We had a really interesting week this past week. So on Monday at night the BYU Symphony performed in Tokyo and all the missionaries got free tickets to go with their investigators. It was super cool. I will send pictures. It was great to see what great influence our church members have. They sang a little bit at the end and sung of course about Jesus Christ. So cool to see them doing their best to share the Gospel too. They were super good. So that was fun.

 

On Tuesday we rode our bikes a ton. We went to a farther area in our area and it was interesting. Probably the funniest thing this week was as  I was walking  I saw a big thing of trash on the ground. A huge candy wrapper. I thought, "I'll be a good missionary and clean up the trash". (In Japan there are no trash cans ANYWHERE so if you pick up trash you have to carry it all the way home.) I did it though and as I picked it up, it was completely full?!?! Tons of chocolate. It was super late  and raining, there was no one walking around, so I couldn't really give it to the owner, so we all shared it. Super cool to see the tender mercies of the Lord. The next day we found 1000 yen(10 dollars) on the ground. We took it to the police station. I am expecting to get a car next. Slowly going up in the things I find :P

 

M*** is doing great. He came to church yesterday for the 2nd time. He really wants the guidance from God in his life. I gave a talk yesterday and it went well. I was super nervous because last time I only had 5 minutes to prepare, so I just went up there and said a bunch of stuff I have said a million times in lessons and it was fine. But this time I prepared more ideas and stuff so I had never practiced. It went really well though and it was the best one I've done yet. I was happy:) I talked about becoming a good example. We need to choose our examples correctly. Too many people trust the thing they read about Mormons on the interenet, even though it was written by people antagonistic towards the church. Or they trust their "friend" at school, even though that friend is only 15 years old. We trust the celebrities even though we have no clue who they are. We really need to trust our parents. Also our church leaders. Trust people who deserve to be trusted.

 

I had sushi again this week. I am starting to feel the pressure of returning home, so I am eating as much sushi as I can before  I return to America. I am going to miss the food here, but I can't lie, I am looking forward to the good food in America - haha. I am really enjoying Kamagaya still. We have transfers in two weeks again so I will probably transfer to my last area for my last 12 weeks. Crazy how fast time has flown by. Thanks for being such a great family. I love you all so much. If you ever have questions about Japan or missionary work or anything, just ask! I love you!

Love,
Elder Proctor

 

 

Skype was so much fun! Thank you all so much. It felt so good to see all of you and to know that I still have the coolest family ever. You guys are great. Sorry that we can't talk all that I want, but we got some stuff out I guess. It was kind of frustrating because it was so laggy at some pints, but it was great. I love you all so much and the next time we talk there is no limit!! WOOH!! I can't tell you all the stories I have been saving. I have some goooooood ones:)

 

So, this week was honestly a little bit slower. Our two progressing investigators were kind of hard to meet and are still kind of in the same place but still doing well. But I do have two cool stories. First about H****. I found him about 3 months ago at a train station. He is now going to be baptized in Chiba! My old area. He is doing super well. So that's awesome. Next is something that is proabbly one of my favorite experiences. Two weeks ago we played ping pong with M**** and randomly at 2 in the afternoon, a 15 year old youth, T****, shows up at the church. He came and played with us. he was just riding his bike around I guess. So we played and then did the lesson. During the lesson I felt nervous, because I didn't know what he would say, but I asked T**** if he had ever felt the Spirit in his life. He sat for a second and said, "I can't say I have felt it strong.......but, I have had impressions that I should do something, I did it, then I look back and realize it helped me a lot and that was the spirit." So he said that and that was great. But yesterday we went to Young Mens and he was in there. We were talking about Testimonies and he was asked three questions. Do you have a testimony? He said yes. Then the next question was: How did you get it? He said, "When I was in the missionaries lesson the other day, I got my testimony." Isn't that amazing!?!??!?!!!!! But it gets better, then the next question is how is this going to help you as a priesthood holder. He then said, "Having a testimony now is going to get me ready for a full time mission." Isn't that the best thing ever. He literally will remember our lesson for the rest of his life. He gained his testimony there. His first thought that I have a testimony was there. I am so thankful for these experiences. This is why you go on a mission. He is going to effect people for the rest of his life. I love being a missionary. That was so amazing.

This is a random funny quote from a talk, it is true....

"At times, the Lord needs a little help to assist some as to the
validity of this truth. I recall when I served as chairman of the
Church Missionary Committee that I received a telephone call from a
member of the presidency of the Missionary Training Center at Provo,
Utah. He advised that a particular young man called to a
Spanish-speaking mission was having difficulty applying himself to his
language study and had declared, "I'll never can learn Spanish!" The
leader asked, "What do you recommend we do?"
      I thought for a moment, then suggested, "Place him tomorrow as
an observer in a class of missionaries struggling to learn Japanese,
and then advise me his reaction."
      My caller responded within 24 hours with the report, "The
missionary was only in the Japanese language class one-half day when
he called me and excitedly said, "Place me back in the Spanish class!"
"I know I can learn that language." "And he did."



I love you!!!! Have a great week!!!!!!

Elder Proctor

Sent from my iPad

 

 

So its obvious we are skyping in less than an hour and that is going to be a blast. I am so excited, i am anxious and dying right now. I cant wait to see you all. Please hae some questions ready and i am just really excited to talk to you all. Elder Tsuchida just asked me if I am nervous. I said yes.

So this is what happened last week. We have had a couple of lessons with M*** and S*****. They are really great investiagtors! We should meet S***** again tonight but we are still trying to get his job thing worked out. He actually might take a job at a cram school that the bishops wife runs so that would fix the Sabbath day thing but he is praying about what he wants to with his job. We taught him with the bishop and asked him if he wanted to take that option and he is praying and really working hard to prepare to be baptized. S***** is awesome. Praying that he will baptized this month.

 

M*** is doing really good too. He is about done with 1 Nephi now. We taught him Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy too and it went well, he just also is trying to seek God's will and decide for himself if he wants to commit to Sabbath day observance. The coolest thing is he is friends with a bunch of the YSAs now and we found out randomly yesterday that he went with all of them to a fireside. WHAT?! We were really happy - haha so he is doing good. We also taught T*** but he is still slowly but surely moving. He is still a 75 year old Buddhist Japanese man haha, but really nice and open minded. We also this week went to a little concert held at a members home. Elder Tsuchida plays the guitar really well and other people sang. One girl sang the song from "Frozen" in English and it was my first time hearing all of it. Everyone was shocked - haha I need to see that movie apparently. It was funny to because she was singing in English without having a clue at what she was saying - haha.

 

Lots of good things happened this past week. We really enjoyed dendoing. Elder Tsuchida is an awesome companion. we really teach well together. You will get to talk to him for a second today - haha, he is super good at English but he can speak some Japanese to you too just so you can hear it I guess haha his English is really good. One of the better ones in our mission as far as Japanese missionaries go. He has only been out 6 transfers too.

 

Well. This is my last skype. I'll be home sooner than later and I can't believe it. I am really happy to see all you. I really love my mission. It is the greatest thing in the world. It really has changed me forever. I am so happy because I have had a lot of life training in such a little time. I am so thankful for the restored gospel. I love you and see you in......30 minutes?!?!?!??!

Love, Elder Proctor

Sent from my iPad

 

 

 

 

Can't wait to SKYPE this week!!!!

So things with S***** are good, but still just trying to help him with his job. It's pretty cool though, the bishops wife said she has a job he could have that is better pay and hours and everything so we are going to talk to him about htat. God really does help those that seek after Him.

 

M*** came to church for the first time yesterday. He can't come every week because he goes to an English class on Sunday, but we told all of the members that can speak English to speak English to him during church so he knows that our church is a way better resource for English. It worked! They pounced on him and spoke only English- haha. He had a great experience and it was a really good fast Sunday. I bore my testimony in Sacrament about how much I loved the ward and the work, and the gospel. It went well and it was a really cool experience to look back at the first time I gave a talk in Sanjo, and I could barely get my words out and I had to plan a ton, and then yesterday, I was able to just speak what was in my heart. Missions really do change you. I think that is a really big thing I learned yesterday too.

 

A member and his son bore their testimony. The dad was saying how he really wants his son to serve a mission, get married and all that good stuff and I thought of mom and dad wanting that for us too. It's so cool to see how everyone is in different stages of their lives, but God is always there, helping no matter how far you are into life. Thank you mom and dad for getting me out here. It really is the best thing to do.

 

It is getting hot now. I am kind of just dealing with it. I'm better at dealing with uncomfortable things now. It sure is hot though - haha we just ride bikes in the heat all day, but it is fun and worth it. We are finding lots of people and enjoying the work. The other Elders have an investigator who should be baptized this month too, along with our two, so it could be three in Kamagaya this month. Now I know why no missionary in Kamagaya transfered. God saw what was coming. I love you all. See you next week!!!:)))) I love you!! I will pray for Grandpa Bob too. I hope he is ok. Please pray for him. Let him know I am praying too.

Love,
Elder Proctor

Sent from my iPad

 

 

 

 

I am not transferring!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am staying for a fourth transfer. I stayed for four in my last area too so this is my longest again. I am so happy. Elder Tsuchida is great and I love the area and am really excited to continue working with S*****. We are teaching him really boldly about the Sabbath day today so I hope it goes well. He is doing great though. We asked him to read some specific verses before meeting one time last week and he read them and told us exactly what they meant and everything. Usually people who don't have a Christian background can't do that, but he can because he is really feeling the Spirit and seeking after God. We had an awesome week.

 

We taught more people in Kamagaya than I ever had before. We also really focused on super spirit filled lessons so honestly, even if in my other area I taught more people, I have never felt so much like a Gospel teacher as I do now. Plus, Elder Tsuchida is helping me a lot with my Japanese language skills, so it is a lot easier for the investigators to understand me. Sometimes if you are always with American missionaries, you end up doing missionary Japanese, and it is different - haha so I am getting rid of my old habits and picking up a lot of good real Japanese habits with him. I love Japanese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I really hope my siblings get to go on a  foreign language speaking mission. It really is so much fun. It is obviously one of the hardest things in the world - haha but really, it teaches you to literally think in a different way. It has taught me so much. I love the language.

 

Today we blitzed an area that is struggling and Elder Tsuchida and I found someone. This was like 3 hours ago. It was super hot, and I was tired and honestly getting kind of out of willingness to keep walking. But, we did and found a kid, gave him a Book of Mormon, and he gave us his number. Wooh! You have to push though the hard times. I always try to look at the long run. I could've gave up, been lazy and now just forget about the experience, but because I didn't, now I look back and learned that never giving up works!!  Don't give up!!! It looks like everyone is having fun over in Texas. It is getting hot here now, but still nothing like home haha it hasn't been raining!! Yes!!! Yesterday we checked the forecast and then real quick I wanted to show Elder Tsuchida Texas' humidity. It said 94 on Yahoo weather and he was shocked - haha They think it is hot here, but being it Nacogdoches in the summer in a bathing suit, is still hotter than being here in the summer in an actual suit  here - haha. I love you all so much!!

Skype is officially the 9, 10, or 11. the 10th is church and S**** baptismal date, so that might be kind of busy. So maybe the 9 or tenth is best?? I don't know. You guys talk this week and let me know what time next week you want to do it. Last Skype!??!?!?! Can you believe that? It is surreal. I am so thankful for my mission. I love you all so much!! Have a great week and SEE you soon:)

Love,
Elder Proctor

 

 

 

 

So it rained every day, other than like 2 this week, but it was still a good week haha. You never realize how thankful you are for cars until you are stuck outside on a bike, infront of train stations, and on streets for 10 hours a day. In Texas it rained and I never thought about it, but now, literally the first thing I do after I exercise in the morning is check outside. It rains.....alot. But it's a good experience. I am coming to love it and it only makes my after mission stories cooler because I can say, "In the rain......" every time haha.

 

S*** is doing awesome. We taught him the commandments and stuff and he is doing good with all of them. We reset his baptismal date with him and it is now for the 10th next month!!! Wooh!!! He is the coolest investigator ever. He is 20 and basically just our friend. He is awesome. He is already in Mosiah too!?!? He should be baptized on the 10th as long as he is able to come to church. His job is ridiculous and he said he is giong to try. So pray for him!!!!!

We have been on a focus of following the spirit lately and it really is working. This week we felt like we should go to a certain station at a certain time when we planned the night before. We went at that exact time and the first person Elder Tsuchida talked to was amazing. He was a college student who had read half of the Book of Mormon on his cell phone?!?!? He lives far away so he got him ready to go to church in the other area. Isn't that cool!! I used to always think "folllow the spirit" was one of those fancy things they always say, but it really does work. If youll just prepare yourself, really think, and go with what feels right and is in line with the commandments, you'll be good!!

The next story is about obedience. Being obedient is important. We had forgot to pay our fast offerings (in Japan its a little different the way you pay) so we put it off and finally were like no, we have to do it now. So we did and as we pulled up to the place where you do it, there was four Filipinos sitting on the front steps. One yelled, "Elder! Elder!." so we talked to them and he is a convert from the Philippines. He just moved to Japan and said he wanted to know where the church was:) He is coming next week. Also, his friends might come. Cool to see how obedience works. God stuck them right ont he place we were supposed to pay haha. We also have a friend K*** who is cool. He had a hard home life, divorced parents, and he said he wants to be a good dad because of that and we are helping him with the Gospel. He is 20 and really nice.

We have so many good people right now. Transfers are on Monday, but in my letter to the president I really hinted to President Budge about not going anywhere and at the temple today he talked to me and said that it sounds like things are going really well, and was specific about it, so I think I am good:P Last thing..........this is pretty crazy. I will send you a picture of my flight itinerary. I love you!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Proctor

Sent from my iPad

 

 

This week was so good. I'll start by just telling a story about Friday. We saw so many great things. We first taught T***, he is good at English and in the lesson he said "YOLO." Acronym for "you only live once."  He said one of the dumb phrases high school students said when I was in high school and he is like 75 years old and Japanese. that was pretty funny. He is still reading the Book of Mormon. We then taught another potential person and he has read all the way to Words of Mormon?! What? That was cool. Then we met with S****. We ate ramen and stuff then we went back to the church and were able to teach him a super good lesson about the Plan of Salvation. He embraced it all, loved it, and I am still shocked at how awesome he is. My goal is for him to have a mission call at this time next year. He might be baptized in May instead, but that is fine.

 

I hope that gives me a reason to be in Kamagaya longer. For the first time in my entire mission I am going to specifically ask President Budge not to transfer me. ha-ha I have never done it. But I do not want to go. I want to stay!!! So I hope it happens. Transfers are in two weeks. Next week is temple pday by the way so we will email late on Tuesday.

 

So then after S**** we went housing and decided to just stop at the place where we felt prompted to stop. We randomly felt it, stopped, and found a lady who's son had been going to the Eikaiwa in Nakano, Elder Tsuchidas old area. So we talked to her and are going back to teach her and her husband. I really hope the husband is there. Then Saturday a miracle happened when one of our Eikaiwa students, a new guy I found about two weeks ago, showed up and came to general conference. He was taking notes and everything?!?! I was shocked haha General conference was amazing. I learned so much and there was some definite advice and counsel I needed to hear. It was weird having it as the perspective for a missionary and a returned missionary.

 

Yesterday was cool too. We taught K***, our 11 year eternal investigator, and it was good. He asked if he could just not take the lessons from the missionaries and eventually just be baptized when he wants to. We had a member who just got back from his mission 7 weeks ago, and we testified to him of the importance of keys of the Priesthood. It was the first time in my life I have testified so strong of the importance of the organization of the Priesthood and the keys of it. I learned myself too. So did K***. Missionary work is great. I just want to stay in Kamagaya the rest of my mission. I think one more transfer is possible. I would like to Skype with Elder Tsuchida here too. That would be really fun. I love you all so much. thanks for the package!!!1 Have a great week!!!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Proctor

ps, this is my new iPad:)) it is actually noticeably a lot better!!
The screen is amazing

Sent from my iPad