Elder and Sister Adamson: FHE and the Tokyo Temple

One Monday evening a month, we're invited to join with several other senior missionary couples in Tokyo area for Family Home Evening. We meet at the North Asia Area Office, near the Tokyo temple, and the couples participating include those who serve at this office as area executive secretary, medical advisor, mental health advisor, public affairs, legal counsel, technology specialists, the Tokyo and Tokyo South mission presidents, the mission office couples, our English speaking stake president, and the military relations couples. So it's quite a group. Our stake president, who is not retired, calls it the geriatric family home evening -- I think he's just jealous!

This FHE was held on April 13th, and we also were invited by the mission office couple to attend a Japanese theater in Tokyo on Tuesday, the 14th. Bruce and I debated as to whether or not we should go, he was still battling his cold and had a pretty persistent cough. He was improving, though, and the decision was made a bit easier when we learned of a bus going daily from the Kanto Lodge (temporary lodging/guest housing on base) to the New Sanno Hotel (a Navy lodge) very near the temple -- that meant a relaxing ride instead of a nerve-wracking drive! So we made reservations to spend Monday and Tuesday nights at the New Sanno, and hopped on the bus Monday morning.

We had a few hours to wait before the potluck dinner and Family Home Evening, so we got directions at the hotel desk and walked to the temple.

The bluish circle at the bottom of the map is the New Sanno, the blue dotted path is our route to the temple, and you can see our destination -- about a ten minute walk. The green area across the street from the temple is a beautiful 16-acre park, which includes some sports fields. It was cold and rainy, and I didn't take pictures in the park, but I will when we go again, hopefully in better weather. The temple itself has very little landscaping or "grounds" around it, but this park right across the street is the next best thing, it's really lovely!

And here's the Tokyo Temple. It's difficult to get a good picture of it -- at least with my phone (and lack of skill) it is! The power lines are kind of an eyesore, and I couldn't get far enough away to get a wider shot. It is beautiful, nonetheless. Reminds me a little of the Seattle Temple, and it was built around the same time. It was closed on Monday, of course, we did get to attend a session on Tuesday.

The New Sanno Navy Lodge -- really nice and in a prime location in Tokyo. This is for active duty, retirees, DoD employees, etc. and your room cost is based on your rank -- higher ranks pay a higher rate. Officers at Bruce's rank and retirees are the highest -- and so our single room (queen bed) was a whopping $68 per night! I think a family suite was $99, something like that. The hotel includes restaurants, a Navy Exchange (store), gift shop, gym, pool, post office, bank, I don't know what else.

The three military relations couples -- the Slades at Zama Army Camp, the Thunells at Yokosuka Naval Base, and us at Yokota Airbase -- plus the mission office couple, the Powells, all stayed here at New Sanno Monday evening.

We did not have a view of the temple from our third floor room, but the Thunells, who were on the seventh floor did -- and this was taken from their window. The temple is the little spire almost in the center of the picture. This picture makes it look further away than it actually was.

Before our FHE, we military relations couples met with stake President Madsen and mission President Wada. President Madsen gave us some great direction and instruction on what our assignments and responsibilities here are. The Thunells have been here six weeks, and the Slades for about seven months, and they all said they had a much clearer idea of their stewardship after this meeting. President Madsen said our English speaking stake should function like a stake in North America and he's counting on us to provide leadership, training, and support to leaders and members in our wards. My notes from the meeting include:

Be eyes and ears for the stake leaders.
Encourage reading a section out of the handbook at bishopric and ward council meetings.
Be available to help members be successful in their callings.
Be grandparent figures -- some need hugs and some need headlocks!
Be a backup for the IT folks (laughable for us) and know how to use the equipment. Because of the size of the stake, meetings via video conferences are common, in fact, there was a senior couple serving at Misawa Air Force Base participating in this meeting that way. We'll attend stake conference in our own building, it'll be a broadcast from someplace else in the stake, far away!
Watch for burnout among members in their callings. Are they getting training, handbooks, are they meeting regularly? It's okay to invite ourselves to auxiliary or quorum presidency meetings.
Find personal ministry opportunities, get out and get into every family/member's home.
Volunteering on base and making our presence known there is good, but our first responsibility is member and leader support.

Bottom line: 1) Read scriptures. 2) Pray. 3) Read handbook. 4) Go to work!

President Madsen is retired air force and now works as an attorney for the DoD (Department of Defense) here at Yokota. He and his family have lived overseas for the past 18 years -- Korea twice, Germany, England, and now Japan -- so I asked him how he would know how a stake in North America operates. He said "I read the handbook!"

We then met up with the rest of the FHE group for a luau!

First things first, here's the spread. All of these couples assigned to the area office live in apartments close by, so they could bring crockpots full of kahlua pork, baked beans, rice-you-name-it. We brought brownies!

I really don't know how to place photos here, Tara gave me directions on making a collage which I'm going to have to follow and figure out! In the meantime, please excuse the awkward placement.... Anyway, here's the crowd, it was a pretty lively group for geriatrics! Good food, silly entertainment, it was a fun evening.

Tuesday morning we went to the temple. The session was in Japanese, so we used headsets for English translation. It was wonderful to be there. We met several young missionaries -- they attend the temple once every transfer, which is every six weeks.