August 12, 2013

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).