6 New Missionaries in July

 Our handsome President waiting at the Airport for the plane to arrive.  The airport was decorated for Sendai's Matsuri celebration characterized by these colorful paper balls with streamers. 

 This is the transfer for three AP's starting today (Monday) until Thursday when Elder Ikeda will go to Aomori as a Trainer.  Our new AP is Elder Takei working with Elder Dowdy.

 Gary is always talking and instructing the AP's. 

 On the wall of the Airport is this picture of a statue of Date, a Samuri Warrior from this Sendai region a few centuries ago. (NOTE:  Sis Oaks baptized one of his progenators, Sister Date who lives in the Kamisugi Ward and is very active in the church.)

 A large picture of the Sendai celebration in August.

 Welcome to Sendai sign at the airport.

 They finally arrived!!  Sisters Hyodo, Stubbs,

Elders Miller, Palmer, Seto, Kyotani & Pres. Rasmussen.

 The new missionaries and the AP's with us.

 The next morning at breakfast. (Breakfast casserole and "coffee" cake, fruit and juice)

 This was the scene at lunch (chicken curry rice) with their trainers.

 Elder Miller from  Stanwood, Washington

 Elder Miller and Elder Uchida will serve in Izumi

 Elder Palmer from Salem, UT.

 Elder Palmeer and Elder Robbins will serve in Yonezawa.

 Elder Kyotani from Osaka, Japan

 Elder Kyotani and Elder Kim will serve in Sanjo

 Elder Seto from Kyoto, Japan

 Elder Seto and Elder Ikeda will serve in Aomori.

 Sister Hyodo from Aichi, Japan.

Sister Hyodo and Sister Kimura will serve in Nagamachi. 

 Sister Stubbs from Canberra, Australia.

 Sister Stubbs and Sister Inoue will serve in Akita.

Before the left for their new areas.  They will all be terrific missionaries.  We love them all.

Dinner in Niigata at the Umeda Home

Elders Mizuochi & Page talking to the exchange student who lives with the Umeda family.

 Sisters Mukaitani and Shuto.

 Bro.Tsukano is a member of the church but his wife is not.The missionaries taught a FHE lesson tonight for her benefit.  She is a lovely lady who loves leather works (she makes beautiful purses and hand bags) and she makes bridal hats and formal tea ceremony hats.

 Brother and Sister Umeda.  They are so friendly and happy and good to the missionaries.  He is in the Branch Presidency.

Group picture at the end of the evening.

Elder Aoyagi training ZLC on Finding

The mission has not had many baptisms so far this year.  We have good, obedient missionaries but one of the problems is FINDING people to teach.  We can't baptise until we have people to teach.  Elder Aoyagi offered to come to train the Zone Leaders on FINDING techniques.  He spent all day training them and then had them go out on the street and practice for a couple of hours what they had been taught.  They were very excited at the end of the day to go back and teach their Zones what they had learned. 

 Elder Aoyagi was the Mission President in Sendai 28 years ago and loves our mission and want it to suceed.  He made quite an impression on the missionaries.

 Zone Leaders, Elder and Sis. Aoyagi and us after the training.

 That evening, we enjoyed dinner with the Aoyagis, Pres. & Sis. Sugawara (Sendai Stake Pres).

A WEEK LATER

All the Zone Leaders held training in their Zones and taught those

 missionaries what they had learned. 

    The Morioka/Aomori (joint) Zone training.  They are doing Mogis practicing ways

 to speak to people on the street.

 Listening to mogis .  Then all the missionaries are paired up to practice themselves.

 President Rasmussen teaching and motivating. (He is a master at that!)

 The Assistants to the President teaching and training.

 Elders Oikawa, Shin'no and Mizuochi listening intently.

 Elders Takeshita, Kendall and Page (Niigata Zone)

 Sisters Mukaitani and Shuto taking notes

Elders Page, Oikawa and Holbrook (Niigata Zone)

NOTE:  We did have an increase in baptism this month (8).  We have learned over the past year that we can't check off the list a principle that has been taught and think it will never have to be talked about again because the missionaries have internalized it and practice it.  NO, the same core concepts and principles must be taught over and over and over again.  I'm sure the Lord feels the same way about all of us-his children. How many times must we be taught the same lesson from HIM.

NEW BAPTISMS IN NAGAMACHI WARD

 We attended the baptism for Bro So who is a graduate student from China.  He is very converted and loves the gospel.  We believe he will have great influence on the church in China when he returns home.

 Sister Sato was baptised in June.  She was taught the gospel by the missionaries often in our home.  She is a single mom of this boy who is studying to get into college.  Hopefully, he will join the church like his Mom in the future.  We invited them both to our house for dinner.  I made American Pizza and the son loved it.  I've never seen anyone eat as much as he did that night.

The AP's came at the end of the evening to build a stronger relationship with the son.

FIRST VISIT TO MISAWA BRANCH

 A candid shot on the platform of the tiny Misawa Eki.   The Eki is directly across the street from the big beautiful Misawa chapel.  A large military Ward also uses the building which justifies such a large chapel.  We also attended the Ward this day.  It was wonderful to hear the Sacrament Prayers and speakers speaking English for the first time in a year. 

Gary with the Branch Presidency in Misawa.