We have been here in Tokyo now for five weeks. It just
seems like normal to live here except when we go to the store to buy
things. It is a wonderful opportunity to work here in the office
supporting the Area Presidency. They have so much work to do and do a lot
of travelling and do a lot of training of Area Authorities, mission presidents,
and stake presidents. There are 12 missions in our area, 46 stakes and 23
districts. The Asia North Area includes Japan, Korea, the Northern
Mariana Islands, Guam and the Federated States of Micronesia. The Church
is growing quite a lot in the islands but slowly here in Japan and in Korea.
People here are very polite and courteous but not interested in
religion. Japan is only about .7% Christian. Almost all the rest
are a combination of Shinto and Buddhist but few people practice
anything. It is very safe and orderly here but also very expensive to
live here. We attend an English speaking ward in an English speaking
stake. Many of the people in the English speaking wards are from other
countries and work in the embassies and for foreign companies. There
seems to be a lot of great leaders here in Japan, both among the Japanese
members and the foreign members. Many of the Americans are very senior
people in big American corporations with offices here in Tokyo.
We enjoy
the opportunity to work a little with the missionaries serving here in our
ward. Because it is an English speaking ward, most of the baptisms are
people from countries other than the US and Japan. There are several
members from African nations and Latin American nations. We have had the
opportunity to help with the teaching of a young woman from Cuba who will be
baptized in a week or two and also a young man from the Dominican
Republic. When I say young, I mean people in their thirties.
Spanish is the native language for these people so that’s where I come in to
help them understand the teachings and concepts in their own tongue. The
sister from Cuba speaks Japanese, Spanish and very little English. The
brother from the Dominican Republic speaks Spanish, pretty good English and
very little Japanese. So the discussions are really interesting—a
combination of Spanish, Japanese and English. I never would have thought
that I would come to Japan to speak Spanish.
There are around 70 people
who work here in the offices and they are wonderful people. The office is
a mini church headquarters as everything (membership, mission applications,
callings, etc.) come through our office for approval before going to Salt Lake
for final approval. Regarding mission calls, we review everything and
enter them into the system here but the calls come from Salt Lake. There
are five missionary couples who serve here—area medical specialist, area mental
health advisor, public relations, legal support, and us. They are all
very nice people and a couple of them have served multiple missions. It’s
time to get back to our office jobs. Sister Chandler and I chuckled the
other day when we thought about the opportunity we were having to come here and
work in an office all day in Tokyo and we get to pay to do it. We are
just happy to be in the full-time service of the Lord and do whatever we are
asked to do.
Elder
Gary R. Chandler
Executive Secretary
Asia North Area
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Tel. 81-3-3440-2355 (Office), 81-80-6849-1110 (Mobile)
President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “We are
commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that
must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of
its own self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and
nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and
salvation to the human family” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft
Benson [1988], 167).
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