Info on the Phoenix Temple Open House

Since Sean had mentioned it in a couple of his recent emails home, here is the info that you will need to get involved in this amazing opportunity!

What: Phoenix AZ Temple Open House – 40 minute lectured tours (viewing the entirety of the temple before it gets dedicated) throughout the day, includes a short video and time to ask questions.

Where: 5220 West Pinnacle Peak Road, Phoenix, Arizona

When: Friday, October 10th through Saturday, November 1st, 2014 (open Monday from 8am-5pm, Tuesday through Saturday 8am-8pm, no tours available on Sundays)

Reserving a tour time is encouraged. Go to: https://templeopenhouse.lds.org/tickets/ to make your reservation today! (Or contact myself or one of my family members and we’ll go with you!)

Parking will be directed to Wet n Wild unless you have some physical limitations – a few parking spaces are reserved for those in the church parking lot next to the temple.

I am so, so, SO grateful for temples and excited for the opportunity to share that with everyone 🙂

Reading from the Scriptures

Seeing as how Call Choro has been inviting us to read particular scriptures with each of his emails home, I figured it only appropriate to include a link to the online version of scriptures for those of you who do not have the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants or the Pearl of Great Price. Below is a link to the most recently updated version of the LDS set of scriptures – the scriptures themselves have not been changed, but there have been changes to the cross references and inserts (the hard copies have photos and maps included).

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/new-edition?lang=eng 

I am also including a link to request a free copy of the Book of Mormon and the Bible (for those of you who do not yet have your own hard copy):

FREE Book of Mormon: http://www.mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon?gclid=CjwKEAjwnNqgBRDdgOitrZPj6yYSJACM86tD3tes1wLaMvESdg7–ilw9487-cnGBp-20FrvXtLE_RoCjGjw_wcB&CID=33121110&s_kwcid=AL!3737!3!23873304735!b!!g!!+book%20of%20+mormon%20+free&ef_id=UwdYaQAABLJg28-Z:20140915174340:s

FREE (King James Version) Bible: http://www.mormon.org/free-bible?gclid=CjwKEAjwnNqgBRDdgOitrZPj6yYSJACM86tDw8NdFawulD6UmSZa2CPW0v7bnG1Hu-RwSJ-mgfOToBoCVB_w_wcB&CID=33091010&s_kwcid=AL!3737!3!23873303295!p!!g!!free%20bible&ef_id=UwdYaQAABLJg28-Z:20140915174522:s

Happy studying! If you have any questions, feel free to send me (Amy) a message or text OR there is a 24-hour chat service available on Mormon.org that can answer your questions too.

Weekly Update – September 14, 2014

So basically i keep forgetting words in english and its really annoying to write in my journal now. We just had a lesson with one of our investigators names Saito Shu-kun he has a slight hint of seishin byo (it means basically mental) but it just makes him really nervous and anxious. BUT! our lesson was really good, we all did introductions and then we shared experiences when prayer helped us. We had a member there as well rikunou kyodai who helped a lot, i feel. He is super nice too. Earlier today we had a bbq up in the forest and i almost died because its way too beautiful up here in japan. Sadly this week i cannot send picture because reasons. But next week hopefully i can. Also i heard that the temple is having its open house soon! im super excited for all of you out in the phoenix area. But anyway i learned last week in church that the temple here is planned to completed on the twelfth month of next year, WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!! I can’t wait to see my converts go through the temple to receive their endowments.

This week I taught our investigator Fukushima-san and he said no-no-no-no-no-no-no to prayer but he is using his wife dying as an excuse to not do anything, but i think he really likes us. maybe once he figures out we just want to help him out he will be more willing. In our eikaiwa (english conversation) i tried to lift up Sakamura choro and it didn’t work out very well. We had 3 contacts in this really nice area and i felt pretty good about it. we visited Washio-san and gave her a Book of Mormon and she said she might read it, so that’s awesome. This week was really barabara (all over the place) because our plans would fall through, or something would pop up but it was really tiring in a good way. This Thursday we did almost nothing because it was raining for a day straight and the AP`s called us and told us not to leave the apartment.

We didn’t actually have that hard of a time though since we have rain gear but on thursday we tried to visit one of our english investigators and his store was closed and nobody was home but still it was worth a shot. but listen to this, on saturday we decided to just visit his place again and see if we could give him a Book of Mormon. So we go in the restaraunt and he lets us in, i tell him we wanted to sit down and talk a bit, the he says you want to convert me, hey? it was hilarious but then i said well no i feel like you are already converted (which he is, he only reads the bible and just the bible). then we sat and talked, on a saturday, when its the busiest time of the week, and NOBODY CAME IN!!! we gave him the book and he said he WILL read it, no more surety have i heard out of anyone saying anything besides one of the first presidency or the quorum of the twelve apostles. He is the most prepared investigator we have, and i love him so much.

On Thursday night we had an appointment with the Maeda kazoku and we talked to them about prayer and when it is important to pray, which is always by the way. On friday i had Splits with my japanese zone leader and roommates, probably the first day i ever talked only japanese the whole day so far. He seems to think i’m good at Japanese, but i don’t know. i want to say a lot but i cannot most of the times. we had one lesson then we housed for about 3 hours, it was bomb. He has a very interesting finding method where he doesn’t seem to give them to talk and it seems to work for giving them things but we only had 2 appointments made from 34 contacts, anyway he’s an awesome person.

I keep on writing new words i don’t understand in my planner and some days the whole page of notes is filled up with new words, its a really effective use of my time instead of just sitting there not understanding them. I love you all a bunch and i wish to speak to you all so much more but sadly i must return to my epic and life changing work that is through Gods will. Scriptures of the week:

Alma 32:28 – try that seed out and feel for yourself, do your part

Alma 32:41 – work that faith out like some corn starch water (do it seriously)

Moroni 10:4-5 – those promises though

2 John 3:22 – yes

2 Nephi ‘:9 – yes, find that chapter

Much love going out to arizona where the gila river flows once again.

Elder Sean Call

シャン　コール　長老

Weekly Update – September 8, 2014

Hello again everyone from the prettiest country I’ve ever been to!

This is Elder Call about to throw some spirit your way. This time, and probably from now on, i am going to be solely talking about investigators and spiritual experiences.

So first comes scriptures:

2 Nephi (i forgot where it was, ok sue me. but it talks about anyone from the north or the west or the east or the south that you should record your dealings with me (this is Christ speaking) so, keep your journal)

Alma 36 – just read the whole chapter

Mosiah 24:10-16 – God answers our prayers if they are from the heart.

Alma 49 – relate this to someone who is protecting themselves and preparing themselves for a spiritual invasion. Satan will come to tempt us, but not himself. he will send his armies and when we resist him, he does not stop just because we did it once. we must remain righteous lest he overcomes us, like the Nephites we will be safe as long as we walk straightly before the Lord.

Ok, now investigators.

Shohei-kun: he tends to call us and is setting up his own appointments, last time we taught lesson 1 with him and committed him to pray every night before bed. he said he would and he believes in personal revelation. He has doubts about Jesus healing people, so the topic of Priesthood may need some explaining.

Tokuno family: we have decided to have some sports activites with them and to talk to the dad who is hantai (against the church) but he seems really nice and we would like to teach them more often.

Maeda family: same thing with the father but he is really nice and the family is ready for baptism, they just need permission from the father and they need to attend church.

Fukushima-san: he loves english, we teach him 30 minutes english and gospel and he seems to like it ok enough. we call him daily to have him practice his english.

funada family: talked to the wife for about an hour and we gave her a pamphlet. i think she is really nice and the husband is prepared to accept the gospel. he would be baptized if his wife allowed it, but we are working with her now

Kaya-san: super nice old rich lady that owns practically half of the city of chitose (or did but now sold it for loads of cash). we offered her service in her garden and she said she would read the Book of Mormon full time when it starts snowing so i am praying for snow. she has read it a bit but thinks its very difficult to understand (since the japanese do not use the kanji used in the book of mormon)

Saito-san: we stopped him on the road and he just showed up to church, but5 we were not there yet but a member taught him luckily. he aseems really awesome but he is slightly stress crazy (i dont even know engluish anymore) if he is stressed he snaps but he is getting medication and we want to teach him more.

Patrick: a man from Toronto that runs a shop called Cozy Hut: it has amazing food, and he is super awesome and prepared, he reads 10 chapters of the bible every day and is really selfless. we went to his shop and ordered drinks to try to talk to him but a friend came and he talked but we waited. then like 9 people walked in so we left, but the wife grabbed him and he said `im so sorry hey next time i’ll make sure we can talk, ok guys?` isn’t he amazing?

that’s all the investigator lessons we taught this week. i may put in miracles next week so be ready. all my love going out to Arizona right now (just kidding only japan gets my love).

Love you all,

Elder Call
​

Weekly Update – August 31, 2014

Hello my beloved,

I have had an amazing week filled with miracles, we have found 2 people we call kinjin which is literally just gold person, or a golden investigator. They both have their own stories and they are all amazing. I don’t believe in coincidence anymore so when we meet a man who loves america and is really good at English and wants us to teach him, and we meet him while on our way to visit an investigator who was no longer home, yeah that was coincidence all right. WRONG! That was a person who was prepared, being sent to us. We have done so many amazing things and we have eaten amazing food. The members are still astounding me, some of these girls are probably 10-13 and they are coming to church on their own wills, without their parents, its simply amazing. The 2 token grandmas are feeding us around every week and they are just giving us all these things, i love the japanese people so much. I have been able to teach a few lessons and we have made some really high goals but i trust in the Lord, that if it is in His will that we will complete these goals, then it will happen. We have to work really hard but what else is our time to used for than working. We also met a man named Patrick from Toronto, Canada and he has read the bible probably 1000 times. He kept quoting scripture masteries to us and i think he was put into our path as well. He is so nice and i can feel that he is a very strong spirit. I am not entirely sure what to talk about but i think if i remember anything i will tell you all, Well im off to eat some curry!

I set a baptismal date yesterday!!! (Sunday) i am so excited!!! Welp im out of time I love all of you so much and i think about you all the time, keep that awesome flow of blessing coming to you by serving all those around you, fight the good fight.

MAXIMUM AI,

Elder Call

Weekly Update – August 24, 2014

Hey everyone,

Greetings from Japan, How is everyone doing? I am assigned to the Eniwa-Chitose area and it is so beautiful and green. Everyone here is so polite and funny. The members here are so strong and they have amazing testimonies. The proselyting out here is hard but it is really fun. My trainer is really fun, he makes the work fun and he is really cool and full of stories. The food is amazingly good, I had a squid filled with rice, sounds gross but it was super good, the squid was chewy but it was super good. I have had Soba, ramen, and some croquets. They have the best bread here, it just tastes so good and it is so very much better for you im sure since all of their grains arent all augmented like they are in America. I have contacted 40 people already and our goal for baptisms this transfer is 8 we have 6 names behind those numbers but it’s going to be some hard work. Love all of you so much,

Much love from Japan,

Elder Sean Call

I’m here!! (August 19, 2014)

I’m here!!!!! how is everyone doing? i had a 14 hour flight 4 hours of waiting and a time travel packed day yesterday. I woke up on Monday at 5am and arrived on Tuesday in Sapporo at 8pm – so i lost an entire day, i was only awake for 20 hours too. I won’t be getting back this day until i go back home, but it’s really cool. I met another one of my cousins he is related to our 2nd great grandfather which is really closely related, there is also a sister Call out here in the mission, My trainers name is Elder Kent, we are going to be placed in Eniwa-chitose area. Anyway, I’m here, I’m safe and I am slightly sick, but now I’m going to go out and dendo (proselyte) for the first time ever! Love you all!

Weekly Update – August 14, 2014

Good day Everyone,

This week was a little more stressing than the last, we got our flight itinerary then i learned that i am the travel leader for the Sapporo missionaries. I need to start packing today in order to get ready in time for my trip to Japan on Monday. I had my Birthday this last Monday and that was really fun, so many of you sent me letter through dear elder, I now hold the record for 2 things at the mtc. The other is new missionaries hosted in one day. Thank you so much for all the support that you are giving me through everything, even if i cannot see that you are doing it i can feel the differences between the days. We have done so much in this past week, it’s funny though we just made a game to compete against each other using only Japanese but its the last week so we can only play it like twice before we leave. I am very excited to be here and I am beyond ready to leave the MTC. Thanks again for all the letters I love you all. There is so much knowledge we can obtain in this life, that is eternal, feast on that eternal goodness. Read the Book of Mormon, through it we can gain the knowledge we need to answer the questions we have or will have. Do so prayerfully, plan it out, make it important. Thanks for sending me the pictures, everyone loves them and says “Look at you now, that guy with the fauxhawk is a completely different person.” and you know what? they’re right. I have changed so much and for the better if i do say so myself. I have gone through many trials of faith and obedience but i will never give up, through his power can we do anything. I know that all of this is true, and there is really no happenstance, no coincidence, no accidents, it is all by design. The Atonement is infinite, he took account for anything and everything, through it we can become whole. I say these things with a heavy heart in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Call Choro

Weekly Update – August 7, 2014

Mina-san Kon’nichiwa!

Konshu wa subarashikatta, demo watashitachi wa mondai ga arimashita. Ikeda-kyodai wa kami-sama ni shinjiru shinko ga arimasen deshita. Demo mae no lesson no aida watashitachi wa seirei wo kanjimashita. This week was awesome, but we had a problem. Ikeda-kyodai (one of our investigators) did not believe in God, he didn’t have true faith. But our last lesson we taught, we felt the spirit. We centered the whole lesson around one of his problems and he recieved it very well. I studied the whole day and fasted and prayed for it to go well. Kawamura-kyodai (the teacher who plays as Ikeda-san) told us that it was our best lesson yet! Finally by week 8 in the MTC i was able to teach a person not a lesson. I’ll tell you what, there is no better feeling than the joy you feel when you are teaching an investigator with the spirit, and after that lesson when you feel the joy that is promised us that if we bring a soul unto God how great shall be our joy. Every is doing good i assume? Hopefully me going out on my mission has set an example for a few people. This MTC stay is super hard, and i am working through some things that should have been resolves earlier but i wouldn’t change it for the world.

 My investigators are doing well! I think one of them still needs some work before we can teach something and relate it to him, but i know that God and help us with that. The other investigator is doing very well, he has a baptismal date set and we are trying to prepare him for that so that’s our major concern. Am i excited to go to Japan? hmmm, well honestly it still feels fake, I’m sure some of you can attest to that, but i will say that i am excited to be speaking just Japanese when i get there, it’s going to be amazing. Life is indeed a dream come true, I prayed earnestly for the first time not too long ago (before the MTC) and guess what it was for? to go to Japan. God really knows us all personally, and if we pray to him from the heart he will hear and answer our prayers if he deems it expedient unto him. I am not sure what to talk about but i guess i could tell you about how we sung “sweet hour of prayer” in choir on Tuesday, which was awesome. i got to sit next to Crosby choro and Miller choro (previous district leaders). Also did i tell you yet that i met an Elder Call? he comes from one of Anson Call’s sons that went to wisconsin or wyoming (can’t remember) but I will send pictures because he is awesome. Also i have an Arizona friend Elder Thurgood, he is super cool and he was injured so he got to stay here longer and learn more German!

Much love to everyone,

Call choro

Weekly Update – July 31, 2014

Hello Everyone, mina-san kon’nichiwa,

konshu wa honto ni muzukashi desu. Demo Shu no ai o kanjire masu. Kino watashi wa futatsu no lesson ni oshiemashita. This week was really hard, but I can feel the Lord’s love. Yesterday i taught 2 lessons. Neither of which was i prepared for, one of them was with an old man in Japan, his name is kiragi i believe, its hard to read his name (the kanji is old) he is a fisherman and hes really funny. We were teaching him about the doctrine of Christ and i would ask him why he thought it was important to be able to be baptized. He thinks really long and i think hes going to say something profound, then he goes “wakaranai!” really fast so it sounds more like wakanai, which basically means i don’t know. Then we laughed for about 2 minutes. He was really sweet though and he listened carefully to what we had to say. He also helped us with our nihongo. We forgot to challenge him to anything (probably because we didnt get to plan) but hopefully next week we will be able to do so. Our other lesson was with Hiroshi-kyodai and the lesson involved 3 nephi chapter 11. We tried our best to be able to explain the pieces and he asked some really good questions. At the end before we were going to sing the second verse of i believe in Christ a knock came to the door. Hiroshi-kyodai stood up and checked the door but nobody was there. We are just about to open our mouths to sing then another knock comes at the door (at this point i am very well aware that we are slightly over time but come on twice within a minute?) Hiroshi-kyodai opens the door and it’s the next Senkyoshi who are supposed to teach all they say is “Haiaku” Oh boy I was mad, but it can’t be helped. So we sung and had Hiroshi-kyodai pray for us.

Please write me!! I want more mail coming my way!

Love to everybody,

Elder Call, Call Choro