Sukuinushi (Shhh!)‏

Week 3

Okay so this week began with Elder Mak (Mr. Snoops) attempting to iron his shirt which he did not know how to do. I looked out into the hall and saw him holding his shirt in the air with one hand, while trying to iron this limp shirt hanging in the air. I tried my hardest not to laugh, ...and failed. It was pathetic! I died laughing as soon as I got to the room and was practically rolling on the floor I thought it was so funny. I have since taught him how to correctly iron his clothing.

This week I also received a batch of Peanut Butter Chocolate kiss cookies in the mail, but from an anonymous sender... I wonder who my secret lover is...

William I hope you had a great time at Camp Steiner! It's the best scout camp there is even with the freezing lake! write me about it if you get the chance! I'm also glad you all survived the first wave of the Texas Oldroyds although it sounded like you guys really had a great time with them! Of Course Jennifer and David couldn't figure out mafia...

Okay so this week I got a notice telling me to come to the travel office and apparently there had been some issues with my visa application, so I filled out the forms they gave me and signed off on it all and they were resubmitted. Everyone pray I get my visa in the next six weeks! It shouldn't be an issue, but if worse came to worse I wouldn't mind being reassigned to the Illinois Chicago West Mission..... hehehehe

Another funny thing that has happened. So my classroom is on the third floor and we are the only Japanese class on that floor. The rest of the classes are Spanish. (our nemesis simple latin based language). So I don't know how it started, but some of the spanish Elders and Sisters somehow got the idea that the Japanese word sukuinushi (pronounced skoo-ii-new-shii) was used to shush someone. However, sukuinushi actually means Savior. So we have had some good times mocking these spanish speaking missionaries that will put a finger to their lips and to one another say "Savior" when things get noisy.

So being on a floor with all spanish speakers, we constantly hear their stupid whiny complaints about how hard spanish is and how they are here for six whole weeks!!! boo hoo hoo!!! I asked them if I could call the Wambulance once and they didn't like that very much. But they continue to complain and then we show them some hiragana and katakana and they get quiet even quicker than if we say "sukuinushi"

So my companion as I think I mentioned before has ADHD. So it is extremely hard for him to focus on anything for longer than 10 minutes. So... we are a one-man team pretty much. I don't know what to do because I end up planning, studying for, and teaching the lesson every time, but we can't switch off or anything becuase he can't do it. and with the language I can't just help explain it to him the whole time because then we both get super behind and that is no good for either of us.

So Ben Taylor, or Rather Taylor Sensei, Bensei as I call him. has now become one of our mock investigators named Watabe Shingo. In Japanese they do the last name first and they rarely use the first name. In teaching Watabe San (Mr. Watabe) we taught him about prayer, how through prayer he can come to know if god lives, he can receive answers to his questions and receive guidance in his life. For the first time I actually was able to teach free of the books and only had to look up a few words. I also was able to share with him the story of how when andrew's lung collapsed how before he got surgery I prayed so that he would be safe during the operation and would recover. I told him how heavenly father answered my prayer and helped me to feel comfort and that if he would ask heavenly father in prayer in sincerity, that heavenly father would answer his prayers just the same way. I tell this story because it was the first real personal experience I had shared and it reminded me so much that The Lord wants ME in Japan, and not just any missionary, that there is something I have to offer to the Japanese people that will bring them the same joy through the gospel that I feel. Oh and BTW this was all in Japanese so booya!

The Devotional tuesday focused on serving The Lord and not just serving time. how Prisoners serve time, and missionaries serve The Lord. I have been striving all week to be more diligent and work as hard as I can to serve The Lord and not just serve time. I have also been focusing on having things to look forward to each day to keep my optimism high which is hard for me being the super pessimistic, critical, cynical person I am. Such things include beach volleyball tuesdays, purple tie thursdays, and other silly things. The real secret to making the time go by faster is to do what you are supposed to do, when you are supposed to do it, crazy I know, but obedience really does work, imagine that! Some people just can't wrap their head around that idea.

I would love the following things:

a copy of the family newsletter

my purple tie from hairspray (for purple tie thursday)

my swiss army knife.

any japanese pokemon cards (they actually are good reading practice because they have more everyday words and not just religious vocab)

Well only 6 weeks to go here in Provo! we get new Japanese missionaries this week which is exciting! I love and miss you all!

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace