Yakiniku!‏

Okay, the one word that everyone understands and uses frequently even in japan even though they have their own word for it. there are lots of japanese words that get overrun by the english word which is cool and all, but they dont say it right! in english when we take a foreign word we pronounce it the same, but they take self, and make is se-ru-fu. and stuff like that, and its just weird and causes further language confusion.

anyway here is what happened this week. so we discovered the mcdonalds in yonago and since they had a buy one get one free deal, elder baker and i both got 4 big macs and possibly regretted it later... but mcdonalds is like classy over here compared to the USA. it is like the cool american place to eat. and yes we proved every american stereotype when we went there by ordering 4 sandwiches each... I just find it so funny when they try to be americans or do things the american way.

so here is what is going on with our investigators, well some of them, Ikeda is a man we met on the street and he contacted us after we gave him a flyer which was cool. Miyake we found just on the street and he told us at our first lesson with him that he thinks his purpose in life is to find the truth, he is super cool and I have a really good feeling about him. Tanaka is super weird and I think he is autistic, he is like a 24 year old smart alack (sp?) and he twists words of the scriptures and loves to be difficult. He doesnt get it basically but he still wants to meet. Nobu is 35 and he is really heavy, which is much more rare in Japan than in the USA. some of the chairs in Japan, Americans would not fit in it`s kind of sad. Nobu is pretty open to the message and is just super nice.

I went on an exchange to Matsue this week and that was good, that night we taught a less active family and their son asked me when I decided to come on a mission, I had not really thought of that before. I came to the conclusion that I didn`t, Rather, I decided to keep the commandments when I was baptized, and that I came on a mission because The Lord has asked that I go on a mission. I didnt go because I thought it would be cool, or that I wanted to learn a new language or travel to Japan, but because The Lord has asked me to go, and every other worthy young man in the church. I said this to try and touch the family`s son who was a few months older than me. it was a cool experience.

Also on my exchange, the Matsue elders have films of every general conference since 2004 and they watch them during lunch, dinner, any free time they have really, and I love it! I am so excited for conference! (and secretly wishing they extend the length of sister`s missions to 2 years...) I really can`t wait to hear the words of the prophets! but don`t spoil it for me because I think I get conference a week later than you all do in the states.

After district meeting on Friday we went to the Yakiniku, it is a rodizio grill kind of thing with all kinds of meat and sushi and stuff and in the middle of the table is a big grill and you just cook all of your own food and it`s all you can eat so we all just went crazy and ate way to much. I also had Takoyaki, which is Octopus in like a hush-puppy kind of breading and isnt bad, along with all sorts of meat, sushi and ice cream.

There is an elder in our district who we call `the sage` because he has been in the area FOREVER, and he is interesting, he memorized the testaments in Japanese and is always quoting it. he also wears biking gloves whenever he bikes, and has a disgusting glove tan line which is kind of yucky. 

anyway all is good here I guess, I am still struggling with Japanese, and what else, but I am good.

I Love and Miss you all!

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace