Email sent 27 July 2010 - 

Dear Family

We went to the temple today and because of that I don`t have time to write a letter, so this email will have to do. Speaking of the temple I remembered on the train back to Sakado I forgot to pick up the family name I used. Opps! I`ll get it back one way or another... At the temple a bunch of the nihonjin missionaries that were in the MTC with me were there. It was really great to see them and to be able to carry out a simple conversation with them instead of broken unrelated sentences. I keep hearing from and about friends in south america and it seems they don`t have many great struggles with the language. Japanese is not spanish! I have to keep reminding myself that even though I`ve been out three months, the language will still keep coming and I`m as good at japanese as anyone can expect me to be. I suppose I`ll have all the more reward when I get done however. But anyways it was very good to talk to them, they`re very cool people. It was probably hard for them too to watch us all banging our heads against our desks all day and not being able to really offer much in way of encouragment or support. Ah well, so it goes.

So last week we were knocking on doors and actually gave out a Book of Mormon to this 30 year old guy. We gave him a spot to read at and went back yesterday to follow up on it. He invited us in and he had a friend over, and we had the best conversation with them! They were very friendly people, and fascinated by us and delighted to have us in their apartment. Through our course of conversation with them we covered most every principle in the first lesson, and we never had to say, well lets teach you something. They were engaged and asking all sorts of questions. They`re both in a band together and are going to be in Kobe for about three weeks but we are going back over when they get back. Were bringing some hymn books since both of them really want to sing some hymns! Who would`ve thunk?

At a priesthood stake conference they did a big activity on showing love to each other. It was great! Lots of hugs. I suppose thats something they`re trying to work on in the church out here. Japanese society seems to dictate being a little more closed off, especially in the family of all places. And apparently its easier to show love to someone if their foreign. Another advantage of being a foreign missionary? Between missionaries we call this gaijin power, or entirely in nihongo gaijin no chikara. 

Lets see...I got to go on splits again this week. Only for one day though. I went with another Elder who is actually going home after this transfer. I helped teach a lesson with him which was good. We haven`t really had a pulethera of lessons. (sorry I don`t have spell check on this- correct that if its wrong). 

So next week I may still be in Sakado or I could be somewhere else... I guess we`ll just have to see. I really hope I stay in Sakado for several different reasons. Mostly because most the people we associate with know I just got out here and am still not that good at japaneses. 

We had another dinner at a member family. This is the family that almost killed me with food the last time. I learned my lesson and strictly regulated my intake. Afterwards the kid wanted to set off fireworks (they were just sparklers Japan doesn`t know what fireworks are) so we helped him with that and then gave a small message about faith. We related it to a flower, and gave him a little flower pot and we planted something. We`ll explain it to him later.

Well thats all for now. More next week probably. 

love you all!

Elder Matlock Wyman