(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

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

Sayonara MTC!

So here is the dealio kazoku, I leave on Tuesday August 27th from the MTC. I report to the Travel Office at 3:30 AM then I take FrontRunner to the Salt Lake Airport. My flight from Salt Lake City to Seattle leaves at 8:25 AM I will call home while at the Salt Lake airport. I am not sure what time but I would guess sometime between 5 AM and 8 AM, probably earlier. From Seattle we fly to Osaka, Japan and that is where the real fun begins. Our flight from Seattle leaves at 11:25 AM on the 27th, and I arrive in Osaka at 2:25 PM on the 29th. So Crazy!

The Tokyo South missionaries in our district leave on Monday which means ONE WHOLE DAY WITHOUT HAVING TO SMELL ELDER MAK!!! I kid somewhat, but really Monday will just be a weird day in class without half our district there.

We got our Japanese nametags this week and they are so cool! As difficult as all those characters are to read and write, they sure are cool looking on my badge. 

SCHOOL STARTED?!?!? I swear it just ended! I hope everyone is having a great time! Eliza, hope all is well with that crazy thing we call high school. William is in Junior High?! Since when?! He's like 4 feet tall? I hope he's loving it though! I wish I could be there for all of you and hear all your great stories and experiences, but alas... CAROLINE I LOVED YOUR LETTER!!! (Eliza and Rebecca you too) Mom don't be sad that I'm gone. I'm where I should be. Besides I'll be crying enough once I get to Japan and can't even communicate with anyone but that's okay. 

So I don't know if I ever told you this but here is what a typical day is like at the MTC for me. I wake up at 6:00 AM and shower, get dressed, do my hair, smell nice, etc. I have breakfast at 6:45 AM for which I usually have some muffins, or some cereal if worse comes to worse. Then from 7:15 to 8:10 I have personal study time in which we read The Book of Mormon for about 20-30 minutes and then spend the rest of the time studying whatever we had planned the night before to prepare for our lessons that day. (Japanese grammar, vocab, PMG, practice reading the Japanese BoM, etc.) Then from 8:10 to 11:10 we have class, in which we learn Japanese, and teach our lessons to our investigators. At 11:10 is lunch, and that is usually some sort of sandwich, burger thingy, with chocolate milk of course. Then from 11:55 to 1:30 is PMG study time, followed by gym time until 2:30, and then until 3:00 you have time to freshen up as it were. From 3:00 to 4:10 is TALL. it stands for Technology Assisted Language Learning. It's a program made at BYU to help us learn the language and get more practice listening to native speakers. After that is Dinner until 4:55 and then we have class again until 8:00 PM. After class is Language Study until 9:00 and then from 9:00 to 9:30 we plan our next day and then go back to our residence to write in our journals, brush our teeth, say our prayers and go to bed by 10:30. So in case anyone was curious, that's what I've been doing here for the last 9 weeks!

I am so excited but I can't decide if I am more likely to shout for joy or burst into tears that I am actually going so far away. This will be the hardest thing I have ever done. I'm sure lucky I have the Lord with me because otherwise this would be impossible. I love and miss you all! In case you were wondering which I know you are, it takes 7 days for mail to get to Japan so I've heard, so that's not even that bad! I am just so excited but I am scared out of my mind! Everyone pray for me. I'm praying for all of you! Mimi and Papa thank you for your package it was very well received! I Love You!

Love,

Jonathan, Elder Pace