Not much to talk about.  I was on the bus through Japan and spent a lot of time packing.  It snowed really bad in Niigata but now it is perfect weather here in Kisarazu.  In just the past few days my Japanese has improved a lot because I have no choice, since I am training - haha.  I have to.  My trainee, Elder Larm from Utah, only knows MTC Japanese which is a different language - haha.  He's 18 and young. Its funny seeing where I was 3 months ago - haha.  So I'm helping him and trying to focus on teaching him to focus on the Spirit and not Japanese because the Japanese will come.  Yesterday I gave my first blessing.  I did it in English for the anointing and a ward member blessed her.  It was the most amazing thing hearing it in Japaense.  Sounds so powerful and he was using super polite and humble Japanese that I couldn't make out.  SO amazing.  I taught home teaching for the first time and the same brother that did the blessing was with me.  He told the recent convert that she needs to build the spirit for herself.  The missionaries have it and that's how she could feel it so much before she was baptized.  Then he went on and on about how I had the Spirit and I just felt warm and privileged inside because the Japanese people look up to us so much because pretty much everyone is a convert. 

 

I blessed the sacrament in Japanese for the first time yesterday and that was cool.  I felt awesome.  In Sanjo a member almost cried when I left and I did haha.  I also said bye to I- our investigator.  The apartment I'm in now is tiny and we are crammed but I'm slowly becoming less stressed. 

 

Training comes with so much responsibility and I'm doing my best.  We whitewashed in too so we have no one and are starting from 0.  We can do it though.  We are a new area.  I love you all.  So cool that it snowed.  Thanks for your emails guys. I read them all and feel your love so much.  More next week, I love you!!!!!!

 

Love,

Elder Proctor

Elder Larm and Me - Getting set up in Kisarazu

Departing Sanjo - 2 great ward members They are sad that I am going I guess - lol

"Mary Had a Little Lamb, Little Lamb, Little, Lamb"

 

 

So first ill tell you about transfers.  Its pretty crazy.  I'm going as far south as possible.  To Kisarazu, Japan. (Click on Link to see where I am serving in Japan) That's not the crazy part though.  I'm training a brand new missionary.  Wow was that a shock to hear.  I'm going to a new area, with a new trainee.  Whitewash training.  That's not the craziest though.  I was setting my goals for next transfer this morning and I was a bout to be done.  I was about to pray but then I felt like I should make a goal to be a leader and live up to my potential.  Right as I wrote that the phone rang and they told me I would be training in a new area.  That goal was definitely guided by the Spirit.  All my other goals were about faith and diligence too so it all lumped into exactly what I needed.  I'm not going to lie, I'm super nervous, I can do all the gospel stuff, teach 12 week and I know what we are supposed to do, there is just the huge Japanese thing.  I literally have to be the one to lead. I have a chance to get a Nihonjin (Japanese) companion though.  But if I don't, its up to me.  I know that ill get help though.  Heavenly Father doesn't just leave us out there on our own.  Its going to be a crazy week moving 7 hours away through Japan but ill be settled next P-day.

 

I split with a 1st transfer missionary this week and we saw a cool miracle.  We were going to ride bikes but I felt like we shouldn't because it was dangerous so we didn't, then we were going to visit someone but I felt like we shouldn't because it wasn't effective so we didn't.  So we ended up walking past the church and the lights were on.  We walked in to turn them off and then a former investigator wandered into the church.  We talked to him and now the other elders are teaching him tomorrow.  Definitely always follow the Spirits promptings - - Always.  Also when we housed this lady we talked to her for like 10 minutes then I testified about families because she said no.  The trainee I was with said he felt the Spirit.  The lady ended up saying she has read the Seisho (bible) and hopefully she will develop interest.

 

At church yesterday I said my goodbyes.  One lady when we were taking a picture of all the missionaries she cried.  Sister T -  is her name.  They love the missionaries because that's where all of them came from gospel-wise.  No family.  Also, T- said I love you to me in English.  That ripped my heart.  We went to his house again on Pday last week and he showed us his Japanese swords.  then we looked at motorcycles with him at a store haha.  So yea ill miss him.  So cool because all the members were proud because I could finally talk to them after 2 transfers and they could learn who I was.  I lived in Sanjo Japan for almost 3 months.  Crazy.

 

I have pictures but I forgot the cord to send to the computer. sorry!  I'll send them next week.  I love you all!!  Also on splits this week I played blind soccer?!?!  These blind kids were awesome.  It was so hard.  They were so happy and it really made them feel good.  Then there was a legit adult practice after.  All of us wore blindfolds.  It was the weirdest thing ever playing blind soccer with Japanese men who weren't blind haha.  ill send pictures. People call me protector chourou sometimes by the way haha so funny.  I love you all.  Wish me luck and pray.  Its going to be a crazy week and I have to be a trainer now so I definitely will need the help of prayer.  Can't do this alone.  I love you!!!!!!!!!

 

Sincerely,

 

プロクター長老 (Elder Proctor)

Hey everyone!!  So we went to the all you can eat again.  Had a cool experience.  I was at the ice cream dispense thing and two little Japanese girls turned to me and were about to try it. 3 and 5 years old it looked like.  She tried but then turned to me and said, "tasukete kudasai"  that means "please help me".  I almost died because it was soo cute and I understood things immediately,  haha.  I told her "mochiron" which means "of course" and it was just awesome,  haha so adorable.  We had another week of finding, haha.  We were getting pretty anxious honestly.  So Thursday we fasted.  We went all day through the snow hail and rain looking house to house and couldn't find anyone interested.  We weren't going to eat until we found someone.  Right before we got home, we were going back to grab something not to eat, we found a guy on the bridge.  It was funny because it was like our last ditch effort.  My companion yelled stop! haha.  He wanted to learn about families and we got his number and are trying to get another appointment with him. Heavenly Father really does answer our prayers and fasting is amazing.   It was so cool.  So the snow here is ridiculously taihen (dreadful).  We trudge through the snow so we are super slow.  We are doing our best though, haha.  probably walk through the snow for 5 hours everyday, haha.  My talk went great at sacrament meeting Sunday.  I had my back up in Japanese but didn't have to read it:)  I gave it from the heart and it went great.  My ward for the first time seemed like they trusted me, haha.  So good to see that.  I testified to them about how I would always remember them.  Next Monday are transfers and I might be gone because I've been here for 2 transfers.  Who knows though.  I love them a lot.  Afterwards I talked to them and they were really happy with how I've progressed because they saw me when I first got here, haha.  Heavenly Father answers prayers and I can tell you without a doubt that by diligence, all blessings will come.  It'll be fun to give part of my talk in Japanese to you when I get back.  I love you all.  Have a good week!!!!!

 

Love,

Elder Mason Proctor

 

 

 

Here we go.  We had deep cleaning day.  Absolutely gross but got it done and feel better now, haha.  The Nihonjin (Japanese) in our apartment gave me the mask, you know, the ones that Japanese people wear and I wore it all day, haha.  Kind of funny how the mask thing is normal to me now.  The Book of Mormon read day was amazing.  I truly felt like I was in the book.  I only got through second Nephi because I was marking it up the whole time. It was so amazing though.  Just reading so much at once made it make so much more sense.  I can see how the whole purpose of it is to testify of Christ. Just like the New Testament of the Bible.  I love it.  Its true.  True as in it really is God's word for us.  It is.  No doubt about it.  Read it everyday please.  I want you to learn the same things.  We tried teaching this guy named K--.  I put the Kanji because it was the first time I read the kanji on the door and it was right:)  K--.  But he is super old and speaks in old man Japanese so its pretty much impossible to understand, haha.  We get our message across though.  I-- has pneumonia so didn't get to teach him.  When we housed this week two people gave us food, haha.  Nihonjin are so nice.   They tell us no but give us food, haha.   

I had a sweet experience at church yesterday.  My talk is next week by the way.  Anyways, so during sacrament under my breath I just translate.  Its something my trainer taught me because I realized that if I don't do that, then I hear the words in Nihongo (Japanese)  but I don't focus on the meaning.  So I was translating and then I felt the Spirit super strongly.  I translated a lady's testimony pretty much 100%.  I felt happy and warmth because I realized that because of Heavenly Father I was translating for His children.  It was an awesome experience to see where I've gotten to.  We get Ipads the beginning of February.  Wooh!  Oh yea, a pipe burst in the church so the carpet is soaked and we have to wipe it up every other day till its fixed.  It literally had puddles everywhere.  We joked to dam it up and build a baptismal font, haha.  I love you all so much.  Nihongo is improving but the more I learn the more I realize I don't know, haha.  I'm doing a lot better though and I actually can communicate with the members.  Nice to see them trust me more.   My parents are yasashii is what everyone says.  That means "nice", haha  they see all the stuff I get and how you give them stuff, haha.  I love you all.  Happy New Year!

 

Love

Elder Mason Proctor

 

New Years Cleaning ---- a Japanese Tradition!

Service with a Smile - Pipe burst in the Church :(

I enjoyed Skyping with y'all on Christmas Day but it was rough because right after my Skype session I had to tough it out for a bit because our main investigator, I-- was in the church.  He made us bread.  He is progressing well.  We found an investigator housing last week.  Visiting him tomorrow.  Found a couple streeting too.  So the day after Skype it snowed!  Sanjo is covered in snow now.  I'm not going to lie, its a pain haha.  We literally trudge through the snow for about 5 hours a day at least.  I get home everyday wiped out.  Wake up, then do it again,  haha.  I'm getting muki muki though,  haha.  That means like strong/ripped I guess, haha :P,   Tomorrow is cleaning day for the mission.  All day cleaning up an apartment that has been lived in by hundreds of elders....wish me luck and pray, haha.  On Wednesday we have a whole Book of Mormon read day.  All day we are staying inside as a mission to just read the Book of Mormon.  All of us are going to learn about Christ and renew our testimonies for the new year.  I'm excited to just read.  Its going to be great.

Funny story.  Yesterday on the way back from church, we saw a 10 year old shoveling his snow.  We all 4 stopped and he let us help him.  We shoveled for about an hour.  I broke one of their shovels?!  oops, haha but anyways, I was laughing because of his story to his parents.  They won't believe him.  "Mom, I didn't do it, a Texan, a Hawaiian, a Canadian, and one Japanese guy came and shoveled the snow.  Quit lying.  No its the truth!"  I thought that was so funny.  He's coming to children's Eikaiwa (English Class) hopefully and T--.  Missionary work is pretty much the same, trudge in the snow all day, talk to people and service.  I have my talk in 2 weeks.  I'm done with English just have to continue the practicing in Japanese.  I'm planning on doing it with just English notes.  I'm going to make a Japanese back up just in case. I miss and love you all so much!  I truly do have the best family in the world.  Happy New Year.  I will be in 2014 before you,  haha.  Japan is one of the first to see it.   Yoitochio I think is happy new year.  Something like that, haha 

 

Love,

プロクター長老