The Truman Show (MTC Edition)

家族は大好きです。私は家族に祝福したある。

Week 5

Life in the MTC feels like it is all one day. Even after 5 + weeks I feel like I've really been lied to and that it is really not August, but I've been in this Truman Show type world for 5 months. It just feels like I'm in a giant missionary ant farm sometimes. I can't wait to get to Japan in 3 weeks and actually have real life happen around me and run into real people. Although I discovered this week that I will not even be able to read a Japanese newspaper because you must know 3,000(ish) Kanji in order to read a newspaper. Most misisonaries after 2 years have the reading and writing capacity of a Japanese kindergartener.

So last week I meant to send this in my letter but didn't because I forgot. Last week was Pioneer day and I had always not enjoyed hearing about the Pioneers and how miserable they were and how boring all of the stories about these old people were and being bugged why we focus so much on them. My attitude was always a sort of, "I get it, they suffered so that we could live in this barren desert called Utah" And in some ways that is correct. However, I hadn't truly appreciated the sacrifice of these Pioneers until I came on my mission. I'd never realized how big of a sacrifice it was for these people to trek across the American Great Plains until I had to give up everything I had and give up my life for the sake of inviting others to their personal Zion. I believe my mission to be my personal Pioneer Journey to the West! (Okay so it's actually the Far East but I'm travelling West to get there) I won't be pulling a handcart or suffering on meager rations (I hope), but I will have different hardships to overcome. Cultureshock, companion problems and learning this impossible language instead of Rocky Ridge, Buffalo Chips and the North Platte River Crossing.

Speaking of problems, here are mine. I am not extremely optimistic, or really very optimistic at all. Also, my companion, though he is getting better at it, struggles far more than I with Japanese. I am also quite cynical, which often leads to discouragement, or skepticism instead of hope. So anyway, I tend to become overwhelmed and discouraged because I am able to see all that I have yet to learn. I am too much of a perfectionist to be content with an okay or alright lesson. I am so logical that I get bothered if we don't fully explain the doctrine in a manner that logically makes sense to the investigator. Through all of this, I found that the real problem is my faith. Not that I lack faith, but that I don't exercise it enough. Faith is like any muscle, it must be torn, strained and worked hard before it can grow stronger. I'm not sure how exactly I can exercise my faith more frequently, but I know I can strive to have greater hope than doubt.

So our entire district is sick. We all have a nasty cold type thing which is yucky, and it makes us all very tired all the time. It's not the best idea to have six people living in a room the size of Andrew's room. Especially when one of them practices very poor hygiene despite our continued requests for him to better clean himself. We have two humidifiers in our room which... do absolutely nothing. I sleep on the top bunk so it doesn't affect me at all, and every day this week I have become more and more sick.

The other day マク。長老 (Elder Mak) felt like he had a dark cloud over him and was just depressed and so he asked if we could give him a blessing. I had the opportunity to participate in my first priesthood blessing which was a cool experience to know that I am able to act in the name of God with his power and authority. It was one of those moments where you look at it and realize that this is real. That I'm actually a Missionary and I'm not just some kid who graduated from High School at a 9 week long intense EFY. Also on the way to the Tuesday night devotional at the Marriot Center, we walked by a couple groups of EFY kids and realized that we are actually doing what we have prepared our whole lives to be able to do. It was just a cool moment to experience.

 Every day really seems more and more the same, I think I may be losing my mind here. 3 weeks left and then it's off to Japan! Everyone pray for me to learn this ridiculously hard language! Also I ran into Elder Caine this morning who got here this Wednesday. When does Elizabeth Pace come to the MTC? And is Richard Worsham going to the Peru MTC or Provo? I enjoy seeing people from home to say hi, but I just feel weird talking to them because it usually ends up being about home and just making us mad and miss home so yeah. Also I don't like how half the people i know are at the MTC West (Wyview) campus. I wanted to see some of them! Oh well.

私は私の家族に愛していますよ!　私は皆さんを愛していますよ!　

心から,　    

ペイス。長老　(Elder Pace)

P.S. yes that is actually what my nametag will look like!

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

Konnichiwa Shimaitachi!‏

Dear World, (family)

I will answer most individual emails in individual letters which you will probably get sometime next week. Also I would assume it was William who emailed me from my own old email, but they didn't leave a name..... maybe it's from aninnymouse?! But anyway thank you to everyone who wrote to me this week it really does mean a lot! Also I only have an hour to Email so if you would send me your emails either as letters or through dearelder.com I would have more time to send you my weekly update.

Anyhow, yes I got the midnight snack package you sent, and it is very useful! Also thank you Rebecca for your package! so anyway I have just recorded my thoughts throughout the week of things I need to write home about but they may be very scattered so bear with me.

First I am glad not to be one of the new guys anymore! It was so fun to greet all the new elders by saying "Konnichiwa Shimaitachi" which means good afternoon sisters! Though stupid, it's great to see their ignorant faces as they think we're being all nice to them when we're mocking them. Even though we don't get more Japanese missionaries until the 17th it's good not to be the newest missionary at the center. A bunch of Nihonjin Choro to Shimai (Native Japanese Elders and Sisters) arrived this week and they are so small! They have such a brightness about them and it's great to know that there really are good faithful saints all throughout the world. However, I do not understand how anyone could ever develop Asian/Yellow Fever hahaha no thank you!

So one fun thing that makes learning the language a little easier is that all of our Japanese language and grammar books all have fun Japanese names. For example, our green pocket sized grammar card is known as the Bulbasaur, and our yellow grammar book is known as the Pikachu. Other book nicknames include the ninja, sumo, miyagi (from karate kid), magikarp (that book is useless) and charmander. In case anyone did not already know, yes I am going to the land of Pokemon.

One frustration is there is no real like checkpoints on the process of learning a language, and the only real goal is to become fluent. Also it is frustrating that no matter how incompetent we are at the language after nine weeks, they are going to send us off to Japan regardless! I cannot learn this language in that time! everyone please pray for me!

Okay so... my companion Elder Sorenson has ADHD. I am not kidding! He literally has been diagnosed and everything, and does he bring his medication on his mission? Of course not! Seriously he cannot last longer than 15 minutes on any task and it is SOOOO frustrating! I plan all our lessons, do all the talking in our lessons, and have to continually be on his case to focus on whatever it is we're learning or studying. Also, his favorite hymn is "We are all Enlisted" which is fine, but he sings it 24/7 and he only knows the first two lines of the first verse ALL DAY LONG! One funny thing is that the Japanese word for companion is doryo (with extended o sounds) and my companion is effectively Dory from Pixar's Finding Nemo. Also this week he asked me if the priesthood was on the earth during the great apostasy...

So receiving mail is like candy! please everyone write me because I like to get mail! And because I want to hear about all that you're doing! Also pictures are gold! I want pictures of family and friends! Also I don't know if you sent it already but that picture collage Mindy made me I would very much appreciate!

Elder Paul Zoltan Mak in my district (yes his middle name is Zoltan) you know the one that doesn't shower, brush his teeth, make his bed or really practice any hygeine decided to shower this week! (hooray!) but then while we were all showering he closed the door to our room which conveniently had all the keys to the room in it. So yes we were all 6 of us locked out of our room, half naked. Thankfully our zone leaders went to the front desk and got us a key to our room and the problem was resolved within ten minutes. Elder Mak is the Mr. Snoops of our room who ironically looks like the I'm a PC guy from those those old Apple commercials. Ironic because his name is Mak. Elder Mak is also the reason for us getting an unsatisfactory rating on our room check this week.

On the fourth of July we had a "Stadium of Fireside" in which they brought all the missionaries inside to watch 17 Miracles to prevent us from hearing that terrible worldly celebration... Sometimes I think that people who have these ideas are just stupid. but anyway, I just wrote letters the whole movie and after we got to go outside to watch the fireworks show, or as much as we could see from within the walls of this monster center thingy. Which defeated the whole purpose of trying to keep us inside in the first place!

The food here is terrible. I eat because I have to survive, but am seriously considering annorexia for the next seven and a half weeks. When I think of the MTC food a movie quote comes to mind. "Do you not know that I have had Diahrrea since EASTERS!?" anyhow I don't think I will gain any weight here at the MTC. Although I have been lifting weights and working out consistently so I could gain some muscle mass. Let's all cross our fingers for that! Basically I am doing well and I have taught 5 lessons all in Japanese (or as much Japanese as possible) and have actually been able to feel the spirit in the last few which is awesome! Also Cantonese is the gay Mandarin.

Here is what I need to know slash need from home.
The list of Thank You cards I need to write that was on my ipod. and the addresses of those individuals.
Febreeze. (for Elder Mak)
A Deck of Cards
Fingernail Clippers, Rebecca I don't know what you thought was in that stupid pedicure kit you sent me but it did not actually contain anything to clip my toenails/fingernails with.
Abby's address in Italia.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Love and miss you,

Jonathan (Elder Pace)