Kumamoto Opening

We had about 40 people at the opening today. Keith and I both gave talks. I had one of our YSA sisters who graduated from a community college in Mesa, Arizona help me find the right words and also how to pronounce and phrase them. So I sounded pretty good:) Keith covered up his lack of advanced Japanese by making power point slides with pictures and correct kanji and hiragona, katakana etc on the slides. One of our fellow missionaries is a whiz at typing kanji (she is from Tokyo) so she helped us to find the right things to say. As a result, we looked and sounded quite professional and knowledgeable. We are glad that the Holy Ghost willingly covers up unintentional errors and helps the truth to shine through. I would type in my short talk here, but only a few of you would even have a clue as to what I said, so I won't trouble the rest of you.

After the ribbon cutting, we ate curry rice (absolutely yummy--I am trying to ship some home for my food storage). Then the Young Single Adults organized themselves into a game and laughed and had fun and we all parted feeling very great and happy. Our mission president and his wife and the Fukuoka outreach couple drove the two hours from Fukuoka to attend the ribbon cutting. This center has been a dream of our mission president's for over a year. He was really pleased.

Tomorrow--Sunday--we will watch President Hinckley's funeral in the evening. I hope that there will be some English available. Last Monday our YSA family home evening (over 35 there) consisted of testimony sharing about President Hinckley and how he had touched their lives. A lot of tears were shed. Our lesson was about eternal families--to remind us that Pres Hinckley is well taken care of and quite happy. We had planned some fun games, but some were worried that the games would be inappropriate. As our committee discussed the situation, I reminded them that Pres Hinckley loved games and loved young people to have fun and that he would not want us to stop the games. So we went ahead and had fun. I think that those games have given us a really strong group already.

Got to go, church is early for us.

Love, Grandma, Kandie, Mom whatever