AUGUST PICTURES

Well its 630am here, and I am currently in a members basement emailing. Why you ask? Because 1. there are 11 missionaries in this area, which meant we all have to email on 1 computer at the church, so we got permission from the Prez to find some new options 2. This member has 2 computers so we can both email at the same time 3. This member is up at 5am and said we could come from 6 on, and Elder Stouts emails are apparently SO interesting that he cant concentrate all day, thinking about what people could have sent him. So Im here, looking at in Inbox with only 1 email in it, since Im pretty sure most of my family sends theirs on Sunday evening, which will be in a few hours... This week was pretty ordinary, Friday we had a Zone Training Meeting, all 22 members of the zone we look over, along with the APs and the President and his wife assembled here Friday morning, I ran the thing, we and the APs had workshops, it all went smooth. Wednesday we decided to work in the next town over, which is an hour by bike, so it doesnt get hit much. We ended up having a really succesful day, had a few lessons and a bunch of return appointments. When we left the apt it was blue skies so I decided to not lug any rain gear. We get out there and get going around, everyone tells us its going to rain. It does get a little cloudy, but nothing serious. After a few hours we stop to take a break, I go into the bathroom in a gas station and when I walk out its pouring. Luckily the gas station was selling crappy plastic rain ponchos, I had no other choice. Elder Stout happened to have a little old umbrella and just went with that. He looked like some kind of monkey, riding his bike while trying to keep huddled under this umbrella, Im sweating in this poncho that doesnt let any air in, and guess what? % mins later the rain stops! Mother Nature is a champ. Well that was pretty much the week, I hope yours was just as fine. Have another good one! Elder Andrew Kade Jones

Well, Im a week into this transfer, here in flat, muggy Obihiro. This is quite a change, as my last 2 areas were famous for their hills, and were on the coast with a nice breeze allways blowing. Whoe doesnt love weather in the 90s and 99% humidity? And of course theres the 24/7 sweat. We get up and run, come back dripping. You shower, clean up, then sit at a desk for 3 hrs and still perspire. Then you go out and bike around all day and come home disgusting. Then you lay down on your futon and sweat yourself to sleep. I am looking forward to fall! Not much happened this week. We had a Mission Leader Conference in Sapporo, we all met up with the other Zone Leaders and discussed business for several hours. The only lame thing is we are the farthest away, and had to come the night before, which meant we missed the once a year fireworks show here, which people come from all over for (its apparently the 2nd biggest in Japan). Oh the life of a ZL. We did get to experience the hospital this week. Elder Stouts had a nice ingrown toenail for a while and finally decided to get it taken care of. We got to wait 3 hrs for a 5 min procedure, and it cost us $280. Whoopee! We considered trying to contact people, but people were coming in and out and anyone that looked like we could have talked to seemed not quite in the mood to talk about God. So we kept ourselves entertained by looking at kids picture books. One was about learning how to use the toilet. This little boy goes on an adventure learning how different animals poop, and he finally gets to use Mr. Toilet. He gives a few pushes and does agreat job. Then its "bye bye Mr. Poop!" and down the drain he goes! I think people were a little concerned about the 2 white kids crying laughing reading a kids book in the waiting room. At one point a nurse comes to get Elder Stouts temperature, tall him to put a thermometer in his armpit. I ask if he can do it anally, since it gets a better reading. She looks at us totally straight faced and goes "well yes we could do it that way too..." Elder Stout went for the armpit. Would have made for a much better story! Well thats been about it, hopefully this next week will be a little more interesting. Take it easy! Elder Andrew Kade Jones

Well ladies and guys, I was figuring I would not have much news after this transfer, but the big surprise is I transfered! Even more surprising, Elder Kina and I both transfered! Yep, 2 missionaries new to the area came in, we call that whitewashing. So ive been calling them alot and passing on as much info as I can about the people we were teaching and places we were focusing and all. Well, I got moved over to an area closer to the middle of the island, a fairly decent sized city called Obihiro, with a new ZL companion, Elder Stout. He is kind of from all over the place but pretty much from Utah, though he claims he is from Oklahoma since he lived there for a year before the mission, taking care of his uncles goat farm. Apparently he loved it, was very fond of his goats and enjoyed the OK country, and I think he plans to go back there and keep it up when he gets home, as an Olahoman Goat farmer. He is a fun kid, and the other 2 guys in our apt are Japanese and pretty chill, so it should be interesting. Well, thats pretty much about it. Ill let you know how things get along here. Elder Andrew Kade Jones

Well not much happened this week, and I filled you in on all of the cool stuff last week. Tomorrow we get our transfer call, this was my first transfer here in Abashiri and Elder Kinas 2nd, so it wouldnt be likely for either of us to leave allready but you never know. This transfer went way fast, I guess its from us being so busy. Yeah not much happened this week other than the usual finding. I think I told you about the Mongolians last week... Mom Dad and 5 yr old boy, the Mom is here studying at the college... yeah so the Mom who speaks Japanese is back in Mongolia for a month and a half. Saturday we had a lesson with the dad, Ill call him Tegshi. We met him at the church and did a tour (well, we showed him the one little room that we do everything in) and watched a 20 min DVD about the Restoration of the Church, not sure how much he understood but he seemed to really like it, asked if he could borrow it to watch at home. We also gave him a Book of Mormon, taught him how to pray, and invited him to church. He mentioned he was having troubles with his computer, we told him we would come by and help him out. We go to his apartment a few hours later. When we walk in he hands me the Restoration DVD back, "I though you wanted to watch it again?" I ask. "Yeah, Ive allready watched it another 2 times" he says. "This story is the same as this one right?" he asks, indicating the Testimony of Joseph Smith concerning the angel Moroni and the plates in the beginning of the Book of Mormon. "Yep, same guy, same story". "Great, thanks." He came to chruch the next day with his son, really seemed to like it, asked if he could come the next week. Yes, come every week! So he should be interesting from here. language barrier is still... well, a barrier, but I think he at least gets we care about him. Yeah, so that was about it this week. We`ll see if Im still here next week! Elder Andrew Kade Jones