ZONE CONFERENCES AGAIN IN JUNE

We picked up the Area Doctors and their wives in Aomori on Monday evening and we went to dinner together in the hotel where we stayed.  As we were standing by the elevators, a nice lady carrying an instrament case came and, as usual, Gary struck up a conversation with her and asked her about her instrament.  She and some others were practicing to perform at a wedding later in the week and she invited us to listen to them practice.  The instrament is called a Shamisen and have an old, traditional sound to them.  It was fun to sit on the tatami mats with them and take in some ancient culture. 

This instrament is called a Shakuhachi and is akin to a recorder.

The gentleman let Gary and some of the others try playing it.  It is very difficult to play.  The mouthpiece is not like a recorder-it is one you blow into, maybe like a flute. 

Tuesday morning we arrived at the church to the Zone singing and ready for the Zone picture.

The entire Aomori Zone had purple ties and purple blouses.  They also had little pins of Mori (a tree) they all were wearing and they gave us pins to wear also.  We were impressed at the tight unity we felt in that zone.  This picture is Elder Ishida, a Zone Leader, giving Gary his pin.

The Aomori Zone with Dr and Sister Donahoe and Dr and Sister Landro. Also the Hirosaki Branch President joined us.

Gary teaching and training on the Book of Mormon.

Elders Squire, Yamamoto, Juchau and Taylor

Elders Saunders, Mead, Brown and Merkley.

Wednesday was the Morioka Zone Conference.

Niigata Zone

Special musical number by Elders Page, Oikawa and Elkins.  Elder Nation at the piano.

Sisters Landro and Donahoe. (Sister Landro is a great-granddaughter of Joseph F. Smith.)

We have recently been made aware of a tradition in Japan called Radio Taiso (excercise).  Starting as little children, all Japanese people learned to do this routine.  Every morning at 6:30 on the radio and TV, the music starts and people stand up and do this 3-4 minutes of excercise.  I invited all the Japanese missionaries to come up front and lead the group as a way to get the blood flowing and keep sleep at bay in the middle of the afternoon.  I think everyone loved it.  We will make this a tradition at all of our Zone Conferences and Leadership Training meetings that go on all day.

Mogi time!

Sendai Zone

Special Musical number with Sisters Tada, Yoshikawa & Kimura,

Elders Takase, Robbins, Ruefenacht & Sanders

Sister Kitade, Elders Hirao, Christensen, Everett & Takei.

The Relief Society in Izumi provided lunch of Taco Salad.  (They wanted to do something the American missionaries would like.)  Sister Asato loving her lunch.

Aren't they a cute bunch of Shimai?

Sister Yoshida earned the Almo O. Taylor Award and was given her pin in Zone Conference.