Typhoon and Stuff

Hey everyone! Nago is just fine and dandy. Typhoons are just a part of life down here, nothing really big. In fact, this time of year is called typhoon season. There might be another one coming this week, we are not sure yet. If there was ever a place prepared for a typhoon it is Japan. Everything is made for rain. Everything. 

The roads all have great drainage systems, the houses are made to withstand rain, if it is not made of concrete, it was made to take the weather, and so nothing was really hurt by the typhoon except the plant life (which took a pretty good beating). A few houses had a little water damage, and one house was hurt by the wind, so there is not really anything to be done by way of service, but that is good I guess.

We stayed inside while the typhoon lasted. For the second day the power was out, but by the end of study we could go out again and we actually were able to get in three lessons that day! What a miracle and a blessing! On the third day everything was dry again and the only remnants of the typhoon are the branches here and there that were broken in the storm. So that is that. :)

Besides the typhoon, things are pretty normal. Our investigators need help and prayers. They are facing a lot of adversity and trial. We must have the lord's help in these things or they will all fail. Yesterday we wanted to go to meet a referral, a Grandma that had taken us out to dinner. We rode for four hours there and back, next to the ocean and over the island (meaning huge stinking mountains :). We did not find her before we had to come back for appointments. 

For anyone who does not understand humidity I will describe the scene for you. Not a single article of our clothing was dry, and when we put on our helmets, sweat squeegeed out of the head bands and dripped down onto our ties... yeah it was 大変. We were exhausted when we finally returned to Nago, and we had accomplished nothing that we went to do. 

I think I learned a little of patience from that. I learned that I need to be a little more quiet, and a little more patient, and a little more diligent. I learned that I should go and do the things I am asked to do with no complaints at all. I learned that even when we are doing something difficult, even when they do not turn out the way you want them to, there is still beauty along the way. I am so grateful for a Father who created such a beautiful world for us to live in. I am so grateful to be serving here. I love this work.

Neoguri Typhoon

Dear Parents of Fukuoka Mission Missionaries,

As you may know, Japan was recently hit by a typhoon of considerable size called Neoguri. When it initially hit Okinawa, it was classified as a Super Typhoon. But as it moved north towards Kyushu and mainland Japan, it dispersed and was reclassified as a tropical storm. We are very blessed to report that none of our missionaries were injured. The missionaries were all directed to stay indoors and were given additional instructions. Thank you for your concern and for your prayers. 

Fukuoka Mission 

福岡宣教師のご両親へ

もうご存じだと思いますが、日本は最近大分大きなねおぐりという台風に打たされてしまいました。最初に沖縄に打った時には超大型台風という風に呼ばれたんですが、北の方に行く途中で熱帯暴風雨になりました。怪我した宣教師がいなかったことを嬉しく報告します。宣教師は全員外に出ないように言われて他の安全になるための指示も教えられました。心配や祈りにも感謝いたします。

福岡伝道部

This week was really great. Thanks everyone for thinking about my Birthday you made it Great!

I think the thing that I want to tell you all about this week was Zone conference. The Mission President comes to all of the zones about once a month and does interviews, zone conference, or training. This week we got to see him come down and instruct us on effectiveness, unifying the mission and other such things. What He said was definitely meant for me. I had been praying to know what I could do to be more effective, and He talked directly on that. It was great! 

He also gave some time for missionaries to come up and give their testimonies and I was reminded how luck I am to be serving here. I love it! I love the mission!

That experience let me see a little bit of why I am working here and why I am working with President Gustafson. He such a great man! i am so glad I can work with Him!

love you all,

Elder Bevan

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! :)

No time!

shoot, i'm out of time and the computer stopped running the site again, sorry!!!!

I am growing in personal testimony of the Savior, of the Father in heaven, and of the power of the Holy Ghost. I have come to see that the Spirit is the only way that We will ever do the the work of the Lord. I love this work.

He does miracles for us, and through us,

Love to all, Sorry!

Elder Bevan

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