12/20/2015 | It's Christmas Time!!!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!

Isn't it a great time to be on the earth. It is such a great time to be happy!!! A time to celebrate the Birth of a Savior who if hadn't come to this earth, we would have no hope, no happiness. This is my
favorite time of year. I hope you all take the time to remember our savior this year. Remember the First Christmas gift.

So a quick update and prayer request for you. Itabayashi san did get baptized. He came in a full white suit, and was really excited. This area has just become the 2nd sign language area in this mission. The missionaries now will have the chance to learn Sign language, because of the RC, and to help with translation things. (There's also a possibility of other Deaf people becoming investigators here soon)
Please keep him in your prayers. He is going to need strength.

Also, The Shibuyas could use your prayers. They have been having a rough time lately with their friends making fun of them, and don't really want to come to church anymore. We cant even meet with them to much as of late, so if you could keep them in your prayers that would be awesome.

Well I've got to get running, so don't forget Christmas. I like the quote that is on a Button Elder Pace got for Christmas. It says "Christmas without Christ is like Hot Chocolate without Chocolate" In
other words, no meaning.

Looking forward to getting to spend some time with my family for Christmas. What will you do?

Well sorry my emails have been shorter as of late. Ill try to figure things out to get a longer one in sometime, but for now. Love me!!!

See you next year 笑
愛しているよ
Elder Eliot

Itabayashi San's baptism.

12/13/2015 | Can't Wright Anything...

So We had a week of which I can actually tell everyone much about. Suffice it to say that this ward needs some help, and we are working on that right now. Not sure how its going to come out, but that's about the info I can give you.

I'm pressed for time, so Ill let you know how everyone is doing real quick, but that's about the time I've got today.

So Itabayashi san passed his Interview, and Will be baptized this Saturday!!! Yay!! He came to church yesterday, and I was translating for Priesthood. Ive discovered that there is a difference between the gift of tongues, and the gift of translating. Translation is not something I've been blessed with. It is very difficult and does not come easy. So I eventually changed the subject, and just talked to him. :) oops. But he is doing great, and Im so glad Ive gotten to work with him.

We havent had any contact with Daisuke san. The last thing he told me was that he was going to try to make it to church yesterday, and he didn't come. So we'll have to try visiting him at his home. But I think he's 元気 so... Thats whats happening there.

Ritsuki kun is as 元気 as ever. Still hanging in there and coming to Church every week. Havent had another opportunity to teach him a lesson yet, but he is doing good.

Sorry there's not a lot to report on this week. Next week we'll have a baptism, so there will be stuff for that.

And I'm out of time sooo....
Try to do something for someone else this week.
Always be mindful of what's going on around you.
Don't eat pig meat raw.
愛しているよ
Elder Eliot

12/06/2015 | Here we go again...

Thanksgiving Curry Rice Dinner!

Hey everyone. Sorry for the short email last week. Had a lot going on, Didn't really get a chance to write a lot. Love me‼️

So this last week was a harder week. We recently have been seeing so much success here in Muroran, that I feel like Satan has redirected his attacks at us. I guess as long as the rest of Hokkaido is safe, That's OK, but it was a rough week. We didn't really get a lot of acceptance while finding this week. Normally people are a little nicer, and I can get some good communication going, but most people this week just immediately turned us down. We even had a guy tell us to go home in language that if I were to translate would involve lots of swear words, and other vulgar language. It was not nice and left me not feeling very good afterwards. We had to go into a convenience store, and I just prayed for help to feel better. Luckily God is nice. He helped me to keep going. Meh. Sometimes you just have those weeks I guess. Satan is working in the people. We just have to find those he hasn't hit yet, and continue to let a few seeds drop here and their.


An update on some people for you. Itabayashi san is 100% getting baptized. I've felt a lot of help in being able to remember Sign Language and have been picking it up at a rate that shocks everyone,
including myself. I bought a book a few weeks ago to help with my studies and I find myself every once in a while that I have only seen while skimming the book. God really is in this. He is excited for his baptism. He even asked Elder Pace to baptize him yesterday. So we have a program all ready. He came to church yesterday, which means I got to help with translation... That I can tell you is difficult. There is a difference between the gift of translation, and the gift of tongues. Big difference. I was able to struggle through it though and he understood for the most part.

Daisuke san will no longer be baptized on the 26th 😢 We had an appointment with him this Wednesday at which we were planning on trying to really push to get him to church, but he had an appointment with work come up randomly, and couldn't meet with us. I tried to get him to come to church talking with him on the phone, but he already was busy, so hes going to try to be to church next week, but now he wont be able to come to church enough times to be baptized on the 26th. So we'll try to set a new date with him, but I would still appreciate everyone's prayers for him.

Ritsuki kun is continually progressing. He even got up yesterday (being "persuaded" by his friends) and bore his testimony in church, talking about how much he has come to know God and things like that and it was great.

We are doing great. Its cold now. You might seen the insane amount of snow that Sapporo is getting. I am also quite shocked about it, but here in Muroran we haven't gotten much. What we did get already melted.
Yup.

Well. I've got to go. I love you all. Enjoy the Christmas season and remember the real reason for it.
愛しているよ‼️
Elder Eliot

Saying goodbye to a Sister Missionary

Went to a fabric dye factory

Pacific Ocean at sunset

The usual eating!!