Poptarts and BBQ Sauce!

(Not together, of course. Just craving Both!)

Dear Family,
We went and played Volleyball for a while with some Brazillian friends of Matsue's Ward Mission Leader (Brother Oda, he's constantly helping us out; he has a lot of connections in Izumo). I'm terrible at volleyball, but it was fun and a good workout. One of the players even recognized us from having seen us on the streets. It was a good chance to make some friends. Hopefully we'll bump into them again. One of them was named Paul as well, and he lived in the states for quite a few years. It was a nice English interlude ;)

This week was exciting! Once again, we took the bus to Okayama. Elder Atkin seems to be doing really well. He and his companion, Elder Matsuoka are the Okayama Zone leaders, and they have a lot going on right now, very busy, waking up early almost every day.

I learned some important concepts at this conference, one of which is a "40 Day fast" from behaviors that detract from the spirit. Pres. Isa shared a story (originally shared by Elder Holland?) about the Process of Purification. So, Elder Kajiuchi and I started our 40-day fasts after we got back from the conference. Please pray for us. I'm starting to notice a few differences already. We keep having random encounters and experiences that I think are connected to the fast. Investigators who have had trouble meeting with us or coming to church have recently accepted invitations to meet with us (at a party, but still!) and came to church (this week, only one came, but it was great. Gana san, our Mongolian investigator!)

On the flip-side, I had my first real encounter with persecution. I mean, compared to other places, it's probably not that big of a deal, but it made me very thankful to be in Japan, where I don't have to deal with it very much. We were housing yesterday with some members. A woman came around the corner as we were waiting by a door that we had just barely rung. Elder Kajiuchi called over a hello, and "Nice weather, eh?". She came over to us, looking a bit annoyed. "Jehova's Witnesses?" We responded with "No, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints". I tried to follow what the woman said next, but couldn't really understand. She started walking back to where her apartment was. I got a little prompting to tell her about a party we're having on Thursday. Kajiuchi choro gave me a "What on EARTH are you doing" look. . . The woman interrupted me by yelling a swear word and storming into her apartment. She did not look very happy. I mean, I got pretty used to people swearing at me during training, but in Izumo where most people give the very polite "No thank you, Otsukare Sama Desu" treatment, it was a little surprising. Oh well, I got over it. I figure that compared to being held at gun point, stabbed, and/or constantly persecuted as in other areas of the world, I actually have it pretty good.

Friday we biked all the way out to the Hinomisaki Shrine. You should have some pictures, it was the same day Atkin Choro and I went to the Light house. Back then, we couldn't enter the shrine. . . We were supposed to meet an investigator at a festival there. While waiting, we found out that the inner-shrine only opens up one day a year, at a certain time only, and we were there at the right time. So we went in, were given these little, white cloth aprons to put around our necks, were "purified" by one of the [priests?], and then got to walk around. It was pretty cool, and there appeared to be some Mosaic similarities (kind of Tabernacle-esque).

Wow, that bike ride was long and tough, but it was worth it.

So yesterday, we spent some time at the Hamamura household. A less active member and her non-member friend were coming - we helped to prepare a picnic meal to eat while watching the Firework display. I learned how to make Onigiri (balls or triangles of rice). I'm not very good, but it was fun!

Brother Hamamura (our Branch Mission Leader) showed us some pictures from his mission. His scrapbooks had Contact Cards in it too. Darin Palmer (formerly in the 1st ward?) served in his mission (Japan Sendai) around the same time (1985)! He was my scout master back in the day, and I was friends with his son Mitchell! If you see him or happen to get in touch, please say hello. Kazuhiko Hamamura is the mission leader's name. Bro. Palmer might not remember, because they weren't companions, but the did exchange cards.

I want you to know that I'm doing great. Elder Kajiuchi and I have been doing great since we got back from the conference. I think this fast is changing things. Sure, the hard times of missionary work will come and go, but for the time being, we don't seem to really get angry at each other.

Well, tell everyone I love them,

Mata ne
Elder Peterson
ピ－ターソン

There Can Be Miracles

I am in quite a good mood this week. I received Mom's package this week and I am so excited to make those brownies (and the BBQ Pringles are almost gone. . . :) we found an old cook book from the Okayama mission that has a brownie recipe in it, and it works out great too, but I am SOOOO excited to try those Duncan Hines brownies!!! MMMMM!! I love you! Thank you again for your sacrifices for me! I love you so much! I'm thankful for all the help you've given me. I'm thankful that you have supported me in my decisions and have trusted me to make them. My one year anniversary of actually starting Basic Training (ROTC/National Guard) is on the 6th of June. That was the beginning of a journey I needed to take. And it has all led to the here and now.

Thank you for the taco seasoning!!!! I made taco stuff twice this week. The first time I put in way too much water, but we had it over rice, topped with Doritos and salsa, and it was okay. But then we pulled out the tortillas that Kobayashi Choro left and we had real taco/burritos -- even with Taco Bell sauce left by a former missionary. Delicious! The oven in our apato (apartment) actually works, but just barely! It's pretty ancient and limited to 250 degrees.

Mom, I'm glad you liked my little package. I'm guessing this year's birthday was a lot better than last year's ... It's hard to believe a year has already passed since I left you all and headed to Missouri for Basic Training! Time seems to fly right by. I don't think I was able to adequately express my thanks for your last letter. Thank you for your words. When I received your letter, I was going through some rough times and your letter really helped a lot. I want to talk about a couple of things that have changed for me. One is doing dishes a lot. Yeah, back when I was home, I didn't like to do dishes at all. It might just be that if I don't do dishes, we won't have clean dishes... but I have no problem doing them sow. So I'll make sure to help out a lot more when I'm home.

Last week's Zone Meeting and Interview with President Isa were both very good. I'm slowly understanding a little more of what Pres. Isa says in Japanese. . . but I did need some help from Atkin Choro for translation. Yeah, Pres. Isa is fluent in English, but there are a lot of Japanese Missionaries in the Zone, and not all of them speak English. But that's okay! It's hard to understand sometimes, but when I do understand parts and things start to click together, it's awesome!

Remember that we had to take dessert to the Zone meeting: Well, my Cinnamon Cake and Apple Crisp desserts worked out okay, but I forgot the cinnamon in the apple crisp, oh well. . . :)

Things in Izumo are doing quite well! Umetani San CAME TO CHURCH on Sunday!!!! It was the first time I've had an investigator at church with me! Her daughter Haruna came too. Elder Atkin went with her to Primary, and I *"ganbaro"'d with Umetani San in Sunday School with Brother Hamamura (he is such an awesome, fun, enthusiastic teacher!) *Ganbaru is a Japanese word which here means "to hang in there" or "try hard" etc. Sometimes it's easier even in our English conversations to still use the Japanese words, because sometimes, the translations in Japanese are easier than the English way of saying things. . . ;)

Umetani san loved church! And she understood things for the most part. She wants to be baptized; now we're praying for her to gain the courage to tell her husband. . . But hey, one of the miracles from this last week is that she was way nervous to ask her husband if she could go to church. She finally asked him and . . . He said "Yeah, no problem"!

And Haruna was amazing in Primary! She was the first person to raise her hand when the teacher asked, "Okay, who knows who God is?" She was also the first person to volunteer for prayer, and gave both the opening and closing prayers! And this was her first time at church!!

Things are just working out -- with our investigators, with contacting people who showed interest in being taught, and such. We must be doing something right. When I get those down notions that "I'm not doing enough" and “I need to be doing more" . . . Maybe for the current situation, I am doing enough.

One of our Zone Goals is to find something new from Preach My Gospel every week that we're not doing and to try doing it. I've been experimenting with Praying in Faith. I think Sundy told me about that activity from Chapter 4 about having prayers led by the spirit. I tried to work on my prayers a while ago, but I kind of slipped back into a little routine. Well, anyway, I've been really focusing on avoiding the whole "pick up the phone, order groceries, and hang up" style of prayer. I've been trying harder to pray in faith for things like my relationship with Elder Atkin, our Investigators, being able to meet with people, etc.. I'm not saying it's just because of MY prayers, but I think it's been having an effect. Prayer really is powerful when it is offered with a sincere heart. It seems like sometimes we fall into these little ruts of praying to God, but not really thinking about how he can actually hear us, and about how he actually cares about us. Try it out, look at that Evaluate your Prayers activity from Chapter 4 of PMG.

I'm glad I get to be working with Atkin Choro. We are pretty different; we share some similar interests but our senses of humor are completely different. And, I get the feeling that he thinks I'm a stick in the mud when I don't laugh at all of his jokes. Don't worry -- things are fine. We just both need to appreciate and understand each other better.

Well, transfers are coming up soon. It's crazy how time has flown by! And here I am in the start of my 6th month of the Mission. Wow. . . Well, obviously, we can't know ahead of time if we'll be transferred or not. . . But I would love to stay in Izumo another transfer! Elder Kobayashi got three transfers here, so maybe I will too! We'll see!

1st E-mail From Japan: Pinch Me

My Dearest family, loved ones, friends, and whoever else might read this:
こんいちは！！！　（Ｋｏｎｎｉｃｈｉ　ｗａ）
(sorry if there are repeats - writing English on this keyboard is a little tricky. Yes, it has English letters, but it's designed for Japanese.)
So much has happened in the last week, so many awesome and crazy Japanese adventures that it's hard for me to believe that this is real. Please, pinch me, I must still be dreaming.

Well, I'll start off with a request: Please write! Every letter I get is like a Christmas present. Family, you're exempt because of the email thing :).

Here's my current address:
Elder Paul Gregory Peterson
Izumo-shi, Watarihashi-cho,
469 Loftee KS 202
693-0004 Japan

So, we arrived at the Tokyo Narita airport a little after 3:00PM. We had a little layover before boarding the flight to Hiroshima. There were a lot of marines on our flight. I guess there's a military base near Iwakuni/Yanai. I'll let you know if I ever get transfered there.

I had my first contacting experience while we were waiting for the Hiroshima flight. There was a teenager sitting next to me, so I started up a conversation using my "Kikuchi Card" (they pick the most important item on the card, and we relate it to the gospel). It's still hard for me to express myself as much as I want to, but it was a good experience. I gave her a pamphlet for the Plan of Salvation. Sugoi!

So, we got to Hiroshima, and I smelled the poignant sea air as we walked from the plane to the airport's interior. I love that smell, it brings me back to those wonderful Ft. Monroe days.

We approached the baggage claim and saw our welcoming party - a group of Elders holding a "Welcome to the Japan Hiroshima Mission" sign. We couldn't talk to them because they were beyond the point-of-no-return glass doors, and we had point-of-no-return glass doors, and we had to wait for our luggage. That part was kind of awkward, but then all was good, and we proceeded. They were the Assistants to the Mission President. One who was heading home a couple of days later (whom I later found out was from Brazil) spoke almost no Japanese or English at the start of his mission, but then became fluent! The same will happen for Elder De Menezes! I know it!

President Isa is amazing. Wow, he is a spiritual rock. I wish you could meet him. I really am so lucky to be here. And to be here at this time. Everyone keeps saying that miracles are happening all over the mission. They don't know what it is, but that now is a good time to be here.

Sister Isa got your email mom, she told me to say Hello. Wow, she's like my new mom. My Japanese mom.

Ah! We got to go to the Hiroshima Peace Park. That hadn't been done with new missionaries before. Again, I got lucky! The feeling there was, wow ... It was very solemn. It made me think about the atonement in a different light. It made me think a bit more about how much Christ suffered for us, and how he felt all of the pain that those at Hiroshima felt.

Here's my spiritual thought portion: There is no pain, no fear, no worry, no grief, no heartache, and no struggle that the atonement cannot heal. Yes, some things might be more difficult to overcome, might take a little bit more time, but in the end, through Christ, all can be made whole.

That night we found out about our new areas and trainers. (After doing a little streeting, I went with one of the AP's - Elder Nielsen. We found two people who gave us numbers!!!! No way! One of them from me pulling out the kikuchi card semi-randomly, and then the other was a former investigator from a different area, but he moved to Hiroshima. AWESOME!

The next morning, I was accompanied to the station and rode the bus by myself to Izumo. Funny story: we took a pit stop somewhere. I thought the driver said that we would be taking a 33 minute break. It was actually that we'd be leaving at 9:33. haha good thing I went back to the bus anyway.

I talked with a nice man next to me. I was so afraid for some reason. It seemed like he would be kind of gruff or unfriendly. Nope, quite friendly. I gave him a pass-along card after talking a bit about families.

The Branch President was there (Yamane Kaicho - kaicho is the title for branch president) with Elder Kobayashi to pick me up! Elder Kobayashi is so cool! Sister Isa said he doesn't speak very much English, and yes, we mostly speak Japanese, and sometimes I understand ... but that's ok. I want to immerse myself! Even though I can't completely understand everything that's been said.

Yesterday at church, I felt as if I had come home. Wow, the people are so amazing. The branch is a little small, but the saints here are rock solid. They're all so familiar, and I feel their love. I'll try to send pictures of these beautiful people sometime: Hamamura, Sasaki, Sato, Kozumi, Maniwa, Maejima, Yoneda, they are all so warm and welcoming! (those are just a few names)

There's no way that I'll be able to tell you everything that's happening here. That'll have to wait for when I get back. But don't worry, I made a goal to write in my journal everyday, and I'll keep it!

Really, every day feels like a dream. I'm living in a Japanese apartment, sleeping on a futon on the floor, eating real Japanese food, seeing real Japanese scenery, and interacting with real Japanese people. I don't want this to end. I have never been happier. I am home.

Love, your son who just might be turning Japanese

P.S. Feel free to send packages of cookies or goodies to Elder De Menezes. He hardly ever got any mail, and he would love that!