September 30, 2013 Letter

Holy moly, Japanese is still crazy hard, but I have the faith that I can learn it but its going to take a very long time.... Anyways, this week was really good. We still don't have any investigators but we have been able to teach lessons. There are a lot of part member families in the Branch so we have work to do! We visited with one family, and well it was only supposed to be with the church member but his family joined us.  As we began talking we kind of didn't teach our lesson we had prepared for the church member because we began teaching his mother about the church. I boldly asked if she believed in God, and thats what got the conversation rolling. We talked a lot about God and how that through prayer we can talk to God and that He loves us and if we want to know He is there we can pray. I bore my testimony and we went on our way. I enjoyed being able to teach and I asked my companion how he thought it went and he said "meh", Japanese style. But I didnt feel that way I felt that it was better than "meh". I didnt think too much about it after that but this sunday when I went to church, the church member came up to me and said, "thank you for coming, my mom was very happy after you left". So it brightened my week a little to know that my efforts weren't wasted. I dont know if we will be able to go back and visit her or not but I hope so. Apparently she doesn't like the missionaries, but she was very nice to us and gave us food to take home and things.  It was great.

 

Anyways that was cool, made me feel the joy of missionary work.

 

Today is Pday so we had the opportunity to go to ``Christs Grave``.  Apparently in Japan they believe that Christ came to the city I am in and studied here for the years that the bible does not account for. I will attach pictures that have the explanation. But it is interesting and very odd in my opinion.

 

Some info for you.

 

 

I sleep on the Ground, on a futon. Its not very comfortable but you are always so tired by the end of the day anyways. So its good enough for me.

 

Oh yeah also today I ate some interesting food. The branch President took us to a place that was all you can eat. So I tried Horse meat which is really good actually. I tried Pig tongue and I also tried Pig fillopian tubes..... yeah not my favorite. But it was good. Probably some of the best food I have had in awhile.

 

Anyways, If you want to send a letter or package or anything you send it to the mission home and then they send it to me. So yeah. I have a bike. I wouldnt consider it a 700 dollar bike but in Japan apparently its nice. I would consider it more of a walmart type bike..... hahahaha but its all good.

 

I will send pictures next week.

 

love you

 

Elder Nebeker

First week in Japan

Oh wow, Seriously I don`t know where to begin!

 

 The plane ride to japan was awesome.  I sat by a Japanese guy who flew to America to watch a baseball game.  He was really cool, he added me as a friend on facebook so you should get on my face book and add him as a friend for me.

 

We got here and we were super excited to see where our first area would be. Everyone except for 2 out of the 26 people got English speaking trainers. My Trainer is Elder Keshino from Osaka Japan. He doesnt speak a lot of English so we are both forced to speak each others language to understand each other.

 

Although there were reports of an earthquake, I didn't feel it at all and its nice and sunny here in Japan. I am in Hachinohe area.  It's the most Northern area of the main island of Japan. It is very pretty and there is a big city and a lot of farms too once you get out of the city. Also there are a lot of hills and trees. I will try to get more pictures next week.

 

Right now we don't have any investigators but I have faith that we will get investigators.

 

I really don't understand Japanese at all but I smile and bear my testimony.

 

I love the church members here they are awesome and they take really good care of us.  There are about 45 members.

 

Sorry I wish I could make this letter a lot longer but someone walked into the church half way through my email and it just happened to be an investigator.

 

So just to update you on the things that I do. I teach English class, help teach seminary, I am learning Japanese Sign language because a lot of the members here are deaf.  I feel a lot of love for these people already. Even though learning Japanese seems impossible right now I have faith that I will be able to learn the language.

 

Some fun adjustments I have been making is always taking off my shoes at the door way and there are no garbage cans or drinking fountains in japan so that is really hard. Also putting books on the ground is not good so that is different for me. Not having chairs to sit on for meals at dinner is a new experience. Also I found out quickly you are not suppose to say hi to girls at night..... whoops my bad. Oh its so fun here I love it.

 

Sometimes I feel opposing forces working on me, but when I overcome whatever trial I might have I feel very happy.

 

Sorry I dont have time good luck! I love you!

Last Letter from the MTC

Wow, My time here at the MTC flew by! I can't believe it has come to an end. I have grown so much since where I started. It's amazing that someone could change that fast. But I am so happy for the opportunity to have stayed at the Provo MTC. I will not be traveling with my district, only the missionaries going to Sendai. It will be a bitter sweet goodbye tomorrow. But I am so happy to have met the people I have met and appreciate how they have helped me to grow too.

I don't know if I have told you, but here at the MTC we get the opportunity to skype with people in Japan. It's really fun, except for last week me and my companion forgot to prepare a lesson to teach for skype and the topic for the Skype session was revelation through prayer. Well, lets just say preparation goes a long way. Since the topic is on prayer, what a better way to start out a meeting than a prayer! Yeah we forgot to do that with her... Also during the skype session she had a Pepper and Olive that wouldn't quit BARKING! We couldn't hear her and to top things off after we gave a message about prayer we didn't even end with a prayer.... Yeah we learned a lot last week! 

 

We took our mistakes and we made them the best we could. So this week we were ready for skype.  Since it was our last week me and my companion picked the topic for what we thought needed to be shared, I picked the topic of Church attendance and kind of tied it into taking the sacrament and then how when we receive the sacrament we receive a remission of our sins and the spirit of Christ, and then I shared 3 scriptures through out this. Anyways I will get into more detail about it in a sec. But my companion shared a message for Revelation through The Book of Mormon. Like I said we learned from our mistakes and so we made sure that we prepared and prepared well and prayed like crazy because you can't do anything without the Lord's help. Like what a better way to do the Lord's work with his help...... DUH! 

 

We shared our message and I shared 3 scriptures. The first one being D&C 84;45, which talks about the Word of the Lord being truth and light. I explained to him when we go to church and partake of the sacrament and hear truth about the gospel we receive light. Then I shared with him D&C 50; 24 which says He that receiveth light and continueth in light receiveth more light and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.  I explained that scripture, and I shared 3 Nephi 18;24 which talks about let you're light so shine that it might be a light unto others and follow in the Footsteps of Christ. I bore testimony to him that if he continues to follow in the path of truth and light and shares his light with others he will become closer to Christ then he has ever been. Well after I shared this and my companion shared his message, he expressed his thanks for our message and said he was very touched by our message. I knew that the Spirit was guiding us through this. After our message he explained to us that he is an Area of the Seventy! His name is Brother Ishi. Wow it's a good thing we prepared well! I really enjoyed his Spirit and our skype session it was really cool talking to him and bearing testimony to him.

And not only to him, I think that we could all apply those scriptures to our lives, We have so much Light and Truth and Knowledge and the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Sometimes I wonder why we get so scared to open our mouths and share the message with others. Yeah not everyone will accept but you would be following His footsteps and that is how we become like Him.

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to hear from a Japanese man and his conversion story, (all in japanese) it was so nice I understood everything it was amazing I wish I had more time to share his conversion story but it was cool I will try to remember to send it when I have more time but a quick over view. He met the missionaries believed in it and asked his parents if he could be baptized and they said NO! Because he is Buddhist and everything. Well with faith and some time he was able to get baptized and yeah. I'll try to tell you the real story next week if I have time or later tonight.

Thanks for the packages I recieved them and I was very Happy! Arigato!

Last Week at the MTC!

Kazoku!,

(Family),

 Wow It's almost that Time! I have My Japanese Name Tag and It is Basically the Coolest thing ever. I will try to get a picture as soon as I can. Just to let you know I leave Early Early Monday Morning 3:30 A.m. That's Next monday... But I leave early, Go to Salt Lake Airport and from there I will Fly to Detroit Michigan! Nicks Homeland. From Detroit I fly to Nagoya Japan, then from Nagoya I fly to Sendai! I am so Excited but at the same time a little sad to Leave the MTC just because I know I probably won't ever have a time in my life like this again. And I will miss all the great teachers and friends I have made here. Anways, Back to the Flight. It's an (18:06) 18 hours and 6 minute Flight to Japan! Super Excited! 

 

I am having an ingrown Toenail removed this monday. I was in the Doctors office and we tried calling you 

but no one answered so hopefully you are all good with it ;)  I love you and I wish I had more time. 

ai shite Imasu. 
Elder Nebeker