日本! Week 3

Happy Preparation Day fam!

I love how Mom and Dad are Ute fans for Halloween! Haha it made my day. Those pictures of Jake Kocherhan`s baptism made me cry. I`m so happy for him! Tell him I wish him the best and for him to get ready for the mission field! That`s seriously so cool! Big S/O to Koch! This week has been great. Juliet has a bent rim so the front wheel doesn`t move freely making it twice as difficult to ride. Awesome right? So a few night`s ago we were about to head back to our apartment for the night, it was about a half our ride or so, when this sweet old lady came up and started talking to me, asking where I was from and stuff like that. We started to talk to her and she just kept going on and on and on. She was super curious about our church and what we were doing as missionaries and she gave us her phone number and address so we could go talk to her a little bit next week. Finally I`m looking at Shinohara 長老 like, `dude, we gotta go`. We said goodbye and were able to get out of there at 8:52, mind you, we have a thirty minute ride back home and we have to be there by 9:00 AND my bike has a bent rim. We flew out of the train station and tore down the street for our apartment. Seriously flying, like I was passing cars and scooters and whatever the heck else they drive here. It was crazy! My legs were burning but I knew we had to try our absolute best to be obedient. At 8:58we were halfway home. Dodging traffic and pedestrians, I finally lost sight of my companion, he`s Japanese and rides his bike at about 50 mph wherever we go. So I`m just praying so hard that the Lord might bless me to not get TBoned by a car or to run over a small child. Finally we made it back to our apartment in one piece at 9:04. Late. We gave it our best though. I`ve never been so exhausted in my life. Thirty minute ride in just over twelve. I couldn`t help but think of Christ though, no matter how much we try or how much pain and struggle we go through, it`s nothing compared to what Christ went through in the Garden and on the cross. Obedience is what we give him in the mission field as his servants. We got on our knees when we got inside and told Heavenly Father we gave it our best and asked for forgiveness for being late. I think we were forgiven this time. I hope we baptize that sweet old lady. This week has been great. President and Sister Zinke came to our zone on Wednesday for interviews and training. It was awesome. I don`t know what this mission would do without President Zinke. He seriously has so much revelation available for us and makes us want to hasten the work so badly. We had a great interview and he told me I was progressing faster with everything than is typically normal so I was super stoked! My Japanese is improving so much every day. My companion is the greatest ever. He teaches me everything. Our investigator is getting baptized next Sunday and I get to baptize him! I`m so excited! I memorized the baptismal prayer in Japanese this morning. I seriously can`t wait. The work is progressing here. I`m so glad to be a part of it. I`m so glad to be a missionary. I thank the Lord every time I pray for sending me to this amazing place. I`m trying to make you proud fam! I hope you have a great week! 

All my love,

Giles 長老

Japan: Week 2

Fam,

Yes Dad, my bike is pink. It says Juliet on the side in pink girly letters. She`s a terrible bike that will probably break as Shinohara Choro and I are flying down a hill to a lesson where I probably won`t understand a thing thats said. Starting to get the picture? Haha its awesome! Where do I even start? This week has been so crazy. I have no idea what anyone says but I`m slowly improving. I can start to get the jist of what people are saying so I know I`m on the brink of the learning curve! We haven`t found anyone to teach this week so we`ve spent the majority of the time finding people around the train stations. Most people don`t want to hear our message but thats ok, I love the people. When someone actually stops to talk to us I picture them in their baptism clothes and I`m filled with the spirit. The worth of souls is truly great in the eyes of God. My companion really has been an inspiration. He will seriously talk to ANYONE! Sometimes i`m sketched out about the people he talks to but hey, the lord doesn`t care what they look like on the outside right? I got to stand in the baptismal font where I will baptize our investigator on the 3rd of November and it made me so excited! The guy really has made a big change in his life and is repenting for being so lazy the last ten years or so. He cut his hair and shaved his beard and he looked like a whole new man! We gave him a BYU shirt that was left at the appartment so he`s been wearing that around! It`s awesome. We talked to this guy the other day for a while and then he said he wanted to take us to McDonalds to get a burger because we looked hungry. It was soooo nice of him. We`re going to teach him this week and I really want him to be baptized because he would be an awesome member! He`s an engineer for Kawasaki motorcyles and he was excited when I told him I used to have one! It was the best experience of the mission so far. I`m loving it. I love being a missionary. Have a great week family! I love you so much!

Elder Giles

Note from Pres. & Sis. Zinke

Dear Brother and Sister Giles,

Your son is in his new area with his trainer. It was a pleasure to spend some time together with him in the mission home. We hope you enjoy the picture of your missionary with us and one with him and his trainer.

We have also attached a map of the mission with the names of the different areas.

Thank you again for sending us such a wonderful missionary. We look forward to working with him in the coming months.

Sincerely,
President and Sister Zinke
Japan Kobe Mission

Japan: Week 1

Hi fam!

This week has been a week I will never forget. The mission field is so amazing and I`m having such a great time! I`m in an area called Akashi, just outside of Kobe and It`s awesome! My companion's  name is Elder Shinohara and he`s from up around Nagoya Japan! He`s so awesome. Having a foreign companion has been such a blessing! Our apartment is small but not as small as I thought it would be. Its awesome. I can`t even begin to tell you how much I don`t know any Japanese. It`s exhausting but I know It`s worth it. No one ever said this would be easy. I love it. President and Sister Zinke are incredible people! It was so great to spend those first two nights in the mission home! It was way sad to say goodbye to Elder Donaldson for a little bit. I`ve been great though. This language is hard. The food is different. I`m exhausted all the time, but I know this is where I`m supposed to be. Japan is so amazing. The people here just look at me like, who is that big white guy? It`s hilarious. We have this investigator that`s going to be baptized in a few weeks. He`s homeless so the church has been doing a lot to try and support him. You wouldn`t believe the change that the gospel has brought to his life. I look in his eyes and there`s a new life. It`s incredible. Haha so my bike is white and pink and says `Juliet` on the side. It`s super manly.. The members are great. Sorry I have to go!

Elder Giles

Week 9: last week in Provo MTC

Brother Taylor Hollister, aka: "I climb mountains and I went through SEAL training."  One of the coolest guys ever! I loved having him as a teacher!

Brother Jared Clark. I learned more from this man than he will ever know. Best teacher ever. I've never been more motivated to work hard because of him!

Elder Elg and I after the morning session. He leaves an hour and a half before me on Monday morning so I hope we see each other again in the airport! Awesome missionary.

Group shot of the missionaries leaving to all parts of Japan.

Brother and Sister Daniels. They served as mission president in Sapporo a few years ago. Awesome people! 

Brother Wood. A soft spoken man of amazing faith. He and his wife were so awesome to get to know!

President Butler. One of the greatest men I've ever met. He taught me so much and has amazing faith.

Brother Willes, hands down the greatest man on the planet! He taught me countless lessons and I KNOW I'll be a better missionary because of his influence!

Cool Story I heard a few weeks ago in the MTC - I'm off to JAPAN

Three men passed away and went to heaven. When the first man got to the gates of the kingdom he was greeted by a very nice looking man. The man asked him simply, "What do you know about Jesus Christ." The man paused for a moment, and then responded, "I know he was a great man, he cares and taught great things but was killed by the jews because they didn't believe him." The man smiled and showed him through a door next to gates.
A few minutes later the second man came to the gates of Heaven and was greeted by the same nice looking man. The man asked the same question he asked the previous man, "What do you know about Jesus Christ?" After a long pause the man responded with," He was the only begotten of the Father and man's only perfect example, he died for the sins of the world because he loved man kind and was incredibly selfless." The nice looking man smiled and showed him through another door next to the gates of Heaven.
After a few minutes the third man found his way to the gates. The nice looking man walked up to him with the intent to ask the same question he had the previous two. Before he could ever ask the man looked him in the eye and said, "Master." How well do you know Jesus Christ? It's my testimony that he lives! He died for us and knows of our trials and our pains. He is the Savior and redeemer of the world.
I can't wait to get into the mission field, pray for me. I will need your prayers, letters, emails and support. I have the greatest family & friends in the world supporting me.

Kobe Japan here I come in less than 2 days!
Love you all,
Elder Jeffrey Maxwell Giles

Elder Donaldson and Me.  So lucky to have such a great MTC companion! Solid in the gospel and his testimony of Jesus Christ, he will be a great missionary in Japan.