P is for Pizza

Hi, all. Can you imagine this activity and the accompanying songs in our English class? This class is for mothers and their young children. Kandie and the rest of our group have quite a following. Love, Keith

Ancestry

Hi, Mom. (And hi, everyone else—I decided to copy this to you). I hope this email finds you well. I sure love and appreciate you.

This genealogy connection below came from Ancestry.com and could be on Kandie’s line. This is not to ask you for help or give you an ‘assignment’. It is just interesting. I will check on it later when I have time.

About us—we are pushing hard and enjoying it. I was telling some of our older English class members about you (Mom) last night. I told them that I remembered some of the things you taught us as children, and told them what it was you taught us. Then I gave them part of the missionary discussions. They had me switch to Japanese and they were enthralled. This group happen to be people older than me, and have answered ‘no’ in the past when the young missionaries asked if they wanted to hear about the gospel. So, I didn’t ask. Instead I just taught them the gospel. I’m tremendously grateful to you that I was taught the gospel while growing up.

We had another baptism last Saturday, and will have another temple marriage this Saturday. We didn’t do all the teaching or back-ground arranging, but did some, and so feel extra joy and satisfaction for both both. To help a new YSA member, I am getting up at 5:30 each morning for the past two weeks and meeting with him in our apartment. He is trying to get into BYU-Hawaii, and must pass a rigorous English entrance examination. The test is this weekend.

You may remember that my DNA results came back. And with that information I have discovered about 300 new extended cousins that have genealogy pedigrees on Ancestry.com (where cousin Scott Woodward works). These cousins are maternal, so they are also your cousins (Mom).

You also may remember that DNA from Dad indicates some Japanese ancestry, and I use this fact with great glee. We happened to be talking with an investigator (our age) in the grocery store, yesterday, and exchanging information about ancestry. I took great delight in telling not only about the English village of ‘Prisbrey’, but also about Japan. She understands a little about DNA, and laughed with me when I said that I think I’m also from Sapporo (Japan). Love, Keith

Happy New Year, From Japan!!

Hi, all. As always thanks for all the help and support. We spent New Year’s Day with members and investigators Japanese style. We visited, played games, and took turns making a special O-Mochi using the ancient method of pounding a special South East Asian kind of partially-cooked, sticky rice, then forming the resulting paste into cakes using rice flour and/or soy-bean flour, and optionally including sweetened bean filling. The stone bowl weighed a ton. Delicious. Another tradition is to visit the local shrine. A bell is sounded with 108 gongs to conquer 108 sins listed in Buddhist writings.
Love, Keith (Dad, and Grandpa)

New License

Your dad did it! he is the proud owner of a NEW JAPANESE DRIVER'S LICENSE. He was very careful to not cut any left turn corners too close so that he would not go over the curb. When he finished the test, the examiner had only one bit of correction to give him. He said, "You seem to be swinging a bit wide on the left turns. you might want to watch that." !!??!! Dad was quite amused. He definitely will not be swinging wide in real driving conditions. He may run over some curbs however:) The license is good until July 23, 2011.

Guess who was Mrs. Santa... and we saw a 7 faced bird

Hi all. Thanks for the email and support. After the wonderful Christmas pageant including young shepherds, wise-men, angels, and animals, Kandie dressed up as Mrs. Santa, and we stormed the Cultural Center throwing balloons, and then giving out cookies and candy. The effect was tripled because we had the young missionaries join us throwing balloons and giving out candy. Kandie also cooked and served a turkey for the ward. The kanji for turkey translates directly into 7-faced-bird—shichimencho, because a turkey has so many aspects when it spreads its tail in various lighting, we were told during a lesson with one of our investigators, yesterday. After the initial turkey-carving, I carried in plates of turkey that Kandie sliced in the kitchen, which were emptied before I could return with others. Earlier, the reaction to the suggestion of turkey was about how I react to the suggestion of venison or mutton, but members changed their minds rapidly. Kandie roasts a ‘mean turkey’ despite the strangest miniature oven that is more complicated and fussy than a camp fire. We had over a dozen investigators there, too, and they also enjoyed and began to understand the significance of Bethlehem.............and Easter. Merry Christmas!!! Love, Dad

I have received some questions about the Santa outfit Dad had on for our ward Christmas party. The original outfit had matching red pants, but Dad would only wear the jacket and he would only wear the hat with attached beard if his face could show. He said that he would scare all of the kids and they wouldn't be able to see his smile. When he walked into the cultural hall, he carried large garbage sacks full of blown up balloons. Each of the elders also carried sacks. They threw the balloons everywhere and delighted everyone. Then they all came to us (or we went to them) and were given a small sack of candy and a cookie. No sitting on laps and asking for gifts. Here each child is given one gift by their parents and that is all. No other gifts. Sounds like a good tradition to me. Much less to put away. The children do get money from many people for New Years which they can spend as they want. Usually it adds up to $100 for so.

Kandie

Driving tests

Dad took his first driving test today and almost passed. they have rescheduled him for Monday morning. We have to leave here about 8:00 a.m. We will not be free until after 12:00. You have to go to the course early to walk around it and mentally drive it. then you have to wait until it is your turn to be called. then you go to the official car, are handed a map of the course and without any further instructions, you and the examinor drive the course. You have to make the correct turns, use the correct signals, show tht you are being alert for all of the possible things that might happen if you were out on the road. You have to say, in Japanese, checking right mirror, checking left mirror, no pedestrians, safe to proceed, etc. Dad did quite well today, they told him, but he managed to cut one turn too close and drove over a curb. this is apparently so severe that the test cannot be passed, even if everything else is perfect. If we do not get our Japanese license before January 16th (which is right upon us due to all of the upcoming holidays--not Christmas but the Emporer's birthday, Dec 23rd, and then New Year's and several days after that), we will be confined to taxis and buses until he does get his license. We talked to one lady today who was so excited that she had finally passed her driving portion of the test--after taking it 12 times, yes twelve! times. She still had to pass the written test, however, so she does not have her driver's license yet.
Dad passed the written just fine. As an experienced foreign driver, he has a shorter written and driving test to take than new drivers, or Japanese nationals. He did not have to do any backing up or parking or parallel parking--just correct lane changes, turns, stops at pedestrian cross-walks, observance of all of the codes written on the roads--solid lines, dotted lines, white lines, yellow lines, dashed lines, etc, traffic lights, traffic signs and handling of the car through little mazes and tight turns. And correct and safe getting into and out of the car with appropriate bowing of course.
Kandie

Returning Home

Hi, all. As always thanks for all the help, love, and support. We will really miss Elder Okada and Sister Sasayama, who are holding the well-wish printouts in the picture below.
The two missionaries have finished their missions and are returning home tomorrow. Some of our YSA crew were here tonight to say good bye. Earlier last week, Tabata San, one of our investigators who is a black belt Karate teacher, gave the YSA an exhibition that included the usual—death defying feats, demonstrations of impossible physical skills, and incredible, mind-boggling displays. He broke bats, stacks of bricks, and stacks of lumber with his bare hand. He really enjoyed the large, appreciative YSA audience, and we are all praying for his baptism. Our last Saturday’s ‘YSA Music Night’ also blew everyone away. Our YSA formed different singing and instrument groups, practiced and practiced, and then put on a program from Heaven. We had a good group of our investigators there, and they could also feel how close Heaven and Heavenly influences are.

Love, Keith