Mar 15, 2009

This week's pix from Elder Ryler on Oki!

Excerpts from Elder Ryler's letter this week...

"I completely forgot that it was St. Patricks day tomorrow!
I got a new pair of shoes this week! YEAH!

Well this week we had a great lesson with Tina and she committed to be baptized on the 12th of April as well! She is so humble and has a growing strong testimony already! We had a great district meeting Tuesday. Usually the Zone Leaders ask us to teach about different things but this time they just said to talk about whatever you feel the district needs so I was like um.... and I prayed and thought about it and just kind of went with the idea to talk about getting investigators ready for Baptism (the Andersens have a couple that they are teaching who have committed to be baptized too) and I think that the Lord really helped me and it went great! Elder Andersen said, just what we needed to hear! Also we had a meal appointment with the Parkes family. I used to get a ride to Eikaiwa with them. It was so fun! They gave us a whole bunch of food to take home too, because they couldn't eat it before they moved! Then we went to see if the base would renew my drivers licence without sofa or orders but they said no. I should have said I have orders from the Highest authority to be here, lol! We had a good Eikaiwa that night but we couldn't get a lesson set up with that Atsumi san who had interest but she is coming next week! Thursday was Elder Toomey's year mark!!!!!We made some delicious cake and he got permission to get a call from his family so he really enjoyed that. Then we had our planning meeting and then we went to Oblees for lunch! It was great! We headed out to Kadena again and stopped at the Kadena Michi no eki and saw the KAB runway and got a couple of cool Okinawa things!

Then we had a short lesson with Nakandakari kyodai. He is doing really well and really understanding the Gospel better! Then we had a lesson scheduled with that High School Student but he didn't show up and we haven't got in contact yet. We were able to talk to an Obaaachan (grandma) and she was really nice. Then we had another meal appointment at the Strictlin family's home. They are in the Okinawa ward and he invited his friend and he said he would like to hear the missionary lessons!!!!! His name is Josef too!!! COOL! They are a great family! Saturday was really cold and rainy but we got some paper work (records) done and then we went and played some basketball with an investigator Karimata Eri. Then we had a really fun meal appointment (we have had a lot this week) at the Tomori family! They taught us how to make homemade pizzas! It was way fun to see them play their recorders and Sanshin! I love that family!

Sunday was great! We were able to meet with Arakaki shimai. She forgot it was Sunday but was going to a hospital right by the church where I saw her and said come to church. So she came and she totally accepted the Word of Wisdom! SWEET! Then we went to her house and helped her pick some delicious biwa (japanese loquat???) Then we had a delicious lunch of Chili Mac and I took a quick nap and felt great after a half hour! Then we went and visited a less active who was once the AP of this mission! He was really nice but we only had a couple of minutes. Then the Omines had us over for gyoza and harumaki! It was so so good! Their son was way genki and just laughing his head off the whole time! (he is 3ish) Well that was pretty much our week! I'm really wondering what is going to happen this Wednesday on transfers!! But I'll do what the Lord wants me to do! Well I love you so much and can't wait to hear from you next week. If I transfer to an area without email I'm sorry but I'll for sure write! I'm so thankful for all you do for me! YOU'RE SO GREAT! I love and miss you so much! I'll keep doing my best! Talk to you next week!

Love Elder Nielsen!"

Vocabulary:

Eikaiwa = school for English conversation

Michi no eki = roadside station

Sanshin = Okinawan traditional three-stringed instrument

Biwa = Japanese loquat

Loquat = evergreen tree of warm regions having fuzzy yellow olive-sized fruit with a large free stone; native to China and Japan; yellow olive-sized semitropical fruit with a large free stone and relatively little flesh; used for jellies

Gyoza = Japanese crescent-shaped pan-fried dumplings stuffed with minced pork and vegetables

Harumaki = spring roll

Genki = brimming with vitality, full of vigor, full of life