My mountain to climb

Hi Family,

So the transfer and quite a bit has happened.

So, after I got my transfer notice, I we went home so that I could pack for the transfer.  I packed all the stuff that I could within 2 days and shipped it off.  I went to some of my favorite places for one last time, including The Dirty, Ishiyamadera Temple, and a beach along Lake Biwa.  After all this, we learned that we still had a lot to do for the new sisters that were coming into the area.  They still needed someone to sign the rental contract, get the keys, and to get all of the furnishings into the apartment.  Guess who would be doing all of that?  So we had to go to the Real Estate Office and hear a long talk in Japanese about what we could and couldn`t do with the apartment.  I didn`t understand any of it because it was in super honorific Japanese.

After that, they stopped by and gave us the keys to the apartment and basically told us "Good Luck".  The Mission Office set up a time for us to be at the apartment so that we could have people stop by and turn on the gas and get necessary furnishings (like a refrigerator) into the apartment.  We stopped by the apartment (which is a lock out apartment that needs you to have a key to get into the apartment complex in the first place) and tried to punch in the code that opens the door to the apartment (it is a number pad lock with a code).  Unfortunately, the Real Estate office told us the wrong code number and we had a bunch of people about to come from Eon (an electronic/furnishings store like Sears).  We had to desperately try every combination that we could think of until we finally guessed the right combination with them arriving just 2 minutes after we figured it out.

We let them furnish the place and set everything up and called the Mission Office like 50 times within a 2 hour period, but we got it done.  We even went by with the Bishop later at night to finish everything up for the sisters.  I can say with all honesty though that it is true that the sisters get special treatment in the mission.  They get a refrigerator that is easily twice as big as ours and they get a system in their shower where a fan goes off so that mold doesn`t grow, while the Elders apartment is overrun by mold.

Another Typhoon happened in Otsu right before I left.  It was pretty bad, heavy rain and everything, but it was really bad because I had already shipped off my clothes to Hirakata and had nothing else to change into for a couple of days.  So, my clothes were completely soaked through and I was just praying that I wouldn`t have a cold on transfer day.  While I did feel really weak in the afternoon of the typhoon, I didn`t get a cold, so that was good.

Transfer Day happened and I went down to Sannomiya in Kobe to meet my new companion.  His name is Elder Rasmusen.  He is really nice and is from Canada.  He is a experienced missionary so that helps with the pressure a lot.  We came to Hirakata and I met Elder Steers again.  It was good to see him even though I am not feeling very well.  We started Weekly Planning session and there was a point where Elder Steers and his companion, Elder Broder, were gone.  I told Elder Rasmusen almost everything that has been going on.  I left out the problems with my last companion, but I did tell him that I have major depression.  He is really understanding and that if I ever need help or to talk to him about it then he is completely open, which helps a bit.

Another thing that happened is that we watched Conference this weekend because it is delayed in Japan.  I liked it, and it was great to hear Elder Hollands talk.

The most interesting thing that has happened this week, though, was when we were going to go visit a referral from one of the members.  The referral is the daughter of one of the members and we were told that we could go and visit her.  So, last night, we decided to go and street along the way.  We met one interesting person after another. I have quickly learned, since I got here, that very unusual people live in Osaka.  Anyways, after contacting people all the way there we finally made our way to the referrals house.  It was in a little tiny alleyway that was barely lit up.  We checked that the address was okay and it was, but the name was wrong.  Confused about whether or not this was the right house, we decided to ring the doorbell anyway.  We rang and this woman picks us and speaks to us over the intercom.  We explain that we are missionaries and friends of her mother and want to meet her.  She keeps asking who we are and we keep explaining our names and why we are there.  She asks us who we are about 15 times and she becomes more panicked each time.  Finally, she says that she is calling the police and hangs up.  We look at each in disbelief that the police will come.  So, we hang around trying to figure out whether or not it is the right house or not.  Then, we heard sirens.  We looked at each other and then got on our bikes and started biking away from the sirens.  We stopped and rationalized that we had done nothing wrong and that it would be better to talk to the police and clear up the misunderstanding.   So, we bike back.  We meet two police officers right when they arrive near the house in this little alleyway.  We explain who we are and what we were trying to do.  They asked for our Resident Alien Cards (Gaijin Cards) and while we were clearing everything up 10 more police officers arrived.  So, there were 12 policeman hanging around this 30 foot radius around this person`s house.  The 4th guy to arrive pulls up and says, `Ah, Morumonkyo, naru hodo.`  Which means, `Ah the Mormons, I see.`  We admitted it and were about to leave after everything was cleared up.  Seeing that 12 policemen were around us, Elder Rasmusen said in Japanese, `Oh, by the way officers, next Sunday we have church services if you want to attend.`  We all laughed and went on our way.  Pretty interesting huh.  At least I have a story to tell now.

Well, the medication is starting to help my appetite and sleeping so that is good, but the panic attacks and depression are still constantly there.  Aunt Pat has really helped me with the therapy so I know what I need to do to try and get better.   She really is amazing.  I talked with Zinke kaicho today, though.  He told me some stuff that we could do to relieve the pressure.  I said, at the end that I thought about what we talked about in our last phone call.  Last phone call, he asked me if I could try and make it through one more transfer and I told him that I needed to go home as soon as possible.  I told him, today, that, after thinking about it, I am willing to try and get through one more transfer, 6 more weeks and see how it goes.  I told him that that might change, but that is what I am willing to do.  I cannot promise that I will stay after the 6 weeks but I think I might try and stay for 6 more weeks.  I might change my mind later on in the transfer, but I am going to try my hardest.  This is my Mountain to Climb.

I love you all and I love the mail that you send to me.  I am struggling every day, hour, and minute, but I feel your prayers and the grace of God keeping everything from falling apart inside of me.

Love you all,

Elder Klein