Monday, February 17, 2014

Good News in Fukuroi

Greetings from Fukuroi!!

So let me just give you the bare lowdown of what has happened to me in less than a week, and you`ll get a sense of how I`m feeling right now:
with my new companion, Elder C

Elder C and I speak to each other only in Japanese. As a result, my conversational Japanese has already improved probably tenfold.

Our first lesson here in Fukuroi, Elder C and I set a baptismal date for Naruse M to be baptized on March 1st. My first baptism here in Japan.

At that same lesson, Naruse M`s husband also became an investigator, and he may also be baptized.


  • I gave my first priesthood blessing to someone in Japanese (actually two separate blessings). One of them was a less-active woman named Morishita K, and the other her husband, who is not a member. Both have been sick lately.
  • I got asked to play the piano for priesthood meeting at the branch here in Fukuroi, which I`ve never done before.
  • N-san texted us from Ichinomiya to let me know that he set a baptismal date for February 23rd.
  • I learned how to make sushi from some members of the branch here in Fukuroi at a branch sushi party.
  • I became best friends with a little girl with Down syndrome here in the branch named Ayaka.
  • We have a guitar in the apartment.
  • No, wait. I don't think you understand. We have a GUITAR in the apartment!!
These are just a few of the awesome things that have happened in this past week. Needless to say, I`m a little overwhelmed with gratitude right now. Wow.

Basically, Fukuroi is legit. The branch is pretty small....there were about 20 people at church on Sunday....but the members are strong, and the Spirit as well. 

train station, Fukuroi
My new companion, Elder C, is awesome. He is an AMAZING teacher and we are getting along great. It has taken some getting used to speaking Japanese LITERALLY everywhere, but it's helping my language skills improve so much. The language barrier really hasn`t been a problem. Elder C speaks almost no English, but since I`ve been in Japan for 6 months we are able to understand one another and converse in Japanese both in the apartment and abroad. It`s kinda fun.

One of our other investigators here, Hidaka-san, is a total bro. I met him at the sushi party on Saturday and we were INSTANT friends. He`s about 26 years old and loves basketball and fishing. He came to church on Sunday and we taught him a lesson about the Atonement, faith, repentance, baptism, and the Word of Wisdom. He understands it all very well and he seems very prepared. We are hoping, we will probably invite him to be baptized.

I have just seen tons of miracles here in Fukuroi already. I love it here. I miss Ichinomiya, but I am looking forward to my time here.

I was SO HAPPY when N-san texted last night to tell me he`s getting baptized. It meant a lot to me that he wanted me to know, and I am also just SO happy that it`s finally happening. He is SO prepared. I`m super bummed I don`t get to see it, but that doesn`t matter. I`m just thrilled that it`s happening. He was my first investigator here in Japan.

N-san, the first person I taught in Japan. He's getting baptized February 23.
I'm humbled and grateful!
The computer here is slow, I have to cut my time short. But dang, I am so happy!!! The Lord is truly hastening His work as it sweeps boldly across the Earth. What an exciting time. I testify that this work will continue to go forward and that miracles are VERY real.

Peace and love,

Elder Naylor
This is Patrick,  from Nigeria, back in Ichinomiya.
 He freaking loves the gospel!

1 comment:

  1. Saw your blog while I was looking up old areas I served in. My comp and I re opened Fukuroi as a branch after many years of no missionaries there. We were there in apr/May/june of 1993. There were maybe 7-8 active members and we met in an preschool building. Our eikaiwa lessons had no one in them for the first month haha. but we had a great time starting from scratch. It's good to see missionaries in that area. At the time we were there it was actually in the Japan Tokyo South mission so we were pretty isolated from the Honbu in Tokyo. God Speed to you are your comp

    Elder Dustin Karren

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