True Disciples–Now and Forever

Ten elders returned home last week.  There was always something special about this group.  We first met these missionaries while they were in the Missionary Training Center.  They arrived in Japan just a few short days after we did.  We didn’t know what we were doing – but they loved us anyway.  We will forever be grateful for these hard working elders!

We had a farewell dinner.

A good-bye breakfast.

Some piano time.

Some fun pictures.

Some True Disciple pictures.

Our family picture.

What fun we’ve had.

But this shows what these elders are all about.

True Brotherhood.

True Disciples – One and All.

True Disciples – Now and Forever.

True Disciples – Never Die!

Our Biggest Group Ever – Again

Last week we welcomed twenty new energetic missionaries from the Missionary Training Center.  What a crazy week it was…but what fun!  Fourteen of them come to us from right here in Japan, three are from Australia and three Americans.  We are thrilled with our new missionaries!

The Assistants loading the luggage into a truck.  It took three vans and a truck to get everyone home from the airport.

The next day was filled with training and interviews with the President.

Uenami Shimai

Kogure and Tojo Shimai

Lee Shimai

Collings Shimai

Pipers Shimai

Yoza Shimai

Ishizawa Shimai

Takanezawa Shimai

Mizuguchi Shimai

Yamamoto Choro

Scott Choro

Dignam Choro

Hoshino Choro

Furukawa Choro

Maeno Choro

Mizuguchi Choro

Yamaguchi Choro

Yamazaki Choro

Hayashi Choro

Friday morning the missionaries awoke to climb the mountain behind the mission home for a view of Kobe.  The assistants, office elders, Kobe elders and Kobe sisters joined the new group for the run.  The day was a bit hazy but still so much fun!  Once at the top they participated in morning exercise to the radio with the neighbors!

Here they are waiting nervously to find out who their first companion will be and where they will serve.  The trainers are almost as nervous as the new missionaries!

Here are the trainers.  They’ve left a seat beside them for their new missionary.

Finally, matched up.

Sisters Simmons and Pipers

Sisters Davis and Ishizawa

Sisters Brotherson and Uenami

Sisters Kubo and Tojo

Sisters Kogure and Tsuru

Sisters Takasaki and Takanezawa

Sisters Long and Collings

Sisters Dobson and Lee

Sisters Murayama and Mizuguchi

Sisters Nakatsuka and Yoza

Elders Williams and Scott

Elders Kawabata and Hayashi

Elders Matsumoto and Furukawa

Elders Furukawa and Mizuguchi

Elders Wilde and Hoshino

Elders Nukaya and Yamamoto

Elders Maeno and Ogasawara

Elders Dignam and Wilcox

Elders Honda and Yamaguchi

Elders Yamazaki and Henderson

A few minutes to get to know each other!

And then they were off to to the far reaches of the mission.

It’s Always Sad When They Go

This group of missionaries had a few weeks with the previous mission president before we arrived, but they finished their missions with us.  The fourteen of them returned to Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, Ohio, West Virginia, Utah, South Carolina, Brazil and several places in Japan.

This first picture is of them reciting Doctrine and Covenants Section 4 for the new missionaries in English and Japanese on their last day in the mission.

Elder Ford’s family came from Tokyo to pick him up.

And here is the group.

Gone but not forgotten.

Our Biggest Group Ever

Sixteen new missionaries have joined the Japan Kobe Mission.  Last week they arrived fresh and ready to go.  It was the largest incoming group we have had so far…and what fun we had!  They arrived into a different airport than our other groups and it was pretty crowded so it was a bit tough to get pictures.

The President and his assistants eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Here they come!

Outside waiting to load the luggage into the truck.

President’s assistant Elder Wilde loading the truck.

Elder Hutchings drove to Kobe in the baggage truck with the office elders so he wasn’t with us in the parking lot for the picture.

Don’t they all look great!  Now home for some dinner and then to bed.  A big day tomorrow…

Our next day:  Training, registering at government offices, signing the True Disciple quilt, interviews with the President, and a farewell testimony meeting.

Sister Owens

Sister Hayashi

Sister Fish

Sister Nanjo

Elder Hapi

Elder Grant

Elder Kumakura

Elder Yamaguchi

Elder Jensen

Elder Hiratsuka

Elder Hutchison

Elder de Oliveira

Elder Harris

Elder Hutchings

Elder Oliveira

Elder Kishihara

Waiting for their interviews…

The next day began with a run up Rokko Mountain to see the view of Kobe in the morning.

After a bit of training it is finally match time!  

Sisters Koizumi and Nanjo

Sister Anderson and Owens

Sisters Hara and Hayashi

Sisters Lewis and Fish

Elders Jeppson and Hutchison

Elders Sekiguchi and Hiratsuka

Elders de Oliveira and Pitcher

Elders Rice and Oliveira

Elders Singleton and Kishihara

Elders Healey and Grant

Elders Wilkes and Harris

Elders Hapi and Filiaga

Elders Mineta and Kumakura

Elders Lewis and Jensen

Elders Nakatsuka, Hutchings, and Day

Elders Sakamoto and Yamaguchi

President and his assistants training the new companionships before they leave for their new areas.

Elders Fausett and Boice

Fed, trained, and supplied…off to their new areas they go!

With helmets and sheets in hand these sisters are ready!

What a bunch of great new missionaries.  What a week it was!

A Priceless Work of Art

Our granddaughter Evie loves to draw.  She really is quite the artist.  The President asked if she would like to draw a picture that he could hang in his office.  The instructions to her were just to draw a picture of missionaries.  Evie was eight years old at the time.

Well, she went to work.  She started, then started over, then started over again.  She then decided that she would make her notes.  So prepared.  Height just right.  Hair color just right.  Eye color just right.  So wanting to do everything just right.  Notice the line about being careful not to blow the erasings off because she might spit on the paper.  Obviously from experience.  Priceless.

She was on what she thought was her final draft when she failed to put away her paper and her little two year old sister decided that she would help with the drawing.  This devastated Evie.  She cried.  She couldn’t even begin again for quite a while.  Then it happened.  She was ready to face this huge task.  And look at the final piece.  She even added the mission motto True Disciples – One and All.  Priceless.

Love the snow on Mt. Fuji.  Love the sun.  Love the temple roof.  Love the kimonos.  Love the missionaries.  Love the scriptures.  Love the detail.  Just love it.  Priceless!

March Zone Leader Council

Some changes were made in the zone leader ranks.  Ten new zone leaders began their service this transfer.

They’ve Finished Their Work

This returning group has finished their work.  Their bodies are tired but their spirits are not.  The group stood and recited Doctrine and Covenants Section 4 in English and Japanese for the new missionaries.

Elder Shigeta’s parents drove through the night to come to pick him up.

These Elders return home to Utah, Oregon, Nevada, North Carolina, Maryland, Japan, and Australia.

Elders Hale, Shimizu, Pearson, Jou, Cluff, Maris, Vilchis, Takeda, Delmege, Shigeta, and Tukukino

They are heading home True Disciples – Now and Forever!