Merry Transfers and a Happy New Year, Jan.1, 2013

Wouldn't you know it!  Six weeks came and went again, and we had transfers.  Another great group, going and coming.  I'm sure glad we get new missionaries in, because otherwise transfers would just be too sad.  Just look at this group of returning missionaries!  Who would want to tell them goodbye?  It was hard.

Seated from left:  Elders Finlinson, Berrett, Gottfredson, Rocha, and Correia
Standing from left:  President and Sister Baird, Sisters Shimoji and Stott

Elder Shane Berrett

Can you tell Elder Berrett loves children?

Elder Berrett, left, and Elder Dinkel
(Working on solving the world's problems.)

One of Elder Berrett former companions said he is always upbeat and cheerful.  Even if he complains, he doesn't really mean it.  He is easy to be around.  Whatever ward or branch he served in, he gave special attention to the children and they always loved him a lot.  He knows how to make other people happy.  He also has a soft spot in his heart for dogs.

Elder Kevin Gottfredson

From left:  Elders Koesashi, Gibb, Gottfredson, and O'Hara

See the concern in Elder Gottfredson's eyes?  This place needs to go.

Elder Gottfredson is a very hard working missionary who has the ability to keep going, even when in pain.  He is good at math, and is also ambidextrous.  This exhibits itself when he goes wake boarding; he can do it regular or goofy.  But it also shows up when he shoots skeet.  He can hold the gun in either his right or left hand, and shoot well.  He has been know to shoot out the bulls eye of a target more than once.














Elder Nicholas Correia

Elder Correia is friendly, polite, hard working, and determined.  Elder Correia has already had the experience of teaching seminary.  He could do it really well now that's he's had missionary experience.  When he gets home, Elder Correia plans to study mechanical engineering and possibly teach English as a part time job.  

Elder Correia looks happy to give these two dogs a little love, and
they look like they are in heaven with him.
Elders Baker (right) and Finlinson in background.

Does Elder Correia look better in this, or a missionary suit?
I'd say the missionary suit "suits" him best.

Elder Frederico Rocha

Elder James and Elder Rocha (right)

Elder Rocha is peaceful and organized, very friendly, affectionate, and enjoys serving.  He doesn't like to sit still.  Since he was a child in Primary, he has looked forward to serving a mission. He is nice to everyone he meets.  He is very good at soccer and everyone thinks he has a beautiful accent.





















Sister Ziona Shimoj

In front from left: Sisters Shimoji, Eguchi, Yamada, and Takatsu
Behind:  Elders Koesashi, Ellsworth, Ito, and Clark

Sister Ishihara and Sister Shimoji (right)

Sister Shimoji is one of the most friendly people you will ever meet.  She is warm and happy, and has a gift for making friends.  Her eyes usually sparkle with joy.  She is also a talented teacher and finder, and has a special ability to love children.  Everywhere Sister Shimoji has been on the mission, she has left behind many new and dear friends.

Sister Stott in front, Sister Fujisawa behind,
and Meito Ward member Sister Yoneda standing.

Sister Lauren Stott

Sister Stott and Sister Thayne

Sister Stott has the distinction of being one of very few missionaries who got to open an area, and she opened two of them.  She is a hard worker and very organized.  She loves her companions with all her heart.  She is also very talented at fixing things, especially things that require a needle and thread, or some good food to make them feel better.

Elder Alex Finlinson

Just in case you wondered, Elder Finlinson is the one on the left.

Elder Finlinson on left, with Elders Heo, Macdonald, and Hilton. 

Elder Finlinson is a very quick learner.  One missionary called him a kanji master, because he knows so many kanji. His Japanese language was also very good.  One of his former companions said he was always obedient, that he always tried to follow the handbook exactly, and that he got up on time and studied hard.  He also learned to work through pain and keep going.











And on the happy end of things:

Here is our new commissarian, Elder Hara, waiting at the airport for our new arrivals.

And we got one more picture at the dragon.  We are waiting for a snake, but will we want to take a picture by him?  Stay tuned!  Meanwhile, what a great-looking group!

From left:  Elder Tsukamoto, Elder Wilson, Elder Ockerman, President and Sister Baird, and Sister Breck

This group did a fabulous job of dendoing on the train.  They handed out 5 copies of the Book of Mormon,
10 pamphlets, got contact information of one man who would like to know more, and one new person
will be coming to our English class!  From left are:  Elder Clark (recorder), Elder Hara,
Elders Schade and Ellsworth (APs), Elder Wilson, Elder Tsukamoto, Elder Ockerman, Sister Breck,
and Sister Whitney Baird, daughter of President and Sister Baird--here for the holidays
and thrilled to be again involved in missionary work.  She was recently released from the Kobe Mission. 

And here are our new missionaries, with their new companions:

Sister Tianna Rae Breck

Sister Breck on left with her new trainer, Sister Fujisawa.
They will be in Shizuoka.

And they will be a threesome, with Sister Hunt, right.

From Pleasant Grove, Utah, Sister Tianna Rae Breck is one of four children in her family.  Sister Breck would really like to work for the FBI as either a translator or accountant.  She likes to travel, and would especially like to work in Japan, England and Korea.  Speaking five languages is also a goal.  She is creative and loves to sew, and make gifts for others.  And reading is a passion for her.  She is also positive and optimistic, often seeing what happens in positive ways.

Sister Fujisawa dreams of becoming a teacher because a teacher made such a difference

in her life.  She has completed four years of college.  She looks forward to

sharing the Gospel with everyone she can.  She can feel God's spirit and wants

to share all she learns through the church.

Elder Trevor Ockerman

Headed to Fukui are Elder Ockerman, left, and Elder Baker

Meridian, Idaho is home to Trevor Shawn Ockerman.  He has three older siblings and a younger brother.  Elder Ockerman loves soccer and would like to be on BYU's soccer team and become a professional athlete.  He would like to be a role model to others.  Mechanical engineering is also in his future.  He loves all sports, and loves to learn new things and strive to be the best at what he does.  He is good at making friends of all ages.  He knows that the more righteously we live, the better our life will be, in every way. Elder Baker says he is outgoing, but can also be quiet at the right time.  He loves to learn and immerse himself in work, so he feels that will be a big help on his mission.  He has a strong testimony of the Gospel.

Elder Jacob Tsukamoto

Elder Tsukamoto, along with his trainer Elder Sanderson, will be working in Fuji.

Elder Jacob Tsukamoto was born in Hiroshima, Japan, but he grew up in Kaysville, Utah.  His father was born in Nevada, and his mother in Japan.  His two brothers both served missions in Japan as well.  Elder Tsukamoto is a rugby player at BYU where they won the National Championship.  He is studying exercise science, hoping to become and oncologist.  He has joined ROTC, hoping to get his medical training with the Army.  Music is a passion for Elder Tsukamoto.  He plays piano, trumpet, and guitar, and he loves to hike, backpack and camp in the mountains of Utah.  He is a good listener and likes to help others and set a high example.

Elder Sanderson said he is serving his mission because, "The prophet has asked every able young man to serve.  I am happy to serve the Lord and share the eternal insight I have with others.  I am looking forward to bringing the Gospel to the people of Japan."

Elder Andrew Wilson

Ueda is the destination of these two great missionaries,
Elder Wilson on the left, and Elder Shimohara

Elder Andrew Wilson calls Burke, Virginia home.  He has grown up in a military family, and his father is retired from the Air Force.  Elder Wilson has lived in 7 different states.  He has one older brother.  Elder Wilson's goal is to finish the computer engineering major he began at BYU.  He wants to work in augmented reality and, of course, start an eternal family.  Elder Wilson is a fast learner and a hard worker. He says he is a logical thinker and is very competitive.   Elder Wilson's parents joined the church when he was three.  He says the truthfulness of the Gospel has slowly distilled upon him and his testimony has steadily grown.

Elder Shimohara loves movies and TV.  He has some movies that he can quote.  He especially loves action, drama and mystery, in both books and movies. In college he was on the archery team, and in high school he was offensive tackle in football.  He says one of the best things about coming on a mission is really learning to connect and talk with other people.  He really enjoys doing that.

Dendo with President Baird!

Written by Elder Jose Romero

We were so surprised one day, September the fifteenth I believe it was, when we got a call from Elder Ito. We were right in the middle of companionship study, when the phone rang. Elder Ito proceeded to inform us that we would be spending the following Tuesday working together with our beloved Mission President! Not to be redundant, but we were extremely surprised. This was something that neither of us had expected to happen. I (Elder Romero) was in the middle of my third transfer, and Elder Rocha in his thirteenth. And up to that point, neither had done a day's missionary work together with President Baird. We were told we would meet President Baird at the Ina Branch building at ten in the morning. And he was to work alongside us until five in the afternoon.

As we talked together after finishing the phone call, we were still quite shocked. But as we looked at our plans, and discussed, an excitement began to replace the shock. This opportunity probably wasn't going to come again. Therefore, who would be best to visit? Who could benefit most from a visit from the Mission President himself? With questions such as those in mind, we planned. And we prayed.

The day soon came. We had our usual morning routine, and left the apartment to meet with President Baird. As we had been preparing for this day, we had had many questions about how it was going to work. We were informed that he was bringing along his bicycle, and would ride alongside us. As we peddled to the church, excitement, and a little nervousness bubbled within us. We turned into the parking lot, and there was President Baird, bicycle out, helmet in hand, ready to go. We offered a prayer, and began our day's labor.

The day began by our going to the main hospital here in Ina. It's a large building, with opportunities to see, meet, and talk with multitudes of people. This particular day, we had been focusing on finding a new, possibly more than one, investigator. That being our goal, we needed to do our part, and talk with everyone.

Now when President Baird says to talk with everyone, he's not messing around. He talks to EVERYONE. Well, except we can't directly contact a female, but everyone else was stopped, and talked to.

President Baird as a hospital volunteer.

I learned a great lesson during that trip to the hospital. Not everyone is going to talk to us very long. Not everyone wants to talk to us at all. But everyone that we talked to on that ride was perfectly willing to give us directions to the hospital, even though both Elder Rocha and I knew how to get there. And not only were they willing to direct us, but it usually opened up a conversation. They would ask why we were going there or something to that effect. We could explain about who we are and what we are doing in Japan. We passed out around seven pamphlets into the hands of those that knew not God. In time, we reached our destination. We registered President Baird to do service with us, put on our aprons, and went to work.

Our hospital service usually consists of helping people who need wheelchairs, assisting with carrying heavy bags or other items, and just being friendly. Many appreciate our help and will engage us in small conversation. On this particular day, Elder Rocha and President Baird talked to a man who spoke English fairly well. As they talked about why they were in Japan, he suddenly had to leave. They attempted to obtain his contact information, but he left too quickly. They did what they could.

Elder Romero and President Baird

Service time ended, and we once again took to the road on our bicycles. We had planned to stop by a potential investigator’s house, who lives close to our apartment. We play badminton with our Branch President and many others, every Monday. We wanted to invite her, as she had come before. But she wasn't home. We were about to return to our apartment, but first decided to knock on the next-door neighbor's home. I had met a very lively and kind woman who lived there a few weeks earlier. So we knocked.

A man answered on the speaker box. I was slightly surprised, not having known she was married. We introduced ourselves and expressed our desire to meet all our neighbors. The man said OK and came to the door to speak to us face to face. It was a pleasant interaction. We told him why we were in Japan, asked about his family, and gave him a Proclamation to the World pamphlet. He was very kind, accepted the pamphlet, and said it was OK if we stopped by again. We then returned to our apartment for lunch.

After lunch, we had an appointment with a less-active member, a Brazilian named Mateus Fujihara. He is an extremely nice and friendly man, who slightly struggled with the Japanese church vocabulary. He has had many difficult trials in his life, and we believed a visit from President Baird would help him build his already quite strong testimony.

Elder Rocha and President Baird

The lesson went very well. We hadn't told him President Baird was coming to his home. We told him a special visitor would be there, but we didn't say who. Needless to say, he was very surprised to discover the Mission President knocking on his door. It was a day he still talks about often, and none of us will ever forget. 

We began (after the prayer) by watching the Restoration video. It was something to really invite the Spirit into his home, to help us teach, and enlighten us all. We read from the scriptures together (even President Baird. The whole lesson was in Portuguese!), and testified of what we had seen and heard. Mateus bore his own testimony, and President Baird then asked a few questions. He then gave Mateus a challenge. Up to this point, Mateus had been a bearer of the Aaronic Preisthood. President Baird issued the challenge that he prepare himself to receive the higher, Melchizedek Priesthood. He suggested that together with the missionaries, he prepare his mind, his heart, and his soul for this honor. He accepted. And I am happy to say that he has prepared. He was done everything that has been asked of him, and he is ready to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, November 18th, 2012. We concluded with a prayer, and it was time to be at our next appointment.

Our next appointment was in the home of another Brazilian family.  This is a couple, who had recently been baptized on the 26th of August, Anderson and Erica Kataok, together with their now one year old daughter, Naomi. This day we had planned our first Family Home Evening with them, (once again, almost all in Portuguese). We were very excited, as President Baird was present for their baptism and already knew them on a personal level. This visit was planned with the hope to strengthen their faith personally, and as a family. 

We had a great time! Singing hymns and playing the game with the cups and balloons was great! And afterwards, we shared a small spiritual message about how the Lord has prepared so many ways to strengthen families and feel His love more in our homes. We testified of the divinity of the family organization. This, of course, brought the Spirit into their home. But what touched that family most was when the parents, Anderson and Erica, expressed their own feelings and testimonies of how they have seen this gospel already bless their lives. We closed with another hymn and prayer and left, leaving a portion of the Spirit to reside in their home.

As we left their home, it was time for President Baird to leave Ina, and for us to continue our work for the day. President Baird told us many things, and counseled us on the subject of finding the faith to find, as written in Preach My Gospel. We took a few pictures, and parted ways.

Elder Rocha and I pondered much about our experiences with President Baird, and each learned different things about how we can improve our own missionary work. It can often be as simple as asking directions.

I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to work alongside President Baird. I know he has been called of God and holds the keys to direct the work here in Japan, even in little Ina. He cares for each of his missionaries, and those they teach and interact with. And if you don't know how to approach someone, ask for directions. People are inherently good.

April 2011 New Missionaries

This week, we welcomed an astounding amount of new missionaries into our mission! 22!!! It will be such a great blessing for this mission and the people in it. There were a lot of missionaries, but each one of their beautiful testimonies shine! We are so grateful to each of them for choosing to serve a mission. We feel blessed that it is the Japan Nagoya Mission that they were called to.

The next morning for the new missionary orientation, all of the new missionaries gathered at the Meito church. It was quite a scene to see all of the missionaries sitting shoulder to shoulder as an army for our Heavenly Father. Even their bags with their starting materials were lined up along the wall inside the office! What a scene!

All of the new missionaries and their trainers piled in for a group picture in front of the Meito church
before heading out to their first area!

Elder Cruz (left, trainer) and Elder Scaduto (Tokyo) - Takaoka

Elder Raffael Scaduto is very genki, happy, positive and delightful. He has
a great testimony and was truly obedient. A great missionary!

Elder Andre' Cruz is friendly and outgoing, and can be relaxed or strict when appropriate.  
He can be very strict with himself.  He lived for a while in Provo, Utah to study English.

Elder Rocha (left) and Elder Duarte (trainer) - Fujieda

Elder Frederico Rocha (pronounced  Hosha, for all you non-Brazilians) is from Sao Paulo.  Elder Rocha has been an exchange student in the US.  He loves to play soccer, travel and surf.  He is studying Business Administration and wants to be an executive. Elder Danilo Duarte enjoys soccer, playing piano, church dances, and hanging out and talking with friends.  He plans on college and, of course, marriage after his mission.

Elder Kinnison (Tokyo, on left) and Elder Gordon (Tokyo, trainer) - Kanazawa

 Elder Christopher Gordon, from Spring, Texas, knew that if he put his trust in the Lord,
things would work out.  He came to Nagoya from Tokyo full of faith
and ready to serve wherever he was called.  He went back to Tokyo with the same attitude.

Elder Marshall Kinnison was very excited to teach the Gospel and teach the
Japanese people.  He was a very obedient missionary.

Elder Hollister (trainer) with Elder Matson (right) - Kasugai

Boise, Idaho is home to Elder Joshua Matson.  He likes Tai Kwon Do, ballroom dancing and Brazilian Martial Arts.  Elder Matson has written a book that he plans to publish when he gets home.

Elder Taylor Hollister likes most sports, and wrestled at the
Air Force Academy before his mission. He is hard working,
competetive and likes cleanliness.  He planned to get lost in the work
on his mission, and has done a good job of that.

Elder Horne (trainer on left) and Elder Mechaileh (Tokyo) - Okazaki

 Elder Michel Mechaileh felt blessed to be in the mission, whether Tokyo or Nagoya.
He was so happy to be in Japan at all, after the tsunami.  He loved being in Nagoya.

 Elder Ryan Horne wants to raise a righteous family, and help others 
through the medical profession.  He loves to play piano 
and racquetball.  He tutored math, reading and piano before 
his mission.  Love constrains him to be a missionary.

Elder Jackson (trainer, left) and Elder Farnsworth - Nonami

Elder Peter Farnsworth comes from a family of 9 amazing people, and he is from Lindon, Utah.  It is common to have 25 people for Sunday dinner, all family. All of his brothers and his father have served missions. Elder Farnsworth is planning to get a master’s in Emergency Service and work as a firefighter, eventually becoming a Physician’s Assistant.  Elder Marcus Jackson wants to become a dentist.  He says he has a fun personality and hates to upset people.

Elder Jessop (trainer, left) and Elder Kerksiek - Hamamatsu

Herriman, Utah is home to Elder Axel Kerksiek.  He is the youngest of 9 children,  and has lived in seven countries for at least two years each.  He loves astronomy and astrophysics, is fascinated by machines, and plays the piano.  He loves to laugh and make others laugh, but he is also kind and understanding.   He puts others ahead of himself.

Elder Terry Jessop's favorite sport is tennis.  He also enjoys boating and piano.  He looks forward to having a large family and serving a mission with his wife. Someone who knows him says he is the kind of person who does whatever he is asked, and does it as soon as he can.  He is dependable, very service oriented and cheerful.

Elder Kekauoha (trainer, left) and Elder Danielson - Okazaki

Santa Monica, California is home to Elder Broderick Danielson.  Elder Danielson
plays the piano, and tenor and soprano saxaphones.  He was in marching band,
jazz band, pep band and wind ensemble.  He has been a good student with good
grades and he is a good communicator.

Elder George Kekauoha is from Hawaii, but has also lived in Maryland and Japan. He says his family is the greatest!  He enjoys gardening, yardwork (Wow!), building, playing piano, guitar and ukulele, and sports.  A few of his many goals are to have a farm, an eternal family, and time to serve others.  He enjoys talking to people, and knows he can do anything he puts his mind to.  He loves the feeling of having the  Holy Ghost with him.

Elder Kervinen (trainer, left) and Elder Gish - Ichinomiya

Elder Zachary Gish, from Highland, Utah, loves to snowboard.  He plays the guitar
and writes music and likes to learn random facts.  He is also interested in mythology.
He loves classic cars and wants to restore one someday.  His goal is to become a dentist.

Elder Niilo Kervinen is a social person and a team player, is positive and optimistic.  
He also knows that studying the scriptures is the most powerful tool to get 
to know God.  He is serving a mission to show gratitude to God for his blessings.

Elder Kutney (left) and Elder Roberts (Tokyo) - Seto

Elder Justin Roberts was mature and so focused on his mission.  He was completely happy
to be in Japan and part of the Lord's work.  He felt he was exactly where the Lord
wanted him to be and found great joy in the work.  He had great goals for his mission
and worked hard to make them happen.

Most of Elder Terrance Kutney's goals revolve around the Gospel.  He hopes that whatever job he has will actually help or improve people's lives.  He says he is level headed and gets along with most anyone.

Elder Madsen (Tokyo, left) and Elder Holden (Tokyo, trainer) - Ueda

Elder Jared Holden felt such great love for the people.  He was willing and ready to
go and work.  He savored everything he learned while he was in Nagoya and
developed a love for the Bairds and a greater love for the Gospel.
He said, "I'm on a mission, it is hard, and I love it."

Elder Nathan Madsen, from Boise, Idaho, came to us just before going home,
but worked for success.  He felt he learned a lot about missionary work and felt a lot of love.

Elder Miura (Tokyo, left) and Elder Ogaki (trainer) - Suwa

Elder Tsubasa Miura was very grateful to have served in the Nagoya Mission
and was sad to go.  He was willing to serve wherever he was and do his best.
He said that he experienced a lot of things that were meaningful.

Elder Shunya Ogaki will continue his studies in 
early childhood education after his mission.  After he retires, 
he wants to serve a mission with his wife.  He says he is usually quiet, 
but he is good at talking with people. 

Elder Otahara (trainer, left) and Elder Eguchi (Tokyo) - Ueda

Elder Junpei Eguchi was determined to serve and do his best.  He said
he wouldn't forget the Bairds and this mission, and his goal is to be like the Savior.

Elder Koudai Otahara is blessed to have 10 people in his very faithful family. He loves talking with people, especially foreigners using a different language. He also enjoys music and dancing. He is outgoing and happy.

Elder Chubak (trainer, left) and Elder Christensen (Tokyo) - Ogaki

Elder Russell Christensen was so excited to serve the Lord in Japan.  He came
with a love for the people.  He knew of Heavenly Father's love for us all
and was ready to work and share all he knew.

Elder Austin Chubak, from West Valley City, Utah, fit with the area and people here and
loved his time here.  He hoped to go home with the peace of mind that he did exactly
what Heavenly Father wanted him to do.  He felt he grew a lot while he was in Nagoya.
He was a great blessing to the people here.

Elder McGahan (Tokyo, left ) and Elder Pearson (trainer) - Fukuroi

Elder Trevor McGahan was very teachable.  He let everything that he learned in
Nagoya seep into him.  He was an excellent missionary and enjoyed the time here.

Lehi, Utah is home to Elder Michael Pearson and he is the sixth of seven children.  
Missionary work is big in his family.  His grandfather wrote the original discussions for the church.  
His parents run a website for missionary moms.  Everyone in his family plays a musical instrument.

Elder Reynolds (trainer, Tokyo) and Elder Shimamoto (Tokyo) - Kasagai

Elder Yuki Shimamoto was genki and very good as a missionary.
He was willing to work very hard.

Elder Michael Reynolds, from Elwood, Kansas, loves learning languages, music
and exercising.  He was ready to make a huge impact when he came to Nagoya.
By the time he left, he said he had seen many miracles and gotten to know
some of the best people he had ever known.

Elder Prince (Tokyo, left) and Elder Ring (trainer, Tokyo) - Takaoka

Elder Jordan Ring, from Saratoga Springs, Utah, loves art.  He loves to teach and
hoped with all his heart to share the Gospel of joy and salvation with many people.
He  really was genki and happy and felt like he learned how to put the missionary
principles into practical application.  He had the ability to learn from whoever was around him.

Elder Keven Prince felt the Lord strengthening him as a missionary.  He tried to follow exactly
what the Lord expected of him.  He was ready and obedient on his mission.

Elder Shimajiri (left) and Elder Ito - Inuyama

Elder Yoshiya Ito's home town is Hashimoto, Wakayama, Japan.

He has three older brothers.  Elder Ito majored in Spanish and culture,
and studied Spanish art history in Leon Spain as an exchange student.
He also loves to play basketball and soccer and is interested in sports management.

Elder Naohiro Shimijiri also comes from a wonderful family of 10.  He and two siblings are members of the church.  Elder Simijiri’s dreams are to share love and humility and be a good example.  He is good at focusing on one thing at a time and getting it done. Elder Correia, left, and his trainer, Elder Skankey Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil is home for Elder Nicolas Correia.  He loves to listen to music, read the newspaper, enjoy a bike ride or drive a car.  He is also interested in politics.  Elder Correia plans to study business administration.    Elder Bryce Skankey enjoys soccer, technical help with theatre, and looking through telescopes.  He is optimistic and proud to be a geek.

Sister Shaver (left) and her trainer, Sister Wilcox - Takayama

Sister Maricella Shaver comes to us from Orem, Utah.  She enjoys reading, writing and cooking.  She loves the ah-ha moment when she figures something out and is able to fully understand it.  She will decide what to focus on for college after her mission.  She says she is extremely shy, but gets along well with people and loves talking to them when she gets to know them.  She was blessed to be sealed in the temple with her family when she was eleven.

From Provo, Utah, Sister Marie Wilcox comes from an amazing family who love education and science.  She has already graduated with a degree in biochemistry and finds she loves organic chemistry.  She is a talented seamstress, plays piano, organ and trombone.  She picked up Japanese by watching Anime in Japanese while she was in bed for two years with an illness.  She is hard working and humble enough to ask for help when needed.  She learned from her illness to submit to Heavenly Father's will.

Elder Cragun (Tokyo, left) and Elder Wilden (trainer, Tokyo) - Fujieda

Elder Aaron Cragun came to us as a new missionary.  He was excited but nervous about the
language.  One of his goals was to leave areas better than he found them.
He learned much while he was in Nagoya and he worked hard.

Elder Alexander Willden, from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, likes guitar and song writing.
He was a little sad when he went back to Tokyo.  He loved being in Nagoya, but he
probably enjoyed Tokyo every bit as much.  He felt very blessed as a missionary and learned
a lot about himself and his Heavenly Father.  He knew he was meant to be in Nagoya.

Elder Wilson (left and trainer) with Elder Hilyard - Kanazawa

From Bountiful, Utah, Elder Chad Hilyard loves soccer and music.
He has played guitar and drums and sung with the concert choir.
He especially enjoys singing religious music.

One elder in the mission says Elder Samuel Wilson is easy to talk to, friendly,
and a solid kind of calm, keeping hope and faith even when things are bad.

He played football in high school and enjoys reading.