Good Bye Pres. & Sis. Albrecht

Here's Jeff''s weekly update:

"The weather this week has been kind of rough actually. We had to stay inside for most of 3 days (not in a row) this last week. It was good though, because we were able to have a really good talk about how we can help investigators and be more effective when we are out finding. We've also been doing a lot of Language study, and we've both been improving a lot I feel (I still have a LONG way to go). Thursday was our last mission conference with the Albrechts, and it was a BLAST! We learned a lot of good things, but also had a lot of fun. We even got Subway sandwiches from off of one of the air bases for lunch. :D Yeah, being in the Japan Tokyo mission is the best ever hehe. It felt good after it was over to be one of the few people not going back to the mission home staying and helping clean up. Our area wasn't too far away, and we didn't have any appointments so we were able to help a lot. Friday we rode our bikes from Tama church, to Machida church and back. I don't know how far it is, but some of the hills are HUGE on the way there and on the way back. Amazingly even though it ended at 8:45 we were able to make it back home in time. (don't ask me how, because it took us almost an hour to get there in the first place). Lastly this week was a stake conference broadcast to all of Japan from SLC. That was really cool, and luckely we got an English room set up for the missionaries and a few others. It was a really cool experience, Elder Oaks, and President Uchtdorf spoke to every stake in Japan"

"Final photo with the Albrechts until the reunions."

It sounds like he's doing well and is working through any language challenges that he and Elder M are having while trying to learn each others languages and function as a working partnership. He isn't loving the humid heat, but at least they aren't dealing with the entire state burning up like we are!

"Hello Kitty World at night. :O Nearly jumped out of my skin when we turned a corner and I saw it, we were totally lost and it was VERY bright compared to the weather around it."

Loving the new area!

"Things are going great in Tama. :) My bike is... well mostly fixed. My 6th and 7th gears don't work right anymore (apparently they're chipped?) but I didn't want to buy new gears so I'm just sticking to 5th and lower for now, which seams to be just fine. Other than that it's been just fine. I dont' remember eating anything too interesting this week. Just what's called the "King size" at a fast food restaurant in Japan. I'll upload photos. It's so big that the chain doesn't post it as an available size, but most missionaries have heard about it. Elder M and I decided we'd give it a try. I timed myself, and it took me a total 17 minutes of non stop eating to finish it, It took him 22 mins. From what I can tell my time was pretty good compared to other missionaries, but I don't plan to do it again anytime soon. :P I was way full, and I didn't eat anything for the whole next 3 meals lol."

King size meal

King size meal 17 min later.

"I found some awesome treasures at a D.I. kind of store today. As well as a great P-day shirt while we were shopping. I bought the P-day shirt, and took photos of the others, I'm sure you'll laugh. :)"  

"The world is filled with Mondays"

Additional thrift store finds? A BSA shirt from Baltimore and a Texas belt!

Other fun photos from this week include:

Cute little brick people and animals

Rice fields

A beautiful rural road

Schweppes British Lemon Tonic

Treasures from an investigator's mountain side home that is being made into a free rest stop and museum in which hikers can rest and/or take refuge from sudden storms.

And some pictures from the outside of Hello Kitty world for the benefit (or torture) of his youngest sister who thinks "We should go on vacation there!"

Broken Bike

This week Elder Mosdell had something of a catastrophe with his bike chain jamming while they were in the farthest part of their area.  The chain not only jammed so badly that Jeff had to carry his bike home on his back, but he also had to take it in to the repair shop where it will cost 5000 yen to repair any damage and replace the chain. He seems to be loving his new companion, area, and ward and is glad to be in "one of the best places to spend the summer"

The shirt he was wearing when he carried his bike home. "I managed to wash it out though."

Apparently missionaries leave funny things in their apartments for future missionaries to enjoy. 
Elder Furugen was Elder Mosdell's first district leader.

"This is a stack of ichi-yens (equivalent of a US penny) they're made of aluminum and feel even more worthless than they are.  I've been saving them so I can make a stack in one of my apartments 8) They're wedged in pretty tight."

A photo they took to post for the ward.

Transfer #4, a new area!

Transfer number 4 happened this week and guess what! Our elder is now in a new location.  After 18 weeks in Yachio Elder Mosdell has been transfered to Tama "it's even smaller than Yachio was but it does have a lot more of  church members." "...and an added bonus is that the apartment, store, post office,  and church are all about 5 minutes by bike from each other. WOOT!". 

Jeff's new companion is Elder M who is Japanese and is working very hard on his English. Jeff is looking forward to studying English and Japanese with Elder M. "My Japanese is about to get really good I feel" I'm guessing that the dining/cooking experience will be changing too!

Photos this week included some lovely scenery from somewhere in the Chiba area:

This weeks food adventure:

"taco rice"

A good bye photo of his first apartment, and a hello photo of the apartment in Tama:

"Yachio's last goodbye"

"Elder M, the welcoming party"

 A few photos of our favorite guy:

"Is it just me, or do I look gross?"

"some... interesting sunglasses that I found"

And a map with his new area marked so we can see where he is hanging out these days. ;)