A Warm February In Shimizu

A couple of pictures to start off this week's letter. These photos were taken on February 1, 2007. Notice the mountains in the background of the group picture.



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Hello　from Shimizu Japan!

I am doing fantastic and love it here. It`s warm enough that I don`t even have to wear a coat anymore. This is the warmest winter I have ever had! The Japanese cherry roses are beginning to come out and they are gorgeous. These trees line the rivers everywhere, and when they come into full bloom, there are going to be some gorgeous scenes here.

I am am beginning to really become settled and make friends here. Slowly we are helping the ward. We have been visiting lots of less-active members and were able to have a record breaking sunday this last week. From the usual 27 or so, 35 people came! Two of those were investigators, and they both had a good time.

A former bishop who usually doesn`t come because of work schedule, came and brought his 93-year-old father father who had never been to a Chritian church. Brother Satake and his dad both enjoyed church very much and asked us to come over to teach his dad this last tuesday (yesterday). What a fantastic lesson that was. He is 93 but his healthy and happy as ever. Most of all he is very humble and loves everything we teach him. He is excited to read the Morumon Sho and come to church every week. As smart and fun as he is though, it really is a testimony to me of the Gordon B. Hinkley, who at age 96, leads the church. As fun and nice as Brother Satake`s dad is, and how well he is mentally, he still repeated himself a few times and said a few silly things. President Hinkley could never give the inspired talks he does unless he really were a prophet today. I hope I am still around when I`m 93.

Another new thing we are trying here is to go to the colleges, to their English department, and to offer ourselves as volunteers to help. We have only been to one college, but we were recieved very well and they are trying to figure out how to use us. The professors we talked to were very nice and we talked about Christianity for about a half hour with him as well. It`s fun to meet so many interesting people. However, being in a college was very weird. I am definitly not ready to go back yet.

We`ve been meeting all kinds of interesting and fun people. Making friends. The biggest news is that I totalled my bicycle. No, I didn`t get in a wreck, the crank shaft broke in such a way that the entire frame needs to be replaced. The bike man assures me that it is just a manufactor`s defect, but I think he`s saying that so I won`t feel fat for breaking it. Na, I`m not that fat. So that put me in a little pickle, but I`m probably just going to get the frame from the bike of a returning missionary and all will be well. In the meantime, I get to ride a grandma bike that the bike guy let me borrow. Oh well, It`s fun.

While visiting a member, he showed me a picture of the ward here in 1984. It was about 50 members stronger, and yet, the same few people who come everyweek and are the core of the ward, are the same few that were in it 23 years ago. Not a lot of change, just a lot younger. How interesting would it be to join the church, go faithfully to the same small ward all your days, and thenpass to the next world. Many members here do just that. They are the faithful few who teach me what faithfulness means. What an amazing example they are. I am really coming to love them so much. I shall always call Shimizu one of my homes.

I hope everyone is well. I hope we can all be faithful to Christ as these dear saints are here in Japan.

Always,
Elder Alexander Todd Fuller
Japan (Tokyo South/Nagoya) Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints