29 October 2013 - Two Typhoons Hit At the Same Time

Olivia Happy Birthday!!!   The present that you got that was in the small bag was from both me and mom :)   No problem!    That's what I'm here for!  Ha Ha   Try the veal!   I'll be here till Thursday!  (The last part is a family joke from the movie Shrek)

Well well, what happened this week?

Yes mother, indeed it was quite the downpour this week.   We actually had two typhoons hit Hiroshima at the same time so it was kinda like a ultra typhoon.   We were told to be safe on Wednesday and most people didn't even leave the apartment but shoot,  I had 3 appointments scheduled so I went out and did the Lords work.  It was pretty dang fun except for my companion was biking at 2 miles per hour because he thought it was the most safe thing to do.  I suppose he had a point but rain is rain, he just hasn't seen it like we did in Korea.  

One of our lessons that day was with Sho san and it was pretty sweet.   Azumi has found a love for jointing with the lessons with us.   She sent me an email after our lesson a couple weeks ago that thanked us for inviting her to the lesson and said how happy she felt now because of the lesson and she didn't even know why.   I testify to you all that if you want to have more happiness in your life, go share your testimony with just one person.   I can gurantee to you that with each person you share your testimony with your happiness will increase with each person. Azumi has found this and even though she still does not fully understand the spirit and the Holy Ghost she knows that just through sharing your thoughts (your testimony) you feel more Happiness that you don't even understand!    Ha ha with Sho san he was struggling to understand how the Holy Ghost works in our life and then
suddenly it clicked and he was like ohhhh so the Holy Ghost is like a girlfriend before you are baptized, you see her occasionally when you want to and when you make the effort, and then after you are baptized the Holy Ghost is like your wife, she is with you almost all of the time as long as you are doing the good things?   Ha ha it was pretty funny.   We were just like um yeah - actually, you nailed that one my friend.   It's amazing the questions and worries some people have sometimes though about things they just don't know before they ask.   One of his worries is that apparently he had the idea when you are baptized you get baptized naked... so that was kinda odd.   Good thing we cleared that up.   That lesson was way solid though and the spirit was way strong and then the next day his lesson was interesting yet again.  His lessons are always up and down.   His next lesson the first thing he asks me was... Sooo how good are you at reading dreams?    I had a dream my aunt and uncle had a baby that was a bug and had 4 legs so I shot it and killed it, and then they were so mad at me and I had to leave my mom and the country and woke up in the middle of the night and cried out.   I never cry out in the middle of the night!   So,  this must mean something.   What does it mean?　So that was a fun explanation.   Had to help him out with the whole dream revelation thing.   

We met with Gary again as well.   It was way cool, he was just like I know God is helping me, and I know your prayers are helping me everyday,  I believe that soon my wife will want to come to church.  I believe.  Coming from someone who didn't even have a faith that God existed 3 months ago... that was pretty cool.  I love the man so much.   

Umm other than that our week was just filled with some rain and contacting in the rain and the cold, which is not as effective as the not rain and not cold, as we have come to find out.  

Oh yesterday we got our feet cleaned by a bunch of little fish that bit all the dead skin and dirtiness off your feet. It was pretty cool and pretty difficult for my ticklish feet but no worries,  I ganbarued (was tough and stayed with it).

Getting feet cleaned and massaged by "Doctor Fish"

Well for my spiritual thought for my folks this week - fun fact: How can you build your testimony about a principle in the gospel??   Bear testimony about it!   Heavenly Father has promised us countless times in the D&C that if we will open our mouths this knowledge can be given to us.   D&C 21:9 -  He will bless all those who labor in his vineyard with a mighty blessing, a blessing that they can believe on his words.  Well missionary work is hard, you may say?    Don't know everything about the gospel?   Well you don't need to.   Heavenly Father also promises countless times in the D&C that he does not require us to learn the power of convincing of men before we do missionary work, but rather we are GIVEN this gift when we do his work.   We have over 80,000 missionaries in the world right now, are we all scholars?   Most definitely not.  We don't know everything about the gospel, but when we do his work he gives us the power to know enough.  I love you all and promise you more happiness and peace when you will help labor in his vineyard and fulfill your covenant you made when you were baptized! and that is to be a witness of Christ. 

Love you all and hope you are all doing well!    Ganbate kudasai!

Elder Bloomy

Sakuda Choro #2 

Hiroshima from far off

Balancing on the guard rail

The Elders on their way to dinner at some members home

Nearly fell to his death after loosing balance

The missionaries from Saijo at the Tanaka Family's Home for dinner

Guess Who?

Another trip to Miyagima to se the deer

Looking over board

Saijo Missionaries and Azumi at Miyagima

Travis, Azumi and Elder ?

Hanging low with the deer

Shop entrance at Miyagima

"The Dragons"

Ferry that takes you to Miyagima

Getting off the Ferry

Tree Climber

Cute little Japanese girl in her Kimono

Jumping for Joy

Miyagima through the hole in Statue

Waiting for the Gods to translate him at an old Japanese Temple/Shrine

Thought for the Week:

22 October 2013 - Packed Week

Konbanchiwaaaa,

How goes it?    This week was packed with weird meetings and things and made me end up feeling like I barely even had time to dendo.   On Monday we had a Ward party in Saijo which the Tonga family came to which was way cool.   I played with the little kids for most of the time and boy are they crazy.   The one who is like 8 years old has hair down to his booty and is quite the beaut of a mane.   The down side to the fun play date was because I am such a kind hearted soul,  I ended up giving two of my sports watches away to the 9 year old and 12 year old so for the rest of the week I kept losing what time it was.   But in the processes the 12 year old committed to pray by himself so it was a pretty good deal if I say so myself.  

I also met with Jay (the other tongan who plays rugby) last week and we set up a thing where we are going to start having a neat lil scripture party once a week for about an hour.   Food, scriptures, and Gods love what more do you need.   We are meeting with him tomorrow again so I'm pretty excited about that.   

There are a couple investigators I suppose I will talk about this week:

So Takamatsu san, as I said last week began a sudden change in his desires for the better.   He has started keeping commitments, expresses his desire to be baptized and now a surety of Gods existence, we however hit another road block, because he has no job, and told us he never wants one again.   He has no money to make the 45 min. train ride trek to church every Sunday so we are not quite sure what to do.   We hope as he continues to progress perhaps he will understand the need for a job. 

Also Dad guess what???    Gary is back!    The man just always makes me oh so happy.   We met with him this week a couple times and guess what???  We taught him a lesson on faith using good ol John Bloomfield's stories.   I bet John Bloomfield never thought as he made those decisions 150 years ago that he would even be able to affect a Chinese man 150 years later.   Heavenly Father works in many many ways and we never know how many people 1 single decision can affect.    Gary told us though that he does want to be baptized but because of his wife he can't.    It was quite sad.    He committed to talk to her about the good feelings and the truthfulness  the gospel brings to him and if that doesn't work just try writing a letter or something.   He has built his faith so much in the past couple months even though he doesn't realize it.    What a neat guy!!

We also met with Reuben and had to explain to him how his first baptism was missing the all important priesthood and he committed to begin meeting with us once a week so he can learn if the Book of Mormon is true.  So that was fun.

Things in the apartment are fun these days.   I feel like I am the mom most of the time.  I am doing all the cooking and most of the cleaning,   My journal writing and gengo benkyo have been suffering from it lately but what can ya do.   These things must be done. haha   Yeah cheese is hard to come by.   Guess what I have been cooking in plentiful these days???  Yep you guessed it.   We have kimpchi about once a week.   I have yet to eat it plain like mom did though.    I add it with chicken and rice and its not too bad.   Most definitely I would not be able to make that same meal again haha   It was a wild spicen time.

Dang Olivia was aggressive in soccer ehh?   Is she still just as stubborn in the household of the Bloomfields?    You sound pretty durn busy.   What else is new ehh?   Not much here. 

Pretty crazy cousin Matt who is serving his mission in Austin is hanging out with our old friends though.   Maybe he can remind some of them to remind some old friends in Austin that they have all forgotten to write me still. just a thought ehh? ;)

Well I hope all is well and all is safe.   I have a challenge for you all.   Pray tonight about one way God has helped you even today, in a way that you didn't expect before.   Gods hand is in our everyday life.  You must first just realize these blessings and be grateful and you will be surprised at how many things he has done for you in this one day alone. 

Take care!

Sakura Kyodai

Fall in Saijo

                                                                        Thought for the week:

14 October 2013 - "Didn't Know You Could Cook So Good"

Greetings from planet weezy,

Well week one with the new bean was a fun time. haha   He reminds me of a Zack Effran or however the heck you spell that mans name.   He's got the looks of that man, his voice however is not the same.  I am excited to work with him this transfer though. Not only my speaking skills have increased, the cooking has as well!   It's quite the fun time.    The other two elders in our apartment, one is on his last transfer (so he never wants to cook) and then one is a bean as well.   So the cooking is up to t-daddy!    Let me tell you about last nights dinner so you can have a small taste of what this transfers meals may be like... We wanted to cook some soba but we found out the noodles are bad after we have already  cooked the carrots and onions, no fear I am here!    So I throw in some meat and for about 15 minutes (we have a large supply of random weird Japanese oils and spices that I can't read),  I turn, grab whichever spice looks most promising, and throw that bad boy in the pan!   I built the philosophy of the better the smell the better the taste so I continued adding random spices I would find until the smell was sufficient to my chef nostrils. and what is the result?   "Dang Elder Bloomfield, I didn't know you could cook so good. This meat tastes pretty good!` "Ohhh yeahhh it sure does!   Kind of reminded me of dads ol chicken that tasted so good."   It was a similar sort of satisfaction.   Especially because previous to the first bite it was all a surprise to me as well!

Now to the spiritual side of the week, I have decided to just bless you with my letter I sent to Kaicho (Mission President) since I am as always short on time and it would be faster to copy and paste.    The 1 computer in Saijo for us 8 missionaries proves to make an effective p-day quite difficult.   P-days are not really p-days (preparation days) and usually are just stressful and I'd rather just dendo for 2 years and leave it at that.  Apparently that's not how the white handbook has it.

Well this week was filled with companions packing to leave Saijo and then new companions moving in and getting a feel of Saijo so not as much dendo was completed as could have I am sad to say.   I am very excited to work with the twin towers and Elder Walton though.   I can already tell Elder Henderson will be a good missionary.   He knows why he is here and our weekend filled with General Conference and lack of dendo frustrated him.   Loving the dendo fire!    Elder Walton is very excited to work in Saijo as well.   Everyone in the apartment has the passion and excitement to build a branch in Saijo ASAP and are willing to put in the work required it seems.   It brings me much much joy.   Last week while I was in Fukuoka Elder Dolbin and Elder Takahashi visited our investigator,  Takamatsu san and after he wouldn't commit to follow the word of wisdom because he had no faith in himself, Elder Dolbin and Elder Takahashi told me they dropped him then and there.   I was slightly frustrated, not really knowing the situation because I wasn't there, and we already had a plan to read with him everyday for 2 weeks to help him to feel the spirit and want to follow it then become much more bold and let him really understand the necessities to change his life around, but I accepted their judgement and he was a dropped investigator until Thursday.   He then called me and asked if we could come over, and since then it has been different!   He has more of a desire to know for himself whether these things are true, and is beginning to feel the spirit more and more.   Moral of the story, everything happens for a reason, just trust the judgement of others!    Perhaps it was the bold lesson from Elder Takahashi and Elder Dolbin then no lessons for a few days that helped him to realize he feels the spirit with us every time we are with him.   We also were able to get the Tongans to our ward activity yesterday!    I found out from talking to their son that they have begun to have family prayer every night after Elder Takahashi and I shared a scripture and lesson about prayer to Tonga Kyodai.   So that was a beautiful surprise and the son promised me he would start praying on his own.   The family is way fun and I hope we can someway help Brother Tonga to understand the increased happiness his family will have from this gospel.   

Thank you for all that you do kaicho.   I am excited to work and grow with Elder Walton.   I have yet to pass off any of the medium lessons (because of the isogashii, however I will improve this week) of the lesson mastery, yet we are teaching 30 to 45 minute lessons with Takamatsu everyday.   Needless to say,  the gift of tongues is a beautiful gift that I am indeed thankful for!   We will continue to give all we have to Saijo.

Oh and yes I did have the opportunity to watch General Conference this past weekend.   It was way good.   I loved it!    I have learned I don't need to attend a finance class when I get home, as long as I follow the wise words of Elder Bednar and pay my tithing,  all will be well.   There were many many good talks so I will get into those another time.   

Mom, that is way cool that you and Olivia are jointing and doing so much missionary work!   How old is Olivia's friend?

Elder Dolbin went ZL (Zone Leader) in Kumamoto.   He actually traded with Elder Trane, the one who will die here at the end of the transfer.   He was way sad to go and told me he misses me but I will see him soon someday :)

No,  I didn't find the camera but I had a less active track it down for me.   BOOYAHHH!   That's how missionary work is down baby.   Loose your things, involve the less actives, help them to feel needed and loved, then tell them you are too busy and can only meet them at church.   That's what I'm talking aboouuut!

Backpacks are actually not allowed in mission rules apparently, so I only use it when I am traveling.

Also I got to play soccer with a bunch of Japanese old men and kids from our Stake yesterday.    That got me all riled up and ready to go.   I loved it so dearly and miss the beautiful game.

Hope all is well and everyone is safe!

Love you all!

Elder Bloomberg

Sister Missionaries and Elder Hendersen assigned to  Saijo

New Missionaries assigned to Saijo

Thought for the week:

7 October 2013 - Going Trainer

Well hello there family.  No, I have not yet seen any of General Conference.  We will watch it next weekend as a stake in Takasu.  Also I hath realized that because I only have around half an hour every week I never have time to respond to any ones emails, so I shall briefly respond now.

Anesan/husband (Kyoshi) - Well it sure is good to hear that Kara allowed you to play some fifa on your birthday. I also housed into a guy that reminded me of you a few days ago. Other than his wretched b.o. and strong smelling of smoke he was about your same height with same body build.  He gave me the giggles.  Kara hopefully you are being kind to your middle school children

Onisan/Okusan (Kyle) - Danggg new salesman in the house?? Sounds like some Clark Kent status stuff to me. Pretty legit!   I don't quite remember what else I needed to respond to but keep up that biz bizz eh?

Ototo (Mason) - That sure is a beautiful mane (Mason is growing a mullet).  You probably shouldn't cut it until the 4th new moon comes.  Also sounds like your soccer career is coming quite well in that their `best attacker` status you've given yourself.   Perhaps some Preach My Gospel pg. 120 would help though ;) 

Imototachi (Olivia) - Jeezums Livi you can wake board?  I used to think you were just a wine bucket but you're like the real deal or something.  Thanks for the email of support a few weeks ago.  Real cute stuff.   Cassi I never hear from you so you're probably riding on Hershey or building a boat or something but keep doing whatever you do! 

Otosan/Okasan (Dad/Mom) - I email you every week so that's fun :)

Wellll I hath received some interesting transfer news. Indeed I am staying in Saijo (thank goodness <3) but aparentlyyyyy I am going TRAINER??  Still not quite sure how to understand my investigators fully but apparently I will be training next transfer!   I am indeed excited for this new challenge quite excited indeed actually, however those I talk to on the streets everyday and my investigators will most likely need all of your prayers because they will now be relying on my Japanese... which I'm pretty sure I still do not know.  haha   We were told in the honbu that by the end of our 12 weeks training we should be able to train, but I never really thought Kaicho (Mission President) was serious.   I took a shinkansen to Fukuoka yesterday and we got a real cool trainer training and it was real inspirational so I'm pumped for it all.   I still don't know who I will be training cause we haven't yet got our official call, just a call last Friday telling me I need to come to Fukuoka Monday for trainer training. 

Now onto the week.  We have an investigator who has a mad addiction to gaming.  So bad that his apartment was literally just a mountain of trash. this man needs the gospel more than anyone, so in order for him to be able to feel the spirit, we cleaned this mans apartment!   Dang good thing I was taught how to clean when I was younger.   It was disgusting.   Underneath all of the trash was a centimeter layer of dirt hair and bugs...  Literally the nastiest thing I've done before.  You would pick up a newspaper and spiders and cockroaches would fall off from underneath it.   Mom you probably would have broke down in tears.  Grandpa probably would have broken his arm.   Kyle probably would have eaten the bugs since he lived in Nicaragua.   We are meeting with him everyday to help him feel the spirit everyday.   He doesn't have much faith in himself in being able to change so we will see if he is able to put forth his own effort in the next few weeks.   Other than that this week was pretty normal.

The "Before"

The "After"

It dumped rain a couple days and the leather from my shoes turned my feets yellow.  haha    I looked like an umpa loompa.    Apparently a typhoon is supposed to hit tonight. 

Elder Takahashi goes home on Thursday.   There were moments in the transfer when he was just ridiculous, (sleeping through companion study just a small example) but I love the man and I'm sad to see him go.   When I could get him motivated he really was a subarashii senkyoshi. haha   He's just a goofy kid.   I'll miss him.   

Biking at its best!

Morning Run

Well that's all I can really think of for this week.   Not too much happened. haha   

Oh, I am currently teaching Sister Watanabe sign language.   She says to tell you mom that you are a bijin (beautiful) and dad is handsamm.   She enjoys our family picture. hahah   Nihonjins are so fun! 

Well hope all is well.   All I can think of for now!

Tallyhooo

Elder Bloomfield


                                                                       Thought for the week: