Missionary Moments

..... My week was alright.

It has rained almost every day since last Tuesday, which has proved quite annoying for missionary activity. Despite that we managed to break our drought with not just one but two new investigators! Hopefully it will not be just that, but also we will be able to begin meeting with all our current ones this coming week. Japanese summer 'holidays' starts in a couple of weeks...... Japanese are busy busy people.

We got to meet President Welch on Tuesday. He is a lot like President Zinke, but different sense of humour. He has also been a stake president up in Tokyo and is fluent in Japanese. President Zinke was not fluent in Japanese. The mission is going to change a bit, there have already been a few small changes, like we have to teach the first five lessons before baptism and teach all the lessons again taking the lead after baptism too. Japan has a high LA count, and this will help us to at least retain the people that we do get baptised. .....it does seem that everyone goes less active in the first 6 months after baptism. 

I look forward to spending the rest of my mission with President Welch though, he seems to have the skills that are needed to keep this mission growing. We are also getting IPads in the next few months or so.... very very much looking forward to that and the benefits that will bring. 

We had a member make dinner for us and a few investigators at the Chapel on Saturday. This member is also a speed artist and I now have a picture of my face to hang up somewhere. Sunday we went to a cultural performance after Church that a lady we housed into invited us too, it was pretty cool, got to see taiko (I think that is how you say??) drummers and enjoy some Japanese-y free entertainment. It was Sunday though, so we didn't stay too long. 

The less active we have been visiting finally gave a prayer with us when we visited, and it was a very good one, and she is happy and excited to go to Church every week now. Success. It's almost like another Baptism.

I do think a lot about what has changed about me so far, I often think to myself, if I were to go home right now, what would I do differently? What would I be happy with? What will I regret not having done enough (the longest list) and from that make more goals about what I want to get out of my mission for myself as well as those around me......

We have a big typhoon coming in in the next couple of days, .....

Elder Rowlings with Japanese police in the background

the picture of Elder Rowlings done by the quick sketch artist