Fireworks, A Festival and the Shinkansen

Hey Friends!

Well this week was another normal week here in Oyama! Nothing super exciting happened.
This past Thursday we all went to Urawa for a Zone Conferece. It was a really good conference and we recieved several trainings on Goal Setting and Accountability, and Talking to Everyone where we received the challenge to talk to someone in the situation it's hardest for you to talk in. For me it's the train. I have a really hard time talking to people on the trains here. Even so I had an opportunity to apply my training later that day. After the conference we went back to Okegawa so that Elder Kim could see Brother Machii (his first convert) and I got to reminisce on all the fun I had there with Elder Gallacher. 

We ended being there until it started getting late and when we missed our train we discovered that we would not be able to make it home before our 9:30 curfew which is bad considering I have to start my nightly district calls around 9:40. Tensions were high as we searched for a train that would get us there. We couldn't find any. It was then that I remembered someone saying the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) takes just 17 minutes to go from Omiya to Oyama. We bought tickets. The total cost was somewhere around 20 Dollars but we didn't realize there was a boarding fee and a travel fee. It technically was only 10 bucks, which is totally acceptable. We rode the Shinkansen home and got back to the apartment before 9:30. That was a crazy experience and it's one more thing I can check off my list of things to do.

This past weekend was Natsu(Summer) Matsuri(Festival) here in Oyama and they put on a huge 1hour and 30 minute firework show. Apparently it gets better every year. The fireworks were great but our view was a little obstructed and it rained all weekend, including the night of the fireworks so we missed out on most of the fun.

The pictures aren't great but they're sufficient. You will not believe how many people were there wearing Yukatas (Spring Kimonos) The colors were seriously awesome, and the food is to die for.
That's the update for this past week! I'm down to my last week with Elder Kim. We have Temple Day tomorrow and a trip to Nikko next week so I may not be able to write much. I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures though!

Transfer calls are also next week and It does appear that I'll be training. One of the Sister's in my District told me that President Budge told her that I am training. She's not one to gossip so I believe it. President Budge has been dropping me hints all transfer too. With that said I've got a lot of work to do around here! I'm excited to see what the future has in store. I don't know that any transfer could be worse than this past one has been.