Over the River and Through the Wood, Hills, Valleys, etc.

Sorry this will be short. We're having a District P-Day in Matsue today, and then I stay there for an Exchange with Elder Mahoney, one of my Zone Leaders.

I really needed that [Mother's Day] phone call. Wow. I was so at peace, and so happy! Then Zone Conference was just amazing, all about talking to people naturally (things in this mission are changing; no more "Excuse me, do you have a few moments, we're Missionaries, yada yada yada") --, and unity and love in companionships. They had me be the bansosha (pianist), and it was okay, but wow I had to do a bit of practice beforehand.

On the way back from Okayama, we started a District Exchange. Elder Gatchell from Saint George came back to Izumo with me. He's quite the character. He's this massive American football player that towers above everybody in Japan. And there he was riding elder Atkin's bike (and Elder Atkin is a few inches shorter than me). . . yeah, it was funny ;)

During the exchange, we went to this Rest Home where Elder Kobayashi and I had been giving service just about every week last transfer. Atkin Choro and I haven't been yet this transfer because we're looking into other service activities. . . Gatchell Choro and I were talking with one of the staff members, I guess we have some kind of agreement - especially since I signed something back when I went the first time with Kobayashi Choro. . . That was a really awkward conversation: the man we talked with couldn't understand why we wanted to stop coming to the rest home to serve. He thought we just didn't want to be around the elderly anymore. I felt some interesting vibes; obviously this is something Atkin Choro and I need to pray about and figure out, but the man obviously didn't want us to stop coming. And then it turns out the missionaries in Izumo have been going to this place almost every week for a LONG time, years, maybe even ten or so. The man said he wouldn't "let" us stop coming unless President Isa gave him the okay.

Anyway. . . Yeah, I'm a little nervous about that. I like serving the elderly, I really do, and I don't want to stop. But even in our guidelines, it talks about not doing service that would be hard to discontinue, or would cause problems should we need to.

Hmm. . . .

So, after the exchange, it kind of seemed like things started going downhill for some reason. It culminated on Sunday into what was probably the first completely open conversation Atkin Choro and I have had so far. We didn't yell, it didn't feel contentious (although I started feeling that it could have easily turned contentious). . . but wow. He told me things that I was doing that were bugging him and I told him things that he was doing that were buggin me. . . And in the end, I felt more at peace than I have ever felt so far.

You know how sometimes you think you know a person, their motives, what's going on in their heads? Well I have a problem with that, a problem with assumption. And it turns out that I have been doing some things without even noticing they were causing problems. And if we hadn't had this conversation, I could have easily continued without even realizing what the problems were. . .

Don't worry, everything is going fine right now.

I'd say probably the biggest thing I've learned so far this transfer is the need for communication. You can't just hold things in or eventually you're going to burst. Keeping an open link is essential for any kind of relationship. You can't just assume you know someone completely, you need to talk with them often, ask them questions, and try to see their views.... Wow, I don't know if that big shpeel made any sense, but that was what was on my mind.

Thank you all so much for the goodies! We are totally making tacos and/or taco rice this week! And swedish meatballs sometime soon! I love you so much, thank you for your prayers, love and support. It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky. . . (as cheezy as that was ;)

Love you always,

Elder Peterson