I am a Missionary, I know it, I live it, I love it

Well I'm sure you are wanting to know about my back and you have probably heard some from Sister Smith. But I went to the Doctors on Wednesday at 8:30 and waited until 12:30 to actually see the Doctor. It was the same  doctor as last time and he had told me last time that I should just rest and I will be fine. So I wasn't to happy to see him again, but I explained to him my pain and so he let me take a MRI after some discussion. I went and had the MRI and I went back and it was a different Doctor and he was really funny. He said that he has met some doctors that work at the University of Utah. But he took a look at the MRI and one of my discs in my back had collapsed and the one above it was partially herniated. So he tested some of my reflexes and I don't have a reflex in my right ankle. So I kind of walk with a limp. But he said that I should take it easy for about 2 months or I could have surgery. But I can definitely feel everyone's prayers. I can walk pretty good and at least proselyte and do the things a missionary needs to do. So thank you! I can tell that my back is very fragile so I am trying to be careful.

So every week I get to the opportunity to do a District meeting. This week I thought I would give our District a theme. So I chose the Theme, "I am a missionary, I know, I live it, I love it."  The district and I discussed why each of them were important. I asked each missionary why they chose to go on a mission. And wow, hearing everyone bear testimony about how they and why they chose to come was a really cool experience. Definitely one to remember. The District is really cool. I am glad I get to work with them. I attached a picture of our district, we decided to be zombies. I think it turned out pretty good. ( It was District P-day today.)

I also attached a picture of my companion. Elder Kugai. He is doing really well, He likes to sleep, a lot. He can fall asleep literally anywhere. I have been stressing to him that an effective Missionary is someone who is always inviting others to do something to come closer to Christ. I think that a lot of people just look at numbers and how many people they baptized. When it is our desire to serve and bring people closer to Christ. It is the peoples agency whether or not they act on the message.

Oh I also attached a picture of my burnt coat. I don't need a new one. I had a member cut the burned portion out and then I found an old coat that was in the apartment and took some material from that and had her sew it. It actually looks pretty good and gives it some more character and a memory.

I also sent a picture of me in a hulk mask. I got the mask from a member in Aizuwakamatsu. I was thinking about using it for this years Halloween party. 

Well this week was pretty good. Our finding time has been kind of limited recently because of my back and having to be at the doctors. But I think that this upcoming week should be pretty good. This week we taught Narita san, Who is really cool. Except for he mostly has interest in learning English. But we discussed repentance and we broke down the word repentance for him. I used my Dictionary to break it down. But Re- is to do again. Pent- Means the past, ance- Means an action. So we thought it was interesting how it broke down in English.  We took the Japanese (悔い改め) (Kuiaratame) And the first Kanji in it is Heart (心) But the way it is written is like a child's heart. And the last part (aratame) (改め which means to revise or change. So the way we looked at it is how Christ always tells us to become like children. Through Repentance. We do an action that takes us to a state from the past like a child. But through repentance, We revise and change who we are to become better.　I thought it was really cool.

This week we also taught one of our investigators Akimoto san. He is hilarious and way rich and pretty well known here in Hirosaki. He took us out to eat after our lesson to a hotel restaurant.  Everyone knew him and they just let him park wherever he wanted and treated him like a king. It was pretty funny. But He is doing good. He has a lot of questions about the purpose of life and about after death. So we are working on him with that. I think that he will really start to progress here shortly. 

Well That was basically my week. I hope that everyone is doing good. I love you all. 

Elder Nebeker