The Best 2 Years: Elder Jace Thompson in Omaha/Japan: the one where he moved to okayama

"Boom, you looking for this?"

Well, starting with Monday, we had District P Day, and you already know we hit up another meat buffet! After eating, we went bowling and man bowling is so fun! While bowling, every once in a while, they have the 'midnight bowl' where the lights go down and music intensifies, and crap gets real. Every lane gets one bowl, and if you get a strike, you get a prize and bragging rights. We'll yours truly was lucky enough to have the midnight bowling land on him and then proceeded to bowl a nice strike 😏😏 If you wanna see the video, it's on the album😁

Tuesday, we had our Last DCM with the district! It was really good and kinda bittersweet because two missionaries in the district are heading home this transfer. It was a super good transfer with them, and I could have had a better district to be district leader over! At the end of the day, we went to dinner with one of our members, Ito 姉妹 and it was super great! We also got transfer calls and (not to my surprise) I was getting transferred! In my last interview with Pres, he told me that I was going to get transferred and that he wants me to go around to all the zones in the mission! So I had a guess of where I was going. I found out that I was going to Okayama! Not too surprised, but I am becoming a Zone Leader, and that was very surprising! Gonna see how this goes! 😆

Wednesday, we went to dinner with another member named Irie 兄弟! He's one of the best members in the ward, and we love going out with him! He always takes us to the best okonomiyaki (cabbage Pancake) place that has been run by the same old lady for like a hundred years or something (I'm pretty sure she's got Pres Nelly beat on age).

Thursday, we had a final goodbye farewell with our recently baptized member, Mima, and then our other friends Kai and Takafumi! They are so kind and they gave me and Elder Campbell lots of gifts (it was also his birthday celebration because it was in a couple of days). Those guys are the absolute best, and I'm really gonna miss them a lot!

Friday was my last day in Osaka! We spent most of the day doing pretty regular things, and then at night, we had our last ping pong night! It was sad to say goodbye to everyone, but I'm sure I'll see them again at some point! I love Osaka and would love to come back, even if only visiting!

Saturday, we got up, and I left for Okayama! It was a long day of traveling, but overall, it was pretty good! I got to meet up with lots of sweet missionaries along the way and say goodbye to some of the ones going home! Once I got to Okayama, I immediately got picked up by my new comp, Elder Lopes (He's from Brazil, and he's such a good dude! He also doesn't speak any English, so I'm going to learn a lot more Japanese this transfer)! I'm super excited!😁😆 He's also on his last transfer, so I'm going to kill him!) and by a senior couple that's in our area. We left to go to a sports night that some ward members and other friends were having! Finally, somewhere I really belong😆😆 We played a ton of basketball and volleyball and had a great time together! After playing, we went with one of our friends and got some shaved ice and hung out!

Sunday, we went to church, and I was introducing myself to all of the new members! They are all super awesome people, and I am beyond excited to work with them for the next while! After church, we had lots of calls to make for being ZL and then did the usual missionary work for the rest of the day!

Spiritual Thought:

3 Nephi 11:11

And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.

"Because each of you in this audience is precious to God and to this Church, I close with this special apostolic declaration. Before you ever received the gift of the Holy Ghost, you had the Light of Christ planted in your soul, that “light which is in all things, … giveth life to all things,” and is the influence for good in the hearts of all people who have ever lived or ever will live. That light was given to protect you and teach you. One of its central messages is that life is the most precious of all gifts, a gift which is obtained eternally only through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Light and Life of the World, the Only Begotten Son of God came to give us life by conquering death."

—Jeffrey R. Holland