Well family and friends it has been another awesome week out on the mish and here in Japan. We made it back to Sendai!! Yay!! It feels so good to be back and especially to be back in Morioka. We definitely have had quite the past week :) I feel so blessed for all the wonderful opportunities my Heavenly Father has blessed me with.
Well on Wednesday morning we hopped on the train from Teine to Sapporo. Our recent convert Fukuoka met us at the train station and even rode over there with us :) It was hard for him to say good-bye as it was for me too. We met with about 40 of the Sendai missionaries at the train station, said our good-byes to our beloved President and Sister Daniels and the remaining Sapporo Missionaries, and hopped on the train for a 3 hour ride back down to the Tohoku area. It was a real pretty ride through the green trees and along the ocean, and we even went down under to get from one island to the next! Couldn`t really see anything though :( From there we hopped onto the bullet train and made it to Sendai. By that time is was around 6:00 pm. It was a beautiful evening! The air was warm and things seemed so wonderful. To be honest with you, I could feel a strong spirit from the people of Sendai. I could feel their suffering and humbleness. I got really excited and knew right then that this was the place God wanted me to be!! We were greeted by President and Sister Tateoka not too long after and along side them was Elder and Sister Ringwood of the Quorum of the Seventy. We had a Mission Conference with them the next day as all the Sendai missionaries gathered together. It`s always a real treat to be able to spend time with our Priesthood leaders. Elder Ringwood talked a little bit about post-mission life. He talked about the structure we have as missionaries and how when our mission is over that structure is taken from us. We no longer have morning study from 8:00 am. We can wake up and go to bed whenever we want. Through losing that structure it can be easy to get complacent with the simple things such as reading the scriptures. I thought that was really cool. It does take planning and effort to even do the little things that bring us so much happiness and that much closer to God.
Friday we had the most awesome opportunity in the world to do service for victims of the tsunami. We were divided into 2 groups. One went to an area near Tagajo where I had previously served, and the other went to an area near Ishinomaki. I was assigned to go over to the Ishinomaki area. We recieved `helping hands` t-shirts and I had bought me a pair of steel toed boots the night before so I was ready to go to work! Haha. Not gonna lie it felt like old times workin with Grandpa on the farm ;) Definitley felt good! It was quite the sight to see the damage of the tsunami. There were pieces of house, boats, ships, and just about a little bit of everything scattered. We were asked to go and help one couple out with their house. Their name was `Hatakeyama`. They were living by themselves and I would say they were somewhere in their 60`s. They had a real nice house with beautiful landscape. Things were a little torn up though. All the flooring of the house had already been taken out and they didn`t have too much left. I believe they are going to continue to repair though. At the time of the tsunami they thankfully weren`t at home but they did have cars swept onto their property. They had a huge statue type thing that had tipped over that took about 6 of us missionaries to lift back up. For the most part we just helped them in their yard. They wanted all the ocean dirt as well as the oil taken out. I pretty much had a shovel or bag in my hands the entire day. It felt good though. I even made the opportunity to go kneel down and work by the wife of the owner of the house while she was cleaning out one of her bushes. It was so special. She was so sweet and humble. Her husband was on crutches due to a broken foot from an accident he had had a couple days before. She was still giving all she had though. They were such sweet people. As we ate our packed lunch they even gave us a drink, and some fruit. When our time was up they gave us a little treat with a bannana. Even though their house was torn up and they didn`t have much they were still thinking of others and doing kind things. What an example for all of us. I will never forget the Hatakeyama`s, their house, and the time I had to spend with them. It was an experience of a lifetime.
We made it back to Morioka that evening and boy was I excited!! I love this place. Things have warmed up and everything is green and beautiful. The lake right outside the church is amazing. Yesterday we had Districe Conference. It`s like Stake Conference. We were blessed to have President and Sister Tateoka, another Seventy, our Area President, Elder Stevenson and his wife attend. It was an awesome meeting. And Rika-san came!!!! She is the investigator we had found before we went up to Sapporo. She wants to be baptized this Saturday but I don`t think we will make it because she still hasn`t been taught any of the commandments. We will get there though! She has the cutest fam ever. I pretty much played with her 2 year old daughter during church. Little kids are a job!! Haha.
I love you all and thank you for all you do. I feel your love and prayers everyday. I`m grateful to be a part of this wonderful work. Being a missionary is the best thing in the world!! Have an awesome week. Take Care.
Elder Ovard
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