September 14, 2015

Week 2 in Japan

Elder Unsworth and Elder Koyama in front of their apartment

Rice Fields

Hey Japan, I have a great book to share with you!

I am calling you to repentance.

Showing off his new rain gear.

Having a little fun in the rain!!

Neither rain or shine or even floods, you can not stop a missionary from doing their work.

Yes this is the street.  The typhoon flooded the streets.

Crazy people driving in the deep water!

The bus system in Japan driving through the flooded streets.

My socks got wet and I am drying them over the stove at the church.

Trying his first war head!  He actually liked it.

Lunch with my district leader, Elder Abo from Spanish Fork.  He is an amazing guy.

Wow this week has been crazy in Japan! 

So I dont know if you heard but Japan got hit by a typhoon this week.  I thought, man I really need to go buy a rain suit.  Good thing I did.  Oh wait, it didn't work in the typhoon!  It was the crappiest rain gear I have ever bought!  It kept me kind of dry, the insides would get a bit wet but not soaked.  But I guess I am kind of tall for Japanese people so none of their cloths really fit me as well as American clothes.  I have to buy pants that are like a Large or XL.  But that means the Jacket comes in a large as well.  It is kind of big on me but not too big.  I am still trying to find a better one that fits me better.  Also, the pants go up when I get on my bike so my pant legs are revealed to the rain and so are my socks and shoes.  The shoes keep the water out really well!  But they also keep the water in really well....  When my socks get wet, they push the water down to my feet which then gets stuck in my shoes!  Ugh, everywhere I went I felt like I had swimming pools on my feet!  I am so glad it didn't ruin my shoes!  I was worried about that the whole time.  My shoes are fine and so am I! :)   There was one day though that the rain hit really hard.  Of course, we have to drive 45 minutes in the rain to the church everyday.  Plus the rain adds a bit of time because we cant travel as fast. But we get to the church and try to dry off as much as possible and there sitting in front of the church is a huge puddle!  There was so much water on the road!  So like every other good missionary would do, we waited in the church for it to stop raining....  Well it never really did so we went up stairs and I decided I wanted to dry my socks off.  They were so wet!  The only way I could think figure out how to dry them was heat.  And the only place there is a heater in the church is the stove.  That's right, I turned on the stove and dried my socks over it.  Hahahaha it was so funny. Elder Koyama got a kick out of it.  Don't worry I was safe and I didn't burn the church down!  Well after we sat around the church for awhile and tried to figure out someone to go visit we decided that no one would let us in because of the rain so we decided to go home.  When we went outside, there were huge puddles everywhere!  I thought Japan was going to be the new Atlantis!  I also didn't know that I was in Thailand!  There was so much water.  There was one area where the water went all the way up to my knees.  Maybe a bit past my knees.  I will also send you a picture of all the cars driving through the water.  They were crazy.  In Fact, one car got stuck and was just floating there.  The Police had to put up signs everywhere telling people not to drive down certain roads because there was too much water.  There was one intersection that was way flooded and Elder Koyama tried to cross it but got stuck half way and fell in the water.  Not really fell, but he had to put his feet down and it got his foot all wet.  So my feet were wet, his feet were wet.  We decided to take this opportunity and have some fun in the rain.  There was not a single puddle that we were afraid of.  We had a blast the whole way home.  It was so much fun and so wet!  It was a good day.  When everyone is wet, it is fun; when you are the only one wet, it is not fun!  Luckily everyone was wet! :)

Luckily the typhoon has passed now and I can now drive my bike without having to worry about huge puddles everywhere!  

There was also a small earthquake that happened.  I am not going to lie, it was kind of fun waking up to it.  My bed was moving and it was the first Earth quake I have ever felt.  I was a bit nervous but I am fine!  Everything in my area is fine and the mission is still going.

I am also talking with my companion a lot more and it is great!  I am learning so much Japanese and my companion is also learning a lot of English!  So we talk back and forth in both languages.  English is so much easier for me!  But I have to practice my Japanese. Every day it is getting better though! I am so happy about that! :)

Luckily the last couple of days have been pretty great and I have been dry!  Although it is really hot!  I have to stop and get a drink of water every time I pass the church.  Everywhere we go it takes like an hour bike ride.  And it is going up and down hills.  It is so tiring.  But I love being outside.  It is a time when I can practice my Japanese and not have people hear it!  haha   It is also way fun to sing and ride my bike.  Everyone around me hears Disney but I am not sure if they understand it because I sing in English.  But they know the tune! haha

Overall, I am loving Japan and I am so excited for this next week.  I love serving the people and teaching them about the savior and his Gospel!  I am so excited to find new investigators and teach them about Jesus Christ and their Father in Heaven.  So many people have never heard about them and I want to introduce them to them.  

Thank you all for your love and support that you send to me.  I love hearing from you all and I hope this week will be amazing for you!

あいしています!!!!!

Elder Unsworth