Week 40 Christmas has come and gone

 Hello friends, 

We have begun another week and heading directly into the New Year. New Year's is a big deal here in Japan, and we will see what that means in next week's blog. This week was Christmas, and we had plenty of reasons to find joy in the season. 

Typical of this mission, the week started off with a little volunteering at Army Community Service, and then we proceeded to purchase all the ingredients for Christmas dinner and start the baking. Zama Red Cross asked for cookies for their Christmas Eve Coffee cart at the hospital. I guess homemade goods go well with coffee. The rest of the day was spent making traditional cheese, Danish bread, sugar cookies, and other treats. The baker and her helper went to be pretty tired. 

Christmas Eve was still spent preparing food for Christmas Day and we had a very special experience that evening. Our military chaplain, who is also in our branch, asked us to try and support and attend the Zama Chapel Candlelight services. (Non-denominational) I/We volunteered to make cookies, so with 100 bagged cookies, we headed to the services. There were many friends and acquaintances from the post there, and we enjoyed a very special message shared by Chaplain Olson. We both felt the spirit of the season and were so happy to be able to share it with the community members we serve with. 

Christmas morning dawned early as we volunteered to prepare the Christmas dinner for the district missionaries. Ham, cheese potatoes, jello, rolls, and desserts. We are getting good at cooking things at our apartment and transporting them to the chapel ( a 45-minute drive away). It's a BIG adjustment to prepare things in a tiny kitchen with an oven the size of a microwave, but we did it.  All the missionaries loved the "American" food and they are always so appreciative. Our one Australian elder even went and bought us some flowers as a thank you. 

After dinner, we walked over to a nearby rest home that the local sisters serve at, and we sang Christmas carols with them. We entered the building, removed our shoes, and put on the slippers they set out for us.  So Japanese. As we sang, it was so fun to see how happy they were. My favorite was helping them sing along as they could all sing the words "Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,la. Thank you, Sis. Sumpsion for helping us find a place to serve on Christmas Day. We have such a great district. 

We returned to the chapel and played some silly games, including the Saran Wrap Ball Unwrap, Merry Christmas candle blowing, Protect your Assets, and Uno Attack. After the cleanup, we all headed home to a well-deserved night: "All is calm; all is bright." We did squeeze in the traditional pudding game that our family has played for 46 years. With only two old people to play, the odds were pretty good that one of us would find the almond in the pudding. Elder Nelson mistakenly purchased the pudding gift by sending himself an Amazon gift card meant for his mom. (We ordered another one for her) I was the lucky winner of that card. I can't ever remember winning so that was fun. 

The day after Christmas is usually spent with a lot of clean up but since our presents were few, I told Elder Nelson we would do little more than relax and a puzzle. He relaxed, I did the puzzle, and it was a nice break from the crazies. Friday, we did do some basic cleaning and laundry, but not a whole lot more than that.  and Elder Nelson tried to fight off a head cold. After a lot of ZiCam he may have scared it away. At least for now. 

Saturday night, we were supposed to join a friend, Rob, for a Hannukah dinner at the New Sanno Hotel in downtown Tokyo. Unfortunately, Rob got sick and couldn't attend. We stayed the night anyway and had BBQ at a restaurant there instead. Sunday, we attended the English-speaking ward,Tokyo 2nd, at the temple annex for services. There are quite a few old folk missionary couples that attend there. It was nice to see them, and we were invited to dinner at the Burnett's. They are the mission office missionaries. We have enjoyed getting to know them. There are so many awesome people we have met and served with. Definitely adding to all the wonderful friends we have all over the world. 

We hope you all had a nice Christmas. We missed being with family but that will happen next Christmas. We also wish you a very Happy New Year and pray that your life will be filled with good things in the days, weeks and months ahead. 

Love to all.

Elder and Sister Nelson

Week 39. Driving in Japan should be easy, or so you would think.

Every six weeks, the Mission has a "Transfer" to rotate missionaries around.  For some, it is time to return home.  For others, their missionary experience begins as they arrive; for others, it means a new area or companion.  As for us "Senior Missionaries," we are mere bystanders since we just stay put.  This week our transfer cycle came on Monday vs the usual Friday.  So we said goodbye and welcome as we continued our routine.  Meanwhile, 'tis still the Season, so we contributed a fair share of cookies and such to various activities at Camp Zama. 

Monday for our YSA activity, we had a good turnout and did a little Pizza and Pool at the Atsugi base. It is great to have Elder and Sister Melton working with us and we also are getting a few more Young Adults out. We always enjoy being with our YSA's.  Lots of energy and in need of some friendship and attention too. 

On Tuesday, we made our weekly trip to the Tokyo Temple and, as we always do, enjoyed our interactions with the other Temple Workers and the young missionaries who attended. Serving in the temple continues to be a real blessing for us, giving us a break and a spiritual uplift once a week. We also get to drop in and say "howdy" or "Konichiwa" to our friends in the Mission HQ office.  

On Wednesday we did a little Red Cross Service and I volunteered at Army Community Service.  Sister Nelson does the same on Mondays.  We also planned a "Christmas Fellowship" at Camp Fuji for later on Wednesday.  We made a bunch of frosted sugar cookies to hopefully greet some Marines with.  As it turned out, we had a less-than-wonderful turnout. The Chaplain, his assistant (on his insistence), and one young Marine.  But, the nice thing is that this young Marine is also a church member who came looking for services from the Fuji Chaplain.  We were able to meet him Wednesday and made arrangements to return on Sunday and provide sacrament services.  Meeting him made it all worth it. 

Every other Thursday we support setting up and signing in everyone coming to the Camp Zama New Comer's Orientation. We enjoy doing this because we do get to see everyone new coming in and they get to see us... "show the badge."  We never know when a new member (active or otherwise) might wander in.  This takes up a good part of our morning until just after lunchtime.  Afterward, we had to make our run to the commissary to get what we needed for Friday morning's District Council and Lunch.  

So, Friday after we did our District thing with another birthday for our elder from Australia, we drove into Yokohama to find the prefecture Drivers License Center.  Why?  Well, our AAA International Drivers License expires in March and before that, we MUST get a regular Japanese Drivers License.  And as it turns out, that is quite the process and a process that is taking an extraordinarily long time of late.  Before visiting the DL Center, we had to get our Utah DL translated, get a residence address verification from Zama City, pictures, and take our Utah Driving Record, passport, etc.  So, we did all of that. And, naturally, I had a bad address so our first stop was at the Kanagawa Prefecture Police HQ...and they redirected us to the Drivers License Center...about 30 minutes away.  We got there and managed to find the right office and line to stand in.  We eventually were seen and fortunately, we had all of the right paperwork!  The bad news was that the earliest date we could take the WRITTEN test was March 25th....and then, IF WE PASS THAT, we could get a DRIVING TEST maybe four to six weeks later.  

So, for you who like math, if our current DL expires on 24 March and we can't complete the new process for a Japan License for six weeks, how many weeks might we have to walk, find a bus, take a train, or ride a donkey?  We are hoping for a tender mercy to come our way in the form of an earlier testing date. We are not really sure how that would happen, but we could use your prayers.  Not that we mind a little more exercise, but some things we do are beyond walking distance away...and our feet are not as young as they once were. 

Anyway, to finish the week, on Saturday we went again (by car) to the Temple to help with a special session that a family from Yokosuka arranged for.  It was a nice experience and we made our trip back home by way of our favorite Sushi restaurant.  Oshikatta!  On Sunday we enjoyed a short 1-hour church session and later made our way back up to Camp Fuji to have church services for our young Marine friend we found up there.  A good way to end the day and the week.

                                                                

Week 38 -- and 46 years, but who's counting?

 Our various service activities continue as usual, except with a holiday feel and flavor.  Cookies are always in high demand, but we are adding some peppermint here and there. In the coming days, the "never-fail sugar cookies" will make their debut. But for now, brownies are in season.

This week we had a couple of noteworthy events, not the least of which was our 46th Anniversary...more on that later. We have been recently volunteering for ACS (Army Community Service) at their office and reception area. It is a good place to meet new people and "show the badge."  And, unlike earlier this year, we feel welcome and appreciated for what we can do. That change in demeanor has been a tender-mercy for us. We serve there on Monday and Wednesdays now as well as help with the "new-comers" orientation every other week.  We are also still helping a bit in the Occupational Health Clinic.  It's not a big impact thing, except for the one individual we help...but sometimes, it's the one that matters.  

Wednesday afternoon we presented a special print (work of art) of Elijah being blessed, taught, and saved by God as he was about to just give up. The theme is about "suicide prevention" which resonates with the chaplain community. We presented the print, along with Chaplain Saxton (Camp Zama chaplain (LDS), and our partner MRMs, the Meltons, to Chaplain Grady, the NAF Atsugi Chaplain (Navy). He is one of our favorite people. We have worked with him since we got to Japan and he is an awesome individual. We have wanted to present him with a print for quite some time. 

Later, Wednesday evening we supported the "Gingerbread Fun Run." It was really cold, but they had a great turnout and we helped MWR cheer people on and the Red Cross serve hot chocolate.

Thursday we visited the orphanage we have been going to for a while. We missed November, so some of the kids there were very excited to see us come this time.  We did some Christmas-themed activities and games and left them all with a smile and a candy cane.   Thursday evening we once again supported the efforts of the Celebrate Recovery group.  

Friday was a long and busy day as we took lunch to our District missionaries and then later went into Tokyo to support our Zama Branch youth do Temple baptisms. We listened to Siri suggest an alternate route which ended up taking us 2 hours...never again. 

Our plan, since it was going to be our anniversary, was to go Friday to help at the Temple and then spend the next two nights at the New Sanno Hotel.  We would take Saturday as our "PDAY," and take a mental break from missionary labors.  We enjoyed sleeping in a little, and being served breakfast, and we ventured out to see a bit of Shibuya a major shopping, retail, and entertainment district in Japan.  Famous too for its big crosswalk area outside the train station.  See our pics and video on FB.  We had a nice fancy dinner back in the hotel on Saturday night and come Sunday we had to get up and leave early to make it back to our area in Zama for church.  Such was our anniversary.  

Sunday we had a nice meeting at church and later we helped our young missionaries (Elders) do a baptismal service after our Sunday church meetings.  It was quite a long day, but fulfilling; however, our Anniversary day kind of passed by quietly. Maybe, next year, we can go on a cruise or something more celebratory.  Still, 46 years together is something special in and of itself.  We are here, together, more or less healthy, and still working at working and being together. We love each other, despite ourselves...and are working one day at a time towards eternity. 

Going here and there

Making Cookies!

Presenting a gift/print to one of our special friends

Gingerbread Fun? Run

Orphanage

Our Fujisawa District young missionaries

Birthday

Our little silver Toyota tightly parked

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                                                                        Camp Zama Branch Youth

Maybe too many people

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Week 37 -- Its beginning to feel a bit like Christmas.

 The weather in our area of Japan is much cooler, but there is no snow. Other parts of Japan, especially up north, are seeing the white stuff.  We have had frost on the car in the mornings. Sweaters are definitely in season. The Christmas lights on Camp Zama remind us daily that the holiday season is in full swing. And with the holiday season, there are plenty of opportunities to serve in a variety of ways...ho ho ho. But first, let's start with the beginning of our week. 

Monday afternoon we drove to Tokyo (to the Tokyo Temple Annex) for a special FHE for the Senior Missionaries in the greater Tokyo area. We have attended three of these so far.  It is fun to see some of our counterparts that we don't see often. Many were from the Asia North Area office. We had some great holiday food (potluck style) and had a few activities and a short devotional by Elder Esplin of the Area Presidency. Some of the missionaries were heading home which will happen to us sometime in the future. We feel privileged to be in such awesome company and we enjoy what we have the opportunity to do here in Japan. 

We spent the night at the New Sanno Hotel since Tuesday is our regular day serving in the Tokyo Temple. I took some time before reporting for Temple Duty, visiting a nearby park where the autumn colors are still present.  We enjoyed another full day of helping the missionaries attending the Temple that day feel welcome and have a good experience.

Wednesday I had a return and final visit with the downtown Tokyo dermatologist while Sister Nelson helped the Zama Red Cross office decorate for the holidays. We later reported for duty at the Zama Clinic for a little volunteer time. And we went here and there in preparation for the rest of the baking week... we also made our way to NAF Atsugi for mail and such. We invited our neighbor MRM missionaries, the Meltons to join us at the Zama Community Center that evening for Mongolian BBQ (one of our favorites). Sister Nelson slipped into Grandma mode also and prepared some boxes for mailing to some grandchildren we know and love.

Thursday we did a lot of different things...it was a long day, to say the least. We started early (0700) helping set up the room and then signing in the Zama newcomers to the biweekly Camp Zama newcomers orientation. Sister Nelson snuck out for a haircut and we did lunch with our friend, Rob from the "Stars and Stripes." Then we made our way to NAF Atsugi for mail and such.  I gave my final photography class at Zama, at least for this round, and then we made our way to support our friends at Celebrate Recovery. I think we got home about 8:30pm.  It gets dark about 5pm now, making it seem even later. 

Friday was our day to bring lunch to our district missionaries. Lasagna this time and they made short work of it.  That night we ordered Pizza and got ready for Saturday.  We spent time translating a holiday favorite, "The Sweet Smells of Christmas." into Japanese so I could read the translation while Sister Nelson read it in English and showed the pictures. Since the "scratch and smell" aspect of this book was long past its prime, she amassed a number of "smells" in the form of essential oils and Scentsy wax.

Saturday we continued our prep for the combined church Christmas Party for the Camp Zama Military Branch and the Yamato Japanese Ward. (we share the same meeting house.)  We made food to bring - potatoes and gravy, jello squares, green beans, etc. There was a lot of food - Japanese and American. We also had the story reading activity and then I became Santa towards the end --the finale.  This Santa had to be bilingual.  Sister Nelson was Santa's helper handing out candy canes.  All in all the activity, while rather chaotic was well-attended and was a lot of fun.

Sunday seemed a little anti-climatic, just a normal Day of Rest kind of Sunday. We will take those anytime. Onward to next week.