Final Epistle

 Yesterday after sacrament meeting, 3 members ran up to me and told

me that they all served with my dad as missionaries in Okayama back in

the day. How cool is it that I came to an area for the last 3 weeks of

my mission with 3 members that served with my dad! I will always be

grateful that I got to serve here in Japan where my dad did with such

amazing people. I love Japan. It is my second home.

  I can't believe how fast this last week went by. It was unreal. We

did a lot of finding and were able to have one of those friends that

we met join us for church on Sunday. Lately we have been going to the

busy train stations or outside the malls with a sign that says "if you

answer 5 English questions we will give you a piece of candy" so that

we can advertise our English class and talk to more people. I've been

super surprised with how well it has been going. We have been able to

meet some great people, and a few of them have committed to take the

missionary lessons.

  As I sat in sacrament meeting I was just overcome with how grateful

I am for this mission experience. It's been the hardest, tiring,

funnest, longest, shortest, most rewarding, best 2 years for my life.

I don't even know how to describe how I feel. I'm grateful to all of

the people I have met, and for all that they have taught me.

  I've been really thinking about what exactly I have learned these

last 2 years. I know I have learned a lot, and I think because of that

I can't point out very many things that I learned. But I know that

even though I can't point everything out right now, I will continue to

learn and grow because of the things I experienced on my mission. My

mission was a success not because I learned everything I need to know,

but it showed me how much more I have to learn. Im still not the

person I want to be, but I have come a long way and am excited to

continue learning and growing.

Thank you all for your love and support through this adventure. I'm

excited to reconnect with you this week. See you soon!

Last one from Osaka!

Elder Evans

P.S.

My homecoming will be held this Sunday. If you have any questions on

where or when, please contact my parents and they will get you the

details! I would love to see you all and give you a big jet lagged

hug!

District meeting

Ward members from Hirakata who served in Okayama at

the same time as my Dad.

9 days

Hello there,
The typhoon has hit Japan, but it won't necessarily pass until 6 pm.  The core should be between 5 and 6. Right now it just feels like a big rain storm, so nothing major. I've had a lot of Typhoons during my mission, so I'm not too worried.  Normally ward members tell  us about stuff like this, but no one in this ward told us anything and it's supposed to be big I guess. But I'm sure all will be okay!

This week was good, I am so tired, nothing really special happened. We had a lot of appointments with people, so I can get to know everyone, and it was good.

I have to pack soon, and get my bags sent off to the airport on Friday. It will be a busy fast week, and I'm excited

Typhoon Update:

It's about 5:15 here and we have been getting hit with rain and wind

really hard for the last hour or so. Nothing too major but the office

said the core of our storm will be at 6. But up to this point the

storm is just a strong windy rain storm. Nothing to special! But it's

been fun!!

Inoue

I sincerely apologize of my lack of writing letters lately. I don't

know why it has been so hard lately!

This past week was super busy with 3 companionship exchanges. I was

able to work with Elder La Fontaine, Elder Jensen, and my MTC

companion Elder Anthony.

Elder Antony has been one of the biggest examples for my throughout

the course of my mission. It was so fun to work with him for a day and

to talk about all we have learned and experienced on our missions.

Elder Anthony is one of the most obedient, most dedicated missionaries

I have ever met, and I could feel his love for the gospel and for the

lord throughout the whole day. He is someone who is so close to the

spirit, and it was great to work with him and learn from him

throughout the day. I'm so grateful for all the lifelong friends I have

made on my mission. As Elder Anthony and I talked, we realized how

different we are. We would have never chose to be each other's

companions. But the cool thing is that we are best friends now. The

mission has blessed me to be able to meet and love people I would have

never tried to before.

In other news, Sister Inoue, the older lady that we were teaching in

Shimogamo got baptized yesterday. She quit coffee cold turkey before

she had even been taught the word of wisdom because she felt like she

needed to rely more on God and not her coffee. WOW!

Other than that, nothing Else is new. Congratulations to Breena,

Chase, Connor, Eric, and Jordan on your mission calls. You guys are

going to kill it. I'm too excited for all of you!!

It's time to finish out these last couple weeks strong. I love you all

and am grateful for all that you do for me.

Until next week! (Maybe.... if I actually write an email)

Elder Evans

A photo of Sister Inoue with Elder Wheeler and Elder Collett

One Month To go

He didn't send an email again this week for the blog, but I attached the letter he sent me, slightly edited, with a few pictures.


        The Family that we are teaching

Thank you so much for the email letting me know about Breena's mission call! I had no idea she had submitted her papers! They have her leaving so flipping fast too! I bet that was a surprise. It's a bit weird thinking that she got her call and leaving August 23rd is fast... that means I come home fast! Scary! It will be very interesting how the homecoming and the farewell will all go! Let me know what is going to happen :) that will be a busy day for the family haha. Of course it happened that way. Crazy though, because if I wasn't coming home 2 weeks early, I would have barely missed her! I'm excited for her to go on her mission though.  

Today we are in Osaka.... yet again. Haha. We have a zone p day here playing sports and having a picnic at the park. So sadly, I won't be here to email too much today. 

This past week was really good though. We had a companionship exchange with some elders, and then also interviews for the first time with our new mission president and it was way different!! But this mission president is such a kind, genuine guy. I really like him. The mission is in very good hands with him and his wife. I definitely feel like Welch kaicho was a lot stricter. But that's okay! I'm excited to see what changes happen with Elder smoot... even though I won't be here to see most of them. 

Last night we had a lesson with our investigator family and it was awesome! We committed them to pray about if they want to get baptized or not. I'm super excited to see what happens. If this whole family gets baptized, it would make my life. I would be so happy. They are some of the nicest people I have met and they just take the gospel in. One of my goals on my mission was to baptize a family, and though, I don't think I'll be here when they actually get baptized, I would love to see it happen, even from America. 

Anywho, nothing much else to talk about other than its butt hot out here. And it rains everyday because it's rainy season. It's so fun haha. Vui choro will be coming home this coming week and heading to Nebraska for school, and Olsen choro will be home next week! Be sure to go to Elder Olsens homecoming and say hi to him for me! I'll see him next week right before he goes home at a returning home missionary dinner at our mission president's home, so I'm excited for that. I can't believe it's coming so fast! But keep your eye out for those two!!

President Smoot

We Love You! President and Sister Welch!!

Hello!

We are currently on our way to Kobe because we have a leadership

meeting with the new mission president, so I don't have too much time

to email today! But this past week has been great! First off, my

mission president and his wife headed home, and the new mission

president and his wife are now here! It was really hard to say goodbye

to president and sister Welch, they have had such an impact on my life

and I love them to death. I am also excited to work with president and

sister smoot for my last transfer of my mission.

This week we were kind of all over the place again. We had a

companionship exchange with the abeno elders in abeno and it went

great. I went with Elder Jensen and we tried to work around the

college. Within our first 20 minutes at the college, we were able to

find 2 solid new investigators, one of who is going to come to church

next week and bring a couple of his friends. Working with Elder Jensen

was way fun. He is so positive and loves being a missionary. The next

day we had the bye bye conference for president and sister Welch.

President and sister Welch said everything that I need to hear, and

the conference was a great Time.

As soon as we got back to the apartment on Friday, we had another

companionship exchange with the Nabari Elders and that went well also.

I got to work with Elder philburn and we had a great time. On

Saturday, Elder Samuela and I spent the day in a different city in our

area called kashihara city. We had a couple appointments and taught an

English class down there, and then had a sports night that not very

many people showed up to. So Samuela choro and I challenged the 12

college students next to us to a game, and it was an absolute blast.

Hopefully some of them will be coming to church this next week.

Life has been great. It's hot and humid, but we are working through

it. I love the Yamatokoriyama Ward, and I love being a missionary. I'm

gearing up and pushing hard to give it all I have until the end.

I love you all! Emails and pictures are always welcome :)

Elder Evans

The Farewell conference with President and Sister Welch

In Osaka with Elder Yardley

In Osaka

Splits with Elder Jensen in Abeno

Saying Good-bye to President Welch.

"I love this guy, I was so blessed to work with him"

On a Ferris wheel in Osaka

Yamatokoriyama Ward

Hello there!!

Its been a while since I sent out a big email update, so I apologize!

These last couple weeks have been really busy! First off, I got

transferred to a new area called Yamatokoriyama. It is the area next

to Nara, where I served about a year ago! So its been fun to be back

down here! My new companion's name is Elder Samuela. He is from

Australia and he is also Samoan. For some reason, I have been

companions with all of the Samoans on my mission. Its been really fun

working with him, and working with the Yamatokoriyama ward.

Lately we have had the blessing to teach an investigator family named

the Yasui's! They have 4 kids and they are all adorable. So far, we

have taught the Restoration and about half of the plan of salvation.

They all love it! Its so cool to go over there because they are all so

behaved and they sit right down to listen to us. This is the first

time that I have been able to teach an investigator family on my

mission. Its definitely been a blessing and a challenge! I love them

all so much!

Last week was pretty busy. We had a companionship exchanges with 3

different areas. The first one was with Elder Anthony (My MTC

companion) and Elder Courter. It has been fun to be back with Elder

Anthony again. He has been a role model to me my whole mission, and Im

grateful to be able to work with him again. For the exchange, I worked

with Elder Courter. I learned so much from him about following the

spirit. He loves being a missionary and has such a strong testimony.

It was a blessing to be able to work with him and learn so much from

him! After that exchange, we went to kobe to work with the assistants,

and then from there we went back to our area to work with the nara

elders.

This week we will be getting a new mission president. I am so grateful

that I have been able to spend most of my mission serving under

president and sister welch. They have changed my life and I love them

so much. I am also excited for President and Sister Smoot to come. It

will be fun seeing what changes come. Missions are the best!!

Love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Evans

June 19 - 2 more months

Hey momma!

Thanks for your email this week. It's been a good one! I got transferred to this week and it sucked! I love my new area though, it's a great place. Shimogamo was a really city area. We had to take a subway to get to our apartment. But now I'm in an area that is really rural. But it has the strongest Ward in the whole mission. There are about 130 people that come every week and they love to do missionary work. Their Ward plan is to be able to split into 2 different wards in the next year and a half. Im really lucky to be able to serve here. I don't know how to do missionary work in the country though haha! It's been a lot harder to work here than in any other area that I have served in. But I'm excited.

So speaking of Eric buying things to go, what things do you want me to bring home? I have packed my boots and my nice winter coat to bring home (which are both is perfect condition so Eric can use both of them). I figured he could take my really nice bike lights that grandma gave me, because they are so so good. And I'm making a list of things that he needs to buy for his mission so we can remember everything. I figured that I would leave all of my old church clothes and my old regular clothes that I am never go to wear again. I'll bring all of my books and stuff as well. Is there anything specific you want me to have with me when I get home? 

By the way, i took the rest of the money out of my account so I could send a package home. And I did buy my birthday presents. I bought a Japanese sword and a Japanese scroll thing that's really cool. Then I used the rest of the money to ship a bunch of my book of Mormons, some souvenirs for friends and family when I get home, and some other books that I have collected on my mission. It was rarely heavy, so I sent it by boat because it is way cheaper and I don't need it home at a specific time. I'm sure it'll take some time to get there, but keep your eye out for it. 

This week we have to do a lot of traveling for stuff, and because I transferred, I don't have a lot of money. I am waiting for it to come in my reimbursements. But just in case I don't have that reienbursment in time, can you stick like 20-30 dollars in my account to spot me? I would really appreciate that. 

Anyways, I love you much!

Love, 

Al