Week 59- 11/14/16 I'm Scared of Winter

WOAH HEY EVERYBODY IS IT MONDAY AGAIN?! Well by golly it is. Nagaoka has been a bit of a crazy time right now. We worked way hard this week and everybody is freaking about the presidential election. I honestly think it's hilarious. 

Here's the run down. I already told you about last Monday. Tuesday we biked freaking far in a winter rain storm to check out this college we want to tutor English at. We get there, pushing up a mountain and the wind for like an hour, and our hands are nearly frozen off. We talk to a few people and one guy leads us to the office. Bad idea. The office people were easily the rudest people I ever met here. They wouldn't let us talk. One person lied to the director that we wanted to start a Christian class when all we wanted to do is attend the English club they said they don't have. But I know they DO. So we biked home. 

Wednesday. We cut up stamps so they can turn them into money to give to people with no money. Made lots of old lady friends. They were way surprised to see us. Also, it started snowing on Tuesday but none of it stuck. The weather continued into Wednesday, which was more snow, then rain, then hail. November in Nagaoka is just crazy. Everybody here is gearing up for the snow. Construction crews are everywhere prepping roads and tying trees up. Elder McIlrath and I feel like winter is going to be big. I also found out trump is president on this day. Everybody keeps asking us how we feel but honestly can't say. I don't know anything, and political Japanese is hard.

Thursday we had service, then the traveling assistants came up so we worked with them. Friday was spent working with them as well. We found three new investigators this week. Had a good time. We ended our splits with ping pong. 

Sunday was full of meetings. That's pretty much my week. Hopefully everyone is good. Have fun in America or wherever you are. Just know that people here care way more about the election than most Americans do. They track it and advertise for it like it's a huge UFC event, then have sports commentaries on all the debates. Most people just want to talk to us to here our political preference. Have a good week!

Pocky Day

Pocky Day

Week 58- 11/7/16 Super Trainer

Well hello family and friends. This week kind of a weird week for me. I got to be trainer to two missionaries instead of one, and I much rather prefer one. The other trainee's trainer had to go up to Tokyo to handle some stuff about a bike so I babysat for most of this week.

Monday was a day. We spent our time biking around and ended making friends with a guy who owns a recycle shop. He goes to America once very now and then and picks up a ton of used clothing from Deseret Industries and Salvation Army, then comes back here to sell it. He runs an antique clothing store. Pretty cool dude.

Tuesday is when the other Elder came up. We had an extra bike for him but he's not very tall so we ended up just walking everywhere. It rained every other day this week. People keep saying that rainy season is over but every time a new month hits they say "oh it's another rainy season now." Sounds to me like Japan has a year long rainy season. 

Wednesday and Thursday were spent walking around in the rain. We went up to Niigata Thursday evening for a zone conference  and splits on friday. There was a lightning storm going on so they stopped the train for a good while. 

Friday was spent walking around even more because I was on splits with Elder Kakegawa the zone leader. I've known him for my entire mission so we had a fun time. We ended our splits with a ping-pong party. The rest of the week was just doing the things we needed to do like weekly planning and such.I also learned that my investigator in Abiko named Hiroki was baptized on Saturday, so that's another one under my belt! We did drop by a few investigators houses to set up appointments and we will be meeting them this week hopefully. Then today we had a picnic in a park about an hour away by car with some members and an investigator. It was pretty fun and I got pictures. Hope you all have a good week!

Week 57- 10/31/2016 There And Back Again

Hello again everybody. This has been one crazy week. Life as a trainer

has left me tired, and being the oldest missionary in the area has

really been an interesting experience. I'll fill you in on what

happened for the first 4 days of the week.

I went to Tokyo again hence the email title. I've ridden the Niigata

bus more times then any missionary ever I think. I haven't been in the

area on a Tuesday yet either. Tomorrow is a first for me. To make

things easier for you, we went to Tokyo and slept in the Honbu gym

with all the new missionaries. I don't remember being that wide-eyed

when I got here, but I sure was as tired as they were. But my sleeping

was interrupted because out of the 20 something elders in this room, 4

of them snored enough to simulate an army of lumberjacks. Wednesday I

woke up, got my trainee, ate some enchiladas, then went home (kind

of). We had to stay the night in Niigata area.

Thursday we got home. Really this week has just been full of doing

things for my trainee. His name is Elder McIlrath. Japanese people

can't say his name. He's a pretty cool guy and I'm looking forward to

working with him. He's from Kayesville, Utah and served in the National

Gaurd before he left.

I realized yesterday that if people want the missionaries to do

something, they come to me now. That's a little frightening because I

can't make decisions for anybody besides my companionship. But I

realized this week how much Japanese I actually do know. I know a lot.

I can have any conversation I want. Just a little exciting feeling.

I've finally reached a level of fluency, I just need to work on my

reading.

I honestly don't have much to talk about but here's some pictures!

Guitar Class

The branch Halloween party

The branch Halloween party

The branch Halloween party

Week 56- 10/24/16 Livin la Vida Nagaoka

Well hello again Mina. As some of the more perceptive may have mentioned, six weeks have passed. And we all know what that means. Yes Elder Moore is now transfer nine. Oh and also TRANSFER CALLS. Now some of you may be thinking "how could this transfer call have anything interesting, he just transferred?" And I must say you're right, I did just transfer. But as is my tradition I'll wait until the end to share the details.

So this week was a very special week in the Tokyo mission. Elder Bednar came and we got to have him talk with (emphasis on with) us for a few hours. You know what they say about learning at the feet of the Lords chosen? Well I was literally there. Because we had to leave a day early for the conference due to the fact we live clear across the Kanto plains, we were there first and got the best seats in the house. Right in the front. I learned so much. The spirit was there and it was just a continuos stream of revelation. One of the biggest points was we have our agency, so use it. We are agents to act, not objects to be acted upon. Pretty much gave me a new motto for my life.

We got to ride a bus for a while as well. More nostalgia came back from my temple trip days and it was quite he experience. I would say that we had time to actually work in our area but nope, after we got back we headed on drown to joetsu for splits. An interesting fact about Joetsu, because there's only 4 active members the two elders there also contact women on the street. That was a very weird experience.

I had to give the Gospel principles lesson on the plan of salvation. I'm much better in a one-on-one teaching environment for sure. I also didn't have much time to plan as well so it was very bara-bara in my opinion, but everybody seemed to enjoy it. 

It's been getting colder here in nagaoka. This week there's a low of 35 degrees and yesterday was a high of 50. It usually starts snowing in November so we'll see how that goes. 

Now as you've all patiently waited here's the news for this transfer. After two weeks in nagaoka, Elder Moore is................

Staying.

However, my companion is transferring to Shibuya, and is training. That means my new companion is................

I actually don't know yet.

BECAUSE IM TRAINING AS WELL! I'll go pick him up from the Honbu on Wednesday. I finished up Elder Titels last few weeks of training, and will be starting with a fresh off the plane green bean. I'm very excited, especially since winter is coming soon. 

Anyways that's all I've got for you. Net time I email you I'll be a fresh mission-dad

coming back from Tokyo

Niigata zone elders slumber party before Bednar conference

Niigata zone p day

tried to take a selfie but the sun was in the way

Week 55- 10/17/16 Livin' In Nagaoka

Hello family and others! Coming at you from the winter wonderland of

Nagaoka. Actually it's not quite winter yet but it is significantly

colder than anywhere else. I have to wear sweaters and stuff. There

are a few good things about living here though. Number 1, I get a real

bed and a real mattress. After a year of sleeping on the floor that's

pretty nice. Number 2, I get to actually dry my clothes in a dryer

instead of leaving them outside to dry. The downside is I have one of

the biggest areas in the mission, again. But we never leave the city

because anything outside is just mountain or field.

This week was jam packed. Mostly because I spent the first 3 days

preparing and in transit. I miss Abiko, and feel cheated that I could

only spend 4 weeks there but the Lord needs me here for a season, and

it looks like that season is winter. I'm finishing the training of a

new missionary so I get to be a trainer for like a week. Pretty

stressful job.

Other than that, I've just been doing the thing missionaries do. We

had a really good lesson with an investigator named Koki. The

missionaries found him while trying to cost a less active. They go to

said less actives house, knock, and it turns out that he moved and

Koki lived there now and has interest. We taught him the Restoration.

Before he was saying that he really wanted to know how we're different

from Protestantism and which church was really true. He committed to

pray about the Book of Mormon after he reads it. Pretty cool guy!

Right now I'm typing this on a train to Niigata, the Zone Leaders

zone. On Tuesday we get to listen to Elder Bednar speak to us and

because we're in the farthest zone in our mission we have to go down a

day early. Everybody gathers together and takes one long bus ride.

While I'm on the topic of Elder Bednar, he gave a really great

devotional last night. Probably one of the best on my mission/life. He

and others spoke a lot about joy and how it's a gift off the spirit.

In order to receive joy from the gospel, we need to do the things

we're supposed to be doing. But we shouldn't be turning it into a

large list and checking things off. That's not the point of the

gospel. We do the things we do in order to have the Holy Ghost in our

lives. We pray to receive the Holy Ghost. We read scriptures to

understand how the Holy Ghost speaks to us. We go to church meetings

to feel the Holy Ghost. Once the Holy Ghost is in our lives, joy flows

naturally. I also learned that when we feel doubt and look for flaws

in the church, it's not the church's fault. When you stop believing,

it's not because the church isn't true, it's because you weren't true

to the church. All in all, I learned a lot from Elder Bednar.

Well it's been one crazy week and I don't have many pictures for you,

but the email was extra long this week so I hope that makes up for it.

Have a nice week!

guitar class

Hopping on the bus. Brings back memories.

Week 54- 10/10/2016 Some More Unexpected News

As you may be intrigued by my title, I'm sure you are all dying to

know what's going on. Well just wait a minute. I'm pretty tired today

so sorry if this email is lack luster

This week was a busy one. We had meeting after meeting. We started it

by going to the temple on Tuesday, then on Wednesday we taught Hiroki

the Plan of Salvation and he loved it. He said it all makes perfect

sense. The next few days starts interviews and zone meetings.

President said that I might be training in the future and it will more

than likely happen. Then we had zone meeting and got lectured on all

the rules because a lot off newbies came and keep flirting and being

dumb. We also had a tempura dinner with our investigator Kenji and he

said he'll be going to Peru to join his family. Sad stuff.

The rest of the week was general conference. To be honest my favorite

was Elder Yamashitas talk because 1. I'm biased. 2. I met him a few

months ago. We also get to meet Elder Bednar in a week!

So at the end of conference we have dinner and go home. This is the

unexpected news. I'm sitting at my desk reading and the phone rings.

We're getting a call from an assistant to the president on a Sunday

night which means bad news. Turns out that after 4 weeks of being in

Abiko, I'm being transferred again to Nagaoka area in Niigata zone.

One of the coldest areas in Japan. The snow fall in this area rivals

that of northern Japan and people have to build doors on the second

stories of their houses. Guess who gets to go for the winter. This

elder does. I'm pretty bummed about leaving Abiko after such a short

time. But President Naganos words came to pass because I'm finishing

up the training of a new elder. So I am a trainer. For like 2 weeks.

My new companion is named Elder Titel.

Hope you enjoyed the suspense. Next time you here from me, I'll be in Nagaoka!

Week 53- 10/3/16 I Got One!

Hello family. Let it be known you heard it first here because this

past week was a very special (and weird) week. I have officially lived

long enough to see one of my investigators baptized. THATS RIGHT FOLKS

ELDER MOORE'S BAPTISM COUNT HAS SHOT UP TO 1! I'm now on level with the

average missionary in the Tokyo Japan mission. Shuma from Kiryu got

baptized this past Sunday. I was going to go and attend but something

came up and decided not to go. I'll talk about it later. But I'm so

stoked!!! By the end of this transfer we're looking at one more

baptism as well.

As to why this week was weird, things just kept happening and or

falling into our laps. First I'll tell you why I wasn't able to go to

Kiryu. One of our investigators families just straight up left for

Peru and aren't coming back. They left they're home, dogs, and him. So

we went over on Sunday to see if he was alright and if we can help.

Kind of sad I couldn't go to the baptism but hey, another person

needed me.

We also found three new investigators this week, a personal record.

Remember that Japanese kid that trashed us in basketball? Well he had

interest and now we meet with him. And while we were playing him

another kid walked up and joined and we got his number. Then at

scripture study class we got another investigator, and at church some

guy walked in and became a new investigator as well. Abiko is on fire

right now and we are in the center of it.

One fun story for this week, we met a man and taught him the

restoration. He seemed into it but hen started saying how it's

impossible for us to be the same family (Gods children) because white

people come from Japheth, and Asians come from Ham, despite there

father (Noah) being the same guy. He also got mad when he learned

that Christ appeared to America and not Japan (as far as we know)

because America only has 200 years as a country and Japan is old. Then

he denied the reality of the Book of Mormon by saying there's no such

thing as branches of Israel anywhere else except Israel and Japan. By

the end of the lesson he was lecturing us on how the big 9.0

earthquake a few years back was not actually a disaster but a terror

attack by Israel and America. The whole time our investigator Hiroki

was sitting in because we were already teaching him and he's just

watching with a look of bliss on his face. We were afraid this guy

would put some wrong idea in his head but after Hiroki was like "that

guy was crazy, it was like a movie, I can't wait to be a missionary."

He'll be baptized for sure. He has a date in 2 1/2 weeks. Long story

short, main stream Christianity in Japan is more confusing than

Americas. He let saying that the Book of Mormon is evil, but I still

got him to take it and read it.

Well that's about it from me. Don't spoil conference for me. We get it

a week later here.

I am the happiest Elder ever.

Shuma's baptism!

Playing hide'n'seek but you have to stay within sight and

sound of your companion

Elder Swenson broke the chair

This is a good half way picture

A turtle we found. Named him Homer.