Letter Home: ブレクサ姉妹

こんにちは！
お元気ですか。私はとても元気です。
ぶじにつきました。しんばいしなでください。
今、私はおきなわに　いますよ。
とても、楽しいよ。

じゃ、行くひつようがあります。　日本人をたすけるに行くのです。

愛しています

ブレクサ姉妹

Letter Home: From the mission home

Sister Breksa did arrive safely.  She looks terrific and is excited and already doing missionary work!

She is serving in Urasoe which is located in Okinawa.  

Her trainer is Sister T. who is wonderful.  She is a terrific well seasoned missionary with a strong testimony and is fluent in both English and Japanese. (She grew up in the USA in a Japanese family who now live in Japan.) They also have another companion, Sister C., who has been here since July so she is...doing great.  

I will be sending a letter next week so you can see Sister Breksa with President and Sister Gustafson and I will send a map of the mission showing where she is serving.  We are so happy to have her here.  She is in good hands.  

Japan is a beautiful country and the Fukuoka Mission is the best!  We love it here and know that your daughter will come to love it too.  Thank You sharing her with us . 

With Love and gratitude,  Sister B., Fukuoka Mission secretary

Missionaries: Mormon channel "Mormon Missionaries"

Click the link below to watch a video explaining what full time missionaries do and why.

Mormon Missionaries

Japan: Fukuoka Skyline

http://www.japanpsychiatrist.com/Images/fukuoka.jpg




Link: Fukuoka Tower

Link: Yafuoku! Dome

http://metropolis.co.jp/travel/files/2009/02/777-TR-Fukuoka3.jpg

Japan: Sakurajima Volcano Eruption 18 August 2013

From the Huffington Post:

TOKYO -- Residents in a southern Japanese city were busy washing ash off the streets Monday after a nearby volcano spewed a record-high smoke plume into the sky.

Ash wafted as high as 5 kilometers (3 miles) above the Sakurajima volcano in the southern city of Kagoshima [in the Fukuoka Japan Mission] on Sunday afternoon, forming its highest plume since the Japan Meteorological Agency started keeping records in 2006. Lava flowed about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the fissure, and several huge volcanic rocks rolled down the mountainside.

Though the eruption was more massive than usual, residents of the city of about 600,000 are used to hearing from their 1,117-meter (3,664-foot) neighbor. Kagoshima officials said in a statement that this was Sakurajima's 500th eruption this year alone.

Residents wore masks and raincoats and used umbrellas to shield themselves from the falling ash. Drivers turned on their headlights in the dull evening gloom, and railway service in the city was halted temporarily so ash could be removed from the tracks.

Officials said no injuries or damage was reported from the volcano, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of the city.

By Monday morning, the air was clearer as masked residents sprinkled water and swept up the ash. The city was mobilizing garbage trucks and water sprinklers to clean up.

"The smoke was a bit dramatic, but we are kind of used to it," said a city official who requested anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media.

JMA says there are no signs of a larger eruption but similar activity may continue. It was maintaining an earlier warning that people not venture near the volcano itself.

Japan is on the "Ring of Fire," the seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, and has frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

http://bionicbong.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/sakurajima-volcano-japan.jpg

Video: Sakurajima Eruption -- weather.com

Useful Quote

"Parents should teach their children to pray. The child learns both from what the parents do and what they say. The child who sees a mother or a father pass through the trials of life with fervent prayer to God and then hears a sincere testimony that God answered in kindness will remember what he or she saw and heard.  When trials come, that individual will be prepared."

Henry B. Eyring, "That He May Write upon Our Hearts"

Letter Home: Of salutations and piano playing

MOM!

You mentioned that it sounds silly when you write or say, “Be Good” [at the end of a letter or saying goodbye]. However, this Tuesday we had a devotional in which Elder Richard G. Scott spoke. When leaving the stand at the conclusion of the meeting, he turned towards the standing audience and called out, “Be good!”

Another Piano Adventure!

So this Sunday I played for Relief Society, which was attended by all the sisters on the main MTC campus and broadcast to the sisters on the west campus. Afterwards, many sisters thanked me saying they thought it incredible how I was able to put such emotion into it. (Not how I played, but you know, able to convey emotion though the medium of music). That was really fun – playing, not the compliments!

Breksa Shimai: Class of 2012 Valedictorian - despite warnings that not reading books she found offensive would hurt her grades

In the LDS church, the youth have a booklet called, "For the Strength of Youth." In it are guidelines for media and books.  Breksa Shimai lives these principles and has been blessed for it.  

From the booklet:

If there is anything virtuous, lovely,

or of good report or praiseworthy,

we seek after these things. 

Articles of Faith 1:13

"You live in a day of marvelous technologies that give you easy access to a wide variety of media, including the Internet, mobile devices, video games, television, movies, music, books, and magazines. The information and entertain- ment provided through these media can increase your ability to learn, communicate, and become a force for good in the world. However, some information and entertainment can lead you away from righteous living. Choose wisely when using media, because whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Select only media that uplifts you.

"Satan uses media to deceive you by making what is wrong and evil look normal, humorous, or exciting. He tries to mis- lead you into thinking that breaking God’s commandments is acceptable and has no negative consequences for you or others. Do not attend, view, or participate in anything that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in anything that presents immorality or violence as acceptable. Have the courage to walk out of a movie, change your music, or turn off a computer, television, or mobile device if what you see or hear drives away the Spirit." 

While in high school she was assigned books that went against her beliefs. Her high school principal and teachers made arrangements for her to read other material.  However, in her sophomore one teacher said Breksa Shimai would have a difficult time later in school and her grades would suffer if she didn't read the assigned books...not so. Breksa Shimai was class Valedictorian.

Sister Breksa's motto: Integrity Before Grades

Japanese Language: Tricks to remember the sounds of hiragana (Japanese alphabet)

The interesting thing about hirigana is that they ALWAYS make the same sound, unlike English. For a  different sound marks are put up and to the right of the hiragana (see the chart below) or a 'marker' is put smaller and to the right of the hiragana (see chart below).

http://www.tanos.co.uk/jlpt/jlpt5/kana/kana2.jpg

A Secure Anchor

Watch a powerful illustration on the need for secure anchors in rock climbing and in life.

lds.org video: A Secure Anchor

Letter Home: A missionary teaching missionaries how to start teaching

In a large group meeting of new missionaries someone asked how to start teaching someone.  My teacher asked my companion and I demonstrate.  It was fun to show them. 

Letter Home: Travel to Japan plans

Yesterday I got my travel plans! 

I am very excited. I leave in 9 days. 

I am allowed to call when I get to Japan. 

Photo: Sister Breksa

Sister Breksa has been playing the piano for about 9 years.
She loves the hymns, especially "Lord, the Tempest is Raging" and she strongly dislikes "Because I Have Been Given Much." 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of Forgiveness

Click the link below to see  a video of Christ speaking to Peter about forgiveness and telling the parable of the unmerciful servant as found in Matthew chapter 18.

Bible Video Forgive 70 Times 7

LDS Hymns in Japanese: As Sisters in Zion/We'll Bring the World His Truth

Click on the link below to hear  Young Single Japanese Adults singing a medley of a hymn, "As Sister in Zion" and a song for children, "We'll Bring the World His Truth."  The camera work isn't very good at the beginning and it starts a bit slow with the performers getting in place...but the music is good and the sound of Japanese is beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CkbbA5eDJw&list=PLD38CA4D238AFB56D&index=1

WOW! Number of missionaries increases by 16,500 in 11 months!

Missionary Life: Article in Church News

Click the link below to read about life as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and to see video of missionaries sharing their experiences.

The Life of a Mormon Missionary

Kimono - Japanese traditional clothing

Kimono in hirigana and kanji

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/graphics/kimono.jpg

http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/graphics/kimono_k.jpg

Originally, "kimono" was the Japanese word for clothing. But now it is used specifically for Japanese traditional outfits. 

The Kimono came into being during the Heian period (794-1192). Nowadays, Japanese people rarely wear kimonos in everyday life, wearing kimonos for such occasions as weddings, funerals, tea ceremonies, or other special events, such as summer festivals.

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/kimono/kimono01.html