He's in Japan

Alexander made it to Japan last week and I got my first email from him from there on Sunday, which is Monday there. His debit card hasn't worked since he got there so we've had fun trying to figure out all that stuff long distance and just writing once a week. He says there is about 7 1/2 feet of snow and that it has been snowing non-stop since he got there. He is serving in one of the coldest parts of Japan. I've been so worried about him keeping cold, but he says he loves the snow.

He said he talked to people on the streets of Sendai before heading off to his new home in Yonezawa. Ever heard of it before? I hadn't.

But he didn't send any photos of Japan yet. Since he didn't send any while in the MTC, he sent me some of his old ones first so hopefully I'll get some next week. Fingers crossed! I did really enjoy getting some photos from him!

Can you find Japan on a world map?

Outside of the Provo temple, Alex bumped into a friend of his from our ward who was also sent to Japan also, but a different mission. (But he didn't send me a pic of him with his companion at the MTC yet)

One of our dear former stake presidents is a branch president of a Japanese branch (he went to Japan on his mission too) in Provo and saw Alex every Sunday while he was at the MTC.

Alex sent us pics of his MTC teachers. They all look so very young to me!

We sent Alex his Christmas gifts while he was in the MTC since it was so much cheaper than mailing them to Japan.

We were able to get a few photos of him in Japan from other people. The one above is the new group along with the mission president and his wife.

And this is Alex with his brand new companion in Japan and with his mission president and his wife after a very, very long trip from Provo to Sendai with a layover in Portland and then another in Tokyo.