New Mission President

Elder Ryler, Sister Iwaasa, Presdient Iwaasa

July 1st marks a milestone for the Japan Fukuoka Mission as they welcome a new Mission President arriving on Wednesday and say sayonara to President Iwaasa and his wife when they depart on Thursday.

Here is the bio on Presdient Iwaasa and his wife that came in the mission call booklet:

David Brian Iwaasa, 57, (Japan Fukuoka Mission); Shibuya Ward, Tokyo Japan Stake; former Sunday School president, seminary teacher and associate director of the Tokyo Key Cities Council, counselor in stake presidencies, bishop high councilor and missionary in the Northern Far East Mission. General Manager and Chief Representative, Canadian Wheat Board. Born in Raymond, Albert, Canada to Toru and Seiko Kinoshita Iwaasa. Married Jane Kadonaga, four children. Sister Iwaasa is a former Primary chorister and ward choir pianist, stake and ward Young Women president, ward Relief Society president and counselor and ward organist. Born in Magrath, Alberta, Canada to Keitaro and Tokiko Kadonaga.

Elder Ryler has grown to love and admire both President and Sister Iwaasa and has truly enjoyed working closely with them as an assistant in the Mission Home the past few months. In his letter last week he said "At all the Zone Conferences President Iwaasa has been saying goodbye to everyone and his testimony this [last] time was great!!!!" And with the recent transfers he said "it has been so cool to see President Iwaasa receive revelation about where each missionary should be!"

Presdient Iwaasa recently sent this email to us: "Sister Iwaasa and I want you to know what a joy it has been to work with Elder Nielsen. He is a ray of sunshine within our mission and is doing a wonderful job of serving the Lord and moving His work forward. We will definitely miss him and his influence. Many thanks for sharing your son with us and the Lord."

Here is the bio on the new mission president and his wife from a Church News article published on March 21, 2009:

Sherman Kay Margetts, 55, and Sherry Ann Blight Margetts, three children, Japan Fukuoka Mission; Mountain View 6th Ward, West Jordan Utah Mountain View Stake. Brother Margetts is a counselor in a bishopric and a former counselor in a stake presidency, high councilor, bishop, ward Young Men president and missionary in the Japan Tokyo Mission. President, SSM Distributing. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Glen Verl and Audrey Colleen Blanchard Margetts. Sister Margetts is a ward Sunday School teacher and a former ward Young Women president and counselor, counselor in a ward Relief Society presidency and ward Young Women adviser. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Gayson William and Bonnie Jean Fleming Blight.

Elder Ryler has told us he is "SO SAD" to say goodbye to his MP but he is really excited to meet and work with President Margetts during the final month of his mission and said when he arrives they will "go around the whole mission again to do interviews. That will be fun!"