A lot of rain won't stop the fun!

September 27, 2016

A little rain doesn't stop us from having a ward BBQ!

We just put up some tents and cook away!

Two sad missionaries. :(

 Dinner with Saitos and some members.

Elder Ricks and Elder Unsworth in Tokyo

Two cool missionaries!

We sure look great leaning against this wall!

One happy elder!

Great tag pictures to make my mom happy!

Have you ever seen a more handsome missionary?

Hey there family and friends. This week has been a crazy fun one and I
am love it with my new companion Elder Ricks. He is a great guy and I
love being with him. I feel like every day we learn more and more
about each other and just have a blast everyday!
The other night I was feeling a bit down because I wasn't getting the
success that I knew the area deserved.  I just new that there was so
much potential with our are and I didn't know why we weren't seeing
any success.  So I said a prayer that I really needed help with my
mission and talking with people.  I really wanted to find some people
who I could help and talk with because so many people don't even stop
to talk with us.  Well yesterday we went out and did our finding.  I
had the impression to try finding in a new area which I have never
been to before.  We biked down there and on the way there was no one
there.  But when we got to the small city we started talking to as
many people as we could.  After talking to about 10 people a guy came
up to us who was from India and asked if we needed any help.  I then
turned to him and explained who we are and what we do and he was kind
of shocked.  He couldn't believe that we were from America and that we
were here talking about God.  We talked for a good 15 minutes and
simply explained what we believe in and talked about the Book of
Mormon.  I then asked him if he wanted to learn more and he said sure.
I was so happy! We found a new investigator when it seemed like the
whole pond was dried up!  We set a date to meet up again and then
left.  All of a sudden, there was a huge rain cloud above us and it
poured like no ones business.  We found shelter and waited the storm
out because we didn't have our rain gear.  After 10 minutes we
returned to the streets and did some more finding.  I started talking
to some guy and then out of no where a guy comes up and starts talking
to Elder Ricks.  He tells him he has a cool bike and Elder Ricks does
everything in his power to keep him there while I finish talking to my
guy.  I finally get done and I turn to Elder Ricks guy and start
talking to him.  It turns out that he really likes bikes and he sees
us sometimes on our bikes.  He also told us that he has been really
thinking a lot recently about religion and how it can help his life.
He wants to learn more about our church and see if it can help his
life.  He also has a lot of interest in English class, so we are going
to teach him English and the gospel!  It was such a cool miracle.  Two
new investigators in under an hour.  I know for a fact that this was
the hand of the lord.  He helped me so much and all it took was a
heart felt prayer and some work.  I think he was waiting until I was
ready to receive the blessings he had for me.
Saturday was the big day of miracles.  We started a Bible study class.
We went to Eikaiwa and got all our stuff ready for the class.  Elder
Ricks and I were so excited.  When I announced it during Eikaiwa not
too many people seemed excited or seemed to have interest but that
didn't put me down.  Really that whole day I had a prayer in my heart
that people would come.  We taught Eikaiwa and then asked if people
would stay for our other class.  We got everything up and ready and we
had a total of 5 students stay!  Two of them are members and the other
three are nonmembers!  It was such a cool miracle.  I was pleading
with the Lord that at least one person would stay!  I didn't expect
five to stay.  One of them was even a new Eikaiwa student that just
came that day!  I was so happy with the results.  We taught about the
Nativity and the true meaning of Christmas.  We focused in Luke
chapter 2 and used a projected to project our iPad screen on the wall.
We have an app that has English and Japanese bible's right next to
each other so it made it very easy to teach and understand.  We went
through the verses one by one and described it and then we would watch
the bible video that went with it so that they could picture it in
their minds better.  For example one student didn't understand what
the word 栄光, glory means.  But when we watched the video she was able
to put it together and then we would stop the video and describe what
was going on.  We went through the whole nativity and watched all the
videos in under 30 minutes.  I don't want the class to be too long, so
I cut the class off after 30 minutes.  All of the students said they
really liked it and that they wanted to come back again next week and
do it again.  I was also surprised on how well they could read the
English bible, it was awesome!  We want to do this class twice a week.
Wednesday before Eikaiwa and Saturdays after Eikaiwa.  I think it is
really going to be a game changer and we might be able to find some
new investigators through it.  If anything, I want to invite the
spirit into the hearts of my Eikaiwa students and help them feel the
love God has for them.  Overall, our bible class was very successful.
But it doesn't end there with the miracles.  After our study we went
out and did some finding.  There wasn't really anyone who had
interest, so we left and was heading towards Carlos's house for a
lesson.  We passed a kabob truck and I saw a picture of Jesus in it.
That's not normal, so I thought maybe I should talk to them.  I had a
really strong feeling to stop and talk but I knew that I needed to go
to Carlos's lesson because they are so rare.  So I brushed the
prompting off and told myself that I would go back after the lesson.
Well we got to Carlos's house and he wasn't there.  He told us he
wouldn't be there for another 30 minutes or so.  So I got back on my
bike and hauled it back over to the kabob truck.  I started talking
with the two guys who owned the company and really got to know them.
After talking for awhile it came up that we were church volunteers and
then they told me they were Catholic.  The one I got closes to was
John and he really opened up to me that night.  He asked me a lot of
questions about church because he use to be a Muslim and didn't
understand the church 100%.  For example he asked me why Jesus talked
to his "Father" on the cross.  How could he have done that if he was
the father?  I then explained what we believed in and how God is our
Hevenly Father and Jesus Christ is His son.  He thought that was very
interesting and agreed with me.  We then talked a lot more about Jesus
Christ and I noticed that I probably had to start leaving so that I
could get back to Carlos on time.  So I asked him if he wanted to
learn more and he said of course.  So we exchanged phone numbers and
set up a time to meet again this week.  He is such a nice guy and I am
way excited to meet with him again.  We got to Carlos's house at 8:55
and talked with him until 9:15.  It was a way good lesson and now we
know exactly what to do with him and how to help him.  It was just an
awesome day of miracles!
Well I am out of time for the week. I love you all so much and I hope
you have an amazing week! It sounds like there are storms all over the
world so everyone be careful and take care. You are in my prayers and
I love you  so much. Thank you for all you do for me. This week I
really learned about how the lord always blesses us if we are humble
and submissive. I hope you all can see miracles in your life as well
when you are humble and submissive to the Lord. I love you and I will
talk to you next week. Take care! :)

My Trainee, Elder Ricks

September 19, 2016

 Brother Riki, Elder Unsworth, Brother Oami, Elder Queiroz and Elder Higashi at the temple at night,  Just did baptisms for the dead.

Tokyo Temple at night.

Tokyo temple windows at night.

I think this is such a beautiful window!

Meet my new companion, Elder Ricks.
 Our picture with President and Sister Nagano.

Man do I feel short.
Elder Ricks, me, Elder Calhoun, and his new companion.

First lunch with new companion.  SUSHI!

Elder Ricks eating sushi!

Looks like he liked it!

Elder Ricks new bike.
The names are fitting, Elder Ricks "Giant" mine is a Chevy.

This is my favorite restaurant in town!!! :)

My restaurant, haha!

Tennis night with members

This is a shrine called Narita San. Really cool, however because of
the clouds it was hard to get clear good pictures. So we will go back
next week and get better pictures around the shrine. But here are some
of the pictures we took. 

A tag picture at the shrine.
Hello friends and family from around the world!  I just want to start
out by telling you all how much I love you and how much I love Japan.
There is no where else in the world I would want to be right now then
right here with my new companion.  That being said, let me introduce
you to my new companion!
So his name is Elder Ricks and he is from Snoqualmie Washington.  He
is so cool and way tall as you saw.  So fun story about him.  I went
to the mission home the night before to stay the night and Elder Ricks
came into the apartment to take a shower.  So I talked to him before I
was his trainer and got to know him and thought he was a really cool
guy.  I was kind of hoping that he was going to be my trainee.  He
reminds me a bit of Caleb Curtis.  He is honestly already one of my
best friends in the mission.  We are getting along perfectly and I
hope that we can stay together for a long time.  He likes camping,
hiking, skiing, and all kinds of out doors things.  Oh also, his great
great great great something Grandpa is the founder of Ricks college.
So that is pretty cool. I am excited to work with him for the rest of
this transfer and hopefully with the transfers to come.  He is just
funny and just like me.  It is perfect!  Oh he also likes ball room
dancing and he has done some theatre in his life, he is just a perfect
companion for me! Overall, he is one of my best friends already and I
am excited to see our relationship improve even more throughout this
whole transfer.  He is also a way hard worker and hasn't backed down
from anything I throw in his way, he is just a way hard working
missionary and here for the right reason.
So as for the temple, it was amazing!  We weren't the only people
there, there was actually a lot of people there and I saw a lot of my
friends there as well.  Well members that I know.  So we got there
with Oami and Riki and went in to do baptisms.  The font is really
pretty and it looks huge!  We did our the baptisms but the poor
Japanese people can't baptize the big Americans with out like emerging
their own body as well.  So there was this guy who was having a
problem doing it and it looked like he was baptizing like Alma the
whole time! Haha. He would pretty much go under the water as well.
Also there were so many times that Americans almost hit their head on
the edge of the font.  By the time I got in, I had a new guy who was a
bit bigger and it seemed like he had been doing this for awhile, so
mine was great!  Oami was like a rag doll.  He wouldn't stand up when
the man pulled him out of the water so the poor man had to use all his
strength to pull him up, it was pretty hilarious to watch.  Also
while we were in the temple a small earth quake happened and that was
cool to experience.  I just thought that the person who got baptized
was really happy to get baptized so it shook the earth!  But yeah,
baptisms were great and really fun! :)
The next big thing was definitely church.  So we went to normal church
in Narita but then I guess once a month they go to a branch in our
area and do sacrament meeting there.  So I went this time with elder
Ricks and I talked with the driver the whole way there in Japanese.
It was awesome!   But then we got there and really only 9 people were
at the meeting including us.  But it was still very fun and powerful.
They asked Elder Ricks and I to bless the sacrament.  That was a cool
experience to do that.  We then both gave talks and I was surprised
with how much I felt the spirit in my talk.  I just really feel like
this training responsibility has really helped my mission and has
helped me realize how good of a missionary I have become.  I love it!
We then had an Eikaiwa class afterwards and I wasn't sure if anyone
was going to show up.  We were in a community center and by the time
the class started, there was one person.  I was like, oh great.  But
then five minutes later there was 10 people in my class and I was
really happy.  However I didn't have any teaching materials because I
didn't know what they wanted me to teach.  So I tried to do what I
usually do in Eikaiwa at the church but it didn't work out.  It was a
lot harder than I thought, but the students still said they like it
and I got some of their contact information to invite them to come
back and take my class again.  Next time I go up there though, I am
taking the English text book!  It was a really fun time to spend up in
Kamisu and see what it is like when you get out of the big city and
travel along the country side in a car.  I defiantly wish I had a car!
 They are so nice! :) Overall, Sunday was a way fun day and I loved
going to the branch up in Kamisu. :)
Well it is now Pday and I am so excited to go and have some fun with
Elder ricks!!!  We are going to go to a huge shrine by our house and
just adventure around there and go inside the shops and everything, I
think he is going to love it.  Also, I have one exciting thing to tell
you All.  Elder Bednar is coming to my mission and giving a talk to
us.  We are having a mission conference with him!  I am so excited to
meet him and listen to him.  I think it is on October 18, so it is
about a month away but I am so excited to go!  It is in Tokyo right
next to the mission home.  It is going to be awesome.  The Tokyo south
missionaries are also coming to listen so I am way excited to see a
room full of missionaries and an Apostle of the Lord.  Really, this
transfer is going to be one of the best transfers of my life!  I love
is so far and I am exited for the future!
All I can say now is how lucky and how fun it is to have Elder Ricks
as a companion.  He is a blessing to my life and I feel like I have
been his friend my whole life.  We get along perfectly and we are kind
of like the same person, same personality, same jokes, same interests,
and same missionary.  I love Elder Ricks and it is going to be awesome
to work with him this transfer.  I love you all too and I hope you had
a great week.  Thanks for everyone who continues to help me and give
me encouragement, I love you all so much!  You are the best friends
anyone could ask for.  I hope you have a great week this week and
don't forget to look for the little blessings that enter your life
every day.  I love you and I will talk to you all next week! :)

Elder Unsworth

Trying new things

September 11, 2016

Elder Higashi ate a war head!!! 

Hahaha hillarious.

Chicken, horse, and fish!!!

Horse...

Surprisingly good.
 I don't know if I believe him.

Fish!!!! All body, head, and everything.

This is Sunday nights dinner with the bishop.
 He is the man by the door in a white shirt.
 The girl next to the sisters is the
investigator and her mom is next to her. Fun night.

These are the missionaries in my area.
Narita.

Narita missionaries!

Hello everyone!
This whole week we have been trying to guess what is going to happen
with transfers and I just got my call from President Nagano.
President Nagano talked to me last and he said, "Elder Unsworth you
have been called to be a TRAINER!!!!!!!!" I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!  I
have been wanting to be a trainer my whole mission and now I finally
get to do it.  Granted at the beginning of my mission I didn't want to
be because of the Japanese but now that I have a foundation of
Japanese, I have been really wanting to be a trainer.  Now I get to do
it!!!!  I am so excited and I was so scared that I wasn't going to be
a trainer.  My joy is off the scales.  When president Nagano told me
that I just screamed and said Yes!  He was happy too.  He had a really
good feeling about me and he said I have high faith, I am a strong
missionary, and I will be an excellent trainer.  He trusts me and he
knows I will do great.  That made me so happy.  He told me over the
phone that he trusts me and that he knows I will be a great trainer.
He said a couple other things but sadly I can't remember them, but
what I do remember is the love I felt and the satisfaction that I
felt.  I am so happy that I am going to be a trainer and I am going to
work my hardest to satisfy President Nagano and the Lord.  I just hope
and pray that my trainy is from Utah.  I really want to be able to
hang out with him after the mission. I find out who my trainy is on
Wednesday.   I will love him with all my heart who ever it is and I
will take care of him and I am going to work his shoes off!  We are
going to work hard and see some success this next transfer!  I am
going to love being a trainer so much, we are going to work so hard
and have fun at the same time! :)
The next big thing that happened this week was Sunday.  I was asked to
give a talk in church and it went really well.  I talked about
families and introduced myself and there was actually one really funny
part.  I got up there and I was talking and then I forgot one word.
It was relationship.  I totally blanked and couldn't think of it.  So
I looked at Elder Higashi in the crowd and said, "Relationship" The
whole Ward then said, "Kanke" which is what it is in Japanese.  It was
pretty funny!  I laughed about it, they laughed about it, and it
totally broke the ice with everyone.  It was a great talk and I love
this Ward so much.  They laugh with me and I feel like we are good
friends now.  Everyone seems to know my name too, so I feel very
loved.  I love them!  Oami also received the Aaronic priesthood!  We
are going to go to the temple together this Tuesday and do baptisms
for the dead with a member.  I am so excited to do that!  I have
wanted to do baptisms for the longest time.  I can't wait to do it
with him.  He is going to love it, I know it!  It is going to be a
very fun week this week.  Oh also, that night we went to the bishops
house to have dinner with them.  It was really good!  They are so nice
and I always love going to members house.  I will send you a picture
of our party.  Fun fact, there is an investigator who did a home stay
with a bishop in Utah, actually it was Elder Porters Ward....  But she
came back to Japan and wants to get baptized now.  She went to the
dinner last night and her mom is okay with it and everything.  I am so
excited to see her get baptized!  Narita is looking really good!  I
love it here and I am excited to work another transfer here.
Sorry this email is going to be a bit short. But next week I will
write more because of my new companion.  I am so excited for him.
Also tomorrow I am going to the temple to do baptisms for the dead
with Oami!  He is so excited and I am way excited to! It is going to
be way fun and then the next day I get to pick up my new companion.
This week is going to be epic! I love the mission and I love seeing
all the miracles in Japan.  It is such a special place to me now.  I
love it here.
Thank you all for your love and support.  I hope you are having a
wonderful time and I hope to hear from you soon! Go to the blog and
check out the pictures if you haven't yet!  I love you all so much and
I will talk to you next week!  Look at my Facebook for my new
companion! :)