Stories: Partial Journal-Max Staples
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 -- Add Story
| MY MISSIONARY EXPERIENCES IN YAMAGATA SHI
I arrived in Yamagata with Elder Barton on Saturday morning on May 16, 1959 at 4:40 AM. We lived in a farmhouse with three different families. Our apartment was on the second floor of the farmhouse. I remember waking up to sound of many children running around the house. The benjo was located outside the farmhouse. It was a single holer as we called them on the farm in Utah.
Our church meetings were held in a cultural hall that the church rented. It was sure different than living in Muroran where the church was held in the church owned house. As I listened to the members speak, I felt like I had started my mission over because I had a difficult understanding the Yamagata zuza dialect. I remember the first time that gave the tracting approach; I was surprised that I didn’t understand a word that was said. Elder Barton just smiled and told me that I would catch on to their dialect. I was told later that Japanese that visited Yamagata also had trouble understanding their dialect.
Sister Numazawa was our maid who cooked, cleaned and did the laundry for us. Elder Peterson during the missionary conference changed the policy of having maids in the Elders apartments. We were given the option of having house boys do the cooking and cleaning. We received permission from President Andrus to have Sister Numazawa do our cleaning when we are out of the apartment and do our laundry. We told President Andrus that sister Numazawa would have to use the Fast offering funds to care for her needs if we terminated her employment. We paid her the same amount of money as before. We had to do our own cooking. We prepared our breakfast, but mostly ate out for lunch and supper.
On May 30, 1959 Matsunoi Chikako was baptized by Elder Barton. To my knowledge she was never confirmed. We tried to contact her without any success.
On June 6, 1959 Akai Isao was baptized by Max Staples and confirmed the next day by Elder Barton.
On June 30, 1959 began the week of our Branch conference. A Relief Society meeting was held in the evening. Elder Henry Takahashi President of the East Central District and his companion Elder Francis Forsythe presided at the Ward Conferences. During the days before the Sunday meeting, I was assigned as a Senior companion to Elder Forsythe. It was a new and scary experience. We held many discussions and felt blessed during the week.
On July 4, 1959, Sister Ishigawa was baptized by Elder Barton. She was confirmed the next day.
On Sunday, July 5, 1959 we held our Branch Conference. Priesthood attendance was poor. However there was a large turn out for the other meetings. Forty percent of the branch members were in attendance.
On July 20, 1959, a District meeting was held in Tokyo. It was good to see Elder Takahashi, Elder Forsythe and Elder Law. Elder Law was my Senior companion in Muroran. We fasted, studied and was interviewed by President Andrus. |
| |
|
|
|
List All | Add Story
|
