper, I would buy his mixtape. We were all sitting there studying and he walks in and we all stood, and the spirit was in that room so strongly because a literal prophet of God was in our midst. We all got to shake his hand and receive training from him. The part that stood out was when he talked about success on your mission and how we are "branch builders" or in other words, we strengthen the church wherever we are assigned to go. Obviously baptizing people is priority, but he said success is measured by how much you strengthen the people you work with and bring them closer to Christ. I had been thinking about my last area, Shimonoseki, where I had been for four transfers and hadn't seen any baptisms and I had been wondering if I was successful there or not. I was wondering if I failed there. As he was talking about that, the spirit told me that I had strengthened one of the Young men that was going on a mission soon, Genki, and that I had been successful. It was a very strong experience and I am so grateful for the Lord telling me that I had seen success there. If he cares for someone that worries about that, he cares about everything and anything you want and desire and worry about, and he wants to help you! I needed to hear the exact thing and I know for a fact now and can tell you strongly I was successful there. And then Elder Cook was talking about how he's been asked the question of whether or not the leaders of the church receive revelation like hey did in the bible or doctrine and covenants, and he told us that they do and that they know the Savior. They know him.

Anyways, my comp has been way sick this last week and we didn't really get out, so that stinks so we've been studying a  lot haha. Anyways, it's been a good week!

Also a kid walked up to me and hugged me on the street which was way cute but so weird haha I hope he liked big sweaty American.

We also found a Brazilian restaurant by where Hotokesama (guy who thinks he is God) lives. It was way good.

McDonalds breakfast in Kagoshima

 Me and Elder Palmer

The top of the boat

Inside the boat. It's just cubbies haha.

 

Last week, Sano Shimai taught us how to make Oshibana bookmarks, or pressed flower bookmarks and it was way fun and I made four.

Giant plates of curry for $10 is always a win. 

Broncos

So I got a Broncos shirt and tie in a package so I'm way pumped.

So this last week was a good week. So remember how we went down and back on a sixty mile bike ride? Well it paid off! We got a call Monday night from a lady we gave our number to that we met on a street after she approached us and she called and asked us if we can go down and teach her, even though it's way far, and so we said of course we can! And we got with the Sano's and they drove us down there an hour away (that's what they're here for as senior missionaries pretty much) and we taught her. She's like 60 and has depression and was super happy that we were able to come and visit her and she called again last night and I just talked with her for about ten minutes because I think she just wanted someone to talk to and we're going back again. Well after we taught her, we went to lunch and the Sano's like going to the beaches all over and so we went to three beaches on the way home and they were all way pretty and one of them is famous for the perfectly round rocks and the sounds the waves make on the rocks, kind of like Rice Krispies, and it was so pretty. Anyways, we also taught our other investigators and they're all doing good. Our high school aged kid believes what we tell him and when we asked if he would keep the word of wisdom he said yes, instantly. He's a stud and the only thing keeping him from being baptized already is church, because church is at 10, and soccer is often at 11.

This last week I've been thinking about something simple. Happiness! There's been many many many times on my mission where people have told me "I love being with you because you're just always happy, no matter what." I'm not saying this to level up myself but rather to show how living the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to have true happiness in your life. It's true. We hear it so much over and over again that it's become habit. But being a punk 19 year old selfish kid doesn't make you happy. Thinking about yourself doesn't make you happy. Neither does being lazy. Hard work, diligence, and charity make you happy because you're in a position to feel gods love and show that love to others around you. There's a scripture I read that I've been working on ever since I found it. I was praying one day about what I needed to do better as a person and be happier and the words came to my mind 1 Peter 3:10. Well, I had never read that before so I checked it out and it says

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

Or in other words, if you want to be happy, seek peace, work for it, and love others. It's simple! It's true! And as I've been working on it, life has been infinitely better than before! Everyone remember that happiness is a choice! It's very much so a choice! We were made
to act and choose, and even though sometimes it's hard, we can be happy!

I love you all!
Elder Tschirki

#getbuckets

 Elder Sano

 

 Sister Sano

 Elder Wooston and Sanos at beach

 Broncos!

60 Mile Bike Ride

So as the subject says, me and Elder Beer, our Zone Leader who came down on Thursday, decided to ride down to the bottom tip of our wonderful island of Amami which is about thirty miles away. It took two and a half hours and I don't recommend riding in Japanese heat and humidity in church clothes. Needless to say we were tired. We then get to where we wanted to go, Setouchi, and we had about an hour and a half and we met some wonderful people. We tried visiting a less active but they moved, but as we were walking to our bikes a lady came up to us and talked to us and said she met missionaries a long time ago and she wants to meet again so we exchanged contact info. We then met a lady that took the Book of Mormon and gave us her number so that we can call and set up a time to come back and teach her. We also met a man that would love to be taught but he's going to Tokyo for a couple of months. So after a lengthy ride, we talked with who we were supposed to talk to. We had a really quick dinner and left right at 6:00 PM and made it home right at 9:00 PM. The ride home was probably the most physically hard thing I had done because it was all mountain and uphill tunnels that are 4000 meters long and it was really just grueling. Uphill for three straight hours at high speeds is not fun and I thought I was going to die. But then this happened.

I was praying as I was riding and my legs were starting to cramp up a little and we were still a little over an hour out. I didn't want to have to stop, I just wanted to make it home on time. We were both struggling, and I just kept praying and kept praying for help and strength and it never seemed to come. That's a little frustrating. With every pedal it hurt more and got tighter while going up hill, but as soon as the slope ended, simultaneously so did he pain and the tight cramps. They were gone. The rest of the forty minutes or so were easy, and it was still a good long ways out, but it was easy. As I was going down about twenty minutes out, I was thinking about what happened and the words came to my head "My shepherd will supply my need, Jehovah is His name." That was such a powerful experience!

If we try our hardest, and keeping working, and keep praying, we will be strengthened. We won't necessarily be delivered. BUT, Jesus Christ will strengthen you and enable you to be able to do things that you may not have been able to do in the first place. For me it was
thinking I was going to physically not be able to ride up these mountains, but as I kept going, I received the strength. The pain didn't subside during the hill, but as soon as I got up, it was gone. I had strength again. I know that Christ will help you in every and any circumstance you are in if you ask in faith. As President Uchtdorf said in his last conference talk, if you don't have faith, have hope. Believe. He can't force you to do better and work harder, that's your choice. But he can help you. That was my lesson learned this week, and
it left a big impact on me.

Anyways, Amami is great. It's getting really hot and it's 100% humid and way fun. I love it here.

Morals of this last week: follow the spirit and go where you feel like you should go, ride 60 miles and have fun doing it. I doubt y'all American serving missionaries have done that :)

Love you all!
Elder Tschirki

#getbuckets

Elder Beer is in the blue tie

 Missionary work up in the shacks in mountains

Poorly Planned Beach Cleanup Service Project

So as the title says, we cleaned the beach and it was poorly planned so it was just us four at the beach doing service for three hours. Shoutout to a certain fireman Brother Peterson for trying to teach us how to plan service projects from the Windsor second ward. We tried.
We needed your help. But it was fun and we picked up a TON of trash. Well, the Sano's came, so it was six people. BUT while we were at the beach, I found a massive blue hermit crab. Like it was huge. So elder Agnew kept it, and in revenge for last week's "mail box" incident, put it in my companions desk. So when we were planning that night, we heard scratching, and we didn't know what it was, and so we opened the desk and there's the blue hermit crab. So yeah. There's crabs everywhere here and obviously we're going to be doing pranks with them. Stay tuned.

So we taught a few lessons this week, and here's the rundown. They're all reading the Book of Mormon and loving it. They are receiving answers to their prayers and writing them down and loving the scriptures and everything written in them and how much they help their lives. But they don't feel like the time is right for them to get baptized yet. They're the most progressing golden investigators ever, just without the readiness for being baptized. So it's a little hard but there's not much else I can ask for. They have to progress at their own pace. But they are making huge progress in their lives and it's amazing to see how the gospel helped everyone!

Anyways, we just had training from the assistants today before email about obedience over Skype. So some thoughts I've had about obedience.

-it's the only way to get promised blessings from God.
-it's easier to follow God in the long run. 
-Obedience brings happiness.

Being obedient to commandments, even when we don't understand them will always bring us happiness. If we obey with a willing heart and believe in the blessings, we will get them. Every time. It's easy! We teach obedience everyday as missionaries and obedience is what changes lives! It shows that you trust God! So please, be obedient!

Sorry that wasn't deep, mind blowing doctrine like some weeks but I'll do that again sometime. I love you all!

Elder Tschirki



                                                                  Beach clean up squad

Sometimes people put barbed wire and lock the stairwells in apartment buildings.

Crab in the desk