Dear World, (family)
I will answer most individual emails in individual letters which you will probably get sometime next week. Also I would assume it was William who emailed me from my own old email, but they didn't leave a name..... maybe it's from aninnymouse?! But anyway thank you to everyone who wrote to me this week it really does mean a lot! Also I only have an hour to Email so if you would send me your emails either as letters or through dearelder.com I would have more time to send you my weekly update.
Anyhow, yes I got the midnight snack package you sent, and it is very useful! Also thank you Rebecca for your package! so anyway I have just recorded my thoughts throughout the week of things I need to write home about but they may be very scattered so bear with me.
First I am glad not to be one of the new guys anymore! It was so fun to greet all the new elders by saying "Konnichiwa Shimaitachi" which means good afternoon sisters! Though stupid, it's great to see their ignorant faces as they think we're being all nice to them when we're mocking them. Even though we don't get more Japanese missionaries until the 17th it's good not to be the newest missionary at the center. A bunch of Nihonjin Choro to Shimai (Native Japanese Elders and Sisters) arrived this week and they are so small! They have such a brightness about them and it's great to know that there really are good faithful saints all throughout the world. However, I do not understand how anyone could ever develop Asian/Yellow Fever hahaha no thank you!
So one fun thing that makes learning the language a little easier is that all of our Japanese language and grammar books all have fun Japanese names. For example, our green pocket sized grammar card is known as the Bulbasaur, and our yellow grammar book is known as the Pikachu. Other book nicknames include the ninja, sumo, miyagi (from karate kid), magikarp (that book is useless) and charmander. In case anyone did not already know, yes I am going to the land of Pokemon.
One frustration is there is no real like checkpoints on the process of learning a language, and the only real goal is to become fluent. Also it is frustrating that no matter how incompetent we are at the language after nine weeks, they are going to send us off to Japan regardless! I cannot learn this language in that time! everyone please pray for me!
Okay so... my companion Elder Sorenson has ADHD. I am not kidding! He literally has been diagnosed and everything, and does he bring his medication on his mission? Of course not! Seriously he cannot last longer than 15 minutes on any task and it is SOOOO frustrating! I plan all our lessons, do all the talking in our lessons, and have to continually be on his case to focus on whatever it is we're learning or studying. Also, his favorite hymn is "We are all Enlisted" which is fine, but he sings it 24/7 and he only knows the first two lines of the first verse ALL DAY LONG! One funny thing is that the Japanese word for companion is doryo (with extended o sounds) and my companion is effectively Dory from Pixar's Finding Nemo. Also this week he asked me if the priesthood was on the earth during the great apostasy...
So receiving mail is like candy! please everyone write me because I like to get mail! And because I want to hear about all that you're doing! Also pictures are gold! I want pictures of family and friends! Also I don't know if you sent it already but that picture collage Mindy made me I would very much appreciate!
Elder Paul Zoltan Mak in my district (yes his middle name is Zoltan) you know the one that doesn't shower, brush his teeth, make his bed or really practice any hygeine decided to shower this week! (hooray!) but then while we were all showering he closed the door to our room which conveniently had all the keys to the room in it. So yes we were all 6 of us locked out of our room, half naked. Thankfully our zone leaders went to the front desk and got us a key to our room and the problem was resolved within ten minutes. Elder Mak is the Mr. Snoops of our room who ironically looks like the I'm a PC guy from those those old Apple commercials. Ironic because his name is Mak. Elder Mak is also the reason for us getting an unsatisfactory rating on our room check this week.
On the fourth of July we had a "Stadium of Fireside" in which they brought all the missionaries inside to watch 17 Miracles to prevent us from hearing that terrible worldly celebration... Sometimes I think that people who have these ideas are just stupid. but anyway, I just wrote letters the whole movie and after we got to go outside to watch the fireworks show, or as much as we could see from within the walls of this monster center thingy. Which defeated the whole purpose of trying to keep us inside in the first place!
The food here is terrible. I eat because I have to survive, but am seriously considering annorexia for the next seven and a half weeks. When I think of the MTC food a movie quote comes to mind. "Do you not know that I have had Diahrrea since EASTERS!?" anyhow I don't think I will gain any weight here at the MTC. Although I have been lifting weights and working out consistently so I could gain some muscle mass. Let's all cross our fingers for that! Basically I am doing well and I have taught 5 lessons all in Japanese (or as much Japanese as possible) and have actually been able to feel the spirit in the last few which is awesome! Also Cantonese is the gay Mandarin.
Here is what I need to know slash need from home.
The list of Thank You cards I need to write that was on my ipod. and the addresses of those individuals.
Febreeze. (for Elder Mak)
A Deck of Cards
Fingernail Clippers, Rebecca I don't know what you thought was in that stupid pedicure kit you sent me but it did not actually contain anything to clip my toenails/fingernails with.
Abby's address in Italia.
Hope you are all having a wonderful week!
Love and miss you,
Jonathan (Elder Pace)
I will answer most individual emails in individual letters which you will probably get sometime next week. Also I would assume it was William who emailed me from my own old email, but they didn't leave a name..... maybe it's from aninnymouse?! But anyway thank you to everyone who wrote to me this week it really does mean a lot! Also I only have an hour to Email so if you would send me your emails either as letters or through dearelder.com I would have more time to send you my weekly update.
Anyhow, yes I got the midnight snack package you sent, and it is very useful! Also thank you Rebecca for your package! so anyway I have just recorded my thoughts throughout the week of things I need to write home about but they may be very scattered so bear with me.
First I am glad not to be one of the new guys anymore! It was so fun to greet all the new elders by saying "Konnichiwa Shimaitachi" which means good afternoon sisters! Though stupid, it's great to see their ignorant faces as they think we're being all nice to them when we're mocking them. Even though we don't get more Japanese missionaries until the 17th it's good not to be the newest missionary at the center. A bunch of Nihonjin Choro to Shimai (Native Japanese Elders and Sisters) arrived this week and they are so small! They have such a brightness about them and it's great to know that there really are good faithful saints all throughout the world. However, I do not understand how anyone could ever develop Asian/Yellow Fever hahaha no thank you!
So one fun thing that makes learning the language a little easier is that all of our Japanese language and grammar books all have fun Japanese names. For example, our green pocket sized grammar card is known as the Bulbasaur, and our yellow grammar book is known as the Pikachu. Other book nicknames include the ninja, sumo, miyagi (from karate kid), magikarp (that book is useless) and charmander. In case anyone did not already know, yes I am going to the land of Pokemon.
One frustration is there is no real like checkpoints on the process of learning a language, and the only real goal is to become fluent. Also it is frustrating that no matter how incompetent we are at the language after nine weeks, they are going to send us off to Japan regardless! I cannot learn this language in that time! everyone please pray for me!
Okay so... my companion Elder Sorenson has ADHD. I am not kidding! He literally has been diagnosed and everything, and does he bring his medication on his mission? Of course not! Seriously he cannot last longer than 15 minutes on any task and it is SOOOO frustrating! I plan all our lessons, do all the talking in our lessons, and have to continually be on his case to focus on whatever it is we're learning or studying. Also, his favorite hymn is "We are all Enlisted" which is fine, but he sings it 24/7 and he only knows the first two lines of the first verse ALL DAY LONG! One funny thing is that the Japanese word for companion is doryo (with extended o sounds) and my companion is effectively Dory from Pixar's Finding Nemo. Also this week he asked me if the priesthood was on the earth during the great apostasy...
So receiving mail is like candy! please everyone write me because I like to get mail! And because I want to hear about all that you're doing! Also pictures are gold! I want pictures of family and friends! Also I don't know if you sent it already but that picture collage Mindy made me I would very much appreciate!
Elder Paul Zoltan Mak in my district (yes his middle name is Zoltan) you know the one that doesn't shower, brush his teeth, make his bed or really practice any hygeine decided to shower this week! (hooray!) but then while we were all showering he closed the door to our room which conveniently had all the keys to the room in it. So yes we were all 6 of us locked out of our room, half naked. Thankfully our zone leaders went to the front desk and got us a key to our room and the problem was resolved within ten minutes. Elder Mak is the Mr. Snoops of our room who ironically looks like the I'm a PC guy from those those old Apple commercials. Ironic because his name is Mak. Elder Mak is also the reason for us getting an unsatisfactory rating on our room check this week.
On the fourth of July we had a "Stadium of Fireside" in which they brought all the missionaries inside to watch 17 Miracles to prevent us from hearing that terrible worldly celebration... Sometimes I think that people who have these ideas are just stupid. but anyway, I just wrote letters the whole movie and after we got to go outside to watch the fireworks show, or as much as we could see from within the walls of this monster center thingy. Which defeated the whole purpose of trying to keep us inside in the first place!
The food here is terrible. I eat because I have to survive, but am seriously considering annorexia for the next seven and a half weeks. When I think of the MTC food a movie quote comes to mind. "Do you not know that I have had Diahrrea since EASTERS!?" anyhow I don't think I will gain any weight here at the MTC. Although I have been lifting weights and working out consistently so I could gain some muscle mass. Let's all cross our fingers for that! Basically I am doing well and I have taught 5 lessons all in Japanese (or as much Japanese as possible) and have actually been able to feel the spirit in the last few which is awesome! Also Cantonese is the gay Mandarin.
Here is what I need to know slash need from home.
The list of Thank You cards I need to write that was on my ipod. and the addresses of those individuals.
Febreeze. (for Elder Mak)
A Deck of Cards
Fingernail Clippers, Rebecca I don't know what you thought was in that stupid pedicure kit you sent me but it did not actually contain anything to clip my toenails/fingernails with.
Abby's address in Italia.
Hope you are all having a wonderful week!
Love and miss you,
Jonathan (Elder Pace)
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