28 July 2013 - Week 2 in Japan

Well another busy week!  This week we got a less active named Jay to joint (to joint means: to go out and teach with Travis and his companion) with us. It's kinda funny because he isn't active in the church but he will go and joint with us and teach lessons with us. We are working on him and one other less active named Tonga Kyodai (Kyodai is brother in Japanese.,  They are both from Tonga and less active. We had dinner at their house Friday and man can Tongans eat. There was so much food. We also found out that Tonga Kyodai has played in the World Cup and in the 7v7 Olympics for rugby.  So yeah I've eaten dinner with an Olympian I suppose.  He is about 37 or something though and nearing the end of his career. He hasn't been active since high school but Jay served a mission in Africa, however both have become inactive with their rugby careers and such.  They are pretty funny people though. 

The ward here is fun. We had a large lunch yesterday because one of the sisters is moving back to China. 

Man, Japanese kids are so wild. They run around after church and do things that if I did them when I was younger,I probably would get the paddle when we got home. haha    There is one little boy, Asahi, he's about Cassi`s age,  He lovesss dem kanchos (it is a Japanese thing where you get a finger enema). He actually quite enjoys giving out the frontal konchos as well, but those don't quite go over as well. You will just be randomly walking around the church and all of a sudden you hear kanchooo! and about a half second later you are getting a finger up the booty, then he runs off real fast. He is a real cute kid though. 

We also just had an American family from Lehi, Utah move in to the ward. They are 1 of 2 other families that are getting transferred because Microsoft or Micro something is doubling in size. Something like that. Dad probably knows. So they're kinda like us 14 years ago. Small children as well. 

I did buy a new bike, I will probably call her "The White Stallion", because she does things only a Stallion is capable of. and also shes white.

"White Stallion"

No, Mom, I am not fluent yet. I have quickly realized that within the missionaries at least there is much more English spoken than Japanese, even with Japanese missionaries present which is kinda a downer for me. I was really hoping for that native companion so I could just struggle then realize I have actually learned quite a bit. We speak way too much English and I hate it. The language is coming along though. 

Umm yes, I suppose you could send the hymn book to me but no need to rush, just wait till a package is sent in the future.  We have a big hymn book in our apartment that I have been using. 

What else happened this week....  well my ankle randomly got red marks on it and has been swollen since Wednesday, but I'm pretty sure it is getting better now.   It doesn't hurt to walk on it anymore. So, that's a relief. Not sure how it occurred though it just randomly happened, but no need to worry.  I pray about it so it will prolly heal real soon.

Swollen Ankle

Well that's pretty much our week.  More happened but not too much excitement.   We are going to the site where the atomic bomb exploded near Hiroshima for P-Day in a few hours.  That should be interesting.

Monument Building left from the Bombing of Hiroshima

Monument to victims of Hiroshima

What it looked like before the Bomb

What it looked like after the bomb as everything was wiped out

Some Articles from the Museum

Part of the Museum

Shell of Building that was left as a memorial

Trying out the small bike

River in Hiroshima

Photo of Devastation in Hiroshima

Well God is great and the church is true!!

Love,

Elder Bloomfield

Oh, I forgot to mention, there is a Boy Scout jamboree at the end of this week and through next week that will have 20,000 people and a bunch of different tents with different religions,  Our mission got a tent, so there are 6 Elders (all Eagle Scouts) that got selected to go.   Why they selected me I have no clue cause Japanese is quite the struggle.  We will be gone from Thursday to next Wednesday, so I just thought I'd let you know before you freaked out when I didn't email you on Monday. I remember how you would get excited whenever Kyle wouldn't email.  Well I hope all is well. I will be brushing up on my Japanese a whole lot this week!   Wish me luck!

We received a letter,some pictures and a map of the mission with a star on the area that Travis is now serving in from Travis's Mission President (Pres. C. Samuel Gustafson) and his wife.  He seems to be in great hands with them.  We have heard such awesome things about them and are grateful he has the opportunity to serve under their direction.

President and Sister Gustafson and Travis.  The picture was taken the 2nd day Travis was in Japan in front of the Fukuoka Temple. 

These are all the new missionaries that arrived in the mission the same day as Travis.  Travis is in the back of the picture and a little hard to see.

Here is the map of the Fukuoka Mission

Travis is in the Hiroshima area at the top in a place called Saijo.  There is a star over Saijo.

Here is a little information on the Gustafson's.

Thought for the week:

21 July 2013 - Week One in Japan

Well you guys are prolly just getting out of church, but it is 7:00 in the morning Monday here (Japan is 16 hours ahead of California).   Wild!!!!   My first week was pretty awesome!  It was real busy with lots of hard work though. There have already been nights where we haven't had dinner till we get back to the apartment at 9:00pm.

So the area I am in is called Saijo. It is technically in the Hiroshima area but just slightly east. There are only a couple members that live in the area, so we don't have a branch or church building or anything in our area. We all meet in the Hikari ward which is about a 40 min. train ride. It's a pretty large area as well. We have 3 sorta small towns that are in our area. Needless to say it is lots of biking around. I have probably already biked around 4 or 5 hours between Saturday and Sunday because we don't have a church building we can do our lessons in. Usually we have to do a 20 min. bike ride to the college to do lessons there. I am glad that we have a college in our area though, I like working with younger kids.  It is real cool. Our apartment we live in is just a kitchen, a study room, and then the room we sleep in plus a bathroom. It's not bad and yes we do all of our own cooking although I did get a member lunch already which was real cool. For my first meal my companion (Elder Dolbin) cooked me some squid. It was actually pretty good, I don't know why I never had some before. Oh yeah so my companion is Elder Dolbin. He is from Sandy, Utah, so the native speaker and having to pick up the Japanese real fast like I hoped didn't quite come to pass. 

We have actually been speaking much more English than I was expecting. since we have a college here, we have many more foreigners and their English is good enough that we teach them in that. We have already had 3 lessons in English. They were all way cool too. One of the girls that we teach in English remembered missionaries from when she was little and apparently her family used to hang out with them and she has a CTR (Choose the Right) ring that she has worn for like the last idk how many years but a pretty long time from what I understood.  She remembered how fun missionaries were and approached the elders in the area before us and now we are teaching her. When we told her that we know what our life's purpose was and that we know what happens after we die her eyes just got super big and was like you know what happens!?! and got way excited. We are teaching her that in about 2 hours. The other two English lessons we taught were to a Chinese guy named Gary (not his real name), and a Muslim guy from Turkey that said he would read the Book of Mormon, and wanted to learn more, but refused to meet again and said that it was not allowed. So that was that. Other than that though, that was pretty much my week.　

My trainer is only 4 transfers in and already District Leader so we are both still learning lots but he is much much farther along than me. I don't know what the heck these people are saying unless its simple stuff like "I don't have time" or "no, I've never thought about that".

Well I'm not sure what else has happened this week. I'm not sure if I've stopped sweating since I got here.  I also found out we are required to wear our suits every day from October to March soooo those are prolly gonna get pretty dirty which is unfortunate. 

Saijo is a pretty awesome place though and I'm real excited to be here. A few months ago they had 0 investigators and were just contacting, so it is growing. We do lots of contacting every day and lessons sometimes too.  They are really trying to get a new church building in Saijo that we can use but every time the word church is brought up by the realtor they back out and don't wanna sell it to us for some reason. Oh also guess what Stevo?  The sweet Japanese people still have a crush on Tom Cruise (When our family lived in Japan and when Steve served his mission there, the women always told him he looked just like Tom Cruise). My companion has gotten it 3 times already since I've been with him. They think he looks like Tom Cruise --- haha pretty funny. 

The Japanese people are awesome though, either they won't even stop to talk to us or they will stop on the street and let us teach a whole like 6 min. lesson and then will say "sorry I'm not interested" if we try to meet again. Sometimes when we say Jesus Christ they just laugh at us. Silly little people. Well that's all I can think of for now. Saijo is awesome though and has the work cut out for us. Real awesome!!!!  I hope you are all doing well. 

Lots of love from Japan!!

Elder Bloomfield

Trying out the food

Turning Monkey

Thought for the week:

16 July 2013 - I have arrived in Japan

Oh herrooo..

Well I hath made it to Fukuoka. It is like a brick wall of heat. It's pretty toasty. We barely made our connection in Tokyo because our flight was so delayed out of Dallas. Like if the flight hadn't waited for us gaijins (foreigners) and it had left on time we would have missed it. 

Last night we made it to the mission home, had some dinner and met our kaiicho (Mission President), did some paperwork then showered and went to bed. Today we have studied, done some orientation stuff, had lunch, got interviewed, and I just got back from doing some contacting in the streets. So far so good. I have had many hands thrown up and they just keep walking. People I've attempted to talk to.. like 2 and a half - people who have allowed me to say more than one sentence... 0. We will be going back out after this though. Kaiicho told us today that they are really trying to work with the members and stuff cause they aren't quite yet there,  but they are getting much better. Also in the last 3 months all of the numbers have at least doubled which is crazy. The work is apparently really picking up. Kaiicho is super nice and cares about our safety so no worries for you mom. Last year they had like 96 baptisms or something like that and this year their goal is 188 to double it. They have a goal of 2 per each zone each month (something like that) and 2 per each companionship every other transfer and with all the new missionaries coming in that comes up to around 188. 

Well that's all I can think of for now. Oh also the plane ride to Fukuoka was real funny. We sat down and by the end of the ride there were prolly at least 5 or 6 different discussions going on because there were just as many missionaries on the flight as other people. I was sitting next to two gaijins though so I just took a nice nap. 

We'll talk to ya laters. I will find out my area later tonight then off to it tomorrow.

ja matta wani

Elder Bloomfield

                                                       Thought for this week:

15 July 2013 - At the Salt Lake City Airport

This post is by me, Mom (Kris Bloomfield):

As mentioned in a previous post, Steve was headed back to Calif. Monday morning.  He thought he would just go a little early for his flight and just see if by chance he could see Travis at his gate.  I awoke, threw on some clothes and drove Steve to the airport at 4:45am.  As we pulled up to the curb and I turned to tell Steve goodbye, I glanced over in the airport and spotted Travis.  He had just checked his bags in and was headed towards security.  In excitement, I sent Steve off on his way and told him that I would sit right there and that he should call or text me if indeed I was correct and it was Travis.  He headed into the airport and with in a minute came back out with Travis.  It was soooooo awesome to be able to see him and give him one last hug before he headed off to Japan for the next 22 months to serve his mission.  He looked great as usual and was a little nervous, but mostly excited to just move on to the next stage of his mission.

Steve continued with him on through security and then to his gate.  He stayed with him until he boarded the plane and then watched him take off.  He enjoyed being able to speak a little Japanese with him!!! 

Travis called us from Dallas on his lay over.  He was able to talk to Olivia, Cassi, Grandma Nielsen, and myself.  He also made separate calls to Kyle and Mason.  It was good to have some last words with him before he left the USA.

Thought for this week:

13 July 2013 - Last email from the MTC

Demo dendobu hataraku (mission work) is real neat. Last week in the MTC was good. In TRC today the guy we taught served his mission in Fukuoka so it was cool to talk to him about Okinawa and stuff. My dream is to go there and even more southern. He said that our lesson was the first trc one he's ever had in which he felt like he was truly being taught by two missionaries. So I thought that was cool and I suppose it is a good thing since I leave to the real deal in two days. I'm pretty much packed already. My last gym time I tore up some basketball. watashi wa Michael Jordan no yoni basuke shimashita (I do basketball like Michael Jordan). honto ni (really!!!!). 

This is the survey that was filled out by the "mock investigator" after meeting with Travis and his companion.

Umm thats pretty much all I can think of right now from this week. Our last lessons with our investigators were real good. Our senseis (teachers) are awesome. We are truly blessed with the new teaching system and preparation system they have at the MTC now. With already teaching investigators and such like that. It's awesome. They might say we are the new wave of chosen generation of missionaries but it's not cause we are magically better or anything like that. It's because the church is getting the members to help so much more and we are being prepared better than ever before.  honto ni shukufuku (really blessed).

MTC Japanese teachers

Also I was pooping next to one of the nijonjin (Japanese) missionaries earlier this week (their mtc is closed so they come here) and I was like ohhh anata no unchi wa do deshitaka (how was your poop?) after he came out of the stall. He was just like ohhh dame no no (that is bad you shouldn't say that)! and was like shaking his hands and such. He seemed half surprised and half laughing. He was one of the more proper nihonjins (Japanese). hahah   It made me giggle real good, except I dont think I'll ever ask them about their poops again. That didn't go over to well last time. Maybe after we build a solid relationship first and he even trusts me enough to give me hugs. Those cute lil nihonjin boys.....   much to work on in opening them up to the real world. But as for now, no poop talks which is a bummer cause Hanohano and I enjoy doing our companionship inventories over a solid poop. We get much more out that way - from both ends. Well ta ta for now. I'll send the last pictures of the MTC later tonight.

Bloomfield Choro (Elder)

(Tomodachi's) Zane, Travis and ?

Last District picture in MTC with Japanese Flag

"Waku waku" (Typical Japanese pose)

"Kazoku ga arimasu"  (this is another Ford cousin that just arrived at the MTC - Calvin Millet)

Thought for this week:

9 July 2013 - Got my Travel plans

"Look honey! Take a picture! I got the pyramid in ma handsss."  (He loves to quote things)

Well I hath finally received my travel plans! Yahoooo! It's real exciting except for the fact that it is quite brutal. Sooo I have to be to the travel office by 2:30 am Monday morning (more like Sunday night). We fly out of SLC at 6am and then arrive in Dallas around 9:40am. Then we take off at 11:00am and don't get into Tokyo until 2:00 pm their time (which is on Tuesday). According to my calculations that's about an 11 hour flight maybe? Not really sure though, maybe 10 hours. Then we fly from Tokyo to Fukuoka from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. So at least on the bright side we will be arriving during the night time which could help out with the jet lag. Who knows though. Oh Scuba Steve could be flyin out Monday morning as well (We were all in Utah for a family wedding and Steve is flying back to Calif. while we stay for a few more days and he flies out Monday morning as well)?   What time will he be doing that at? I'm sure it's not gonna be before me so prolly if he was to the airport by 5;00am, he should make his flight in time which is exciting ;) What time is his flight at? Sooo the next question is when should I call you guys? Either at like 4:00 in the morning in SLC or the layover in Dallas is only about an hour so idk how much time that gives with trying to get to the gate and all. How much money should I put on the calling card? We can buy those at the mtc bookstore. How much does it cost to call from Tokyo? Bet that sure will be a wild time. 

I'm real excited. I've already decided that when I meet my companion if he is a native I will probably give him a nice hug because I heard they're not really about that life too much. If he is a native I sure am screwed though. So wild ;) Nihongo is fun though. I hope he is a native with absolutely no engwrish. NO SPEEK ENGWRISH! YO JAPANES NOTA GOOD. YO MUSUT TURAY HARDA. SPEEK DA RANGUAGE EBERY DAI. REEEESPECT YO ELDUU! WHY YOU NOT PERA PERA!? NOOO NO NO NONO! AEEYAAAA. SOO CHEAP! SOO CHEAP! SOOOO ESPENSEBBB..

Well enough of that. This week was a neat time. Totallyyy got to see some fireworks on the 4th of July!  Ohh heck yaa! and we got to watch the movie "17 Miracles" too. and you know what else?? We stayed up past 10:30pm watching the fireworks! Holyyy Moly ain't no missionaries gettin no miracles with no strict obedience the following day. 

The lessons with (?) were wild as ever. We were trying to teach him the law of chastity and he has a girlfriend, so he was kinda struggling with it then in the middle of our lesson he called his girlfriend and broke up with her and so we were like I'm real sorry  (?) and he was like oh its okay! and with a great grin he's like I still have her ipod! Then he proceeds to ask how many of the church members are beautiful and its okay if they're already married because he can just split them and such like that we were like jeezumsss your wild you can't be doing that. Then he asked if we were gay because while being missionaries were not looking for beautiful women to marry. Then in his closing prayer after our lesson he proceeded to thank Heavenly Father for his new ipod and for all the beautiful women and how we were straight and just weird stuff like that. He's crazy. but that's the lessons with him lately. 

In the devotionals Sunday I learned to be bold and bold doesn't mean loud. Bold means quiet but to the point and sincere. Also you must continuously be converting yourself to the Lord and conversion means getting rid of the natural man in you. If the natural man is an enemy to God how can we expect to receive revelation if we are being an enemy to God?  We must turn outward like Christ would when the natural man would turn inward and think only of them self. Charity, love and an eye single to the glory of the work of God.

Well that's all I can think of for now. Well ganbatee!

-Elder Bloomfield

"Jersey Shores"

Proclaiming the Gospel

"Love the lighting"

"Just meditating"

"Wow, he is magic"

"How he do dat?"

"I'm flying"

Can you see the ironing board he is sitting on?  The truth is revealed to the trick

Front view of the elephant

Side view of the Elephant

From these pictures, you can tell there is still plenty of free time at the MTC and Elder Bloomfield has chosen to use it well!!!  Ha ha.  Always an entertainer!!!!!!!

Thought for this week: