花火 (Fireworks) (July 31, 2011)

Good evening!!

Well we had a pretty crazy week here in Ogaki but it was fun. Well first off this time of year in Japan is very interesting. It is the time of fireworks and festivals so it is fun. So the other day we saw fireworks...they were very far away...probably a 50 minute train ride away (so we went to the top of our apartment and watched them) but the funny thing is that is still our area. I have never even been close to that place and there are people that live their in our Branch's boundary. Its crazy but anyway...the fireworks were very pretty even though they were very far away.

This week I had the opportunity to go back to Inuyama...it was very fun. I visited many people that I taught and met with and loved so it was very good. First we visited a recent convert and talked with him for like one hour. He is 20 and wants to go on a mission so that's exciting. Then we visited a lady that is not a member but when I was their I visited her a lot in the hospital and she is doing good. From that we went and visited an investigator that I taught. When I was in Inuyama he was drinking and smoking but come to find out he has stopped. That is very exciting. He expressed worry about stopping coffee but we explained that if you can stop drinking and smoking you can stop drinking coffee and he said he would...he is so close. He is progressing so very slowly but he is progressing. His wife is a member so she helps a lot. I think he will get baptized pretty soon. It was very cool to see him again. It was very fun to go back.

We try to do as many service projects can but this week I think we signed ourselves up for too much. We went over to this members house and we looked at his back yard and it is like a jungle. There are bugs everywhere, mosquitoes, giant frogs, snakes...and much more but we were supposed to clean it up. After about 2 hours we had 8 bags full of weeds and all sorts of who knows what in the bags. It was fun...there is still a lot to do there but it was cool seeing all those animals. After we finished we told the member what we saw and he was like what no we can't take down the forest now...we have a whole ecosystem back there. His wife just starred at him...haha. But I learned something interesting back there. In Japan I usually dont get bitten by mosquitoes right. So during this weeding project I decided not to wear repellent. There were mosquitoes everywhere but I thought I'd be fine. My companion put on the repellent. So after I was fine but the next day I woke up and I realized that I had been bitten about 10 times and that could have been prevented. We need to always remember to wear our repellent even if we think we will be protected we always need to be putting on the armor of God. We can do that by reading the scriptures and praying everyday. Going to the temple regularly would also give a huge boost to your repellent. Don't take the risk like I did even if you think you will be ok...put on the repellent no matter what.

Also another side note is that my companion put on repellent and got bit 40 times...so even if you are wearing repellent don't go to places you shouldn't be going to...even if you are wearing your armor. He would have been bitten alot more if he didn't wear protection but he would have been better off just staying away.

This week at English class we had 6 missionaries there. It was pretty cool. The assistants and the Zone leaders decided to drop by...it was pretty cool except I was the one teaching the englsih class. It went pretty good but I was pretty nervous.

Also this week we had an investigator come to church. He is pretty cool. Yesterday the topic during sacrament meeting was patriatical blessings. It was interesting but to say the least he was a little confused. I told him that he should start preparing for his and he looks at me and was like I have to be member don't I. I smiled and said its not that hard all we have to do is get baptized. Baptism is just a symbol of us keeping God's commandments and in turn we receive a lot of blessings. He said he'd think about it. But I thought it went pretty good. He is a good kid so we will see what happens.


Have a great week

Love
Elder Nelson