January 26th - final transfer

Well, my first few days out of the mission office, and the beginning of my last transfer! It has not quite hit me yet that this is the end, and lets hope it stays that way for a while... Well Monday through Wednesday night was just prepping for the transfer, everything went fairly smooth. Thursday the transfer spot, which is normally at the Sapporo train station, was at a locaｌ church again, so everyone could practice for the upcoming concert. I had to go pick up the 100 boxed lunches for everyone, but since we wouldn`t be participating in the actual concert we didn't need to be there, and I`m not about to have my last meal in Sapporo be a boxed lunch! So I got together with my new companion, Elder Nielsen, and we took 2 other guys with us and went to eat at the really good burger place right next to the office that I frequented. Had another delicious burger, said good-bye, the cute waitress girl that might have a thing for me was really sad, told me to come back whenever I get the chance (sorry babe, but if I come back it will be for the Burgers!). Then the 2 of us headed off to the bus station and caught the 6 hour bus to Kitami. Ok, so this is where things got cool. So we get in Thursday night, and start planning for Friday. President Evans has talked about how missionaries should try leaving the apartment in the morning (we normally leave at 12) to catch people going to work and all, so I decide we will try to leave at 10am. I ask where he wants to tract that afternoon, and he picks a place. We look through old records and find a guy who lives in that area, Terasaki san, and we write down his info. Done Deal. Next morning we leave and street (contacting people as we walk) down to the bus station to grab a schedule, and then leave to head back. As we are walking out of the bus station, there is a guy coming towards us, but I figure he probably has a bus to catch and so I think to leave him, but Elder Nielsen ends up stopping the guy. So we start talking, he instantly recognizes us, says he met with the missionaries a few months ago. We talk about what he remembers from them and all. At one point I tell him our names and ask for his. `Terasaki` he says....`Wait, do you live here?` I ask and point to his address in my planner. `No, I moved a few months ago to the next town over`. `Really? Ok, well what are you doing in Kitami?` I ask. `I was visiting my dad today, he is in the hospital. I`m about to take the bus home right now`. WHAT! `Ok, we would love to call you and talk, maybe meet sometime. Is this your phone number?` `No, I got a new number. Here I`ll give it to you.`....WHAT!?! We were both blown away. If we wouldn`t have left early we could not have met him, and if we wouldn`t have picked that place to work that afternoon we would not have had his info on us. It was crazy! Other than that things have been normal, really good but normal, just cranking out. It is way cold in Kitami, much more than Sapporo. Elder Nielsen is pretty chill, he is on his 4th transfer an I am his 3rd companion here in Kitami. Should be a good last few weeks. Hope you all are doing swell! Elder Andrew Kade Jones.