Birthday and MISC Happenings

These 9 Shimai came to stay at the Honbu for service the next day and helped Gary celebrate my birthday. Gary got these three cakes that we shared.

They helped arrange the flowers on the table. It is obvious they love to get together.

While they ate cake, I opened gifts from them and from my loving husband.
After our service the next day, all the missionaries presented me with this scrapbook they put together. This page included a picture of every missionary in the mission.
This is another cute page in the scrapbook. Other pages had short notes from each missionary and some pictures. It is a keepsake, for sure.
These are some of the notes and pictures cut out or colored by many of my grandchildren for my birthday. Priceless!!!
My sister, Jan sent me this "sisters" plaque.
Included in this picture is a musical Birthday card from the Jahanas, hand crocheted book mark from the Thomas', two pair of Japanese socks from the Shimai, a book of rememberances of the disaster written by children from Gary and the scrapbook opened to a collage page.
Quite often we receive packages in the mail from families or groups around the world who want to do something nice for the people in our area of Japan. This picture came with a box of blankets and little stuffed dolls from a YSA group and a senior missionary couple from the Hungary Budapest Mission. In their letter which was included in the box, they said, "This project has been a most humbling and emotional one, as we know how badly those in Japan need everything in the way of the most basic things. We realize it is a very small contribution. We have included some little dolls that were made by some of our missionaries in Greece. The Greece government would not permit the missionaries to give them out in Greece. I hope they might, along with the blankets, bring some comfort and joy to some of the children in your area of Japan." We are trying to get these blankets to an orphanage in Sendai.

We got another box in the mail last week from a Ward Primary in Spokane Washington. They had made over 100 Tic Tac Toe games made of felt. We will try to get these games to the Primary children in the mission. Aren't people nice in this world?

The APs give the felt games to the Stake Primary President in Sendai and she distributed them to all the ward Primarys in the Stake. These are pictures of one of the Primarys receiving their games. They were thrilled.

MISSION TOUR AND ZONE CONFERENCES WITH ELDER & SISTER AOYAGI

Elder Aoyagi of the 70 and in the Area Presidency speaking to our missionaries.

Sister Aoyagi was a perky, fun lady that everyone loved.

Aomori Zone Sept 2011

Special Musical Number All Creatures of our God and King sung by Sisters Asato & Maki, Elders Everett, Shaw, Mizoguchi and Yuasa.

Morioka Zone Sept 2011

The entire zone sang the special Musical Number I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go. Elders J. Taylor, Ohira, Watanabe, Robbins, Sisters Sumikawa & Sato, Elders Ikeda, Ishida, Tilleman-Dick. Elder Ovard played the piano.

Relief Society sisters cooked dinner for the Sendai Zone.

Sendai Zone Sept 2011

Roll playing "working with the Bishop". This particular picture shows how NOT to do it as you can see Elder Holbrook looking at the ceiling and not paying attention to the Bishop. He was hillarious to watch play this part.

Sister Aoyagi and I roll played meeting someone at their home. First we did it the wrong way and then the right way. The wrong way included kicking off shoes in the gankon a leaving them helter-skelter and sitting down with your coat and backpack on.

The Special Musical Number in Sendai was Lead Kindly Light sung by Sisters Tehei, Kumagai & Onda, and Elders Ellsworth, Ruefenacht and Oikawa.

Niigata Zone Sept 2011

The special musical number was A Child's Prayer sung by Elder K. Taylor, Sisters Yoshida and Yoshizawa, Elders Kendall, Gannon and Price. Elder Kurita lead them and Elder Preston was at the piano.

Elder and Sister Ouyagi made everyone wake up in the middle of the afternoon each day by doing actions to Put Your Shoulder To The Wheel while I sang it. That did the trick!

GOLDEN EAGLES BASEBALL

Gary has become acquainted with Marty Kuehnert who is "Mr. Baseball" for the professional baseball team in Sendai. He was responsible for building the baseball park and has built the team into a force to be reckoned with in Japan. He arranged for the best seating in the stadium for Gary and Elder Thomas and Elder Jahana to enjoy a baseball game. He even took them on a tour of the beautiful stadium before the game. Such a fun evening for these three hardworking missionaries. Elders Thomas and Jahana and their wives are senior couples working in the mission office.

Gary and Bro Jahana walking to the baseball park from the Eki (train station)

A great action shot taken from their seats directly behind home plate. Notice how low the catcher gets to the ground!

Bro Jahana was in heaven!! He loves baseball but has never been to a professional baseball game.

Elder Thomas loved the whole experience, too.

Marty Kuehnert with Gary and Elder Jahana.

The three baseball fans!

A signed baseball.

This Little League teams was anxiousto get into the stadium.

The female version of the mascot. (just like an American game)

Ribbon Cutting for Ice House in Watari

As we drove into town for the ribbon cutting ceremony, we were early and had a chance to drive the streets and see what remains of this community. It was basically gone. This is only one of many piles of wood. There were also huge piles of tatami mats and other piles of metal pieces. You can only imagine how each piece of rubbish was carefully gone through and placed in the appropriate pile.

This is what remains of a playground for the children in town.

Notice there is no water under these boats.

One little house ornament survived but the homes did not. The entire community is now reduced to thousands of foundations where beautiful homes once stood.

The Fishermen Co-op insisted a plaque be attached to the two Ice Houses that says the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated them.

This house stores the fish as it is being prepared to be shipped around the world. The left side is a huge freezer room and the right side is a huge refrigerated room.

The church also donated these three trucks to the Co-op.

This house makes over 3 tons of ice every day. What a blessing to these fishermen to get their buisness functioning again.

Elder Stevenson (Area President) cuts the ribbon.

A nice plaque was presented to Elder Stevenson by the Mayor of Watari.

Group picture taken after the ceremony. (Gary is sitting next to me and was cut off. Why am I the only woman in the picture. I even look concerned about that !!)