December 2002

Dear Family,Mer, would you please e-mail this to just the immediate family members this time? I am including some information on phoning, time schedules, etc. It was enjoyable to talk to you and E. on the phone, today. Its sounds like everyone had a great Christmas.Sun. Dec. 22, 2002We have had an enjoyable day. We attended our Sunday meetings in the chapel here in the mission complex. It is a comparatively large ward, about 77 members. We were interested in the make-up of the members. There were two families where the fathers were American (returned missionaries to Japan) and the mothers were Japanese. Two members (Japanese) from Brazil. Several missionaries serving in the Hiroshima area and the rest were local members. In the High Priest group there were ten present. It is remarkable how the Church has grown since I was here before (barely a Branch with one or two Priesthood members at the most and the missionaries serving as Branch Pres. and taking care of most of the Church services).There is another ward in the western part of town. They have constructed a new church building on the property where I lived before. They tore down our building (it was a regular Japanese home that had been converted into Elder’s quarters and where we held church); then constructed a new church. I am anxious to se that building. (Property is so expensive and hard to get here in Japan, this same thing has happened in many of the missions in Japan). We are anxious to see if there are any members still living or who have remained active from when I was here.Our Mission Pres. says the Church is encouraging college age Japanese members to attend school at BYU or BYU Hawaii, so they can be around other Church members and see how the Church really functions. This also helps them break away from traditional family practices that are contrary to good Church activity.I find that my language skills are really lacking. I can carry on a simple conversation but I had trouble understanding the talks and lessons that were given in Church today. Everyone tells me that will gradually improve as I go along. (I hope they are right.) Shirley is doing well with the language she learned at the MTC. Getting used to the way the Japanese speak the language is different, but as we get used to the way they speak it, I’m sure it will become easier.Right now there are six Elders that work in the Mission Office. One Elder is training me and one is training Shirley. Two of the Elders are native Japanese Elders who speak very little English; and two Elders are serving as assistants to the President. Pres. Banks said that right now all the missionaries in the Mission (137 or them) seem to be doing very well. We have been impressed with what we have seen. We met some of them at the Provo MTC and they arrived here before we did

Wed. Dec. 18, 2002Dear Family,Well we’re here in Japan! We arrived about 9:30 PM last night. We are so excited to be here.Boy, what a day yesterday (Monday) turned out to be. We were up at 5:00 AM getting the last of our things stuffed into our suitcases. The MTC missionary was on the job at 6:30 to take us to the airport. We got all checked in and on our way to San Francisco at about 10:00 AM (about 1:00 hour late) and made it to San Franscico in time to get on our connecting flight at 12:00 PM. We were on a big 747 plane that was completely loaded. We didn’t have to have any of our luggage inspected and got to Osaka without a hitch, after crossing the international date line and arriving in Osaka at 6:30 PM on Tues.At Osaka after clearing customs and just getting started to see about getting tickets on the Shinkansen to Kyoto, up walked Pres. Banks. He had come clear to Osaka to meet us and make sure we made all our connections to Hiroshima. What a special effort that was on his part. By the time we got to Hiroshima we were very well acquainted with him. When we pulled up to the station in Hiroshima we looked out the window and there stood Sis. Banks and two Elders holding a huge sign to welcome us. We really felt special by the time we got to the our apartment where there was a little Christmas Tree all decorated on our table, flowers, the door to our apartment all decorated, and a plate full of delicious goodies to eat. A far cry from the welcoming I got on my first mission. (Senior couples really have it made!)Today we have been getting all our stuff moved in and put away. The mission home and office is really nice. We really like our apartment. It is compact in size and very convenient -nice modern bathroom, well equipped kitchen, washer and dryer. Much like Afton and Howard’s apartment in Hong Kong except a little smaller, I think.This morning Sis. Banks took us around the area to show us where all the shopping places are and helped us get a few things we need. Tomorrow we start in on our assignments at 8:30 AM. Shirley will be the mission secretary and I will be the mission financial secretary. Pres. and Sis. Banks left this afternoon for zone conferences until Saturday. We are really excited about our mission.When Pres. Banks gets back next week, he is going to help us get lined up on an e-mail connection. In the meantime I will send this to Marie on Pres. Banks’ e-mail and have her forward it to you. Have a wonderful Christmas. Right now you can write to us on Pres. Banks’ e-mail. His address is bradbbanks @ aol.com.Love, Gary & ShirleyDec. 29, 2002
Dear Family and Friends,
Sunday
Yesterday, Shirley and I did our Sat. work and then got on a street car at the Hiroshima Station and went into town to look around. The shopping areas of Hiroshima are huge and we strolled around from street to street and shop to shop. Saturday is our P-day and about the first time we have had to look around. We are having trouble getting an ATM machine to take our credit cards. So far we haven’t found one but I am having the bank look into the problem. If they don’t work on our cards we will have to go to plan B. (I’m not sure what that is.)
We took our little Christmas Tree out and we seem to be getting more and more straightened around. While we were shopping today, we bought some pie tins and a rolling pin and are ready to make pies. We made a couple of apple pies and considering the oven (I finally figured out how to turn it on) and everything being so different, the pies turned out pretty well. We have allot of interesting goodies sitting around the house. Some we brought and others were given to us by the different missionaries at the zone conference on Christmas. Some things looked so bad that Shirley gave them to the Elders here and they really went down on them. Shirley is a really a good sport and samples each of the goodies (at least once).
Today we went to our Church meetings. One of the Elder’s translates for us during Sacrament meeting. We have a new missionary and one or two other people here from Brazil and one of the missionaries speaks Portuguese and he translates for them. We are getting acquainted with quite a few of the Ward members. I am looking forward to attending Sunday Meetings in the other Takasu Ward (where I was when I was here before). I may find someone I know.
Dear Family,
Mer, would you please e-mail this to just the immediate family members this time? I am including some information on phoning, time schedules, etc. It was enjoyable to talk to you and E. on the phone, today. Its sounds like everyone had a great Christmas.
Sun. Dec. 22, 2002
We have had an enjoyable day. We attended our Sunday meetings in the chapel here in the mission complex. It is a comparatively large ward, about 77 members. We were interested in the make-up of the members. There were two families where the fathers were American (returned missionaries to Japan) and the mothers were Japanese. Two members (Japanese) from Brazil. Several missionaries serving in the Hiroshima area and the rest were local members. In the High Priest group there were ten present. It is remarkable how the Church has grown since I was here before (barely a Branch with one or two Priesthood members at the most and the missionaries serving as Branch Pres. and taking care of most of the Church services).
There is another ward in the western part of town. They have constructed a new church building on the property where I lived before. They tore down our building (it was a regular Japanese home that had been converted into Elder’s quarters and where we held church); then constructed a new church. I am anxious to se that building. (Property is so expensive and hard to get here in Japan, this same thing has happened in many of the missions in Japan). We are anxious to see if there are any members still living or who have remained active from when I was here.
Our Mission Pres. says the Church is encouraging college age Japanese members to attend school at BYU or BYU Hawaii, so they can be around other Church members and see how the Church really functions. This also helps them break away from traditional family practices that are contrary to good Church activity.
I find that my language skills are really lacking. I can carry on a simple conversation but I had trouble understanding the talks and lessons that were given in Church today. Everyone tells me that will gradually improve as I go along. (I hope they are right.) Shirley is doing well with the language she learned at the MTC. Getting used to the way the Japanese speak the language is different, but as we get used to the way they speak it, I’m sure it will become easier.
Right now there are six Elders that work in the Mission Office. One Elder is training me and one is training Shirley. Two of the Elders are native Japanese Elders who speak very little English; and two Elders are serving as assistants to the President. Pres. Banks said that right now all the missionaries in the Mission (137 or them) seem to be doing very well. We have been impressed with what we have seen. We met some of them at the Provo MTC and they arrived here before we did.
Mon. Dec 23
It has been a beautiful, warm, sunshiny day here, today. A mountain of mail is being delivered here everyday which has kept Mom really busy (forwarding the missionary’s mail out to them in the mission). You can tell its getting close to Christmas.
The ward had their Christmas party this evening. They asked Mom and I to tell some of the Christmas traditions our family has. We did it in English with one of the office Elder’s (Elder Robertson) translate for us. It was a fun party and we enjoyed watching the little Japanese kids. They had little packages of goodies for each.
Sis. Banks said the e-mail we sent to Mer last week, evidently didn’t go through. I’m afraid she stills hasn’t got her computer’s e-mail up yet. Any way we re-sent it to Sherry and eventually we hope you will get it so that you will know we are here.
Tues. Dec. 24
Today we were happy to receive e-mail from Marie and also from Matt & Jen, so I guess our first one went through. They are still trying to get our e-mail connected up. Until then we will continue to impose on the Banks’.
Tonight, all the hombu (mission home) missionaries were invited over to Bro. & Sis. Tanaka’s home for dinner and Christmas caroling around their neighborhood. We had an enjoyable time. The caroling was fun and seemed to be well accepted by those non-LDS neighbors.
Dec. 25, Christmas Day
Today they had a zone conference here in the Hiroshima District. We attended most of the conference along with getting today’s Christmas Mail delivered to all the Missionaries that were here. We were introduced and gave a little of our background and family info. There were about 40 Missionaries in attendance. Everyone seemed interested to know that I served as a missionary right here in Hiroshima 48 years ago. After our introduction, all the missionaries came through the line to meet us (much like a wedding reception) and gave us a little gift of some kind. We were really loaded up! Our Mission Pres. and his wife both gave excellent talks on the atonement (Christ’s gift to us). This afternoon we went to see about getting lined up on my medicine and got back in time for the missionary testimony meeting.
Tonight we met with all those who are attending English study class, which I think we will be teaching. English study seems to be a way of proselytizing (as it was when I was here before). We surely hope you had a good Christmas and I’m sure we had one we won’t forget for a long time.
Dec. 26,
Today we had a mountain of Christmas letters and packages to forward to the missionaries. Today was P-day for our missionaries so everyone was anxious to get on the phone and talk to their families. Pres. Bank made a rule that a limit for a call home was 30 minutes.
Sherry, there are one or two things that I wish you would check on for us. I have charged some things on my Capitol One credit card. Would you please watch for those bills and pay them off when they come?
Also they tell us here that the most economical way to phone is to have the call originate in the US and use a phone card. The best deal on a phone card is one purchased at Costco. Would you please purchase a $20. or $25. card for each family (including one for Mike and Vanessa)? Then you can call us instead of us calling you.
Here are our phone numbers:


Wed. Dec. 18, 2002
Dear Family,
Well we’re here in Japan! We arrived about 9:30 PM last night. We are so excited to be here.
Boy, what a day yesterday (Monday) turned out to be. We were up at 5:00 AM getting the last of our things stuffed into our suitcases. The MTC missionary was on the job at 6:30 to take us to the airport. We got all checked in and on our way to San Francisco at about 10:00 AM (about 1:00 hour late) and made it to San Franscico in time to get on our connecting flight at 12:00 PM. We were on a big 747 plane that was completely loaded. We didn’t have to have any of our luggage inspected and got to Osaka without a hitch, after crossing the international date line and arriving in Osaka at 6:30 PM on Tues.
At Osaka after clearing customs and just getting started to see about getting tickets on the Shinkansen to Kyoto, up walked Pres. Banks. He had come clear to Osaka to meet us and make sure we made all our connections to Hiroshima. What a special effort that was on his part. By the time we got to Hiroshima we were very well acquainted with him. When we pulled up to the station in Hiroshima we looked out the window and there stood Sis. Banks and two Elders holding a huge sign to welcome us. We really felt special by the time we got to the our apartment where there was a little Christmas Tree all decorated on our table, flowers, the door to our apartment all decorated, and a plate full of delicious goodies to eat. A far cry from the welcoming I got on my first mission. (Senior couples really have it made!)
Today we have been getting all our stuff moved in and put away. The mission home and office is really nice. We really like our apartment. It is compact in size and very convenient -nice modern bathroom, well equipped kitchen, washer and dryer. Much like Afton and Howard’s apartment in Hong Kong except a little smaller, I think.
This morning Sis. Banks took us around the area to show us where all the shopping places are and helped us get a few things we need. Tomorrow we start in on our assignments at 8:30 AM. Shirley will be the mission secretary and I will be the mission financial secretary. Pres. and Sis. Banks left this afternoon for zone conferences until Saturday. We are really excited about our mission.
When Pres. Banks gets back next week, he is going to help us get lined up on an e-mail connection. In the meantime I will send this to Marie on Pres. Banks’ e-mail and have her forward it to you. Have a wonderful Christmas. Right now you can write to us on Pres. Banks’ e-mail. His address is bradbbanks @ aol.com.
Love, Gary & Shirley


Sunday Dec. 1, 2002
Konichi wa....(hello)
It is time to write again. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day and a good week. We were able to get away in the afternoon. Marie and Chris invited us and Elaine to eat Thanksgiving dinner with them with Chris’ family in Springville. We had a wonderful meal and a good time.
Thurs. morning all the missionaries assembled to see “The Other Side of Heaven”. Afterwards Elder and Sis. Groberg talked to us about his experiences in Tonga and then answered many questions that some of the missionaries asked. It was really interesting, faith promoting, and inspiring. Elder Groberg indicated that he was my age (68) and I figuered out that we were at the ‘Y’ at the same time and on our missions at the same time. My mission was certainly nothing like his.
That evening we attended a fireside with all the missionaries. It was a testimony meeting with special musical numbers in between. Some of the missionaries told about their conversions and the sacrifices they have made to be members of the Church and to be going into the missionfield at this time. Very enjoyable.
Our departure date has been moved to Mon. Dec. 16. We hope we will be ready by then. Friday we had a substitute teacher for one of our language study sessions. He had a unique way of teaching Japanese. He had made up some little songs with certain grammar rules. Shirley was having trouble using the ending for some of the verbs, so he taught her a ‘rap’ song that goes like this: “i, kunai, katta, kunakatta desu”. He also taught us a song to the tune of “My Favorite Things” that teaches how to use the particles in Japanese. Now I hear her singing these songs all the time (they really seem to work).
They have had to depend on me to accompany the singing in Priesthood Meeting. Pres. Rowe was complimenting me on sticking to the piano when I was young. He said that he had started but fizzeled out and then others commented that they had too. I said, “But you didn’t have a mother like I had!” We finally got to see Tony Wilson. He seems to be doing well with the language for having been here two weeks.
Our family is coming up here today for a pre-Christmas get together at Marie’s. It will be exciting to see everyone.
We appreciated e-mails from Ann, Mike, and a letter from the Dutsons. Afton, thanks for all the details about your house, your candle fire, and your trip to Branson. It is a blessing that your living room roof didn’t come down. That just goes to show you are living right! Even though it was a big mess, it was good you were able to have Thanksgiving there and I’ll bet it turned out nice. So good you decided to go ahead with the remodel when you did. I was surprised to hear that the Church is tearing down that beautiful building where you worked in Hong Kong. We were so impressed with your facilities there. However, the Church has to keep up with expansion and I’m sure the new building will be really nice also. We really appreciate Marie and Chris keeping the e-mails going and all of the family doing special things to help us get on our way.The MTC here is a really inspirational place. We will certainly remember our stay here. We notice that this is the second or third marriage for many of the couples here. There are also some single sisters here. Evidently they don’t allow single men to serve missions. Its also interesting that every couple who are learning a language said they stated on their application that they did not want to learn a new language. Does that tell us something?
Christmas is on its way. It sounds like a big job that we will miss out on, but it is a good family time. We hope you are all doing well.
Sayonara, Ropa Choro & Ropa Shimai