O Hayo Gozeimas! (Good morning!) (I'm not sure If I spelled that right...)
This
has been a great week at the MTC. So I told you all about teaching our
first investigator in Nihongo (Japanese) during the last three hours of
"classroom instruction time" in our schedule. Well last Friday we came
into class for that three hour block and the person we had been teaching
turned out to be our second Sensei (teacher)!! It was a fun surprise!
And also a relief to hear her speak and actually understand what she is
saying because she spoke Ego (English) to us in class!! Then she
showed us a video introduction of the next person we will be teaching; it is Fitz Kyodai (Brother Fitz) who is the person who has been
teaching us this whole time!! It was pretty a pretty fun surprise to
find out that we will be teaching our teachers. This is to help us
practice planning lessons and then teach the lessons in Nihongo. So
now our schedule is that we teach a 20 minute lesson every day. And it
alternates between our two teachers Fitz Kyodai and Smith Shimai.
It's
still pretty overwhelming here. But the first week was especially, and
apparently they make it that way on purpose! To help teach us to rely on
the Lord for our help and guidance. Raines Shimai and I handled it very
well I think. The first week we just focused on learning Japanese in
class and then teaching the investigator in the evening. Now we learn
Nihongo in our afternoon class and then in the evening we learn Nihongo
but also we learn about how to be good missionaries, what our purpose
is, how we can strengthen the faith of others and help them strengthen
their relationship with Iesu Kirisuto (Jesus Christ). So now the MTC is a
lot more like I thought it would be, we are recieving a lot more
guidance and direction from watashitachi no serei tachi (our teachers), which is really nice.
Raines Shimai and I are
doing so well together. We have really learned how to incorporate prayer
into what we are doing. When we are planning for a lesson, or feeling
discouraged, or incompetent in our Nihongo, we pray for help and
guidance. It has been a truly amazing experience of relying on the Lord,
not necessarily to solve our problems, but we pray for peace and
guidance and strength. And I know that He has been answering our
prayers. I have never felt the Spirit so consistently as I have while
I've been here at the MTC. I am so grateful for that.
Raines Shimai and I are teaching
this Sunday's
lesson about how to recognize the Holy Ghost. Elder David A. Bednar
talks about three different aspects of it that are simple and profound.
If you are able, watch them on
www.lds.org I'm pretty sure they are entitled "Patterns of Light".
It's
been a really interesting experience being at the MTC. We have a
service project once a week, which is just cleaning residence buildings
for an hour and 15 minutes. It's really nice though because it gives me
time to just relax and not stress about making lesson plans or trying to
understand Nihongo. It's a welcomed break to say the least. The windows
in the residence buildings look out over my dorm buildings that I lived
in on BYU campus. And I just had the thought that being at the MTC, or
even when I am out in Japan, this experience is the epitome of being "IN
the world and not OF the world" We are right next door to a campus full
of College kids doing their thing, while we are studying essentially
all day about how to invite and help people come closer to Christ. And
though it was kind of a funny thought at first, I am realizing how true
it really is. Although it is difficult sometimes, this is such an
amazing opportunity for me to be able to put aside the things of the
world and really focus on serving the Lord without any distractions. And
I LOVE it! It's especially nice to be able to talk to someone and not
be distracted by a ringing phone or urgent text. It's so great here. The
Shimai Tachi are really great too, we help each other stay positive and
lift each other when we struggle.
As far
as Nihongo goes, I have a lot to learn! BUT! It has only been two weeks
and I think I am doing pretty well considering I only knew how to say
Good afternoon and thank you in Japanese just three weeks ago. I have
the Hiragana alphabet down pretty well which enables me to be able to
sing Hymns in Nihongo as well as Read most of the Book of Mormon. The
Book of Mormon is difficult though because all of the characters are
right after each other, so it's really difficult to distinguish words;
you pretty much just have to know where one word starts and another
ends. Next I need to learn Katakana. I'll keep you all updated :)
Anyways,
I hope everyone is well, I absolutely love receiving the Dear Elder
letters, and I will try to write back to those today. I am so grateful
to all of you.
Ai shitte imasu (I love you - that's how you really spell it ;) )
Lowe Shimai (That's how you really spell sister too, I'm still learning :) )
-- Here is the link to the videos that Sarah recommended watching --
https://www.lds.org/search?lang=eng&query=patterns+of+light
So this Tuesday
Night devotional a member of the Quorum of the 70, Ron R. Clarke came
and spoke. He was an amazing speaker, very engaging, very loving, and
invited the Spirit. He talked to us about some important principles that
missionaries should be aware of. Some of the points really stuck out to
me. One was the Holy Ghost. Through the Holy Ghost we are able to
receive divine comfort and revelation. This will help us overcome the
greatest trials in our lives. In order for us to receive that guidance,
we must be doing good, exercising our faith, and trusting the Lord to
guide us. He said "Revelation comes when you're on the move" it doesn't
come when we are just sitting around waiting for God to tell us to do
something; he wants us to use our agency and do good, then he can guide
our actions. He also posed the question " Will you overcome your
obstacles or allow them to discourage and break you?" It truly is up to
us to decide. That is one of the most sacred gifts He has given us is
our agency. We get to decide who we want to be. That's kind of a heavy
concept but the amazing thing is that we don't have to do it alone. We
have a Savior who loves us beyond comprehension. And He wants to help
us. So when we feel weak and feel like whatever obstacle is staring us
in the face will truly break us; we can rely on the Lord to strengthen,
uplift and comfort us. I know that this is true because He has done that
for me. 
