Transfer week! (11/6/17)

Hey everyone! I hope all of your guys' weeks was amazing! My week has been really awesome and really busy! A lot of changes have come as probably many of you have seen already. So This last Wednesday was our zone conference and a lot of things have changed in this mission. I was super excited for all the changes and even more excited when I heard what they really are. One of the biggest things is that we have been approved to use social media such as Facebook. We will be using these new tools to be teaching people more effectively. It is especially helpful for Japan, almost everyone is on Facebook or Line (basically Skype)! We are already seeing tons of miracles from this.

We also have a new focus on finding people through teaching people about Joseph Smith's experience in praying to God for the first time.  It is really touching to see how people react to the message and how powerful of a message it is. The Holy Ghost is so present teaching these people that they have a loving Heavenly Father who wants them to come to know him.

So as such a lot of this week has been setting up these new social media tools and trying to find new people. Though there have been a lot of other cool things. Like we had Stake conference this week! It was amazing, and all the talks were awesome and talked a lot about missionary work. Another big change was that we have been asked by the Mission President to go to the Saturday Adult session. The Stake Patriarch really got on everyone and related a talk about how all the missionaries were pulled out of Europe at one point and how the members need to step up. It was a really great talk to end the session. Then we tried to get home but a bunch of things happened, first we missed our train by literally 3 seconds. Then to try to get back before 10 O'clock we took a super fast train and then waited at the platform only to find out our train had been specially switched to the track we wanted so we missed another train. Unfortunately, we did not make it back before 10 O'clock. X/ 

We also had a birthday party for the other Elders as their birthdays were the 3rd and 4th. It was a lot of fun! We had a dinner party with an investigator family and some members. We also had a movie night where we showed Meet the Mormons in Japanese. It was a pretty good turn out of investigators and members. It was really interesting watching it all dubbed in Japanese, and understanding all of it. :3 In all it was a really good week! There were a ton of miracles as we taught about the message of the restoration. Truly it is a special message that rings into every person's heart.

I love you all and hope you all have a great week. Oh, and transfers are this week. Pretty sure I will be transferring out and my companion will get a new missionary. 10 new English speaking Elders are coming in. In all 17 new missionaries will be arriving tomorrow! What a great time to be a missionary here in Hokkaido!

Love,

Elder Harvey

Halloween party, Baptism, and Tequila (10/30/17)

Hey everyone this week has been super crazy just as the title sounds!

So much happened since I last wrote. This week started off with super crunch time to get our Halloween party ready on time for Saturday.

Though all of our hard work has really paid off. It went super well and everyone was super happy that they were there. Especially since one of the Elders in my apartment was dressed up as a beloved children's character named Doraemon. Everyone was asking him for pictures. Even on the way home to the apartment (which is a train ride away) a bunch of people stopped us for pictures. We had a haunted house, Minute to Win It games, Trunk or Treat and we did a flash mob of the Thriller dance. 

We also had a sudden baptism the next Sunday.  We were told about it on Tuesday and we all freaked out. It was one mom of an investigator family. It went really well. She has such a strong testimony and the whole proceeding was just amazing. Also this week we went to some member and investigator families school festival thingy. The 4th graders were doing a musical trip into America. They played My Old Kentucky Home, and Tequila. They were super good. We also had 5th grader and 6th grader people so we watched those and we were all just blown away. The 5th graders played some awesome music like Pirates of the Caribbean (they even played on Accordions) and the 6th graders did a play. In all it was a super great week! 

Also today is my Zone conference and we will be doing training for social media!  I am so looking forward to using these amazing tools for dendo! We are getting something called Line which is going to be so awesome! Anyway Love you guys and hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Harvey

Temple P-day (10/25/17)

This week was crazy, maybe I'll have time next week to tell you guys all about it. Haha. But seriously though I have run out of time. Just wanted to write you all that I love you guys and know that God loves you all. He is always looking out for you and trying to reach out to you and those around you. Truly as you follow the spirit's promptings you will be doing a greater good than you can begin to understand. 

Oh also it snowed this last Monday. Well, more like a blizzard/typhoon.  Started as a typhoon but ended as a blizzard. Anyway we had to walk through the typhoon/blizzard to go get influenza vaccine. I absolutely love Hokkaido with all its crazy though. Turned out to actually be a fun trip despite the particles of ice ripping at your skin. Then we took a taxi home... Basically the blizzard got worse and we were like oh no. Truly a good decision if I say so myself. Also I won't be writing until next TUESDAY because I will be going up/down? to Muroran for Zone things. Love you all

Love,

Elder Harvey