Tokyo Japan Week 12

I taped this to the back of my nametag

Konnichiwa everyone!! It's been a pretty awesome week here in Oyama, and I'm stoked to announce some new changes that have just happened today. So transfer news... I'm staying in Oyama! I'll be receiving a new missionary and an older missionary and I are going to be co training basically. I'll be follow up trained, and as well help with this new missionary! Elder Howard and I are bummed to split up, but he's stoked to go to his new area of Matsudo and be a Zone Leader! He's been an awesome companion, and I have really learned so much from him. I'm stoked to go forward with this new transfer!! I have a really good feeling about it. My new companion will be Elder Packer, who is coming down from Niigata which used to be apart of the Sendai mission, and President Budge said he's a hard worker! I'm stoked, and I know that if we have faith and work with all we've got, we will see miracles!! So to answer some questions, yes I totally felt the Earthquake a few days ago! It was pretty gnarly, and shook our apartment a bit, but honestly I loved it! Don't ever worry too much though, if there was any real trouble, I would always email! Japan loves their earthquakes, and it always brings back memories from CA. ;)

A whole fish that I ate, eyes included!

So today was seriously awesome! We did a massive Zone P Day and we went down to an area called Oizumi! Tyler, you would love this area. Basically, if you speak Portuguese or Spanish, you go to Oizumi! It's a small area that is a little Brazil. All of the signs change to Portuguese, BBQ restuarants line the street, and there are Brazilians everywhere! We had our Zone P Day down there, got some awesome Brazilian BBQ, and had a really great time. A few of the missionaries in our zone are actually heading home at the end of this transfer, so we said some goodbyes, and it was overall a really awesome day. Tyler I gotta say, Brazil seems like an awesome place! Gotta love the Fazion (Rice and Black Beans) so good!! Dad, I'm so stoked you and Mom tried Japanese Curry! It's actually kind of my forte here in Japan. I make a mean delicious curry! I'm excited to make some for you in about a year and a half or so. Hopefully you'll like it more by the time I come back. ;) 

But anyways! This week was seriously awesome, but one pretty major sad thing... So Okenchu did not get baptized this weekend, and as well he's completely dropped us. He won't answer our calls or emails, and he canceled our appointment we had the other day. He's such an awesome kid, and I'm praying for him everyday, but it does hurt quite a bit. It's really incredible to see how just a few small bad choices can take us so far from our Savior, and so far from the good path. I'm not giving up on him yet though! He's such an awesome kid, and I know that he will be baptized one day. I'm following the missionary trick of imagining all of your investigators in white ready for baptism, and I know that that's Okenchu. He just needs some more time, but he'll come back soon. Love that kid though. The Lord blessed us with some awesome new friends though! First one is Ike! He is an awesome guy from Nigeria, and he really seems so prepared. He loves his Savior Jesus Christ so much, and is always talking to us about how he wants to learn more about Him. He met a missionary about a year ago in downtown Tokyo, and he was just really busy at the time and couldn't meet. But he really wants to, and we're so stoked to start teaching him. He's such a nice guy though! He and Elder Howard were talking on the phone the other night, and he just goes, "Hey, tell your friend Justesen I say hello! I hope he has a great night." He's just awesome, haha. Our other new friend is Sandro! Take a guess Tyler, he's from Brazil! He's actually a referral from Oizumi, and he also is a nice guy. He's full of so much good light, and he and I were talking the other day and he told me he just wants me to teach him more of the words of Jesus Christ. I laughed and told him that's what I'm here for! He laughed and set up a date to meet. He rocks! The Lord gave us some trials with our baptismal candidates, but he's given us two really awesome new investigator. Both taught in English/Portuguese, so it's seriously so fun! By the way... My English is seriously starting to slip! It's pretty sad, haha. I've recently had a hard time saying: Bless, rain, hello, English, etc. It's so true! Once you start learning a new language, the little things start slipping and you can't speak the same way anymore! Alexa is going to give me a hard time when I talk at Christmas with an Engrish accent... Hahaha.

EPISODE 3: REVENGE OF THE MISSIONARY

I can't believe I've been a missionary for almost 5 months now!! I feel like it was just yesterday I was being dropped off at the curb at the MTC. It just goes to show how fast time flies when you're having the greatest experience of your life. I'm so thankful to be here in Japan, especially at such a historic time. The field is white everywhere, and we should expect to see miracles of this everyday. With the White Christmas season on the way, the whole mission is just getting psyched to do missionary work. Missionary work is so amazing, and it just blesses the lives of everyone it touches. I feel so lucky to be a missionary, even though some days can be pretty rough, like with Okenchu. That's the one thing that is still hard for me! As missionaries, you basically wear your heart on a sleeve, and it can be rough when stuff like that happens. But! At the same time, it's kind of my favorite thing as well, I get to love everyone! It's such a blast, and I'm so thankful to be here everyday, and just keep going forward. No baptisms yet, but I'm staying committed! Success doesn't come from numbers, it really is centered on how committed you are everyday to just give it your all. I'm giving this work my best! Some days it's hard, but I love it so much. I've made so many awesome friends here, many of whom have completely changed my life. I'm stoked to say the training wheels are coming off, and I'm stoked to be a full fledged missionary! The Japanese is coming along pretty well, and I love speaking it. It's such a fun language! The gift of tongues is really so real, and I'm really thankful for it everyday. Serving a mission has hands down been the greatest decision I have ever made, and I'm so thankful the Lord has allowed me to come work here in Japan. The most gnarly, awesome, prepared place ever. Japan rocks. All I can say! Haha. ;) Well, I better go and start prepping for my trip down to Tokyo this Thursday, I love that city! The bustle is really so cool, and I just love it. I hope you all have an awesome week, and know that I love you all so much! I pray for you everyday, and I know as we unite our prayers and pray for this Gospel to go forward, it totally will! It's too awesome to keep to ourselves, and it truly changes lives. The Gospel is true, the Book is blue, and God Loves You! Have a great week!! またね?　あいしっていますよ！信仰によってなんでもことができますよ！

-Elder Justesen!

（ジャステセン長老）