Hey mom and dad,

Ya if you could I would love to see the itinerary for Japan.  I would like to call some people so we can meet them.  So knowing exactly what we will be doing would help.

This past week for me has been amazing.  One of the best weeks on my mission.  I have not found that many people while in Kochi but this week we found 6 people.  And most of them were through little promptings that we had from the spirit.  By following them we got these new investigators.  I have had to work hard day in and day out with little to now success to get to where I am now.  The ward had a bye bye party for me on Sunday.  They expressed how they would miss me and the branch president wishes I could stay there for 6 more months.  I love it here.  It was a struggle but it makes this moment all worth it.  If I would have given up I would not have had such a great week this week.

Training has been legit! I loved it.  It was so good to get the spirit/feel the drive from my comp elder healey.  We got along great and had a really good time.  It will be sad to leave him but I know he will be a great missionary.  If I had more time I would definitely do it again.

So when you come to pick me up at the mission home we might actually eat breakfast with the mission prez and his wife.  Then I will actually be able to ship my bags from the mission home to Narita airport and the church pays for that.  Then for my shinkansen ticket to go to Tokyo the church may actually reimburse you for that because they would have to send me there anyway.  I can get more particulars next week.  Next, to get to the mission home the best way is to take a bus or train.  If you want a van taxi you may have to look around for it. I can meet you half way or something.  We can talk more next week.

This church is without a doubt true.  If 2 years on a mission doesn't do that for you I don't know what will.  This has been the best thing that I could have ever done.  Not just for my self but for everyone I talked to and have met.  Missions are not just to preach the gospel they are training grounds for life.

I love you guys. I can't believe next week we will see each other.  Cant wait.

elder christian price

Hey mom and dad,

Good to hear all is well.  I am happy that mom has now a new bathroom and kitchen.  There will be alot of changes when I get back.  The weather is cooling off here too.  It has actually rained alot this week.  It makes working interesting.

We do eat cereal some times, not american stuff though, it is the japanese stuff.  Not as good but not bad. I dont eat it alot because it can get expensive.  I normaly eat rice or bread. sometimes oatmeal if the appartment has some.

Well this week was a good one.  But what really happened that was cool happened today.  Today we went to the point of Kouchi Ken. it is 104 miles round trip.  The reason behind it was to visit a less active and it would be cool to go.  Going there was good until the end.  Me and my comp were beat. i mean really beat.  And what made it worse was that it started to rain.  So we go to the point and couldn't do much.  I didnt even take a picture of the ocean from the point.  Bummer but I took some others.  Then we ate lunch and then decided to get going to visit the less active.  Me and my comp were kind of sceptical wether or not we could make it back in time to email.  We were so tired from getting there that the return journey looked dim. but we said a prayer and we were off.  We decided to bike in the rain without our rain gear and it actually helped us bike better.  We went to the less actives house and she was amazed that we had come even though it was raining.  They had a little food prepared so we ate it and talked for a little bit.  When it was time to go she asked if we would make it back in time.  I said ya why not.  We should be able to make it back in 2 .5 hours or so. (we were about half way at this point.) we had 40km to go.  She didn't think we could do it.  That is really far and we had just biked there and half way back.  This is not flat either there are hills too.  So we started off and we kept going in the rain and we made it back in almost exactly 2 hours.  The time it took us to get there was about 4.5 hours to 5 hours. and the time that it took us to get back was 4.5 hours.  We made it back faster!  That is a crazy miracle.

The whole time I was riding my bike I couldnt help but htink about all the help that the Lord was giving too us.  I also thought about the prayer we said and the word of wisdom.  I have never really had an experience with the word of wisdom beside me having pretty good health up until now.  I know that the promise at the end of d and c 89 is true.  I experience it today.  Now I really dont hurt.  While I was biking there my body was really sore.  I felt like I couldnt make it back.  But on the way back I felt like my energy would not and could not run out.  I felt better than before.  I still feel way good.  my sun burns hurt but right now I feel like I could do it all over agian.  Maybe tomorrow I will feel it but now I am on top of the world.

I know the lord will fulfill all of his promises.  This chruch is true I know it without a doubt.

Love you guys cant wait to see you in a little bit.  You are the best.

love

elder christian price

Hey mom and dad,

Life is good. Life should always be good.

Here in our missoin we are really trying to focus on revelation and working through revelation and the spirit.  This last Tuesday we had a way cool experience. during planning.  The next day was Wednesday.  We were having district meeting so we would only have 3 hours do work in our area.  Me and my comp asked the Lord where we should go.  My comp felt like we should go housing at an apratment.  Housing at nights in Japan isnt very good normaly but I said ok. but then the question was where to go.  I then thought that the apartment should be brown, but there are a lot of brown apartmetns.  Even our apartment is brown.  Then my comp said that we should go to a town where we had been a week earlier.  Once he said that I remembered a brown apartment that I had wanted to go to earlier but we hadnt had time.  I felt like this was were we were supposed to go.  So we got back from district meeting and we made our way to that apartment.  About 5 doors into it we came to door that was open.  I called inside and someone answered back so I started my contact.  Then this older lady came out and said she was a member of our church! what!  I had no idea that a less active member lived there.  It surprised me.  We talked to here and she told us about some health problems she has so coming to chruch is difficult but she said that we could come by next week.

I thank the Lord for this experiece.  Everyone says that the Lord answers prayers and that we can get revelation but actually experiencing it solidifies that testimony.  This work is the Lords work. d&c 50*:17-18 says that the only way to do the Lords work is by the spirit.  I know this to be true.  I remember the feeling I felt during that Tuesday night planning session.  Before that I had a special training. I almost learned nothing from the training because I was thinking about so many things and the spirit was trying to tell me so many things.  I was on a spiritual high and because I was on a spiritual high we had the spirit with us when we were planning and through that we were able to receive revelation on where to go.

This chruch is true.  Some people say the mission is a duty but really it should be something that people are dying to do.  There is nothing greater a 19 year old boy can do to strengthen his testimony and learn how to grow up.  It should not be a `have to` it should be a `get to`

I love you family.  You are the best.  I am excited to see you all. have a good week.

love

elder christian price

hey family,


Thanks for the emails and the happy birthdays.  I got your package.  Thanks so much.  The candy was great.  Now I am fat! justkidding.  So in Japan because the temple can be far from people and there are only 2 working temples right now they only go about 4 times a year.  It also cost money to take the bus so that is also a factor.  If the youth dont have sports or school stuff I think they go but I dont know how much they push it.


I havent got a letter from Nobukazu yet but the most important thing is that you got incontact with him.  And I think that it is soo cool that another one of your cousins is coming.  The picture was cool but there dad looks scarry.  It will be exciting to see how he is when we meet him.


For the omiyages I think the eco bags are a great idea and then put stuff in them. You can find eco bags. I dont treally look for them but they are around.  I know the japanese people will like it if you bring some from America.  The whole idea is great.  If you could find a shirt that has the words grand canyon and arizona on it that would be sweet. Everyone in Japan knows arizona for the grandcanyon.  But if you cant I have narrowed it down to 3 or 4 shirts. on img. 16 far right and 5 from the top or from the right column 2 and down 5 look cool. img.17 from the right down 5 orfrom the right 3 and down 5.  Next the magnets. img.19 any of the catus ones are good. Japanese peole know that arizona is a desert and has cacti. or img.23 and one of the ones that is shaped like arizona.  For shirt sizes. japanese people can be small and big. one idea is that you could buy alot of different sized shirts and then let them pick or you can just go with all mediums. It is really hard to tell.  I cant be too much of help with this one. sorry


I am excited for you all to come. Time is ticking down. I am working more effective but it is still hard.  I spent 4 days stuck in a different area because of the big typhoon that came.  They closed all the buses and trains going to my area so I spent a copule of nights in a different area and had to go to chruch in the other areas branch.  Kind of sad but there was nothing I could do about it. I learned alot about doing what it takes.  My shoes have holes in them so they get wet immediately.  I have over shoes but I forgot to bring them so I had to but plastic bags over my feet and then put them in my shoes so they would stay dry.


Life is still great.  Working hard trying to show a good example for the new missionary.  Pray that i can keep it up till the end.


I love you guys. see you in a few short weeks.


love


elder christian price

Hey mom and dad


What to bring to japan?  Well it will be cooling off but it will still be hot. Shorts should be perfectly fine.  Maybe bring 1 or 2 pairs of pants just in case.  Definitely bring jackets just in case it gets cold.  If I remeber right, the evenings can get chilly.

That is great that the Satos said that it was ok to meet. Did they respond in English?  I am way excited.

So about you coming here.  If you want I could probably pick you up at the airport if you want and we could do something on Thursday.  I am not exactly sure where I will be for my last week but I think i will be in the mission home.  That is what makes the most sense.  If I am there the possibility of me picking you guys up is very high.  What do you think?

The plan looks good.  I am way excited.  I have acouple of people I want to see but I will probably see them at confrence. I need to double check that confrence is on he 9th.  If it is it works out perfectly.  I would say to bring between 10 and 15 omiage`s.  Probably closer to 15. What exactly are you going to bring anyways?  If they are big and hard to bring what ever wroks is ok.  I dont know exactly how many people I will visit/see so about 10to15 should do it.

Ok now to my week.

This week we worked hard and did what we could with the new study schedule we have for new missionaries.  Some days we would have no time to go out because of appointments with memberts etc.  It was kind of rough.  We would talk to alot of way cool nice peolple but when it came time to meet again and talk about Christ they said they couldnt.  Kind of frusturating but we love them and we hope to see them again on the street.  Then Sunday came with no one coming to chruch and no new investigators for the week.  Kind of a bummer.  I thought I would be reporting alot of zeros that night.  But halfway through sacrament meeting we got a call from a potential investigator that we had met about month ago.  He was having a rought day and so he called us to meet us.  I told him we were at chruch so if he wanted to meet he would have to come to chruch.  So he did.  He had a good time.  We had a temple fireside and a pot luck after church.  He came to both of those and the members were really nice.  He felt way welcome.  He became our first new investigator of the transfer.  He is not the strongest investigator but he knows why the missionaries are here.  To help.  He knows that if he called us he could feel better.  What a tender mercy from the Lord.

This strengthened my testimony that the Lord is watching over us and knows what we are going through.  I will work hard even if we never find and investigator and I wont complain.  I know that this is the Lords work and that no matter what happens as long as I am working hard and doing my best it will all work out.

I love you all.  I am getting excited for you all to come. see you soon

elder christian price

pictures!!!
1 meand my comp
2the kouchi castle
3 cool statue in the castle

4 the veiw fromteh castle

Hey family,

How are you?  I am great. My new comp is from utah, american fork. hey mom do you remember a kid named Brandon Healey?  He went to elementary school with me.  Well, I am his cousins trainer.  My comps name is Healey.  He is awesome.  We hit it off right from the start.  We like the same things we are both chill and we are both ready to work.  This past we we have had not alot of time to work but this week is going to be amazing.  I know it.
No dad ihave not eaten biscuits and gravy for over 2 years.  I cant even imagine the taste.  That is how long I havent eaten it.

I am also excited for you to come.  We definately need to go to the noodle factory and the ninja museum.  When it gets closer I can solitify plans but that will probably take up most of our time. we also need to go to Nara and see the deer(dad i know you would love that) and see the biggest budda statue in the world.  It is way cool.  Hiroshima; if we take the shinkansen it probably wont take us too long to get there but it will eat up some time.  The matsuda factory sounds fun too.  Becasue we only have 4 days I think we will have just enough time to do all of it. Sunday will be general confrence in Japan I think so we will probably go to Yamatokoriyama because there I can see the members from Nabari and from Yamatokoriyama.  And then that day we can go to Nara and stuff maybe.  I will give it more thought in a couple of weeks
I sent the translated letter to the Sato family last week.  It was kind of hard to find the address and make sure tha it was correct but I think it was.  I will wait about another week before I try agian or call.  I will get the numbers from the old email you sent me.

I cant believe Kyle is getting back. thats crazy.  Tell him hi for me will ya. and I am glad that Greg is doing well and gave a good talk.  Missions are the best.  They shape our lives, and teach us how to be, how to face the hard times. I am so thankful for this opportunity and I am sad that it is coming to a close but it is just one amazing chapter.  This last 6 weeks is going to be heaven becuase that is what happens when you get blessings from God and you see his hand in the work.

I love you all and cant wait until we meet again.


love


elder christian price

Hey mom and dad,

...Next the nuclear thing and food.  You probably are a little worried about it but I dont really know. We dont watch the news.  An english class student said that the store we shop at had been selling meat that had been tainted with radiation but I couldnt taste the difference but even with that being said the store is still open and a whole bunch of people still go there so I dont think it is that big of a deal.  Sometimes people in Japan like to make it seem bigger than it realy is. They really dont like nuclear stuff here or some peolpe don't so they amplify that kind of stuff, I think. I dont watch the news so I dont know.


Ok now this week was crazy. There was the Yosakoi festival (yosakoi matsuri).  It was 3 days of straight dancing from 12 to 10 all over the city.  I took some way cool pictures and videos.  Just to explain Yosakoi a little bit, there are over 100 teams and they use wooden paddles that have two pieces that move so when you move it fast they snap.  So they play really loud music and walk/dance in the streets and in large coverd walkways.  It is nuts.  My pictures and videos don't do it justice.  There were a billion people here from all over.  I will send some pics later.  Then after that the Obon festival started.  It is not as extravigant but it is all over Japan.  It is a buddhist festival where they beleive that their ancestors come to visit them and their graves.  It is pretty neat.  It is summer vacation so when ever we find people they say call me after summer vacations and stuff so we have been struggling to find new investigators.  And with all the festivals going on it is hard to talk to people.  All we can do is try right?


This morning we got transfer calls and ........ I will be staying in kouchi and I will be training a new missionary.  I thought I would.  It is going to be way fun.  It is also going to help focus more on the work and work even harder to show the new missionary how to work hard.  I am excited. I will send his picture next week.


This week during study I learned about prayer.  There is a good part in pmg chapter 4 that talks about praying with faith and has 11 steps to good effective prayers.  You should read it and try to apply some of the things.  It has really helped me in my prayers.  Prayer is so powerfull but it is so easy to make it a routine and repetitive.  Especially as missionaries prayer is key. Realizing that it is a conversation with God and treating it like one is really important.  When we have that faith and pray earnestly anything can happen.  I am looking forward to working with a new missionary and working hard.


You are the best family every.  I know not just my immediate family reads these so when I say family I do mean everyone.  I am so blessed to have such a great supprotive family.  There is no greater blessing than a happy supportive family.


love you all


elder christian price


pictures.


first 4 are of yosakoi


then last one is of the last district meeting of the transfer.