13 PaGeS LoNg

WhErE tHe PaGeS oF tHiS bOoK nEvEr EnD



Monday, April 25, 2011

First week in the field

Hey Everybody!!!
Sooooo, I don't even know where to start! This was one of the fastest weeks of my whole life and at the same time, sooo many things happend! I guess I will start out with a laugh for everybody. So first of all, my area is Shiroishi right, so we don't have an apartment currently, so the past week and until we find out otherwise, we are living in a different area called Atsubetsu. We are in a tiny little apartment with 6 of us! Elder Clinton and I are living out of our suitecases and it is just...its pretty crammed to say the least. This morning for p-day, three of us went to play some ping pong at the church in Atsubetsu, so since i don't have a bike i just borrowed another elders. So, within the first 5 minutes of riding bikes on the mission I ate some serious dirt! hahaha There are these stairs we have to go way up and then way down to get over the train tracks. In the middle of the stairs there is a ramp for bikes to be WALKED up and down. So we RODE up the stairs on the ramp just fine...it was going down the 80 steps that was the interesting part. It rained yesterday so the ramp was a little wet. The other two elders got down just fine so I thought I would be ok...I was wrong. I started going down and picked up maybe 20 mph of speed really fast! I made the mistake of trying to ease on the REAR brakes to slow down and with the wet surface, the back tire very quickly flew out from under me. My bike went flying and I, first hit really hard, and then rolled down about 15 feet of stairs. It was super graceful you know? :) You all know me, and so naturally, I just got up, picked up the bike and we went to the church to play some ping pong. I have a couple bumps and bruised but I will be fine, so don't worry! :) Leave it to me to have the quickest missionary bike accident ever! :)
The week went by pretty fast. You are right, Elder Clinton is a really hard worker and we really thrashed Shiroishi this past week. I will share just a couple little experiences and things. I really have seen miracles every single day. We contacted over 100 people last week and taught over a dozen lessons. Elder Clinton's Japanese is super good which is great because this language is way way crazy. I try really hard and I follow some things, but the only thing I can really do that is effective is just bare testimony. I can tell you that in teaching, the spirit really is the most important thing because people just don't care if you are just spitting info at them. The thing is with the Japanese people is that people here just havent felt the spirit before for the most part, so if we can invite the spirit and they soften there hearts enough to feel it, they feel a way they have never felt before. That happend several times this week and it is a truly amazing thing to see. We worked really hard and on Sunday we got 3 investigators to church which was awesome! One woman named Yuzuka came when she told us she couldn't because of work!
On Sunday Night, right before we were about to go home we hit a guy that could be gold!! We contacted him on the street. He was just walking along smoking a cigarrette and we asked him if he knew who we were. He said, "I have seen you before, people are always trying to ignore you." Elder Clinton asked him if he was one of the people that would just try to ignore us and he said no! We got to talking to him and he is 20 years old and both of his parents have died. We asked him if he believed there was a God and he said yes. We asked him why and he said that it is because he feels like he has felt his parents helping him since he died. We talked to him about the Plan of Salvation and showed him the pamphlet. He said that it was such a good thing, we asked if he wanted to learn more about it and he said yes! We are meeting with him tonight and I just pray he will show up!! I told him that I know this message is interesting and new, but that if he will recieve it that it will bless his life and bring him shinjitsu na shiawase...true happiness. We told him he can see his parents again and he said thankyou. It was an amazing experience, one of those experiences I was talking about where the people just feel something they have never felt before.
I know that the Lord led us to him, and that every other contact that listened and rejected us allowed us to meet him at that exact moment. The Lord blesses us all with miracles every single day if we but open our hearts to see them. This has been a really really tough week. This language is really hard and not being able to express yourself is truly a monumental challenge. When I sat in church on Sunday, in a small little group of 20 or so people, the church became true to me in a whole new dimension. I really need your prayers and support, more than ever in my life I am having to rely on my faith in my Savior Jesus Christ. I know he lives, I know that he will be on my right hand and on my left. Something that Marissa pointed out to me in one of my letters has become so true to me here, this gospel doesn't make life easy by any means, but it sure does make it easier. I testify that that is true. I love you all so much and think of and pray for you every day. Marissa, A letter is on its way so we will see how long it takes to get there! :) Thanks for all the bike stuff and money mom and dad, hopefully when I get my own bike I won't wipe out on it! Just a little funny note here before I wrap it up, I am already trademark here as the missionary that waves at everybody. :) Waving is not a Japanese thing for sure, so I always just smile super big and give everybody a nice white boy wave. You should imagine the faces of the little Japanese people when a tall Gaijin(foreiner) just smiles and waves at them and says hello. :) Thank you all for being such a joy and support in my life. I truly do love you so much and I hope I make you proud! If I need anything I will let you know, but for now, I really just need your prayers and faith please!

I love you!
Elder Zachary Taylor Page...Z-Train ;)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Messages to my missionaries

私はあなたにエルダーページを愛してなど非常に誇りに思っています!
My Message to Elder Zachary Page

Te quiero élder Page y estoy muy orgullosa de ti!
My Message to Elder Matthew Page

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

SO I am in Japan!!

Elders Vilchis & Page both now serving in Japan Kobe & Sapporo Hello everybody!

So I am in Japan!! I don't even know really where to start to be honest. It is all REALLY surreal and REALLY over my head. By the time we got to Sapporo I had gone on three flights traveling something like 36 hours! I am sure I am jetlagged somehow, but today I have just been going at it. It has been a little slow because we just sat through orientation stuff but it has still been great. I have my trainer and am assigned to my first area...his name Elder Clinton and he is from New Jersey. He is a convert to the church of just the past couple years. When President Daniels announced him as my companion he jumped out of his seat and yelled "Yay!l" as he ran to me. Haha He seems like a super nice guy and I don't think I will have any problems getting along with him. We already talked a bit and he is a really nice guy, and he is like six foot four so he makes me look tiny!!! We are assigned to Shiroishi, which is just an area inside o Sapporo itself. Both of my MTC comps Benson and Kendall are getting sent way far outside of Sapporo so I am the only Gaijin(foreigner) staying in Sapporo of the new missionaries. So much has happened and I don't even know where to start!! :) The weather here is super beautiful and when they say that Japan is super organized and clean, it is so true! It really doesn't look too different from the US other than the fact that everything is written in Japanese...and everybody is short and Asian...and they drive on the left side of the road...and everybody looks at you like you are a crazy white boy yelling "Konichiwa!" at them. :) Hahaha Daniels Kaicho teased me a little for ALWAYS just smiling at nothing. Today for lunch they took us to this Japanese restaurant and it was SOOOO good! I am definitely going to like (most) of this food! :) I really struggle with Chop sticks too. A lot of the Nihongin were laughing at me. But, they did say that by the end of the meal I had gotten so much better and that I learn fast. :) hmm, lets see, oh yeah, in my area right now there isn't an apartment! So the deal is for now that we are going to be living in the adjacent area and we will just commute to our area and work straight until it is time to come home. President and Sister Daniels really are amazing and I love them so much already, so you really have nothing to worry about mom, they will take care of me. :) Everything really is just going over my head honestly. From the sound of things it sounds like the Sapporo assignment won't be permanent and that the Sendai elders will be going back, but I am not sure obviously. Whatever the Lord wants, I am just geared to go!! President Daniels has a really awesome study program working here so I can't wait to dive into that. The Japanese is super crazy and I am POSITIVE that it will be a couple months full of headaches, but I can't wait! Well, I guess for now I will wrap it up. We have 30 minutes till dinner so I am going to go outside and do the Dendo(proselyte)!!!! I am super excited and I can't wait to talk to you in a few weeks. Tell Marissa to not worry, Now, she is the most beautiful girl I know on TWO continents! :oD I love you all and know that you are in all of my prayers and thoughts! Till next Monday!!

Love Your son, friend, and Z-Train,

Elder Zachary Taylor Page

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Elder Matthew Page sweating it out in AZ

While Elder Zachary Page will be freezing in Japan, Elder Matthew Page is sweating it out in Arizona! It is starting to get very warm there already. Matthew is dreading the summer heat! ( Remembering last year) He is working himself to death. They are finding new investigators, finally a little harvesting :) He is doing great! Would love to hear from everyone, and he loves pictures! Remember his mission home address has changed. Go to the blog on the right side it is updated.

Elder Zachary Page finally found a place to serve...:)

Wednesday evening we heard from Elder Page. He was calling to let us know that he has been giving a new assignment to Sapporo Japan. He is so excited to be able to go to Japan and serve the Lord's children. They call themselves the FROZEN CHOSEN. He will be leaving on April 18th so we will get to hear from him again...can't wait! As far as I know his mission home address is : Elder Zachary Page Japan Sapporo Mission Kita 2 jo Nishi 24 Chome 1-25, Chuo-Ku Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido 064-0822 Japan If for some reason this changes I will let you know

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Still all dressed up with no place to go :)

I'm going here there or somewhere in between :)
Hey Everybody,

So here is the two big items of news..................I still don't know where I am going!!!!!!!

Item Number two............My MTC departure has been delayed till April the 18th! :) hahahaha I don't really even know what to say except that maybe I should have expected it! haha :) The brethren need another week to asses the situation and figure out what to do with us so they delayed us while they try to figure out.

So Mom, this is not my last p-day and I will get to email you from here again! Also, MJ, and JDog, in my letters i obviously thought I was leaving so you guys should definitely write me again next week so that way I get another letter! :) Thanks! It is crazy, Every single Japanese Elder is delayed till then!

I am excited for the tape, mine is almost done and I will get that out to you asap! So awesome that Derek is coming out there and that he saw Marissa! She is doing great in her letters and I know that she loves to talk to you guys so that is a good idea.

Conference was sooooo amazing!!! I think that it comes to you totally differently as a missionary to be honest. I can't even pick one favorite! I really really loved Elder Oaks talk where he talked about "Overriding Desires" though. The most simple concept ever, but if we could all correctly apply that, we would never sin! I also really really liked Elder Nelson's talk, but they were all so good!! That is so so crazy that next conference Matt will be home and I will have already been gone 9 months!!! Man, time is just flying by!!

I had a pretty quick week as usual. The mission and the work blurr together like you wouldn't believe. Last wednesday I got to host new missionaries and that was pretty cool. It was pretty weird being on the other end of standing on that curb. There were a lot of sad goodbyes and that was a weird flashback moment. I honestly don't even remember much that happend this week! When you have been sitting in the same classroom studying for almost 3 months you just don't even know what goes on sometimes. The district has grown really close in our time here and I think some of us are even a little relieved at an extra week so that we can prolonge the goodbyes. Elder Tukukino and I have grown partucularly close. He is from Australia and I think I have him convinced to come to BYU after the mission and live with me that first Winter semester back...hopefully that first semester is all the time I will need a roommate. ;o) hahaha

Alright, for this weeks challenge I have a couple things again, but i know that all who do these challenges will be blessed. I know that they really are given by the spirit. I don't know if any of you noticed, but I am pretty sure most if not ALL of my challenges were addressed in some way at conference. Some very specifically and others subjectively. It was a great blessing to me to see that these challenges are inspired and that they have purpose and meaning if you take the little amount of time to do them. This week I felt prompted to issue a challenge concerning the Holy Ghost. Study in Preach my Gospel on Page 18, and the first half of 19 about Learning by the Spirit, and Living what you learn. After you have studied that, read the very short tidbit on Page 104 called "Witness of Christ." After that, flip to page 101 and read the big quote by Elder Dallin H. Oaks on that page. I am not going to spoon feed you on this one this week. :) I want you all to study those three things and ponder how they relate and what we learn about the Book of Mormon and Feeling the Holy Ghost constantly in our lives. I know that as you do this this week you will better understand the Spirit of God and how it can work through all of us. You will be blessed to know how you can better invite and maintain that spirit in your lives. Also, the new mormon message this week is amazing and all should watch that and share it with others. I know with all of my soul that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ leads this church, his church on the earth today. We Do have a prophet of God to lead us. What an amazing blessing that is to us in our lives to hear his word and follow his guidance. It is the only sure way that we can know we are living exactly the way that God wants us to live. I know that as we follow Thomas S Monson and hearken to his council, we will NEVER go astray from the narrow path that God has set for us. I know that as we follow that path faithfully, we will return to our father above, with our families, forever and ever. I love you all so so much. You are the greatest and most important blessings to me in my life. Do what is necessary to keep yourselves clean and pure, so that one day we can all return TOGETHER to our Father above.

Have a wonderful week and I hope to hear from you all. I will let you know where I am going as soon as I can find out myself, but for now, expect my email from the MTC next week!

Love always, Elder Zachary Taylor Page

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