高山 Takayama

Hello from Gifu-ken!

I was really sad to have to leave Ueda. That place felt like my home. I already miss seeing M...zumi-kun all the time. But Takayama is really great.

On Tuesday, Elder T...yama and I went to Nagoya and parted ways. He was difficult to live with, but it was sad to have to leave him. He was always a good friend, and I truly grew to love him. But it was time to go. And so he returned to Ueda with his new companion, and I set forth into a new land. Venturing forth to an new journey, filled with new perils, new monsters, new friends, and new weather patterns.

My new companion's name is Elder W. He is only one transfer behind me, so our time at the MTC overlapped a bit. He was in a different zone though, so I didn't really know him at all. He's from a very small town in northern California. And well, I still haven't found much I have in common with him yet. He's already been in Takayama for 3 months, so he is the area senior, but I have the calling of Senior companion this transfer. But there are two companionships in Takayama, so we share an apartment with two more elders. Elder W was actually in the other companionship last transfer, so we are both new to the investigators. But because one elder here threw out his back really badly about two weeks into the transfer, they weren't able to do much for a month, so we are trying to get things up and running again. And there is definitely some slow acceleration that we are going to have to go through before things return to normal again. Last week we didn't get much done. 

One thing that is really nice about coming here, is that I just finished spending all day, every day with a Japanese person who spoke limited English, so I got really good at Japanese during that time. So that is a great blessing from the Lord, and really helpful since my companion is not very good at speaking Japanese. It's a little strange, because it feels like I'm with a missionary who hasn't been out for very long, but in reality, he's been out for only six weeks less than I have.

Our apartment is really big compared to Ueda's aparment. But I don't have a real desk. Elder W and I use two tables and we sit across from each other.

The other two Elders in Takayama are Elder V and Elder H. Elder V spent a long time in Ueda a few months before I was there, so I felt like I knew him a lot better that I did before now (I had only met him once) just from reading his name on records so much. Elder H was just a Bean-chan in Numazu -- my bean area -- so we have a lot to talk about. Elder V is the district leader, and our district is just our area, but he was Elder W's companion last transfer and so he's already helping a lot.

One thing that I really want to overcome this transfer is my aversion to talking to strangers. I have spent too long, both before my mission and during it up to now, being afraid of talking to people that I don't know. Talking to people that you don't know is hard enough for me already, but then that feeling is compounded by the fact that I'm supposed to talk to people about religion, something that most Japanese people do not want to talk about at all (probably because most of the religions here are crazy cults. Like the Ma-hikari who have their big headquarters temple thing just up the hill from our apartment here), and the fact that I have to do it in Japanese, which is a really hard language. BUT! I've been trying to overcome these feelings for a long time now, and this is the place where it's going to happen. I just have to stop freaking myself out. It's all just a mental game.

With love,

Elder Mueller

A Day of Goodbyes and the Night Before a New Adventure

Last Saturday was the day of transfer calls, and as everyone expected, I am transferring to a place called Takayama, in Gifu-ken. Even though I'm sad to have to leave Ueda after being here for 6 months, I'm really excited to have a new adventure and take the next step on my mission. 

My new companion's name is Elder W. Our MTC times overlapped a bit, so I've seen him before, but he was in a different Zone, so I didn't know him that well.

Takayama is notorious for getting lots of snow. One of my companions was there last winter and he said it was so bad that they couldn't use their bikes for a really long time. So when some of the Ueda investigators heard I was transferring there they brought me nice gloves and a scarf, and M...ami-chan brought a scarf, so I should stay plenty warm.

We also had the music night in Ina last Saturday. It was really nice, and quite a few people showed up, mostly non-members and investigators. There was no sheet music, so I had to improvise everything, but it went much better than I expected it to!

I had to say lots of goodbyes yesterday. I always knew that I really loved the members and investigators here, but I didn't really realize how much they loved me until yesterday. 

But the thing I like less about transfers than goodbyes is the fact that you have to pack everything up and move. It is extremely annoying to have to shove everything in two bags and send it off, and then pack up a bike and haul that all the way to Nagoya. Transfers are really the only time I wonder if I should have made a different bike purchase. My bike is really heavy!

Well, next time I e-mail you, I'll once again be in a new place. I'll talk to you then,

-Elder Mueller

General Conference

Hello, everyone.

This last weekend, all the members and all the missionaries in Nagano prefecture gathered in the Matsumoto branch building and watched General Conference. It was wonderful to be lifted and inspired by the words of the servants of God that we are so lucky to have guiding us by the inspiration of the Lord. I also thought it very interesting that all of the speakers now have the option of speaking in their own native language. Especially since now I am in a country where English is not the native language, so I have seen a lot of the difficulties of having to give talks in a language that is not your own!

Another really cool thing that happened just yesterday is that Elder T...yama and I met with a girl who just came up and started talking to me while I was on an companion exchange a couple weeks ago. She saw that we were foreigners and wanted to speak English. It turns out that she really likes philosophy, and has studied a bit about Christianity. And she is in an orchestra here and plays the violin. Crazy, right?! She's not an investigator yet, but she has a lot of potential. We talked for a while about philosophy and God and fate and things like that, and she seems to be really open-minded. I think she will be really sensitive to the Spirit.

The other way cool thing that's happening, is that we are going to a music night in Ina city on Saturday. Elder B....ers is putting on this way cool thing about the Book of Mormon and I get to play the piano for it! I'm really excited. 

This Saturday is also the day of transfer calls. So I'm just a bit nervous about what is going to happen next transfer. But I'm not all that worried. I know the Lord will have me go wherever I am needed.

With love,
Elder Mueller

A couple of Things

A messages from Alex's mom: This is a very short message from Alex, but I thought I would let you all know that Elder Mueller's grandfather passed away on Sunday. Although Alex is secure in his knowledge that his grandpa is now free and happy, I'm sure he could use your prayers this week as he is far away from home. :)

This is a really good talk that I heard

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1972/10/what-is-a-friend?lang=eng&query=Marvin+J+Ashton+Friend

Enjoy!

This is a picture of some people in my district. I think it looks like an album cover. 

Left to right: Elder B..well, District Leader; Elder M..ara, a Japanese Bean missionary; Me; Sister M.

I Have a New Favorite Apostle

Or rather I would have a new favorite if we were allowed to chose favorites. 

Since you sent me that flashdrive with music and conference talks, I have been filling it up with more and more talks. Lots and lots of really old talks, by people like Elder Bruce R. McConkie, and Elder Marvin J. Ashton. And just now I tried listening to one of Elder Neal A. Maxwell's talks and I immediately fell in love. When I was a kid listening to general conference, I remember thinking that a lot of the talks were boring. Mostly because I didn't understand what was being talked about. But now I listen to the talks that were given when I was young, and I savor every word as I drink in the spirit that these servants of God bring. And the way that Elder Maxwell speaks is so rich and meaningful and the words he uses are so pleasing to my ears.

One of my favorite things that I have acquired during the course of the last year is my increased understanding and knowledge of the scriptures. Never before in my life have I been able to soak in the doctrines and principles of salvation much more fully that I ever have been able to before. And I am grateful for every moment I have to study.

The Gospel is true. And Jesus Christ lives. 

With love,

-Elder Mueller

Late Night Expeditions to Nagano City

Hello!

This week was good! My companion and I are getting along a lot better than we did last transfer, and so the days are quickly passing by. And I took some pictures:

First of all, there was a "piano fair" at the mall this week, so last p-day, I went to go mess around on the real pianos since that is a rare opportunity, and I found the piano that we have at home! It was pretty 懐かしい.

Second of all, it's starting to feel like autumn here. It gets pretty cool in the evenings now, and I've started wearing a sweater most of the time.

Also, I had a crazy exchange with a Zone Leader last Tuesday, and I forgot to get the keys from my companion, so the Mission home told us to go to Nagano area, because it's the closest (but it's still an hour away. Everything is just really far away in this Zone), and we got there super late. Because of infrequent trains and a Zone Leader who's priorities are a little wacky, it took us until 12:40 AM to get there. This is a picture of me waiting at the train station in front of the clock at 11:30 PM, by far the latest I have been out in a really long time.

Also, I saw the biggest spider I have ever seen this week. It was a little smaller than my palm. They just have really big spiders here.

My year mark is approaching quickly, and I was reflecting on a memory that came to me for some reason from when I was 4 or 5 years old. I was in the parking lot of the dance studio (not the building that Linda has now, the older one) and I think I was thinking about how I wanted to be 8 so that I could be baptized, but it was just so far away. But now I'm 19, and I've been on a mission in Japan -- a country I'm not sure I even knew existed at that age -- for nearly a year. Every year since I can remember has just gone by faster and faster. It's the same with transfers on a mission, too. Everything just keeps moving faster and faster, even the hard things too. I guess that just means that I'm growing up. 

Anyway, I'm doing great! I feel like I'm figuring things out and that I'm going to have a good week and a good transfer and a good mission and a good life. I can't wait to share it all with you!

With love,

Elder Mueller

Keeping the Faith!

Hello,

Lately, we've been meeting with M...zumi-kun a lot. He's been teaching us how to play mahjong, and we've been trying to get him to progress towards baptism. Mahjong is a really complicated game, but it is really fun I'm getting really good. And I bought mahjong tiles with the rest of my birthday money. And I will be sending them home unopened because President Yamashita asked us not to have games in our apartment.

Also, M...zumi is praying every day to know if he should be baptized now. He keeps saying that the timing is bad right now and that he wants to do it later. But we're trying to help him to understand that the gospel isn't just something that would be good later, but something that will help him here and now. But it's really good that he is praying every day now. That's more than we have ever been able to get him to do in a long time. I just hope we can help him keep up the steam until we can see some results.

My companion right now is an Elder T...yama. He is from Hokkaido, the island that is the northernmost part of Japan. He has been out for about a year and three months. He's also on the older side for a missionary, he just had his twenty-fifth birthday two months ago.

Now, I will explain a bit of Japanese to you. There's a word (well, it's kind of a word. Maybe it's a suffix. You tag it on the end of other words), "ppoi." Which means something like "looks like ___," and that makes it into an adjective. For example, someone that is America-ppoi would probably be kind of fat and love guns and football. 

So something that I think is kind of funny is that my last companion, Elder B, was one of the most America-ppoi people I have ever met. He loved guns and football and is big and loud and eats a ton. But my companion now is the most Japan-ppoi in all of 日本. He loves anime and is small and quiet and nervous and hates to share his own opinion. The contrast is amazing. 

Right now I am definitely able to see the effects of the language and cultural barriers between America and Japan. I am extremely different from my companion. And even though I'm getting a lot better at speaking Japanese, communication is still really hard. Not only do we not speak the same language, but he isn't very willing to open up how he feels about things because it's rude to share your own opinion in Japan, so I have to interpret the little sounds he makes and ask him lots of direct questions to be able to do things specific to his needs. It's really frustrating sometimes. But our relationship has gotten a lot better in the last week. And I'm finding it easier to be patient with him than how it was last transfer.

Anyway, I'm still having difficulties with companionships, but I'm trying to do my best and trying to learn everything I can.

Keepin' the faith,

-Elder Mueller