Kitarokko‏

So I have a lot to say and not a lot of time.

 

1- Heat Tech. It`s like a Japanese under armour thing and it is basically essential in keeping me warm in this weather.

 

2- I got hit by a car! not dangerously, but the driver was so horrified that I was hurt and I was truly just fine and I thought it was cool to say I had been hit by a car. Me and my bike were fine, I flew only a few feet and was totally fine clothes and all. But havig done it once it doesn`t need to happen again.

 

3- Transfers, they are super hectic and not very fun at all. for some it is a chance to see all their buddies in the misison, but I don`t have a whole lot of those so yeah. My carry on wheel broke... so lugging around a 60ish pound bag the whole time from train station to bus stop to the Okayama apartment, back the the bus stop to the train station to the other bus stop to the other train station to the kittarokko apartment was quite the expedition. I envy the missions with cars.

 

4- Kitarokko. Kitarokko is north of kobe and it means north rokko, rokko is the mountain separating us from kobe and yes, so I am in perhaps the most mountainous region of the misison which means I have quite a fun time biking everywhere... But the ward here is incredible and the bishop knew Uncle Grant!?! How I have no clue!

 

5- my new companion is elder jordan wilson from oregon and he is good. he studied japanese for 11 years before his mission (cheater) and is pretty skilled for only a fourth transfer missionary. We are pretty different people, he is a `LAX BRO` and I am not one of those people so that probably says enough. He looks like Spencer Randall, Josh Oldroyd, and Zach Rosander all morphed into one being.

 

6- E.J.  he is our philippino investigator we teach in english, but somehow found on youtube a video of an endowment session someone had taken... and had lots of questions about that... However, he is very interested in the message and seems to be pretty golden and I am glad to have an english investigator.

 

7- The Primary Program. The Japanese primary program was a little different from the american ones, much more professional and I must say very well done. However the primary is about one fifth the size of ours so that may have something to do with it.

 

8- I said goodbye to all the Yonago investigators and it was far more sad that I had imagined. You really do learn to love those you serve. I hope I develop that same love here in Kitarokko as well.

 

So other than that I really am just having a good time and I`m happy, not because I am necessarily having success in the way of baptisms, but in the Lord`s way. I feel like I have found myself here in Japan even though I can`t speak the language I know I am just where the Lord wants me. I really am looking forward to the packages and I hope all of you know how grateful I am for such a wonderful family. The best one in the world. Everyone who isn`t a Pace wishes they were. I will try and celebrate thanksgiving the best I can. I don`t know if I can find Turkey anywhere, but I did find, corn, mashed potatoes and I am trying to make a makeshift apple and chocolate cream pie in our toaster oven. I love and miss you all! I`ll be thinking of you all on thursday and I wish I could be watching home alone and college football with you, but just know I am doing something better.

 

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace, ぺース長老

(No Subject)

Well this week I transfer to Kitarokko which is in the Kobe Zone and I`m pretty excited but totally scared out of my mind! At least I`m not training! This will be my third companion in three transfers in Japan so we`ll see what challenges and adventures this presents.

This week I had my first dream in Japanese and I don`t remember what was happening really, other than in my dream I was teaching Yamaguchi and he was being difficult (as usual) about not being able to come to church because it`s cold. Anyway apparently I was sleeptalking/sleeptestifying but either way I hope that this is a sign of progression in the language that will come shortly. Let`s cross our fingers! Anyway I will miss Yonago and the good people and all that has happened here. I`m officially done being trained as a missionary and so obviously I know everything there is to know about how to do missionary work in Japan... If only. I really like doing missionary work and I know it`s what the Lord wants me to be doing, but sometimes a little more help could be nice. I know Japanese fluency isn`t what will convert these people, but it sure wouldn`t hurt to have that weapon in my arsenal so to speak.

So this week we lost contact with Miyake, our investigator who has to come to church more before he can be baptized, but he has work on sunday and blah blah... anyway so we went nearly two weeks without contact from him, and then decided to turn our companionship into Elder Holmes and Elder Watson and did some detective work, went to his work, tracked down his bicycle among like the hundred or so that were there (which is no easy task mind you) and left him a sketchy note telling him to meet us at the church. Anyway he saw our number on the note and gave us a call and he is once again ready to be baptized if he could just come to church! Also, he is a very studious person and searches all over the internet and everywhere to find information about the church and developed a big problem regarding the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Now some people may think of that as an obstacle, but to me it was evidence that I, Elder Jonathan Pace, have a part to play in this work. I can`t speak Japanese very well, but I could explain to him from my own research (which I had to do on P-Day and is a boring use of P-Day time) and knowledge of Church History and I was able to resolve his concern about one of the darkest chapters of church history. I know it probably doesn`t sound like much, but I have a strong feeling that this was something that I was meant to do to help Miyake come unto Christ. Now if only he would literally come to church! 

I find I get discouraged and let down sometimes by my missing my own expectations and impatience. This morning I was expressing frustration on how few members of the church there are and how I wish the pace at which the work was moving forward was as much of a testimony builder as seeing the progress of individuals. I feel like I say a lot of things and I express my thoughts, doubts, etc. more than most people. Obviously I have faith and my resolve is strong enough in that faith that it isn`t shaken, but sometimes I feel like I have more doubts out here than I did before. I have turned to my patriarchal blessing a lot lately and just wondering how I can be who I`m told I can be. I am growing stronger everyday, and I`m grateful for the opportunity I have to serve these people and bring them the joy that only the gospel can bring. But I am sure I feel as many people often feel, that a little more divine help would be quite beneficial. I was thinking a lot about why I want to be great, what drives me to improve, and I still can`t quite put a finger on it exactly, but I just have this inner ambition to achieve greatness. And sometimes I think because of that, I will never reach my desired destination of perfection. I don`t think I am alone in feeling this way, but I know I`m not alone along the way.

I really love hearing from everyone! I wish I could read all the emails during the week and then accordingly respond to everyone that writes me, but alas I don`t ever have the time. P-Day would be so great if you didn`t have all the things you have to do on P-Day. I am learning and progressing a lot, but I also have a lot of struggles, many of which I bring upon myself. I appreciate all the support and the love from everyone! Mom I would give you my street address but it`s all in Kanji so 1) I can`t read it and/or type it. and 2) there are like no street signs in Japan. there are for like the major roads, but there are a million little alleyway roads that are crazy tiny and super hard to navigate! Also Rebecca, many of the `yards` here are like giant zen gardens and you would really like the style of them. I`m going to miss Yonago and being in a (yon-nin) 四人 (four people) though. All of you are probably reading this thinking `man he takes himself way to seriously` maybe true. Anyhow things are good, I`m happy and enjoying missionary life, taking on Japanese one word at a time, and trying to take in the experience that I have in front of me. I love and miss you all! Hope all is well! I love hearing from you!

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace ペース長老

ハッピーハロウィーン!!! (Happy Halloween!) (I know I`m a week late)‏

Okay so I feel like I didn`t email much last week which is kind of true, but I never have time to say everything or to really respond to all the great support I get from such an amazing family! I Love you! It really is the greatest to know that no matter how crumby things get around the world, that there is always someone looking out for you. That help is just around the corner so to speak. So yes mom and dad I ate the sugar cookies on Halloween and they were great! We don`t really have counterspace here so we cleared off the table the four of us eat at, (a little smaller than the average card table) and rolled out and cut our pumpkin shaped sugar cookies and frosted them with Nucrema which is basically Nutella, but not quite the same. We had to cook them one by one in the toaster oven here because nobody has real ovens that I know of. We then ate them while listening to Big Pumpkin and life was a little happier. Throughout October I put a Halloween sticker on each day in my planner about the size of my thumbnail, and Elder George told me I wasn`t focusing on the work and I told him to Rub a Monkey`s Tummy with his Head. Missionaries can be normal people who look forward to Holidays and can celebrate them too! 

So I found the joy of Ramen this week. Not that cheap instant crap, but REAL ramen. I don`t think I will ever go back. It was delicious, I have had chinese style ramen with pork and other deliciousness, and then after district meeting I had a spicy ramen that burned the back of the throat just enough to warm your whole being, but not too hot that I didn`t want to eat more. Basically they need Ramen in America. Also one of the members of the Bishopric here owns a ramen and a tempura restaurant and gave us a `free meal pass` that we can use whenever we want as many times as we want! I am so happy about it! 

Rebecca it`s crazy that all of your friends are starting to come home! I`m sad I miss it. That`s so exciting though!

Yes in case anyone was wondering I am too hard on myself. I don`t know why but I just am. I just expect myself to be better than people around me and that competitive spirit is really motivating, but also frustrating. I have decided to measure my own success rather than let other people tell me what I am good or bad at. I know what I have to do, but if I don`t do it for myself, I will just be bothered because I don`t like other people telling me things I already know I`m bad at. I am almost finished with my `training` on the mission which is pretty exciting, but I will miss that extra hour of companion study. I just am really scared I will have to train next transfer and that is not exactly something I feel capable of doing. I finally got some rain pants and as goofy as they may be, I love them because now I am not soaked all day! So since in our apartment are two companionships and both Elder Kemp and mine`s companion are zone leaders, they go on exchanges fairly frequently, meaning Elder Kemp and I are here in Yonago doing the real work. 2 second transfer missionaries yay! So friday was that way, after district meeting we had two lessons to teach, first to Yamaguchi and second to Brother Tanaka, so we survived the first lesson, Yamaguchi San is extremely kind, and old, so we can teach very slowly and simply and it just makes sense to him and it isn`t awkward because he`s old. However we were afraid our lesson with Tanaka San would not be as good. We taught him about God, why we are here and why we need a savior. As we taught him about Jesus Christ his eyes began to fill with tears. He felt the spirit so strongly and began to read the book of mormon again. He has come to church the past two weeks and yesterday he and his wife came together and it was great! the hymns were the best part, first was Rejoice the Lord is King, then I Stand All Amazed, and to close I Know that My Redeemer Lives. It was just an answer to my prayers that 1) those hymns sung by the whole congregation testified of the exact same thing that had pricked his heart earlier this week. and 2) that they sang my favorite hymns in sacrament meeting. Later that day we taught him and his wife and answered all their questions about church and they both could not deny the spirit they had felt. So please make sacrament meeting a spiritual oasis from the world, it makes all the difference. If you remember this is the same Tanaka that had been really frustrating earlier until I nearly barked at him in our lesson on prayer. The Lord is helping him. I wish I could say more about all the cool and not so cool things I`m doing, but alas...

Thank you for all the letters and support! I love all of you! Is Olympus in the State Championship for Football!?! I told a recent convert in our ward who is a futsal player about my soccer experience and how Olympus took State my junior year (hoping I would get a chance to play, but alas) I see high school teams practicing all the time and I just really miss soccer and sports in general sometimes. I wish I could write everyone individually and thank them for everything but for now THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND LOVE AND PRAYERS!!!

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace

Someday...Great

So this week nothing great really happened. We had some lessons, had lots of rain as usual. (If anyone else goes anywhere in Japan on their mission they will want to buy a rain suit, one of those completely waterproof coat and pants) because it rains ALL THE TIME! And when the clouds aren`t raining, my eyes are. I don`t think I have cried so much before my mission. It`s my own fault for being a more sentimental, nostalgic(?) personality but it`s true, I miss a lot of things. Not that I don`t understand the importance of what I am doing, just it`s hard not to let my mind wander to previous memories or even just daydreaming. So I think I kind of hit a wall this week emotionally. I just was so bugged when Halloween came and went and nobody really did anything about it. We had a ward Halloween party, but it was just like all the ward members dropped off their kids and I was bugged because it turned out to be a complete waste of time from a missionary work standpoint. I concluded this week that someday had become today. Lots of things in life we view as someday things. I`ll go on a mission someday, I`ll repent someday, I`ll grow up someday, I`ll learn Japanese someday, I`ll graduate someday, and so on. But since in our mind these things are categorized as `someday`, we have a hard time adjusting to the reality that no you wont be a missionary SOMEDAY, you`re a missionary TODAY. I`ve just had a hard time when I want to be a great missionary who The Lord can use to touch the hearts of these people, but I just struggle. I feel stupid every time I open my mouth. I am exhausted, and I feel alone. I struggle because I want to be the Champion. I want to be great. But I`m not. I want to as Nephi did, have the strength to burst the cords which bind me, but no, the cords are loosed just enough for it to work out. I really have a hard time with this blasted language because there is not a way for me to look up a word in english, and have the Japanese pronunciation, because the dictionary I have is only from Japanese to English. So unless I know the Japanese word I want to learn, I can`t very effectively translate from English to Japanese unless Elder Sekiguchi happens to know that English word. (If anyone really loves me, they would send me a English to Japanese Dictionary either with Romanized Japanese, or Furigana, because I can`t read 99% of the chinese characters and Pres. Zinke has advised us not to study them until the second half of our mission) I feel like my language ability is increasing, but not fast enough. I don`t want to be okay, I want to be great. I am working on being a friend to those I am in contact with because even if I can`t tell them very much, I can show them by what I do, and what kind of person I am even if I can`t show them by what I say. Eliza I got your letter from September 11th that you forgot to send off. I look forward to receiving the rest of your letters. Mom I really enjoyed your letter thank you so much for that. Caroline I LOVED your letter! I`ll write you back really soon! It`s crazy to think that I`ve been here as long as I have, yesterday was my fifth fast sunday. I wish I wan`t so tired all the time. I love and miss all of you! I hope to hear from you all soon!

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace