Friends for the Birthday Dinner

I don't know how we had room to eat after such a BIG lunch but we had invited our ward Mission Leader, Ryota Yoneda and a new convert family Teruni and Eriko Hachisuka with their two sons for dinner. The sister missionaries stopped by to bring a card so they joined us for dinner too and then gave a home evening lesson. Brother Yoneda made the yummy birthday cake. It was such a fun day!

Happy 61st Birthday

Sister Traveller made a big sign and wrote heart notes for Elder Gurr at the office.

Then for lunch we went to Cat's Cafe with the office staff. Elder Miller, the Recorder, and Elder Sakuma, the Commissarian, are on the right with Sister Traveller. President is next to Sister Traveller (can't see his face.) Across the table are the assistants, Elder Andrus and Elder Hardman and then the GUEST OF HONOR, Elder Gurr.

We shouldn't have eaten our lunch of pizza because when they brought the dessert we knew we had to stretch our stomachs! Ah, good to the last drop!

Dad, didn't eat it all by himself--we wouldn't let him. We all had long spoons and passed the bowl around. It was really delicious. Usually Japan has small proportions, but not this!

One by One

January 6, 2009

Sister Keiko Wada found another of the sisters that I taught. Sister Miyuki Takase Masuda from Komaki came with her granddaughter, Rion, for a visit and lunch at the sushi bar. She's not in the Church, but we had a wonderful visit together. She said she wished her life had been different, but we told her that through the blessings of the gospel all things can work together for our good.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Look who was Santa and Rudolph for the Meito Ward Christmas Party!

Another Lost Friend

In early December late at night I had a call from Sister Keiko Wada to whom I had taught the gospel. She had learned I was back in Japan and wanted to see me. I was thrilled when she came the next day for a sweet reunion.

She was active for some time after I left but moved to Osaka, married outside the Church, and went less active. One day while in her husband's copy shop, she saw the name of the Church on some papers. The Spirit touched her and she knew she needed to find the Church again.

For six years her nonmember husband took her and their two daughters to Church and finally his heart softened. He joined the Church and they've now been sealed in the temple and are actively serving in Tokyo where she is the Stake Relief Society President. Oh, happy day.!

Sunday 2 Oct. 2008

The couple on the left is Brother and Sister Ichihashi. She's the one I taught the gospel to 38 years ago. The man in the middle is Brother Nakamura who was the Branch President during that time. He arranged the marriages of forty couples in the church. When he was the branch president, he had a counselor who wasn't married and he counseled him to fast and pray about which sister in the branch he'd like to marry. He never could decide who he wanted to marry because he had so much fun dating.

One Sunday during ward announcements he announced the marriage of his counselor and a sister in the audience. There was a gasp, but he finished and sat down at the other end of the bench. During the meeting the counselor kept eyeing him with fire in his eyes. Promptly at the end of Sacrament meeting Nakamura Kyodai went straight to the branch president's office. Brother Ikeda was right on his heels, went in and shut the door, and wanted to know what in the world he thought he was doing. Nakamura Kyodai said, "As the branch president of this branch I'm the father and watch over all. There are many unmarried sisters who want to get married and YOU need to get married. I fasted and prayed about this decision and if you don't like it you can go to hell!" Well, that took the brother back!

He really did like the girl the branch president had chosen and was just shy in making a decision. The couple also fasted and prayed about it and realized they were in love and got married. They're still happily married!

We love Michiko and Hirohiko Ichihashi for setting this wonderful evening up to enjoy yesteryear again.

These are the Fushimis who spent a day with us at the Castle. It was a very enjoyable experience. When they took us home, we took them upstairs to the office and showed them the picture of the Sacred Grove and shared our witness of Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel. Oh, if these dear people would only listen with their hearts and understand the importance of this great work.