So this week has brought challenges and what not but really I am always frustrated emailing because I 1) don`t have near enough time to say everything I want to say and 2) because I want to do things outside and experience Japan but I don`t ever have time! solution: make preparation day go until 9 o`clock! it`d be brilliant! I could accomplish so much more!
anyway so this week I had some interesting experiences. So my companion makes me do all the phone calls. and it is helping my Japanese, but it is so weird! so when Japanese people use the phone they answer and say `moshi moshi ______ desu` but it`s weird because they never use moshi moshi anywhere else but on the phone! they also take forever to say goodbye, and it`s courteous to wait for the other person to hang up so phone calls usually end in an awkward silence of neither person hanging up and it`s weird. Also Japanese people take forever to say goodbye. I don`t know why but they are just really awkward about leaving or something. My Japanese is improving, but I feel like I don`t know enough to really take advantage of having a native companion and sometimes it just makes it difficult. Also, no one in my Apartment writes letters but me and I get bothered because they don`t want to write and I do so it`s an issue.
MISSION GOAL:
Do not become a freak. You may laugh at this, but I am not going to become weird(er than I must to be effective in this culture) which isn`t hard. I just can`t stand when people tell me that I need to repent for having Halloween stickers in my planner, or that I was humming a worldly song, or that I should be studying during lunch and not reading the letter that I got from my sister. I have a firm belief that you can fully represent The Lord, and consecrate these two years of your life to him without being a psycho robot misisonary! It`s okay to have fun on your mission! Missionary work should be fun! Elder George is basically my example of what not to be, he does yoga every morning to a cd that drives away the spirit becuase of the flamer on the recording, he eats all of our food, he plays the ukelele ALL DAY and basically just annoys me to death. I refuse to be like that.
I want a couch. we don`t have any chairs in our apartment but the desk chairs, which are usually taken by george choro and sekiguchi choro doing zone leader things, but then there are just folding chairs from the church which are extremely uncomfortable and basically I want a comfortable chair. at stake conference this week, I sat in a comfy auditorium chair and it was wonderful!
Things here in yonago aren`t cold yet, today is actually very nice weather. but it is supposed to be one of the coldest areas in the mission and it is expected to get about a foot or two of snow during the winter! so I went out and bought some sweaters, scarves and gloves to hopefully deal with it.
I cut my hair today, by myself, for the first and last time. it doesn`t look that bad, but I think it is worth it to pay the 1500¥ and save myself the humiliation. I could cut someone elses hair very well though I feel.
Andrew thank you for an update from the real world! The local soccer team here is Gainare Tottori from the J-League, I don`t know if they`re any good or not but you could look them up if you want. I almost bought a Japan national team jersey the other day, but it was really not my size, and I figured I would wait until the world cup anyway! I wish I could see it. Our ward mission leader played soccer in brazil and so we talked about that as much as I can talk which isn`t a lot.
I really wish I could write individual letters to everyone everyday because so much is happening and I want to share the experiences I`m having with all of you.
This week my experience is about being bold. So Brother Tanaka (my investigator) has been very frustrating in the past and he has a problem where he has lots of confidence, but nothing to back it up really. this week we reviewed prayer with him because he wasn`t praying effectively/at all/correctly (in the name of Jesus Christ) anyway so after a frustrating discussion, I stopped him and asked him as directly as I could with all the spirit and Japanese I could muster `why he even met with us if he didn`t believe what we have to say` he sat for a second and said that he wanted to learn doctrine, to which I replied, `if you don`t believe the doctrine, why do you want to learn? will you apply in your own life the doctrine we teach you? will you pray everyday to your heavenly father?` to which he was touched by the spirit and the boldness of the message and accepted the commitment. This experience showed me that sometimes we wait for the spirit to do the teaching when really we need to follow it`s promptings, but not just be bashful, this is salvation we`re talking about! Basically I felt like for me to teach with the spirit, I had to reach beyond myself, and step outside of my comfort zone to rely on the Lord. That`s what this work is all about.
Okay so the coolest thing about Japan this week is that their dollar stores have ties! What missionary wouldn`t love that?! It`s awesome! super cheap ties! and Japan has more pens, stationery, etc. than anywhere I have ever seen! it`s great for the pen lover like me!
THINGS I MISS:
being able to contact anyone, anytime, anywhere.
doing something for myself, (selfish I know but hey, I need to be honest)
TAYLOR SWIFT, `Love Story` came on while I was buying my sweaters and gloves and what not and as much as you may laugh I felt like that was God just reminding me that he knows I`m here and is aware of me.
Family interaction. I feel like that one will be with me my whole mission, but I love all of you!
games, we never play any games at english class or ever really. I want to play a game! there is a cool Japanese Chess kind of game I have seen but I don`t know what it is really.
I love and miss all of you! All your examples, support, and prayers lift me every single day. I just want you to know that I can`t wait to be together forever with you!
Love,
Jonathan, Elder Pace
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