Okay so this week was super crazy so I don't exactly have a weekly breakdown, but I will do my best. Bear with me.
On Sunday Sheri Dew spoke in Relief Society. She was sharing a story about someone and something she said really stuck with me. "She was a girl who knew how to set a goal, and how to reach a goal." And it didn't really have anything to do with her talk...but it just kind of hit me, I want to be that kind of girl. Thus far I've been pretty successful in my life. But I've never really done something and stuck with it. Life is about perfecting ourselves and continual progress. I want to set more goals when I get home and reach them.
We had a devotional Sunday night, which I enjoyed, but of course the Sunday night film (an Elder Holland talk) took the cake. He's pretty much the man. It was called "Such a Time as This". He spoke about how lucky we were to have been born in this dispensation and as he was talking about missionary work, I was struck again by something he said. "Don't you dare treat your mission experience as a trip or a break from your real life. This is as REAL as your life will ever be. This is as close to God as you'll ever be. You are doing the work of salvation. Even if it means you are saving yourself." I teared up. Because in the few moments before I left for this mission...I was scared because I didn't know what would become of my real life. I feared what I was leaving behind...who I was leaving behind. But...Elder Holland was right. This is as real as my life is going to get...and I to realize that this IS my life. I am a missionary. And the other things in my life...they can wait.
On a kind of cool note. My branch president interviewed me on Sunday and told me how much he enjoyed reading my weekly letters. He asked if he could use a quote of mine in his sacrament talk. It was about the power of the atonement and its application to missionary work. Of course, I said sure. It was cool to hear him say it in sacrament. I'm not sure I've ever been quoted before. I asked him not to tell who said it though...so no one knows it was me who said it... but it was kinda cool to see all the people taking notes write it down. Who'd have thought...something I said could impact people the way the speakers here impact me.
Monday was sort of boring. It's just a 2-a-day. It's what I've started calling days where we have 2 classes. (I would put it in sports terms) Nothing really special.
Tuesday on the other hand was awesome! We just had a really amazing speaker. He was super energetic. He's the second couneilor in the sunday school presidency. He started off reading us some of his journal entries from his mission in Denmark. I laughed at one in particular. "It seems the Dogs speak better Danish than I do." I'm not even in Japan yet, but I have an idea that I'll probably say something like that or feel that way. He also talked about being an eager missionary. He broke down the various parts of a typical mission call and there were just so many blessings in my call that I didn't even realize. I loved it. I went back and read my call. Thanks so much for sending me those laminated copies Mom.
On Tuesday I just really was feeling the love from my district too. I was just overwhelemed by how much like a kazoku (family) they've become to me here. I'm going to really miss them when we go to Tokyo. At least all the Shimatachi and 3 of the chorotachi are going to Tokyo. Oh and I checked my missionary portal. Looks like I'm in the Tokyo North mission. So Budge-kycho it will be.
On Tuesday some of the Elders started making these rubber band balls. They are so ghetto haha...of course I decided I needed to be a part of the madness. I will send pictures of my rubber band petto (pet).
Wednesday was kind of cool. I was a host for new missionaries. There were not alot of sisters that came in. I think it was below 20% this week. I figured the wave of shimaitachi senkyosha would die out but...it was weird because the week before there were so many more. Anyways the girls I hosted...one was going to Iowa and the other was going to the Martialese Islands??? I'm guessing that's somewhere in Micronesia. There was a lot of crying on the curbside....I'm really glad I was dropped off at the airport...Otherwise that could've been tough to watch.
Thursday was pretty epic. Thursdays are generally sooo hard because of the 2-adays in the afternoons. But....this was no ordinary Thursday. It was the 4th of July! It started off like a normal day. We had service in 18 M in the morning. For service we were supposed to dry the bathrooms after they had been powerwashed. It turned into us dancing on towels around the bathroom singing.
Also......we had this really spritual ressun (lesson lol) with our Tingey Sensei. We taught her about the gospel of Jesus Christ and its application. I love how I never cease to be amazed by the Seirei (spirit) I feel here.
We then had this patriotic devotional. I spent the devotional trying not to laugh at this kid on the TV monitor who I've affectionately nicknamed as Avatar kid. He always has this goofy face and my theory is that if you painted his face blue...He'd look JUST LIKE AN AVATAR. The 4th of July was interesting this year. I never thought of it in a church sense...but I don't think its a coincidence that the restoration occured in this amazing country we have here. I love that I was born in a place where I'm free to feel how I want in a time where I can be whatever I want. It goes back to that dispensation talk. How did I get so lucky to be born in a time like this? We watched a film on the pioneers and it made me cry. I have never really liked church history. It's always been my least favorite part of the gospel but I have a new appreciation for it. We also got to eat ice cream and watch fireworks after the devotional. So we got to stay up past 10:30. I'd definitely consider that pretty exciting. It's probably the most exciting thing I've done since I've gotten here.
On Friday I got your package Mom. Cute skirt and top. I love it. It was probably the highlight of my day. Yesterday was just like Monday again...not particularly exciting.
In other news...all week we've been playing this game called "Psychiatrist" where the group makes up a rule and then the psychiatrist has to come in and guess what the rule is by asking questions. It's really frustrating if you are the psychiatrist but soooo funny when you are in the group. Once again...proof that I might be retrogressing on the maturity scale. I try not to think about that fact too much, I'm convinced any sane person would make up games to play after being here 5 weeks.Gengo benkyo is getting kind of old. 6th Wednesday coming up here soon. I can't believe we are going to be Dai Sempi next week. That's kinda scary. I've now officially been in the MTC more time than I have left here. It's kind of kowaii (scary).
CSwags shemai (Christiansen) and Greenburg have started stealing my rubber bands to shoot each other in the face in class. Greenburg choro got hit in the face. It was pretty funny. As for my rubber band ball, I've decided to name him Joseph.
I have more to write...but I'm out of time. Will try and send pics.
We then had this patriotic devotional. I spent the devotional trying not to laugh at this kid on the TV monitor who I've affectionately nicknamed as Avatar kid. He always has this goofy face and my theory is that if you painted his face blue...He'd look JUST LIKE AN AVATAR. The 4th of July was interesting this year. I never thought of it in a church sense...but I don't think its a coincidence that the restoration occured in this amazing country we have here. I love that I was born in a place where I'm free to feel how I want in a time where I can be whatever I want. It goes back to that dispensation talk. How did I get so lucky to be born in a time like this? We watched a film on the pioneers and it made me cry. I have never really liked church history. It's always been my least favorite part of the gospel but I have a new appreciation for it. We also got to eat ice cream and watch fireworks after the devotional. So we got to stay up past 10:30. I'd definitely consider that pretty exciting. It's probably the most exciting thing I've done since I've gotten here.
On Friday I got your package Mom. Cute skirt and top. I love it. It was probably the highlight of my day. Yesterday was just like Monday again...not particularly exciting.
In other news...all week we've been playing this game called "Psychiatrist" where the group makes up a rule and then the psychiatrist has to come in and guess what the rule is by asking questions. It's really frustrating if you are the psychiatrist but soooo funny when you are in the group. Once again...proof that I might be retrogressing on the maturity scale. I try not to think about that fact too much, I'm convinced any sane person would make up games to play after being here 5 weeks.Gengo benkyo is getting kind of old. 6th Wednesday coming up here soon. I can't believe we are going to be Dai Sempi next week. That's kinda scary. I've now officially been in the MTC more time than I have left here. It's kind of kowaii (scary).
CSwags shemai (Christiansen) and Greenburg have started stealing my rubber bands to shoot each other in the face in class. Greenburg choro got hit in the face. It was pretty funny. As for my rubber band ball, I've decided to name him Joseph.
I have more to write...but I'm out of time. Will try and send pics.
I love you.
Ai shite imas!
-MC
Ai shite imas!
-MC