29 September 2014 - Giving Up Rest For Service.

Hello familia,

Hmm, well this week was good.   The ash was pretty crazy.   I had to bring out the "Steveo glasses" again because it was impossible to see.   The mix of ash and then rain and then more ash is a real good time.

At the beginning of the week, we found some Vietnamese new investigators, so this week I had the pleasure of learning what Vietnamese I could from the Vietnamese Book of Mormon.  ha ha.   It`s an interesting language.

We had a cool miracle with Arisa san this week.  So last week we had the training from Kaicho and the APs about using media in our lessons, like Mormon Messages and such.   So we decided to put it to the test.   A couple weeks ago Arisa dropped us and told us she wanted to focus on school and her work.   So we didn't want to pressure her or anything so we just decided to watch some Mormon Messages with her and "I'm a Mormon" videos.   They worked so well!   Some of them brought the spirit so well and its just so easy to understand.   We were planning on inviting her to be baptized this week, but after we watched one of the videos about the boy who lives in Honduras and is in like gangs and stuff, then it talks about the change in his life because of the church, after we watched it she was just like I want to follow Christ!   He is the best example and I feel like being baptized will help me in life so I want to be baptized again.   She is excited to be baptized on the 12th!   Please pray she can avoid any opposition and remember why she wants to be baptized.  

We were also able to talk with some of the members in the ward about how even if they can't joint or things like that, they can be sharing videos on facebook and such like that.   I challenge all of you (especially Mason who actually has friends on facebook, no offense mom) to post a Mormon Message video and share it with everyone this week.   It is an easy way to help lift others up and you're a pretty popular guy right?   I'm sure that tons of people who look at your facebook everyday will love it.

Well I can't really remember what else happened this week.   We set another mini goal to find someone young and prepared by the 28th, and this week we were able to find 8 people all under the age of like 25 who committed to meet again.   A lot of them were when we were on splits with the other companionship so they will teach most of them if they show up to the appointments but it was a pretty crazy week.

Also Ozono san is continuing to progress.   She told us she feels warm every time she prays and feels right now may be her time to be baptized but is nervous because her family is all a different religion and perhaps they will never change.  I got to share with her how John Bloomfield`s uncle was pretty hantai and perhaps he never changed from John Bloomfield's decision, but because he was baptized now some 200＋decendents here in America are greatly blessed.

This week I studied D&C 107:99-100 a lot. `he that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand.` I have studied the Atonement nankaimo but it never really hit me until this week how Christ never had a break.   Often times after we complete our calling, go home teaching, or come home from church or even from work we will think, "dang I just worked a lot, I deserve a rest and we will sit on the couch for a bit."   This week as I was studying, I realized Christ never sat down on the couch for a bit despite the calling he was fulfilling.   He literally went straight from Gethsemane, in cords and was tried and whipped and spit on, after which he was crucified, on the cross he finally completed the Atonement, but he didn't go and celebrate with our Father in Heaven or angels or sit down for a rest.  After giving his life he went to the spirit world and gave his service there to set up the preaching to the dead and saving all of the souls who were in prison.   It helped me to remember we didn't come to this life to take rests and give ourselves a pat on the back, we came to this world to learn and to grow, and to give our service to others as is required of us.   There is no sense of fulfilment from sitting on the couch in idleness, there is only fulfillment when we are are helping those who are in need of us.   The study really helped me this week, these days I am usually pretty tired and I sometimes want to think to myself,  "hey I have so many more responsibilities than everyone else in the zone, I had to do more so I can just take a quick rest, but when I read these verses I realize how selfish I am and what I am supposed to be doing, and my tiredness will never relate to that of our Saviors.  He is our prime example of endless service.  When we are tired and hope to rest we can remember him and fulfill our duties.   I'm happy to be here right now where it is so easy to give up rest for service because there is always something to do.

Life is great!   Hope everyone is doing well.

Much love to you all.

Elder Bloomfield

 

Hanging with the Kameda Family

Beautiful sunset over the volcano.

Volcano is a little more active this week.

Thought for the week:

23 September 2014 - "Wouldn't Rather Be Anywhere Else"

Hello family,

Well this week was neat. It was filled with many meetings and miracles. This week we had to go up to Fukuoka for a MLC (Mission Leader Council) all day, then the zone came to Kagoshima for our ZTM (Zone Training Meeting)on Thursday, then again we had a Zone Conference on Monday where Kaicho and the APs came. Fun times!

We decided this transfer in the zone we are focusing on the hearts of our progressing investigators. Just back to the basics, our purpose is to change the hearts of the people in our areas, if we are not doing that then we might as well go home!   So thats our focus this transfer, touch and change as many hearts as possible.   The training from Kaicho and the APs went perfect with what we felt the zone needed to focus on this transfer so we are way excited for things to come.   Since I have been in Kagoshima, the most progressing investigators we have ever had in one week was around 23, which to be honest is pretty good, but we feel like this transfer we will be able to reach 30, yahoo! Hearts are changing baby!

Oh another thing, this week I was on splits with an elder and his investigator had told him she wanted to hear about commandments next time he came, but if she has no testimony, commandments aren't going to make a difference to her, so we decided to teach her about the Plan of Salvation.  Before we even began the lesson she told us about how one time when her daughter was like 2 or 3 she talked about how before we were born we lived with a lot of people and just went on to explain the pre earth life perfectly!   We were like well now that's actually precisely what we wanted to talk about today, and I got to talk to her about how my mom told me I had the same experience when I was younger about talking about the pre earth life and such.   At the end of the lesson, she told us she feels in her heart she should be baptized.  It was a way solid lesson and always thankful when we follow the spirit. 

My investigator,  Ozono san was funny this week too.  We were explaining about how the spirit answers your prayers through feelings and such and described the feelings and she was like `what! thats how God answers our prayers??   I've been feeling that exact feeling every time I pray and every time I come to this church!`   This church is true :) 

Well actually I can't remember what else happened this week.   Irisa Shimai is doing way good.  She has so much fire to share the gospel and her testimony has grown so much its crazy. 

Well actually I forgot the cool things I was going to write.   This week it rained more ash than rain. ha ha   It was kind of hard to see the past couple days.   Yabai Yabai.  

Life's just swell!   Wouldn't rather be anywhere else. 

Elder Bloomfield

Kagoshima Zone Conference

Travis's companion, Elder Sasaki is the one in the back

Thought for the week:

14 September 2014 - Gomen (Sorry) not much time to email.

Hello,

Well this week was perfect.   Gomen (sorry) not so much time.   Transfers happened.  

We were praying about an investigator, Ozono san, decided she can be baptized on the 19th of October and decided to make a calander for her.   She has never been able to commit to a date.  She has recieved all the lessons before but this was only our second time meeting with her.   When we invited her to be baptized, she at first said no, but then realized this week she was super busy but for some reasonas she prayed and she felt she should make a picture frame for us to put our family pictures in.  When we prayed, we felt we should make a calander for her.   She said we both had the same answers to our prayers and told us she wants to work with us to be baptized on the 19th. 

We are ganbaruing (giving it out best) but out of time for this week.

See ya!   Love you all. 

Elder Bloomfield

Elder Sasaki, a brother from the branch and Travis

Enjoying a snack

Transfers

Office at the church

Thought for the Week:

8 September 2014 - Following the "Recipe"

Hello family,

Well yes, you may be surprised to hear but I am not transferring, Kaicho said he likes how Kagoshima is right now and doesn't want to change it.   So me and Sasaki Choro are just like two peas in a pod now :) yatta!    Members in the branch tell me I've just become part of the branch now.

This week was good though.   I can't really remember what happened though to be honest.   Just a good time.   I was told by an old man to never marry a Japanese woman who can speak English, they are all trouble.   So there's some precious words of advice for life.   

 

This week we did a fast with Arisa chan, she was really worried about giving up coffee because she loves it, but after the fast she told us she knows she needs to be baptized, and has committed to give up all of coffee.  It was a way cool miracle but she is still really worried about if she returns to her hometown Okinawa Erabu, because the church isn't there and she doesn't know what she will do.   So if you could pray for her that she can not feel so stressed and peace in her decision to be baptized I know it would help her tons.

 

Hmm what else happened this week???   In our mission on Sunday we had a challenge from our Kaicho  (president) to work with the members and as a mission have 200 nonmembers at Sacrament Meeting  on Sunday.  The average for our mission each week is usually around 80ish, I think. But this last month we did the relay fast, like you guys are doing, and we saw such cool  miracles!   As a mission I think 209 non members came to Sacrament Meeting.  Kaicho told us the missionaries need to be the first up to bear their testimonies on Sunday to set the spirit of the meeting.  In my testimony I talked about the beautiful clouds in Kagoshima (they are ridiculous) and how God made this earth and plan for us and compared our life to a recipe, how Sasaki Choro always uses a recipe when he cooks, and it just tastes so delicious! But, when I cook, I can't read all that Kanji, it takes too long, so I just smell spices and throw them in as my chef senses guide me. But because Sasaki uses a recipe, it always ends up tasting better than my food. God has given us a recipe for our life, yeah we can still have fun and just go with the flow of what we think is best, but like my cooking and Sasaki`s cooking, as we are obedient to the recipe God has given us, we find our life to be much more delicious and rewarding in the end.  Then throughout the rest of the testimony meeting and all of church, many people kept talking about the recipe analogy.   ha ha   I learned that when you use examples, people understand much, much better.

 

Well I can't really remember what else happened this week, but life is good.   The ash is normal. People are crazy.   The Kameda family is rough lately, yesterday I had to clean ash out from my shirt pocket and down my pants when I got home from teaching them. 

Also, I got to kick a soccer ball yesterday for the first time in a while.   So that was neat. 

 

Much love to you all. 

Elder Bloomfield

 

Jumping for Joy

Such form!!!!!

Waiting for the bus.

 

Thought for the week:

 

 

1 September 2014 - Mission Impossible Bike Moves, Pretty Cool!!!!

Hello fam,

Well this week was pretty interesting.  First off we had a goal that we wanted to have two baptismal dates by the end of August.   We set two baptismal dates, Arisa and Takashi, but because Takashi`s fell through I felt that wasn't good enough and wanted to reach the goal of two.  We had splits and mensetsu and a bunch of other stuff we had to do for the zone this week so there wasn't much time for finding, so we were pretty much banking on the lessons we had this week to be able to set all new dates.   But then the unfortunate thing happened of course, of all of those lessons falling through last minute. So we were pretty frustrated and not sure how we were gonna reach our goal.  I got on my knees and prayed to God and asked him how it was that we could do it, I thought about when, or where, but as I thought about each possibility, nothing seemed right except for whoever it was that is prepared for baptism, would come to church on Sunday.  That is what I felt so that is what I continued to pray for all week long.   Sunday came and no one new came to Sacrament Meeting, but after church we had a potluck and going away party for the couple missionaries here.   I went to the hallway to grab something, and saw a man walking up the stairs to the church.  He told me he is a nonmember, but he wants to go to BYU-Hawaii so he took a two hour bus ride, then walked from downtown Kagoshima up the hill to the church for an ecclesiastical endorsement.  I invited him to join us in the potluck and he got to talk to Sasaki Choro about BYU-Hawaii and afterwards we were able to teach him a lesson.  It was a way good lesson, we weren't able to set a baptismal date, but he told us he wants to hear all the lessons haha. God answers prayers, he helps the weak.  I am so weak. So thankful. yattaa!  So that was a neat experience from this week.

On splits this week, my comp and I set a goal of a certain number of people we wanted to invite to be baptized. we were doing good but we were about out of time and we still had a ways to walk home, so we ran home and we turned the corner that the apartment is on, with a few minutes to spare, then surprisingly not a single person was on the street. We were like what! So we were kinda bummed, so we decided well, we can at least buy some drinks for the other elders.  So we crossed the street to go to the 7/11 then this guy just popped out of an alley right in front of us. Tadah!!  He told us he always sees us missionaries and has always wanted to talk to us but never has a chance, so we got to talk to him and such, he was way cool and after we invited him to be baptized he swapped numbers and told us to call again.

On junkai we also met two little girls, who we played a game with for like 5 minutes, then they walked with us and kept us company for like 20 minutes while we were housing.   ha ha   It was way funny.

Another cool miracle, we brought cookies to give to a member, but the member wasn't home when we visited, then the little girl told us her birthday was tomorrow, but she will be driving all day, so maybe no cake, so we gave her the cookies and told her Happy Birthday! yattaa!   Then we later found out she attends an English class that a less active teaches, who actually asked the elders to come in and help teach.   ha ha.   Small World!

This week I had my first crash on my bike, but it was more like mission impossible.   So we were going down a way steep hill, and it was raining pretty good, and I accidentally hit a good patch of ash, so when I was trying to turn, my bike just turned sideways and fell on its side and I started sliding, but somehow I ended up landing just crouching on top of my bike as it slid for a good 15 feet, then it stopped and I popped back up and kept riding! Didn't even touch the road once. The two kids I was sliding towards got a pretty good scare, and I apologized to them, but sheesh they should have payed me money!   They just saw Tom Cruise sliding on a sideways bike for a good 15 to 20 feet that ain't usual!   So that was pretty cool.

Oh also I got punched in the face for the first time on my mission this week. ha ha. But that's another story. I hope all is well!

Much love,

Elder Bloomfield

Reading the Book of Mormon in Japanese with the Volcano in the back ground.

Little girls who wanted to practice their English

"Mr. Muscles" breaking wood.

Scenery near Kagoshima

This is an email received from Tomoko Uchida:

Last night, Elder Bloomfield , is gave me a e-mail.

My English old expression.
But, fun.
And, that he is grateful to me.
It was written in Japanese.

He transferred to the 11th, (maybe)
He was in seven months Kagoshima.

I have never cried when parting.
I will laugh.
His Family will endure the lonely feeling for us for two years.
Thank you.  

When he returned to the United States, please tell him the love and appreciation of me.
And please hug some for me.
He is awesome !
  
Thanks and lots of love to you and your family.
much love. Tomoko Uchida.

Thought for the week:

Jesus Loves You

24 August 2014 - Kagoshima Fireworks

Hey fam, 

Well this week was neat. It was just kind of little growth from all the investigators. We met with an Egyptian man (He actually knows one of the Egyptian guys I taught in Saijo, Small World), He had lots of really in depth questions, he was quite the genius. He told us he usually gets to the lab around 8 in the morning and does experiments until late, but right now he is doing experiments on spiders.   He takes the DNA from the spiders and studies it, and from that he analyzes like what it can eat, and other plants, to see what kind of plants attract the spider and from that sort of thing you can do like natural enemy and stuff like that.   So like basically, if there was a war or something, he could just plant all of the plants near somewhere, it would attract all of these spiders to one area and he could destroy crops or just scare away soldiers and such like that.   Kind of crazy eh? 

This week we also had a firework festival in Kagoshima in which apparently over 200,000 people came.  We wanted to do some ukulele and eikaiwa (English class) flyer proselyting but there were just much to many people. The fireworks were kind of neat though, but the finale was not much of a finale compared to any I have seen in USA.  They definitely go for the pretty fireworks instead of the blast of do as many as you can like we do in America.  Everyone was in kimonos, Irisa shimai even gave 2 kimonos to two of the sister missionaries to wear.   She is so kind. 

Well I don't really know what to say from this week. It was just real busy and real fun as always. I am just always being reminded about how much I love the people and the culture and never want to go home.   Kind of a bummer we lived here when I was so young.  I was too young to appreciate how cool it was. 

This week was Irisa`s birthday so we dressed up her cafe with balloons and streamers and all sorts of goods to surprise her.  I guess you just sort of assume people get this stuff all the time for  birthdays, but she told us this is the first time anyone has ever done that for her.  She was so happy about it that she left up the streamers in her cafe for like 3 days. 

Oh by the way, I did the light the tea bag on fire to show faith example (when you light the tea bag on fire, ask them if they have faith it will fly, and because of the burning oxygen it flies before the fire reaches the ground) for the Kameda kids this week when we taught faith.   We were pretty nervous, because we wasted at least 20 mugicha bags in the apartment, trying to burn them and figure out how to get them to fly.   But we asked them `whooo has enough faith that this bag will fly if we burn it!?`   Luckily it flew the first time, then we decided to do it again, but when we burned it the second time it just burned and did nothing.  ha ha   So we turned to them and were like `well do you see what happens when you don't have faith!?   You have to believe!`  It worked out real well. 

Well love you all. 

Elder Bloomfield

At a Shrine (doing much thinking)

People everywhere watching the fireworks

This is another email I received from Uchida san.  I am so grateful for her kindness to Travis and the other missionaries.  Glad to know someone is taking care of him.

Dear Sister Kris

Thank you for the mail when your busy.

Hope you I'm glad I Mote a fun summer vacation.
8/23 (Saturday) is a big fireworks display No. 1 in Kagoshima.
I think missionaries in Kagoshima and enjoy in Summer Cruise.

So as no longer send photos from PC of City Hall,
If you received a photo from him, we will send you.

Volcanic ash is small this year, missionaries can do this Taere the heat.

The 25th birthday of the younger son of me.
I will go to all-you-can-eat in Kagoshima missionaries four.

With love
U.TToday's photo.

Thank you.

I love Elder Bloomfield.UT

Outside All-You-Can-Eat restaurant that Uchida san took the missionaries to.

Uchida san' son on his birthday eating the cake Travis made for him.

Thought for the week:

17 August 2014 - "Put Off The Natural Man"

Hey fam, 

Well how's it going anyways?   This week was good. We have been pretty blown away at all of the way cool miracles throughout the Zone last week as a result from the 40 day fast program we are doing.  When we decide to put off the natural man and actually follow God`s will, his work and guidance becomes so much easier. Surprise, Surprise aye? 

One cool miracle we had this week was at our lesson on Monday, we were teaching a lady named Machi san about the Plan of Salvation.   We had called our joint the night before and asked her if she could join in the lesson and she said sure thing!   She told us she decided to pray to God and ask where in the Book of Mormon she should read to help prepare for the lesson.   When we were preparing for the lesson, we decided we wanted to read parts from Alma 40 and Alma 34 with Machi san, so that's what we did.   At the end of the lesson, Machi san was talking about how she doesn't feel close to God because she has been Shinto since she was a child.   Our joint bore testimony about when we trust in God and in prayer, he will always comfort us, and told how she prayed the night before where to read in the Book of Mormon, and felt she should read in Alma 40 and 34, the same scriptures we decided to read in the lesson. 

This week I have actually been studying more about the Holy Ghost and sanctifying our self so we can be closer to God and receive his guidance. #1  I learned that we actually can't sanctify our self.   We can make ourselves worthy and try to live right, but it is God that forgives us and sanctifies us. # 2 When you are living right to always have the Holy Ghost as your companion, you don't have to pray and seek guidance for every thing, because you will have the spirit as your companion already and you will go about making decisions and know it is right.   When we were preparing for the lesson we were just like yep that scripture sounds good! okay yoshiii lets do it.  It was just a simple decision but then we were pretty surprised about our joint`s experience.   Thank goodness we had the spirit right!   We might have chosen like Alma 41 or somethin crazy like that! 

Another cool miracle, Elder Sasaki and I had prayed and set a goal for ourselves to find specifically a college age woman, and college age man to take the lessons by the 13th.  Because of stuff for the Zone we haven't had a lot of finding time till this week so we were kinda nervous.  On the 12th, we housed into a 20 year old girl, who told us she wants to be baptized.   When we invited her, and accepted to meet again, then on the 13th, our last contact of the night, we found an Egyptian man who agreed to meet again after we told him about the Book of Mormon.   Then a couple of days ago, a 20 year old girl named Arisa moved into Irisa`s apartment, she is just super prepared, already loves the gospel, she loves Christianity so much she has thought about changing her name to Mary before (haha that part was kinda weird), but we taught about the priesthood and she committed to a baptism date as well.   Just miracles on miracles this week it was kinda crazy.   Safe to say this 40 Day Fast has been a great help so far!   Screw the natural man right! 

Love to all,

Elder Bloomfield

Cool picture with Golem`s older sister.

Thought for the week: