Week 26

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This was an okay week. We had our last zone conference with our
current mission president before he goes home. That was a little
rough, especially for some of the older missionaries who have had him
as the mission president for their whole mission, but we all survived.
Our new president will take over on the first of July, and our first
opportunity to meet him will be on the seventh.

We also had district splits this week which just meant that I left the
apartment with one of the other two Elders that isn't normally my
companion. It was pretty fun. Elder De Leon told me that my Japanese
was good for being fourth transfer. I'm not exactly sure how I should
feel about that because I know that my Japanese is garbage. I guess
all I can do is keep improving little by little...

We also had a bit of an interesting housing experience this week. I
guess someone really important showed up and told my mission that
singing is a really good way to help people feel the Spirit and
recommended that we sing for people on their front porches (I said "I
guess" because this is all stuff that I heard from my companion, who said
it happened before I was in the mission). So he decided this week that
we would sing on someone's front porch if we got the chance. So I sort
of got roped in to singing "I am a Child of God" with Elder Reber, in
Japanese, on some random old lady's front porch . I thought it was a
rather poor performance, (Those of you who know me well will also know
that I don't claim to be any kind of proficient at singing. In fact if
I had to rate myself on a scale from 14 to 47, I'd put myself somewhere
around 19) but Elder Reber seemed to think that it had gone well.

Last thing: I'd just like to share a scripture that I think explains
the reason for missionary work pretty well. It's Mosiah 2:41 which
says: "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the
blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.
For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and
spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received
into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of
never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are
true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."
I've experienced the blessingsof living by the Gospel so I'm trying to
give other people the opportunity to try it for themselves.

Have a great week,
Elder Mitchell

 - Elder De Leon: He has some rather shiny sunglasses.

 - Me: Not dead yet.