Slippin' and Slidin'

Well it got pretty cold this last week. Cold=ice ice=falling down on bicycles falling down on bicycles=big laughs. Yeah, there as one time that Elder Williams (my new companion from Layton Utah) and I both fell down at the exact same moment on our bikes. That was pretty awesome. Luckily we haven`t gotten hurt yet -well, at least I haven`t - he limps a little right now, but it will be okay I think. My birthday was pretty awesome - a package of fudge from my dad, a cake from sister sasaki (on of the sister missionaries serving in Kanazawa), and introducing missionary work to a great member family. What more could I ask for? Not a whole lot more, because I made some tacos this week too!

So Elder Williams is probably one of the funnest guys in the world. The first night togehter, we headed to Kanazawa University and taught quite a few good college students. A couple say we could come back - and all the long we were having a great time. He really likes Tennis and Ping-pong, although a fourteen-year-old member kid worked him over this last weekend (it was pretty entertaining).

As a mission, we`re taking a new focus of not just going outside and knocking doors all day long, but really meeting with the members and using their friends as a way to find people interested in learning about the restored gospel. It`s not really anything new - but it is a challenge to really impliment - especailly when people are so busy. Tomorrow Elder Williams and I will be taking the six-hour round trip ride to Nagoya and back to be trained in zone leader council with President Traveller. That`s always the highlight of the transfer - to be taught directly form President.

One thing that has impressed me so much is how well we as missionaries are taken care of. Sure, there`s always a couple stories that one hears about missionaries getting hurt or killed by accidents or various things, but I would guess that the percentage is much lower than any other random group of 50,000 young people. Through how much we travel around (I`m getting close to 8000 kilometers on my bike) we really do have a blessing of safety. Maybe that`s what life is liek with the gospel - a crazy hard rollar-caoster of hills and mountains - but all along there is safety and peace that in the end we`ll make it home. We`re travellers, in many senses of that word - but having His angels around us to guide and protect brings a sense of serenity.

I love you all and hope that your travels will be in safety as well.

Faithfully yours,

Elder Alexander Todd Fuller
Japan Nagoya Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Transfers - Elder Williams

Well this morning Elder Shuto from the Mission Home called and told me that my new companion will be Elder Williams. That`s pretty exciting because is a very good missionary and a lot of fun. I`m pretty excited for some good things this next transfer.

Elder Cano going home was a bit sad - but we had fun together. President Traveller said that the reason he put us together is so that Elder Cano could have a good finish with a good companion. That was very nice to hear. It definitely was a growing period, but now things will get better.

Back in Matsumoto, Sister Matsumoto who got baptized a few weeks ago - her husband is getting ready to be baptized in february - which is very exciting. Here in Kanazawa, two young boys Kanau and Shunsuke Mizutani are getting ready for March - and there`s lots of other good people.

My Birthday is coming up and I think I`m going to get myself a present of a new electronic dictionary. I love the one I have used from the beginning of my mission - but since it is four years old and beginning to not work so well, I might by investing in one today. Happy Birthday to me! Actually Elder Boyd (who I`m with temporarily in my old area of komatsu until tomorrow when Elder Williams comes) and I are going to party today. Play some pool at the bowling alley - hit Baskin Robbins - write some letters - it`s going to be a fiesta! I am quite excited.

My interview this last week with President was very good. He handed me the list of all he missionaries and asked me `who do you think the new zone leaders should be?` I looked at it for a moment and then finally said, `I`m glad that I`m not President` Wow, he makes some hard decisions. But he also has the priesthood keys to help out a little two with revelation. We talked a lot about the mission, and he valued my ideas and advice a great deal. He also complemented me very much on many things, which was very nice to hear. The Lord is so close in times of need.

I was thinking and praying last night about the Atonement. Since Christ paid for our sins, why the need for obedience. I thought about this, and an analogy came to my mind. It was about Basketball. It`s like we go to the hoop and get ready to practice. Christ is our coach, and throws the ball back to us after we shoot. If we miss though, there`s a $100 fine. If we make it, that`s good, we keep practicing. Now Christ is a rich, so he will pay for everything - but the point isn`t to pay the fine, it`s to help me become a better basketball player. In the same way, the point of our life isn`t to have our sins forgiven, but its to become righteous and able to abide in a perfect place. It`s all a big practice and training. A big preperation, if you will. I`m just so thankful that when we mess up, that it`s okay and that the eternal consequences can be atoned for.

I dunno, kind of a weird analogy, I`m not sure why there would be a fine for missing a shot - maybe it`s like a really nice gym were practicing in, but it`s an idea.

The snow has been beautiful and the Spirit has been warm. I love you all and pray that you will feel the tender mercies of the Lord.

Yours always,

Elder Alexander Todd Fuller
Japan Nagoya Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Elder Cano Going Home and LOTS of Snow!

It`s snowing A LOT here - and I fell off my bike last night. It`s absolutely beautiful though - worth the fall :) Elder Cano is getting ready to go home this week - so that will be a fiascal like it always is, but it will still be fun. I gave a talk in church this past week - on 10 minutes of notice - which was a fun experience. It would have been no problem, but while I was sitting on the stand writting down notes, I realized I didn`t have my dictionary with me - which wasn`t really a big deal, but made me a little nervous. I prayed hard, and everything went well. I am so grateful I`m not expected to be a missionary without any help from up above - it would be impossible.

The assistants came on exchanges with us this past wednesday. Elder Rider, from Pennsylvania is the first assistant younger than me in the mission, but is an increadible missionary. We had lots of fun together and talked a LOT about "Preach My Gospel" and realyl how to work with members. Some things are definitely going to change a bit in how we do missionary work starting the next couple weeks.

Nothing else too exciting, just lots of fun. Two boys, ages 10 and 14, who we are teaching right now will probably be baptized in march, so that`s exciting.

Mostly, I just really came to realize how little prayers are answered. Saturday night, I got a flat tire, couldn`t find a member`s house, and was just kind of being beaten up by little things. I prayed a lot that night that Sunday would be different. I prayed that it would be a spiritual day of rest filled with joy. And you know what, that is exactly what it was. The Spirit was with us all day, especially at church, and we had fun. It wasn`t a big deal really, but it was important to me. God hears and answers prayers, that is for sure.

I love you all and will give you more in depth fun next week. Thanks for your love and prayers,

Yours,

Elder Alexander Todd Fuller
Japan Nagoya Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Jazz, Nanao and Mochi

Happy New Year! 2008! Hooray. Not one of you saw me once during the entire year of 2007 - I was in Japan the entire time. That`s a weird thought. Also, I`m almost 21 years old, that`s weird too. Of course the legal age in Japan is 20 - so 21 doesn`t really mean anything here (and it`s not like it would mean anything in America either), but it`s still exciting. We had a little snow here for the new years which was very good.

It is very interesting how God places certain people in our paths. Ever since I came to Kanazawa, the bishop here has been really excited about me playing the saxophone. He wants to have some church activities of music performances, talent shows, and things like that. I am excited to perform, but just playing by myself isn`t entertaining for too long. I asked if there were some good piano players in the ward - which there are - but nobody that could play too much with me.

Well two weeks ago, a new student came to our English class. A lady in her 30s who works at hotels and restaurants playing jazz piano. She is increadibly nice - wants to study jazz in America sometime in the future, and is more than happy to come play music with me anytime. A jazz piano player, wanting to learn english, and willing to do whatever we ask is a rare, rare thing in Japan. It just interests me a lot that it worked out so well - almost too well.

The one challenge of course is that whenever we talk, I`m too excited to talk about music that the church doesn`t come up. It`s been a LONG time since I`ve talked with someone that knows there is more to music than the beatles and Elvis- though I like the beatles...and Elvis`s movies are way funny. Nevertheless, the sister missionaries are taking care of the gospel part, which is good.

In other events, our investigator that wants to get baptized - Susumu - is doing well. He is a pretty special guy, and wore some immodest clothing. He isn`t homosexual, but just kind of acts really weird, which makes lots of people feel uncomfrotable. Anyway, we talked a lot about modest clothing, gave him a "for the strength of youth" pamphlet, and he changed his clothes! He looks a thousand times better - and is becoming so much more like a normal person. It`s really been good - and the ward is being very, very kind to him. Saturday we talked about the word of wisdom, and even though he likes coffee, he said it would be no problem to give up. That`s good faith. We still works on sunday and can`t come to church, but we`ll work on that as well.

A couple of times, we had an activity with members called a mochitsuki , or making mochi. Mochi is a rice thing. You pound steamed rice with a big wooden mallet until it`s kind of gooey. It`s way fun, especially because I was the champion with the hammer - thank you morning exercise! Lots of english students came too and it was a great opportunitu for the members to fellowship and befriend them.

Yesterday, Elder Cano took a two hour train ride to the Pennicula of Nanao. (Nanao means seven tails, I thinks it`s prehaps the coolest name i Japanese. Actually no, Igarashi is the coolest, it means fifty storms. That would be so cool to go up to someone and say, "Hello, I am Mr. Fifty Storms." Woah, the power!) Anyway, Nanao has a little branch of six or eight faithful church members who come each week. There currently aren`t missionaries serving there, so we visited this past sunday. The Spirit in that room, as so few gathered and partook of the Lord`s supper, was powerful. If I knew something was true, would I hold faithful to it my entire life even if nobody else did? That would be hard. However, I feel very much that Christ visits the few, before the many. The atonement will make all right and just.

Today I finished the "Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith" It was one of the best books I have read and have been much edified by it`s teachings. The Spirit testified to me twice that the words were true and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God.

I love you all so much and pray for you many times throughout the week. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and grant you His Spirit which brings peace that surpasses all understanding.

Yours always,

Elder Alexander Todd Fuller
Japan Nagoya Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints