Subject: Elder Huntsman
Yeah so the title has nothing to do with this letter. I just didn't
know what to put, so Elder Huntsman suggested I use "Elder Huntsman"
as the title. Hah, so yeah. This week.
We had a few things go on and it was pretty good. The weeks go by
fast, let me tell ya. Already another P day and another week into this
transfer. So this week, we had our Zone Conference. Which is basically
a 6 hour meeting with 2 zones talking about missionary work and
different trainings/ways to improve the work. And it's always "hosted"
by President Wada. So it's pretty special. Happens every other
transfer. Anyways, we learned a lot of helpful things there, and got
to see some great missionaries I don't get to see often. It's also
pretty cool too, because the missionaries who are on their last
transfer bear their testimonies at the end of it all. We as
missionaries call it a "dying testimony" since they're just about to
go home. So yeah, got to hear a couple good ones. And one of the
Sisters who is leaving is actually in my district and we've been
working in Hibarigaoka for 3 transfers together now. So that'll be
weird to see her leave. Although at this point, it looks like I could
transfer out (to a new area, not home, hah) soon too! I've been
enjoying this transfer thus far and plan to make it even better as it
goes.
But anyways, another big thing that was pretty sudden for me would
be the YSA Prep Mission thing that went on in Kichijoji a couple days
ago. I wasn't actually invited to go with Elder Aoki, but Elder
Scott/Elder Huntsman were invited, and on the morning of, Elder
Huntsman wasn't feeling well, so I got to go. How about those run on
sentences, haha. But yeah, it was basically an event held for younger
guys and girls who were planning on missions soon/weren't sure yet.
And long story short, I got to go with a member I knew in Kamiooka!
His name is Owada Seiya (19 years old), and he is prepping to go out
on a mission soon. So it was cool to be with someone I knew from my
first area, the good old Kamiooka. Anyways, we did a couple training
things with them and tried teaching them a few quick ways of how to
talk to people. Owada君 is super shy though and found it pretty tough,
even when practicing with me. So even though I felt kinda bad for him,
I realized how far I've come and how starting up conversations with
complete strangers has become easier over time. It's still not super
natural, but it's quite possible. Anyways, the unfortunate thing was
that we got ignored by pretty much everyone and only talked with about
3 people in a couple hours. Haha, now I'll be honest, it definitely
isn't awesome to get rejected by these wonderful people of Japan, but
I've gotten to the point where it doesn't effect me much if I do.
However, Owada君 was a little shocked that we did this everyday and how
we could do it. I told him that even though we may have many bad days
like this, the happy moments make it worth it. Just like any good
thing that happens in life. There are at least some bad/unwanted parts
to the journey that get you to the good. And they are essentially
necessary. So even though it's a cliche idea, basically nothing
fulfilling and good comes without struggles and hardships. So if
you're having a rough time now or in the future, realize the end will
be worth the struggle. Hardships are way annoying. But I haven't
learned so much, from anything else. Have a great weeeek. Bye

試練によってよく成長出来ます。けれど、成長出来るためによい選びをしないと行けない。

Elder Carlini
カーリニ長老
私の日本語はすげ〜

PICTURES 1, 2, 3 :
I forgot to mention that at the YSA thing, I got to see me old friend
Elder Staheli!! We had some way good times in Kamiooka and he helped
me get through some crappy times. Awesome little reunion

PICTURES 3 AND 4 :
My awesome companion is way good at Writing Kanji, so he did some for
a ward event. It was for the remembrance of a Sister Inagaki. So Sean,
I'm sorry for your loss, haha.

PICTURE 5:
Picture with Seiya

Yoooooo! What's up!? Just another week in Japan and the weather is
great. Seriously, today's weather is perfect. And it makes me very
happy. Unfortunately it's probably going to cool down real fast and
then we'll be inside our little apartments freezing again, haha. The
Japanese fail to realize the use of insulation. Therefore, it is crazy
cold inside as well as the outdoors when winter hits. But at least I'm
not in Hokkaido where it's snowing all the time! Cool cool. Anyways,
to be honest, there wasn't much of anything that went on this week. We
tried to set up appointments with investigators and potentials,
however, the schedules weren't in our favor this time. Although I got
to go to mainland Tokyo this Tuesday with our sick man Elder Huntsman
to talk with a doctor. That's a nice place. Super Japan city life as
you'd expect. And I can't wait to come back and visit all the
different parts of Japan after I return.
Also this week, I had the chance to go to another Matsuri
(Festival) in Tokorozawa. Those things are always fun to see and be
at. We had a few English class students there so I was able to chat
with them and help one out with an English question he had. Good
stuff. Good people.
Besides that there was a lot of planning. Dang weekly planning
can just take you out sometimes. Sitting inside all day thinking just
makes my head hurt, haha. Especially when all the planning has to be
done in Japanese. Hmm, oh yeah, and the last thing I can think of
would be talking with a couple of drunk Japanese guys in the park.
They looked like they were 22 or something, but they were actually 30
something years old they said! Drinking beer and singing "Hey Jude" in
English actually. The one guy said that the Beatles was his religion,
when we mentioned we were church volunteers, haha. But anyways, we had
a nice long talk with them and taught some good old gospel principles.
They said they didn't believe in god because they can not see him.
However, we asked him and he told us that he would want to believe. So
hopefully we can meet with them again because they had to leave.
Whether or not they were too drunk to remember what we taught, I hope
they left with something good in their hearts. They were some good
people with some questions of the soul. And they seemed quite
interested in what we told them. Anyways, that's all I got. Feel that
Joy.

Elder Carlini
カーリニ長老
Made some slime at the matsuri. It was coooool.
Modelin pics…it was a beautiful day

New Companion. New Transfer. (6)


Hello everyone! As you may know from my last email, a new
transfer has begun and I am training again! So let's talk about that
real quick shall we? So on Thursday Morning, we headed over to the
station and I left for Kichijoji (where the Mission Office is). It was
quite the experience to have once again, going on the train and
wondering how your next transfer will be. Thinking about what kind of
trainee your going to get, and what type of trainer your going to
become. And it was great to see all the other trainers that I've known
from previous areas and being able to see them again. I actually had
my companion from Transfer 3 there (Elder Bunker) and the Elder we
lived with in Kamiooka (Elder Peters), who was also training. So it
was nice to talk with them and see how they were feeling about
training and things like that. It's crazy too, because when you go in
to eat the amazing breakfast (cooked by Sister Wada), you see these
trainees sitting down, and you have no clue who you'll be paired with.
Wild feeling. So after the breakfast, we all head up to the 3rd floor
of the church and did the classic, brand new missionary trainings. And
after a few hours of that, just waiting to know who's going where,
they finally do the announcements. And I happen to be the second one
up on the screen to find out. So then they make it all intense and
everyone drum rolls and then!.......My companions face shows up and
his name is called! Elder Aoki!! He is Japanese and doesn't speak much
English. So it's gonna be another transfer of speaking lots of
Japanese. It can be really rough and it's easy to get discouraged big
time with your speaking ability, but, it should help out for sure in
the long run. And he is way awesome, so I'm excited! Really small,
fragile, and funny. We joke around and say random phrases in Japanese
that makes us laugh, so that's good. And since we're still living with
Elder Scott and Elder Huntsman, this transfer should be pretty solid.
The only thing that can get to me I think, would be how this area is a
bit tough. I still have a hard time finding many people to talk to
too, and sometimes the numbers get to your head. You'll get to the end
of a day and feel like you didn't do something right because of stats.
But I plan on putting that behind me and realizing the people I'm
helping out along the way and just do my best there. It's good to be
happy. And it's great to make others happy too. Just gotta go out
there and spread some joy. So that's about it for me! See you all next
week.

Elder Carlini
カーリニ長老

Here's a picture of my new companion, Elder Aoki - 青木長老

Subject: "Round 2"
You may or may not understand the meaning of this title, so let
me enlighten you my good friends and family. I am TRAINING again!! So
now that I just finished up the first 6 weeks of my companions Mission
experience, I'm doing it again. So let's hope he enjoys the heck out
of it, cause I sure will! I have been trying to take on a whole new
light to the mission life, and regular life for that matter. I'm only
about 9 months into my mission (wow that goes fast.) but I'm already
incredibly grateful for the things I've learned out here. And the
crazy thing is that it's mostly not even spiritual stuff or things you
only do on a mission, but straight up life habits and views that I can
use to live even happier when I return. Exciting stuff.
Well, there's not too much to write about for this week except
for the fact that, yup, I am going to be Training a Brand New
Missionary starting this Thursday. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention
that I will be staying in Hibarigaoka with the awesome roommates that
are Elder Scott and Elder Huntsman (who are staying together this
transfer). Also, Elder Brown will be moving to Kanagawa in the
Yokohama North zone. I loved Yokohama. But of course I'm still excited
to stay here with our great zone as well. Hmm, from there I will
quickly talk about Nakai Yuuta, who is our main Investigator at the
moment. He has been doing very well and he really wants to improve his
life which is awesome. He has been working at a Sushi Place near
Shakujikoen that he doesn't really like. And he works every Sunday
because it's the busiest day. However, he has an interview TONIGHT for
a new job that could get work off Sundays and he could come to church!
And he is very interested in church. He loved seeing it for his first
time ever and getting to go inside was great he said. I think he will
really love church once he meets the members and sees exactly what
it's like because I think it's perfect for him. He wants to help
people out in his career too and says that he thinks about religion a
good amount now. He is a very deep thinker. We got to play ping pong
today with him and I love showing him how happy we can be just because
we want to. Good man.
And that's about it for the week. I'll have a new companion fresh
off the plane by next P day and it'll be another little journey this
transfer. And the best thing is that I get to have Sister Wada's great
cooking again at the Mission Office! That's the great thing about
training, haha.

Have a Great week. That was a command.
Haha

Elder Carlini
カーリニ長老

Subject:久しぶりですね


Hello family and friends! Sorry I haven't written a letter for a
bit now. I ran out of time last week and this week was Temple P day so
I am writing it on Tuesday over here. Well let's see, first of all,
this transfer has gone by incredibly fast. Next Monday we will be
receiving our transfer calls and I could be staying or transferring to
anywhere in the mission. It's always crazy to think about the goals
and thoughts about a transfer right when it begins, and then seeing it
end so quickly. Although the transfer isn't over yet, I am pretty
happy with it. Me and Elder Brown have had some fun and it's been
awesome living in the apartment with Elder Scott and Elder Huntsman.
Fun talks and fun missionary work. Although this area has been a
little rough on me on account of the lack of people we find, I have
been Happy and looking forward to improvement in my life. It's truly
an eye opening experience out on the mission because there are so many
things that you could never really feel anywhere else. But I think
I've grown immensely because of it and am glad to have learned the
things I have so far. And it's not over yet! More terrible times to
come, and more knowledge to obtain through those experiences.
So, even though I can't remember a lot of details of what's
happened the last couple weeks (because it goes by so quickly) I'll
just try to say the things I do remember. The main thing me and Elder
Brown have done would have to be finding an actual investigator. He's
not blooming up in the Gospel or ready with a baptismal date yet, but
he is a genuinely good guy and I feel for him. I see him and where he
is in his life now, and I just wanna make him a happier person. His
name is Nakai 中井 Yuuta 勇太 and he is a pretty average 22 year old
Japanese guy. He just moved to an area pretty near us (Shakujikoen)
and he has a job making/serving sushi. He works quite a lot and
doesn't like his job much. He just has the basic struggles of what
could make him happy in life and doesn't seem to have a ton of
direction. He hasn't told us about any specifically hard trials in his
life but he realizes that there are people that get so depressed about
life that they do bad things to themselves. Obviously he doesn't want
that, and so he wants to make sure he doesn't get to unhappy about his
situation. And we've talked quite a bit about that with him and how
it's terrible how life can just take us down sometimes. He doesn't
believe in a God right now and says that he has never really though
about it before. He has also told us that he can't believe in
something he cannot see. However, we taught him about prayer and being
thankful for the things we do have and he's told us it makes him a lot
happier. We told him to ask God for help when he needs it too, and
hope that he can feel the spirit and feel more comfort in a time of
need.
So that's who we've been trying to work with lately but he's a
super busy guy. I am excited for what the future brings though, and I
hope to at least improve his happiness/direction in life because joy
is the eternal goal right? "men are, that they might have joy". That's
a good little scripture. Anyways, I think that's all I'll say for now.
We did some service in the pouring rain yesterday and that was fun.
Haha.

And just remember that even when we make a big mistake or fall into a
terrible situation, we have two options. We can let it keep us down
and fail to improve. Or we can realize that it's now happened and we
cannot change the past, so live to improve from where you are.

Until next week!
Elder Carlini
カーリニ長老