Transfer 1: Complete!

こんいちわ!

Greeting's from Fussa. Today marks the first day of the Second transfer! How crazy is that? I've made it six weeks. Saturday we had transfer calls. We got ours in the morning during our personal study time. And.... I'm staying in Fussa! Elder Nuttall is being transferred out to be a zone leader on the other side of the mission and I am getting a new companion. Elder Merill (I think that's how you spell it). Its been a crazy 6 weeks but I am super excited to see the next 6 weeks unfold and see what cool things the Lord has in store for us Missionaries here in Fussa, Japan!

This week we had several miracles occur that just prove that the Lord puts the prepared in our path. But the biggest one involves a man named Tito:
Elder Nuttall and I had just returned from our zone meeting in Kichijoji and after loading up with Books of Mormon decided to head out and street to a nearby Eki and kubari at said Eki. Along the way we talked to many people and even gave out a few Books of Mormon. We got a number or two from people as well but not as much success as we would have liked to have. As we approached the last segment of our dendo-journey to the Eki, Elder Nuttall felt inclined to turn down a road saying that he felt impressed to walk down it. There was nobody on the road. After walking for about 30 seconds down said road, a man appeared. Elder Nuttall turned toward me and said that it was my turn to approach him and make the initial contact. So as we neared each other I called out “Konnichiwa!” he looked at me and stared. I stopped and asked him where he was headed (All of this in Japanese of course). However he didn't understand and responded that he couldn't speak much Japanese. Elder Nuttall asked him where he was from. The man replied that he was from Peru and spoke only spanish. Being raised in a bi-lingual English-Spanish household I (Elder Farr) immediately jumped into action and introduced myself as a missionary for the Church. He seemed very interested. As I talked to him he asked about the services and when they were. I told him where and when he could attend church as well as that we had interpretation into Spanish as well. He said that he would bring his wife and kids to church the next Sunday. We traded numbers to get a hold of him later and went on our separate ways.

Even though my Japanese is not the best. The Lord has prepared people for us to find and help. It doesn't matter what we can or cannot do, if we have faith and trust that the Lord, then we know that we cannot fail for the Lord is on our side! Its awesome that Tito was so responsive especially since it was freezing outside and I certainly wouldn't have let two white dudes talk to me about church when I was trying to get somewhere, but good thing the Lord was on our side this time!

After a hard Kubari session at the Hamura Eki we decided to start making our way over to the Apartment so we could get on our bikes for a dinner appointment. We had to wait for cars to stop coming before we could cross the street so as we waited we talked to a man on a bike. Turns out that he is a member! How crazy is that?!?! He was baptized a few years back but fell away from the church. We invited him to church and he said that he would come. The ward knows who he is so in the next few weeks Elder Merril and I will be trying to re-activate him. I also met a Peruvian man named Adolfo at the Eki this week too. We talked in Spanish for a little bit and I invited him to Eikaiwa (Free weekly English class) this upcoming Thursday. He said that he would come! I am so excited to be able to interact with all the Spanish speaking people of Fussa. Its odd but I'm glad that I have this opportunity. I now carry a Spanish copy of the Book of Mormon to give to people in case that I need to!

This week's food has been rather tame. I did however go to a ramen bar in Kichijoji two nights ago where the ramen was to die for. The noodles were amazing, the broth too. There was also bits of pork cutlets in it. Yum! I know that people often joke about eating lots of ramen on missions but i am totally down for eating ramen if its all going to taste like that! This week Elder Nuttall and I also found a package of "Jello" or something like it in our pantry. We made it and it turned out to be this blueberry type thing. However it wasn't the best. I give it a 6/10 for taste and a 9/10 for effort.

Today for P-day we went to Kichijoji as a zone and played Dodgeball in the gym. Its crazy just how competitive missionaries can get. They really know how to let of a little steam! All the old missionaries leave this week and the new ones get here tomorrow. I am so excited to see them all here and sad for the others to leave!

It's been a fun week here in Fussa. I look forward to all the teaching I have this upcoming week as well as to my new companion! Thanks for all the support that everyone has been giving me. Its hard at times but I know that I have loving friends and family suppurating me from across the globe. Plus I'm on the Lords errand so nothing can go wrong!

Love,

Elder Farr



ps. If anyone wants to send me care packages a member on base offered to let me use their APO box as a destination for the mail. This means that the obnoxious over seas package costs will be gone since its being shipped to a US military base. The price would be the same as if you were to ship a box from Ohio to Maryland! Email me and I'll send you their address.

pps.  I have accumulated, thanks to the generosity of several base members, the ingredients for scotcharoos! I need the recipe! I'm pretty sure I have it memorized but help a brother out!