DD 13.65 ... Do you have time ... Do you have time to meet ... Do you have a time to meet ... Do you have the time ...

What is the transfer news? Who in your district is going where?
Nope, that's next week. Koichi Aoyagi Choro is coming this week ... so it's a seven week transfer!!

How are you feeling? Still tired? Maybe you need some vitamin C?
I feel great, I started getting up at six to read the Book of Mormon in Japanese everyday, and feel awesome!

How is your bike doing since you fixed it? Tires holding up?
Fixed the tires, wore out the brakes, and then  fixed them so well, then I almost killed myself, because I'm not used to them yet ... almost flew right over the handle bars ... thrice!

How is Dicastri Choro doing? Has he been sick again?
He's great!

Do you eat a lot of bread in Japan? Any? What kind? Sandwiches? PB and J? Subway?
Jam on bread, cinnamon and sugar on bread, butter on bread, plain bread, spam on bread, sauce of lunch on bread, everything but peanut butter cuz we don't have any.

Did you have more investigators come to church now that the Abiko building is open again?
At least one every week!! We should have more, but we're pretty sure they are all are sleeping at ten now.

When was the last time you saw snow?
On Wednesday, it snowed just a little bit before it turned in to rain.

Do you have any holes in your pants yet?
Nope!!

When was the last time you used the priesthood to bless some one?
On Monday, when Dicastri Choro was sick!

How was your Skype call with Turley Choro to help with your lesson? Did he mention how he was doing?
The meeting with J-San was canceled. Turley Choro is doing well though, he might come back at the end of February!

Let us know what you need? And we will unite in prayer in your behalf.
Please pray for me to be able to have a good enough attitude to show an example to those around me!

Father!!! That puzzle is legit!!! I'm kinda jealous! As for the fireside, I have one thing to say ... Perk of America, understanding things that people are saying ... I never understand the firesides here! It's kinda lame! Thanks for the insights though! I need to list my strengths ... and figure out how to apply them to my investigators! Thanks for the advice! Love you!!! Tons!!!

Mother!!! Twelve loaves of bread sounds so good!! Think of all the jam and peanut butter and honey and butter, and honey butter that you could put on all of it! I look at bread as a vehicle for the thing that's driving it to my mouth ... that's really all it is to me! I like your plans for it though!!!

Porter and family!,! Happy birthday!!! You're so big and grown up now right? Driving tractors and I even heard you stole some from a dragon and ate it yourself!?! That's so cool!!! I can't wait to come home and have so many adventures with you and your big back yard!!!

Sam ... I showed amasofpoo to my companion, and he thought it was ridiculous ... Cali sounds fun, but by the sound of your voice, I think that you've gained a little weight ... maybe a lot, better go running again! I mean if you eat any bread that mom and dad have, it might go straight to your arms ... and that wouldn't be good!! How's that for motivation? Also, I'm dying to see you try to cut some wood with a saw!

Abs of steel!! What's the Kritch's real name? I've totally forgotten, oops! It sounds as though things are back to normal, but I'm not there to be the chill person ... you sound stressed! And all you have to say is go buy some ice-cream! Sam will cave and go buy some with you, maybe even a root beer freeze! Maybe even some famous stars from like when we were at school!! Kelton! That's his name, we went to go get tacos that one time! I remember now!

This week was sweet! I mailed you all on Tuesday so I don't really feel as though that much time has passed. On Wednesday, it snowed, but didn't stick, it quickly turned to an ice rain, but I hear the more rain that gets on your name tag, the more celestial glory you get, so the four minute bike ride home without rain pants was totally worth it. I thought that because it was snowing, I wouldn't need them ... I was wrong.  :(

Thursday!
... We did weekly planning!

Friday!!! We had district meeting, and then ping pong!!! Crazy night!! So many people came and I got schooled so hard, apparently living in Japan for ten years, and being married to a Nihongo wife for thirty years makes you good at ping pong ... yeah, I got destroyed. Brother and Sister C were crazy good, and then J-San, is also amazing, and beat everyone there! Then we went and had a good talk about the Bible for an hour'ish! Good night! It was crazy!!!

Saturday we had eikaiwa, and that was fun! They're Engn Their english is better than mine, I teach advanced. They wanted to know the difference between:
Do you have time?
Do you have time to meet?
Do you have a time to meet?
Do you have the time to to meet?
And, do you have the time?
It was rough!!!

Saturday night we met with OK-San! And with Brother S! It s awesome! Brother S used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day, and he quite in less than twelve hours! So he's a pretty good doeseki! Then OK_San said that he should probably read and pray and come to church! AND ... he did on Sunday!!!

Also on Saturday we met with P-San, and had ramen, and then taught the Word of Wisdom and the law of chastity in a pub ... it wasn't actually too sketchy more like a restaurant that has a really large alcohol selection ... but still, not the greatest move on our part.

Whilst waiting for P-San, we met with W-San on accident, well God's errand. He's an old investigator that was going to get baptized, but dropped off the face of the earth one day. So it was good, he wants to come to church, but then the next day, his medicine had a bad side effect, and he couldn't come. P-San and J-San had to spend time with theirs wives and kids, so they didn't come to church! Ridiculous! I know, I don't understand it either. But yeah, one person at church, but it was so cool! I found out that N Shimai, a girl that I found like, four months ago, is still reading the Book of Mormon, and really wants to come to church, but has to work, so she's looking for a new job so that she can come ... without even meeting with the sister missionaries!!! Soo cool right!?! I thought so too!!! Also it was Mayama Shimai birthday on Sunday ... so we got the ward to sign her a card and what not.

I was reading an article in the New Era today, good stuff BTW, and it said that if you have things above God in your life, such as TV or games or random lame stuff like that, than you should organize your priorities. I think that we could all use this advice in some aspect of our lives, for me, I really wanna see another baptism before I leave Abiko in a week ... so I need to reevaluate my life, and accept God's timing. I don't know what it is for everyone, but I feel as though we all have something. This week, think about it, and commit to being better by next week!!!

Love you all, Griffiths Choro!!!
11274 10097

DD 13.56 ... Woke up too early today, soo tired ...

Are you more hungry this week than last? Have you been sick?
I feel fine. I think I'm getting better.

How is the weather there? fifty degrees here, and lots of smog.
Warm. Wind that cuts to the bone, but other than that, warm.

Would you like us to check on registration for USU for you??
Yes, please register for me!!

Do you need deodorant soon? toothpaste?
Maybe deodorant, but I can last till June.

Have you figured out how to use the gyro ball yet? Does it relieve any of your stress?
Yes, hand started it and everything yesterday morning ... I love it!

When you play church videos during discussions do you play it on your iPad or on their TV's?
Our iPads.

In the church news we read that Budge Kaichou is being replaced; do you know when he is being released? 
I don't know ... he's pretty hard core.

Do you ever have discussions at zone meetings or mission conferences on hygiene and how to prevent illness?  Or do they tell you what things not to eat in Japan? Abi's friend returned from her mission, she was a mission nurse, and did those things. Just curious.
Like every single presentation from Budge Shimai is all about how we need to be clean. But more so that our apartments don't get trashed ... I mean they're our revelation stations.

How was services in the new Abiko building yesterday? Did you really give free elevator rides at the open house?
It's awesome!!!! And yeah, so many people came to get free rides!!

What has been a treasured tender mercy that you have experienced in the last couple of months?
Getting letters from my beloved family all the time!

How is Bro. P from Jersey? Is that New Jersey in the good ole USA?
Yes!, what other Jersey is there?

Father,  honestly, don't worry about making me trunky, the more I think about home, the more I think how much more I want to do while I'm here and as much as I love you all, I really don't want to go home ...

Mom!! People really do sleep on the trains ... never seen a helmet like that one though! Sad day! As for K night funanza, sounds like it was a success ... mainly because ice cream and brownies were left over ... I'd call it a win! Let me know how the dinner goes!

Sam, sounds like your trip was fun, always good to hear that you went to church even though you didn't have any supervision. Thanks for always being a good example to me! You rock!! Let's ride the roller coaster when I get back too!!!

Strong!! Congrats on being a legit teacher!! That is so cool!! But all I can think  about now is pie ... peanut butter pie, could you ship me some? Or would it be too much for UPS? I think it might be.  It's cool about K and P! Silent movies seem pretty legit!

So this week!!! Last Tuesday! We visited Sister K.  and had dinner with the M-San, an adorable older couple in our ward. They're so hard core, former Mission President, Senior Missionary couple, and Temple President ... they were converted a few years after they got married!

Wednesday we had eikaiwa and taught our peeps about Christ!! It was sweet!

Ten hour days, weekly planning and teaching some other people.

Friday, played ping pong with K, got schooled, sad day, but I bet I can beat Sam for sure. He really likes church history, but not so much religion, we're working with him, but it's hard sometimes. He really just wants to learn cool facts ... but has trouble accepting the idea that God helped Joseph Smith and Brigham Young do all the cool stuff that they did!

Saturday! We had an open house and made mochi with the ward! Brother P-San came, and we taught him, he's reading the Book of Mormon, and thinks it's a good book! His kids are adorable. He also talked to the Elder's Quorum President for like an hour about videos games, both are in their thirties.

N-San came and L-San talked about video games as well, made some mochi, and talked about more than I can say actually; I didn't even get to touch the hammer to beat the rice while making mochi; but its alright, he's good.

Left to Right:  Yoshino Choro, Brother Hirata-San, Brother Naoto-San, Griffiths Choro,
Dicastri Choro, Brother Hiroto-San

Then T-San came from nowhere with a triple, and said, I want to learn more about the Mormons! So Brother C-San threw down about baptism and apparently he's a millionaire. So he's loaded and has four houses ... so happy I can help bring him closer to Christ, good eternal friend! And he's so prepared!! He wants to help his daughter join as well someday!! He loves the Book of Mormon too!!!

Then Saturday night we got a referral from Tsukuba, Stevens Choro and one of Yoshino Choro's old companions, and they gave us Brother A-San, who's so cool!! We talked about smoking with the other Choros and since he started his new job, he doesn't have time to smoke, so he's dropping quick! He wants to get baptized at the end of the month!!

Then Sunday came and he came to church as well! Abiko building is so cool! It's a little tight, but Brother A-San sang all the songs, and he loved them all, and Sunday School was sweet! He loves church!!

We also had Y and A come, but they'd were as excited. But Y is a long time peep that used to come to church all the time, but didn't come to the Matsudo building, so he just showed up randomly! It was so sweet!!!

Also this week was Luna Shiami last week here before she goes back to China, so we had a little going away party for her, which was sad, but she's going to dendo way hard in China, so it's all good!!

That's the week.
Oh wait, Monday, Heavenly Father  didn't want me or Dicastri Choro to teach kondo, so he made Dicastri Choro deathly ill, and destroyed my bike tires ... and so while Yoshino Choro and Brother S went to teach, I fixed my bike and the Shimai brought us lots of drugs to help fix my beloved companion ... and today we're all totally fine, so we think that it was God!! Good miracle!!!

Spiritual stuff before I go to sleep, I'm so tired! Nielson Choro, the first Choro I trained came to spend the night last night because his area was too far from the temple; it was so cool to see how much he's grown. He's like a legit powerful missionary! It's so cool!!! So what I realize, is no matter how small our progress may seem, in the end, we grow a lot; that's the most important thing right? So some way, keep track of the little growth, and over time you will see how big it gets!!

Love you all, Griffiths Choro
11239 10000

DD 13.45 ... I've made so many cranes, this is twenty-five of the 200+ I've made ...

Hey look, I made the questions purple this week.

I've made so many cranes ...

Did the McDonalds gift cards work in Japan?
We've been to busy to go and do it yet,

Did you get a package?

Yes!! The shirt is crazy white! I'm going to try to wear it to the temple, and baptisms ... which hopefully we have lot of ...

What are three things you want to see in Japan?

The top of Mount Fuji, the dog statue in Tokyo, and a giant pile of melon pan...

How are your new investigators doing? Any commitments?

Good, everyone's reading the Book of Mormon and we're trying to get everyone to come to church! Next week it will be back in Abiko!!! Whoooo!!!

Do you think you will be in a threesome the rest of the transfer?

Most likely.

Have you heard from Elder Turley? Any news on his knee? 

He's doing good, were using him to help out with a lesson tonight through Skype, he had surgery, but no word yet.

Which has steeper hills, Abiko or Togane?

The hill in Togane was one massive mountain ... the hills in Abiko are just everywhere and crazy steep.

How are the english classes going? How many people come now?

Like twenty on Wednesday and fifteen-ish on Saturday.

How I learn Japanese

How is your health? Any illnesses? or injuries? or healthier than ever?

Fine, I'm tired, and haven't had much of an appetite recently ... and I know that you think I'm probably not eating anything, but I mean compared to what I was consuming before, I still have like two cups of rice a day with tons of stuff on top with bananas and oranges for breakfast and snacks, but I haven't been eating as much as like two weeks ago.

How are your running shoes holding up?

Just fine... I actually ran a 10k on Saturday!

Are your Japanese language skills improving with a native companion?

... yeah ... I am learning a lot of slang.

Dad ... I have an iron and know how to use it ... the white shirt is not too wrinkled. I think you should put up lights for when I come home ... we should light up the whole house! ... maybe even the whole neighborhood!! I like the new theme for Sacrament Meeting ... sounds way cool!!

Mother ... I would take Waylon up on a sleepover any day of the week. That sounds awesome! As for Saturday night? I'm just sorry that I can't be there, that sounds fantastic! The three of us came up with movie or dinner together ... maybe even gun polishing. That could be interesting, let me know how it goes.

Sam! When I get back, you have to help me find clothes that say I'm awesome. I'm up for your Teton marathon though. Do I get a Teton Dam runner shirt if I run it? That would be ideal. If not, we should definitely go help out, I mean all those runners, they need water of sorts right?

Storming the court ... church ball? Fun fun. I figured out sports with balls, btw. My advice is to just run around and that way everyone assumes that you're way good ... even if you're not ... which in my case, is a hundred percent true. Sounds fun though! We play every Saturday here, and it's crazy!

This week! On Wednesday! ... I don't remember Wednesday at all actually ... 
neither do my companions ... it was probably awesome!

Thursday, weekly planning and ...

Friday, we had ping pong night! I got destroyed in the first round by Mayama and Setsuko Shimai ... apparently Asians really are good at ping pong, it's not just a stereotype ... speaking of which, do we have a ping pong table?

Dicastri Chori and myself w/various animals

The scarf is Setsuko's, the Shimai investigator ...

Saturday, we went running with Brother J. in he morning, ten kilometers, and it was totally fine, good to know I can just bust one of those out when need be, we taught along the way, way great! Then we met with SK and Sister L. Sister L apparently is going back to China next week! We're all way sad!  Then we had dinner with K, who's moving back to Sendai this week, and TJ who is going to visit his wife in Nagano next week ... all my friends here are leaving, and it's way lame. But it was way good to hear Kh bear his testimony before he left! Kh is such a boss!! He's in the Japanese navy and rocks!

Also on Saturday we was walking around Kashiwa, and it just didn't feel right, so we tried to cross to the other side of the station, and we ran into Bro. K.! For the first time in like two months we finally met with him again. He's still reading the Book of Mormon, and praying, but it seems that meeting with us no longer a really high priority on his list. It's way sad, we were good friends, and now he doesn't even have time to meet with us for ramen anymore ... hurts my soul, that, and he was so close! And he wants it so bad, and as an outsider looking into his life, he needs it so bad! But he just won't open the door to let Christ in and it's so frustrating. And so sad at the same time. I just wish that there was something more we could do, but there isn't. That picture of Christ at the door is all too true, He's standing there knocking and just waiting for us to let Him in. But it's our choice, and it's up to us to let Him in. It's so sad when we don't let Him in, or even believe that He's there, because He really does help with all of our problems! It's so nice!!

 Also on Saturday we met with P, and his Chinese wife, he's from Jersey, and he's awesome! He's not really searching per say, but when he finds something new and interesting, he can't put it down, like the Book of Mormon; we found him last week, and he's way sweet! His family might come to church this coming week now that it's back in Abiko, they're coming to the Omochi party thing on Saturday as well, that should be crazy fun!! And he wants to come to church it seems!!

Dicastri Choro and myself;
Come to the open house on Saturday ... free elevator rides

Then on Sunday we had our last week in Matsudo church! I'm so excited!! And afterwards we went and visited Brother A, we met him a couple weeks ago, apparently he went to the Mormon church when he was younger, and knows about the Book of Mormon and believes Joseph Smith is a prophet and everything, but he wasn't baptized, because he was six when he went! He's coming to church and reading, and it's awesome!!! Huge miracle!! He's so cool!!!

Also this week we found Brother K who's a  old guy who loves himself some English and the Bible! We're meeting him again today to talk more about Christ and how our church is different, and he's way awesome! He wants to come to church, but it's a little far for an eighty year old man on a bike!! But we're going to get him a ride and it should be good!! He's so amazing!!! But yeah, I'm way excited.

This week I was reminded that the relationships formed through the gospel are the best ones ever! I've met so many people here that I absolutely love and it's hurts so bad when I see them hurt or mislead. It hurts to see them struggle and fail and to give up when they at so close to the best thing ever. It makes me feel so sad for them when they do things that will hurt them ... and it also brings so much joy into my life when one person who you care about so much finally decides to open that door, and let Christ into their lives.  Nothing is better than seeing someone progress toward Christ! I love it so much!!! It's the best!!!

I love you all, and am so grateful for everything you have done for me! I'll send some pics as well.

Elder Griffiths,

Ps, Dicastri Choro's wonderful sister just sent us instructions for an origami dragon and ninja star.

11144 9785

DD 13.35 ... Oh look, a Bear!!!

Is Yoshino Choro part of your companionship now? Or did they assign someone else to be with him? What is the long term plan?
I don't know what the long term plan is for Abiko, right now it's Yoshino Choro, Dicastri Choro and I, and we're crazy busy.

How are your investigators coming along?
Great, doubled them all in like a week. Brother J is doing good, he's the Canadian who likes to go running and talk about the Bible; he's the closest to baptism; his dad is hantai, so it hard for him to move in a different direction.

Did you get your first package of the new year?
Not yet.

How was New Years? Eve? day? Did you get to stay up late? or normal bedtime?
New Year's Eve, we cleaned all day. All New Year's Day we read the Book of Mormon. I tried to wake up at midnight and watch the new year, but couldn't get myself up.

Since this is Japan's biggest holiday, what did they do? Party? Anything cool? Lights? Festivals?
Everything ... there's a reason we don't dendo. It's too crazy.

Are you back in the Abiko Building?
As of the eighteenth ...

How is the weather ... any snow yet? It's been almost 3 months since Japan has had a volcano, a Typhoon,  an earthquake ... you tell us, anything happening in Tokyo?
Nothing recently.

Oh, here's a question, its an oldie but a goodie, have you fixed your flat tire yet ... oh, let me guess, its too cold to fix it now ... do you want us to send you a new tube?
Of course!!!! ... ... Not

Tell us about Dicastro Choro's progress ... he's new to Japan, but how is his progress, picking things up fast, how are his language skills?
He's doing really good! Especially now that Yoshino Choro is with us. He's learning actual Nihongo, instead of my slightly American Japanese.

What have you done lately for pDay?
Help Turley Choro pack, shop at recycle shops, fun stuff as usual.

What type of service have you rendered to the citizens of Abiko this week?
Pick up garbage and Eikaiwa.

Had any melon-pan lately? Any new favorite flavors? Any new favorite foods?
Of course, I found cream filled melon pan.

Any subway adventures to report on ... life in Tokyo without a subway story isn't really a trip to Tokyo unless you were going the wrong way at some point in time.
... I'm a train master, and we never get lost ... and we don't go into Tokyo that often.

Any cycling adventures, I take it the roads aren't snow packed and iced over ... any close calls lately? Any other incidents like Kuroiwa Choro's intersection incident?
Nope, nice and safe,

Any New Years goals, other than "missionary like a bear for the next five months" ??
I want to baptize six more people by the time I go home ... and I want to read the Book of Mormon everyday!!  At least a chapter!

I found the guy in this picture (the one that's not a missionary), referred him,
and now he's getting baptized real soon! Yeah for gaijin!!!

Father! I really liked your spiel on being humble and trying to accept our weaknesses ... today another missionary told me one of his goals for when he goes home, he wants to lock himself in his house for a month and a half ... he is going to try to get really good at everything he's bad at now ... I simply chuckled to myself ... thanks for the advice, a nice reminder ... it was indeed!

Mother! Best goal ever!! Always having a temple recommend is the best, I probably need to talk to Budge Kaichou about renewing mine soon. I feel really good about the four temple sessions in a month thing ... more than that though, I love the idea of pie ... I really like that idea!!!

Smashed!! Go and hang out with the missionaries more!!! I'm a hundred percent sure that they could use a young single adult who has lots of time and wants to help out! And there are major perks! One of which being that sisters Rock at showing love, and when they make banana bread for their investigators, their favorite person, me, even might also get some ... believe I would know.  Also, God blesses the heck out of those who help out! It's way sweet!!

Six pack abs ... if you want some ... maybe go running! If you don't and you want to feel less stress ... make some no bake cookies, and eat them out of the pan ... I hear there are some new shows on NetFlix now ... I can't think of a better way to spend a day and/or night!!? I'm glad you went ice skating, because it is sooo fun ... it sounds pretty crazy!!!

So this week was interesting. Turley Choro went home ... right before we had to clean the whole apartment. And cleaning was fun!! Turns out that being a maid in college was the best idea ever!!!! Cleaning rocks when you rock at cleaning! Our apartment is way nice now! And then the next day we read the Book of Mormon all day, it was way sweet,!! I finished it a little bit ago, and was taking a break and reading the Bible for a bit, but after reading it all day, I realized the power that was missing from my life. I need to read the Book of Mormon every day or there is something missing. Something that I didn't realize I didn't have when I wasn't reading it. Everything just seems to go better when you read the best book ever, every day!! It really did rock!!

Then we had the all mission party, where we watched meet the Mormons. It was good. We want to show all it to all of our investigators, but they don't have a Nihongo version yet! Ridiculous! Nothing ever gets translated fast enough! #ForeignLanguageProblem.

Almost on the back row on the Left

Then we came back from teaching Brother J ... happens ever Saturday morning now ... First we run ... I have the best lung capacity ever btw.

Ooooo, and on the morning of the first we went with J and S and the Shimai to go watch the sunrise over the lake ... I didn't take any pictures... We ran there with J, but Mayama Shimai has one ... On her camera ... Not her ipad, so I don't know if I'll ever get it... I still need to get some pictures of the baptisms from her as well ... Hmmmm, maybe I'll just ask her for that as well ... Hmmm, deep in thought.

Teganuma Lake Sunrise

Today was zone pday, and I crushed everyone at quidditch ... I'm not going to say I'm a master ... but I'm a master?!? Whoooo!!!

So yeah, not much time. But I just want to end with this:
We all make goals and everything for the new year. But when we make any goal New Years or not, we need to pray and makes sure that it's a goal that God wants us to make. God wants us to grow more than we want to grow, He knows what we need to do in order to succeed and fulfill our potential in life. Sometimes it doesn't matter whether we get married within a certain amount of time, or if we are the best at something, or even if we're second or third. But as long as we're working for what God wants us to be working for, it will all work out!!!

I know that this letter is short, and that you all deserve more. I'll try to send some pictures and some stuff as well!! We're trying to get hold of a member to try and coordinate a dinner with J ... but no one picks up the phone!!!

Well, I've got  to jet, but I love you all!!
Griffiths Choro!!
11105 9706