August 10th

Monday we travelled to a zone conference at Matsudo, Japan. This was quite a distance away although it is still the Tokyo Mission. We left home about 7:15 with the Goths. We had to transfer a couple of times. We saw these Elders headed the same way. We knew we were headed in the right direction. They are Elders Chase and Sorenson.

Interesting sign on a building.

And the Sunny Place...

Here we met four other elders who told us a quicker way to get to the church. I don't have their names. They were so excited and enthusiastic.

President and Sister Albrecht and a man who helps with physical facilities.

The Goths and Rulon at the lunch. Just look at that room full of missionaries!

Some even ate on the stage as we ran out of seats.

This is the chapel! I just couldn't believe how huge it was and how beautiful. It is very new. The parking is on the ground level, the chapel on the 2nd, classrooms on the 3rd and 4th and the gym and stage are on the 5th. It is the largest chapel in Japan.

The Pachinco Parlor is next door.

Going home I snapped this sleepy girl and her brother (sucking his thumb)!

Men's shoe styles with pointed toes -very popular in Japan.

This zone conference was just half of the missionaries in the Tokyo Mission. Thursday we will meet with the others at a different location.

I wish everyone could have heard the message from President Albrecht. He was the dean of the college of business at BYU for 10 years before he came here a year ago. His message was on the atonement of Jesus Christ and I have never heard it explained so clearly and so enthusiastically. Because of the Fall, we are subject to both physical and spiritual death. Physical death of the body is overcome by the universal gift of resurrection. All will be resurrected. Spiritual death is the separation from God. We are accountable for our own sins. There is no way we can overcome these sins on our own. Because Christ died and atoned for us, He rescues us from the demands of justice - He stands in our place and assumes our sins. This is the mercy that is extended to us. We all have to do our part also by exercising faith in Christ, repenting, being baptized for the remission of our sins and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Everyone must take these steps. That is what the missionaries are to tell the people. There is a way to come to come back into God's presence. President Albrecht told us that we ought to be the most enthusiastic people on earth because we know these things. We must share this knowledge with everyone. I know I was inspired and I hope that the missionaries will be able keep these things in mind. This work is hard and sometimes they become discouraged. Messages like this one strengthen us all and help us go forward.