Week#59 Doing what we do, rain or shine.

We had a pretty crazy week lined up and it pretty much turned out crazy, just as planned (or expected). We had to factor in a bunch of baking and a few strategic trips to the commissary for baking supplies.  Every trip to the store, that requires dragging out our wagon must be "strategic," so we don't make too many of those trips. (life with a car was so much more "care free")

Monday after a volunteer gig (Sister Nelson), we made trip to the store, we ventured back home for some baking time and making something for our YSA FHE.  Lasagna. We had a nice FHE with our two stalwart young men that usually come. Sister Nelson showed them some new card tricks she learned, we had a short lesson and then did the TimTam Slam for dessert.. maybe we can show you some time. 

Tuesday we usually go to the Temple for the day, but we were asked to attend a "Volunteer Appreciation" event, so we changed our plan to accommodate this special event. First we helped grade scholarship applications for the Zama Spouses organization that awards scholarships to Zama HS Seniors. Afterwards, we still had a little bit of time, so we went to the library and then to lunch!  The Volunteer event was hosted by Army Community Service and was intended to recognize individuals across the Zama community for their volunteer efforts in 2024. We ended up being recognized as the "Volunteer Family" of the year. (see video link below) It was a very nice honor and many of our Zama community friends were there cheering us on. We have made a lot of friends across the community here, and many comment that "you guys are everywhere!"  We just smile.   Later that night, Sister Nelson resumed the baking and Elder Nelson helped the missionaries teach a lesson to one of their "friends" via Zoom. 

Wednesday morning had been the target of all the previous baking.  We supported with baked goods and our selves, the Japan Engineer District Red Cross Coffee Cart.  That translates into having fresh coffee provided by the Red Cross office, accompanied by all the baked goods, and a friendly little dog named "Belle" for people to pet if they wish. (not our dog) We set up and started at 0800 and by a little after 0900 all the folks that work at "JED" had cleaned us out.  Success and lots of happy folks. Later Sister Nelson worked at Zama Occupational Health and Elder Nelson worked at Army Community Service.

Thursday came early with our biweekly Army Community Service Newcomers Orientation support.  We help set up the welcome packets, sign people in and welcome them.  It is always a good place to see and meet all the new people coming to Zama.  We ventured home later and cooked up something to take back later to Celebrate Recovery -- Sister Nelson whipped up some Curry (Kare) Rice (Raisu). By the time we got home we were pretty much done...and done. 

Friday, this week, came early as we attended the National Prayer Breakfast that was sponsored by the Zama Chapel / Chaplains office. The featured keynote speaker was a COL Browne who works at Yokota AFB.  Elder Nelson knew him from past Army experiences while we were at Ft Hood.  His message centered around the service rendered to Japan in the aftermath of the big earthquake and tsunami that happened in 2011. (we had just left Japan and missed it). COL Browne happens to be LDS and had served a mission in Japan.  His presentation was very interesting and heartwarming (and sad thinking about the many lives lost).  Sister Nelson went off to get a haircut and Elder Nelson went home for a nap :). Later we set off to do two things.  First, to see if we could get to NAF Atsugi via train and bus since we had not yet made that trip without a car.  Second, to join up with Elder and Sister Melton to see a movie at the Atsugi theater.  To make it extra fun, it decided to rain hard all the rest of the day... So much so that when we finally made it to Atsugi we decided to upgrade to bigger umbrellas.  We finally joined for the movie and we watched (endured) the Minecraft movie. Sister Nelson confessed later to having taken a nap during the movie. Elder Nelson enjoyed the popcorn and thought briefly about this two hours of his life he will never get back. We eventually made it back home with a ride home from the Meltons.  We capped off our adventurous day with a ramen from the neighborhood place we discovered a few weeks back. 

Saturday we Zoomed with our September replacements, the Singletons. We had to clean up our apartment just a tad as we showed them around our apartment via zoom.  Later we had to WAIT for the fire department to make a mandatory check of our balcony fire escape hatch.  After that, we elected to go for a little walk to get out and enjoy the nice weather and see if we could locate where the upcoming Giant Kite festival was going to be.  We walked and walked and made it back in time...to order Domino's pizza!

Sunday we had attended our Sacrament meeting and then we snuck out early to make it back to attend the Festival...we missed it last year and this would be our last chance.  So we did!  We mingled with a whole lot of Japanese from all over who came to this special Giant Kite Festival that is aligned with Children's day.  Elder Nelson will probably go again Monday morning to see if the wind cooperates so the BIG kites can safely take off.  Stay tuned,  Another week is yet to come. 

SEE LINK BELOW

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Week 58 Lots of Flowers in Japan

 Hello all,

Another week brings even more beautiful flowers blooming in Japan. Cherry blossoms have given way to all the colorful azaleas that are everywhere. Elder Nelson's camera can't resist them...even while riding a bus. 

We have tried most modes of transportation here. Our best find was learning how to ride the bus. The seats are kind of small for prominent Americans, but it's all part of the experience. It's really very simple to get on and off with the phone app for all transportation here. We have even had a few conversations with our fellow riders while we wait for the bus. Most are intrigued by our name tags, and because Elder Nelson speaks their language, it often leads to other chit chat. I just smile and nod a lot. 

Our first picture is from last week because we forgot to post it. Elder Lund from the Men's General Board of the church came to our sacrament meeting, and we snapped a picture. He and his wife were very kind, and it was fun talking to them. 

This week started with us teaching 10 high school students early morning seminary. That meant we needed to walk to the high school, but one of the branch members offered to give us a ride. We politely obliged, but we did walk home. We always enjoy teaching the youth. It starts at 6:30, so it takes a few minutes for them to wake up, but we had some good discussions. And of course, we ended with banana bread on Monday and cinnamon rolls on Tuesday. Seminary ends on May 15th, so that was our last opportunity to teach seminary. 

The rest of Monday was spent baking treats for the coffee cart the Red Cross provides at the medical clinic. With all of that baking, cooking dinner was set aside. Instead, we visited our local conbini (small convenience market) and found some mabutofu, one of my favorites. Local conbini's are amazing here. No YSA's this week, but looking forward to this week with them. 

On Tuesday, we taught seminary again and then headed to the train station for our temple assignment. Last week, the train trip was pretty nice, and we even got a seat. This week, the trains were totally packed. You stand very still with your hands to your side, and the only thing that keeps you from falling down when the train swerves is all the other people surrounding you who are holding you up. Kind of like being a Weeble if you remember those toys. When the train comes to a stop, the doors open, and sometimes people get off and more get on. Always crazy when no one gets off, but more people still get on. Really? where is there room for more? And it's all part of the experience. Just not my favorite part. 

On Wednesday, I helped out in the Red Cross office while Elder Nelson taught another class on Family History at the library. He has enjoyed helping others make connections with their family lines. The classes have been fundamental introductory classes, and we are grateful that the library gives us a place to meet. 

The afternoon was spent with more volunteering at the clinic and Army Community Service. That's our regular gig on Wednesday afternoons. We enjoy the people we volunteer with, and we try to set a good example of service to others. It took us a while to get our foot in the door at ACS, and so it has been nice to work with them. 

Thursday, we had the young sisters come with us to the thrift store on base. It is entirely run by volunteers from the high school PTA. We came to help with cleaning and straightening, and putting out new things that have been donated. We hope to continue assisting each Thursday as our schedule allows. The young missionaries are asked to find a few hours each week to volunteer, so it's an excellent place for them, too. This week is transfer week, so we may have some different missionaries with us next time. 

Friday was district council at the chapel, so we packed lunch for 14 people and rode a bus, then a train, then a taxi to get there. One of the elders asked for pulled pork sandwiches on  King's Hawaiian rolls, so we took that and some pasta salad and fruit. When I brought out the rolls, the elder couldn't believe it. He said he didn't think he would see those rolls until he went home. He doesn't really understand how the commissary has just about everything we need. Such a blessing. Sis Melton also spoiled them with Easter chocolates and brownie cookies. They do not go away hungry.

That night was "date night," and Elder Nelson chose to take me to a nice Mexican restaurant here called Mikes. We have been there before. It is owned by an American who knows how to make good Mexican food, and sometimes you just need that. Their chips are made warm and fresh, and the guacamole is amazing. 

Saturday, we signed up for a tour group with the Meltons  that took us to see a Sumo tournament in Yokohama. I wasn't really sure what we were going to see. Sumo competitions are steeped in tradition and rituals. The pre-show is as interesting as the wrestling. The actual wrestling matches are usually only about 30 seconds to a minute long. As soon as someone steps out of the ring, it is over. Elder Nelson got some great pictures, and it was fun to see some of the culture of Japan. And on our way home, we train traveled to the Outback, then home.

We are officially one month away from taking the driving exam. I was pretty worried about all the walking, but we have enjoyed the exercise, and it hasn't been as hard as we thought. Even when we drag the wagon, it's been just fine. Hoping our feet hold up for another month. 

We also hope all our friends and family are well. We hear from the girls regularly and see pictures of the antics of the grandkids and Bret keeps us challenged with a weekly study of Christ-like qualities. We are grateful for all the love and support from so many. 

The church is true, and life is beautiful in Japan. 

Love to all, 

Elder and Sister Nelson

Blog #56 Easter Week sprint.

We enjoyed another busy week of activity across the spectrum and scope of our missionary sojourn in Japan.  We did a lot of concurrent and incremental prepping for a very busy Easter weekend. It seems that time is accelerating, even though our walking pace has not.  At least we are enjoying some beautiful spring weather to walk with.

On Monday, Sister Nelson helped out at Army Community Service.  Later, we worked Monday -- ACS, made a commissary run for FHE.  FHE was going to be just two.  One of them bailed out at the last minute and then there was just one or so we thought. The latter was a surprise, but we had a great visit with our one YSA who came, and felt comfortable enough to bring his mom who was visiting from Hawaii. We love our YSA's!

Tuesday, we had our weekly Tokyo Temple day. We have the bus and train routine down pretty well now, and if the trains are not crowded, and we can sit, the commute is almost as fast and pleasant as driving.  We have learned to not join the evening commute home with the Tokyo working masses. As we have mentioned before, Tuesdays are special because it is the day the missionaries from both Tokyo missions can attend (once per transfer). 

On Wednesday, Elder Nelson had his second (of three) Family History class, and Sister Nelson pitched in at the Red Cross office. A special highlight was seeing one of the Family History students successfully establish a FamilySearch account and, for the first time, be able to see nearly five generations of his family line that he had only heard about before.  Later, it was Elder Nelson's turn at Army Community Service while Sister Nelson helped at the Occupational Health clinic. After a long day, we headed home and had our sights set on our recently discovered local restaurant, only to discover that they were closed that day...blah...SO, we went looking for another one and we found it!  It was a "Yakitori" place. That means they grill stuff on little skewers...everything you can imagine, but mostly chicken.  It was awesome and our experience was very Japanese! We will go back to this place.

On Thursday is was Camp Zama newcomers orientation again, so our day started at 0700.  It was a relatively small group this.  The PAO (Public Affairs Office) sent a nice lady to videotape and interview us for "Volunteer Celebration Week."  That was fun, but none of our interview and only a few shots of our "volunteering" made the cut for the published video.  I guess that the Army and Camp Zama are still not ready to overpublicize what we MRM missionaries do for them. Alas, sentiments change slowly.  We did meet a gentleman who just arrived here, but had served before with a lot of LDS National Guard Soldiers...so he knew who we were and had a very positive take on our Church members.  We did lunch with our Stars and Stripes Jewish friend, who was doing his Passover thing with salad and an unleavened cracker.  He told us a little about his "passover" tradition.  We retreated to our apartment for a bit and later returned to for Celebrate Recovery as we do each week.  After that, Elder Nelson joined an online video lesson with one of their "friends."  It isn't often that we get to help teach Gospel principles to those investigating the Church.  Always a special experience for us.  Sister Nelson was concurrently getting things prepped for Friday!

Friday was an exceptionally busy day.  Loaded up, we headed out to catch our bus, then train, then taxi connection to get the our chapel where our district meets for weekly District Council and lunch. Easter is coming, you know!  So with little Easter Baskets in tow, we made the trip, and we had a good meeting and experience. And the "Easter Bunnies" were also well received with big smiles from our young missionaries.  Did I mention that Sister Nelson, for about the last three weeks, has been organizing and coordinating our upcoming Sunday Easter program for church?  Well, after DC, we had to test the projector, sound, microphones, and such.  After that we made it home by bus/train/bus long enough for a 15-minute power nap!  Then, back to the bus stop for our bus/train/walking trip to the Temple Annex in Tokyo for a special Easter Devotional put on by the Mission and our missionaries.  It was great, but it was all in Japanese, so Sister Nelson mostly smiled and enjoyed the music.  THEN, after that, we went out to dinner with some of our fellow Senior Missionary friends from the Mission Office, the Burnetts.  They took us to an Indian restaurant that served some amazing Indian cuisine.   THEN, we made the train/bus journey home.  Long, late, but wonderful day.

Saturday was for catching up, finishing up, and making final preparations for Sunday, along with our Monday, Tuesday morning substituting at the early-morning seminary class.  Domino's delivered dinner that night. 

Sunday came early!  We rose about 0330 (O-DARK EARLY) so we could be ready and make it to the top of the Camp Zama Golf Course for the Zama chapel-sponsored Easter Sunrise Service. Sunrise was 0505. Sun- Sunrise service. We made it, along with a small congregation of faithful folks from our Camp Zama community.  The only "person" that didn't show was Mr. Sun. It was too cloudy.  We enjoyed some inspired music, spoken words, and prayer to commemorate Easter.  After that, we got ourselves back home and got ready for our own Church service later.  Long story short, everything came together for a very nice Easter Program that invited the Spirit for many.  The only "wrinkle" was that the Young Men's General President and his wife (Elder Steven Lund) were in town and decided to attend our meeting...nothing like having a Church General Authority pop in and join your Easter Program!  Still, all was good.  We had one more event left, Easter dinner.  We had three of our young adults and our partner MRM couple join us for Ham, "Funeral Potatoes, Green Beans, and "Manly Jello." We also had rolls and some yummy cheesecake for dessert.  After our guest left, our last bit of energy went towards finalizing our thoughts for Monday morning's seminary lesson.  

Good night for now.   Remember, He died for us.  He is risen.  He lives.  That is our testimony, along with all the others.