Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a great week. So we had a good week. an update on Y***. He has been investigating for two years and we has been now emotional-crying pretty much every lesson. Yesterday we taught him about the sacrament and he once again, got choked up. I told him how thankful I am to be able to teach someone like him who has so much faith and loves God so much. He really was appreciative too for our work. It means a lot to him that we give two years for something that a lot of people say is impossible to do. It is possible though. I have seen tons of Japanese people who don't know God at all, come closer to Him because of the Scripture and the message of the Restoration. It is true and I know it.

 

Mom asked about Japanese and it is going well. At the beginning of my mission I thought learning and being able to read Kanji was impossible. It is still an unimaginably hard thing to do to understand it all, haha but I can read most of the church kanji so like, reading Gospel Principles and stuff, I can read most of it without a problem. My speaking is fine, the thing I just really want to improve is my listening. That just keeps coming with time though. I really am enjoying the language and I love it. Sorry Hannah, but I will be watching some Japanese TV shows and listening to Japanese music sometimes - haha I have to keep it up somehow :P We ran into our friend A*** again on the street. He is like 23 and his mom died two years ago. His dad has been in the hospital and we just found out his dad died this month. He has no parents. He is positive about it though - but wow was it hard to hear. We are trying to help him and I gave him the plan of salvation pamphlet a long time ago before I even knew about his parents. Pretty cool to see how God guided that. I don't usually hand that out.

We played basketball with the H*** family. We played in their driveway, with a light on and played 21 and knock out. I taught it to them and it was just like when I play with Garrett, Bryce and Landon in the driveway. So cool and made me feel really good. Hopefully we can continue to invite them to things and they will develop an interest. Another cool thing is I started trying to read Jesus the Christ and I am understanding it now! Last year in the MTC I tried and it was hard. But now I am reading and understanding all of it. So cool to see how my spiritual understanding has gone up:))

We also played ultimate Frisbee on turf with a real team this week and made tons of friends and taught them all about prayer. We can go back every week and it is really fun. It is at a college. I love you all so much. You are the greatest family in the world!!!!

Love,
プロクター長老

Good friends in Japan

I am getting to be quite the Japanese Chef

Looking gooooooood.....

Basketball Night

 

It was another great week in Chiba.   It is pretty cold outside here so I had to buy lotion the other day because my hands were cracking so bad.  We went to a huge mall out by the airport in Narita and made plans to do a flash mob in a few weeks. All of the missionaries on the 23rd of December and all the members are doing a flash mob in a huge mall. We got to plan it with the manager:) I felt cool, I'm not gonna lie,  haha - it is going to be really cool though and it probably will go in the Liahona and there is going to be news crews and everything :) Hopefully I am still here when they do it. There is a transfer the week before. Pray for me to stay one more transfer - haha.

I wanted to respond to Avery Champion from our ward. She sent a really cute letter. So. . . I have eaten squid and cartilage and all kinds of raw fish, we speak Japanese here in Japan and there are about 170-180 in our ward - haha those were her questions.

 

Spiritual story this week: we had a random guy we met a while back form Sri Lanka and he came to church for the first time in his life yesterday and he loved it!!!!! So he is doing well. D*** is going to be baptized this week or next week and we also were able to help a lot other people come to Christ.

 

We found a family two days in a row this week. Last night we were riding our bikes and I saw a son and a dad playing basketball. We passed them but then decided to go back. The kid turned out to be super good and the dad was coaching him. Like, this kid is amazing, his dribbling is ridiculous. He is going to destroy all of the Japanese kids - haha but we talked with him. And got an appointment to play basketball with them Tuesday so Yep, found a family! First time to find someone like this. Also, the day before that we found some people that said we could come back this week. FAMILIES!

 

Funny story for the week was our less active friend brought two sticks to play tennis with. He said he couldn't find the racquets so he brought sticks. When he said sticks I was like, maybe he meant a different word and I just don't know it, well, when we got there - sure enough, I did understand and he brought 2 foot-long sticks. Needless to say, we didn't play and planned it for another day - haha Dendo (Missionary Work) is super funny. I love you all so much! Have an amazing week! I love you !

Love,
Elder Proctor

 

 

Hey everyone how is it going?? So I will go ahead and report on my speaking Japanese. I did ok - haha, it was a really busy week and we had to plan a lot of stuff so we broke into English a lot - haha, but it was a lot better and it helped so much. So this week and I am going to do 100%. It's hard sometimes though because we have to go to all the district meetings this week and during those we speak in English so it knocks me off - haha, but I will do my best. I am using you guys to help me stay committed to it. So keep following up with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

K***, our Nepalese Sherpa investigator finally came to church. He speaks Japanese so the ward is happy with him and he could be baptized at the end of this month. It has taken two months but he is finally coming around. He has so much potential. I really love Chiba ward. I like how I am the missionary who has been here forever - haha, they all look at me and realize I have been here for a while. I like it because it has made Chiba feel more like home and I am in such a habit that the time is just flying bye. It is crazy that I get to talk to you next month!??!?! 

 

Elder Ogata's new companion in our apartment is Elder Lammintaus, he is Finnish!! I told him about Brother Pratt and he was happy. But he speaks fluent English so no worries with communication. He is 25 too haha and it is fun having him. He is a really nice guy. Elder Ogata helps me with Japanese every day so I am loving that.

 

Last week we went to a ward barbeque and it made me think of home so much - haha. It is so cool to have the same type of ward parties in Japan. It was really cool. We also taught Y*** and it was one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission. We watched Bible Vidoes of Christ and then read about Him. Y*** is T*** K*** member and has some different views but we testified of Christ and watched the videos and he started crying: a 50 year old Japanese man crying because of what the Savior did for us. It is such a privilege to teach him because most Japanese don't know that much so they don't understand the significance yet. But he does and it touched him. Amazing experience. Thanks for your emails. they help me so much. Please never stop!!! I love you all so much!!!!

Love,
Elder Proctor

 

 

 

 

 

I'm Staying In Chiba!!! Yay!!!!

 

I am not transferring!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOHHHH!!!

 

We were pretty shocked but all of the Zone Leaders in the mission remained in their area. I think President Budge wanted stability going into the Christmas season instead of mixing it up at the best time of the year. So, I get to stay in Chiba for a 4th transfer!!! Longest I have ever been in an area. I am so happy about it. This has been my favorite area as far as just all of the dynamics of the area. I have the same companion too. I am really excited. this place seems like home in Japan and it is just crazy how fast time has been flying because I am in the habit of living in Chiba and working with these people. I am so excited! My companion and I made it a goal to speak only Japanese this transfer.

 

I am now a transfer 10 and I only go till 16, so I got to get better. I really am feeling the pressure of wanting to improve so I am doing it!!! Hold me accountable to it ok!!!!??! haha I get to talk to you on Skype next month too! That is so exciting. I guess some news is that D***was not able to be baptized. He is waiting till he is a little more prepared so that is that. I am glad he is waiting I think though. It will be better for him. We are working with all of the same people right now but still finding new people everyday. One in particular is K***. He went to a protestant church a couple of times and is enjoying talking with us. Its so much fun to have an investigator that is our age and just a regular guy. We also got to play ultimate Frisbee again. It was so fun and I really enjoyed playing.

 

We also got to go to Meji Jingu on Thursday!! It was a blast. It is a huge Jinja for the Shinto religion. We got a personal tour by one of the workers and got to see a marriage and some other ceremony. It just made me love Japan even more. The place was a really spiritual place but also very touristy - haha fun though. I got to do that and Skytree so it was just a week filled of loving Japanese people!! I love Japan so much more now. I also am so thankful for this experience to be a missionary. Yesterday O**** went to church for the first time since I have been here and it went great!! I am really enjoying the people. I love you all so much!!! have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Mason Proctor