Spring is in full swing, all the Cherry Blossoms are gone, it is very green and the days are either clear and hot or rainy. We continue to work at building contacts and opening doors...a process that sometimes seems slow. There is one part of us that wants to be running full "missionary speed" (whatever that might be) and be "busy" every day, but it isn't that way for us...and we remind ourselves often that it isn't supposed to be for Senior Missionaries...pacing and patience is key to survival.
We are here to serve the local members and the local (military) community, not proselyte. And we are both Sixty+something, not nineteen. That said, we are gradually meeting new people and opening more doors. Each day we pray that Heavenly Father will bless our efforts, soften hearts, and open doors. We know He will.
This week we were able to meet the US Army Japan Chaplain (Once upon a time, I was on the US Army Japan General Staff). That meeting was very positive and we got invited to help out and attend a chaplain summit in a few weeks. The Chaplain took us over to the "G2 office", where I used to be in charge, to meet the present G2. The civilian deputy G2 turned out to be a gentleman that I hired some 14 years ago.
We took one of our YSAs (Brother Schroeder) to dinner, along with a couple of his friends and that was fun. Our Branch President has asked us to help work with the YSA group and also teach Temple Preparation to a few of the graduating HS seniors and YSAs. We will, but setting it up also takes time and more patience.
For our PDay excursion this week we ventured out on the trains and went to Kamakura. Among other things, Kamakura is the home of the "Daibutsu" (Great Buddha) which dates back to the 12th century. It is quite sobering to see something so old and in such amazing condition. We found a fun Japanese restaurant along the way and we also visited a nearby Buddhist temple that had very beautiful grounds (and a lot of steps to climb, over 11,000 steps on the FitBit that day). See FB for those pictures.
We had a fun activity on Friday with our young District missionaries. We have been bringing them lunch each week...this week, we brought them each a box of their favorite American breakfast cereal, along with milk, juice, and some amazing sweet rolls that Sister Nelson made. It was a hit with all of them and not much was left over...just lots of smiles.
On Saturday we ventured to a nearby Yokota Air Force Base. Much larger and nicer than Zama. We will be volunteering at their Friendship Festival soon and wanted to check it out. Of course, we checked out their Commissary and BX and then had a nice lunch at Chili's. Bottomless chips and salsa never disappoint. The MRM couple stationed there are going home soon and we will be volunteering with them. So many opportunities to mingle with the Japanese and members. It's so fulfilling to gather with them.
We made another trip to Camp Fuji yesterday and found nobody waiting for us...so again, we will pray, have faith, and make the trip again next week. Heavenly Father knows who is at Camp Fuji, even if we don't. And, He also knows who will be going to Camp Fuji and we know that our faith, persistence, and patience will be rewarded. At the very least, Mt. Fuji was giving us a good view this time. We have gotten better at driving and navigating the expressways. There is one very bizarre exit off the expressway...see the picture below...we have tried it twice and failed...so we now skip it although Sister Nelson wants to keep trying until we get it right. Last time we ended up driving into some Japanese farmer's yard. Japanese roads are always an adventure.
We continue to attend the weekly Celebrate Recovery activity, we have signed up for a couple of Red Cross events that happen this coming week, and we are going to help some Zama HS and JHS student practice their English as they prepare to go to Smyrna, GA as "ambassadors" later this year. We had to redo our background check paperwork to volunteer at the Zama Behavior Health Clinic...again, patience is required as we wait for that to happen. We look forward this coming week to a trip to the Tokyo Temple as Sister Nelson attends a Stake Women's conference.
We hope you all have an awesome week. We will be doing our best to have one here.
Love to all.
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