One month left!

One month from today Steven will be in the MTC!  Everything is done, purchased, talks given, ordered, copied, completed and ready to go.  Well, one thing left.....attending the temple this Saturday.  What a wonderful day that will be!  

I read an email today that all missionaries in the Phillipines are accounted for and safe!  I began to sob. How grateful I am that our Heavenly Father watches over His servants!  

Steven's Mission President

Biography

Kazuhiko and Tazuki Tashiro Yamashita 

The Mission President in the Japan Nagoya Mission is Kazuhiko Yamashita, 59, and Tazuko Tashiro Yamashita, six children, Tokyo 1st Ward, Tokyo Japan South Stake (English).

Elder Yamashita serves in the First Quorum of the Seventy and as a member of the Asia North Area Presidency. He is a former Area Seventy, counselor in a mission presidency, stake president, stake mission president, high councilor, and bishop. Retired university professor. Born in Tokyo, Japan, to Kiyoshi Yamashita and Sadae Nakazawa.

Sister Yamashita is a former stake Relief Society and Primary president, ward Primary president, counselor in a ward Relief Society presidency, welfare Church-service missionary, and stake missionary. Born in Miyazaki, Japan, to Kazuo Hazeyama and Aki Tasharo 

Ready.....set......

Well, "Go!" isn't here yet.  Some days we cannot believe how fast time is going, then others it seems to be going so slow.  I enjoy every minute though.  I posted a photo of the back of our van.  We have had so many write congratulations on it, honk and give thumbs up, yell congratulations.  It is amazing!  Steven has had countless opportunities to share where he is going and why.  Many in our little town know us one way or another and we cannot go anywhere and not have someone ask about his mission.  The tire place, the Dollar Store, Raleys, the gas station, the library...that was who we talked to about it just yesterday.  Today it has been CORE Placer, the foot doctor, and a lady at Grocery Outlet. It is cool though.  I told Steven to keep track in his journal!  It will be good practice when he has to fill out his reports every day on his mission!

He is all healed from his surgeries and now working on getting his legs ready for a lot of bike riding.  

It is Sheri's birthday today and he keeps reminding her that he won't be here for her next birthday, or the next!  She just tells him....that's ok.  I get your bedroom!  I don't know what she means by that, but it quieted him down.  They will miss teasing each other a lot!

Wisdom gone....

Steven got his wisdom teeth removed on Friday.  Steve took a video of how he was when he came to. I chose NOT to share it.  I explained to the nurse that usually Steven is quite reserved!  We all had a good laugh.  He is doing well.  He is allergic to many pain medications  and the one he was prescribed was no different, so he is handling the pain with just Tylenol.  He is a trooper!  He looks forward to sleeping in his own bed tonight.  He has had to be propped up on the couch the last couple of nights and didn't sleep very well.  He is all fixed up to head on his mission now!  He is grateful this week is over with.  Next week he has his interviews to finish up his Eagle project.  We aren't sure if there will be time for him to actually be presented with it before his mission, but hope so.  He has been very busy the last 4 weeks!  Tomorrow is only 1 month since he got his call and it feels like 6 months!!  Today our family just all relaxed.  He is recuperating, Sheri and mom have the flu and Steve is getting caught up on some much needed sleep!  It was nice to take time for our family to heal!

Steven's toes are ready to serve!

Steven had his toes worked on today.  They are ready now for all the walking and bike riding he will be doing.  Well,  in a few days they will be ready. He says they are quite tender right now.  Friday is the big day to have his wisdom teeth removed!  Friday is the last thing to get done. 

 We are learning so many new things. He was instructed to go on to Family Search and create and print his fan chart to bring on his mission.  If you haven't done that for yourself yet, you need to.  It is awesome.

Here is a tame picture of his toes.  Dad took pictures as the doctor was doing the procedures.  I didn't think they would be very good to include! 

Post from Mission President

Today, once again, was an exciting day for Steven.  He got a letter from President Kazuhiko Yamashita, his Mission President. Yes, you will recognize him from General Confernce! He told him a lot about Japan and that Mt. Fuji and Nagano are in his mission boundaries.  Also that Steven's mission will be a biking mission, so he will need to purchase a bike once he arrives in Japan.  They said....DO NOT purchase a bike used from a previous missionary. Purchase a new one!  Also, that the bike shops will want to sell you a bike that is too small, so be sure to get the right size so you don't injure your legs or knees.  He explained that they want to sell M bikes, but many need L or XL, so don't hesitate to say no and get a larger one.  So....Steven is trying to learn in Japanese "No.  I need a bike that is bigger". It was awesome to see the postmark "Japon" (yes, Japon) on his letter and to see the Japanese writing on the inside.  It is wonderful!

We checked the map....if Steven gets to attend the Tokyo Temple, he will go right past the Nagano Alps and past Mt. Fuji!  I look forward to some awesome pictures.  My father was a career navy man and he spent time in Japan.  He said it was the most beautiful place on earth and had always hoped to take his family there.  I look forward to Steven seeing Japan through his grandfather's eyes as he reflects on those things that brought joy to my father when he was there.  We are working hard to save, save so when it is time for Steven to come home we can go to Japan to greet him.  We are all so excited about the service Steven will be doing.  One of the questions that his mission president asked him was, "Why do you want to serve a mission"?  Steven turned to me and said that that was hard for him to answer because there aren't words that can describe how he feels about serving.  I told him to listen to his heart.  He said, "I want to serve because I am so grateful every minute of the day for all the wonderful blessings my Heavenly Father gives me.  Serving is one very small way I feel I can just begin to thank Him for all He and His Son, Jesus Christ, has done and continues to do for me".

Almost ready to travel!

Well, Steven is all current on his vaccines as of today.  He also received his passport in the mail.  Next is his Visa.  This is all new to us, so every time he gets something in the mail we get excited all over again.  Next week he has his "surgeries"..... He isn't excited about that at all though.  But they will be over and no more infected ingrown toenails and no more wisdom teeth!  Hang in there, Steven!  It is so amazing to me how every little thing that needs to be done before he leaves has been so easy and completed so quickly.  It is also wonderful to share all of this excitement with others.  We were in the UPS Store the other morning getting pictures taken for his Visa.  The lady who helped us a week earlier with his passport photos walked in.  She stopped and looked at us and said, "This is so odd!  I was just thinking about you and what you are going to be doing in Japan."  We had a little chat and the workers there are so excited for Steven.  I look forward to mailing his packages from there and keeping them posted on his mission!  We met another lady today who gave him his last vaccine and she was so interested about his going to Japan.  We have the words "Steven Williams Jr has been called to the Japan Nagoya Mission!" on the back window of our van.  When we travel anywhere we have to watch our behavior when people honk at us!  We have had so many honk and give us a thumbs up.  On the freeway in Sacramento the other day we kept wondering why the car next to us was honking!  We looked over and they were all smiles and thumbs up.  It is awesome!  Life is wonderful when you have a child preparing to serve a mission!  There are so many fun and exciting adventures!!