I'm excited to go back to real life

11/23/09 Email Message

Dear Mom,
Thanks for the pictures. I love Merritt! Isnt it funny how much a part of our family she has become. We all love her so much...Shes a good dog.

The Christmas Child project sounds like it was great. Those are the kind of things that make me love christmas so much. So many miracles happen during the Christmas season. Its like for about a month and a half everyone grows a little closer to the Savior and the world reaps the benefits. I just wish that spirit could last all year.

Was the project done at the church or was it a community project? Im glad you and kendall had such a great time. I hope you have many more experiences like that this season.

About the shoes - tie on comfortable shoes are much more practical than loafers - imagine dendoing in the snow with loafers and tassles. Haha I think regular shoes will be just fine. Preferably black. Im good on slippers, all i want is sweats for pjs, and instead of candy how does chips and salsa sound? Have I ever told you about flyingpig.com? Its a website for Costco in Japan. You can order stuff from CostCo online and then they send it straight to me. Thats how most of the elders in the mission get american products from their parents. apparently its pretty cheap. maybe youd like to check it out.

And ps I have good news. Transfer day is tomorrow and kaicho [mission president] has decided to let me be a real missionary for the last part of my mission. Im transferring up north to a place called hachinohe with a young missionary. Im excited! Ive really enjoyed my time here in the honbu [mission home] and all the experiences Ive had as assistant. But Im excited to go back to real life and just focus on dendo [proselyting] for my last 6 months.

I hope everyone has a happy thanksgiving! Ill be thinking of you a lot during this season. Also we'll be on the phone in just a few weeks. tanoshiminishiteimasu [looking forward to it]! talk to you later!

Much Love,
Elder Brendan Kingsford

But now its my treasure

11/15/09 Email Message

Hello Everyone!

Sorry Im so late - even though its Sunday this is the first time weve been able to email. But thanks so much for all your emails, it was fun to login and see all of those waiting. Ever since I came to the honbu my mail has pretty much died. So it was nice to get so many at the same time. I love you all!

Yesterday we had Someya sans baptism and it was amazing. He bore his testimony during the meeting and it was so good. I just wanted to share a short quote from what he said. At one point he was talking about how he gained a testimony in the Book of Mormon when he said (in english even though he was talking to a room full of Japanese people) "When I first began reading the Book of Mormon it was for leisure. Then it become my pleasure. But now its my treasure." His faith is incredible. Its been such a treat to teach him and be able to see his growth and progression. Even though he just got confirmed today he seemed like a veteran church member. He was picking up hymnbooks, preparing the room for class, talking with all of the members, and participating in the lessons. It was a great day!

Dad, Ill look around for your honten [winter house coat]. I would guess it would be somewhere around 20-30 dollars - but that might be totally wrong so Ill go look first. Also about the sweats - all of the sweats Ive seen here are kind of a weird style. And I cant imagine anything tailor made in Japan to be even close to affordable these days...Ill keep looking but If you cant send some from home maybe I can just find something else that will work here.

Well I gotta run. Love you and Ill talk to you soon! Bye Bye

Much Love,

Elder Brendan Kingsford

These members are amazing

11/3/09 Email Message

Family!,

Wow an email from the new computer - how exciting! Did you lose anything when the old one crashed? I hope not - it had so many pictures and songs it would be sad if we lost all of those. But I hope you have fun with this new one. By the way Dad said something about Windows 7 coming with it - is that the new operating system? Ive never heard of that. Whats it like?

Halloween looks like it was a blast! The pictures were great - everyone looks like they had soo much fun! Where did all the kids come from? I think thats so cool that Kendall had a bunch of school friends come and have a clean fun time. By the way Kendall I got your letters! thanks so much. And I have a question - does that girl you wrote about come to church with you? Do you invite your other friends? Since Ive been on my mission Ive realized how easy it would have been to just invite my friends to church stuff - I never really took advantage of that and I regret it a lot. I think thats so cool that Aly invited her friend and helped her all the way through her conversion - that would be such a great experience for you and your friends to have. Have any of your friends ever met with the missionaries or have you ever talked to the missionaries about your friends? If not you should pull them aside this week at church and tell them you want help with your friends. They can help :-)

But anyways the party looks like it was amazing. I hope you all had fun! Im glad even merritt and rocky got in on the action.

So sad news - our party got cancelled. It was planned for the 29th but thats when Sister allred and Sister Dibb came in and had their big conference so it was a no go for the halloween. But i still got to pass out the candy to all the kids so that was fun at least. But we did have a big ward activity a couple days ago. Its called an imonikai - basically a big potato soup festival. We played softball in the morning (our team squeaked by 19 - 18 in extra innings) then we all walked over to the ward garden and picked cabbage, daikon (japanese radish) potatoes and peppers, then we all sat down and ate an awesome lunch of soup, homemade bread, and smoked meat and cheese prepared by the relief society. It was so fun and so Japanese.

These members are amazing. It was so fun to play with them but also to work next to them in the field and see how hard working and down to earth all of them are. It was a great experience. Ive attached some pictures from the day - notice no matter how Japanese I may feel Im still representin my true colors ;-)

Life is good - although it has gotten cold. It snowed a couple days ago for the first time and Im now back to sleeping with three blankets at night. It will be a happy day when Japan discovers double paned windows and insulation - but until then my big three blankets will have to do. Ill be fine until I have to add the fourth layer - then we are in trouble ;-)

I love you! Im glad you are all having so much fun together. Thanks for sending me all those pictures - and dont be afraid to send more! Talk to you soon!

Much Love,

Elder Brendan Kingsford

Garden Photos

10/28/09 Email Message

Dad,

Happy Early Birthday Dad! I wrote you a letter and packed you a package but I have not had the time to run to the post office and send it off yet. But just know its on its way. Also know that I love you!

The other day I was thinking about all the times you took us trick or treating on your birthday. Im sure there were probably other things you would prefer to do on your birthday than walk around the neighborhood and watch us knock on doors all night. But you still went. I remember once when I was really little you had some kind of meeting to go to (work?) so you couldnt take us out late, but you came home from work and took us out for an hour or so just so we could still go trick or treating. You probably could have just told us you were too busy and we just wouldnt have gone that year. But of course you didnt. Even though you only had a little time that day to yourself you spent it on us so that we could have fun and be happy. And that may seem like something just really small but it meant a lot to my little 7 year old self. And it just represents the kind of Dad I have. You always put our dreams and wishes before your own. And you are always there when we need you. Thanks so much for being a great Dad.

I hope you have a Happy Birthday. I hear Kendall is having a big party this year - and Im guessing you are clean up crew. Well I guess some things never change. Haha just dont let them eat ALL the trash dip. I love you!

Elder Brendan Kingsford