Hey everyone! 

I hope everyone had a good fun week in the cold weather! It's seems to be snowing across all of Japan! Well, maybe not Okinawa. Snow in Tsukuba too? It's been snowing from Thursday on. None of it really sticks but it's snowed a lot. Most of it melts around noon though so that's kinda sad. Working In the snow was pretty fun. Nishiwaki didn't get a lot of snow but the areas around us, Fukuchiyama, Toyoka, and Tottori got a ton it sounds like! Like a meter of snow! Haha sounded like they had a lot of fun last week in the snow. 

It's Valentines Day tomorrow! I forgot about that haha! Actually tomorrow we have Zone Conference clear out in Osaka. Actually in my last area Okamachi! So it will be funny to go back to that building for Conference tomorrow. So the Fukuchiyama Zone (the one I'm in right now) and the Osaka North Zone (the one I was in three transfers ago) combined last week! So now the Zone is twice as big but Zone Conference is twice as far now. It will take a few hours to get to the Okamachi for Zone Conference tomorrow but it should be a really good conference. I'm really excited! Only got one more Zone Conference I think and after tomorrow, only one more interview! It's crazy! The next ones are in April. 

We did have transfers here this last week and Elder Sepos transferred out! It was surprising but he was only here for one transfer and left. Super fast. He left last Thursday and transferred to Shikoku, a place called Imabari in Ehime ken. Not sure if you have heard of the apparent "world famous" Imabari Towels, but he's in the area where they make them. So as of last Thursday my new companion is Elder Suzuki. He's half Japanese from California...again. Man my last three companions have been from California.. He didn't know Japanese though. Actually his dads like a third generation Japanese American. 

 The weeks been good though. We've been working hard and seeing miracles that come from it. We've met a lot of good nice people lately and have placed a few Book of Mormon and got a few phone numbers to set up an appointment. 

On Saturday we decided to go to a place in our area called Sasayama. We never really go there because it's an hour away away by train! Haha our areas pretty huge and Sasayama is kind of in the middle of our area. Nishiwaki is in the far west side of our area. But we decided to visit the Aoba's and try proselyting in Sasayama. So we hauled our bikes on the train and rode our bikes around in Sasayama. Pretty big pain in the butt but there's no other way haha. The Aoba's are a way cool young family. Aoba 兄弟's dad is an area 70. So his dads a general authority who lives on Shikoku. But Aoba 姉妹 is from Nagoya and went to the Meito Ward! Haha didn't know that until Saturday but it was way cool. She knows the Yoneda's and a few of the same people I still remember. Honestly can't remember a lot of names, just faces. But it sounds like she moved there in 2011, probably right when we moved back to America. They are a way cool family with two kids though, total life goals right there. 

Sasayama isn't the greatest to work in though. It's pretty Inaka with nothing there. But we set a return appointment with a Filipino in Sasayama so we have to come back again on Saturday and haul our bikes clear out there, such a pain in the butt. 

That's cool that Sister Tanda came back to Tsukuba for the baptism. I wonder how she is doing. I hope her health is back to normal. Do you mean Elder Suda? I know Elder Suda, didn't know his sister was in the Tsukuba Ward though! That's really cool. Elder Suda was my MTC companion! I think he's in Osaka now though. He goes home in a month now, 6 weeks before I do. 

Actually lately I've noticed how tired and broken my body is now though haha. Two years really does it to you. My back always hurts, my legs always hurt and are sore, I'm so tired...always. Just have to ganbaru for 11 more weeks. 

There's a story I heard of an apostle, a really long time ago, who spent the night at a bed in breakfast. The owner wanted to hear how an apostle prayed so when the apostle went to pray she snuck up by the door and listened in on the prayer. The apostles prayer went something like this. "Heavenly Father, your servant is tired. Amen." And he went to bed. 

I've decided my last prayer on my mission will be like that. 

Well this week should be a somewhat good week. We have been finding a few new people. Lately there have been people who have contacted us first and asked if we were the missionaries. We've been able to exchange contact information and set up a few second appointments with those people as well. The area has been picking up lately and we've been finding a lot of good people to teach. Hopefully some of these will turn into progressives and come to church! That's been the hardest thing to get people to do right now. Just come to church people! Haha. Lately we've been contacting more people and teaching more lessons though. If the mission and the church counted the lessons we taught it would probably be like twice as much now but they don't do that anymore. We're just focusing on finding new investigators! 

Well that's been bout it for this past week. It sounds like, everyone else had a pretty alright week. Hope you all have a good week this week as well! Thank you all and love ya! 

- Elder Durrant