We are so grateful for these fine elders who keep the office running smoothly. 

They work tirelessly and cheerfully, and do their assignments so well.

Missionaries love attending the temple together.

Sad sayonara to these sweet sisters - October 3, 2014

 These great missionaries arrived September 30, 2014.

Here they are with their lucky trainers.

 Mission Leadership Council Sept 25, 2014

So sad to see these five go - they will be missed!

August 22, 2014

We had a few missionaries over for lunch yesterday.

 Thank goodness for these sweet ladies who came to help!

Our wonderful office couple on a P-day in Nikko.

You can see the famous "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil" monkeys in the background - this is where they originated, carved on the outside of a stable. 

Here are our brand new missionaries, bravely trying not to melt in the August heat!

Here they are with their awesome trainers, ready to go off to their new areas. 

This devoted dozen left us on July 11, 2014.

This was their farewell dinner at the mission home - sukiyaki!

 This great group arrived July 8, 2014

 Here they are with their trainers.  It was a very windy day!

 Kiryu Zones June 12, 2014

Tokyo Zones June 17, 2014

 Nagaoka/Niigata Zones June 20, 2014

Matsudo Zones June 24, 2014

 Saitama Zones June 26, 2014

Chiba Zones July 1, 2014

We were blessed to have a visit from Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Richard J. Maynes and their wives on May 24, 2014.  This is what it looked like outside the building as missionaries from both the Tokyo and Tokyo South missions started to gather together for this great event.

We welcomed eight great missionaries on June 3, 2014

 

Here they are with their trainers.

We are now at the point where we are sending home elders that arrived after we did, 

so some of these missionaries have been with us for two years.

It was hard to say good-bye to this group of fine missionaries!

Second Chinese Night

This one was held in Nakano on June 14 - another great turn-out.

Our first-ever Chinese Night was a big success! We gathered together Chinese-speakers from all over the mission and they loved having the chance to meet each other.  We already have another one planned for next month.

We reluctantly had to say good-bye to this wonderful couple, who served quietly and faithfully for the last year and a half in Koshigaya.  We don't have any more proselyting senior couples left in our mission now, and would love to have many more couples like them!

Springtime at Arisugawa Park.  

Its a gorgeous setting, made even more special by a glimpse of the Angel Moroni across the street.

This was an international group of returning missionaries -  

they represented Brazil, the USA, New Zealand, Canada and Japan.

We miss them!

 We received 12 new missionaries on April 15. 

 For the first time since we've been here, the majority are Japanese.

 Our new group with their trainers.

Joyful Reunion!

We welcomed our daughter home from her mission in Sapporo in January. 

She has been easing back into post-mission life as she left one mission and came home to another.

The two Sister Budges dressed in kimonos, through the kindness of Sister Aoyagi.

Sakura!

 One of the many things we love about Japan are the blooming cherry trees in the spring!

 This delicate tree is so beautiful it almost doesn't seem real.

Almost every park in Japan boasts some sakura trees.

They are spectacular, but ephemeral.  You have to enjoy them while they last!

Now we have iPads!

 The Assistants and Technology Elders were the first to receive iPad Minis in mid-January.

 Matsudo Zone displaying their new iPads in early February.

These sisters in Niigata are excited about the new technology and its capabilities!

Temple Day!

 Sisters Temple Day April 1, 2014

 The beginning of April is sakura season in Tokyo!

Elders Temple Day April 8, 2014

Some of our recent zone conferences.

 Niigata Zone January 7

 Chiba Zones March 25

Tokyo Zones March 27

We were blessed to have Elder and Sister Whiting tour our mission in January 2014.

January 28 with the Chiba and Matsudo zones. 

 January 29 in Tokyo.

 January 30 with the Saitama and Kiryu zones.

January 31 in Niigata.