2017.3.27 Got a flat, a new companion, and some rain!

What's up guys?

It's been a busy but good week! A lot of our time was spent figuring out stuff for transfers which cut down on our dendō time so that was fun. From creating and sending travel plans to making sure everyone got to where they were supposed to be, we have been on the phone a lot. However, I am pleased to say that there were no big mishaps that caused confusion and delay (#thomasthetankengine) so I'm happy!

After all of our emailing, grocery shopping, having fun and stuff on Monday, we went to the church to figure out all travel plans for the people coming into our zone. Everyone who is leaving our zone gets travel Plans from their new zone leaders, not us. There were six new missionaries coming into our zone. And when I say new, I don't mean first-transfer missionaries, I just mean missionaries who were coming from a different zone. So we made six travel plans and two of them traveled most of their journey together which made things easier for us. There were three apartments in our zone that housed more than one companionship last transfer. But this transfer two of them became just one companionship housing. What that means is that our zone shrank by about four missionaries. Which is fine, it just means the Lord needs more missionaries in a different area in a different zone. 

Tuesday we made all the calls and answered questions of how everything will work. We tried to contact a few potential investigators but none of them were home. No worries, we will catch them another time!

Thursday was the actual day of transfers. My companion woke up at 5:30 to make sure everything was ready to go. We left around 7:30 and went our separate ways once we hit the 十三駅 (Juso Eki). Then I went to 岡町駅 (Okamachi Eki) and waited with Jensen Chōrō until both of our companions came in. It was about 11:15 when Jensen Chōrō's companion came in. His name is Nash Chōrō and I knew him from when I was in the Kobe Zone. We waited for another hour or so until my companion, Keenan Chōrō, finally arrived. We took a small break because he was tired from lugging his bike and suitcase around. After that we travelled to the apartment, had lunch, and then planned for the week. While planning one of our members called and asked if we had any plans that night. We didn't so he set up a dinner appointment for us. We went out to 焼鳥 (yakitori). It was way good! And so nice of them. 

We had a meal appointment set up with one of our ward members on Saturday. It was the first time I had really met this member because she has been attending the other ward that uses the same church building as us. Because of certain things she isn't attending the correct ward. She knows, I just don't know all the reasons so, yeah. But she is a COOK! I may or may not have explained that ovens are NOT a thing in Japan. Toaster ovens are normal, but the full-sized, American style ovens do not exist here. You can maybe get one half the size of a normal oven for 100 dollars. But she has one of those half-sized things and she is a beast! She made lasagna, mashed potatoes, and this crispy chicken stuff that was SO GOOD! She also made this killer chocolate cake and a strawberry-mousse cake that was heavenly. Loved every bite. And to top it off, she had root beer! Then we shared a lesson focused on The Book of Mormon for her son who isn't a member (yet). 

So, let me tell you a little bit about my new companion, Elder Keenan. He is from St. George, Utah. He is 20 and will be returning home in June. He played American football and soccer. He loves to beatbox and is pretty good at doing silly voices. :) 

So, yeah, my tire got punctured. They repaired it for under ten dollars but said that because the back tire has worn thin it will be easy to pop again. Another expense. Yay! Also, my bike light committed suicide so that's another thing to buy.

It also rained cats, dogs on our way home from church. It was clear on the way over, but then it got cloudy while we were at church. So by the time we got home we were soaked through and through. Way fun!

I wanna make a plug for General Conference coming up. General Conference is BOSS! I think a lot of you will get it this weekend, not sure. But we get it a week delayed because translation stuff. I'm WAY STOKED! To hear the words of Christ's prophets and apostles is a blessing! We can know for ourselves that God is working among the children of men according to their faith when we hear the words of the prophets. So, let's strengthen our faith! I would like to invite everyone to watch it. I sure will.

Anyways, that's all I got. It's been way fun to get to know Keenan Chōrō. It's gonna be quite a transfer. #dendoisbest 愛しているよ!

孔雀長老より

2017.3.19 Happy Spring Everyone!

Hello everyone!

ITS SPRING!!! It is warm today! I'm so excited for General Conference and the new transfer and the changes it will bring. I'll tell you what happens with me next week.

This past week was full, but I'm trying to remember what happened 😆 We had a couple of kōkans, a meal with Bishop Shiono, and and a way busy Sunday morning. Let me fill you in!

So I kōkaned with Olsen Chōrō who was in the same district as me a while back so I knew him which made it even more fun! We found quite a few sick houses. In Japan houses NEVER have chimneys, even if they are fake. But we saw two houses with chimneys, and one of them had TWO chimneys! It blew my mind! And then, right next to them was a house that just screamed Scandinavian. Which was weird because it's not like I've seen that many Scandinavian homes. I dunno, it just spoke to me. So we had to go into that neighborhood anyway to find a less-active and when we were riding past that house I saw something, and you'll never guess what it was...a dolahest (spelling?)! The Scandinavian horse thing! I literally exploded! I whipped around and told Olsen Chōrō that we had to talk to them. Then there were other things with Scandinavian painting. It was awesome! Knocked and opened the door to see the husband answer. He said he had been to Scandinavia a few times. I told him that you two (Mom and Dad) served your missions in Norway and Sweden. He told me that the house is modeled after Denmark homes. Then he got his wife who said that the sister missionaries
visited the day before. Yep, turns out they were the less-active we were looking for. CRAZY!!! Loved it.

Yeah, so the Bishop invited us over for dinner last night. He is way young and is so on board with the changes happening in Eikaiwa and stuff. I love it! When we got to his house we shared a message about the atonement of Christ. But because our audience was mostly kids we had to make it simple. So we decided to do the  doughnut and push-up thing. We used Jolly-Ranchers instead and it was pretty powerful. Needless to say I am pretty sore today 😆 Then we made homemade pizza with corn on it #japanpizza

I read in Alma 4 when Alma the younger gives up his government position, confers it on Nephiah, and serves a beast mission. And for the next 30 years or so he just goes ham. City to city and preaches the gospel of Christ. He is a way good example of how to give up what needs to be given up and how to go to work. I loved it and hit straight home. Being able to choose what to give up will be made easier through prayer and meditation. Turn to the scriptures. Change is fun and repentance is great!

Today we are planning on going to Kyoto! We are going to see the Golden Povilion and the Thousand Red Gates. I'll send you guys TONS AND TONS of pictures. It'll be great.

Love you guys. Have an awesome week!!!  

愛しているよ!

孔雀長老より

2017.3.14 I'm still alive!

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry for the delay in my email. I went to the local Seven Eleven and thought it sent but apparently it didn't. The Seven Eleven wifi is much weaker than the church building wifi so I guess I forgot to factor that in to the equation. But, I'm am now resending this email and hope you all enjoy it!

We had mission leader conference on Tuesday and it lasted most of the day. It's nice because Kobe isn't too far away by train (less than an hour) so traveling there and back isn't to bad. We talked a lot about the new schedule and about making sure the younger missionaries know how to perform their role in all settings such as meetings, proselyting, and supporting others even if they are inexperienced. I know that for me having solid support from a junior companion is a big help and comfort! Even in a zone leader companionship where there is no senior or junior companion title it is still a big help when we back each other up. There is definitely a reason why we have companions out here because I would be struggling to do this on my own.

Last week we had three kōkans (companion exchanges) in a row, starting on Wednesday and going through Friday. I spent time in Hanayashiki and Senri which was great. I was with a few way good elders and we all had a lot of fun. It's cool to see when people are ready to make the next step in their progress as a missionary. Whether it's a move to senior companion or any other position you can just feel that they are ready.  It's way cool and something I really enjoyed. Being a missionary isn't easy. We have been called to do a hard thing. And then we face those challenges that are sometimes things that are out of our control. When I see missionaries who tackle the obstacle and rely on the Lord for their support it is a HUGE inspiration to me. I'll send pictures of those kōkans.

We had zone training meeting on Friday and I learned a lot! Surprisingly, I learned the most from the tech elder. We talked about how we would use tablets if Jesus was our companion. Or, even better, even Jesus Himself were using these tablets, how He would do it. It really hit home with me. Technology is such a powerful tool and if we use it righteously we can help spread the gospel so much. It was stuff I already knew, I just needed to hear it again.

By the end of our kōkans and zone training meeting me and my companion were pretty drained of energy. It was a lot of fun but man, exchanges really wear ya out. Saturday was a recuperation day. We took strength from a normal-day schedule and focused ourselves on our investigators. It was great to have time with my actual companion for a day 😆

There was something way cool that I noticed during my personal study on Tuesday. I was reading in Omni in The Book of Mormon and the part I want to share is verse 12 to the end of that chapter. I won't describe everything but I will just say that I imagined myself in Amaleki's place when he wrote that last verse and I thought of my younger brother, Jacob. Needless to say it was VERY powerful and I don't know if I will forget it for a while.

I may or may not have had KFC buffet last week. Gotta love fat days 😊

So, we were going up a small hill to visit one of our new investigators and my companion was behind me. We boy shift gears so we can actually get up the hill and then I hear this crunch come from my companions bike 😱 We take a look at it and we quickly find the problem. What happened was that the part that moves the chain across the gears got to close to the wheelie spokes and got caught in them. Therefore, the wheel spokes cranked the mechanism al the way up and around and broke it off! 😰 I could just see the dollars flying away 💸 A member helped us take it to the shop and they ordered the parts needed. They were able to install and fix it up later that week. While it was out of order, my companion rode a beach cruiser which did not look fun. In Japan, beach cruisers are called mama chari(s).

Well, that's the condensed version of this week. It went by so fast! Next week is transfers so we will see all the surprises that happen. Stay tuned!

愛しているわ!
孔雀長老より

2017.3.5 Spring is trying to make its way over...

Hello everyone!

It's been a really good week here in North Osaka. The weather is
warming up (although the forecast says there will be a dip this week)
and we are finding some new people. We have had a couple of companion
exchanges with district leaders. I'll try to hit some of the
highlights quickly so hold on to something! *ZOOM*

We found a WAY solid Philippino student. When we met him at the door
to his apartment he said he was cleaning so he didn't have much time,
but we ended up teaching the Restoration AND the Plan of Salvation.
And he wants a copy of The Book of Mormon! He is graduating Osaka
Unoversity with his doctorate degree in teaching physics I think. He
goes back to the Phillipines at the end of March so we will see what
we can do.

I got a hair cut. I love hair cuts.

Had Japanese 焼肉 (yakiniku) for the first time with one of our
investigators. Basically, yakiniku is a meat BBQ and each table has a
circular grill in the center and you go ham on the meat. They give you
a two-hour limit to eat what you can. They have salads, pastas, and
deserts. But the main thing is, of course, meat! Soooooo good! But,
churrasco is better 😉

We had a sports night with the Ibaraki Ward. SUCH A GOOD TURN OUT!
Must've been about 25 people total show up. And I was reminded of how
bad I am at soccer. Way fun though.

We were hovering just under 60 degrees on Saturday. It was awesome! I
love spring weather, even if it doesn't last very long.

Church was good. Talked about the importance of husbands and wives in
marriage roles #nottrunky

We woke up today at 5:00 to help a recent convert get to the airport
with his luggage. You know the weird part? It's the exact airport I
flew into from Tokyo and the one I will fly out of later this year.
Weird! And it's in the area right next door to us. It's just a 20
minute bike ride away. It's cool to see planes land and take off
throughout the day, even if it's from a distance.

We got zone training meeting coming up on Friday so that will be fun.
Nothing else crazy for this next week I don't think but we will see
what happens. Sorry my email is shorter than normal but I sent a LOAD
of photos and videos home so check those out. Anyways, have an awesome
week everyone. Love ya!

愛してございます
孔雀長老より

2017.2.26 Week 71

Kachow!!!⚡️

Oh man, it's been a good week here in Senri. I think it's a
combination of the sunny, warmer weather, the new investigators we are
finding, and the missionaries I'm working with. It's definitely been a
miracle-filled week. In fact, you could say it was, wonder-filled 😉

So, yeah, I think Japan is trying to trick me into thinking that
spring is coming faster than it is. We have had several days (although
not in a row) of sun in the 50s. We actually had an exchange with the
Assistants on Tuesday and while we were there it was even warmer. Once
we returned to Senri we could tell it got colder. It's funny because
it was snowing Tuesday morning on our way to the exchange. Japan
weather is great!

Speaking of exchanges: we had one with the Assistants and one with a
District Leader in our zone. I found Kobe's Chinatown! And we found a
way nice mother who is way open to the gospel so that got me way
pumped! And I learned that dendoing in a shopping avenue chock-full of
people is definitely what I am not used to so I need to practice that
😆

I've gotten better at working out this week. It's something that I
haven't been all that good at lately. But I've gotten so much better
this past week. And eating a little better. I'm trying to follow the
Word of Wisdom more in my diet. Fun stuff! #promisesofthelordawait

We've been making good progress on cleaning/organizing the apartment.
Especially since it's a new apartment building we want to do our part
to live in a clean place. I'm definitely attacking (cleaning) stuff in
my room when I get home!

I was assigned to give a talk in sacrament meeting on remembering the
Savior. I decided to use the topic and change the angle to look at
finding joy when we remember Christ. I also talked about how it's not
always easy to do those things in order for us to find joy in Christ.
When we become disciples of Christ we find that joy for sure. But that
includes standing as a witness of Christ in all times, in all things,
and in all places. That takes a lot of courage. It is not for the
faint of heart. But as we do those hard things we experience a process
of the change of heart. It's like how coal, when put under extreme
pressure and heat for an extended period of time, turns into a
diamond. We want to become that diamond so we have to go through the
fire and the flames 😉

So, as I'm writing this I am eating candy and home-made pizza because
it's my cheat day. Since I've come to Senri I have lost 5 kilograms
(11 pounds). I'm hoping to get down to 82 or 83 kilos (180 pounds) by
the end of the transfer. I promise I don't have cheat days very often
😆

Recently we have found a handful of new investigators which has been
great. My hope increases when I find new people to teach. However, we
have also had a few investigators who, for multiple reasons, have not
met with us for a while now. As a missionary I really want them to
continue progressing. I have seen great change come to individuals
through attending church and obeying and honoring God's commandments.
But when they tell you straight that they don't want to meet for a
while it breaks your heart. There's no other way to put it. To put it
simply, I have seen great progress and cause for joy, but there have
also been instances that tear your heart out. Gotta keep going though.
Fight the good fight, right?

Today we had a surprise hike with the Akashi elders and sisters. They
called my phone this morning and said they were on their way to see a
waterfall that Taguchi Chōrō's grandfather got baptized in 60 years
ago today. It's a way cool story! But one of the best parts is I got
to see Queiroz Chōrō, MY SON!!! HE'S MY BOOOOOYYYYYY! He turns 26 this
week! It's crazy! He is soooooo old 😆 It was way fun. And we saw a
wild monkey!!!! I'll send lots of pictures and videos. Then we had
lunch together and got two new investigators from that! It was
unbelievable.

We just finished grocery shopping and cleaning the apartment. It is
SUPER NICE today. It feels like it's in the 60s. I can't believe it.
Clear blue skies with white puffy clouds. But the nights are still
chilly.

So, there is something Japan does that is very interesting. I've
noticed this since my first area but I just keep forgetting to mention
it. Some of the windows in homes or offices will be slats of glass
horizontally that act like shutters and can be adjusted like blinds.
You should look it up on the internet to see it because my description
is terrible. It's cool, but cold in the winter.

Well, I think that's it from the north end of Osaka. I hope you
enjoyed it. I hope you all have a fantastic week. Make it great! And
be ambitious for Christ! Love ya!

愛しているよ,
Elder Peacock

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