Pink Bicycle....

Well, so now Randy is sporting a new/used pink bicycle with a basket....all he needs is a bell and clappers for his spokes...Picture him riding down the road trying to attract attention so he can initiate a conversation with the Japanese people...Yep, he probably figured out a good way to start a talk...LOL (pictures to follow in next weeks blog) Another transfer closer to coming home, but yet he wants to stay and has fallen in love with what he is doing. I am so happy to see him happy...Yep I truly am...

Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, Friends

Wellllllllll.......... I guess It`s time for the big announcement. As we know, transfers were last week. Which puts me on my 9th transfer, and brings me close to my year mark in Japan... :(

It also places me in my 5th area, Kawachinagano, The place with the really long name, the horrible Japanese, and extremely strange looking Tower (called the PL[Perfect Liberty] Tower). It also makes this my 3rd area in the Wakayama Zone, and the 3rd district in the Wakayama Zone. So basically By the end of this transfer I`ll have been to every area in the Wakayama Zone, the largest Zone in the mission.

My new companion is Elder Meyer, who was a greenie when I went into Sennan, We actually worked together once on an Exchange. We get along splendidly, have loads of fun (maybe a little too much) and work amazingly well together. He`s from somewhere in California, extremely smart, really cool, loads of fun and a really hard worker. We talk all day, while working and getting things done, and we talk together when we contact people, making the work even more fun.

Anyway. My week up until thursday was uneventful, just packing and getting ready to send things off. Thursday I came to Kawachinagano and met up with Elder Meyer, got things settled in and did some Dendo. Friday my bike came and we walked it up to the nearest Asahi(Bike Store) to get it fixed. They have to order the part so it`ll be a week before I`ll get my bike back. But instead they let me borrow a pink 3 speed "mamachari" with the cute little front basket, all it really needs are the little sparkely trailers coming of the handlebars, and a princess reflector on the front basket. I have a picture of me riding it, but, I forgot my little SD card reader, so that`ll have to wait until next week. We basically spent the rest of the day walking around every, that was exhausting cause we walked really far.

Saturday was also more walking as we did some more Dendo all over the place, went to a donut shop to take a quick break and ended up getting fed by these 5 old women who were coming in at the same time and were trying to speak english with us. It was nice, free donuts, fun conversation, and we talked a lot about church stuff, mainly because one of them new just about everything about us. After that we got stopped by another guy who randomly asked us about American "Arukikata" or The way Americans walked. I swear, everywhere I go I find the strange things and the random people start contacting me.

Sunday was church, which was awesome. This ward is actually really big, somewhere around 50-60 people. It also helped me realize how horrible the accent here is in Kawachinagano. Kawachingan-ben as we call it, is about the worst Japanese in all of Japan. Even worse than Kansai-ben, which would be the equivalant of lets say, southern English. You could probably compare it with Pigeon English, it`s just plain dirty. It`s probably the closest to swearing that the Japanese Language would get to. During the Testimony meeting on Sunday I heard quite a bit of Kansai-ben, with very limited formal speech. Yea.... I`m kind of in the hick`s vill` of Japan. BUT I LOVE IT!! It`s so much fun.

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week.

The power of Unity.

In one of the Prayers of Christ, recorded in the Gospel of John, he prayed that his disciples would be one, that they would be united in purpose and in idea as they worked to spread the Gospel. That they would become one with the Spirit, and become one with God in puropse and mind.

I`ve actually found a companion that I am "one" with. As me and Elder Meyer go out and Dendo, there is not just one of us talking, there is both of us talking. We pick up where the other left off, we testify about what the other said, we feel in unison, and I`m pretty sure that people can see that we are in unison. We are open with each other already, we talk often and work together. And because of that, I can feel whole other level of power as we go forth to preach the Gospel.

Unity is a key part in the gospel. For it is written: "Contention is of the Devil." Fighting and arguing drives away the Spirit, and it not only drives us apart from each other, it pushes us away from God. Through Unity within our homes, and within our associates we may gain more influence from the Spirit and also more strength within our homes and our friends. For it is written: "A house divided against itself will surely fall."

We can obtain unity by being open with each other, by keeping no secrets, being honest and truthful with each other. If we show that we trust another, they will most likely see so and feel so, in return they will probably trust us. If we keep our word and do what we say we do, or do as we are told to do in the case of those that are our elders we also build trust and improve our unity. I always found that with my parents, when I did what they asked me to do, and earned their trust I had more freedom to do what I wanted to do and go where I wanted to go.

We can build unity by supporting each other, advising each other and assisting each other. We can "mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." We listen to each other, we seek to understand what the other is feeling or thinking, and within that we can find solutions to problems or clashes. When we support others around us, we will have others to support us when we need it.

We can find unity within the Gospel. The Gospel of Christ gives us a goal. It points us towards eteranl life. It places us upon the path which leads to eternal Happiness. When we start we can see what lies ahead, what awaits us if we hold true to the end, and although the path is difficult at times, we are never alone. The Gospel if Family oriented, it is designed so that families may become Eternal. So the family unit moves forward, building each other up a long the way. Helping those that stumble, and picking up those that fall.

As we grow closer together, we shall enjoy a new light, and obtain a new hope. Love shall abound more freely and the Spirit of God shall rest upon us. Burdens will seem lighter, tribulations less intense. Our faith shall be strengthened and greater things will come. Christ again shows forth the perfect example, for he was always one with God, always in complete unison, allowing his own will to be swallowed up in the will of God, from that he was able to perform the many miracles he did, from that he was able to perform the Atonement.

Let us seek for such a unison within our own lives, first with God and then those that are closest to us, and then expand outwards. Let us "mourn with those that mourn," "Comfort those that stand in need of comfort," Meet together oft, and offer up our songs of praise to almighty God, and let us lift up the hands of them that hang down.

Simply put, "Love one Another"

In the holy name of Christ, Amen.


With love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi