10 February 2014 - Snow and Bikes, Not the Best Combination

Hmmm what to report on this week. Well the funny thing about last week is I said it seemed to be warming up a bit.. Then this week it snowed all week.   It was quite the experience, biking uphills in snow and slush can be a little more difficult than one might imagine. It was pretty awesome.   You would go from side to side almost falling about ever 5 feet to barely catch yourself and keep going.   It was hilarious,  I would just laugh every time we were biking up hills because it was just impossible.   I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and look forward to my next encounter with the blizzard.   On with the snow also brought many little children having snowball fights, which also brought them to enjoy throwing them at the big gaijin (Foreigner) walking past them.   I usually felt bad hitting them with snowballs though. 

Snow in Saijo

Joys of riding bikes in the snow and slush.

This week Haishan and Chunka, the Mongolian couple were baptized!   They are such a cool family.   Haishan is such an incredible man.   He will one day be the Branch President of Saijo,   I have no doubts in my mind.   We were also able to meet with Bing Bing (the wife of the Chinese family) this week.   It was a way good lesson.   The husband was doing research at the college but we were able to talk to her about what we do as missionaries and she seems excited to get to read the Book of Mormon and try to find if a God really even exists.   She has much time to read since she just hangs out at home with her new 4 month old baby girl.   

We also met with Sho a couple of times this week.   He and I blessed the Sacrament together on Sunday.   That was a pretty cool experience seeing as it will probably be my last Sunday in Saijo. haha   It was pretty funny when he first started breaking the bread the pieces were absolutely massive! haha   One piece he broke off was like an entire side of crust,  I was like woah woah there friend, it's not a meal we are just breaking off small pieces now.   He nailed it though.   He blessed the sacrament, then bore his testimony during fast and testimony meeting,   We had a shokuji (party/get together) after church for him that the YSA girls did for him (which was indeed 5 girls) and Azumi was here too.  We told him he is the big dog around here now.  After the party we unfortunately had to say our goodbyes because he is going to be in Osaka until Friday and I have some good chances of leaving Saijo on Thursday.  He was like "man I'm so sad right now!"  He's a funny kid. he . It is amazing how much he has changed.   He is so strong in the gospel now.   It makes me happy that both he and Azumi are so strong.   I think that would be something that would hurt me the most if I  ever find out one of my recent converts goes less active after all the growth we see in them.  

Sho, Travis and Azumi  for the last time before Travis was tranferred from Saijo

Sho and Travis enjoying the Shokuji

I have been here quite awhile but still don't want to leave. So many cool miracles here in Saijo and Saijo is really starting to take off now.   We had a baptism last week, we will have another one this week.   In a few weeks from now Saijo`s active members will have gone from 2 to 9.   Gods hand is evident every single day!   You can literally feel Gods love for these people here as we go out and dendo every single day.   It is a special place and growing fast.   Saijo will one day have an institute and game center for the college students nearby.  

Christ lives and this work is powered through his atonement. hope all is well and healthy. 

Elder Bloomfield

P.S.  I just got my transfer call.  Sooo apparently I am going Kagoshima as a Zone Leader??   It's weird because I have never lead a training meeting yet.  Someone must be confused.   We will see how this goes.

          
                                           Thought for the week: