Hey,
So this week has gone really well. we've had more meetings than normal
this transfer, they've been good but i like the normal days better of
being in the field and not in the meeting rooms.. It still hasn't rained
on us yet, which i'm greatful for. it has been starting to get a
little hotter though. not bad yet, just a little warm. i also got a bunch of
letters this last friday. I got 3 from you guys, one from Steve's
family, 1 from brother Hansen keeping me up to date on the latest scout ski
day, and a couple more. it sounds like everything is good back at
home. I sent Steve and Patrick and all them a letter last week so tell them
to look for it in like another month..
This week we had transfer meeting. it was a lot of fun. I'm staying
with Elder Pierson for another transfer (at least), however the other
companionship in our house is getting split up. the junior is leaving and
the senior will be training a new kid coming in on thursday. i'm pretty
excited. i finally wont be the youngest in the house anymore. this
transfer went by crazy fast though. i can't believe i'm already in my 3rd
transfer. we only get 16 of them. this transfer too, in like a month
i'll hit my 6 month mark. thats a whole quater of a mission. i just can't
believe how fast time seem's to be going by. its rediculous.
Thanks for the church articles. that one in the chruch news was really
good. I already read it though. we get all the church news' and ensign
and new era's so its always nice to get and read those. This week too,
we ate a members house a little.. not a pleasant experience. we taught
a lesson and then the guy invited us to stay for dinner. we said we'd
try a little.. they served us this stuff called "shima".. so nasty. i
think its like ground up corn mixed with water that turns into this stuff
that is inbetween mashed patatoes and bread. its got no taste. so
gross though. then they had cooked these little fish with some sort of
sauce over the fish that you dipped the shima in too. the fish was actually
pretty good, but the rest of the stuff i had to choke down. the last
bite was the worst. i honestly thought i might puke. i couldn't chew
it. just had to stick it in my mouth and swallow. i'll cook it for you
someday when i get home. we're actually going to cook it for the
missionary when he arrives.. we're going to try and freak him out a little. it
ought to be fun. i'll let you know how that goes next week. so ya. if
someone ever offers you shima.. don't take it. Plus, just yesterday we
cooked one (the last one too) of your boxes of brownies.. OH! so good.
oh man, i don't think i've ever tasted anything so good. we loved them.
it was Elder Pierson's B-day so we cooked those in honor of him. they
turned out super good too. wow, thanks.
The tracking down members is going as well as it ever will go. its
gonna take a while but hopefully it'll get done. its gonna take a while
though. a long time.. Its actually turning out good in some area's though.
like we found this one family, re-invited them to church and they
we're at church this sunday so that was super good. hopefully they'll keep
coming and be active members. we'll see. however, a lot of it is just
going to be hopeless. its really hard because all the records are done
on paper. only paper. we fill them out, the branch keeps a copy and then
we send a copy down to Maputo where they put it in the computer but
really not a very effecient way of doing things. its super hard to keep
all the records updated. so we've got a lot of paperwork to do.. but who
knows maybe we'll find some really good families that will be
re-activated.. we'll just wait and see.

Also, i got the package with all the pizza stuff in it!! oh man, soooo
good. that pizza and soup will be wonderfull! thanks a million.
however, you really don't need to send one once a month.. that is so many.
once a transfer is even a ton. but thanks. i love all the stuff that i've
been getting. About the Bailey's though.. i have no idea what is going
on. i don't think i'll be able to see them even. maybe, if you could
send me the info on who's picking them up i could leave the stuff with
him then he can give it to him and they could give him the stuff that
you'll send. i asked President Packard about it and he didn't say no, but
he didn't say yes either.. so if we could just exchange that i think
would be the best.. however, i have got stuff i want to send home to you
guys and i really don't want to lug it around in my suitecases so i
really want to get it to the Baileys somehow. not quite sure how thats
gonna work.. but if you could figure that out that would be great! thanks.
i'll only be able to check e-mail next monday. so that will be the
last time you'll have to give me direction on where they'll be and all of
that. so ya. thats about it from me this week. i don't really need
anything. maybe just a couple of book of mormons in english, just the
normal small blue ones.. but other than that, i think i'm good. thanks for
everything though. hope all is well. i'll talk to you all again in week.

Elder Okazaki