Obihiro Zone Activity

The muscle men and women of the Obihiro Zone

The Relief Societies in Hokkaido prepare amazing lunches for our missionaries

The Fall colors are spectacular in Hokkaido

Fall in Hokkaido

Sister Nagayama's Baptismal Service with Elders Nelson, Lottermoser and Senba

Zone Leader/District Leader Council meeting with Elder and Sister Choi

Sister Allred and Sister Dibb from the General Relief Society and Young Women's Presidencies visited Sapporo this past week. They were accompanied by Elders Aoyagi and Choi from the Seventy and all of the Sapporo Stake Presidents were also in attendance

Elder Miller and Elder Ogura for family dinner

Obihiro Zone Conference

Lunch with the Obihiro Elders and APs

Missionary team up with Sister Uchida and Hansen

Ice cream with the Ebetsu Sisters, Eniwa Elders and Sisters, and Atsubetsu Elders

Golf with Elders Lawler, Kashima, Nelson and Lottermoser

We were sad to say good bye to our only Japanese couple missionaries - The Makise's. They returned home to Osaka at the end of October

Morning football at Shinkotoni. Front row: Elders Senba, Ogura. Back Row: Sisters Hansen, Uchida, Elders Lottermoser, Miller, Nelson, Dickson, Yamashita

Dinner with some our Single Adult members in Sapporo

Sister Hansen and Uchida invited us for dinner at Shinkotoni

Our departing missionaries from the top of Maruyama Mountain

Sad sayonara to Sister Mimaki, Makise, Elders Makise, Naganuma. Back row: Elder Elledge, Watanabe, Nakashima, Campbell, Jones

All of the sisters in the Japan Sapporo Mission

Investigator fireside with our Odori Sisters: Kamiya, Sato and Kawachi

Elder and Sister Makise were our only senior Japanese couple. They returned to Osaka this month and we will definitely miss them.

Baptismal service for Sister Wakabayashi in the Shiroishi Ward. Elders Miller and Lawler taught her and all of our new missionaries were able to attend the service.

Elder Lowry arrived a few days later than the Japanese missionaries. His new companion is Elder Yoneda

We received three new missionaries from Japan: Sister Ujike, and Elders Takashima and Kashima. On the back row: Elders Yamashita, Nakashima, Yoza, Lawler, Dickson, Nelson, Lottermoser

Sapporo is famous for Ramen. This was the food of choice of our new missionaries

Sisters Mayama and Saito invited us over for dinner with the Kotoni Elders: Geslison, Tateishi

Park Golf with some new members and the Kotoni missionaries

Lunch on P-day with the Eniwa Elders: Fry and Nakama and Sisters Arae and Ikari

P-day activity with the Odori Zone

Our two senior couples: the McCreadys and Makises

Sisters Hansen, Uchida and Kawachi

Otaru Canal with the sisters

The mission home staff eating melons with icecream

Our last evening with our daughter Megan and grandson Eli. We went to the top of Mt.Moiwa and enjoyed the Sapporo City lights

We are going to miss Eli. He was a missionary favorite

Park golf with the Kotoni Elders and Sisters and new members: The Nakamura family and Brother Sato

Lunch at Najahs (complete with rootbeer floats or milk shakes with part of the Obihiro Zone

P-day (after golf) with the Eniwa Elders and Sisters

Temple in Sapporo

It is hard to express the immense joy and intense excitement that has swept through the island of Hokkaido with the announcement of the temple in Sapporo. This has been a dream and a goal of the members and missionaries for decades. Recently, there has been increased emphasis on preparing the island for a temple. In the past couple of years, the members have been blessed with the presence of four Apostles, President Eyring, President Uchtdorff, Elder Oaks and most recently, Elder Bednar. The members have not only been praying for a temple in Hokkaido, they have demonstrated their faithfulness with regularly scheduled, well attended temple excursions to the Tokyo Temple. Under the direction of the Area Presidency, the Stake Presidents, District President and Mission President have united their efforts to increase the number of valid temple recommend holders in Hokkaido. The targeted goal was achieved prior to General Conference.The missionaries have been diligent in increasing the membership base to support and sustain a temple in Hokkaido. We rejoice that we are fortunate to be in Hokkaido at the time of this epic announcement for the church in Japan but extend our gratitude to all of the saints and missionaries who paved the way for this dream to be realized.