Japan Week 8

Dear Family,

Sorry for the long wait, this week has been busier than ever, but lots of fun. We found out we can use the computers in the Library in Yokosuka, for free!  I think we will definitely use these from now on.

Shogatsu (Japanese New Years), it seems is the biggest holiday celebrated in Japan.  From Christmas Day all the way up to January First, there were celebrations and festivals and floods of people everywhere!  In Japan, they close down everything from January 1 to January 5 or 6.  The post office, library, email facilities, banks, everything except hospitals and 7-11 gets shut down.  

(What is a missionary to do during Shogatsu?)

Also, as you may have heard, missionary work grinds to a halt for New Years week.  Im not sure why, but durring Shogatsu, it is considered rude to knock on doors, and in some missions you are not allowed to tract or street.  Here we were allowed to stop people on the street, but it was nothing but rejections day after day.  Something about Shogatsu culture prevents people from talking to us.

However, there was one funny thing that happened on January 1st.  That night, we were walking back to our apartment a little early, and we hear someone say, 'STOP!!!' in english.  So we turn around, and there was this little old Japanese man running up to us.  So he asks, Arukohoru, nomu? (Do you drink Alchohol?), and we tell him no.  He thinks for a second, and asks 'Coohi, nomu?' (Do you drink Coffee?), and we tell him no.  After thinking some more, he asks, 'Hot Chocolate?' and we tell him yes.  So he takes us into this little restraunt/bar right there, and orders us two hot chocolates.  After a few minutes, we can tell he's drunk beyond all reason, and has no interest in the gospel.  However, as we are finishing the hot chocolate, our investigator, Ujihara-san walks into the bar!  We were pretty shocked, but he was probably more surprised to see US there.  So we talked to both of them, and at 9:00 thanked the random stranger and went back to the apartment.  It was a very interesting New Year.

(A View Of Tokyo Bay)

Now that Shogatsu is over, people are stopping and listening to us again.  In the past few days, me and Elder Frank have been passing out some flyers for English Class in a busy section of town.  We havent had too much success so far, but I had another funny story come from it.

I was passing out flyers to the people walking by, and I see a very old Japanese man shuffling towards me with a cane, and I think, 'perfect!  I can probably talk to him about english class before he shuffles past me.'  So I say, 'Eigo o shabemasuka?' (Do you speak English?), and he doesnt respond.  'Muryou Eikaiwa Desukara...' (Free English Class), and he stops suddenly, gives me a wierd look, and shuffles away.  Then, I see him stop aways off, slowly turn around, and shuffle all the way back.  He then proceeds to spew out a string of utterly incomprehensible English and Japanese.  I think he might of been homeless, and definitely drunk, because it was one long slur of words, 'MMMFffaoiso sdkf fmmmkssl?' it sounded like.  However he really wants to talk.  So for 15 minutes we sat there, him raving in broken english, me asking questions, and him gargeling strange answers.  He seemed pretty friendly, but I couldnt understand a single thing he said.  He seemed to think that I could understand it all, though.

I was feeling kind of depressed at the lack of people with interest that day, and maybe I just needed a random, raving old man to brighten my day.  I just couldnt stop laughing afterwards, and its one of those funny journal experiences.

Thanks everyone for the great Christmas and New Years season.  I love the calendar of the cats.  How did you make it?  Also it feels kind of strange to have 3 ipods in the apartment.  I think I will send two back (the mini and the white nano).  Elder Frank has a lot of good music too so we're certainly not running low.  Ive also realized just how much I like William Joseph's music.

(Elder Mumford Tours the Aircraft Carrier, USS George Washington- in it's new home, Yokosuka, Japan)

We are visiting more members this transfer, and first on our list was Ochikoshi Shimai.  She is about 92, lives a LONG, long way away, and still manages to make it on time to church every single sunday.  We biked down to Jogashima where she lives, which reqiured a whole day, but when we got there she was so appreciative.  She kept thanking us and saying what a blessing it was.  She asked us to translate a few letter return addresses that were in cursive that she couldnt read.  It was definitely worth it, she was so happy.

Yokosuka is great.  Im finding that I am beginning to love the people here.  We were having a lesson with 'Maruyama-san' who the previous missionaries nicknamed Korihor, because he demanded to see a sign, or he would not believe.  And he was being as stubborn as ever, not really listening to our answers, and for some reason I was just overwhelmed by how much I wanted to help, and how much I loved the people in Yokosuka.  Kind of a wierd situation to feel that, but it was really cool.

Thanks for the letters, stuff, and prayers.  The language is getting easier, the people are listening, and things are really moving again here.  Your support is much appreciated.

Thanks, I love you!

-Elder Martin Mumford

-Tokyo Japan, Yokosuka