Do you remember . . . THUNDERHEAD?!?

Anyway I am in a remarkably good mood today because I don`t know why. This week we had just as much frustration as any other but oh well. I have realized that the more I put into this work, the more rewarding it is, and also the more frustrating it is when all of your investigators flake on you and nobody that you invited to church actually shows up... (that didn`t happen yesterday.....)

But basically I have hit a turning point on my mission. I can no longer look up to a senior companion to answer Tanaka San`s question I didn`t understand, or to take the lead on where to go, what to say, etc. etc. I really have never had this much freedom, but also this much responsibility. It`s an interesting task to try and tackle as little insignificant me, but I just put my trust in the Lord, and `thrust in my sickle` with all my heart might mind and strength and everything works out in the end even if it doesn`t mean baptisms.

 

In the Kitarokko Ward Okada Shunki and his friend Tsubasa who are going on missions soon have wanted to go on splits with us to get in some good mission prep. (why did I never do anything like that? I was too busy doing who knows what.) But it was a very interesting experience to me because for so long I had felt like if only I were better at Japanese that I could see more success, which I knew wasn`t really true, but as I was on splits with Shunki I was able to see that just plain old sharing the gospel is in fact a scary thing to many people! It was just an eye opening experience to me is all.

 

So this week seemed so good, we had met lots of people who seemed interested, Yazaki is reading the Book of Mormon, everything was heading in a good direction when NOPE! saturday both of our appointments fell through (which wouldn`t be a big deal if we had lots of appointments but when you only have 3 all week...) and then all 7 of the people that we had personally delivered invitations to come to church and who said they would be there, didn`t come. But I am basically realizing how important it is to be patient and just to continue with faith and diligence even when things are not going well. All things will work together for the good of us, and those we meet.

 

Elder Duren loves cats and he also loves the mission slideshow dvd which he watches every single night without fail. He is very happy and there are various things I have learned from him and I really feel like there are reasons for our companionship. He now says excuse me when he burps and he changes his clothes everyday so things are going well for him. But along with all of this he has a very strong desire to serve and a very big heart, which are more important than how someone dresses by a long shot.

 

I hope everyone is doing well! Mom I really appreciated your remarks in your email. We housed into a man this week whose wife had passed away and I got thinking about how sometimes we forget and take for granted our greatest treasures. I don`t know what it would be like to live without any of you and I am so glad that families can be together forever. When we shared that with this man his whole countenance changed and it was amazing to see the hope of the gospel flow into his heart. I am so grateful to be here on a mission. I was feeling frustrated one night this week while we were housing and thought, maybe these people don`t see how much I want to share this with them, and so you may laugh, but I literally RAN from door to door for the next 2 hours sharing the gospel. It was maybe a little silly, but this really is that important. I love this gospel, I love each of you, I`m praying for you, and I hope you have a fantastic week!

 

Love,

Jonathan, ペース長老

Do you like cats?

So this week was as boring as ever. I just hate feeling like I do everything right, but nothing comes of it. I get that the Lord can do miracles through his servants, but it is hard to have faith adequate to produce miracles, when I often have a hard time believing anyone even will listen to us. I am working really hard lately on being exactly obedient, and giving all my heart, might, mind and strength, but I don`t feel like much has changed and that is what is frustrating. It`s like my faith is being tried by trying my faith! 

 

Rebecca here are the answers to your questions!!!

1- yes Japanese people do celebrate Valentine`s Day, but it is not a very big celebration. (But I wouldn`t really know since the only valentine I got was from the Kitarokko ward Young Women...)

2- Cob is right for the most part. Japanese people look smart. Koreans look fat. When Koreans take pictures the reason they put their hands (while making peace signs) on their cheeks is to make their faces look skinnier.

3- Yes people do build butsudans in their houses but because I have really only been in members houses or apartments I really don`t know on that one. I have only been invited in to teach a lesson while housing once, and even then the man had a room off of his genkan so it wasn`t even really inside his house.

4- School in Japan is CRAZY! college admissions tests are apparently super hard and they have school 6 days a week through high school. Most Japanese people get a higher education and education is VERY important here. Teachers here are called Senseis, the same title given to Doctors or surgeons. I have a cool gospel analogy with that but that`s a story for a different day.

YAY!!!

 

This week we scrambled to meet with everyone we could before Wilson Choro left, and got a whopping 1 lesson! But Yazaki`s interest has really increased after talking about how the book of mormon answers the questions of the soul and really helps us in everyday life as well.

 

Friday were transfers and I already wish that transfers were next week. Duren Choro is strange. The very first thing he says to me is `do you like cats?` and then goes on to tell me about how mch he likes cats and dogs and he even has a stuffed animal cat that he sleeps with. He reminds me of the guy on the all-state commercial, stop taking in stray animals. He really just doesn`t appear well. He looks and dresses like a hobo, and his Japanese knowledge is good, but his prononciation is terrible and he speaks so slowly and just plain, dumb sounding, that the ward members asked me if I was training a new missionary yesterday. He also doesn`t like to be out proselyting (lazy) and did I mention he is supposed to be my senior companion? This will be an interesting next transfer.

 

Missionary work is hard, and missionary work is fun. But more than anything, missionary work is disappointing. I feel like I am doing absolutely everything I can for this work, I am giving truly my all, and yet it doesn`t transfer over into `success.` Our investigators ignore our calls, or meet with us so rarely that it is so hard to see the progress of them or me. I don`t mean to sound rude or offensive to other missionaries in saying this, but I don`t think there is anywhere more difficult to serve a mission than Japan. I wouldn`t go anywhere else, but even after almost a third of my mission, it is still a struggle for me to even talk to anyone. I don`t want anyone`s pity, or what not, but I do want understanding. I was reading a talk this week by Elder Perry and he talked about how the members should help the missionaries and that most missionaries spend most of their time trying to find someone to teach instead of teaching. THIS HAS BEEN THE STORY OF MY LIFE AS A MISSIONARY. I have averaged 2 lessons a week for the last 2 transfers. I go out and I knock doors (press ping pong boxes) and stop people on the street for hours, days and weeks on end because the Lord has called me to do that, but it`s really frustrating.

 

I hope everyone has a great week back at home! I loved the Valentines Package and quickly gobbled it all up. I love you all!

 

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace

I make the weather!

So I used to make a list throughout the week of things to write home about in my letters/emails, but I have realized that since coming to Japan and actually doing things here that there is far to much that goes on to possibly include all of it in any letter or email even though I wish I could.

 

I will be here in Kitarokko for a third transfer with Elder Duren who entered the MTC the same day as me. I only remember him being mysteriously caped in a blanket and wandering the halls of the MTC at night so it will be an interesting transfer. I`m just glad I`m staying. I feel like when missionaries are really serving The Lord and not just serving time they will never want to transfer or leave those they have worked so hard to help, or thus has been my experience so far.

 

So I have been working really hard lately on giving ALL my heart, might, mind and strength to the work and everything goes better when I do. It isn`t directly related to success, or numbers, or anything that on paper really, but it just brings a sense of satisfaction knowing that The Lord is pleased with my service. And in turn, I am pleased as well.

 

People in Japan seem to not care about the Olympics at all that I have noticed. (They only care about the 2020 Olympics because they`re in Japan) It`s probably because the USA wins everything that the Olympics are so huge in the states. The Olympics are in Russia right?

 

I wish there were more exciting things to say. I meet soo many interesting people out here. We aren`t teaching as much as we would like. we averaged about 2 lessons a week this last transfer and in case anyone doesn`t already know, yes, this is extremely frustrating at times.

 

Oh by the way to answer Mom`s question, San is a title in Japanese like Mr. Mrs. Ms., etc.  so I would be Pace San, in fact our whole family would be Pace San. (All the Adults at least) There is also Sama which is honoriffic of San. And then for kids they usually use the first name and Chan for girls (and some boys) and Kun for boys. So each of you can have fun figuring out what people would refer to you as in Japanese!

 

On that same note, if you have any questions about Japan, the culture, language, etc. ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE! I would love to share more of my experiences and let you guys feel more involved but I don`t always know what to share so by all means, ask me more questions!

 

We did have a super cool lesson with Yoshinaga this week. After EJ disappeared we were kind of bummed out because nobody else was really progressing as well as we wished. We prepared really well for our lesson with Yoshinaga, object lessons, examples, personal experiences, and it all payed off. He was so impressed that we would take the effort just for him and he really felt the spirit and our savior`s love for him and is preparing to get baptized on march 23rd! I just really think it`s so easy to just teach subject matter, but really the ultimate work of this gospel is LOVE. If we really love these people, we will do anything for them. The very first topic in PMG of the lessons is God is our LOVING Heavenly Father. which in Japanese is (god is our Heavenly Father who is overflowing with love) I Love this work and I love these people! They truly are my brothers and sisters and I wish I could help all of them the way my family and brothers and sisters have helped me!

 

I LOVE you all! Have a great week! I`m so excited to be here and do God`s will for me in this day. You`re the greatest!

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace

Where's that Bonding Strip?!?

This week was hard. EJ had a unfortunate happening and is no longer in Japan, and therefore not getting baptized anytime soon. None of our investigators came to stake conference because going to kobe takes too much time, and it just wasn`t a great week over all. Also today is elder wilsons birthday which is great and all but he took forever to email and wanted to buy himself birthday presents so my time is quite short today.

 

So EJ apparently was going to show his english class (he taught english at the middle school near our church) a video to learn english and accidently showed them the wrong video with what from what the ward members tell us they read in the newspaper had some pornographic content, and he has since lost his job and as far as we know has been deported to the philippines and so we are pretty upset about that. (and no we hadn`t taught him the law of chastity yet.) But it will all work out in the end. He had a testimony of the book of mormon and we hope he can meet with the missionaries again and turn to god in this time of trial.

 

Dad I liked your comment `those who were going English speaking would come home scriptorians, and that those who were speaking romance languages would come home fluent, and that those who were speaking Asian languages would come home humbled.` I asked my trainer who was on his second to last transfer at what time I would most likely start thinking in Japanese, and he told me never. But I am going to prove him wrong. But yes, you can become competant in Japanese as a missionary, but likely not truly fluent.

 

Mom I`m glad you liked my letter! I was kind of reluctant to write it, but as soon as I did I stopped having to play the piano in priesthood haha!

 

We had a nice experience of meeting Nakamae San this week who let us into his house immediately to hear our message, we rejected his typical offering to give us tea, and then also coffee, he was confused and seemed like as he continues to meet is willing and open enough for the spirit to enter his heart and build his faith. It`s the first time in my whole mission anyone has actually let us in to listen to us the first time we meet them.

 

It has been unusually warm here for february and i am not complaining one bit! Life is good here. I`m getting bugged with Elder Wilson and I kind of secretly want to train next transfer, but then again not really. I really am so glad to be a missionary and I love Japan! I bought a bunch of new pens for Christmas, they have a special ink that is erasable, but then also turns invisible if heated up enough and then if cooled down re-appears. I also bought myself a Japanese National Team soccer jersey to support my boys The Samurai Blue in Brazil this summer! Merry Christmas to me! I know myself so well don`t I? I hope to hear from you all soon. Andrew don`t let her feminine ways hide the fact that she played for murray max... Just reminding you haha I love you all and hope to hear from you soon!

 

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace