皆さん、こんにちは!
This week has been an eventful week indeed! It started with transfer info, which led to a bullet train, which led to a baptism. How do they all connect, you ask? Read on and find out.
So we got all transfer info for our zone on Monday night. I was informed that I was transferring to Marugame, on the island of Shikoku. I was also informed that I would no longer be zone leader. From now on I will be district leader. Also, my new companion is Emmerson Chōrō. He has only been in Japan for few months but he is a very good missionary.
The distance between Wakayama and Marugame is vast. My new zone leaders and I tried to figure out what would be the best balance between cost, time, and simplicity. We came to the conclusion that I would ride the normal train system until Shin-Osaka station. Once I got there I rode a Shinkansen (bullet train) to Okayama station. At Okayama station I transferred back to the normal train system and went south along a route that crosses multiple small islands until it reaches Shikoku. Shikoku is one of the four main islands of Japan.
Let me just say that the bullet train is way cool! It is basically an airplane on the ground. The way the seating is set up is just like an airplane, down to the drop-down-tray in the back of the seat in front of you and the small air vents above you. It is way quiet, except for the gentle rush of wind...just like an airplane. And there is even a woman pushing a cart of snacks and drinks down the isle available for purchase...JUST LIKE AN AIRPLANE!!! Loved it. A ride that would have normally taken three hours only took 40 minutes. 
The first couple of days in Marugame have been long, but very good. We have found a handful of potential investigators that live very close to the church. And the reason why we found these potentials that live close to the church is because the back tire on my bike went completely flat, so we haven't been able to travel out very far 
But, we will try to get that fixed this week (hopefully today). But we have been able to have a couple of our investigators come to church which was way good! Side note: we do two sacrament meetings on Sunday. The normal three-hour block in the morning, and then a 35 minute sacrament meeting at night for the members who can't make it to the morning session. Way cool, definitely a first.
We also had a baptismal service after the block! He is a son of a recent convert. We had three return missionaries come visit for the service. That, and President and Sister Smoot visited us unexpectedly. So cool! It was a mega blast of a fist Sunday in Marugame. I'll never forget it. The kid is so good.
Marugame is SO HOT! And the humidity is SO HIGH. We have been walking out of the apartment each day every time getting bear-hugged by moisture. So that's been fun. Love it.
One of our investigators is basically a bodybuilder. He is HUGE. But not nasty-steroids-huge, just very, very large. Especially for a Japanese man. He is also fluent in English, and Spanish. He is a cool guy. He looks like he jumped out of a Final Fnatasy video game. The hair, the face, the body, yeah, FF is real in Japan.
One of our investigator's names is Jesus. Yep...and he is from Oregon City. REPRESENT!!!
Marugame is famous for its udon 
so you know I'm gonna be eating that real soon 
Right now I am reading Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. I recently read chapter 13. I didn't know that Matthew, the disciple of Christ, was a tax collector (publican) who worked for Rome. That is part one. Part two comes when the Pharisees vocally reproach Christ for eating with publicans and sinners. The thing that really, really struck me was the thought of how Matthew must've felt at that moment. He believed in Christ, was called to follow Him, and was already being persecuted by most Israelites for being under Roman employ. Put all of this together and Matthew was probably feeling pretty unworthy to be where he was (working with the Savior). He probably took that comment personally, at least a little bit. I would imagine so. "This man dines with publicans and sinners", it probably struck a nerve inside of Matthew in some way. I didn't necessarily learn any doctrine, but it gave a lot of depth to Matthew and Christ.
Anyways, I hope you are all enjoying summertime. Please have fun and bond with all yall's families. Be safe! Remember, God loves YOU!
Fight the good fight and never give up! 愛しています!
Elder Peacock
A missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Serving in the Japan, Kobe mission, Marugame area
末日聖徒イエス・キリスト教会
日本神戸伝道部の宣教師です
丸亀エリア
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