Stories: James Jones' experience
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| Dear NFEM,
Your little notes from time to time are really appreciated and bring back fond recollections. I will share one with you.
I worked in Sendai with Sister Ta'u; she had a sweet personality and a kind heart. She was a good missionary. We all worked under Elder Kekaoha in the summer of 54 putting on Hawaiian shows to raise money. We went through the streets passing out handbills and announcing with a loud speaker. My part was to dress in a hideous clown costume, Some of the names I remember are Sanjo and Shibata. I went to Japan in 1954 on the Pres. Cleveland with Elders Inokuchi, Horikami and Awa, all of us were from Hawaii at the time. So Elder Inokuchi's mission was from May of '54 to "57.
President Robertson was impressed how well the Japanese Elders spoke and sent them right out to the branches. Then he said in his gruff manner. Elder Jones I will be leaving the country for a few weeks; Get your Vicarri and start studying the language and keep studying until you can speak better than than you know the gospel. At that point you can start studying the gospel again. Now go upstairs and get to work. I was in the mission home for over five weeks before I finally got sent out with Milo Durfee to Sendai. I was so happy to go, but the train was so crowded I could only hang onto the hand rails on each side of the entrance. I could barely reach the hand rails and was hanging way out, from the pressure from the crowd still ahead of me and who were also unable to enter the train. My feet were on the lowest step and no one would or could move in and so finally we were going full speed ; but I did not think I could hold on all the way to Sendai (about 8 hours as I remember from Tokyo). I guess someone passed the word that some crazy gaijin was flapping out in the wind so we better make some room. Any way after some time everyone finally got inside and I started my mission in Japan.
James Jones |
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