Pictures!

This is one of the great members of Nagamine Ward, for their Fourty day fast we are going to all the members who fast and sharing a message. She was one of the miracles we are seeing here. Her mother will be coming to the Christmas party if all goes well. Her name is Sister Makino.

This is send off for Lee Choro.  He went up to Hiroshima.

First pictures together. It is getting a little chilly.  Elder Bevan and Elder Hunter.

We had a special training in Fukuoka as a mission. This is me with Elder Malen, his new "green bean" and mine, Elder Hunter. Our new companions were companions in the MTC. It was great to get to see Elder Malen again...

2 Man Nago!

Last Tuesday was transfer calls, and since there was a big chance of someone leaving we all decided to go to Nago's famous Aquarium. It was a very long bike ride, we took at least an hour and a half of riding to get there. Just before we got to the gate of the Aquarium we got a call from Kaicho (usually it is not the mission president who calls, we were all excited). He told us that Nago was becoming a 2man area, that I and Elder Robinson were going to be companions, that Elder Conlon (our district leader would be sent to Yamaguchi, and that Elder Malen would be going to Hiroshima as a district leader. None of us expected that anyone would really leave so it was quite a surprise. 

Elder Robinson is now on his fourth transfer. He is the oldest of three boys, plays violin VERY well, and is talented in many other ways. I have had the chance to work with him before now, so that is a blessing. It should be a good transfer. 

The Aquarium was awesome. If I am not wrong, it is the 2nd largest in the world. It has three whale sharks. It is Awesome!

Before we came all the way back Elder Malen and I went to try and meet the same person that we did the other week, but still could not find her. Along the way there was a less active, so we had set up and appointment. When we got there, we were set down at a table until Sister Uechi could make it back. When she did , we had a good talk, and then, miracle of miracles; her friend, (who we had coincidentally met two weeks before, in that far corner of the island, when we had been doing the very same thing) came in. It turned into a lesson, and sister Uechi was testifying and the whole sha-bang! 

What a great last day with Elder Malen. We worked hard and saw miracles. I hope I keep it up with Elder Robinson this transfer. 

I Love This Work! I know that this is The Church of God, His kingdom on the Earth. I am excited to keep going!

This is from Elder Conlon, our last p-day, on the way to the Aquarium. E. Conlon is the one on the ground.

With all love, Elder Bevan 

4 Man Area

Okinawa Aquarium

                                                    Last few moments as a 4 man area.

Elder Malen

Elder Malen on our 4 hour bike ride over the stinking mountain!

Geckos are everywhere in Japan!

Miracles!

This week was incredible!

 It hardly seems like this week at all, it seems like ages ago, but on Monday we found a new investigator. That was a time where I was still recovering from a bad cold, and Elder Malen had no voice, and we had just spent a lot of the last week trying to dance around sickness and rain, (oh yeah, it's rainy season,) and anyway it was just rough.... So we went out to an area that is pretty far away, 45 or thirty minutes minimum by bike, and on the way tried to talk to people, but no one listened, and so we stopped on the path and prayed. I prayed that we would be able to see a miracle that would lift us up and give us courage, that we would find a new investigator, and that we would eventually be able to baptize in the waters there. 

After that, we kind of took a fun way, by the ocean, to the area we wanted to try. We went to the very end of the area and went from there. In answer to prayer, probably not more than fifteen minutes later, Elder Malen tried to stop a man who was just getting home. When we finally got his attention, he said rather straightforwardly, and VERY unexpectedly, that; yes, he was interested, and, yes, he would like to meet again, and weekends would be best, 'lets do Saturday'. And that was that. 

I about fell over. 

This last Sunday we met him again. He gently scolded us for being late, he was expecting us on Saturday, (we had to be in Okinawa city for a big stake conference,) and explained that He knew in his heart that Jesus Christ was his God, and had for a long time, he was feeling like he should look into religion lately. He asked where the church was and what time, and said he would come. He gave us his business card (he is a boy scout'er), we gave him the Book of Mormon and asked him to read the introduction. And that was that.

We prayed hard that the Lord would bless him and us as he comes to learn about this The true Church of God.

I have never met someone, anyone so prepared, It sounds almost fake, but I am a witness to it. I know that The Father of Heaven does answer prayers. I know that He loves us!

With love to all,

Elder Bevan

This is what happens when it rains here. Usually everything is wet regardless of if you have rain gear or not. I love Okinawa! :)

Funniest thing I've seen!

Well I hope you are OK with a kind of short message with a few pictures. 

I know that the Savior, Jesus Christ is the Atoneing One, and that through Him our trials and pains can all be lifted. I know that through Him We may have Eternal life. Through Him we can have hold on love, joy, hope, peace, faith, and patience, Through Him are all good things.

I LOVE THIS MISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been a little sick lately, but our kind Father in Heaven has blessed me with an enormous outpouring of love and strength and support and I am filled up. I would that all the world could know this kind of joy! 

Here are some pictures from my adventures here in Japan:

This has got to be the funniest thing I have seen in Japan yet!!!!!!!!!!

Not everyone owns a western-style toilet you know! : )

The Streets are narrow here, and yes, I think they parked that close to the wall on purpose. Japanese are crazy good drivers. This car was actually pushed up against the ivy on the wall!

Malen Choro's B-day package!!

And the same day all you can eat, cook it yourself meat. Yaki niku Tabehodai!

June 1, 2014

Today is actually my companions birthday, so I get to celebrate quite a handful of birthdays with Bryan, Elder Malen, and your Birthdays' so close together. How great! Your the greatest! Love you!

As I run over my planner for this last week I am surprised at how much we did. Last P-day we finally fixed our bikes, which had been flat for the last two days, and from there we saw many miracles. 

On Friday we saw a great one of those miracles. In quite a hurry we went to drop a conference talk off at our investigators home. We caught her just before she left to go buy tobacco... ha! that was great. We then had a great lesson, not at all about the word of wisdom, but about where she is reading in the book of Mormon and prophets. We said a prayer together and Elder Malen and I went to leave. Before we left the home we decided to say another prayer together. She then came out again to go get tobacco. 

We then talked about the word of wisdom and the Spirit guided the talk. It was wonderful! She committed there to quit smoking and we felt supremely blessed to have been part of that. Please pray for her! Her name is Sister Uema.

Other days the miracles were harder to see because... well I guess because the day was a little harder, but they are always there. Yesterday, despite being rejected by everyone else, we did find one new investigator. Also a new investigator the other Elders found came to church and had a GREAT lesson in Gospel Principles. We are so blessed!

I love to serve here. I love serving the Lord. I love the people here. I love their testimonies. Yesterday before church I was privileged to stand with Elder Miyanishi for a priesthood blessing, and was blessed to feel the Lord's Spirit and love. 

I know this is the true and living Church of God, I and am grateful for my parents who taught me the truth of it. Love you Mom!

Love to everyone else too!

Elder Bevan

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