17 June 2014 - Irisa-san Learns of the Blessings From Keeping the Commandments.

Hey fam.,

So today is transfers,  that's why I'm emailing on Tuesday.   The work is great fun as always.   Irisa is doing well. Because of her faith and trust in God she is blessed with great miracles every week.   She is an amazing woman and a great example for everyone.

2 years ago her husband was in the hospital soon to die, two strangers (the missionaries) taught her about prayer, she put her faith to the test, and she was blessed with a husband who was healed from his sickness.   We taught her about fasting, she decided to put her faith to the test and fasted herself (without us asking her to), as she ended her fast she felt she didn't have the appetite for her usual cup of coffee.   As we taught her about the Word of Wisdom, because she had already been blessed from putting her faith to the test, she knew this commandment was from God and he would bless her if she followed it. Despite working in a cafe all day every day, she gives up coffee, tea, and alcohol, to put her trust in God.   Last week we taught her about tithing, she just started her business and so she still has many fees she is working on paying off, most would think,  "I don't have enough money to pay tithing as well as it's just not possible",   Irisa san told us she knows she will be blessed from God and told us she wants to follow the Law of Tithing after she is baptized.   Before this week she was only coming to an hour of church because she had to get back to work so she can make much needed money, this week we taught her about Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, coming to all three hours of church, and not working on Sundays, despite her situation she is in, she told us she wanted to follow what God has for her, for she knows she will be blessed.   On Sunday she closed her shop for the entire day and came to all three hours of church. Yesterday when we visited her for a lesson, she told us her profits for that day were 4x as much as any other Monday she had ever had before, and knew it was because she followed the Sabbath Day.   Her daughter just moved to New York and so because she doesn't yet have a phone she had no way of contacting her. she was worried about her and so she decided to say a prayer.   After she ended her prayer she saw on her computer she received an email from her daughter and she was able to Skye with her for a bit.   She is excited to be baptized this week and told us she knows baptism will bring even more blessings into her life.   Irisa san is a simple example of how commandments do not complicate our life, do not bring more rules into our life, but make everything much more simple.   When we follow the standards we have set for ourselves and not see them as a burden, we find our self with much more success and happiness in life.

This week we were also able to play soccer with the Kameda family!!   It was way fun, the kids were pretty funny. All 6 kids and mom came to church Sunday.  They were pretty rowdy again, I almost got through all 4 quarters successfully but my 4th quarter plan was to give the little ones suckers to keep them quiet, but then a member told us that is dame (not good) and they couldn't have suckers... so instead they were rowdy the last 15 minutes. How unfortunate that was. But they still loved church and told us it was way fun again.   The father unfortunately wasn't able to make it.   He gave us an excuse I didn't expect to receive here in Japan on my mission. he gave us the World Cup excuse and said there is not time for church cause he has to watch the game.... shimata,  he`s good.

But, life here is good and fun.   Rainy season is a good ol time that's for sure.   Hows the World Cup (the World Cup is being played in Brazil) aye!?!?   Japan slipped up a bit, but USA is holdin strong, hoya.

Well Stevo, Happy Fathers Day anyways!   I bet it was a stellar one with some solid chicken.   You ll be glad to know that you are known as Tom Cruise (all the years our family lived in Japan, the Japanese people, especially the women, said that they thought Steve looks just like Tom Cruise)in my Eikaiwa  (English) class, the legend lives on ;)

Oh also,  I didn't tell you about transfers.   I'm staying in Kagoshima for another one.   Perhaps I will only serve in 3 areas in my entire mission at this rate, but I don't really mind it as long as I see success and do the Lords will. I am still with Elder Sasaki so that should be a fun time.   He still doesn't really understand sarcasm so its pretty hilarious, but he is getting better.

Elder Bloomfield

Thought for the week:

8 June 2014 - 4 Quarters of Sacrament Meeting

Hey, hey, heyyy, its me. 

But anyways this week was a good time.   So we were pretty nervous to teach Irisa san about the Word of Wisdom, since she owns a cafe and all. It turned out to be a way cool miracle. We came to find out she decided to fast on Sunday after we taught her fasting at church, and when she ended her fast at dinner time she saw her cup of coffee and wasn't sure why but felt like she didn't want to drink it.   When we taught the Word of Wisdom she told us she already knows this commandment is from God and the blessings she can receive from it, and despite working in her cafe everyday, at church Sunday she told us she hasn't drank any coffee and has been way happy.   The rate her faith has grown each week is pretty crazy, she was approached by some anti christian men in Kagoshima but told us the things they said didn't change her faith. 

Kameda san was way fun this week.   haha   I love the family a lot.   The kids love us so much and unfortunately it seems I've become known as the fun missionary who will lift you into the air like a rocket every time he visits, because every time I come now the first thing the kids do is come to me with their hands in the air ready to fly. They pray together almost every night.   She has a deep trust for us as servants of God, and seems to accept anything we say to her as truth from God and knows she needs to apply it into her life to find that happiness.   The only problem to this is that she doesn't always see the need for truly praying to God to have her own answer from prayer, but is making progress in her personal prayers.   As we taught what happens after we die this week, Kameda san told us she had two kids that died when they were born but has always felt that they were still helping her and watching out for her, and because of this told us she knew what we were teaching was true.   We talked to her this week about her family having this same happiness and she told us she wants her 9 year old daughter (who recently started studying the Book of Mormon and praying by herself.   What! she's only 9!   Who does that?) to be baptized as well.   Kameda san and 3 of the kids were able to come to church Sunday, but have a goal for the entire family, father included, to be at church next Sunday. 

At church Sunday I realized Sacrament Meeting with the kids is similar to a basketball game.   There are 4 quarters to keeping them quiet. 

1st quarter- This would be the Opening Prayer.   I brought coloring books and crayons to keep them quiet for this one, and it worked out well.   We got through the Opening Prayer with almost no random yells.   But they soon lost interest and that's where the second quarter comes in... 

2nd quarter - The Sacrament, I realized I will need to bring snacks next week but luckily the Sacrament was able to suffice this week. 

3rd quarter - It is a little bit of a long one, the first two talks, usually about 3 bathroom breaks are taken, perhaps too much Gatorade or oranges were eaten during halftime and so they have a hard time staying in the game for too long.   Then finally the 4th quarter.

4th quarter - Things are a bit restless, it's the 4th quarter and they are tired, but through a lot of motivation (mints, pictures, Book of Mormon, anything) we are able to ganbaru (hang in there with) and stay quiet till the end. 

But yeah, this week was good.   We went to Fukuoka on Thursday for MLC (Mission Leader Conference) and were told we need to do a Zone Training meeting tomorrow (Tuesday). so we spent most of our p day today planning for that bad boy.   It's always a fun time here.   It's way hot everyday, not sure when this rain season is gonna start, we were told it would start like 2 weeks ago but that never happened.   Maybe were in a drought too! 

Elder  Bloomfield

Travis passes this AD on his way to the church and he thought it reminded him a little of Kyoshi

Biking around the volcano.  It is so dirty.

Cool picture of Kagoshima and the Sakurajima Volcano

Thought for the week:

3 June 2014 - "Cool Story"

We didn't get to do any emailing yesterday and our p day was cut short because of a bunch of the stuff we had to get done so we are finishing our emailing today real quick.   

Cool story, so we were still short by 6 of our new investigator goal for this month on Saturday, the 31st.   So we were kinda bummed but really really wanted to reach our goal and knew God would lead us to those in need.   I remembered Dad's email a couple weeks ago and I really wanted to try basketball dendo like he did and see how it went.   I talked about it in my email to President but long story short,  through Gods miracles we were able to find 6 new investigators in just an hour and a half, it was way cool and we were able to reach our May goal we had set. 

We met with one of them, a college student on Sunday, he talked about how his dad works on an island (the one I went to last transfer) and only sees him once a year, but loves his family and liked the message of families we shared.   He told us he wants the blessings from baptism and wants to hear all the lessons.  

Also we were teaching Irisa san yesterday, and she told us, after we taught her about fasting at church Sunday, she went home and decided she wanted to fast as well and fasted the rest of the day on Sunday.   We were pretty surprised when she told us that.   She literally just loves the gospel and the peace it brings to her so much.   We are teaching her the Word of Wisdom in a few hours so hopefully all goes well despite her running her cafe and all.

I got a letter from Azumi (Girl that was baptized in Saijo that is now living in Ecuador teaching in a school) this week.   She is alive and well. teaching elementary school age kids.   She said there is no grocery store or Internet or such in the small village she is living in.   She sent me really cool bracelet and her address so life is good

Welp see ya tomorrow. may want to check on Kara, her water may have just broken (Kara is pregnant and the baby is due any time). 

Elder Bloomfield

                                                       
                                             Thought for the week:

2 June 2014 - Busy Week, Not Much Time to Email

Gomen  (sorry) no time, but here is my letter to president. 

Dear President, 

The work continues to move along.  As far as our area goes, much progress was able to be made this week. After Kameda san came to church she completely changed.   She is a different investigator, two weeks ago she would hardly open up to us at all when we met with her this week she told us when she first met us she felt something special about us, as she watched a video about the Book of Mormon on youtube she felt it was all true and that is why she wanted to come to church.  She told us she feels baptism is a bridge from the darkness she feels to light, and when I asked her if she truly believes from the bottom of her heart she can be made pure through baptism, she surprised us with a firm and undoubted `hai, shinjitteimasu (yes, very much).`   Her daughter seems to be just as touched by the gospel and has begun saying prayers for her and as a family every night.   It is amazing how the gospel changes people right before your eyes.   She is progressing toward her baptismal date well. 

Our other investigator Irisa san`s faith grew a lot this week.  She told her co-worker how she felt at church last week, and invited her to come with her next time, and yesterday her co-worker came with her to both a baptism and church.   She loves the gospel and loves the message Christ teaches, and has began to receive her own answers to prayers this week as well.   She told us ever since she started taking the lessons from the missionaries her cafe has been blessed and more and more people have been coming to her cafe and she believes `it is because of the spirit we leave in the shop when we teach our lessons.` 

I had heard from my father and other members about the success they found in basketball dendo, and decided I wanted to try it.   It worked out really well.   We played basketball with some high school students for about 30 minutes, then taught them about our purpose and miracles we have seen, they all asked for Book of Mormon and to meet again next week to talk about prayer. 

The zone is genki (happy) and working well. 

Elder Bloomfield

Thought for the week:

26 May 2014 - Piano Concert

Hey hey hey.

So this week was good.   They all are.   We were able to set up a baptismal date with an  investigator named Kameda san.   She has 6 kids and they are all under like 9 years old.   She is way otsukaresama (very active).   But it is a young family and they came to church!   It was quite the adventure and way fun. She only came with 4 of the kids, because the oldest 2 had soccer practice, so the kids who came were, 5, 4, 3, and 2 years old.   Sacrament meeting was a riot. Haven't babysat so hardcore in quite a while.   I think I took a bathroom break at least 4 times, I also gave up plenty of pages in my daily planner to be drawn on with crayon, went and found some neat cars for them to play with, which turned into the two year old throwing them, and the mom got way embarrassed they were so loud but the branch members were amazing in thanking her and saying how happy they are to have them there that it reminds them of when they had young kids and such so it was good. haha   Oh and primary was great to.   So sometimes when we visit them for the lessons the two year old is just chillin in the house naked, so I think its a usual thing for him.but in the middle of primary he proceeded to tell us he peed in his diaper so he was done with it, took it off and just started walking around without no pants on.   So that was fun to see the sister in primary chase him to put his diaper back on. but it was way cool to have them at church. The 5 year old actually said the closing prayer in primary and apparently today they were telling their mom about God and the things in the plan of salvation that they learned in primary. 

Irisa san is progressing well. she loves church a lot and told us this week she has had many opportunities in her life to be baptized, but never did, and just feels like this is her time now.   We are working on helping her to know how to really receive answers from God and to know if this is really true.   

We went to a member`s violin and piano concert with her and a less active and it was way cool.   It was on the 10th floor of this building in the middle of Kagoshima with all glass walls.   You could just see Kagoshima all around you. and after everyone left the member let us play on the piano a little bit.  It was way cool.   I felt like the Piano Guys or something just playing the piano on a cliff in Africa or whatever cool place they play the piano these days. 

Oh also another cool thing this week is, well first off, missionaries and kind of Christianity in general, has kind of a bad image in southern Japan and here in Kagoshima. There have been people who have claimed to be missionaries in the past,   They come in and teach people and collect money, and then just leave with peoples money and so because of that a lot of people really hate missionaries and hate us when they see us and so a lot of people don't really have a good image or don't know what to think about Christianity, but Irisa san really loved church and was talking to her friend this week who said she had always wondered about Christian churches like why there is talk about them and such, and when she found out it's just a normal church and what we actually do at church from Irisa san, she got way excited and wants to come and is going to come to church with Irisa san this week.   So that was cool as well. 

Well can't really think of anything else.  Oh yeah,  last week I found a churo (the Mexican things) and McDonald's.   I was way excited and was eating it as I walked,   The first bite was just oh so delicious, and as I was walking this huge black hawk thing almost nails me in the face as it flies past me and next thing I know my churo is gone and the hawk is real satisfied. he just snatched it right out of my hand.  haha   It was pretty scary and a bummer but I got a good laugh from it. 

Well see you tomorrow!

Elder Bloomfield

Travis is hooking up skype for other Elders

Thought for the week:

18 May 2014 - Ways to Stop Some One From Snorring

Hey there,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM AND CASSI!

Well this week was a good time.   Irisa san is progressing a lot and is pretty golden.   We made a calendar for her in order to help her see what all needs to be done and what will be taught before she is baptized.   We made it to help her see the vision of her baptism better.   We had her put nice lil Jesus stickers on the days we would meet and the days she would come to church.   She said she felt like a little child again with the stickers so it was a good time.   She was able to come to church and really loved it. 

This week we had shibo taikai.  I don't know what you call that in English, maybe like branch council or something.   The thing you have like once or twice a year.   But it was way cool because the Johnston couple had family in town Sunday, so we were able to invite a bunch of people to come to church and some brought friends as well so in addition to our investigators at church there were a total of about 10 nonmembers at church on Sunday.  It was way cool.   The special musical number was way beautiful too, a sister played the violin while another shimai (sisters) played the organ and then one of the kyodai (brother) sang.   It was perfect because Irisa actually sings opera so she was lovin it and even was crying during one of the talks because she said she was just so happy and could feel the spirit so strong.   So church was way cool.   

We also had ZTM this week.   Kaicho wants to start doing open houses quarterly in each of the areas so we did a open house at the ZTM to kind of show all the missionaries what we want to happen at the open house.   There were songs sung, testimonies given, the "Because of him"  video was watched, and more beautiful musical pieces given.  I was pretty dang satisfied for what we were able to pull off in the time we had to prepare between MLC in Fukuoka on Thursday and ZTM  Friday back in Kagoshima at noon.   A lot of missionaries said it was the best ZTM they had been to so far and they were excited to apply the stuff we did training on.   So hey if the open houses don't work in all of the areas at least they sure did bring the spirit to zone training meeting.   Thanks! 

Well more cool miracles happened this week but I can't really remember them right now.   I walked in a store to use the restroom and a like 5 year old kid just looked at me and was like kamsamnida!   So I spoke some Korean to him and went on my way laughing.   Then after I came out of the restroom,  He saw me and proceeded again to attempt to talk to the foreigner, only in Korean again.   It was pretty funny, his mom noticed us battling out Korean words we know and she was like hey are you crazy he's not Korean!   Then he looked at me and was like oh really?   Are you from India?   So I told him,   haha  "no sorry little guy I'm American".   So then he says, `ohhhh! herro!   I'm fine thank you and you!`... kids these days.. so pure. 

Hmm well I can't really think of much more but the work is awesome!   Oh also one of the elders in the apartment was snoring wayyy loud last night, so because I couldn't sleep,  I finally got the courage and decided I had to do something.   So I figured a little nudge to his head from my foot would do the trick.  -nope.. slept right through it. i  I was laughing pretty hard, I think I kicked his head at least 9 or 10 times and he never woke up.   haha   Eventually I had to kick his pillow out from under him so his head would fall..   That worked pretty well. 

Well I hope all is well.   Life is good.   The volcano isn't so bad when it just rains all day, so that's good.

Elder Bloomfield

Thought for the week:

11 May 2014 - Mother's Day Skype (Half Way Mark for Travis' Mission, But Who is Counting)

This first part is written by Kris, Travis' mom.  Since it was Mother's Day, we got one of our 2 phone calls/skype calls we get a year with Travis.  It was so awesome to talk to him and to actually see his face.  He is doing so good and best of all, he still has his sense of humor and had us all laughing.  He loves his mission so much and the people he is working with.  In fact, I had to remind him that it was his one year anniversary of being a missionary. H e said time has gone so fast he didn't even realize it.  For our conversation,  Steve, (Dad), Mason, Olivia, Cassi and I were at home in Califonia.  Kara and Kyoshi were at their condo in Orem, Utah and Kyle and Erin were in Des Moines, Iowa (they are working there for the summer) and Travis was in Japan and we all group skyped.  Technology is awesome!!!!    We talked for 45 mins..  Travis was cute, he had questions he had thought about beforehand to ask each person.  The time went by to quickly and there was so much more we wanted to talk about.  He mostly just wanted updates on every ones lives and we wanted details as to what he does each day.  Anyway, I was a wonderful Mother's Day and we can't wait until Christmas for the next call.  

Travis is at the church Skyping us.

Kara and Kyoshi in Utah, Kyle and Erin in Iowa, Travis in Japan and the rest of us at home in Calif.

Love that smile!

It is 11:00pm in Utah (past Kara's bed time), It is 12:00am in Iowa, 10:00pm in Calif. and 2:00pm the next day in Japan.

After we skyped, we received this letter from Travis:

Yeah so we skyped, so you prolly don't really need a letter.  This is what I wrote to Kaicho (Mission President).   Nice talkin to ya!   Still a beautiful fam!

The work in Kagoshima is great. This week we were able to meet with investigator Irisa san and talk about the blessings that come from living in Christ`s example. The spirit was strong and she expressed her desire to live according to God`s will and wants to work towards a baptismal date we set for June 22nd. She owns her own coffee shop and works everyday of the week, which could become a trial of faith for her in her path to baptism but I have faith the spirit will soften her heart and she will know what will be best for her. 

We were able to meet with less active Ohashi kyodai.   We are meeting with him and studying the Book of Mormon weekly and this week we explained to him the benefits of serving others, and how the branch needs more Priesthood holders and his service in the branch.   He seemed responsive and intended on coming to church yesterday but Totsuzen had to visit his 97 year old grandmother. 

This week we were able to meet with Sano Kaicho the District President as well as Peterson Kyodai to talk about better working with the members in Kagoshima. They are currently doing a fireside in all of the areas to help the members become more missionary minded and help them to understand how they can be a missionary in their everyday life. Coincidentally Elder Sasaki and I felt like the Kagoshima Zone needed to put more focus on the members and member present lessons this transfer and from that we feel the other key indicators will rise as well. What we want to do is to sort of meet the members half way in their attempts to be everyday missionaries and help them to be those missionaries that the District Presidency has a vision of.   We have various ideas and plans we have discussed with Sano Kaicho that we will do this transfer to help the missionary work be more in unity in Kagoshima.   We will be doing a District wide fast with the members and missionaries together on June 1st for this sort of unity and success in missionary work for both the members and the full-time missionaries.   The District Presidency talked about better utilizing the calling of the Dendo Shunnin (ward missionary) and from the missionaries side we will be doing mogis with the members every week, to better help them understand the teachings in the Preach My Gospel and what is to be expected anytime they will joint with any missionary. When missionaries see a miracle they will call any member when they get home at 9 (for just a few minutes) to share the excitement of this miracle and to get the member more involved ask for their prayers or help for this person or family included in the miracle.   The missionaries will be expected to do this about 3 times per week.   We are also working on a schedule to help the missionaries know what members can joint at what time during the week.   Peterson Kyodai and Sano Kaicho talked about what kind of schedules were effective and not effective in the past so we have received good ideas from them on how to best get the members involved.   The district presidency has a lot of dendo fire and really hope the members can catch this same vision.   We will do our best to help the members to catch this vision and further the work. 

Elder Bloomfield


                                                       Thought for the week: