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