August Starting Missionaries

This tired group arrived at 8:00 PM from the MTC. 

Sisters Miura, Watanabe, and Kubota &

 Elders Hakaraia, Hunt, and Hatcher.

Receiving their first challenge instructiions.  They are to take a Book of Mormon, pass along cards and chidashi (English class flyers) on the train with them back into town and try to give them away to someone they talk to.  They learn right off the plane that in the Sendai Mission we talk to everyone!

They finally made it back to the Mission Home where we had a light supper of soup and bread before sending them to bed.

At 7AM the next morning, they were ready for breakfast.

The usual breakfast is pancakes (with homemade berry syrup and mapel syrup),

scrambled eggs, fruit, juice.

After a few hours of training, they met their trainers.  Shimai always love to be together.

Elder Carter will train Elder Hunt

Elder Squire will train Elder Hakaraia

 



Elder Christensen will train Elder Hatcher

 



Sister Takatsu will train Sister Miura (They look like sisters)

 



Sister Kitada will train Sister Watanabe

Gary loves too watch the missionaries interact with each other!

Elder Hakaraia is from New Zealand.

Elders Squire and Hakaraia will serve in Aizuwakamatsu.

Elder Hunt is from Las Vegas.

Elder Carter and Elder Hunt will serve in Yokote.

Elder Hatcher is from Boise, Idaho

Elder Hatcher and Elder Christensen will serve in Kamisugi.

Sister Miura is from Yamaguchi, Japan.

Sister Takatsu and Sister Miura will serve in Kamisugi

Sister Kubota is from Aichi, Japan

Sister Chickamori, Sister Kubota and Sister Takatsuka will serve in Hirosaki.

Sister Watanabe is from Yamaguchi, Japan.

Sister Watanabe and Kitade will serve in Akita.

Ready to go out to their areas.  What a great group of missionaries they will be!

Miyako Singles Conference

 Gary has become very concerned that there are so many single men and women in the Branches of the church in the Mission.   He has organized a committee who will provide firesides or activities for all of these single adults to get together and meet each other.  This was one of the first activities planned.  We felt like we should attend and support the activity for at least the first day.  After we left to go home at the end of the day, the group all went to a camp where they had a BBQ and spent the night.  The next day was full of activities. Sunday they all attended church in the Miyako Branch.

 Elder and Sister Yamanita organized  a chance for single adults to get together in the Morioka District in their little community of Miyao.  After everyone gathered at the church and paid their "dues", each person introduced themselves. 

  A nice bento was served of sushi.

 The Yamanita's knew I didn't love sushi so they bought me some other foods.  One item would have been plenty of food.

 Some of the participants: 

 A cruise around the bay of Miyako was lots of fun.  Miyako is on the seashore and was hit VERY hard by the tsunami.

 Gary posing with the captain and crew of the boat. 

It was very warm and sunny so he wore his wide-brimmed hat.

Gary with soome of the group on the cruise.

 So many seagulls.  They ate bread right out of our fingers.

 Mr. Handsome!!

 Elder and Sister Yamanita (he is standing and she is sitting) are doing a wonderful job in Miyako helping to strengthen the Branch.

 Relaxing after the cruise.

 This is called senbazuru or 1000 cranes.  The Japanese make 1000 of the small origami cranes and attach them together into strips.  They mean "good luck" or ganbarou. (endure it well)

 

The whole group!

Nagamachi Ward Youth Dendo

 The Ward Mission Leader and the Full-Time Missionaries planned two days of Missionary Preparation for the youth of the Nagamachi Ward.  They loved learning about missionaries and spending time with them.  They even slept in the Elder's apartment and the Mission Home one night.

 I prepared lunch for them (BBQ Chicken sandwiches, corn on the cob, coleslaw and watermelon.

 These cute little boys are deacons (they both looked like 8 year olds)  We felt they were too young to stay in the Elder's apartment so they stayed with us.  I've forgotten what it is like having two young boys with lots of energy to work out.  They liked running up and down the stairs and sword fighting at the end of the day.  Whew!!!

 The youth all love Gary!!  This is the daughter of President Tanaka (of the Stake Presidency).

 Ward Mission Leader who is a convert of a couple of years himself.

 Watching the whole process happen!!

 Group picture

 Lots of fun and activities.

 They even made their own name tags to pin on.

 Who wouldn't want to be JUST like the missionaries!!!

The Tanaka Couple Arrive In The Mission

 Tanaka Choro and Shimai arrived by boat.  The Jahanas and Thomas' came with us to greet them. (The Tanakas are 3rd and 4th from LH side of picture)

The next day after some training, they were ready to go to Ichinoseki.  He has been a High Counselor and she has been a Stake RS President.  They will be a great addition to the mission.

Koriyama Primary

 4 generation picture of Koriyama Branch member.

 Gary and I were invited to attend Primary for a few minutes.  The boy and littlest girl were visitors that day (Mom  and twin siblings in picture above).  There were two girls  that make up this Primary. (One of the girls was hiding in this picture) 

 Singing time was fun.  Can you guess this song?  (Oh, What Do You Do In The Summertime?)

The visuals to teach this song great.  They were singing I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus.  Primary is the same all over the world, no matter how many children attend.