Hello all,
Here’s a quick update from your favorite missionaries in Tokyo.
New Year Visits
New Year’s is The Big Holiday here in Japan. Most everything is closed for the week after New Year’s Day while people spend time at home with their families.
For missionaries, it’s a little slow, but it gives us some time to spend with members, and that’s what we did.
On New Year’s Day, President Kudo from the Tokyo Stake Presidency and his wife called us and asked if we were free for dinner. We were. So they arranged for us to meet at the train station, then drop by the hospital on our way to their home for dinner.
Why? Because Sister Soma is still in the hospital. You may remember from a previous letter – Elder Low baptized Brother and Sister Soma when he was a young missionary over 42 years ago. Sister Soma is currently dealing with multiple health issues related to age, and wound up spending the holidays in the hospital.
Hospitals here in Japan are still under strict Covid protocols. Only family members are allowed to visit, and only two at a time. And of course, the masks. Elder Low worried how he was going to get into the hospital if only family members were allowed.
So President Kudo picked us up at the train station and drove us to the hospital where we met Brother Soma in the parking lot. Then Brother Soma and Elder Low went in the hospital while Sister Low and President Kudo waited outside.
Inside the front door, there was a security desk where you fill out a form and obtain a visitor permit. While Brother Soma started filling out the form, the security guard pointed at Elder Low and sternly asked, “What’s his relation to the patient?”
“He’s our son.” said Brother Soma.
Long pause. We both looked at the security guard straight in the eye, and didn’t say a word.
“OK then.”
And it’s true. The Somas feel like Elder Low is their son, and he treats them as his Japanese parents.
Sister Soma was overjoyed when Elder Low walked in. Absolutely thrilled. We closed the curtains, took off masks and had a long, long talk. Elder Low actually ended up overstaying the allowed visiting time and the nurses began to get nervous.
“Who’s the American who speaks Japanese so well?”
“It says here he’s her son.”
“Really? Hmm. Well, he should have left by now.”
She wouldn’t let go of his hand. Tears came as she repeated, “I love you Elder Low,” over and over.
It was a precious, eternal moment for both of us. One that neither of us will ever forget.
From there, we went with Brother Soma to the Kudos home and ate an amazing meal. We ended up staying late, talking and laughing. It was so fun.
The next day, Brother and Sister Ono invited us to their home for a New Year’s dinner, along with the young missionaries in our district. Two of the Ono children attend our YSA branch and Brother Ono is the stake high councilor assigned to the YSA branch. You won’t find a happier family on earth. We’re always amazed at their cheerfulness.
The Onos went all out and prepared king crab nabe, along with sushi, fried chicken, and about 40 other delicious things. The Onos have a tradition of preparing a huge feast for the missionaries every New Year. For them, it’s a way to show gratitude.
This was a meal like no other. It’s hard to describe how amazing it was. We are so grateful to them. We dearly love this family.
It’s one of the big surprises about our mission. We weren’t prepared for it. Coming into this adventure, we didn’t expect these wonderful people, and so many others like them would become such an important part of our lives. They are now part of us. We love them as if we’ve known them for decades and they mean so much to us. We’d do anything for them.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God…
-Ephesians 2:19
New Year Lunch
Today after church, our YSA kids decided to have a “Shinnenkai” (New Year’s Meeting), with the main topic of the meeting being lunch. They decided to do a gyoza making party, where we all sit down and make hundreds of dumplings together, then eat them. Sister Low pitched in and cooked some rice and a big pot of miso soup. Then we all sat together and ate and laughed and talked. About 40 of us.
Then after that, we cleaned up. Last year, one of the things we realized we needed was a large set of miso soup bowls. Miso soup doesn’t serve well in a paper bowl. When we asked, we got some resistance, because there wasn’t budget money for 80 miso soup bowls in either the branch or institute budget allowance. But when Elder Low threatened to pay for them for them by himself, the bowls magically appeared.
But actually – we bought the bowls for a different, specific reason, and today was a perfect example. They need to be washed after every use. That creates situations like this:
Boys and girls, washing and drying and talking and laughing together. Before, they just threw the paper bowl in the trash. Now they work together to clean up and get to know each other better. Mission accomplished.
That’s it for now, but there’s more to come, so stay tuned.
Dear grandkids – don’t forget to pray for your missionary grandparents.
We love you and miss you,
Elder & Sister Low
Elder & Sister Low 