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

First Transfer Down

Okay, so I have been in Japan for an entire transfer. Does it feel like it, not at all. But I am staying in Yonago for at the remainder of my training, but Elder Baker is being transferred. My new companion will be Elder Sekiguchi, who is native Japanese. I am terrified. I will find out more about him and let you know.

Dad, you requested that I give you my investigators names, here they are:

Miyake - he is 24 and golden, he researches everything, we gave him the restoration pamphlet and he read it 10 times the night before we taught it. he says his greatest desire in life is to find the truth. he works on sundays and we`ve been fasting that he can get sundays off from work. his baptismal date is 11/3

Kajiyama - He is 26 and pretty trendy (wears crocs... somehow some people in Japan think those are cool...) He came to church for the first time yesterday and seemed to like it. his baptismal date is 11/17

Tanaka (Sister) - she came to church last week and stayed all 3 hours, she is pretty involved with buddhism and doesn`t know how to handle the religious differences.

Tanaka (Brother) - he thinks he is really smart and always tries to get us to join Amway when we meet and we always refuse obviously.

Yasui - he is 55 he comes to english class every week and LOVES American stuff especially music. he knows weird movie quotes and said he loves British english music. I talked to him about One Direction of all things and we have an appointment with him next week, who knew that One Direction could be used to spread the work of god? 

Yamaguchi - he is like 79 years old and can`t walk, he sits seza all day and is too scared to come to church.

Sakamoto - I don`t really remember or understand him very well...

There are more but I don`t have time to talk about everyone.

I always love the reaction I get when I tell people I`m 18. In Japan people often wait until they are finished with college to go on a mission because differing is difficult, so to them an 18 year old missionary is crazy! also, Elder Baker turns 22 and is basically 4 years older than me. that`s weird. I have lots of issues with him but we won`t discuss them.

This week Elders George and Baker went to Kobe for Mission Training thingy and Elder Kemp and I were companions for a day. two 1st transfer missionaries roaming the streets of Yonago... but we found 6 potential investigators! well I found 5 and he found 1, but hey, we did something useful! One man named Kenya Hamamoto, I biked alongside him for about 15 minutes and I felt decently competent in what I was saying! We still haven`t met with him, but I feel like it was The Lord patting me on the back and saying `you can do this` it really seemed like a simple miracle to me.

So last week was bad and I was feeling down, so I decided that I needed to be happier, I bought some cool pens, some Halloween stickers, and then some chocolate to lift my spirits and it has helped throughout the week for sure. I also now have my own stamps so writing real letters will be easier because I won`t have to go to the post office every time anymore.

In Japan they have MILLIONS of pens, the favorite seems to be the multi-color pens where there are like 3 or 4 colors in one pen and the little slide-y thing on the side to switch colors. But yes, they love their pens over here, and there are lots of them.

Andrew and Rebecca, thank you for all the loving advice you gave me last week when I was feeling a bit more down than usual. Mom I got your letter, Rebecca you too. Letters take longer to get here than I thought, because of forwarding and all that, but I DO GET THEM EVENTUALLY! I am really excited for conference this week!!! But I will definitely miss the Priesthood Meeting outing with the Paces, that was one of my favorite times each year. It is always great to hear from family so please don`t hesitate to write me.

I have great challenges ahead of me and I`m really scared, excited and every emotion in between at least once every day. I don`t think I have ever cried so often as I do on a mission. I am being blessed though everyday, I can feel the prayers and support of everyone. I love and miss you all!

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace