tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36977515117078543022023-11-16T07:54:49.482-08:00Trey Brooksby's Mission BlogA blog about one of the most awesome people you will ever know, but cannot date because he will be unavailable for two years.Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-53999824509982755692015-03-23T05:42:00.003-07:002015-03-23T05:42:48.713-07:00The Apple has left the garden!<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
I repeat, the Apple has left the garden! I have returned to the wonderful world of windows!... almost. Our mission exchanged our old iPads for new ones this week, but since I'm in my last transfer they didn't give me another, so I am back to e-mailing on a PC like the good old days of Sagamihara and Kunitachi! It's not quite a full return from the dark side of operating systems, more like halfway, because our church has an extremely old computer running an outdated version of Linux, which is what I'm using to write this, but it's still much easier!</div>
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Heyo you peoples of Idumae! Whazzup?</div>
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We had to back-up all of our data on our old iPads, so my next Book of Brooksby chapter is currently in cyberspace somewhere. I'll send it when I get a hold of it!</div>
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Weekly Questions!</div>
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Do they dub or sub the General Conference? Are we going for the <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_215090115" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span> and <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_215090116" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span> in Fukawasa stake? Is that by the coast close to the Endochina place?</div>
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They actually Dub the conference here, but they always have a room showing English, so anyone who would rather hear that version is free to, and missionaries are recommended to do so unless they are attending with an investigator. Fujisawa would be the preferred place! I don't know exactly how far it is from Enoshima... Ima check really quick... Oh hey, it's only a 20 minute train ride, if I got my stations right!</div>
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Are there specific people I want to go back and see? Will I be able to get in touch with them if I don't have a mission phone?</div>
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There are a couple of people that I would enjoy seeing again, and most of them should be contactable through Facebook.</div>
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Do I have a transportation card with money on it for subways and trains? Can I reload a card like that?</div>
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It's called a "Suica" card, Suica meaning "Watermelon". Don't ask me why we get on trains using watermelons, I wouldn't know. We use them basically anytime we go anywhere.</div>
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How much money do I think we will use on Subways and Trains?</div>
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It depends on how much you want to travel! The 20 minute train ride from Shonan-dai to Katase-Enoshima is about 220 yen, or about 2$ one way, while on the other hand, the trip we took today to make it to Mt. Takao was about 550 yen, or around 5$, or 10$ round trip.</div>
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Something special I want to do on my Birthday?</div>
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Now what I would WANT to do and what I'll be ABLE to do may be two different things, mind you! But I think that there's a really cool park in Hodogaya called "Kodomo Shizen Koen" or "Children's Nature Park", and hopefully right around that time the Sakura trees will be in full bloom and there are a ton of really cool Sakura trees around there, not to mention that that park was where I got what I consider to be the most important revelation that I have ever received to this day, so I would love to visit again.</div>
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We had a combined mission conference with the North Mission this week before we switched out our iPads. It was Elder Nielsen and Evans that came and it was pretty cool. They definitely threw down that "hell-fire and damnation, repent ye sinners!" typa deal. It was intense. I don't think in my entire life I've ever been in a room with 400+ people that were 100% humble, to the point even of those who had previously thought "I've made it past that weakness, I've made it past that trial, my sins will come upon me no more." were made to think more along the lines of "Lord, is it I? What have I done, what must I change, how can I improve and once again become innocent, like unto a little child, and truly become like unto a child of God, as I once was?". A really awesome thing that was really emphasised was that iPads are not so much for the hastening of the work as they are for helping the missionaries learn to use technology properly, on their missions and beyond.</div>
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Random Story Time!</div>
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Elder Evans came to our ward for church! I believe Elder Nielsen went to the English branch with President Wada, but Elder Evans speaks Japanese and had been the mission president for some of the members in our ward while they were serving in Nagoya, so he came here. It was pretty fun, and he made sure to talk with each missionary individually. He asked me why I wear gloves and, because there are many reasons, I gave him one of the simple answers; "I get cold.". He kinda laughed and said "Well, that would make sense, now wouldn't it! My wife has the same thing; she's always freezing in these old church buildings of ours!" and he was a supa' chill guy.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This week on splits Elder Christensen and I ran into a family of bible-bashers! It was... fun? It kinda bums me out to see people being mislead by the Devil in the name of Christ, and it also bums me out when they don't really give us a chance to respond. There was only one moment that we both wish we would have interrupted her at, one we both felt very strongly about, and that was when she said "You guys aren't even Christians!". I wanted so badly to correct just that one thing. She could believe anything else she wanted about us, but that is the one falsehood that I wish with all my heart that I had had chance to correct. Ah well, there's always next time, right?</span></div>
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We were chillin' in district meeting and Elder Johnson was explaining about their investigator and how he believes in "The God-blob", and we all kinda laughed and Elder Gonzales, a bit lost, asked "You mean the Trinity?" and Elder Johnson said "Yeah, I just couldn't remember the word for it and it seemed like an accurate description...". Missionary conversation is supa' weird.</div>
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That's about it! TTYAL!</div>
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Loves!</div>
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Younger Elder Brooksby</div>
Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-63739349248921535562015-02-24T06:28:00.001-08:002015-02-24T06:28:19.076-08:00If you don't stop being a missionary when you die...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcijWPFFiIJS_1_6-GvN0tFKlvt1eyDmaRRpdjF-tbfoflrhpuZek8kZP1LWo0_82J5fg-mjX9z_lhJA8rRmQta_AeUXjdE7KBUJPy6rcjp-l8ySSJJzkxDpJGJeGENY4FV_a8zzZfb-I/s1600/image3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcijWPFFiIJS_1_6-GvN0tFKlvt1eyDmaRRpdjF-tbfoflrhpuZek8kZP1LWo0_82J5fg-mjX9z_lhJA8rRmQta_AeUXjdE7KBUJPy6rcjp-l8ySSJJzkxDpJGJeGENY4FV_a8zzZfb-I/s1600/image3.PNG" height="320" width="287" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Why not be a good one?" A cool quote from Elder Ballard, who visited</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tokyo and spoke at a combined North and South mission conference this</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Monday.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello, how are you?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'm fine, thank you! And you? Fun week, and more ahead!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Would I like to work retail? Like at a mall like my little sister?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That would be pretty chill. I really just wanna get started working as</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">soon as possible.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What kind of shape are my suitcases in? Do they roll without problems?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I only have one of my original three left, and that's the one that</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">exploded, but luckily I was able to repair it rather well, so it's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">still in good condition. The one other bag I have came from a Samoan</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">missionary in the MTC, and it's more like a duffel bag with wheels,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and not very stable ones at that! But I can still stick everything I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">own in those two bags, so it works out fine.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I have a lot of stuff to pack and bring home? Are my cases going to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">be really full?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... That's actually a good question.... If I were to get rid of all</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of the stuff I don't need and pack well, I could potentially have</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">quite a bit of room. As my stuff is now, my bags would be pretty</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">packed if I were to load them up.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Is there something I want to buy and bring back home? If so how, big is it?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm, not that I can think of, actually! I'd love to bring some friends</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">home, but that's prolly illegal and I'm not sure they would appreciate</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the plane ride inside my bag...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What are you not asking that I want to tell you?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I love you! I dunno what you would ask to get that answer, though...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Any last wishes?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Be good to each other, and PARTY ON, DUDES!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had another lesson with Yusuke this week and finally helped him to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pray out loud! Yey! Now to help him receive baptism!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">~~~~~~~~~~Transfer Update!~~~~~~~~~~</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1. Sister Feist goes home and Sister Eyring is training a new missionary!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2. Elder Ikeda transfers to Sagamihara!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">3. Elder Van Vleet stays and his new companion is Elder Masaki</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4. Elder Maurer transfers to Kanagawa to be zone leader</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">5. Elder Cook stays and his new companion is Elder Someone</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">6. Elder Taylor transfers to Yamate to be companions with Elder Strain</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">7. Younger Elder Brooksby stays and becomes companions with Elder Gonzales</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">8. Kawasaki A & C switch apartments, so my companionship will be a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">two-man apartment and it will be Elder Cook and Elder Van Vleet's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">companionships together in the other apartment</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We were originally going to stay in the same apartments, but then</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">President had one of his "Transfer Call #2" moments this morning and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">switched our apartments, which upset Elder Van Vleet quite a bit. I'll</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">take that as a compliment, haha</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We visited a member's house to eat and share a message, and it was</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pretty fun! They made a ton of good food and shtufts, and they even</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">served fruit punch! Fortunately I saw that it had pineapples in it,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and since I am allergic to pineapples it generally better that I don't</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">eat it, ne? But unfortunately I just thought "Oh hey, it's prolly</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">alright if I just dodge the pineapple and drink the other shtufts,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">right?", which normally works, but when I took a sip or two I noticed</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that old familiar tingling in the back of my mouth. I turned to the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sister next to me and asked "What kind of liquid is in this, besides</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Calpis(They had mentioned that one)?", and she turned back to me and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">said "Oh, just some kinda fruit juice, I think. Something like mango</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and pineapple?" And thus I was sick for the rest of the day. Wahoo!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Those of you with allergies, check ALL of the ingredients, not just</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the visible ones!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had a fun music activity that was fun. Yey.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That's about it!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Peace!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-79933284826922058362015-02-16T11:05:00.001-08:002015-02-16T11:05:31.203-08:00Melted Cookies!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I didn't make them, but I didn't help either! We tried to make cookies</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and they died. We made no-bake cookies later and they were awesome, so</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">we determined that it was the Japanese oven's fault.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Heyo heyo heyo!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Times are rollin' beast! Gotta love life, ne?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How's it going this week? How is life in the mission?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's going awesome! I haven't died yet, ne? Just something to add to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the awesomeness! We have been working on some problems this transfer</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and they are taking more out of me than I would like, but day by day,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">step by step we're getting closer to where we need to be!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What hobbies have I picked up on my mission?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I play Sudoku when we're just chilling at the apartment during meals</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">or after nightly planning, or sometimes I organize something, but</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">those are both things I kinda did before my mission as well... just</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">not as frequently, I guess!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What way does the Spirit talk to me the most since I have been out?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Through logic. One of the biggest parts of my testimony of the Book of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mormon comes purely from the fact that I've never come across flawed</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">or contradicting information in it in all of the times I've read it.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Which are my favorite rides, Rollercoasters or spinning rides?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I prefer roller coasters, I think. You can ride a roller coaster and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">still walk, most of the time anyways, and therefore can ride other</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">rides and shtufts without all the recovery time.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is my favorite american food?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... I would love to eat an American hamburger right now, actually!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Like a big, juicy, grill-cooked hamburger... that would be heaven</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">right now!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Has my handwriting improved since serving a mission?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yupp! I didn't want to lose the advantages of messy handwriting, like</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">when nobody but yourself can read your notes, so I learned to write in</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">good handwriting, casual-but-readable handwriting, and the messy one</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that closely resembles grafitti.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What advice would I give to someone who is planning on going on a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">mission in 6 months?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do it bro. Don't drink the orange juice.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is the first movie I want to see after my mission is done?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Whatever's on, I guess? I'm sure I'll get around to all the movies and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">shtufts I've missed eventually, so I won't worry about it.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My companion pointed out to me this week that I'll be in Japan with my</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">family for General Conference! I'll get to see all my friends again!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">At least, I'll see some I'm not planning on hanging out with, ne? BTW,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">if anybody in Japan that wants to hang with us somehow gets this</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">message, send my mom a message on FB and plan it out, 'cuz I have no</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">idea what's going down haha. Speaking of, I found out that my MTC</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">companion, Elder Peters, is also hanging around Japan for like, a week</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">or so, and he never told me! Dangit, bro! Ima have to track him down</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">as well, ne?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Normally when missionaries go in and do our every-other-transfer</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">interviews with president, they get supa' nervous because some intense</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">shtufts goes down sometimes. This last week we had interviews and I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">came out and told the other elders "I feel like my interviews with</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">president get shorter and shorter every time, and every time all we do</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is just reminisce about old times.". It's quite true, and it's always</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">a good time! Elder Van Vleet said he wished his interviews were like</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that. I guess that's the advantage of growing old with your mission</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">president, ne?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This p-day we walked about 10 kilometers to get to the extreme edge of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">our area, also the edge of Japan next to the ocean! Elder Taylor has</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wanted to walk out to the industrial section of our area for a while,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and it was pretty intense, actually. They had really big factories and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">trucks and pipes and towers shooting bursts of flame into the sky. We</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">took a picture of two, then hopped on a bus and rode back. It too</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">longer that we hoped it would, hence me typing this after planning and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">all of you receiving it the day after p-day, but it was fun</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">regardless!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Love you all!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span><br />
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Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-90704134013918869482015-02-16T10:55:00.002-08:002015-02-16T10:55:44.690-08:00It only has to be as perfect as you are!<br />
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<span>Something I told some missionaries as we were cutting out paper hearts for our valentines party at English Class.</span></div>
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<span>Heyo heyo heyo! Younger Elder Brooksby here, lovin' everybody!</span></div>
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<span>We went to Enoshima today! Sadly, I didn't get Elder Taylor attacked by sea hawks this time. Too bad, ne? Well, there's always next companion!</span></div>
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<span>Weekly Questions!</span></div>
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<span>So how is your favorite Missionary doing?</span></div>
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Assuming that's me, pretty good, I think!<br /><span></span><br /><span>Is it starting to warm up at all here?</span></div>
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Maybe a little bit? I didn't think about it until today, so if it has been getting warmer it's not quite noticeable yet!<br /><span></span><br /><span>So am I interested in seeing a show while we are in Korea?</span></div>
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See a show? What kinda show? I guess it'd be fun? I call an NEI!<br /><span></span><br /><span>Do I like to ride bikes?</span></div>
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I generally prefer to walk. You pass too many people on bikes, and often your only focus is to get to your destination.<br /><span></span><br /><span>What would be the worst thing to mistake while in Japan?</span></div>
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I would not recommend getting on the wrong train in a big station like Shibuya. That'll get you lost for hours!<br /><span></span><br /><span>Does the Spirit direct us to which subway or bus or any form of transpiration to get us where we need to go?</span></div>
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Well, the spirit generally speaks to me through logic, or will point shtufts out to me, and that's how I normally travel, so I guess the answer is yes? It's not like I have a voice that yells at me "Get on that train!" or anything like that.<br /><span></span><br /><span>What advice do I have for someone getting ready to put papers in for a mission?</span></div>
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Do it bro. Don't drink the orange juice. I've decided that that will be my advice when anyone asks me for shtufts like that, but other advice I would give would be to spend some time living away from home, if it's early enough, and after you get your call, spend some time learning about the culture, if you're unfamiliar with it, and if you are familiar with it, spend some time on things specific to that culture that you won't be able to do as a missionary.</div>
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Before I came to Japan I had seen some anime and shtufts, so I had a fairly clear idea of what the culture was like before I came, but it would've helped as well to listen to some modern Japanese music or learn some shtufts about their government or something.<br /><span></span><br /><span>What is my favorite holiday (besides Christmas) and why?</span></div>
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Mmm... asking me right now, it would prolly be Valentine's Day, because I transferred to Hodogaya the day before Valentine's Day last year, so that day was my first full day in my favorite area.<br /><span></span><br /><span>I know it is late but... Will I be your Valentine?</span></div>
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<span>I think Ima need a legal contract including all the details of becoming said "Valentine" before I accept your offer!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We walked to the all of the most extreme sides of our area(</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yomiyuri Land, which is a theme park, the industrial section of the bay of Tokyo and kodomo no kuni, or land of the children, although when we arrived it was dark and we couldn't really tell exactly what it was)</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> this week! In total we walked 96.6 kilometers from <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_102020121" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span> to <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_102020122" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span>, and another 7.3 if you include today! That's over 60 miles!</span></div>
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Random Story Time!</div>
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Wow... Fun bit of drama that makes my random story this week, along with the story I was already planning! I'm writing this on the train on the way home from Enoshima, and across the aisle from us is this high-school couple that look like their on their way back from a date or something, and they're being all cutesy and holding hands and the girl is all resting her head on the guy's shoulder, all the classic couple shtufts that is supa' embarrassing but everybody loves anyways, until we pull into the station. Then, all of a sudden, the guy sits up, says something to the equivalent of "Oh crap oh crap oh crap!" and gets all anxious and nervous, with the girl asking him over and over what's wrong, and all he does is lean forward and rock back and forth until the train stops completely and the doors open. Then after a couple of seconds another guy with the same uniform runs up along the train to the door that was nearest them and steps onto the train. They all stare at each other for a couple seconds, then the second guy, kinda breathing heavily from running basically the entire length of the train, says something to the effect of "Wow, you've been working hard, huh?" and the couple guy says back "You know it. What are you doing here anyways?" and the girl is all silently freaking out and Elder Taylor and I are just kinda sitting there watching this epically tense scene going down and just kinda laughing, then the other guy just says "My gosh this is so awkward. We'll talk later." and ducks outa the train.</div>
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From what I could catch from what the guy and his girlfriend were talking about afterwards after they had a bit of a breakdown moment, I guess that they were students in the same class at school and that guy liked the girl he was with, who was not only his girlfriend, but was actually his girlfriend-as-of-a-couple-of-<wbr></wbr>hours-ago girlfriend. That was like, a scene from a movie or something.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Random Story #2!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We aren't allowed to start conversations on the street of in trains or basically anywhere with people of the opposite sex in our mission because of it being Japan, but sometimes you're on a train and you can tell that someone wants to talk to you extremely badly, but is just too nervous to do so, and that's way annoying 'cuz you can't do anything about it but hope they muster the courage to say something. I finally did this new tactic this week while we were on splits that I've always wanted to try. There was a girl across from us that I could tell could speak English that really wanted to talk, so I started explaining to Elder Cook in English that I would love it if we had some kind of tag underneath our missionary name-tags that explained that we can't talk to girls unless they talk to us first and things like that. It actually worked, kinda! She asked just before we stopped where we were going and where we would change trains, and we all got off at that stop, but then she got nervous as she got off and said "I used to live in New York!" and ran off. It worked, but it just has to be the right timing, I guess... either way, I won't likely do it again; it was kinda freaky, actually.</span></div>
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That's all for this week! Thanks for reading!</div>
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<span></span>Love you. I friggin' love you. I love that I can tell you that with the electronic messages that I love so much.<br /><span>Younger Elder Brooksby</span></div>
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Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-55928958427349423252015-02-02T04:58:00.003-08:002015-02-02T04:58:58.318-08:00273 Meters in 40 Seconds.<br />
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<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961);">Japan's fastest elevator is in Landmark Tower and it moves at the rate of 750 meters per minute. I don't know what that is in mph. It's very pretty up there, an excellent place to propose to someone or something of the sort!</span></div>
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<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961);">Hullo.</span></div>
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<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961);">We taught Yusuke again this week and I can see that he's actually changed quite a bit. He used to only be interested in learning about religion, but now I think he's honestly searching for truth, and it's way cool to see!</span></div>
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<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961);">Weekly Questions!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How is the weather?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's pretty cold recently, but we're surviving! Too bad hot chocolate is supa' expensive in Japan, ne?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How are you feeling?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm feeling alright. I think I'm getting a bit sick, (Shhh... Don't tell my companion!) but other than that I'm doing sweet!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Excited to get home this year?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mah, life is life. It goes. Something I told Elder Taylor this week, "I want to be where I am, unless I'm going somewhere else." Or one from Elder Maurer, "I get tired at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1375247387" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">10:30</span></span>".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What are your plans for home life?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My plan is to have no plans, just to go with the flow. I have some form of bucket list somewhere amidst all of my notebooks and things, but that'll come out when I get back.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Any cool spiritual ideas to talk about?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Umm... The spirit is cool? I'd have to think about that one...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Do you remember what it's like to have a mother?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What do you mean, "Do I remember"? I still have one, don't I? Maybe I haven't had the chance recently to clean her bathroom and rock out to "Supermassive Black-Hole" with her, but she's still my mom, ne?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What is your favorite amusement park ride?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mmm... I dunno, actually! I guess it would depend on the park and who I was with. Like, if I'm with a short and very attractive girl I prolly wouldn't be going to the Buzz Lightyear shooting game in Disneyland, would I? And likewise, I wouldn't plan to take a 3 year old kid on Screamin' either, right?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Who is a spiritual giant you admire?</span></div>
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I admire Jesus.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Which General Authority speaks to you? From which one do you always hear talks that I enjoy?</span></div>
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I really enjoy quite a few of them, actually. It depends on what message I need to hear at the time, I think.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When was the last time you felt the Spirit?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Just now as I was thinking about someone we saw on the street, when I took a second to remember who they really are.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What is a challenge you have overcome?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I overcame pride. I feel like that's a bit ironic to say, but I have destroyed every little bit of pride in my achievements and have replaced it with pride in my God. I don't think pride was ever a big problem for me, but throughout my mission I've had the chance to improve it, and I've seen how much awesomeness comes from every effort to improve.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you were a candy, which one would you be?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I would say Twizzlers, but I don't think so... Maybe Gushers, 'cuz they look pretty straightforward, though varying in color at the same time, and when you least expect it, BANG! a whole burst of flavor you hadn't ever thought could be contained in such simplicity.</span></div>
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<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961);">Kinda a fun thought of mine recently:</span></div>
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<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961);">Apathy is the epitome of destruction, not because it rearranges or disorganizes things that have been created, but because it nullifies them, makes them lose meaning, causes that which is affected lose the desire to be active, be good, or to become anything at all.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961);"> The opposite to apathy is imagination. Imagination is the epitome of creation, one that motivates to see, learn, hear and do more. Imagination increases desires, inspires, and looks higher, beyond what you know to what you <u>can</u> know, beyond what you do to what you <u>can</u> do, beyond what you are to what you <u>can</u> become.</span><br /><br />Random Story Time!</div>
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1375247388" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">On Sunday</span></span> we went like normal to our morning correlation meeting, talked about some shtufts, partied hardcore, then randomly at the end our ward mission leader walks up to us and asks us if we could teach the Gospel Principles class 'cuz they didn't quite plan as well as they intended to. I mean, what's the problem with teaching a class of 9 people for an hour with only 45 minutes to prepare, right? So during priesthood we prepare an awesome lesson on the lesson of the day, "Family Responsibilities", when, as we get up to teach, one of the sisters calls out "Excuse me, but would you mind changing your lesson to prayer? One of the sisters is praying in sacrament meeting for the first time today, and I'm sure she would really appreciate it!"</div>
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And so we taught a lesson hour lesson on prayer with literally no preparation. It was actually pretty good! I would love prep time next time, but times like that make you more aware of your abilities.</div>
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We had FHE at President Wada's house, splits with our district and zone leaders and a dinner with a couple from New Zealand. It was an entertaining week!</div>
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That's about it! Loves!<br />Younger Elder Brooksby</div>
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Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-48869298909519056992015-01-26T10:07:00.002-08:002015-01-26T10:07:10.824-08:00Rocky has 157 denim jackets.<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">One of them valued at around 4,000$. He likes his jackets.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hey, whazzup people?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What do you guys think of naming your kid Nyx? The other elders found</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">a guy named Mix, but I misheard when I first head it and heard Nyx.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It'd be interesting, for sure!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is it going?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's going awesomely!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What have I found is the Lords most effective way to teach you?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well, honestly it's when I'm supposed to be focused on something that</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I get the most random and unrelated bits of inspiration. For example,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2134159907" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Sunday</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> while our ward mission leader was giving a talk about</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">missionary work, I was busy writing the revelation I'd received about</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">gaining knowledge and not upsetting my future wife. Both good bits of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">revelation, but not particularly related to what I was doing at the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">time.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When is my most favorite time of day?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm.... I dunno, all of it? Recently I've been waking up at </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2134159908" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">2:00AM</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> for</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">no reason, so I just lay there and think about life. I actually wake</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">up more rested than normal when that happens.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How do I think I learn the best?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I learn the best when I can just sit and listen, but also have freedom</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to think outside of the conversation.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What would I like to study or just learn about?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Everything! I want to learn everything! As far as what's first, I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">dunno yet. Whatever comes along first, I guess!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is the new companion? Where is he from? Does he think I am a good guy?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He's pretty cool. He doesn't talk much, but I know where he's coming</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">from, ne? He's from places. Utah, mostly, I think, but his family also</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lived on military bases in Alaska and Vegas. I dunno, prolly? It took</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">him over an hour to come up with a weakness for me in our last</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">companionship inventory, so either he doesn't pay much attention or I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">don't bug him too much, but whatever works right?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There was a problem happening in the area and I finally helped solve</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it! It's nice to not worry about it anymore.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We have been having problems with our dryer, because it was really</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">loud and made tons of humidity, enough that the walls were in danger</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of growing mold, so Elder Taylor and I took some time to rearrange the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">furniture. In the process we took the laundry room door off its hinges</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and set it in front of the front door, and we "forgot" it was there,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">so when the other elders got back for dinner they were quite</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">surprised! It was a good time.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We were sitting in a ramen shop eating ramen when "</span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2134159909" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Tomorrow</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">" from</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Annie starts playing on the radio, only it was a Japanese pop version!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It was supa' weird! You guys should look it up!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lovedesdes!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-41835834013247915892015-01-19T09:51:00.001-08:002015-01-19T09:51:55.223-08:00No lost sheep? Well...<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Taylor and I ended up waiting on the wrong platforms during</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">transfers because the zone leaders never told either of us where to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">meet and wouldn't answer their phone. Wahoo, we made it alive!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Heyo peoples!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Transfers have been mostly successful and Elder Wallace is now in the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">depths of Kofu, the jungle area, and he has been replaced with Elder</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Taylor, who is way chill. It seems that Kawasaki has a massive "chill</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">magnet" hidden somewhere in their church...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How are things with me?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Things are supa' sweet!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is the work going in Japan?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Faster than ever, and that's the honest truth!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Have my Facebook posts had a theme lately?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nope!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How do I decide what to post?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I look through my pictures, find a reference to match it, all the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">while thinking of people who will prolly see it, then I post it!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Are there people that I have contacted in Japan using FB?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm.... I am honestly one of the missionaries that uses it the least,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">as far as contacting investigators or when finding. I'm not really</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sure why... I guess I just prefer a phone number!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If I could summarize each area of my mission with one word for each,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">what would they be?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... well, other than using their actual names as the one word,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sagamihara would be "Foundational", Kunitachi is "Inspiring",</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Kichijoji is "Bustling", Hodogaya is "Home", Kanagawa is "Friendly"</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and Kawasaki is "Chill".</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is the Legacy I would want to leave the people in Japan?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mah, I wouldn't mind if they all(minus short people, family and best</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">friends!) forgot about me, as long as they were happier because of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">what I did.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Can I finish my mission without any regrets?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I stood every time I fell. There is no room left for regrets with all</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that success.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How do I feel about the fact that time is getting short?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Life goes on. Seasons change. We may not wish for the cold of winter,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">but it will come regardless, and if we spend our time wishing and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wanting, we will never be prepared for the first snow. We may long for</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the rain of spring, the warmth of summer, the colors of autumn, but if</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">we do not live through the winter, we won't live much at all.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I need you to do anything for me?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Just keep on improving. That's all God asks, and that's all I ask.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What challenges did I face this week? How did I feel? How did I respond?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well, I can't actually think of any! I dunno if that means I'm not</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">doing something right, or if it's just that I don't see trials as</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">trials anymore, but I can't think of anything difficult that I've had</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to deal with this week.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I know how much everyone loves and prays for me?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I can feel it. I don't know exactly how many people are praying, but I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">can feel every one!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lots of questions! Gotta love the questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">e had to watch as the ward council threw bishop under the bus! There</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is a member who is taking some liberties with their calling, and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">president has asked us to work on it with the ward council, but they</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">are all afraid of that member, so they called the bishop out to do it.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's gonna be an interesting week!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Did you know that you can be whoever you want with anyone you choose?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You just have to give the correct information when talking about</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">yourself.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For example, I can throw out that I used to play video games all the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">time, I didn't hang out with friends a ton, I watched anime and I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">listened to music like "Owl City".</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Then again, I could say that I love metal and heavy rock, my favorite</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">bands including "Five Finger Death Punch" and "Disturbed", I had way</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">long hair and I wanted to dye it black and red, I wore fingerless</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">gloves and all black clothes and it was a hobby of mine to bug</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">teachers, ditch class and make people nervous.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And yet again, I worked on both sets for movies and plays, I've always</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">enjoyed acting, I took ballroom dancing classes, I love set design and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I want to run a company of professional storytellers.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And just as the last example, I have gone to church since the day I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was born, I planned to serve a mission from when I was young, I loved</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to share the gospel to anyone, whether it be over video games, social</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">media, in person or otherwise, my favorite classes in school always</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">included seminary and I love to serve people, especially when I can do</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it anonymously.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You can be who you wanna be and do what you wanna do. You know it and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">believe it, and now it's time to live it!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Peaches of pie!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-9597449566733496922015-01-13T09:33:00.002-08:002015-01-13T09:33:38.866-08:00There are two religions we're warned about...<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And it just so happens that two investigators in our area are members</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of both of them! But seriously though, there are some intense stories</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">about those guys.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Heyo, humans!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had transfer calls this week! Whoo! Anyways...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is my companion doing?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He's doing well, I believe. He got a little sick from eating too much</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">today or something like that, but he'll prolly be fine!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Am I happy?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I am so happy! I am the most happiest of all the peopleseds!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I miss my mom?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'll be seeing her soon enough, so why miss her? I do love her tons, though!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I like snow?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mah, snow is cool. Good weather to chill in. It's not something I'm</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">cold to, although I have given it an icy reception in times past. It's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">especially brilliant on a sunny day!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If I had wings, what would they look like?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They'd be crow wings. Pretty simple, but that's about it!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What's the best kind of sushi?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I really like egg sushi, but unagi(eel) is probably my #1 favorite.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What's a 'good' Japanese pun?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hmmm.... Well, it is a pun, so it can't really be considered 'good',</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">obviously, but most of the ones I've made only make sense to people</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">who speak both Japanese and English. For example, if I see a pot of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">boiling water I could say "Ah, atsui desu ne?" which means "It's hot,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">isn't it?", but with the pronunciation it could also be "Ah, hot</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sui(水) desu ne?", meaning "This is hot water, right?". It's kinda</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">boring and weird, but I don't remember any other ones.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do they have interesting fruit here?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They have a watermelon called "musk melon" that's really popular here.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Fruit is actually fairly rare here 'cuz it's so expensive.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">~~~~~~~~~~Transfer Updates!!!~~~~~~~~~~</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Wallace transfers to Kofu!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Powell transfers to Kanagawa!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My new companion is Elder Taylor!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Van Vleets companion is Japanese!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had zone conference and there were a bunch of sisters giving their</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"dying testimonies", or their last testimonies before they go home,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and right near the end I realized that we only ever do that at zone</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">conferences, which happen every other transfer, which means that next</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">time it'll be my group. Whoo.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We smashed rice with a hammer! It was fun. It became squished rice</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">cakes that are very yummy.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-16810999552247396672015-01-05T06:48:00.001-08:002015-01-05T06:48:36.627-08:00The Game of Life, Mormon Style!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We went to a member's house and played their homemade plan of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">salvation game. There's only a 1/50 chance of going to either the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">celestial kingdom or outer darkness, so nobody before had ever made it</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">into either, but somehow in the same game Elder Powell ended up in the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">celestial kingdom and I ended up in outer darkness. It was an</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">interesting game, for sure!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Happy New Years, those of you who made it through!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I had a mini Christmas this week! I got three different packages of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">varying sizes, but on different days, then I saved them all to have my</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">own Christmas. I must say, out of all the things I got, and I loved</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and will use all of them, my favorite was simply contained in letters.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's always awesome to have someone tell you they love you! I love you</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">too!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How are things going?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Things are going well, I believe. Right on plan with God's plan, right?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Any new news?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... I mentioned after district meeting this week that I may want to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">move back to Japan at some point and Sister Matsuzaki immediately</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">turned to me and said "You're going to marry a Japanese girl. There's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">nothing wrong with that!" and everybody laughed. Apparently it's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">inevitable if you go back.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Is the spirit in your life? Leading and Directing you?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I sure hope so, otherwise I've been leading my companion in crazy</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">circles for no reason, and still somehow ending up where we wanted to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">go, either physically, mentally, or spiritually.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We went to a members house and they had a little three year old boy</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">named Kaito-kun, but he couldn't pronounce his "K"s, so he would speak</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in third-person and call himself "Taito-kun" and call us "Tentochi"</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">instead of "Senkyoushi" and I was having a hard time understanding</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">him. I guess kids do that in japan too, just not as often.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had dinner with a general authority! Our Ward mission leader's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">father is in the seventy and he was home for New Years when they</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">invited us over, so we got to teach him a message too. He was pretty</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">chill.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Another fun little kid at a members house! We were all sitting around</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the table talking, when all of a sudden he stands up, points at Elder</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Powell and yells "AH!! ONI!!!" Oni meaning "Demon". So we're all</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">confused, thinking he's calling Elder Powell a demon, when he moves</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">his finger towards the window and he says "It ran away.", then he</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">proceeds to show us how to cast out demons. Then, several times during</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the dinner, we would start tapping under the table and he would try</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and find the demon to cast it out, but when he looked under the table</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">somebody else would tap the top on another side and he would pop back</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">up looking for it. It was great fun!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So I don't know where I learned to do this, but this week while</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">returning from a members house I managed to pick-pocket Elder</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wallace's earmuffs from off his arm where he kept them without him or</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">any of the other four elders noticing, all within the space between</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the front door of a convenience store and the restroom within. We were</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">all impressed, including myself. I must do some pretty intense</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sleep-walking! No way to get that practiced otherwise! I also stole</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">his keys, but I did that with him watching and he said "What the heck,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I've never been able to get them off my belt-loop that smoothly, let</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">alone silently!"</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Anyways, that would be the week! Ttyal!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Loves!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-92093098972785785342014-12-30T06:24:00.002-08:002014-12-30T06:24:58.266-08:00It's beginning to look a lot like...<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Zombie! (Apocalypse.) everywhere I go! There was a night long ago</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">where several of my siblings and I stayed up together singing</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">zombie-version Christmas songs we invented. It was way fun!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Merry Christmas and happy New Years, everybody!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thus ends the usage of Christmas messages this year! Too bad, too; we</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">just found a really good one!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Was the temple nice?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yeah, it was tons of fun! It's nice to be as close as we are to it.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Just the one question this week, but that's alright! I'm sure they</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">will pick up again soon!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had our Christmas conference this week, and we got to watch "Meet</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the Mormons" there! It was actually way good! I recommend it to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">everyone! Speaking of recommends, we got a cool mission temple</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">recommend holder as well! Good shtufts for Christmas.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We went to visit a member that lives supa' far away, rode around for a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">while 'cuz we made the mistake of letting the other elders lead, then</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">we got there, shared a message, played Uno with some interesting</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">rules, then we rode our bikes with the dad running beside us to a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ramen shop, where we ate some way good ramen then rode to another</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">member appointment, had a role-play lesson with them, then rode out to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">visit a potential investigator of ours named Esther so we could invite</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">her to church. It was a fun day.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Wallace and I had a 3-4 hour long cleaning session this week and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">found out that one of our futons is supa' moldy and we're gonna have</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to get it replaced, unfortunately. Hey, we might end up with bunk-beds</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">so it doesn't happen again, so not a bad deal!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I think that's it! Loves!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-63980004449068219992014-12-22T05:32:00.002-08:002014-12-22T06:28:21.754-08:00How many proposals in one day?<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Two different girls asked me to marry them this week. On the same day.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I feel like I should've been keeping track of how many girls have</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">proposed to me, but I didn't think it would be that frequent!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hallo, humans and doggies!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Wallace and I were asked to come to a training we had already</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">heard in the mission home. That, along with a ton of other events,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">makes our use of trains increase significantly. Whoo, reimbursements!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I have yet to be asked any questions this week, but if I get any</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">before I'm done writing, I'll be sure to answer them!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We've actually been extremely busy this week. We only had one day that</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wasn't completely planned by </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1463419670" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> afternoon, at least until we</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">realized that we also had to do weekly planning... We have little time</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">beyond our appointments!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For some reason, all of our investigators speak English! It's kinda</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">strange, but two of them are English teachers, one of them Vietnamese,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">etc, etc... Not anything that Elder Wallace is complaining about, for</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sure!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This week we made it to the English class of the guy I mentioned last</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">week! It was supa' fun! It's not that I have anything against our own</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">English class, but that guy knows how to run shtufts! There were about</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">15 kids, ranging around 6~10 years old, with one 14 year old in the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">advanced class, and it was ridiculously high-energy. The teacher guy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">kept trying to set us up with the 14 year old, getting her to ask</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">weird questions and stuff. For example, (Elder Wallace also got</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">proposed to once or twice this week.) he told her to ask "Will you</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">marry me?" and she was all confused and didn't catch what he was</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">saying, then one of the younger kids told her what he meant, so she</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">turned to Elder Wallace and said "How old are you?" and it was</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">hilarious. I definitely want to go back and help sometime!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had our Ward Christmas party this week! The Elders were asked to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">help build Bethlehem, so we used all our amazing scouting skills and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">owned that wood and rope and made some pretty cool mangers and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">shtufts, then I was nominated by the other elders to play the angel</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Gabriel in the nativity. It was kinda funny 'cuz when we did the first</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">rehearsal I was still wearing all of my work clothes, so I had to take</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">off my black hoodie and gloves to put on the white robes of angel-dom</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and I instantly thought of the scripture Romans </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1463419671" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">13:12</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">-"The night is</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We went and helped out at an open house in a church in Yamate for a</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">good long while today, just kinda standing around and telling people</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to enter the building and fill out the questionnaire. We'll be back</span><br />
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1463419672" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">tomorrow</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> near a park near the church from </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1463419673" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">9:30am to 1:30pm</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, so a good</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">three hours. It's gonna be... Fun? Prolly?</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Anyways, ttyal! Lovingeds!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span><br />
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Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-91521996739500634322014-12-08T05:53:00.003-08:002014-12-08T05:53:54.385-08:00I do the monkey bars...<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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...upside down! Elder Wallace and I decided that you could prolly make a lot of money by becoming a professional monkey bar climber.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hullo, humans!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We've all been sick this week! I was inside for over three days long! Elder Wallace got a break when Elder Van Vleet felt more sick than him, so they went on splits to trade off. Luckily we should all be up to speed soon!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Weekly Questions!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What part is your favorite to play in the family nativity scene?</span></div>
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I like the wise men, mainly for the fun hats. The narrator or cameraman is pretty cool too.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How is my mission president doing?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He's doing alright, I believe. I haven't seen him recently, though.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Any new things going on for you?</span></div>
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Not tons. We have an appointment with one of our investigators who we haven't met in about two weeks, so that should be fun.</div>
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What are some Japanese activities for December?</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's date month! Most American holidays are dating holidays in Japan.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Is there anything you would like for Christmas?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Letters are cool. I wouldn't really want much else...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Do you guys know how hard it is to find a mini hole-punch? I'm trying to finish up a planner cover but I can't find a proper sized hole-punch anywhere!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Random Story Time!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We got a referral! Or we almost got a referral! A member who just moved in started talking to her neighbors and she said she just needs to set an appointment with him. It's supa cool!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Funny quote from this week: "Me and we! It's like me and you, but with more me!"</span></div>
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That's about it! Loveds!</div>
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Younger Elder Brooksby</div>
Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-16219052929160799422014-12-01T07:42:00.002-08:002014-12-01T07:42:36.017-08:00Rock vs. Paper: My companions biggest life decision.<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My companion was stuck deciding between buying a 40$ 3,000 piece</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">puzzle of Machu Pichu or buying a 42$ rock sphere and wooden stand. He</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">chose the rock.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello peopleseds!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I got a letter of letters from my home ward, so there are quite a few</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">questions this week. I guess I'll have to rely on my family to get</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">them the responses if they want them...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How am I?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Doing awesome! How are you?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is my mission going?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's going awesomely! How's yours?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is Tokyo? Is it nice here?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's awesome! How's America?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Have I met any awesome people here?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tons of awesome people, actually. Some of the coolest people live out</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">here. Sometimes I actually even miss one or two of them!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is something I like to do?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I like to destroy stereotypes. Like, for example, clothes. In America</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I would wear a black v-neck tee shirt, dark jeans, black shoes, black</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fingerless gloves, a grey hoodie and had long, dark brown hair. It was</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">surprising to see how much different people acted around me just</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">because of how I looked, and with that look it was often a negative</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">reaction. Aware of that, I enjoyed just doing good things and making</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">people think "Huh, maybe those kids aren't as bad as I thought they</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">were...". Stereotypes are useful sometimes, because people who dress a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">certain way are aware of how that type of person is viewed and still</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">dress like that for a reason, but I like to make people realize that</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">they aren't necessarily always who they think they are.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is my favorite food?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Okonomiyaki! It's like a cabbage pancake with shrimp and fish and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">seaweed and whatever else you want to put in it!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How many people have I baptized?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's generally a better idea to have the investigators member</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fellowshipper baptize them, so I have baptized 0 people.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How much longer do I have on my mission?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'll be back eventually.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is the hardest thing about serving a mission?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Having to leave. When you leave America, that's hard sometimes.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Leaving things up to God, that's hard sometimes. Leaving the stability</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of who you used to be, that's hard sometimes. Leaving your best</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">friends, that's always hard.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is my favorite color?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Black and red. If it's just one, dark red is the coolest!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is Christmas to me?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A holiday for </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_101037595" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">April 6th</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> haha</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What are my favorite things about Christmas?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I love ... Mmm... I was gonna say puppies, but that was only once...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What do I wish others would do for me at Christmas time?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Be happy with improvement, nothing less. That would make me happy.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Also, if people would send me letters or messages or something, I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">would love that.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What do I think I am good at?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Humility.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Where do I see yourself in a year from now?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Probably taking a ton of random college classes, possibly in Japan,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">possibly in America, possibly in Germany.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I love my mission?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">More that you could even know.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I know that my family loves me?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That I do. I think I'm more aware of love when I let myself love more.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's just the logical choice now, right?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">*****Transfer Update!!!*****</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Wallace and I are the same!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Ford leaves and Elder someone replaces him!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sister Kaizaki leaves and is replaced by Sister Matsuzaki!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Kojima is replaced by Elder Cook!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lunch after church</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had a Thanksgiving party! It was awesome!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We were at a church lunch after sacrament and just felt like I would</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">miss Japan and how they all hang out forever after church for no</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">reason. Then I realized I just really miss Hodogaya and all the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">awesome people there, and that's really what sums it all up.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Loves!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-18981294917188226122014-11-25T08:13:00.002-08:002014-11-25T08:13:36.954-08:00Captain Chiba came to church!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That one guy I mentioned in an earlier email made it to church last</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">week and he is totally investigating now! It was good to hear.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello, everyone!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Whazzup and hanging? My companion wanted to buy a wooden 6 foot tall</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">giraffe model. I told him it would prolly work through transfers if</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the legs and head detached.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Time is getting short. Any thoughts on that?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My time is sufficient for the work God has for me. That is all I am</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">concerned about.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is my favorite Birthday memory?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... Normally I can think of one, but, while a couple come to mind,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I don't think there's a favorite...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Can I teach my family Happy Birthday in Japanese to add to the list of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">languages we sing the happy birthday song in?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I can when I get home! I wouldn't send it in an email 'cuz 1) the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pronunciation would get all screwed up, 2) Japanese people actually</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sing the happy birthday song in English, so I have to write it and 3)</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'm not too good at spelling Japanese words sometimes, and I'm too</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lazy to look up the proper ones at this moment.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is a quality I have found in myself or others that I admire?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You can't admire yourself! That just doesn't work! But I love short</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">people, I think it's pretty cool if someone is bi/trilingual, but the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">number one attribute that I look for in others or work for myself is</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">an understanding heart.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Which Super Hero is my favorite?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wolverine, for sure! He is way chill yet can beat the crap out of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">basically anything, but he can still lose, but he can't die, so even</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">when he loses he gets a second chance. He also just goes and doesn't</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pay the slightest attention to peer pressure, beyond considering if it</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is actually helpful information.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If I could instantly play any instrument, which one would I choose?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... I really wanna play the drums, but I also wanna go back to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">writing music, so I wanna re-learn guitar so I could write for that. I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">would prolly choose drums and just work on guitar.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chocolate, vanilla or strawberry?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If this is the ice cream question, vanilla. If not, strawberries are way good!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Sawyer called about a referral they are sending our way and I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was all like "Woah, Elder Sawyer, it's been like, a year since that</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">first day in Kunitachi!" and he was all like "Woah, it has been, huh?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Time flies!" They grow up so quickly! Fifth transfer with my first</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">trainee... It was actually a couple of days short of a year exactly.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We went to a fun music activity and Elder Wallace played the piano and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it was pretty cool, then after we had some English class students come</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">up to us and say "Do you wanna go to the barbers together?" And Elder</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wallace and I were way confused, but after they said it a couple more</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">times we realized hey were saying "Do you wanna go get burgers</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">together?" And it was way funny. Then we went and got burgers and they</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pulled out a pack of face cards while we were waiting for our food and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">said "What do you wanna play?" And, because missionaries probably</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">shouldn't be playing poker, we played a game or two of go fish. It was</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">interesting and the burgers were way good.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I met an American member at the temple today and when I told her how</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">long I had been a missionary she she said "You're going to BYU, right?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My cousin goes there, oh wait, sorry. She's married, but she has lots</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of friends!" And I thought it's funny how apparent it is that that is</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the expected next step for missionaries.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That's about it! Loves to you all!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-78055981717690512582014-11-17T05:51:00.001-08:002014-11-17T05:51:24.607-08:00My companion paid 12$ in coins.<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In America, people would get upset. In Japan, they count it and give</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">you your change.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello, all of da peoples!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mostly questions this week!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What do I dream about happening in my life?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I don't dream haha. I plan on doing everything eventually, the big</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">question is when and what first?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Where do I get the most joy from?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Family. My companion and I were talking about the happiest moments in</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">our lives, and he was categorizing them according to life events, but</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I just thought of one or two specific moments, very family-focused</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">memories.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Did I get the postcards?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yupp yupp! They were awesome! The square one was way intense! All the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">elders in my apartment got really confused when I started spinning a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">postcard in circles like I was reading it like that.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Does it happen to me that I am like, 20x more expressive in letters?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mah, it used to. I talk more now, so I don't really know...</span><br />
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<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Did we get lots of good food this week?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yeah, we already had a good amount of necessary shtufts, so this week</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was actually way cheap! It's awesome!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is it like to shop in Japan?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Like shopping in America, but with more fish and less sugar.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Have I seen or been to the Costco here?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yeah, that's where we got the four pounds of meat I mentioned two</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">weeks ago. The pizza is the same! It's crazy!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When I think of a new Book of Brooksby topic, how do I decide?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That's a good question! I have no idea! Sometimes an idea pops into my</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">head, sometimes I have to think about it, sometimes I look through PMG</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">or notes I've had before and sometimes someone asks for a specific</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">topic. Feel free to request a chapter sometime!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Am I thinking of happy thoughts?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nah, gloomy is the way to go! I never think happy thoughts! That would be silly!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I like to talk on the phone?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I like text-based or face-to-face conversation better, generally, but</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it doesn't bug me to talk on the phone. If there was no way to do</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">face-to-face, even with Skype, I would totally call someone and talk.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What calling in the Church would be my favorite? What do I think I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">would like to do?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Anything I get called to, God knows it would be my favorite! I want to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">help someone, somehow.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is a hobby that I would like to do when I get home?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... I might start YouTubing shtufts, but I also wanna write some</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">books, learn to play the drums, random shtufts like that.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When am I the happiest?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When I am where I am, 100%</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We went to landmark tower today! My trainee was all like "I'm</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">definitely gonna come here every transfer! This is awesome!" And we</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">had a good time.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We cleaned a river! And one of the sisters fell in! Just kidding! It</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was fun, but not anything too exciting happened. The End!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Give a dog a treat for me!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Loves to everybody!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-86404076015475820462014-11-03T04:50:00.002-08:002014-11-03T04:54:39.005-08:00Carry four pounds of meat.<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">People notice. We went to Costco today and got a big thing of meat,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and it was all people would notice as we walked down the street. Got</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">some interesting looks.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Heyo, people!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had a Halloween party and it was fun! We basically played</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">rock-paper-scissors for an hour.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is new in my life?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So much. There is so much new in my un-varying missionary life!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Really, though, everything is always new, so it doesn't seem too much</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">different, most of the time.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is the new area?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's fun. We haven't had as much time as we would've liked to explore</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and talk to people, but we know it pretty well.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is the new missionary training going? How is the faith training?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's going good! We're having a party and getting work done! Elder</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wallace seems to be catching on to the work pretty easy, so I dunno if</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that means I'm doing my job or if he just picks it up naturally, but</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it's nice either way!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is my language doing?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I haven't been doing much in language study other than marking my</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">grammar book in a way that makes newbies understand it easier, but I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">don't really have a problem otherwise!</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Are my suits holding up?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They don't. I get to practice my sewing skills a lot, but they always</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">look fairly decent 'cuz I've gotten pretty good at</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lighter-maintenance.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Are we getting any cooler weather yet?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yeah, we're required to wear long-sleeves from now on.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How far is the mission office from the Temple?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">30 minutes? I don't remember exactly, but not too far.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I still need a map for the subway or bus?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nope! Got it figured out! Having a phone with the train schedules</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">helps, but it's not necessary.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I saved my companion from a massive spider 'cuz he didn't see it and I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">caught him by the arm and pulled him out of the way. He was way</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">nervous for the next few minutes.</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We went to a big conference where Elder Ringwood of the Seventy came</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and spoke to us and it was pretty cool. At the end we had a Q&A</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">session and I asked a question that I had had when I was a young</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">missionary, but by now I had solved the problem but I didn't know what</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the solution was, I just knew it wasn't a problem anymore. He answered</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">my question pretty well and I got some cool insights from it, but</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">afterwards as he went to leave, instead of going towards the left of</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the room and out the door, he turned right and walked over to the row</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I was in and motioned me over. I went up and he said "Elder Brooksby,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I dot think I answered your question in the way I should have." And</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">then he answered the other part of my question with a way cool bit of</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">advice. It was memorable, to say the least!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Our bishop is the new stake president! I wonder who our new bishop will be?</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Loves!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-91976489791201879342014-10-27T06:38:00.002-07:002014-10-27T06:38:40.547-07:00Are you here to crusade?<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"No, random guy, we teach about Jesus. Christians don't do that</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">anymore!" He is now our potential investigator and we have an</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">appointment for </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_978005873" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Thursday</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> morning.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Heyo, peeps!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Life is going good! Lots of fun times and no damaged suitcases in</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">transfers! Yay!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Have I hurt myself while on my mission?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nope! Plenty of my companions have, but I've never had worse than a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">bad cold. That doesn't mean it can't or won't happen, obviously, ne?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How am I coming along with the new greeny?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's pretty good! His name is Elder Wallace and he is 18 years old</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">from California, although his birthday is on Christmas, so not too</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">long. He is a bit nervous to talk to people, but hey, that's always a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">possibility, ne? Somehow everyone we have managed to have decent</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">conversations with in this area all speak English fairly well, which</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">makes him a bit happier haha</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How is my new area?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's pretty cool. We've just kinda been wandering in circles and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">talking to people. Eventually we'll know enough about the area to pick</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">a couple of routes and use those, but for now it's just exploration!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The best kind!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How do I think I have grown the most?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... Probably my WSPM(words-spoken-per-minute) has increased</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">dramatically since I left. That's pretty weird, and we'll have to see</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">where it is after, but that's one of the biggest outward changes.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had a game night </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_978005874" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Saturday</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> and played an hour long game of Jenga,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">then a 45 minute game of Uno. It was actually pretty fun, but</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">unfortunately there was only one person who showed up.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I had an experience this week that made me aware of a very important</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fact; don't accept a friend request from someone you don't know on</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Facebook! As missionaries we're not allowed to, but we can send them a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">message to figure out who they are and if they might meet missionaries</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">or if they are interested at all, and it's happened three different</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">times to me when that happened. One of them we have been working with</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is a girl who lives in the Philippines, and she is very interested and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">open to hearing lessons. Another just dropped off after I said I was a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">missionary. The one this last week was openly dangerous and a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">conversation I ended rather abruptly. I would love to provide an</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">opportunity for everyone to hear the gospel, but watch who you talk</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Wallace and I walked around a ton and saw a lot of cool shops</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">today! It was way fun!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">May your hammer be mighty!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-35096559169756844362014-10-20T19:03:00.003-07:002014-10-20T19:03:36.368-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Sprinkles!!!!!!!</span></div>
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Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-70285185527911296792014-10-20T18:35:00.001-07:002014-10-20T18:35:29.538-07:00What are these called, again?<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Sprinkles, Elder Thurman. Those are Sprinkles." The actual America</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">dies in old missionaries memories.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hullo, peoples.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We got to go with a recent convert of two weeks and another member for</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the first time to do baptisms in the temple! There is also an</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">investigator getting baptized in our ward </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_288919012" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Thursday</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> after transfers!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And a less-active kid I worked with almost a year ago recently</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">introduced his sister to the missionaries! It's all supa' sweet!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do Japanese people have pets?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lots of dogs. Mostly really small dogs, but mainly dogs. Sometimes</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">there is the occasional cat, but they are more of the random mascots</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">than regular pets.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Are there any farm areas in my mission?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There's always the occasional garden, and sometimes the garden is</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">rather large, but nowhere near what you would see in America.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is the industry where am I at? Professions?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mah, everybody's a businessman or something else. The something else</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is generally something to do with advertising or beauty salons.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How many Japanese YM serve missions? Do most serve or is it just a few?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A good number of them in Tokyo do, but we don't get a whole lot of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Japanese missionaries in our mission 'cuz it's not often that someone</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">goes to their home mission; we've had two or three, I believe.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Have I seen General Conference yet? If so, which talk stood out to me this time?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yeah I did! I really liked the talk by President Uchtdorf on receiving</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">light. The one to non-members by Elder Bednar was also pretty cool.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sadly we didn't have any investigators that managed to attend, but</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that's okay, I'm sure the spirit got to them.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dunno what to teach your investigator? Hey, Word of Wisdom! That's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">always good! We taught Yazawa the Word of Wisdom with no preparation</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">'cuz the spirit told us to. Yey for role-playing things you don't</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">think you will teach anytime soon!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Most often the advanced class in English Class consists of older</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">people, and often they are not too into the idea of a game after</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">class, and in Kanagawa it was no exception. We had only one or two out</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of twelve or so of them that would join, then the rest would head</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">home. We found that to be a problem, mainly because the main time we</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">invite them to take lessons, come to church, or invite them to some</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">activity is after the game is over and we're all eating snacks</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">together, so Elder Brown and I devised a plan. We got to do our plan</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">this last week, what we called the "After-class Discussion"! It went</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">way well! We made sure that they knew that it wasn't part of English</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Class, so if religion came up, so be it, but it was mainly in their</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">hands. We started off by laying some ground rules, like no politics,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">end by </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_288919013" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">8:30</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, no talking over people(which we all agreed was mainly for</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the Americans), etc. etc. and I just started asking them questions</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">like "So how do you keep a "cozy" home?", "What do you do to make your</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">family cozy with each other?", "How do you think you can best keep</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">from fighting with family members?" and other thought-provoking</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">questions like that. We all totally felt the spirit a lot and two of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the ladies in that class are currently investigators! God is just good</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">at planning, and we are lucky enough to have a chance to get a glimpse</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of those plans, if we are worthy of it!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had a way good day today, going to chill at Enoshima. I totally</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">told Elder Brown to watch out for the sea hawks that attack people and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">carry off small children, but he didn't believe me. Now he had the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wonderful task of cleaning some niku-mon, or meat bread, out of his</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pants because they wanted it and he didn't give it to them. The first</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">one hit me in the head with its wing on the dive, so it looked way</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">funny as it kinda lost balance in the air. Now every trainee of mine</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">knows that I never lie!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I ran into a member of an old area of mine and they surprised me</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">extremely. Elder Brown said he's never seen me go that shade before,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and I must say, it takes a lot to surprise me, but they managed it. It</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">shocked me so much my brain ceased to function properly, and that</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">coupled with my reaction obviously made my companion want an</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">explanation. I hope that from now on, in cases of surprise, I will be</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">able to retain my thought-process a bit better.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">~~~~~~~~~~TRANSFER UPDATE?!?!?!~~~~~~~~~~</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1. Elder Thurman stays for his 6th transfer in this area.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2. Elder Thurman's new companion is Elder Sharman, the same transfer</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">number as me. It's gonna be great 'cuz the readings for their names in</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Japanese are way close, サルマン and シャマン, or sa.ru.ma.n and sha.ma.n, so</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">people are totally gonna mix them up all the time.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">3. Elder Shurilla stays and is training a new missionary.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4. Elder Bowerbank and Kobayashi stay the same.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">5. Sister Fuggle stays and is training a new missionary.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">6. Sister Funakura is transferring somewhere that I don't remember</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">with a companion whose name I don't remember.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">7. Elder Brown transfers to Tama, known as having tons of girls and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Hello Kitty Land", and his new companion is a transfer 2 missionary,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Naganuma, so he will be training him.(Told him so.)</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">8. Younger Elder Brooksby transfers to Kawasaki to open the Kawasaki C</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">area, as well as train a new missionary.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yeah, surprised you with that random *BAM* Transfers! right? Bwahahaha!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I finally sent off a package on 10/17! I've been working on doing so</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for so long! Now I don't have that unfulfilled goal in my planner</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">anymore. That's a good thing.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Loveds! The special people especially! Short ones the most!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-84017004834541202532014-10-15T15:05:00.002-07:002014-10-15T15:05:59.470-07:00Dear Parents,<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We would like to express our gratitude for your prayers and support. All the missionaries were protected during the storms and rain. There was no damage in our area. We will continue to do our best to ensure the safety of each missionary.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thank you again,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Japan Tokyo South Mission</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-59044802604664750662014-10-13T10:00:00.003-07:002014-10-13T10:00:41.371-07:00The thing that got me was the kids in Africa.<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The deciding factor in one of the debates Elder Brown and I have. I'm</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sure you can guess who won the debate, ne?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello, people of the earth!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I've been sick for the past week! I'm almost better! Yey!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What do I think about in my daydream moments...if I have them?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mah, I've figured out whenever I think of shtufts like that I get a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">really weird feeling, so I don't do it too much. I described it to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Brown as being almost nostalgic about the future, and he said</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that he got the same thing all the time, and after thinking about it</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for a while he identified it. It's the feeling of longing. It's not</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">something I'm familiar with, so I don't think too much about shtufts</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">like that too much, but it does get my creative side running when I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">do.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Who do I think has changed the most since the last time I saw them?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mmm... Prolly Tyson, but I dunno. I don't think that any of the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">younger kids will have done much more than grow up haha</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What special things do the Japanese people do for holidays?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They drink. That's about it.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I need Halloween Candy?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hey, if there was a desire for sending candy Younger Elder Brooksby's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">way, there would be no regrets from this side of things!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Did I get the packages?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yupp, I got one! Thanks a ton! Love you the most bestest!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I came up with a really good icebreaker question; If you could have a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">mythical creature attack this building right now, what would it be?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Brown wanted either the imps from Harry Potter or a sphinx, 'cuz</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">then we could all just sit there and solve riddles. I thought a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">werewolf would be pretty cool, or anything that could turn you into</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">one if you survived.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My largest problem: I'm not awkward enough! Around girls, at least...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Every area I've been in I've had some kind of problem to one extent or</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">another with girls, especially ones in English class, and I always</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wondered why it was only me. Then, recently there has been a group of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">two or three of them following us back almost to our apartment from</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">English Class every week, so we told our zone leader about it and he</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was like "Hey, what am I supposed to do about it?" but then Elder</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Brown noticed that he always felt awkward around girls but I don't</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">seem to be, so we think that is the problem. New challenge for Younger</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Brooksby: Be awkward!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had a pretty fun dinner with our stake president and 14</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">missionaries last night! It felt oddly like a normal party...</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That's about it! Have an awesome day in this wandering island in the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sky of ours for me!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-9932413443273809842014-10-13T09:58:00.001-07:002014-10-13T09:58:19.714-07:00Typhoon Vongfong<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dear Parents,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As you may have heard, Typhoon Vongfong is hitting Japan. It will hit Tokyo between tonight and </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_180286543" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">tomorrow</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> morning in our time. The missionaries are instructed to stay indoors. We hope it will pass while they are asleep.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Japan Tokyo South Mission has an emergency action plan and has provided each missionary a 72 hour kit. Each companionship has a cell phone that we can call and email in order to get in contact.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">All missionaries should have contacted their parents today, however, Musashino Zone missionaries did not have their preparation day </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_180286544" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Monday this week</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">. You will hear from them </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_180286545" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Tuesday</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We appreciate your love and prayers for your wonderful missionaries.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sincerely,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Takashi and Naomi Wada</span><br />Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-35060978199461883032014-10-07T05:55:00.002-07:002014-10-07T05:55:38.027-07:00The secret to a successful life...<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Always carry a guitar. Anyone with a guitar instantly has more</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">presence and authority in any situation. Wonder who is the most</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">attractive? The man with a guitar. Who knows the answers to life's</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">great questions? The man with a guitar. Who has the ability to solve</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">any problem? The man with a guitar. It is almost certain that God</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">himself carries a guitar.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello all of the everybodies!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I figured out a formula that changes all concepts of my world! Lack of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">hatred for mosquitoes=No itching! It's crazy, but if you can overcome</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the deep, ingrained section of your soul that despises the creation of</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">mosquitoes as a means to afflict and torment man, and if you can love</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">them for that very same reason, their bites will never annoy you</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">again! Weird thought, but try it out if you can!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Weekly Questions!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Conference; how was it? What was my favorite part?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Conference; the big event that we don't actually see until next week, sadly.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Could I watch Conference in English or Japanese?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We could watch it in either, but unless they have an investigator that</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">would be uncomfortable without them, missionaries generally watch the</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">English version.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If I could see yourself as an Apostle, which one would I be?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder Bednar, prolly. He's way soft-spoken and logical yet spiritual,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">plus he's young, energetic and still has hair.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do they have ice-cream in japan?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yupp. Not quite the same as America, and in no case the same</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">quantities, nowhere near the same price, but yes, there is ice cream.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Have my culinary skills improved since I left?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Are you implying that there had been room for improvement? But I guess</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">yea, I've gained a bit more experience in cooking without a microwave,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">cooking from scratch and shtufts. Really, though, all that I've</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">learned is the one-word formula called "The Brooksby Recipe for</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Success": Guess.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do I like knocking doors, walking in circles or looking for addresses</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">forever better?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You mean do I like housing, streeting or visiting members better, ne?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'd have to say I personally enjoy streeting the most, but really</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">anytime that I can be face-to-face with a person and an opportunity to</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">give an invitation, that makes me happy.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How was the storm? I got to put my feet up the table and take a break</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">until the storm blew over, right?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well, it was conveniently timed, actually. I ended up getting way sick</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the night before, and was out of commission the entire time the storm</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was going, but then the storm stopped right as I was feeling like I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">should go do something anyways, and we made it through alive and</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">actually had a pretty good day! It was kinda cool.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I saw a ton of Hodogaya members this last week! We saw the Saito</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">couple who was visiting Sister Saito's sister, I believe, and we also</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">saw Sister Ushijima who came down for the day to get some acupuncture</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">shtufts done, and she said she would say hullo to her family for me,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">which was extremely nice of her, then we saw Ai Saijo, the ping-pong</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">almost-master. I claimed that title in the tournament we held. But</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">yeah, it was supa' crazy! Elder Brown thinks it's a sign, but of what</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'm not sure.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You know you're doing a decent job as trainer when your trainee tells</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">you after reviewing the day "Yeah, I'm kinda worried... I'm almost</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">starting to expect success."</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Random Story Time!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The sisters asked Elder Brown and I to get them a stack of B5 paper</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for printing out some papers that we use to explain the Book of Mormon</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">when giving it to someone. We got the paper from a stationary store</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">near our apartment and brought it to the church the next day, then</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">they told us thanks for getting it so quickly and reliably. We found</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">out later that they had been asking the other sets of elders for a</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">month or so and none of them came through. Just goes to show you, if</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">you do it right the first time, even the small things, you come out on</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">top, right?</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Something else my trainee said: "I googled poison." meaning "I</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">searched poison in gospel library." in missionary language.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lovedsedses! Have an awesome week!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Younger Elder Brooksby</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Ps. Legit Brooksby in Kanji: 小川隣-Ogawadonari-Next to (a) small river(s)-Brooksby</span><br />
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Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-55303113667703059592014-10-06T08:22:00.001-07:002014-10-06T08:22:15.388-07:00Typhoon Phanfone Alert<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dear Parents,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I hope you will soon receive messages from your missionaries. I would like to quickly update Typhoon Phanfone. It has passed Tokyo area this morning while missionaries stayed in their apartments. We now enjoy sunny </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_652148997" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> afternoon. Although we experienced heavy rain, all missionaries are safe and sound. For missionaries in the Yokohama zone, they will have a preparation day </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_652148998" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Tuesday</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">due to the temple visit. You may not hear from them today.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are very grateful for the opportunity to serve with your wonderful missionaries.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sincerely,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Takashi and Naomi Wada</span>Sonja Brooksby Moderator http://www.blogger.com/profile/15917957307652326034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697751511707854302.post-51386376876139627682014-09-29T06:59:00.003-07:002014-09-29T07:00:20.199-07:00The Missionary Brainwashing Program<div class="h7 " style="clear: both; max-width: 100000px; outline-style: none; padding-bottom: 0px;" tabindex="-1">
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I was watching a bible video the other day, one where two of the apostles find Jesus' empty tomb, but when one of them left the tomb a couple of seconds before the other one, unexpectedly I thought "Oh no, he can't see his companion!". It's no longer the MTC, "How long have you been in the MBP?"<br />
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Hello e'vebody!<br />
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We met a man named Captain Chiba yesterday! He wants to learn about Jesus!<br />
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Weekly Questions!<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How is life in Japan this week? How is everything going with Elder Brooksby the younger?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">S'all going sweet. Life is great, people are great, getting packages is great, things are great!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How do I like training? Loving the training thing?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yupp yupp! It's supa' awesome! We're having a good time out here, partying it up, Younger Elder Brooksby Style!</span></div>
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Where's my trainee from?<br />
If you went generic and guessed Utah, you would be right! Spanish Fork, of all places!<br />
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About the Book of Brooksby, how is it that I am able to compile so much information? Do I just find quotes throughought the week and add them on my tablet, or just write them all down P-day?<br />
I collect references throughout the week, then organize them when I have the right amount to make a chapter. Sometimes I don't spend many personal studies finding references, so sometimes it's a bit longer than a week before I finish it, but there is always a Book of Brooksby chapter under construction!<br />
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What can I tell you about Mr. Yazawa? How did we find him?</div>
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Well, he is a 83 year old man who lives alone, has liver cancer, speaks excellent English and runs his own hardware store. Elder Parks and I ran into him our first p-day in the area and were just observing the sharp-looking garden tools when he came out to see if we needed help. We started asking him the names of some of the tools in Japanese, then he started asking what they were in English. From there we determined that he has very good English and can communicate excellently, so we asked if he would be interested in coming to our English Class, but then he pulled out a flier that had been given him the day before by some other elders.</div>
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Currently we have any missionaries who walk by his shop dropping in and visiting, inviting to various activities and such. He eventually received a Book of Mormon from someone and now we drop off little notes with scripture references on them for him to study. He said he really wants to learn, but also wants to go slowly because it is confusing sometimes. It's now not so much a question of <u>if</u> he will get baptized, but rather <u>when</u>.<br />
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Have I ever been to a musical before?</div>
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I've been to plays that my siblings were in, but I don't quite know what exactly defines a "musical". I went to see "the little shop of horrors" once, and that was actually pretty cool.<br />
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Do I feel like there is so much more to do in Japan?</div>
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Mmm... There are different things to do here, not necessarily more. You kinda have to understand that the only similarities between America and Japan is that there are people and we live in the same century. Maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but you get the idea.<br />
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What are my thoughts on dreams?</div>
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I believe that dreams are a random collection of thoughts and memories created or recalled by your mind in your sleep, then when you wake up, your mind reorganizes the random images into a recognizable, somewhat orderly story. That's what I think.<br />
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Can I imagine a new, made-up kind of animal?</div>
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Yeah, why?</div>
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We saw a guy with an English hat that was actually proper English. It was crazy.</div>
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Random Story Time!</div>
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Elder Shurilla and I were on splits and we started talking to this guy near a train station, and I could not for <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">the life of me figure out how to connect anything to anything this guy was interested in. I tried families, life after death, purpose of life, prayer, if God exists, etc etc... Until finally when I asked him if he knew anything about Jesus, guess what? He said that their religion seminar could have studied Christianity, but they studied Judaism instead! Just our luck, right? But wait, Younger Elder Brooksby can connect anything to the gospel, right? Jews, a family of Jews that went to America! The Book of Mormon! Sweet! Book of Mormon placed and the younger brother studying the bible will also get to read it!</span></div>
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That was the first time I had ever used Jews to get into a gospel topic. It was an interesting experience.</div>
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That's about it!</div>
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Peaches of oats!<br />
Younger Elder Brooksby<br />
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<img aria-label=" " class="ajn" data-name="Trey Brooksby" id=":0_2-e" jid="tbrooksby@myldsmail.net" name=":0" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/profile_mask2.png" style="background-color: #cccccc; display: block; height: 24px; width: 24px;" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Old picture from Hodogaya, but I don't really have any new ones.</span></div>
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