Dear Friends and Family, Don’t hang up, it’s Japan calling. It’s been seven weeks since we departed our home and embarked on this adventure. “Settled in” is not exactly the expression I’d use to describe our situation here. We offer up the first photo of us with our mission president and his wife as proof that we are actually here.
Just as we were getting used to the Margetts, who by the way are terrific, they ran off and left us and are sending in relief. The Gustafsons arrived this week. Whether we are up for this transition or not - well, actually no one asked us. I guess we’ll see. At least, at first, maybe they won’t realize how new and clueless we are. I think we may have mastered just enough to fool the uninitiated.
Thursday evening we hosted a family home evening at our apartment. The second picture of our entryway as the evening began.
Seven investigators and eight missionaries came, for a total of 17 of us, crammed in to every corner. They all seemed to have a wonderful time – an evening of games, a spiritual thought and refreshments. Six of them were young single adults, bringing back fond memories of our earlier mission in Europe. Missions are not without their photographs, it seems, but we are thinking that this picture of our entryway full of shoes might just be the best symbol of the mission we hope to serve.
We do love the young elders and sisters who are serving here. Fifty four are native Japanese (See picture of the lovely Sister Yamada, who has adopted us as her American parents.)
There are two Koreans, three Brazilians, one each from New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Finland. The remaining 73 are from someplace called USA. There are three American couples and one Japanese couple serving here full time. Given the historical tensions between Japan and Korea, it’s interesting that one of our APs and one of the most popular missionaries in the mission is Elder Ahn, with a smile wider than his face. Last Sunday was an all-Japan regional conference piped in from SLC and curiously a Korean native, Elder Choi of the Seventy was assigned to conduct the meeting and to give the opening remarks. He spoke very emotionally of the historical animosity between these east-Asian peoples and of how the gospel of Jesus Christ has worked to heal. It was sweetly done and set the spiritual stage nicely for those to follow. The other speakers, Sister Wixom, Elder Oaks and Pres. Uchtdorf did pretty well themselves.
There are two Koreans, three Brazilians, one each from New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Finland. The remaining 73 are from someplace called USA. There are three American couples and one Japanese couple serving here full time. Given the historical tensions between Japan and Korea, it’s interesting that one of our APs and one of the most popular missionaries in the mission is Elder Ahn, with a smile wider than his face. Last Sunday was an all-Japan regional conference piped in from SLC and curiously a Korean native, Elder Choi of the Seventy was assigned to conduct the meeting and to give the opening remarks. He spoke very emotionally of the historical animosity between these east-Asian peoples and of how the gospel of Jesus Christ has worked to heal. It was sweetly done and set the spiritual stage nicely for those to follow. The other speakers, Sister Wixom, Elder Oaks and Pres. Uchtdorf did pretty well themselves.
So anyway, we are alive and well and send our love and best wishes from afar.
Love, The Beuses
Love, The Beuses
PS. They say we’re in the rainy season here, but truth to tell, thus far, it’s nothin’, compared to Portland in wintertime.
(Pat speaking:) I guess I can add my two cents worth. First of all, Thank you to so many of you for your kind words of greeting and encouragement. We love hearing from you and would love to hear about what is going on in your lives. It is Sunday evening and we just returned from Tosu City and a lovely dinner with our son Dan, his wife, Kaoru, their sweet children, Raiden and Anika, and Kaoru’s father, Yoshiaka, and her sister, Yumi. Teruko, her mother, was not feeling well so she didn’t come. We hope to see her soon. We had a wonderful time. This morning we met our new Mission President, Pres. Gustafson and his lovely wife. They are definitely keepers. We are eager to get to know them and work with them. They are excited to be here and full of enthusiasm which is great and hopefully contagious. A good shot of enthusiasm now and then is just what we all need. Pres. Gustafson served here several years ago as a young missionary and is thrilled to be back.
We are finding our way around. We’ve both had our first Japanese haircuts (Not too bad). We found a wonderful thrift shop and the 100 yen store (Japan’s equivalent of the dollar store) so life is good! I’m learning to bake cookies in my toaster oven—six to nine at a time! Bar cookies and brownies are a little more efficient. The “Chōrōs” (elders) love them—they’re fun to spoil. They are such great young men and the “Shemai” (young sister missionaries) are so sweet. They are all so helpful, smart, knowledgeable and good. Makes us feel like the world is in good hands after all. It is good to be involved in such a positive and hopeful environment and enterprise. It is fun to be working together and “playing house” in our little apartment. I recommend it to all you retired folks who are wondering what to do with yourselves. It’s hard, it pulls you away from your comfort zone for sure, We miss our home, our family, and friends, and projects and all the comforts of the “good life” but it is rejuvenating and challenging and fun; and hopefully we’re doing something worthwhile along the way—truly, one of the hardest things we’ve ever loved.
Take care. We love and miss you and wish you all the best.
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