Ryo!

Happy Mother's Day!

It was a really busy week over here in Japan! We also were able to

have a lot of cool experiences as well! On monday night, we were

riding home at about 8:55. Time was getting short, as in we are

supposed to be home at 9 if we aren't teaching a lesson. As I pulled

into our neighborhood, I was kind of praying to Heavenly Father that

if he sent me someone, I would stop him. As I turned the next corner I

saw a man who was in his 20's. I panicked a bit and slowed down to say

"hello". I let him pass me as I slowed down, and I thought I had

missed him. Since I slowed down, my companion came up along side me

and said "Did you want to talk to him?" I quickly said yes and flipped

around to chase down the guy. As I rode up behind him, I said in

Japanese, "Excuse me!" He turned around, and in perfect English

responded "ah hey bro, I speak English." I was a little thrown off

guard but I started a conversation with him. Soon after my companion

rolled up behind us and jumped in on the conversation. This guy's name

is "Kento" and he is from New Jersey but is full blooded Japanese! We

heard a bit of his story, and about what he believed in. He belongs to

a different Christian denomination, but had heard a bit about the LDS

church and had always seen the missionaries around. We were able to

share the message of the restoration with him and it went really well.

As my companion started reciting Joseph Smith's account of the 1st

vision, I noticed that cars and people came flooding in from no where.

It was really loud and hard to keep a conversation going. I brought

that up to my companion as we road away with smiles on our faces. He

said that when he started saying the first vision, everything was

silent, and he felt confident as he recited it. I thought it was kind

of cool that Satan was trying to make it hard to share that message

with Kento. But Kento understood well, and elder Collett didn't hear

anything and was able to stay focused. It's cool how the gospel works.

Kento was all down to meet again, and asked us to change numbers with

him. It was a great experience that strengthened my testimony.

In other news, Ryo, the kid that walked into our church 3 weeks ago

asking to be baptized, was baptized yesterday! He did great and was

really excited. He bore a great testimony in Chinese, and they had a

Japanese member translate it to everyone. I'm really grateful to have

met Ryo and watch his conversion story right before my eyes. I have

never seen anyone more prepared than him, and it has been a blessing

to know him and to see him change everyday.

Anywho, I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day! Thank you for

all that you do.

Much love from Kyoto!

Elder Evans