13 PaGeS LoNg

WhErE tHe PaGeS oF tHiS bOoK nEvEr EnD



Monday, February 27, 2012

Congratulations Garrison!

Congratulations Garrison on winning your 3rd State 3-A Wrestling title. Glad that we could be there to support you and cheer you on! Now on to Northwestern!!!!

Recognize the bigger picture...

Hello Everybody!! It is so awesome to hear about Elder Ward's call! Elder Ward, that sounds way cool. :o) Congratulations Zach!! Sounds like typical Garrison taking down that guy in 44 seconds at the state tournament. So much for being able to fend off guys from your little sister right? ;o) That is exciting that you guys had stake conference. I dont know if I mentioned it to you guys before, but last week we had a conference as well, but I will tell you about that in just a minute. I got my valentines package mom, thanks very much. The little Nerf guns have been a hit and made us laugh more than once. Thank you so much. So crazy to hear all about people every week becoming Elders and going on missions and things! Life is just a going along huh?!?! You mentioned Elder Newton, I actually know Elder Newton very well. He was in the group right before me in the MTC and is a missionary in Sapporo. I got to see him all the time when I was up there. Pretty small world huh? Thanks always for the emails Mom, they are always a good smile at the end of a week. I had a pretty busy week. I went up to Sendai for the first time in about 4 1/2 months. We had a mission conference this past week because Elder Dallin H Oaks, and Elder Hollstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy came to the mission. That is what all the pictures are, they were pictures from the conference. I was chatting with Elder Oaks for about 4 minutes. :o) Pretty cool huh? :oD While we were up there, I was in my old area, Kamisugi and so a couple of the members heard I was going to be coming and surprised me at the church right after the conference was over. Sister Sato, she made me homemade bread and she was so happy to see me she started crying. It was a happy experience that just made my desire to come back to Japan after the mission even stronger. It was really weird to be back in my old area because it just made the mission feel like it is going even faster. I am now quite significantly over a year and I can feel it go faster and faster every day. I wish things would happen with nicer pace, but things just dont slow down for me at all!! It is a long story but something else that is cool that happened this week was that I got to go and meet with some Japanese Government representatives and discuss the religious freedom of a member that isnt able to come to church because of his work. That was pretty cool. Elder Sanders just said that I looked way cool because I was so authoritative but still polite to the people. hahaha The mission for sure brings you some crazy experiences! I am going to get to go back to the island, Sado, again in a couple weeks to keep helping that Less Active so that is exciting. There is just a little longer left in this transfer and then it is probably time for me and Elder Sanders to be separated, so it will be interesting to see what will happen to us. Something else that happened recently is an Elder that I am really close to that was writing a girl got dear johned. The girl he was writing was super diligent at writing him and he only has 3 months left on his mission and she just dropped him. Pretty rough huh? That is a pretty interesting thing to see up close. Kind of humbling and just makes me want to strengthen my foundation on the mission and the work so that no matter what happens as far as anything is concerned, when there are hard times, I will work hard and give me all. I learned so much from the conference with Elder Oaks. I want to just share a little with you to wrap up this email. He spoke without any paper or notes and so it was super interesting. He spoke a lot about how it is one year after the earthquake. There was a lot spoken about how we should look back with respect, but to look forward with faith. Our purpose is to show people the road, and it isn't just a road to cheer people up, it is a road to lead people back to God. It is a road of Everlasting and certain security in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord has a certain pattern that he provides for us that turns disaster and terrible things into something that will bring about his sacred purposes. I know that to be the case. I have seen that principle demonstrated on a huge scale, like the earthquake that shook this country, and I have seen it on the smallest individual scale inside my own heart. We will all go through times in our lives, whether it is united with the pain of millions of others like a natural disaster, or whether it is the pain within the individual heart that is so personal and private that other people couldn't even tell. Death, loss, loneliness, lack of growth or success, feeling of no worth, or failure, we all experience these things in our life. The miracle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that these things will make the difference in the bigger picture of life. Keep going. Recognize the bigger picture. Remember who we are and our utmost significance. Just smile. If we do so, we will see the miracles and the works of God come into our lives in big and small ways. I know this gospel is true. When we understand what it is all about, it will change everything about everyday of our lives. I love you all so much. I miss you Mom. Time is going so fast and I will be with you before you know it! Thanks for all your support and love.
Page Choro attended a conference with Elder Oaks,
Keep being the greatest family and friends ever!!! Love Elder Page

Monday, February 20, 2012

I am just super happy!

Page Choro, teaching English. He has done this every week his whole mission. I think it is funny they are teaching today through music, Help! From the Beatles :) Hello Everybody!!!! Thanks for the email Mom! This week was super exciting and a lot of things to smile about! I am super happy to hear about Abby getting into BYU!! It will be super weird to go back to school and have my brother and sister there! I am super excited! I am so anxious to hear about Zach's mission call!! It was killing me all week and I had a dream one night he came to Japan! Prom is super exciting! It is still crazy to think about how I used to go to those dances. Mom, it is crazy to me. My life has just moved on and changed so much. I mean, I am in Japan right now! It is a very humbling thought that fills me with gratitude for the many blessings in my life that I have had. That is really crazy that they wont let you go though. I dont like that. I havent gotten the Valentines Package from you yet, but I am sure it will be here this week. I have only gotten 2 letters in the last two week which has been the driest spell of my mission. Just one from you and one from Sister Mitchell. Thanks you two!! I love getting your letters. Tell sister Mitchell that I loved her letter and going to do all I can to be the kind of missionary that she described in her letter. Having less than a year left on my mission has not been a good feeling for me. I let it stress me out a little this week and it tired me out. I have been quite exhauseted, but today I had a great experience in personal study and I feel better, but I am worried that this is going to be the fasted 11 months ever. We already have transfers again in 2 and a half weeks. Last week we had another blizzard!! That is about enough said about that. We had interviews with President this past week which went well. He had some strong challenges for me that he wanted me to improve on and to help those working with me. He is a great man. I am so lucky to have come to this mission to work with him. I also got to talk to Sister Rasmussen a lot which of course was a pleasure. Mom, no worries, she is 100% my substitute Mom until I get you back. She is the bomb. :o) Other than that the past days have just cruised by just like the past 13 months have. I heard about Dad's hip surgery and that is super exciting and kind of a thing to be anxious about. I will be sure to pray for him with that coming up. I know that I have said something about it so many times in recent weeks, but it is something that I feel so strongly about. I want to say one more time that I have a testimony that God knows his flock and he cares about his sheep individually. I have known that in many different ways recently, but I knew it this week because that one sheep was me. I really was having a stressful time and worrying about a lot of things, but I felt my Savior's love as I felt him come after my wavering heart and bring it back into his shelter. I know that the shelter of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is adequate to protect from any storm. In a personal storm, and in the storms of others around me, I have seen the Savior of the World Jesus Christ calm the waves and raise his voice to say, "Peace, be still." I am so grateful for that. Please keep me in your prayers always as I do my best to be an instrument to bring others around me unto Christ. I am really trying my best at what i am doing and I am so thankful to you Mom and Dad for showing me how to put my heart into what I do. I feel my Saviors love and it IS a love he will freely give to those who seek it. It is like a pay phone, we can talk as long as we want if we just keep doing our part to put money in. Just keep putting money in our spiritual pay phones by study, prayer, and service and God will never cut the line on us. I love you guys so so much. Love, Elder Zachary Page

Lets start counting up...

Hello Everybody! Sorry for the late email this week! There was no access to the computer on Monday and so we had to push it till a day we could do it. I dont have much time at all though because today isn't P-Day so I will just give you guys the quick heads up. Last week was a crazy week. Super busy and lots of crazy stuff happened. We had the baptism on Sunday which was an awesome experience of course. Ishi will make a great priesthood holder. There was another blizzard last week and we were trucking around in about a meter of snow at least. It was really fun. There was an earthquake last week here too. We were in the middle of a lesson when the alarm went off on our phone and then about 3 seconds later the church started shaking up pretty good for about 15 seconds. It was a pretty scary moment but it didnt get too big so it was alright. It was really just a crazy week with lots going on. I was called on twice to give a priesthood blessing suddenly which, in another language, is always a cool experience. Had a wonderful experience with a member who was baptised about three years ago. We have been working with him alot and he is going to the temple this week to get his endowment. In our last lesson he had teared up eyes as he told me that it was because of me that he was able to get ready to go. I dont know exactly what I did, but it was a very touching and happy experience on the mission. It isn't just about converts I guess, huh. :o) You find much joy in members and other missionaries as well. Marissa looks as beautiful as ever in her pics, thanks so much. We had another crazy day of miracles last week, but the story is too long, so we took a video explaining it all and when I send me next memory card home you can hear the story. It is kind of long so sorry about that when you have to watch it. :o) That is about all I have for this week. Out of time, but I will email next Monday so I will hear from you soon. People keep saying stuff about Romney but they dont ever tell me anything specific! Dont leave me in the dark please. :o) I know I am a nerd. Have a great week everybody!!! I love you and miss you!! AHHH!!! This countdown is going to be brutal. Lets just keep counting up ok? I am on month 13 of the mission...:o) I love you!!! Love, Elder Page

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

VaLeNtiNeS DaY!!!

Happy Valentines Day to all of those in my life whom I love so very dearly!! "Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives." C.S. Lewis

Monday, February 6, 2012

"will this work ever end? No."

Hello everyone!!!! Whew!!! Finally they are engaged! I am super excited and super weired out that it is actually happening, kind of the same way it was with Dallin and Jaclyn. Congraulations!! Sorry I won't be there but not like Matt will notice anyways, we all know how much McKenna pulls his focus when she is in the room. ;oD I hope Matt gets a job at the MTC because then it would be easier for me to get my dream job of working there when I get back! I didnt know that Abby was taking AP Government! That just makes me smile to think of her learning all of that stuff I love. Sounds like things are going to be pretty busy from here on out until the end of the school year. Love hearing about Church ball and to hear that Tory is following in his big brothers footsteps of missing a couple of layups here and there. ;o) Glad you will get to see Marissa when you head out there in April. That puts a smile on my face. :oD Thanks for sending the pics of her to me Mom, she looks like she is just having a ball and I absolutely loved the one of her and that little old Grandma! Funny that Sister Mitchell commented on my gestures because I am pretty sure that I am getting weirder and weirder every day. Over the past couple of weeks I have seriously had some of the biggest struggles communicating in English. You guys are just going to laugh at me so much. I would say that I recovered from the hours of walking in the snow, except that we had a blizzard that lasted about 4 days here this past week. The people here said that it is one of the worst they have had in a long time. There is snow up taller than me in some places and the wind got up to about 60 miles per hour. It was way fun but really cold. We have officially been not able to use the bikes in this weather so we have been on foot, sometimes just trudging for hours in the snow. But, it is all fun stuff and even though it is pretty miserable in the moment, these things will make the greatest memories. Even though we had a ton of snow, it was still a week with a ton of joy and a ton of miracles. We have been working with this woman named Niki and one of the challenges she had was praying the correct way. She felt like if she just thought about something it had the same affect as prayer. Last week we taught her about the Plan of Salvation and testified very boldly to her that what we are saying isn't just a message that has good ideas, it is either true or it is wrong. We told her the way to know that would be to ask God directly and a long story short, she prayed by saying out loud "Heavenly Father...in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." It was a huge, tiny step for her and was a great uplift to us. We had another great experience with an investigator stuggling with a lot of problems in his life and so we talked about Alma 33:23 and promised him that God would help him in his trials and lighten his burdens if he would but seriously show his faith by keeping our commitments with all of his heart. He then promised us that he would get on his knees and pray out loud to God about all of his stresses and problems after we left. Then, finally, I think I mentioned it a couple of weeks about about an investigator who has been an investigator for 3 years or so and he tried to come to church but got lost. Remember? He came yesterday!! It was so awesome and after working so hard with him it was the greatest blessing to see someone show their faith and come to church. There were so many miracles in the work this past week that made it a joy even though the weather was crazy. Also, the sister missionaries investigator, his name is Ishi. I have been able to teach him about 3 times and gotten to know him a lot as he has come to church and learned and he is getting baptised next sunday. When he was asked who he wanted to baptise him, he said that he would like me to do it. I was so happy I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face. It was just a crazy week this past week. How could I even sum it up? I think the sum up of my week came when I was saying my prayer to end my fast yesterday. As I was praying I was thinking about fasting and the meaning and symbolism of it in our lives. I thought back on how I was really hungry that day and there were times where I saw food and wanted to eat it, but how I just held it in and waited. That is pretty significant to our lives I think. How many times do we want something now or desire for something that we need to control ourselves or hold off on? It happens all the time. I guess what I felt as I prayed that night is that I really want to have a bunch of investigators who are just itching to be baptised. I really want to teach a family because I have yet to teach one family on my mission. I really want a lot of things and some things I just may not be able to get, but that is where the lesson is to be learned. I took a lot of power out of that fast, just being patient for that 24 hours, and we can take power in life by controling, waiting, and prioritizing. If we wait and put ourselves on the Lord's time and on the Lord's schedule, great power, great joy, and great growth will ALWAYS follow closely behind. I have felt that this week seeing so many joyful moments. I testify of the truthfullness of this work. It is Gods work on the earth. The prophet John Taylor said that the idea of the death of the prophet Joseph Smith destroying the church was proposterous. He said, "will the work end? No!" almost 200 years later, how that statement rings true as the truth spreads all around the earth. I love you all and know that our Father in Heaven loves you too. Have a great week everybody!! Love always, Elder Page

Sunday, February 5, 2012

This month is such a special one its birthday time for you...

The birthday boys!!! Saturday was Dallin's 23rd birthday. I can not believe how quickly the years have gone by. He is still working away at UNC, he'll be a senior next year!!! Tomorrow is Steve's birthday # 48. (He definately doesn't look it) I hope you know how much I love you both and that I am so happy that you are some of the greatest men in my life. Happy Birthday to you both!

Friday, February 3, 2012

9 Pages Long...

Well it looks like we will be adding another "Page" to our book!!!! Matthew & Mckenna are engaged!!!! We are very happy for them. Mckenna welcome to the Page Family (although we feel like you have been a member for a while now) We love you both soo much and wish you many eternities of happiness :)

Blog Archive