Yamaguchi - Countdown, 12 weeks

Hello everyone!

Sorry I didn't send an email out last week. I got a little lazy. BUT this week is transfer week! And I am being banished to the most beautiful island in Japan! It's called Miyakojima. I'm SO excited! It has the second most beautiful beaches in Asia. It's going to be awesome!!!

This past week we have found a ton of new investigators! And all of our investigators right now are progressing very well! 

One guy named Tamano has a baptismal date for the 3rd of September and is progressing well in order to do so. Sadly I won't be here to see him get baptized, but he is awesome! 

Yesterday was the dedication for the Sapporo Japan temple. It was very cool to watch that this past Sunday, and see all of the Japanese members be strengthened. 

I'm going on my last 2 transfers, and it is a bit scary. I'm not ready to go home yet (sorry mom). But maybe I will after these next 2. We will see.

Love you all!

Elder Davies

Yamaguchi - Countdown, 15 weeks

August 7, 2016

This week has been an interesting one. 

First off, last P-Day, we went to Hiroshima. Interesting story. We met this random guy a couple of weeks ago while we were housing, and he offered to take us over to Iwakuni, which is on the other side of our zone (about a 2 hour car ride). We went and did some stuff there, and heard that tons of missionaries from the Hiroshima zone were going to Miyajima. So we decided to crash their party and showed up. Probably first time in history that has been done.. maybe. Took us 3 hours to get home by train. Very interesting P-Day. 

On Tuesday we had shabushabu. Which is where you get meat and dip it in boiling broth and it cooks it. Probably one of my favorite meals. The problem was, it was all you can eat. I ate WAY too much, and my body shut down. I couldn't go out of the apartment for 2 days, which sucked. 

One of our Baptismal Dates right now is a guy named Tamano. He recently got out of prison, and is wanting a remission of his sins. He is doing very well, and wanting to learn so much about Jesus Christ. Hopefully he will be able to get baptized on the 3rd of September. 

Elder Gatherum and I are doing really well. I'm loving my mission. Every second of it. Yes, I am tired. I don't think that will fix before the end of my mission. But we are working hard everyday, and seeing tons of miracles. 

That's about it for this week. 

Hope everyone has a good week. 

Love,

Elder Davies

Yamaguchi - Countdown, 16 weeks

July 31, 2016

Hello! I almost forgot to write this week! Sorry!

This past week was a blast!

Monday. We went and ate at a random guys house that we met at a foot bath thing. It was him and his wife, and they LOVE Americans. She could speak English pretty well too. That was a blast. 

Tuesday. Elder Welch and I planned for out Zone Conference, and then went on Splits afterwards.

Wednesday. We went on Splits with the Iwakuni Elders. I went with an Elder from Park City Utah. He is half Chinese, but doesn't speak a lick of it. He is going home in about 3 weeks. Crazy stuff. It was a good junkai though, we both learned a lot. It was weird being with that old of a missionary. 

Thursday. We had Zone Conference. Our Mission President came and we had an awesome training with our zone. 

Friday. Eikaiwa. The lady from Monday came and liked it. 

Saturday. We taught a bunch of lessons. We had to drop one of our investigators named maki. 

Sunday. 2 people came to church. It was a huge blessing. We were only planning on one person, and then one of our investigators called, and said he was coming. 

Our area is doing really well right now. Things are awesome. Sorry it's short and rushed but love ya!

Elder Davies

Yamaguchi - Countdown, 17 weeks

July 24, 2016

This week has gone by extremely fast! We went to Fukuoka on Tuesday,
and got a training from our mission president. We met a lot of cool
people this week. One guy is named Tamano. He recently got released
from prison, and is missing a pinky. But he is a way good guy. When we
talked to him he told us about having a lot of sins. We had a good
first lesson with him, and he will be working towards a baptismal date
for 8/20.

Murata is still doing pretty well. She has been coming to church for
awhile now. The only problem we see with her is that she still really
likes her previous religion and compares everything in ours to hers.

The mission life is doing good. Our zone is starting to do a lot
better as a whole, which is really nice to see.

Not too much changed this week. Sorry it was a short one. 

Love,
Elder Davies

Yamaguchi - Coundown, 18 weeks

July 17, 2016

Transfer Week!

This past week was transfer week. My companion and I stayed together. He is an awesome missionary though, so I am way glad. Elder Welch (whom I have already had 2 areas with and lived in the same apartment for 8 months) came up to Yamaguchi, and we are back together gonna kill it again!

This week Murata san has done pretty well. We taught her with 2 members on Saturday and she opened up a little bit about her religion and what is holding her back. It was good to find out her needs. She told us she was going to be busy for church, but that she would try her best to come. And then she showed up! It was amazing. We are also going to teach her two times this week. She is doing good. 

We also met a lot of cool people lately. One lady showed up randomly for church. Another guy offered to drive us to Iwakuni (about an hour and a half away) on our Pday for fun because he likes missionaries. Another guy invited us over to eat dinner at his house because him and his wife like Americans. 

It has been really cool lately, and I have really learned to enjoy my time out here in Japan. The people here are the best. 

Elder Gatherum and I are doing well. We are having a lot of fun out here, and seeing a lot of success in Yamaguchi. Even though it is a small town. It's been a blast! 

Love you guys.

Elder Davies

Yamaguchi - Countdown, 19 weeks

 July 11, 2016

Not too much happened this week. On Monday we had a Zone P-day and everyone in our zone went to the beach to play games and stuff. I'm pretty sure EVERYONE got burned. It was HOT. 

We had splits twice this week. One was with an Elder Ngatai, who was in the MTC with me, and the other was with an Elder Parry, who is a lot younger than me. They were both really good. Elder Ngatai's Japanese is amazing, and made mine feel horrible. That's what I get for not studying as well as I should have the past 6 months. I learned a lot from both of them, and it was a lot of fun. 

Murata san is still progressing well. She came to church this last week, and said she feels like she is changing. It is really cool. Her date is still for the 8th of August, and I could see her get baptized then. 

Sorry this week was kinda lame, but I am doing good. Time is running short out here, gotta make the best out of it. 

Love you all,

Elder Davies

Yamaguchi - Countdown, 20 weeks

こんにちは！！！！ (Happy 4th of July)

We had a way good week this week. Elder Gatherum and I are working really hard, and having tons of fun. He is hilarious. Like I said he is from Orem as well. He went to Orem High School though. 

Well this week, Murata progressed really well. We had a lesson with her and a member. We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ again. This time I think she understood quite a bit better than the first time, and we set a date with her for August 6th! Right now it is more like a goal so receive an answer, but if she gets that answer, she said she will get baptized! She wasn't able to come to church this week, because she got a bit busy, but said she will come next week. 

Also a cool little miracle. We were streeting one day and ran into a guy who said he met the missionaries before. And last time promised them he would go to church, but didn't cause it started raining. So we invited him to church again and he came! Way cool miracle! 

We have a bunch of other investigators we are teaching right now, but they aren't progressing very well yet, so I will tell you about them another time.

Things are going well here in Yamaguchi. Hopefully we will be able to find a bunch of cool people this upcoming week! 

Have a good 4th of July! And send me pictures of fireworks since I won't get any :)

ありがとう！！

Love

Elder Davies

Yamaguchi - Countdown, 21 weeks

June 26, 2016

Well my companion, Elder Lay, got sent up to the mission home to be in the office. So this week I got a new companion! His name is Elder Gatherum, and he is from Orem as well! Small world. We know a lot of the same people, but didn't know each other. So we are exactly half way through the transfer, and I feel like the transfer just started. He is a way funny kid, and it's going to be a fun next couple of weeks. 

We FINALLY got someone to sacrament meeting yesterday. Her name is Murata. She is Buddhist, but is really interested in Christianity. She wouldn't accept a baptismal date, as she thinks she had something similar in her Buddhist church. We are really going to be focusing on Christ, and how He is the only way. (Mos. 3:17) and going to try and help her follow His example.

We also got to go on splits in a place called Yanai. It is one of the smallest areas in the mission, but it was fun to go dendou there. We taught this one guy who has one of the strongest testimonies I have ever seen, but works on Sundays. Even though he has had many spiritual experiences in his life, and knows for a fact that the Book of Mormon is true, isn't willing to put it all on the table. I know it's much easier said than done. But I know that we can always trust in God, and it will always work out. 

Hmm. Well hope everyone has a good week.

love you

Elder Davies