Woah, another week! It's getting cold up here in Provo. Like I can see my breath. Oh well, in three weeks I'll be in beautiful Fukuoka where it's 80 degrees and above year round! Woohoo!!!
I'm feeling lots better- I finally went to the doctor and he prescribed some antibiotics. The thing about that is that we had to go to "the outside world" to get them.... it's just like a 5 minute walk down the street. it was super exciting though!
This week was pretty chill- I feel like I am used to missionary life. We work SO hard! As a zone, we started doing Eigo Danjiki- English fast. It's fasting, plus no English. It's great. Just kidding, it's SO hard! But we feel like it will show the Lord that we want to be blessed with the Gift of Tongues. We try to speak Japanese as much as possible, but we ONLY speak in Japanese on Mondays and Fridays- our Eigo Danjiki days. It's made such an impact on my Nihongo! I am so thankful to be able to receive help from the Lord!
I have been studying how to "Come Unto Christ" so if anyone has any insights, send them in a letter! I am only here for a couple more weeks, so send them to me now while they're free!!!!!!! ;)
Sunday Night, our devotional was by Stephen B Allen, who spoke my first week here. He likes to have the missionaries stand up for different things, like Is this your first week here? Have you received a Dear John or a Dear Jane? Hilarious :) He talked about Joseph Smith's first vision and D&C 4. Some insights: The Lord hasn't called me to be a part-time missionary. I have a unique message to share- that the Gospel is restored! I've also been thinking about how I need to work my hardest, becuase the Nihonjiin deserve my best! and so does the Lord!
The Tuesday Night Devotional was amazing! Elder Gregory A Schwitzer of the Seventy spoke with His wife: she spoke about what she learned on her misison. She said 'You can do hard things' which is what my mom always says, so it was a nice reminder that Heavenly Father loves me :) She also said "Allow your faith to replace your fear". Elder Schwitzer had a lot of great things to say. He spoke about commandments... here are some of the things that really stood out:
-D&C 48:8-9 when we edify, we are building something up
-How should we be teaching? Like the Savior. He is our Good Shepherd! When the lamb was lost, he placed it on His shoulders and carried it back to the fold. Other shepherds might have sent dogs barking after it, or dragged it behind them with their shepherds hook. However, the Savior taught that we must walk with them.
-the Ten Commandments are in their order for a reason: They focus on 3 different relationships- our relationship with God, our relationship with our parents, and our relationship with others.
Our relationship with God: 1-4
1 No other gods
2 do not worship false idols
3 do not take Lord's name in vain
4 keep Sabbath Day Holy
Our relationship with parents: 5
5 Honor father and Mother
Our relationship with others: 6-10
6 do not kill
7 do not commit adultery
8 do not steal
9 do not lie (bear false witness)
10 do not covet
* something interesting about this last section, they are in order of the severity of the punishment... but the backwards order is the frequency in which they are broken
-We become greater in OUR kingdom when we keep the commandments
-There are people who are trying to take legal action to remove the Ten Commandments from public places. How can others take the Commandments away if they are written in your mind and etched on the tablets of your heart? Just food for thought :)
This week, our kohai arrived! New Missionaries in our Zone! That means we get to take care of them and stuff :) I haven't met all of them yet, but we have 2 new districts, one with 16 Elders, and another with 4 sisters, 12 Elders :) So exciting!
Mills Shimai and I taught a lesson via Skype to Miura Kyodai, who lives in Nagoya Japan! It was SO fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, I was so excited to teach a real lesson to a real Nihonjiin! He has been a member of the church for 30 years and has 3 cute grandchildren :) He showed us pictures! We talked with him about the Atonement. He shared his conversion story, and how, through the Atonement of Christ, he was able to become clean and find true happiness! I shared my testimony that the Atonement can help us to always come closer to Christ! We asked him to share his testimony, and the Spirit was so strong! I can't wait for next week when we can skype with another awesome Nihonjiin member! I was surprised at how much I could say. my Japanese is faaaaaarrrrrr from perfect, but I feel confident that I will be able to share my message. It might be simple, but Christ taught simply... so it's okay :) It was an awesome experience. I am so excited to go to Japan in a few weeks!
The official day of my departure is October 20th... so... 18 more days? Woahhhhhhhh! I can't wait! I have been in contact with the Travel Department and the Fukuoka Mission home and I am all set to go :)
I have loved this experience of being at the MTC. Being a missionary is so great! my testimony has grown so much in such a short amount of time. The Gospel is amazing. I know that there are people in Japan that are waiting for me to find them. They need the light and peace that the Gospel can bring! The message of the restored gospel is the most precious gift I could give!
Here are the funny quotes for the week, and then I need to be done....
Our senseitachi are honto omoshiroi! Our teachers are so funny!
Crandall Kyodai:"Cook Shimai ni hoshii niwa kizu o yurushimasu!" Cook Shimai, I forgive you for the fault in your stars
Sanderson Kyodai: *talking about falling asleep in Japanese Class in school.... he goes to BYU* "Let's just not judge each other right now and get back to benkyo(study)"
"Seizure ja nai" (don't remember when this happened....)
he taught us a new word: "Shimata" which means, I unfortunately did it. You can imagine what fun we have. When we drop something, after coming out of the bathroom.... sorry that's gross.
***TANGENT*** the food here, while it is pretty decent, gives us missionaries stomach issues. Gas is a normal part of missionary life. I have been okay because I try to eat really healthy, but everyone else is having issues. And it's bad, especially when we are sitting in the classroom for 6+ hours everyday. That's all I'm going to say about that******
Soares Choro: "Hipsters and guys with swag are real bad, right?"
The International missionaries come a day early, so an Australian Elder joined our district for one night.... so Soares Choro asked "Have you been bitten by a poinsonous animal, like a spider, or snake, or a cow?"
On Sundays, we get ice cream. Sores Choro LOVES ice cream.
Dana Choro: Want to go get a second bowl of ice cream?"
Soares Choro: No, my companion taught me to control my stinkies"
All: "WHAT?!"
Soares Choro: "My stinkies."
we found out later that he meant to say "INSTINCTS". I am laughing just typing this!!!!!!!! hahahaha
Okay, that's all for me this week! Ai shite imasu!
-Sanders Shimai
