Elder Ryler's Mission Blog: June 26 Email, pix and a visit to Okinawa!!

Thanks so much for the emails and letters and cards and everything. It must be hard to take care of 2 missionary boys now huh!

Well yeah they have Costco in Fukuoka but it is super expensive and yeah both American and Japanese food is sold.

I’m glad that the Utah [mountains] are so green! I LOVE GREEN!

Nobuhara is actually the Fukuoka Elder’s investigator now and they haven’t been able to meet with him recently so I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Also the woman on Okinawa called the elders and said that she wasn’t going to hear the lessons for a while so I don’t know what is going to happen for sure.

We really need to get things picking up a little bit more. It has been a kind of slow month for the mission. I know that there are people out there waiting for us!

That is so crazy that Parker is already done with the MTC!!! And he is in ITALY!!!! SWEET!

That is cool that they let him call home and sent you an email! His Pres. said some great things about Park!

Well this week has been AWESOME!!!!!!!!

On Monday we flew down to OKINAWA!!!!! This was probably the last time I get to go there on my mission! It was really fun! I also got to drive just Inaba Choro and me as we went around and did junkais!!! We drove from Chibana over to Chatan and I dropped off a package for Brother Johnson to mail to you so hopefully that will arrive safely. Then we grabbed dinner at Fabs and after we ate we did some streeting on the sea wall as the sun set. We took a lot of pix too. [As] we were talking to one guy I felt someone tap my arm so I turned around and it was my 12th grade AP English teacher Ms. Lund!!! She remembered and was happy to see me. That was way fun. Then we went down to Naha and stayed there.

Then we had Zone Conference and it went very well and was very spiritual. At all the ZCs President Iwaasa has been saying goodbye to everyone but his testimony this time was great!!!! I can’t believe that he leaves this Thursday! President Margetts arrives on Wednesday! Then we’re going to go around the whole mission again to do interviews. That will be fun! So after ZC I junkaied with Elder Mock! He is so good and working really hard! We found a really nice family and I’m excited to see them come to Church and stuff. At the door we talked and the two kids came out and so I talked to them and they told how they learned about Jean d'arc (Joan of Arc) at school and how she died for Christ or something. But it was fun. Also Elder Ulrich who lives in Ogden gave me mulah and I bought him a sanshin while down there! So I’m planning on playing it at the farewell party for President at FHE!!

Then the next day we went up to Futenma to junkai with Elders Hodgson and Tokuzawa! We had a great time. Elder Hodgson and I went and visited a whole bunch of LAs then Tokuzawa Choro and went down to Urasoe and taught Eikaiwa! It was really fun! I also asked them how to make Somen Champuru and I got a really good recipe and so I made it for breakfast when we got back to Fukuoka!

So the next morning we drove over to Kadena and Yomitan and we were listening to You Raise me Up and I got a little teary eyed! Thinking about the mission and the island! I was so grateful that Heavenly Father let me serve and work in this mission and I'm going to do my very best till the end! So then we stopped at Toguchi beach and took some pictures and then we visited Tina really quick and gave her a card. Then we dropped the car off at the Andersen’s (Sister Andersen told me to tell you that I’m her boy too, lol) then Elder Andersen took us to the base and I bought a new white shirt and we got some O club good foods!! Then he took us to the airport. Then we said sayonara to Okinawa (only for a while though I hope). The view from the plane was beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I MEAN WOW!!!!!!!

Then we got back home and rested a bit.

That was pretty much our week except yesterday we had a sports activity and only 6 people showed up including us (Kohei kun (he is the 11 year old recent convert) couldn’t go [so] we left a little early and streeted the way home. We found an awesome guy who was like I’m so interested in you guys!! He is (by himself now) working on improving himself and doing good things and we’re so excited to teach him!

So things are going great! I’m really feeling the Lords help and love! I also am really excited to see you really soon and go to BYU etc...but at the same time I’m sad that I won’t be a full time missionary anymore! That hasn’t really hit me yet so I’ll do my best until the end and try not to think about meeting you so soon!

Well I hope you have a great week! Ill talk to you next week!

This week scripture: 2 Ne. 5: 6 FAMILIES!!!!!!
We’re really spread out us four but we’re eternally sealed!!!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Love Elder Nielsen! (RYLER) lol