Assistant Elder Juchau. Taught him everything he knows ;)
Leaving the mission home (March 16th, Fri. morning)
Called to Serve
Japan Sendai/Sapporo Mission
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Welcome Home
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Good-Bye Japan!!!!
I never thought this day would come. I can`t believe it`s here. But it`s been one for the records!! As much as I would like to compile the experience of a lifetime into a final last letter, it seems rather difficult. Words cannot describe the uncomparable experience of a mission, and mine has been just that. All missions are special and I am more than confident that my Heavenly Father knew that Japan Sendai/Sapporo was the place for me. I have LOVED my mission!! :) It hasn`t been easy, but it`s definitely been worth it. Although we go on missions in order to serve our Heavenly Father and His children, I feel in turn as if I have been most blessed. The lessons I have learned, the people I`ve met, and the testimony I have gained will remain with me throughout the eternities! I`ve loved everything about this.
For the first time in a couple of weeks we were able to meet with one of our new investigators. Her name is Emiko. We had previously given her a Book of Mormon but hadn`t had the opportunity to follow up. She has continued to come to english class and this week we were finally able to meet! She took us out for a drink and dessert. We were surprised to see her pull up in a `HUMMER` haha. Come to find out, she has read over 100 pages of the Book of Mormon! She didn`t understand much, but at least she`s reading. And she wants to start coming to church in April!! :) Although I may not be here, I am excited for Elder Saunders and his new Japanese comapnion to continue to work with her.
Before meeting with Emiko that day, we made plans to visit a couple old investigators from the area book. We had the addresses and knew the general direction of the area. As we got closer we began to ask people for a more detailed spot. We were gladly helped (as the Japanese always do), but for some reason we still couldn`t find the apartments. I didn`t want to waste the precious time I have remaining riding my bike in circles trying to find the place, so I began to pray in my heart that we could use our time effectively. We parked our bikes and began to house. We went from one apartment to the next. As we came across one apartment and looked up, we noticed it was one we had been searching for. God led us right to it :) The person wasn`t home, but I knew we had accomplished one of our goals. We hit the bikes and began to make our way back, this time taking a different route. I rode with wide eyes through the cold rain. Again, to my surprise, we were led to the other apartment we had been searching for. We knocked on the door and the girl came to the door. She didn`t have much interest, but we found her. God was with us. He led us and he answered a sincere prayer from the heart :) We left the area confident that our Heavenly Father was pleased with the work we had done.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ! My two years as a full-time missionary may come to an end. I may not wear the badge. I may not be in Japan. But I will continue to testify about the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel! I know this church is true. Our Savior lives and loves us. I can`t wait to re-unite with you and tell you of all the experiences I`ve had. See you Friday!!!!!!!!!! :)
Love Elder Ovard
For the first time in a couple of weeks we were able to meet with one of our new investigators. Her name is Emiko. We had previously given her a Book of Mormon but hadn`t had the opportunity to follow up. She has continued to come to english class and this week we were finally able to meet! She took us out for a drink and dessert. We were surprised to see her pull up in a `HUMMER` haha. Come to find out, she has read over 100 pages of the Book of Mormon! She didn`t understand much, but at least she`s reading. And she wants to start coming to church in April!! :) Although I may not be here, I am excited for Elder Saunders and his new Japanese comapnion to continue to work with her.
Before meeting with Emiko that day, we made plans to visit a couple old investigators from the area book. We had the addresses and knew the general direction of the area. As we got closer we began to ask people for a more detailed spot. We were gladly helped (as the Japanese always do), but for some reason we still couldn`t find the apartments. I didn`t want to waste the precious time I have remaining riding my bike in circles trying to find the place, so I began to pray in my heart that we could use our time effectively. We parked our bikes and began to house. We went from one apartment to the next. As we came across one apartment and looked up, we noticed it was one we had been searching for. God led us right to it :) The person wasn`t home, but I knew we had accomplished one of our goals. We hit the bikes and began to make our way back, this time taking a different route. I rode with wide eyes through the cold rain. Again, to my surprise, we were led to the other apartment we had been searching for. We knocked on the door and the girl came to the door. She didn`t have much interest, but we found her. God was with us. He led us and he answered a sincere prayer from the heart :) We left the area confident that our Heavenly Father was pleased with the work we had done.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ! My two years as a full-time missionary may come to an end. I may not wear the badge. I may not be in Japan. But I will continue to testify about the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel! I know this church is true. Our Savior lives and loves us. I can`t wait to re-unite with you and tell you of all the experiences I`ve had. See you Friday!!!!!!!!!! :)
Love Elder Ovard
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
I'm Not Coming HOME!
Hey everyone! How you all doin? Time just doesn`t slow down. I can`t believe I`m down to my last 10 days. It`s so crazy!! Although I am excited to see everyone, I am going to miss Japan and all my friends over here!!! It`s going to be hard to leave. But I guess all good things must come to an end. It`s been a great week over here. And the snow is finally starting to melt!! We had a `music night` Saturday evening and it was a huge success!! We had close to 30 people show up and were treated with around 10 awesome musical performances varying from the guitar to the flute. Everybody seemed to have had a good time :) Elder Saunders sang a song called `I`ll Find You My Friend`. I accompanied him on the piano and one of our english class students played the flute. It was a nice piece. We recieved a phone call from a gal inquiring about english class. Her name is Sakamoto Kaori. She found us on the homepage, gave us a ring, and we were able to meet with her the next day! She`s very cheerful and will make an awesome student. She also went to a Christian Kindergarten so even has a little Christian background! She moved from a different prefecture about 10 months ago and is still looking for friends and people to meet. Her dad passed away a couple years ago. We introduced the message to her and she had questions. I feel like she is prepared to hear it; even if she doesn`t know it yet! ;) I`m excited to see what happens with her. We are finding new investigators and teaching the gospel. Now we just gotta help them progress! I love sharing this message. I love being a missionary. I love my Savior and am grateful for His perfect example. I`m grateful for a loving Father in Heaven. I`m grateful for all my many wonderful blessings. I love you all and appreciate the support you`ve been to me. Till next week.
Elder Ovard
Elder Ovard
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