Hey everyone!

OK, so I didn’t leave a ton of time to type my big letter today, sorry!  I  have had many worries and thoughts about my mission ending much sooner  that I want it to.  i.e. I only planned my life up to my mission and not  past it!  If any of you have suggestions for what I should major in, I am  all ears! I gave Rachel a list of stuff I am interested in, if any of you  are interested!

Alright, the big news; our volcano exploded!  We have some really sweet  pictures of it, and felt the effects with the ash in the air!  We found a  new investigator and Tuesday, but we only teach her at her front gate!  Funakura san didn’t make it in time for her lesson, but she is still stuck  at mere curiosity right now.  Kamikokuryo san loved our lesson about  prophets!  We showed her that he guides us so that our lives can become  happy and peaceful, turn into something beautiful like an origami!  She  really understood why a prophet is needed.

We are really working on Kyoko san.  She so sweet!  We really want her to  gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  We will meet her again on  Wednesday.  I am sorry this is so short, but my time is up.  I read Ode’s  talk, finally!  Wow.  That was one of the most amazing things I have ever  read.  I felt the spirit as I read it.  Thank you Ode.  Thank you.  How I  wish I could share it with all of my investigators!

I love all of you soooooo much!  The weather is lovely here!

Love,

Sister  Haymond

OK!  Well let me just start off with a big thank you for all of your very sweet letters!  I got the wonderful Birthday present; Stock shimai and I have listened to it everyday since!  Thank you! I even got a package from Kurt…Chocolate Malt-o-Meal!!!  It was a very good birthday, the night before Deguchi shimai took us out to dinner.  She is so sweet!  We had one of my favorites: omu rice-the Japanese version of omlets; salad and potstickers.  I was so full of that and the yummy hot chocolate I could barely bike back to the church!  Our Eikaiwa students gave me a nice scarf, hotpack things, and a really awesome set of chopsticks!  Stock shimai gave me some pens (they are .25 mm, can’t find them in the US like that), a cute poster with Haichu (the yummy starburst type candy), and a 
small cake!

We spent the night visiting a less active, whose daughter isn’t a member yet.  We have high hopes of getting her into the waters of baptism though! We housed and froze our fingers and toes off, but I had a very interesting experience.  The lady was a very sweet Shintoist.  They are proof, to me, that the gospel was preached in this land long ago.  They believe in being very, very kind to others.  A lot like Christlike Attributes.

I felt prompted to ask her about her belief in after death, i.e. why they honor their ancestors so much.  She thought and thought and responded with: Well, just like I honor my parents, my kids will honor me.  That was it.  I thought the whole time, what is the point of honoring someone if they don’t exist???  I told her about eternal families and even though she didn’t want to set up a appt. I really feel that we planted a big seed!

Chum, please daiji ni shite your back!  (take care of it)  I will keep you in my prayers!  Pap, thank you for you story…I just got those DVDs and I am very excited to watch about Wilford Woodruff…and yes, I can picture you crying at the spirit!   I am so excited to hear you gave Chum a blessing!  Speaking of which…

Last week we went to Sakurajima.  It was  blast!  We rode down huge slides, took pictures on all of the big dinasaur statues, etc.  It was fun until we started to head for home.  The hill up to the park is very long, very steep, and very windy.  Just imagine Lumbard Street at a 70 degree angle, with a few less curves.  We had to walk our bikes up.  Well, we rode them down.  Elder Muira flew past me, I thought, ‘You’re going way tooooo fast!’ He turned enough not to hit the fence head on, but still hit it hard.  I came to a stop right behind him and watched as he took the skin of his thumb back onto the bone just about at the knuckle.  It led to quite the ordeal.  Sister Stock fainted, we got her up and all walked slowly to the ferry station where he was ferried back in an ambulance (he was back out housing after he got stitched up, he is fine and dany!)  Both Sister Stock and I saw it happen, we both felt a little shaken up.  That night we had our lesson with ‘Brigadoon man’ (who by the way would’t agree to an exact time to meet next time, but we have hope!).  The next day we still just felt very odd.  I can only describe as a though that, “that could’ve been me”; I gues it was shock.  We talked about how we both felt and decided there was only one thing to do: a blessing!  Tuesday night we asked Elder Ford and Elder Muira to give us both a blessing.  The things he said in my blessing were amazing.  I felt such a warm, powerful, loving feeling.  I know with out any doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father loves me.  I know this is his work.  I will do anything to tell the people of Japan about it.  I am so grateful for the power of the Priesthood.  I am so grateful for those who are worthy to exercise it.

We are starting a new surge to get referrals from the members.  We are very excited to see the work move forward in a new, more effective way. Please pray that the members here will have the courage to prayerfully seek a friend they can introduce to us.

Funakura san is doing OK.  She is willing to read, but right now it is more a fascinating thing then a search for the truth…but that will change.   Kamikokuryo san is our new big hope.  We had a great lesson with her last week.  She said how it is so scary to raise kids right now. She said how we are so amazing, and realized herself that it is because of our knowledge that what our parents taught us was from God.  She is really seeking, now if only we can get her to act on that!  Here in Japan it is a big problem with husbands working alllllll week long.  She told us she never really see’s her husband.  I realized what a blessing it is to have the gospel, that it helps us keep our priorities straight.

Lor, I am glad to hear you are still in contact with Christie Ray!  Do you have her address?  I hope your munchkins get better. Good luck!

To all who went tubing…how fun!!!!  I love all of you so much!  Thank you for all you do!  Until next week. 1 John 3:20-24…look it up, it’s awesome!

Love,

Sister Haymond

Hello everyone!

Wow, All I can say is…last week was busy!  We had some very interesting experiences that I hope you will all find enjoyable and fun and spiritually uplifting.

Funakura san is an Eikaiwa student who agreed to listen to a message about Jesus Christ a few weeks back.  This past week we taught her about the Plan of Salvation.  She has always had the feeling to pray, ever since she was little.  As we really explained who God is and bore testimony of our own answered-prayer experiences, the spirit was very strong.  We asked her how she thought her life would change if she received an answer that what we taught was true…her answer was so simple and profound: life would become easy, comfortable (sorry, the word in Nihongo has a bit more meaning, but that is the best for English).  She agreed to pray about the 
Plan of Salvation and to read from where we asked her to in the Book of Mormon (Alma 22:1-26).  It was an awesome lesson!

I had my very first ever experience of talking to someone, in a very deep and long discussion about the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  We met Hideko san a couple of weeks ago.  She is a Jehovah’s Witness, and has been for a very long time.  Well, we went to just chat with her and ended up standing on her doorstep for 2 hours!  That mornging I had read the talk by President Holland from last April’s conference.  I had prepared some questions I wanted to ask her, found them and read them in the Nihongo Bible, and prayed like mad for help from the Spirit.  We talked and talked, shared scriptures and discussed them.  It was all in a very friendly manner.  I bore witness of a living prophet and shared the Amos 3:7 scripture.  They believe that Christ was the last prophet and that he is guiding the church from heaven.  I fully agreed…through a prophet! As I explained that the Book of Mormon is the ’stick of Ephraim’ as spoken of in Ezekial, I could tell she started to think.  In the end she would not even read from the Book of Mormon.  I tried explaining it in a way that she has a cake, but only a part of it.  We can help make that delicious cake whole! I read 2 Nephi 29:8-9, it was very slow (those kanji still look like blasted little pictures!)  Stock shimai was there the whole time, helping look up scriptures, and sharing her testimony about the Book of Mormon. I couldn’t believe it though!  She rejected the greater light.  It was so strange!  To really talk to someone who believes in Jesus Christ and have them reject the truths we hold was, well, a little shocking.  I know all of you who served in Christian countries experienced daily, but here, where we are excited if they have heard of the Bible, it was almost mistfying to me that she wouldn’t even read from the Book of Mormon.  I do know, however, that we got her thinking.  She will never think of the scriptures we shared the same way again.  The next time she meets missionaries, maybe her response will be different.  I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who helped me to know how to be prepared, who helped me to really understand her.  All I can say is, I was exhausted after 2 hours of a deep discussion in Nihongo. But I was very happy to add another experience to my already overflowing repetoire of times that I have felt the Lord’s hand in this great work.

I spent Relief Society talking a sister who comes only every great once-in-a-while.  She has some mental illnesses.  It was a very, very interesting talk.  She came with her sister, who has schyzophrenia (sorry!), let me just say that I am so grateful for my fully functioning mental abilities.  Our talk ranged from her getting mad at herself because of the 2001 terrorist attacks, saying I need to hit her because she was bad, the fact her brain is a boys, she spent all of her money on entertainment, and several other fairly interesting topics.  I felt so bad for her.  But, as I thought about it, I realized again what a huge blessing the Atonement really is.  I know that she will receive a perfect body oneday.  The trials she experiences now will be gone.  I am so grateful for my Savior!

Last night we found a new investigator!  He is in his 30’s, is having problems finding a job because of the depression, and is really interested in the purpose of life.  His house is in the mountains!  It almost had the feeling of the play, ‘Brigadoon’, slightly in the mountains and the fog was coming in.  We have a lesson tonight at the church with him!  Pray that his heart is open to hearing our message!

Well, this was my very fun, busy week!  I hope you all had a wonderful time. Kare and Al, I opened the pictures of your tiny munchkins!!!  They are so cute!  I too am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who heard all of our many prayers in their behalf. Good luck with those 3 AM feedings!

Everyone, feel free to upload pictures now!  I hope all of you are in good health, and enjoying life! Love you lots!  Today we are headed to Sakurajima..the volcano out in the bay.  I will send you some pictures! Good luck!

Love, Sister Haymond

イエスキリストが生きているとしています！

I know Jesus Christ lives!

Hello everyone!

OK, it seems like forever since I have updated you on everything goin on here.  Our New Years was very fun.  It is a huge week-long event in Japan.  We were kept busy by the members inviting us over for dinners.  I ate very yummy food, luckily no fish!  Noodle dishes, yakiniku-you cook your own meat and veggies on a grill on the table, ice cream sundaes…it was a feast everywhere we went!

 Stock shimai is doing great!  She is from Sandy, UT, the second oldest of 5, well, 7, they are adopting two foster kids.  She studied Pshychology at the U (only has one year left) and worked at special preschool for troubled kids.  She has a great love of the gospel and wants to work hard every day.  We get along great!  It is actually very fun, interesting, and humbling to be her trainer.  It feels like yesterday that I was the green bean.  I have been looking back and feel so grateful for all of the 
blessings of the Lord.

 We are having a fun time using our gaijin (foreigner) power!  We even got into a house last week just because we were American and the family had lived in California for 14 years.  We talked to them about that and shared our testimonies of the BOM, we are actually going there again on Wednesday.  It has made life a lot more interesting to have me be the most fluent one.  I have a lot of responsibilities, all the phone calls, writing all of the progress reports, investigator records, etc.  We are 
very busy!  I love it!

This last week we had Zone Conference.  It was amazing.  It was the most spiritual one I have had yet.  President talked all about prayer.  He used a lot of Elder Bednars talk from the Oct. General Conference.  I loved it! He promised us that as we really report to the Lord about what we are doing, seek his guidance, give thanks for everything, and pray for others, we will be changed.  We will be better missionaries, better people, and we will see miracles.  I felt the spirit so powerfully; then the AP presented a training on keeping it simple. It’s so true! The gospel is not hard to understand.  The easier I can explain it to people, the easier the Spirit 
can testify to them!

Well, we left the meeting feeling very pumped up.  We were headed to a less-actives house, to visit with her, but as are all addresses here in Japane, we had a hard time finding her exact house.  We had the general area, but since all of the houses don’t have house numbers, we decided to knock around and ask.  We asked for help, and then I just happened to  mention who we were.  The lady had gone to a Christian college, she was very interested in the Book of Mormon.  Both Sister Stock and I bore strong witness that there is a living Prophet on the Earth, guiding the Lord’s church.  We read a few scriptures with her, talked about how the gospel blesses families, and then committed her to reading the Book of Mormon. When we first tried to set up a return visit, she said we couldn’t, her husband is not friendly with religion.  That is when we pulled out another scripture, and Stock shimai stepped up with a powerful testimony, saying how she wouldn’t be able to learn Japanese if the Lord wasn’t helping her.  I felt the Spirit and knew that Fukudome san was too. I asked her if she felt a good feeling in her heart; she said yes.  I told her that was the Holy Ghost testifying to her of the truthfullness of what we were saying.  It ended with us getting warm welcome to come back and visit.  I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who helps us find those who are prepared.  I am excited to see what happens with Fukudome san.

I am loving every minute of this mission, and can’t believe that one year is almost up.  Ahhh!  I hope all of you have read Pres. Eyring talk in the January Ensign.  The work of the Lord must move forward!  It is not just us missionaries responsibility!  I hope you will all act on his very powerful message and seek and pray for those around you who are prepared for and desiring the blessings of our Heavenly Father.  I love seeing the light that knowing ‘who they are’ and why they are here, brings into the life of people.  Everyone is going to feel like something is missing, until they are baptized members of the Lord’s true church.  Please pray for courage. Please be bold. I have learned so much from all of you and appreciate your wonderful examples! I know that together we can all bring our brothers and sisters back to a knowledge that they already know, but haven’t had the chance yet to ‘re-study it’

I love you all so much!  I am glad to hear the twins are doing well, they are always in my prayers. Good luck Rachel…only a few more weeks, right?!  Gideon…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  Wow!  You are 5 years old!  I can’t believe you are so big!  I hope you had yummy cake and had a blast with the family!  What did you get?  Joseph and Lori, Congrats on your 8th Anniversary!  Wow, how fun! Did you do anything special?  How is the home going?

Well, we have to run to our nearest Mister Donuts…I’m starving!   I am totally out of my health kick, but don’t worry I will get right back into it.  I do enjoy a lot of the goodies here, especially all of the breads! And ice cream.  No, I have not ballooned to the size of a Sumo,  I have been the same weight since the day I left home!  What a blessing ne!  I just want to say thank you for all of your wonderful gifts one more time.   Love you all and look forward to seeing some pictures of the twins!

Pap, thank you for your note!  I was glad to hear you are really getting YM out to the Activities…that is huge!  Really, the calling you have right now is soooooo important.  You can get them to love the gospel, and understand how wonderful it is and they will stay strong for the rest of their lives.  I would totally suggest getting the missionaries to come and do an activity with them.  Use Preach My Gospel as well, it is amazing! You are the perfect man for the job.

Love you all soooooo much! Good luck over this next week!

Love,

Sister Haymond

I wrote out a very long letter, and the email site encountered a problem when I tried to send it. It got deleted.  Sorry, now I don’t have time to write.  I loved all of your emails!  I had a wonderful New Year, we had many dinners with members and part-members.  

we saw many miracles this week in finding people, I will let you know how they pan out.  My new comp is awesome!  She is from Sandy, UT.  I will tell more about her next week.  

Sorry for this very, very short letter.  Mom, you don’t need to pay my camera bill.  Good luck every one, I love you soooo much!  Please read the BOM daily, it will help you in every way!  

Thank you for all of your Letter Mom and Pap!  I love them.  I will write a lot more next week, until then… Ganbatte kudasai!  Good luck

Love,
Sister Haymond

Hello everyone!

I would like to start this email off by saying; Happy Birthday Spencer!!! You`re already 30!  Have a lovely Dec. 15!  Creed…Happy Birthday!  I can`t believe your gigantic hide is already 2! I hope you get to spend it with your Mom and Dad and Ains, before your two tiny runt sisters come. Kare good luck on the 20th!  I am praying for you and the twins…and
Alex.

Thank you to Ode and Jess, Lor and Joseph, Mel and Walt, Mom and Dad, and (after a little bit) Kim and Dan, Al and Kare, Spence and Rachel!  You guys are all waaaaaayyyyy to sweet!  I was shocked as I started piling up the presents around our tiny tree.  Thank you.  I can`t tell you how exciting it was to get those packages!  Not too mention, thank you for the Christmas music Chum and Pap!  We`ve listened to The Forgotten Carols many times now!  I`ve done my best at explaining the story to Yashima shimai. I love you all so much!  I only ask for one more present: Do something nice for someone else.

This week brought a whole new set of learning experiences.  Having a member in the lesson is very important.  Having the right member in the lesson is even more important.  We taught Risa chan with a member who is, well, a little bit strong.  She spent half of the time somewhat belittling Risa, in her own way.  Risa didn`t pay attention at all.  I was very frustrated.  Yesterday, we went with Risa chan to the Branch Presidents house where we had a wonderful lesson about what it takes to receive answers to our prayers.  Risa chan really opened up.  The Pres. and his wife were very concerned for her.  You could feel it as they talked with her.  She opened up and really spoke of her concerns and doubts.  Members make or break the lesson.

I have to say thank you to you Ode for your example to me.  I shared how I felt and what change I saw in you when you decided to return to the gospel with Eleonora this week.  I hadn`t planned on it, but I have never felt the spirit more strongly guide me in a lesson thus far.  Thank you.  Your example is amazing.  Your faith is so strong. Thank you.  I`ll admit we were all choking back tears.  Eleonora has a testimony, but there is still somewhat a wall to break, and your story helped to soften that wall. This past week her husband agreed to hear the lessons as well.  What a blessing!  He may just be the final key.

As we were out housing this week, I commented on a very cute old grandpa`s hat.  He responded to me in English, quite good English.  It was shocking! He is 83, and people that age weren`t surrounded by English like now, then it was actually banned.  But after the War he started to learn.  We talked for almost 20 minutes.  He mentioned how he wants real peace, that he doesn`t drink or smoke, but works in his little garden and studies English each day.  That was without any knowledge of our church, he himself said all that.  Do you think he is prepared?  I sure do!  We are so excited to meet with him this Wednesday when he comes to our English class.

We are going to have a Christmas party in our English class this week, dance at a retirement home, and go caroling on Sunday!  Every day brings something new and exciting.  My testimony of the Savior is that He lives. I am engaged in His work.  I loved the Christmas Devotional!  Did you all get to see it?

Well, good luck this last week before Christmas.  I love you all sooooo much.

Chum- thank you for always keeping me updated on everything…I love it! I agree, this year has brought many, many changes.  I am so grateful to you and Pap and Mel and Walt for all of the pictures!  I loved them.  Good luck wrapping.

Pap- thank you for correcting my spelling error.  I have a feeling you may need to correct my speach as well when I get home.  Speaking Japanese for 95% of your day kind of kills your English.   I love ya!

I will write again next week.  Until then, remember, Always look on the bright side!  I wanted to sing that song this week to Eleonora, because we have the Atonement, and everything will be alright.

Love,

Sister Haymond

Hello everyone!  I can`t believe that it is already December 8th, 2008.  I have spent almost one entire year in the service of our Lord and Savior. What an interesting year it has been!  I have been uplifted, I have cried, I have felt joy, and I have learned patience and love.

From Eleonora I have learned what sacrifice means.  She met her husband, he was a wonderful man: kind, funny, outgoing, hardworking.  They returned to Japan and he completely changed!  He got lazy, stopped caring for her, got into debt, and then had two strokes.  She gave up her family (she`s seen them once or twice in the last 16 years), she gave up a good job. We read with her The Mediator.  She loved it.  I think it really started her realizing just how important the Atonement really is. I realized as well why each of us can and must rely on the Atonement.  Sometimes the road seems like the pot holes are `Grand Canyon`sized, but with the Lords help we can safely avoid falling into them.  She told us she realized that she wants to get baptized, but is afraid that she will break the convenants because when she gets frustrated she will smoke or drink.  Please pray for her to receive an answer to her prayers, that she can overcome.

We`ve been teaching Risa chan, the 21 year old.  She has the manners of a pig sometimes, but she is so sweet.  She actually, and somewhat quietly sat through relief society yesterday.  She only talked, played with her cell phone, and played with the papers the teacher handed out about half of the time. That was a lot of improvement.  I am relying on the spirit to have patience and realize that I can`t give up on her.  She has hope.  She has finally quite smoking.  We even have one of her friends listening to the lessons as well.  Yippee!  She is a really good influence on Risa chan.  Too bad Risa chan really interupted her first lesson by talking, listening to music, and farting.  I didn`t think they did that here in Japan, but she does.  Ahhh!  Luckily the branch members all love her. They all support her and I think that is really affecting her in a great way.  Sorry to vent, but I know you all have interesting stories from your missions, and this is one of mine.

I am so excited to talk with all of you in the next couple of weeks! Please call on YOUR Christmas Eve.  You are 16 hours ahead of me.  Please call me when it is my time 7:00 AM.  Again, my number is: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX. I want to speak by couples or singles, so I can actually get a chance to talk with all of you!  Kimbob and Dan arrange the time with the fam so I get to talk with all of you as well!

I love all of you so much.  Please do good for someone today.  Mom and Pap, tell the Bishop thank you, but I can`t write to him. Good luck in all you do!  The church is true!  Heavenly Father loves all of us.  I know this.

Love,

Sister Haymond

Hello everyone!

Wow…life so far in Taniyama is flying by.  We are busy teaching the 20 year old who wants to get baptized out of curiosity.  It is a lesson in patience.  I just wish I could whack her with the BOM sometimes to help her gain a testimony of it.    The good news is, is that her friend might start listening to the lessons.  That would be  big help to her!

I had quite a testimony building experience this past week when we were out finding. I decided in the morning, and just said it for fun, that if we could find a new person to listen to our message and pass out a BOM, we could go to a nearby bakery for dinner.  Just minutes after that we found that person!  She ended up not coming to church yesterday because of a cold, but we have her number and address!  After that, we were going to head back and take our whole 1 hour to eat dinner, but I felt we needed to do a little more finding.  We found some houses and the first door I knocked on we found another willing listener!  We have an appt. for Tues! Wow!  The Lord truly does bless us and guide us when we just show a little bit of faith.

I am loving teaching the sweet old Polish lady.  She has had a very hard life, and has a hard time feeling that God loves her.  One of the sweet members here gave her an Ensign in Polish, so I am excited to study that with her.  She is married to a Japanese man who shows her no love, and because he had a stroke, just sits at home.  She is so sweet and takes care of him, but is so worn out.  My heart just goes out to her.  We took her a beautiful picture of the Savior, along with a note, and when we talked to her next she was so grateful.  I would love to see her feel her Saviors love.

I also attended my first funeral here in Japan.  It was the non-member husband of a sister in the ward.  The day before he died we had taught her a lesson, just for practice.  We then visited her on Saturday and she took us to dinner!  Even though we came bringing a treat for her birhday!  She has such faith in her Savior that it hasn`t really hit her very hard.

Well, today is very rainy.  My apartment is at average 60 degrees.  But my testimony of the gospel is growing daily, minute by minute.  I can`t even begin to say how much I just want to stand on top of this Science Museum where I am typing and shout to the people that they have a Savior.  That he paid for their sins, if they would but come and follow him.  I am so excited for this Christmas season where we can celebrate his birth!  I want you all to know that I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of us.  I love each one of you so much!

Chum- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  I can`t believe that you are one year older and wiser too!   I hope you have a blast with the fam and your sweetheart dear old pap!  I am glad you got my letters…the Japanese writing is Doctrine and Covenants 64:6.  I had Ueno shimai write them for you…although one of them is mine!   Pap, it was your Fathers Day present…sorry it was so late.  That stinks to hear about those blasted robberies.  It`s ok that you didn`t get to talk to her, I told her to call you, but ah well.  Oh yeah, I was very surprised when Sister Polten called me about your email.

About the packages- it is always best to send them to the mission home. They are usually very prompt!  Oh yeah, Yashima shimai has the NOEL Tab choir CD…so don`t send that one.  I think I can listen to the Forgotten Carols, if you could look at the list…that would be awesome!!  Tell JoAnn Judd that I was the very happy and surprised recipient of a real Kimono and fur shall…from one of my eikaiwa students.  The Prisbeys were going to ship them to you guys since I got them the day I transfered here. They are so sweet!

Have a wonderful week!  Oh yeah, I will celebrate Thanksgiving at Zone Conference!  All of you have a blast, and remember to eat some turkey and cranberry sauce for me.

Love,

Sister Haymond

Hello everyone!!  I am glad to hear that everyone is doing so well.  I do have some bad news, from now on I won`t be able to look at pictures online…blasted internet is too slow!

From that little hint you can tell that, yep, I got transfered!  I am now in the area of Kagoshima in Taniyama.  It is in the very southern part of Kyushu, and the ocean is about a 20 minute bike ride away.  It is lovely down here.  Even now the temp is in the 70`s or so.  I have also been given the new assignment of Senior companion. The Lord has blessed me greatly!  I am looking forward to giving all of my heart, might, mind, and strength to Him. 

My new comp is in her third transfer, Yashima shimai.  She is so sweet! From Northwest of Tokyo and is 28 years old.  She converted about 9 years ago and has a wonderful testimony of the gospel.  I can already tell we are going to have a blast together!

Taniyama is a branch, but I`m not sure why…they have 40 members or so and a very nice big church.  I spoke this past week in Sacrament meeting and everyone was very sweet afterwards when we chatted.  One member Kikunaga shimai wants to become a missionary so badly (55 years old or so), but her husband isn`t as gung ho…so she attends our district meeting every week and helps us a lot!

Our apartment is dencently sized; I can shower, brush my teeth and cook something all at the same time!  Plus, we have 3 portable heaters…I kind of take that as a bad sign!  Ah…now I have the memories to share about crazy apartments!

Our investigators here are all eternal ones.  What a good challenge!  One is even from Poland, so we teach her in English.  I met her Sunday and can`t help but feel that her baptism is near.  Another is Risa, she is 20 and has had a rough life.  She wants to get baptized, but still hasn`t quite grasped the real reason for it, of a belief in what it is for.  I can`t wait to use the wonderful Christmas season to find some new investigators!

Well,  That is how things are going in this half of the world!  Sorry, Rach, I could`t see the pics of Lucy.  Thanks for letting me know about Halloween, how fun!  Kim, Mel, Lor, Kare; how was Halloween???

Kare good luck!

Mom, and Pap; thank you for all of your updates.  I love hearing about everyone and everything!  A last Christmas request might be…maybe, a surprise might be fun! I am glad you all went to Bretts wedding.  I have realized how important it is for a family to show love.  In Japan they really don`t and I can see the difference in a family when they do.

OK, love you all soooooo much!  Ode, good luck with your new job!  You will be awesome at it!

Love you all lots!

Sister Haymond

Hey everyone,

Sorry I didn’t write last week, we were gone the entire day up to the mountains!  We saw Mt. Aso, a volcano, a gorge, and lots and lots of pretty views!  It felt so good to be in the mountains again!  I took lots of pics, I will maybe send them in a couple of weeks when I have some more time.

First off: Mel and Walt…CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!  Wow, Phoebe Sage, cute!  How big was she? When exactly was she born?  Do you have anymore pictures. Thank you Pap for the one you sent!!  Oh, and Walt, good luck in the Bishopbric!  That is awesome.  You will do a great job.

Rachel and Walt:   Happy Birthday yesterday!  I hope you have lots of fun. Eat lots of cake, and don’t burn the house down with all of the candles!

OK,  these last couple of weeks have been very, very busy!  The stake president was changed last week, so we had Elder Evans visit.  He is amazing!  We were able to participate in the Saturday Evening session where he spoke directly to the YSA.  He gave great advice about praying, making choices, etc.  He was such a powerful, humble speaker.  You could almost cut the spirit with a knife.

We are teaching the “Catholic” lady, she still won’t take the BOM, but we got her to commit to praying.  She is really fascinated with the fact we have a living prophet.  So are next lesson will get her to commit to read the BOM and pray about it.

Eri’s baptism is this Saturday!  Yeah!  She turns 20, so she won’t need parents permission.  She really loves the church.  She reads the BOM daily. Her faith is amazing.  I am so excited that I get to see her baptism….I’ve been able to be with her through the whole process!

The next transfer is the 13. I have a feeling I might be leaving Kumamoto, but I’m not sure yet.  We’ll see!

Oh yeah, I was able to go Trick-or-Treating!  One of our investigators teaches a little kid English class, so she had a party and we went to several stores where the kids “trick or treated” and received candy that had already been passed out.   They really had no idea what they were doing, but it was a blast!

We had a big Halloween party for the four wards here that was a big hit.  It was like a mini festival!  Games, candy, pumpkin pie, the whole lot!   Most of the people were non-members and everyone had a family picture taken, and we as missionaries now have the chance to take it to their homes and try to also deliver a little spiritual message.  Whoohoo!  New investigators!

I have to say that something I have been studying a lot lately is the Holy Ghost.  It is essential to the work!  I know I can’t do any of this on my own.  As I read the scriptures or study PMG I really focus on what I feel in my heart.  It is amazing what the difference is.  I can say that my testimony is strengthening every day.  I can’t wait to get out and tell people the joyful news of the gospel!  Everyone…it is TRUE!  I don’t think I ever really grasped it before my mission.  Now I am only beginning to. But I feel as Lehi did when he ate the fruit from the tree of life: it is the sweetest above all and I want everyone to eat of it.  Please read your scriptures daily.  Please read the ensign.  What good is a living prophet if we don’t feast on his words!???  I have realized that a testimony comes one step at a time, and we must continually climb.

One last interesting little thing from last week.  We visited one of our Eikaiwa students who loves American movies (she is in her late 60’s , but loves all the old movies and new movies)  I was embarrassed when I had to explain to her that everyone in America doesn’t think of sex as a game. Everyone doesn’t drink all the time.  How annoying that the movie industry is shaping our image!  And it is not a very good one!  No wonder people
think we are a corrupt society.  How very sad.  At least I was able to straighten out one persons view.

Well,

Good luck voting!  Let me know how things go!  Oh, Ode,  thanks for the pics!  Wow, you and Jess, married!  That is the first picture I have seen of you as husband and wife!  Glad you had fun in Sanfran.  I hope halloween was fun.  Please send some pics!  Mom and Pap (and Dave and Marsha) how goes the cruise???  I’ll let you know that before I even got your email, I was praying that you could find people.  Thank you for always setting a missionary example, everywhere you go!!!

Oh, and for some reason a lot of the emails from the 20 didn’t come through until today.  Thank you Chum for you voting advice (actually me and the Prisbey’s are sending them out today, special mail), and sorry Kimbob, I didn’t get yours either.  How are your munchkins????

Everyone, I love you lots and lots.  Have a great week!  Let me know any cool news about the elections.  Thanks!

Love,

Sister Haymond