NAGO!

Hello Everyone!

I got transfered from Nagasaki to Nago Okinawa. It is far more "inaka" than Nagasaki, meaning it has less people.... i dont really know a good translation for that. But the culture is crazy different. The houses and the people are all different, even the graves are different. 

In japan the vast majority of people worship their ancestors. Okinawa takes it to an even greater level. The tombs where they put the cremated remains of their family are giant stone (almost hut-like) things, set up so that the families can go and worship the deceased. I have become accustomed to seeing the normal Japanese "Haka", these things are completely new to me. As we have walked around Nago I have hardly been able to keep my mouth from hanging open the entire time. Jungle seems to swallow everything to close to it, and everything is different in terms of houses and religion.It is rainy season here and the humidity is up to 95%. Giant Okinawa snails are everywhere (the snail's shells are like three or four inches long). I love it here. 

My new companions name is Elder Malen. Yesterday we went with a six-year old kid from church named Akitoshi, who has some kind of autism that makes him like toilets... cutest kid in the world though. He has a route that he takes every Sunday to go and see the toilets of  Nago. Right after sacrament meeting ended we went with him for like two hours hiking through the jungle and the city to go to parks with public toilets. It was quite the introduction to the ward. :)

Oh, and surprise of all surprises I have a ward! It is smaller than the branch in Nagasaki, but it is great. 

I love this work. I love it! In the past few days Elder Malen and I had a conversation about our missions, and what they mean to us, why we came out. Every time I think about those things I am motivated to work harder and to do better, but I have been so blessed. I love this work. I know that the Savior has power to change us, and that he does change us. I know that His truth, is the truth. I have seen Him change me since I came in ways that I cannot even tell. I know that His hand is in this work. 

Love to all! 

Elder Bevan