This and That

Each missionary has an emergency (72-hour-type) kit given to him/ her upon arrival in the mission, and returned when they leave to go home. Emergency kits, bike bags (to ship bikes or carry them on the train when they transfer) and helmets all have to be collected by the office elders on departure day. They set up stations in the Kichijoji Chapel, adjacent to the Honbu, where they "out-process" the missionaries. Bruce has a station where he settles the financial issues, collecting any excess MSF (Missionary Support Funds) they may have, making sure they have enough to buy meals or address emergencies as they fly home, etc.

Here's Elder Dunn, who figured out a creative way to carry all those emergency kits....

Dinner for the Kichijoji District, prepared by the office elders --

Elder Blanchard, Elder Murakami, Elder Moua, Elder Naganumo

Elder Murakami and Elder Naganuma

Elder Moua

Bruce, Elder Ford, and Sister Fuggle

and my plate! I'm actually getting pretty good with chopsticks these days....

Here's Bruce enjoying local corn on the cob. He thanks Joseph with every bite!

Angela sent these picture of  Mia in the little Japanese outfit we sent her. 

And Tara sent this one of Bree and Jon....

And someone sent me pictures of Jonathan, Logan, and Matty wearing their ninja headbands in Dave's backyard, but I can't find them. Would you send them to me again and I'll include it here? And the one of Kendra and Kaitlynn with their Japanese fans....

One of the challenges in the Mission Office is keeping the office area tidy and professional-looking. This seems to be my responsibility -- maybe it just brings out the mom in me! With six to eight elders not only working but living in the building, the office often becomes an extension of their apartment, with shoes (always, shoes!) and other personal items becoming part of office clutter, not to mention the normal paperwork stuff. I addressed this at staff meeting and asked the tech elders, especially, to be sure to clean their work space at the end of the day, push their chairs under their desk, and leave the office looking presentable and professional. The very next morning, this is what we saw as we came into the office -- just about brought tears to my eyes!

This building and yard is near our Kichijoji apartment. I'm not sure how to give you perspective, but this is the cutest little backhoe we've ever seen. It fits in the back of a standard 3/4 ton pick-up. Bruce wants one!

Elder Hansen, at the piano, is a skilled pianist and guitarist, a good singer, and an amazing composer and improviser. He has contributed musical numbers to many ward, stake, and mission events throughout his mission. During his last month in Japan, he presented musical programs in four different areas of the mission, with other missionaries and members also participating. It was a treat to hear him. He went home in August and will be greatly missed!

Here's Elder Bennion singing "O Danny Boy" -- tears!

 In Sun Road shopping area, two large city blocks of authentic Japanese shops and restaurants, along with a six-story Seiyu (Walmart) and a Shinto shrine, this is a temporary wall that separates shoppers from some new construction. It had rained earlier, so four Japanese workers and two supervisors are here cleaning this temporary construction wall, look how it gleams!

Kendra's friend from high school, Jacob Pedersen, came home from his mission to Australia in July. Shortly after he got home, he and I exchanged messages on Facebook, where he told me there was a Japanese sister in his mission who was from "south of Tokyo" and since we're in the Tokyo South Mission, he wondered if we or the missionaries here might know her or know of her. My thinking was, there's 38 million people in the greater Tokyo area, there are seven missions in Japan, so around twelve hundred missionaries, this is really a long shot. But he sent me a picture, which I showed to the missionaries in the Kichijoji District. 

From Elder Pratt: "Momo Kurita, I went to school with her at BYU-Hawaii!" From Sister Fuggle: "Sister Kurita, she served here in Kawasaki for a couple of weeks while she waited for her visa to go to Australia!" (Sister Fuggle is actually from Australia, from the same mission where Sister Kurita is now serving.) From Elder Murakami: "Sister Kurita, I knew her brother in Tokorozawa before my mission!" 

Jacob is the elder in the light suit, pointing to the elder on his right. Sister Kurita is on his left. Incidentally, Sister Kurita's companion, whose name he didn't give me, is attending Snow College this fall.

As I was showing Elder Murakami the picture, we were also looking at Jaylynn Rust's wedding announcement, which had come in the mail to the mission office that day. Elder Bates (from Hyrum, Utah), who is Elder Murakami's companion, pointed to Jaylynn's fiance and said, "I know him! His dad was my high school calculus teacher!" 

Love these small world connections that we had to come all the way to Japan to find!