Sayonara, Elder Fukuda!

Dear Everyone,

Elder Fukuda is gone! :(  

(Martin's companion, Elder Fukuda, (left) on his way out.)

He went to the Honbu (mission home) two days ago to become the Commissarian (the financial secretary of the mission).  It was very shocking, because the commissarian always gets called in the middle of the transfers (or so it seems).  

(Elder Fukuda brushes up on his coin tricks, prior to his new assignment, where, ironically, he will be working with money.)

So, now my new companion is Elder Fukunaga.  He's on his last transfer and only has 1 1/2 weeks left!  However he is an incredible missionary, and cares about Kawasaki area even though he just got thrown into it suddenly.  VERY surprising.  Im still not sure what to think.  Though I did take some good pictures documenting the event.

Questions:

1. Did you get the Flying Pig? (delivery from Costco)  The flying pig was GREAT!  It came on the day Elder Fukuda went to the Honbu by surprise, so we had packed in the morning, and were about to leave the apartment.  It came 5 minutes before we left ;)

The food is AMAZING!  It's a shame that Elder Fukuda won't be able to enjoy it, but he didn't seem too enthuzed about the idea of American food in the first place.  The Costco rolls, muffins and bagles bring back all the memories of home... not that I'm getting trunky, but its just a good feeling.

2. Have you had a chance to go to an Okonomiyaki restaurant yet?  Does the Japan version taste like the one we make at home?  Tasted the same!  Very good!

(Click here for our  family's recipe for Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza)

(Elder Fukuda demonstrates the proper way to eat Japanese Pizza! (Okonomiyaki. Japanese pizza tastes nothing like American pizza.  It is more like a big cabbage pancake with fish flakes on top.)

3. Why do you have 2 refrigerators in your apartment?  The apartment used to be a 4-missionary apartment a long time ago, so we have 2 refrigerators and 2 microwaves.  Interesting situation.  Also, we have BEDS! instead of futons.  They are comfy.

4. Did you get a new name tag?  It looks more Japanese-y.  The name tags are different, they have Katakana (The Japanese alphabet reserved for foreign words) to help the Japanese members and people to pronounce.  Mine name is "ManFoodo", (Mumford)  but it's still rediculously hard for people to remember.  Sometimes really long names get shortened; mine might go to Elder Ford (easy for people to remember because of the car company)

Sorry for the short time, I have one more quick thing...

If you could pray for Shinemon-kun (sounds like Cinnamon) and his family.  He comes to church every Sunday and wants to be baptized, but his parents don't want him to.  Just pray that his parents might accept the idea in time.  We are working with them, and he loves the missionaries.  

I'll wrap up the 3-Transfer newsletter soon, and send it.

Thanks everyone, your support and your prayers are much appreciated!

Love,

Elder Martin Mumford,

Tokyo, Japan.