Week 43 - Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad - 20 February 2017

Hello,

Happy Anniversary to you and Steve! I told the other missionaries about it. I promise I didn't forget.  

So I made a video while at Zone P-day cause I was to tired to type but I decided I would type a little bit. Things here are really good. I went housing for the first time in about a transfer and a half. It was a good time. We also found a new investigator. His name is Ryoichi. He is pretty good at English. He lived in Indianapolis for about six months. He is twenty and way cool. We are going to meet him Friday so hope that goes well. 

Lately our mission has really changed into a dendou smartly. President Nagano wants us using our mind more then our might and strength. We've been trying to find volunteer work all over the place and we found this cool one where basically we go and play sports with these kids for two hours. It's kinda like a day care. There is also a special needs event too. So we will go check that out tonight. I have really come to enjoy being able to serve and use our mind but I have also come to realize that we need to really dendou as well. That's how we can find those that are prepared now. The other events will help people on their path to being prepared. No opened mouth is a waste. Even if people don't listen then it is just helping them to become prepared.

That's really exciting for David and Bill. I'm so happy for them. The gospel has definitely changed their lives and will continue to change it. 

That's pretty crazy that Jessica (Amos - a friend from High School and our stake) is engaged. She always told Andrew that she was going to serve a mission but he and I always thought it wouldn't happen. 正しかったかな  Anyway that's exciting. Send me pictures if you get any. It would be neat to see. Also I'm way excited for Tucker. Erek sent me a picture from the mission office in Minnesota and his picture was up in the office! That's so exciting!

Good thing grandma pooped (She has been having some problems and had not had a bowle movement for 15 days). I was really nervous. I hope all is well with her. I pray daily for her.

Well transfers are this next Monday so we will see if I stay again. I have finally fallen in love with Kawagoe but that seems to be how it works. We will see what happens.

Elder Holland came to Japan and did a ten stake stake conference for basically all of my mission except Niigata. Kinda sad for them, but it was way powerful. One of the members talked about how the members should love the missionaries as we are only their to help. Not to be fed. It was kinda funny. He also talked about how none of the missionaries are perfect even though their mission Presidents and their families think they are. Ha ha ha   I'm not perfect but I am trying to be. Sorry!

Also Satou 兄弟gave us these spiny fan things to put on our bike wheels so I'm riding in style now. Ha ha ha   He is the best ever. He came to a devotional Saturday night and came to church on Sunday as well. He is a way good guy! 

 

Here is my Presidents letter:

This week was really good. We had a lesson with one of our eternal investigators, Yoshiki Takemura. Last week he decided that he would start taking real lessons again instead of just letting us share scriptures. It was a way good lesson that we had. The spirit was very strong. He also speaks English fluently so Elder Larsen and I were really able to testify and teach together really well. We really tried to help him realize that God loves him and wants him to succeed in this life and the next. He admitted that he has really been blessed by Heavenly Father and wants to follow His will. 

We also had the opportunity to work with Satou兄弟 this week. He is one of our less actives but is a very good guy and has such a good heart. His ideas about some of the doctrine is a little bit backwards. He came to the Saturday night and Sunday morning devotionals and I think he really enjoyed them. He also was able to build a relationship with Bishop Kudo. Since Bishop Kudo has only been in this ward for a year and just became Bishop he doesn't know everyone but he really helped Brother Satou and answered some questions for him. Kenta also came to Sunday morning devotional and enjoyed it. He is doing good. Way good kid, with a way good heart. We just need to help him realize that Christ is still the path even if he can't be baptized now. I come to love Japan and the people more and more everyday. I have also really come to love Kawagoe Ward. The members are so great and really want to help. I'm so thankful for the members here and their wonderful examples

Well with that stay dry and I love you all! 

Have a great week! And don't forget to continually strengthen newly baptized members!

Elder Bloomfield 

Here is that video I took hope you like it.

Missionaries serving in Kawagoe in front of Church

Elder Larsen, Mason and Satuo Kyodai

Thought for the Week:

                                         

Week 42 - 1 Week, 5 Companions - 14 February 2017

Dear Family,

Sorry today was temple P-day, so we didn't have our regular P-day yesterday on Monday.

This week was very fun. I had about 5 different companions in one week. 

We had splits in Sakado on Tuesday which was a good time. I had the opportunity to go with Elder Nielson. It was a very good time and he is doing really well. He has really changed in the last few transfers and I have enjoyed seeing that. He is the same transfer as Elder Breeze and Elder Larsen. When he first came he was very shy and depressed. 

This week we also had splits with the traveling assistants. They are both about to go home at the end of the transfer but it was a really good time. 

On Wednesday I had splits with Elder Snyder. It was a great time as we got to talk about the mutual companions we have had. He served as a Zone Leader with Elder Ogata and with Elder Broberg. He is a way good missionary and I was really thankful for his example and all that he taught me. 

Thursday I was with Elder Seeger. It was rainy and snowing but we were able to go visit some community centers and find a really cool service opportunity. We actually went to an activity for a little bit that night. It was really cool and they are expecting us to come back. 

Then on Friday I was able to be with Elder Larsen again. Ha ha  That kinda felt like coming home. 

On Saturday we had a Zone Blitz. I was companions with Elder O'rielly who was my Zone Leader in Niigata my second transfer. We had a really good time dendouing together and we were able to find a new investigator and teach him the first vision while housing. What?! It was way cool to actually find an investigator housing. It was nice to see that it happens. We both agreed that we have never had an experience as great as that one while housing. I was really impressed by Elder O'rielly's faith. It really motivated me to strengthen my own. 

On Sunday we went and visited Akira again. His family wasn't home but he was. We had a good time teaching English and then he had barbecued some chicken wings so we ate those together. He is a really nice guy and decided that two weeks from now he wants to have all the missionaries in Kawagoe over to celebrate Elder Larsen's birthday. He is really feeling the spirit when we come over. I think he will start taking the lessons soon but for now it is short simple messages. 

Also Elder Larsen and I felt strongly that we should invite our eternal investigator to really take the lessons again. He had been a little hesitant before but he accepted and decided it was a good idea. He is a great guy who really has the light of Christ so strong. I can't wait to teach him and see how the Gospel will change him even more.

Overall this week was good. I've come to really love and enjoy Kawagoe. 

We also were able to go to a Japanese funeral. A part member family's mother passed away so we were able to go participate in it. It was way cool. They had a Buddhist Monk like singing/saying this prayer for like twenty minutes and then everybody went two by two to take these like herbs and then put them in this burning sand and bow to the dead lady. It was pretty interesting but a great experience. Afterwards they had this like super expensive and nice dinner. It was probably the best sushi you will ever eat. Ha ha ha  Way cool experience!

Well love you guys! Hope all is well! Tell Demi and Tyler I say hi!

Elder Bloomfield!

Round 2 - New Friend, New Picture

Zone gathering

Elder Larsen and Elder Bloomfield at Tokyo Temple

Thought for the Week:

                                   

Week 41 - Interviews and Zone Conference - 6 February 2017

Dear family,

I will start with some excerpts from my President letter:

We had two really cool miracles this week. The first was that one of our less actives, Satou Kyoudai, prayed and received an answer that told him to go to the Celestial Kingdom.  He asked us if he could be re-baptized and we explained to him how the sacrament and the atonement can really help. 

The second really cool miracle was that we have been trying to find good ways to kubari and invite people to mission school. We came up with this idea that involved an eikaiwa (English School) game and getting people to play on the street. We had this white board that had tango bang bang and the games rules on it. We then went to this way busy shopping strip and found people to play and handed out tons of flyers. It was way fun and super effective too. We built a lot of good relationships and should have more people coming to eikaiwa and mission school. 

I'm way excited about mission school. We are already seeing small fruits of our labors. A guy that we found a few weeks ago with interest in English actually decided to a take a lesson from Elder Morris and Elder Passos this week. It is way cool seeing these little miracles that are happening and are only the beginning of mission school.

I also had interviews with President and Sister Nagano this week. They were way good. I love both of them so much. It was probably my favorite interview yet. Lately I have really been trying to focus on loving the people and serving because I love God and his children not because I want to look like a good missionary to others. We talked about how Charity plays a big role and if I really just try to love the people my own prideful desires will disappear. I hate pride so much. Pride is fearing man more than fearing God. I have so much pride but piece by piece I am trying to get ride of it and humble myself. 

This week was pretty good. There was like no one at church on Sunday. Half the congregation didn't even show up. Ha ha Kinda sad.

Things are good. My trainer, Elder Ogata has been emailing me a bit. He is doing good. He is going to America in the summer. He's a way good guy. Says to tell the family hello and that he will be coming to Visit the mission before summer. I really love him. He is such a good guy.

Well that's exciting with David and that Demitri is coming home. It's been amazing to be a part in both of their lives. Tell them both hello from me!

No snow here!

Well love you guys!

Have a good week! 

Elder Bloomfield 

                                                         My best friend in Japan 

Satou Kyoudai did some Japanese bunka with us. It's called "Setsubun." It brings good in the New Year and wards away demons and bad luck for the coming year. It's where you throw soy beans outside and say "Oni Wa Soto, Fuku Wa Uchi" 

Here is the video in action.

This is a video of a Japanese Lady that had a few things to share with the missionaries.

Thought of the week:

Week 40 - It's Almost February - 29 January 2016

Dear Family,

Time goes by so fast. It is insane! It has now been over a year since receiving my call to the Japan, Tokyo Mission! It's crazy. I remember thinking I was in a dream or something. I thought life would change, I would be a different person or something like that. But it's just
life. Day after day, week after week. The only difference is that I'm a servant of the Lord now. Ha ha ha  I love my mission and the people of Japan. 

This week we went over to Akita's house and taught him and his daughter English. They are super nice and Akita even had some questions about the church and it seemed like he had done some research on us as well. Ha ha ha   He also said when he has time he will come to church again. That whole family will be touched by the gospel soon. I know it. 

We were also able to meet with Faisal again after a while and he is doing really really well. He seems so much happier than before and his testimony is growing daily. 

Kenta also came to church for the first time this year and said he felt happy there! We had a good lesson with him this past week and he seems to be doing really good!  

We also met with Satou Kyoudai a few times this week. He is a way funny guy. He showed us some pictures and shared some stories about the missionaries that were a big part in his conversion. He has really melted my heart as he just wants to gain back that knowledge and testimony he had. 

I'm way thankful for Elder Larsen and his great example. We are working really well together and are seeing a lot of miracles. Lately I have really been trying to see everyone as children of God and trying to help them that way. It has helped a lot and really strengthened my testimony.

We had some big changes happen this week in the missionary's daily schedule and key indicators but it all pushes towards real conversion. 

Things are good here. I did get your package this week and that was the right stuff. Also I have only gotten the Christmas motab cd.  I don't have any others.

We really like to make tomato curry these days. It's pretty good. I also like oyakodon. For breakfast lately I just make some sunny side up eggs and put that on rice. Oh also Elder Passos and I make some bomb spaghetti!

That's exciting about Matt! I was kinda wondering about him. Also I'm way excited to hear about Alec's call that's way exciting!  How is his family doing? How are the other missionaries doing from my class?  And people from my class? Do you know anything about Chase Larsen?  What's he up to these days?

Hopefully David (David is a 63 year old neighbor of ours whose father (his name is Robert (Bill) Wentworth) joined the church 3 years ago.  At that time, David did not want anything to do with the church, but over time, his heart has softened and he is now preparing for baptism himself) can pull it together. He really does need this in his life as soon as possible.
Help the missionaries in any way possible please. They really do want to help the ward. Sometimes it's just hard.

We have interviews and Zone Conference this week!

Well,  keep praying and living life the way the Savior wants you to!

Love you!

Elder Bloomfield

Played soccer with these guys from the college campus.

Lunch with Faisel

Thought for the week:

Week 39 - Transfer #6 - 16 January 2017

Hey,

Well this is pretty crazy. I'm staying and my new companion is the same transfer as Elder Breeze and is only like a centimeter shorter than him. So by the end of this transfer my companions will have been the two tallest in the mission. Ha ha   His name is Elder Larsen and he should be pretty fun. I now feel like I will be here for a while. There is a work specifically here for me to do. 

This week was ma ma (so so). We worked really hard and the miracles just didn't really come this week. It was kinda frustrating as we worked so hard and didn't really see anything. Also mom I have been trying to do the miracle of the day every night in my journal, but it has been a little hard lately. I'm so busy all the time. There is just too much I want to do. 

Well here is my letter to President this week:

This week was a good week. The other elders had the Brazilian families baptism this Sunday so that was very nice. This week was really rough at first. Nothing really happened and we couldn't get any lessons or anything. Then towards the end of the week we were able to see some really cool miracles. First we were able to meet with our investigator Kenta. He got a job recently and has been way busy but on Saturday we found a time and were able to meet. We found out he still wants to learn, he is just busy right now. He also said he would come to church and other activities when he doesn't have work. 

Another cool miracle we had was Akira. He is the guy that stopped us one night and said he wanted us to teach English to his daughters. He came to church on Christmas and said his older daughter would come to eikaiwa (English school). She however didn't show up and we didn't hear from them for a while. We stopped by his house and he wasn't there but we left a note and he called us the next day inviting us to come over on Sunday. We went over and talked and then had dinner. He is way nice and wants the best for his family. We will go over about once or twice a month to teach English and they will start coming to Eikaiwa and mission school.  It was a way cool miracle and I know that eventually the family will have interest in the gospel and be baptized!

I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to serve with Elder Breeze for two transfers. I learned a lot from him and I know he will see a lot of cool miracles on his mission. I'm also really excited to work with Elder Larsen and learn new things from him as well. I'm excited for the change even though he is just as tall as Elder Breeze and I won't be able to see over him either   Ha ha ha!

Mission school was way good this week. We had like ten students. It also got really cold this week and I lost my voice today. It's real hard to dendou when your companion doesn't talk to people very much and you don't have a voice, but we did it.

Well I'm excited for this next transfer and the exciting miracles that will come from the hard work of the last two transfers.

Well love you guys! Hope all is well! 

See you next week!

Focus on the joy of the gospel and pray for others!

Love,
Elder Bloomfield

Thought for the Week:

Week 38 - Last Week of Transfer 5 - 9 January 2017

Hey all,

Wow this week has been way good. Here is some parts from my Presidents letter.

Dear President Nagano,

This week was really good. We saw some pretty cool miracles. We tried to up our member work this week and had some success too. We tried to visit a bunch of members throughout this week. On Sunday we noticed that the members we had visited were very friendly to us and all told us thank you. Most of the members we visited seem to be visited a lot less than others by the missionaries. It was so nice to visit and get to know them and see how the gospel has blessed their lives. We saw two particularly cool miracles from this as well. A less active sister that we visited was very nice and came to mission school two days later and provided a doseki lesson for the sisters. She told the sisters that she had prayed for some guidance from God and then Elder Breeze and I showed up! She also told the sisters she wants to come to church. She didn't come this week but she will becoming soon I think. Another cool miracle we saw was with another less active sister. We visited her house but she wasn't home. However her 22 year old son was there and we got to chat with him for a while. He told us about how his mom isn't coming to church and asked us to pray for her. We said a prayer together and then left. The next day his mom came to church with him and his dad. He also bore his testimony too which I know strengthened his family. He also thanked us for visiting and praying with him. I have loved this week so much as we were able to build good relationships with a lot of members. My love for the members and people of Japan is growing so much daily. 

So this week was way cool with those two miracles. We also had a legit lesson again after this little drought. We got a new investigator two weeks ago and met him Saturday. He seems pretty prepared. He said he usually doesn't go to that Eki that we met him at but he was there and we were too. No coincidence there. We are going to meet him again this week and hopefully be able to chat over the phone a couple of times so he can feel the spirit continually. 

I don't remember if I told you about Faisal but he is the Saudi Arabian guy who was baptized back in September. He is a good guy. He kinda got kicked out of Saudi and stuff for way corrupt reasons and is basically a refugee these days. I love him to death but he is really a pain sometimes. The ward is like way pulling stuff together and supporting him but he won't do anything to help him self. He also like showers once a week and smells way bad. But he way loves me. He like is always telling other people and Elder Breeze how great I am cause I help him so much, but I'm really starting to get frustrated with him and he has a lot of pride so if anybody says anything he just goes insane. So I'm not sure what to do about him but maybe we will take him through the self reliance program.

Well another transfer has come and is gone in a week. I have a feeling that I will be transferring because President Nagano likes to have the younger missionaries take over the area and Elder Breeze and I have been together for two transfers so one of us will definitely leave. We will find out next week in the morning. I kinda want to train again but I also really want to have a senior companion so I can learn more. Joetsu didn't necessarily teach me how to do certain things that I'm still trying to learn and here I have had to figure out a lot on my own. I've loved Elder Breeze but I have also noticed a big difference in preparation. In a non prideful way, I came into the mission having studied almost daily and knowing why I was coming on a mission. Elder Breeze on the other hand came into the mission with hardly any personal preparation and not knowing why he came as well. I love him to death but I have been able to notice these things. I am not perfect and I am not judging him for being imperfect but I will say that those who study and really prepare for a mission will undoubtedly have a better mission and be able to be a stronger tool in the hand of the Lord. They will also have that desire to serve others and become the best they can for the Lord. I love that quote from President Hinckley about forgetting ourselves and going to work for the Lord. It's not about us, it's always about the Lords children and His lost sheep. 

Well I don't have anything else to say. Dad I would love to meet the Sanjo Shimaitachi (This is the family Steve baptized while serving his mission in Sendai).

I also have another onegai (Favor) for you. Will you send me Travis' weekly emails from his mission starting from week one of transfer six. It would be way cool to read them as a missionary and see  the miracles he saw. Just one week at a time so I can read when he was at the same week as me. This is going to be a rest of my mission thing but I think it will really boost my faith and desire as I read them. Next week week 1 of transfer 6. Thanks so much sorry!

Well love you guys be safe in the rain and stay warm. Next week I will have some pretty big news for you. Oh also the other elders have a baptism this week too.

Love,

Elder Bloomfield

The guy from the ward that they prayed for his Mom

New investigator they found.

Thought for the week:

Week 37 - New Years Day - 1 January 2017

Dear Family,

Wow! That is a lot of playing! I told Mason about our Trip to Tahoe over the holidays and all that we did. 

No two have a bunk bed and two have futons. I asked Mason about the sleeping arrangments at his apartment as we saw a video (I will post below) with bunk beds. I snagged me a futon cause it's better that way.

I had a good week. I don't really remember what happened. Because it's shogatsu (New Year Holiday) and they don't want us Dendouing, so yesterday was read The Book of Mormon day. I finished it by the way. It's always so sad when I finish The Book of Mormon. I always want there to be more and I feel so sick that the people didn't repent and follow Christ but caused his spirit to withdraw and completely destroyed each other. I'm so thankful for
The Book of Mormon and the influence it has had on my life. It literally can change people and their behavior more than anything else on this earth. It is by far the most correct of any book to ever be on this earth. I have a goal to read it everyday this year. I have never had a perfect year but this year I have a better opportunity than ever. 

Also today is p day and tomorrow is clean the apartment day so that will be fun.

Mission school is  going alright. It's a huge focus for President Nagano and it will reap really good benefits, it is just really hard to get going. We invite people all the time but they don't come because we aren't well known. We've been trying to get members to come and invite friends because that is how it will grow but they are still warming g up to it. We have all the materials prepared and ready, pretty professionally so when people start coming they won't leave.  Mission school is basically a church run school that teaches and shares messages about Christ. There are legit schools around Japan that do this but now the church is registered to do it. But we will teach standardized English test preparation courses for free and then share a message about Christ as well as opening and closing with a prayer.  We will do this so people will be exposed more to the spirit and we will have more people coming unto Christ. It should be a big tool, we just have to get it going.

Kenta is still good. He got a job recently and has been busy but will still meet with us when he has time, but we don't know what his desire is anymore so we will be trying to figure that out as well as showing him that he can be baptized later if his parents won't allow him now.

Takano is done. Sadly. He just doesn't have time and his parents are hantai. But he knows where to find us and has a Book of Mormon so his conversion will be in a few years. I may not have the chance to see it but it will happen that I am sure of. 

The guy with the two daughters. They haven't come yet but we will probably visit them this week. 

Well I am really excited for this next year as it is the only year I will have to give everyday and everything to the
Lord. It will surely be the single best year of my life.

Sorry it's so short but that's about all I have. 

Make goals and keep those goals!

Love you!

Elder Bloomfield

Satou Kyodai

Mt. Fuji in the background.

4 Roommates and Mt. Fuji

More missionary Shenanigans 

(Video mentioned above)

Thought for the Week: