The Honbu

We've spent just over a week now training in the mission office. I am the mission secretary and Bruce is the financial secretary. He told President Wada he wasn't really good with finances, and the President said, "Can you add? Can you subtract? You'll be fine." And I told Bruce that anyone who can afford to be on a senior mission in Japan must be at least a little bit proficient with finances -- it's turning out to be significantly more expensive than we were led to believe! Reminds me of a friend who said her sister, on a senior mission in the states, was going broke buying brownie mix. I laughed, but I can appreciate the dilemma. Feeding the missionaries and Young Single Adults seems to be a big part of what we do.

Anyway, back to the Honbu (headquarters). There are six elders living in the apartment in the back of the building -- two Assistants to the President, two tech elders, who are the resident computer geniuses and now have even more job security, since Bruce and I really need their expertise, and two Japanese elders who serve as commissarian (purchasing) and mission recorder. The office is on the ground floor, President and Sister Wada live on the second and third floors of the same building. The second floor is a nice sized kitchen, dining, and living area, and the third floor are the bedrooms and a smaller living area for their family. Adjacent to the mission office/home and sharing the same parking lot is the meetinghouse.

Last Thursday a leadership conference was held at the mission home, for zone leaders and sister trainer leaders. I loved seeing this in the genkan (entryway) --

I look at this picture and see the missionaries we have come to know -- and the many more we don't know yet -- and I'm reminded of President Spencer W. Kimball saying, "My life is like my shoes -- to be worn out in service."  I know which missionary belongs to a few of these pairs, and I know how hard they work, how diligently they serve. They are an inspiration to us and we love them.

And here they are getting to enjoy a break from their hard work. Sister Wada fed them sloppy joes, green salad, potato chips, and watermelon -- bet that's not part of their typical diet in Japan! Watermelon is such a treat here, because it's so expensive -- we took one to our senior couple FHE last week, sharing the cost with the Powells -- it was about $22! But oh so sweet!!

When lunch was over, President Wada announced that Elder and Sister Powell were going to be released and were headed home, and he expressed his appreciation for them. He asked the missionaries to sing Sister Powell's favorite song, "I Am a Child of God", and they sang the first verse in Japanese and then in English. It was just beautiful and the tears were flowing -- then Elder Powell provided a little comic relief by stating that he was going to break a mission rule -- and he gave Sister Powell a kiss. The missionaries loved it! The Powells have served here so well and have touched so many. We feel pretty inadequate in following them in their assignment. We can certainly do the office work, but we don't know the language as Elder Powell does, and we feel so badly when people come into the office and we can't help them. Thankfully, the office elders are always willing and able translators. 

Again, we feel very blessed and believe our assignment in this mission is the best of all possible worlds. Because we may be in the office only temporarily, we get to continue to attend the Yokota Military Ward. We'll be in Fussa most weekends and will have access to the base and all those American conveniences! We'll stay in Kichijoji during the week and get to associate with the leadership of the mission there -- and see the bigger picture of the workings of the mission. We don't know how long this situation will continue, but we are grateful we get to serve wherever the Lord chooses to put us to work!