Week 6

Hi minasan,

Thanks for all the updates!  I'm guessing you're all sitting on plane right now somewhere in the sky with Zoach playing Angry Birds on the iPad and Heidi studying Latin.  (PS way to go Heidi for getting a job.  Growing up so fast ... tear, tear).  It's funny to think I'll be there not long after you leave.  This week was a little slow.  Not a whole lot has changed, other than I am getting antsier by the day.  I guess they don't say patience is a virtue for nothing.  We get our travel plans next Friday so I'm pretty pumped for that.  We're officially dai senpai (sp? I don't understand Romanji), which is code for "we have been in the MTC a reallllllly long time."  Literally half the branch left for Japan yesterday so we are officially the oldest in the branch.  Our district has also officially entered that perpetual state of sleepiness that will undoubtedly just get worse once we get out into the field, but it's a happy sort of tired.  We're getting a few new districts of Japan-bound missionaries tomorrow so that'll be good. 

Every day we just each a lot of lessons, read a lot of scriptures, and eat even more salad and cereal.  It's not a bad way to live.  Sister Cheney is becoming more like a ninja each day.  She gets up to put her tray away in the cafeteria and then doesn't come back forever so I have to go hunt her down.  A lost doryo is not a good thing.  I've found that if I just find all the senior missionaries, she's probably sitting with them.  She's quite the social butterfly and has zero problem talking to everyoneeee.  It's a skill I should probably work on.  Also, I think it's been established that I am indeed NOT bored all the time ... I'm just not very animated and don't talk as much.  That is also something I'm trying to work on, ha.

Today we're having a belated Bastille Day celebration.  We have quite a few French-speakers in our district so Sister MacArthur's mom sent a package of crepes, madaleines, and copies of the French national anthem.  Haha.  So nous mangeons beaucoup cet apres-midi.  It makes me laugh the things that make us so happy here in the MTC.  We've officially stooped to new lows and are no longer afraid to eat the half-opened bags of Turtle Chex Mix from the free bin.  It's the little things in life. 

This week I've been working on memorizing the First Vision in Japanese.  I'm also reviewing all of my 1st and 2nd grade kanji.  It makes me feel really good about myself.  We also write talks for every sacrament meeting, so that's been good practice.  No one knows who's giving the talk until the Branch Presidency member stands up on Sunday and announces it, and you can bet there's always an audible sigh of relief (except for the two lucky missionaries).  I have yet to speak so we'll see.   

On Sunday, we walked up the temple after Sacrament Meeting and were met by some protesters.  Haven't seen THAT in Provo for a while, and I'm still not sure what they were protesting because everything I heard him say I pretty much agreed with haha.  We just walked past, smiled, and said, "Yup! Jesus is the best."   And on we went.   We ran into an older Japanese lady who was sooooo excited to meet a bunch of Japanese missionaries.  She took a bunch of pictures of us and we talked to her for a long time.  I guess she's from Tokyo and we all got to tell her our life stories.  It was good practice for my Japanese. 

To Zoachie:  thank you for sending me pictures of your favorite Pokemons.  I got your email and starting laughing to myself in the computer lab like a happy fool.  I would love nothing more than for you to send me pictures of Pikachu.  Unfortunately there is no textbook named Mew, but my little white dictionary doesn't have a name yet.  So in your honor I will name it Mew.  And yes, I got your picture of the smart car and the happy guy and I love it to pieces.  You da best little brother :)

I don't have any notable pictures to send this week, but every week I feel like I'm just sending pictures of myself standing with a different person.  I still look the same.

Here's my spiritual thought for the week.  I listened to a talk from Sheri Dew on Sunday, and she quoted Elder Holland who was speaking at a funeral.  He said, "We spend too much of our lives acting as though we're going to stay here when we aren't.  And we won't."  What are we focused on?  Sister Dew said that we're here to demonstrate whether or not we want to be a part of the kingdom of God or not.  As I listened to the talk, it made me laugh at how much time I waste on pointless things and gave me a renewed determination to not get bogged down by the little annoyances (or even big) that we experience from day to day.  Life is good.  Forget not to be happy now, and don't forget why you're here.

Also, a quote from C.S. Lewis that one of my bestest friends sent me in a letter the other day:  "Faith is the art of holding on to things in spite of our changing moods and circumstances."

How true. 

Hope this finds everyone happy and well.  Travel safe, and I'll talk to you soon!  MATA NE!

Love, Magi-chan

PS: to Alex--good luck in Hollywood!  Also, it seems like everyone here is somehow connected to you or Kristen.  They start squinting at my nametag and all I have to say is, "Yes, he's my brother."  The married couple I taught in TRC the other day got really excited when they realized we were related (she said she served with you?)  Haha.  I think you were legendary in your mission or something. 

(Tuesday, July 16th, 2013)