Fred and Paula’s Most Excellent Adventure

 This was a busy week and we accomplished much. We opened 3 apartments which includes preparing the furnishings, moving, and setting up the apartments.  We had several strong missionaries helping us with these tasks.  These missionaries dedicate up to two years of their lives to the service of the Lord. They are strong and valiant. They serve with a lot of energy. Their faith and diligent attitude is impressive.  Their purpose is to bring people to Jesus Christ.  This scripture about the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon describe the young missionaries serving in Kobe: "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all-- they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted." Alma 53:20 We also welcomed more missionaries to the mission.  We have doubled our mission in a few weeks.  My work as nurse has picked up with missionaries...

  Hydrangea's are beautiful this time of year. I love the variety of color even on one plant.  I am used to seeing one color per plant but these bushes have multiple colors on one bush.  It reminds me that the unique character of each person blesses the world around us.  I have enjoyed getting to know each missionary as I have served here.  They bring strengths and personalities that bless the mission as a whole.  There are missionaries that are so shy, others who are bold, others who are always happy, others who are serious and accomplish many things. God didn't make us the same. We shouldn't feel like we need to be like everyone else.  Your unique characteristics are exactly what you need to be.   Kobe has 1.5 million people living here. There is very little space so every thing is compact. Cars are small. Houses are small. Kitchens are small. Even food is packaged in small containers. Yet much can be done even in a small space.  We have be...

This week, we were able to catch up on a lot of our office work.  I was able to make address labels in kanji for our new apartments.  I think that is a bit of a miracle since I can't read kanji at all. Next week, we open another apartment and receive several new missionaries.  I continue to study Japanese everyday. This week I have been memorizing a scripture in Japanese. It is super challenging but I almost have it.   And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would  ask  God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not  true ; and if ye shall ask with a  sincere heart , with  real intent , having  faith  in Christ, he will  manifest  the  truth  of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Moroni 10:4 また，この 記 き 録 ろく を 受 う けるとき，これが 真 しん 実 じつ かどうかキリストの 名 な によって 永 えい 遠 えん の 父 ちち なる 神 かみ に 問 と う ように，あなたがたに 勧 すす めたい。もしキリストを 信 しん じ ながら， 誠 せい 心 しん 誠 せい 意 い 問 と うならば， 神 ...

Some of you have asked what happened last week.  We have received 22 missionaries just in the last 6 weeks.  It's crazy sauce around here.  We've opened 7 apartments with 5 more soon to be opened.  We are building bunk beds, fixing bicycles, making cookies, hosting a missionary in our home, packing boxes, shopping for essential items, packing more boxes, more shopping, and breaking down boxes to be recycled.  This doesn't include our office duties and caring for the missionaries.  It is our pleasure to be in the service of the Lord. We did see a really cool castle on the top of a hill.  It is in Tottori 2.5 hours from were we live. We traveled there to deliver and assemble a bunk bed.  We were hoping we could stop by the castle on our way home but unfortunately the road was closed. "All the beauty in the earth bears the fingerprint of the Master Creator" Gordon B Hinckley

You may be wondering..."Hmm, is that all they do is tour famous sights and eat Japanese food?" Not at all. We serve 40+ hours in the mission in many ways. This week we have been opening apartments for new missionaries arriving from the United States. These missionaries have served many months waiting to come to Japan, just like us. We opened our first two apartments last week and three more to go this week. We are using furnishings that have been stored over the past two years. Fred is assembling funiture and shelving that have been taken apart to save space. He is repairing old bicycles so that some of the missionaries won't have to pay for a bike. I have been purchasing small items that are needed for the apartments, organizing and packing essentials for the kitchen. I wash dirty dishes that have been stored for two years. I am washing and preparing curtains for the moves.  It is so fun to be part of this work. This is not all our service. We have many office tasks...

We went to Kyoto on our day off to the Kinkakuji (Golden Temple). The temple is surrounded by Japanese gardens which are absolutely beautiful. There was even a heron on a rock in the water which made the scene perfect. There were workers sweeping the moss to remove all leaves and plant debree. Fred said, "I want my back yard to look like this." The only way to have that is to work at it every day to achieve perfection. It was breathtaking. Then we walked along an outdoor shopping area. There were a variety of shops including seafood and other delicious options. Which one do you think I chose? We are preparing to start opening apartments this week. We expect to double, then triple, our missionaries in a short few months. There is a lot of work ahead. Japan is talking about relaxing the border restrictions even more in June. This is great for many people who have been waiting for a long time. The days zoom by with more things to do than we have time to do it. We love this o...

Look closely at this picture and you will see two small bridges in this Japanese garden near Himeji castle. We went to Himeji to deliver a bicycle and some supplies to a new missionary. We had to go see the castle because it was a block away. We stopped at some food stalls and tried some Japanese delicacies. I loved the mochi (pounded rice) and actually the tacoyaki (octopus dumplings). We are seeing a lot of Japan while we serve. Our lives are getting busy as we are preparing to open apartments for the new missionaries arriving. We expect to double our mission size in just a few months. We are organizing supplies using items that were stored and replacing others that are needed. We are also teaching English to the Japanese missionaries and Fred will be teaching a Japanese refresher course to the reassigned missionaries that are arriving from other countries. We write letters/emails for the Mission President for both the arriving and returning missionaries. We assist with the pa...