Sendai Japan Mission 2011-2014: May 2012

Sister Yoshida of Nagamachi Ward

Sister Yoshida came to celebrate my birthday with several ladies from the Nagamachi Ward shortly after we arrived in Japan last September. We became friends from that day on. She has cancer and was told she had 6 months to live 2 years ago. Since that time, she has worked hard to be an active member of the church. She never came to church or to a church activity alone. She always had a non-member friend with her. She loves to do missionary work. She was told recently that she has 2 or 3 weeks to live and has been admitted to the cancer hospital. Gary and I went to see her on our way out of town last weekend. She has no fear of death and is even anxious to get to the other side where she can teach the gospel easier. She is planning her funeral and wants it to be her biggest missionary effort of all. She has written her testimony and made 100 copies of it that she wants handed out along with a Book of Mormon to all non-members who attend her funeral. She is an amazing woman and an angel who will surely go to the Celestial Kingdom.

Sis Yoshida gave to the Mission Home her Hina Doll set that we had displayed in the living room in February for Girl's Day when Elder Oaks came to visit the mission. Before we took it down, we asked Sister Yoshida to come and see it.

She came with her Mother and her sister.

May FHE at the Honbu

FHE is a fun night and we always have a crowd-even when we don't think anyone will come. Notice the smiles on everyone's faces. They love to be here and many come from quite a distance to attend. We had about 10 non-members out of 50 people who attended.

The AP's taught the lesson.

The Jahanas' did a fun activity.

I was in charge of refreshments, Root Beer floats. Because root beer is not a favorite taste to the Japanese, we also had Fanta orange soda and melon soda. The melon soda is very popular in Japan but it is almost impossible to buy root beer. I had to special order it.

Interim Mission Presidents' Seminar in Tokyo

We took the train to Tokyo and after checking into our hotel, we went to the Temple where we met several other Presidents and wives.

Pres. & Sis. Gilbert (Korea Busan) Pres. and Sis Evans (Sapporo) and Pres & Sis Mecham (Micronesia Guam).

After the Temple, we rode the subway to a station where we met Bro. Sakioka, a great man Gary taught and baptized 40 years ago in Tokyo.

Bro Sakioka is a cook at a school and has been a bishop. He and his wife have 8 children.

Taken outside the Sanno Hotel before dinner. This hotel is very nice and is owned by the military. We had to show our passport before we could enter the building.

With President and Sister Baird of the Nagoya Mission

To get an idea of how BIG Tokyo is, these are pictures taken outside our hotel room.

Though it may not be appropriate, I took this picture of Elder Nelson sitting by Elder Ringwood (his son-in-law) and Yamishita.

Elder and Sister Yamishita Mission Tour in May

Waiting for the train to come in from Tokyo with the Yamishita's on it. Not very many minutes go by without a phone call to Gary.

Elder Yamashita interviewed the office couple and the AP's before dinner. Sister Furukawa prepared a Japanese dinner that they loved. They have lived in SLC the past year and real Japanese food is the thing they missed the most.

Elder Yamashita is a member of the Seventy who was recently made the 1st Counselor to the new Area President, Elder Ringwood. He and his wife were so nice and kind to us. We enjoyed our days with them. After dinner, we loaded into the van and drove to Morioka where we spent the night and prepared for the Mori-Mori (Aomori and Morioka) Zone Conference the next morning.

As we arrived at the church, the missionaries were singing in their places ready for the group picture to be taken. After the picture was taken, each missionary filed by to shake the hands of the Yamishitas and Elder Nishihara, our Area Authority.

Sister Tanabe

Elders Fukuta, Saunders, and Fitzpatrick. (Elder Fukuta graduated from High School at Westwood in Mesa. He lives in Japan, however.)

Elder and sister Tsuchida, who are serving in Morioka, are good friends of the Yamishitas. They are all from Fukuoka where Elder Tsuchida was the Temple President.