The Gift of Tongues

Hello peeps!

Another week of me telling you random things about the MTC. Let's begin.

So this Monday we received 24 (I think) Japanese native missionaries (Nihonjin). It has been kinda interesting. We were in the middle of practicing teaching the other district and all of us sudden a ton of them walked into the room. It was like Christmas!!! I don't think I have gotten that exciting since I entered the MTC. So in our broken Japanese we talked to them and I found a buddy who is going to Sendai at the same time as me. We have talked a few more times since then and he is a pretty cool guy. Yoneda choro is his name. Also I think a lot of the sisters are going to Sendai so that should be fun because they are super nice too. It was super cool though because after like 10 or 15 minutes working through understanding each other I finally asked, "Do you speak English?" (in japanese of course) and he just shook his head. It really hit me at that moment, everyone one else I have ever spoken to in Japanese has also at least known English but I was actually communicating with a Japanese only speaker. Crazy sauce!!!! Definitely a long ways to still go but we are getting there. Also is fun when the Kohai try to talk to them and they just kinda look at us with the, "What in the world did they just say?" look and we translate. Puts those Kohai in their place. He he he.

So I was in line for lunch yesterday and I look over at the line next to me and all of a sudden I recognize someone from my previous life, he turns around to face me and who is it but none other than Brother/Elder Hill! Ha. I didn't even know he was going on a mission and I have no idea what he is actually doing because his name tag said "Military relations" and all else I know is he is going to Hawaii. That was a pleasant surprise, sometimes is nice to have reminders of your previous life in here especially when it is a person in the MTC with you.

Now for our investigators. Kinda hard to remember what I have told you about and what I haven't. Morimotosan is still having problems with the Word of Wisdom but he committed to try harder last time so we will see tonight how it has been. I don't know if I told you last time or even when his baptismal interview was but he didn't quite show he was prepared enough there. This Japanese culture is already annoying me, he just keeps saying, "Its good to be different in America, its not that way in Japan." Anyway we keep working on them. Mayumisan is doing pretty good not much to say about her or our Missionary investigators. They just keep slowly pushing forward.

Thank you both for the update on the sister in Utica. That is so sad! In our mission conference on Sunday President Brown (MTC President) talked about her and also two missionaries that were in the MTC one who while in the MTC had his mom and aunt die suddenly and another whose dad died on a Tuesday and the next day the elder entered the MTC. This work definitely isn't without its trials. Both of those elders were staying on their missions though, makes my trials seem a whole lot smaller.

Oh little Cecil got his mission call, how cute. That is kinda funny that it really is to Fukuoka. It is interesting to note that basically everyone he in my zone has some kind of connection to Japan. Whether it be learning japanese or having a family member that went to Japan so I guess that fits the mold here. I'm sure he is super excited. Who knows, maybe he will be able to work with Elder Clayton, Beckstrand, Maxfield, or Henderson.

Thank you for sending the mission president letter. Glad he hasn't forgotten about me. :-)

So I did find out that there will be no DearElders when they move the mailroom here so that is basically a bummer and a half! However the Japanese has a word for this, Shoganai (there is nothing we can do about it). I guess I will get a taste of what like Japan life will be not getting a letter everyday.

Its funny that you would mention figuring out Japan's holidays because we were talking about that in one of our classes the other day. As our sensei put it, "The Japanese people just like to celebrate" so basically it sounds like they have a ton of holidays even though they don't know why its a holiday such as Christmas, apparently not a lot of Japanese people understand what it means or where it came from.

Also a random thing about Hymns. It reminds me of Christmas Story at times because Japanese doesn't have an "l" sound as you may be aware so in hymns when its like "Halleluah" or similar its super funny sounding with our "Harereura" all the "borrowed"/stolen words they use from English sound like a 2 year old which I get a kick out of.

So this week Smith Shimai (Formerly know at Whetto Shimai (AKA the sensei that ditched us)), was a sub for our class so and I actually forgot most of the time to ask her about Sendai because I always forget that is where se went. Anyway so half my district is going to Fukuoka and so they always talk about a big dialect there called Kanzaiben. Its kinda weird and they speak it sometimes. Anyway, Smith Shimai instructed me I have my own dialect and told me one word in it so that was exciting! Ha. Random yes.

Travel plans come next Thursday and that shall be a joyous day!

Anyway family. Love you. Actually talk to you soonish (in a few weeks). Take care of abby and can't wait to hear from you.