Week 7

Hi minasan,

Hope you're having fun in Sado and eating lots of gohan and nori and really yummy Japanese food.  I'm definitely excited for all the delicious stuff I get to eat in a few weeks.  Two weeks left!  Not that I'm counting or anything.  Travel plans come on Thursday. 

Today 6 Japanese missionaries flew in--one sister, 5 elders.  The sister is staying with us so we're pretty excited about that.  It will be good practice for our Nihongo.  Speaking of practicing Nihongo, I gave my first official talk in Nihongo in sacrament meeting on Sunday.  I forget if I already mentioned this, but every missionary writes a talk every Sunday with the anticipation of being called up to speak on the spot.  I've managed to fly under the radar until now so I got up there and gave my little bit on "Enduring to the End".  All the new missionaries were sitting right in front of the podium, and I'm pretty sure their eyes were going to bug out of their head.  Not because my Japanese is so impeccable or anything, but because I think I was speaking so incredibly fast I'm not even sure what came out of my mouth.  Afterwards I got a lot of "That was so beautiful, even though I have no idea what you said ... " So I have things to work on from a public speaking standpoint.  Ha. 

Our district always makes Japanese study a good time.  The latest form of entertainment is translating songs into Japanese while we clean.  Like "P.Y.T."  M.J., RIP. 

Today was a little crazy since I had a minor incident.  We were playing a game of district volleyball a few days ago and I sort of miscalculated and ended up with one big fat purple right hand.  I should have sacrificed my face or my foot before my hand, or just have ducked all together.  #iguessimjusttoovain I was proud of myself for not crying in front of the elders but let's just say that my hand is pretty much useless.  But pleeeeease don't worry, Okasan, because I went to the radiologist this morning and got it X-rayed, and I just tore a few ligaments in it.  No breaks or fractures or anything, so they just put me on some anti-inflammatories and it should be completely healed in a couple of months.  They gave me this splint thing so I look really lame but I'm just grateful my piano career isn't over or anything, haha.  But this time, I really am taking a break from any sport that requires a team.  My district pretty much just sends me to the track when we play anything now.  Probably safer for everyone that way.  On the bright side, I got to walk down the street to the health clinic and they had a real live TV with Fox News on it.  And I met a radiologist named Skip. 

This week my goal for teaching lessons was to not talk so much because I have a bad habit of monopolizing.  Keeping this in mind, we walked into this lesson the other day and spent literally half the lesson talking about Alaskan king salmon.  (Me trying to translate king salmon into Japanese = really good joke for our investigator).  But afterwards, I decided to just take a chill pill and be happy that we have the ability to talk about salmon for that long in a foreign language.  I'm learning not be uptight, I think.  Maybe our investigator just needed someone to be his friend and talk about fish with him, I don't know.  Besides, it was a really good segue into how Jesus was a fisherman.  Plus we got to bear our testimonies.  Good times. 

This week I listened to the best talk by Elder Bednar entitled "Recognizing the Spirit."  He says the most frequent question he gets is "how do I know if it's the Spirit or me just making it up?"  He said to "quit worrying about it."  The majority of the spiritual impressions that you will receive will come in the form of you being a good girl or boy and allowing the Lord to make you an instrument in His hands.  If you are a good kid, then every good thing comes from God.  Don't just sit around waiting from some dramatic message from heaven.  Just press forward, and He will guide your steps.  Elder Bednar told a couple of stories where he did things that he couldn't explain why he did at the time, but in retrospect he has every confidence that it was absolutely a prompting from the Spirit.  I guess I really needed this talk because sometimes I worried if going on a mission was "the absolute best decision" that I could have made at that point in my life, but I decided that it was pointless to just wait for a lightning bolt to hit me.  I figured if I wasn't supposed to go, I would break my leg or something.  Just do what you feel like is aligned with the Lord's will, and it will work out.  And so here I am, and I really love it.  Also, I got a letter this week from one of my friends and he recommended the talk "Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer" by Elder Scott from the 1989 General Conference.  It really made me think about prayer differently and why sometimes we feel like prayers aren't answered.  I highly recommend.  Both talks are extremely helpful on the subject of personal revelation. 

Be safe traveling back!  Thanks for your letters.  I got some really lovely ones this week that truly made my day.  Mucho love to you all.

Love, Magi-chan

"Work is hard.  Distractions are plentiful.  And time is short."  -The Miracle of Forgiveness

Shoutout to Mr. and Mrs. Turner for having the most charming wedding announcement of the SUMMA.

(Tuesday, July 23, 2013)

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)

Week 5

Hi minasan! 

Thank you so much for all the letters and emails.  I love reading about what everyone's up to.  We've officially hit the half-way mark (hallelujah) and time will hopefully pass more quickly from now on.  Not to sound shallow or anything, but the other day I finally had to repeat an outfit, so I would consider that an accomplishment consider the length of time I've been here.  To answer Okasan's question, I will probably still be in the MTC while you're in Japan.  I could have pressed the issue more but there isn't a group headed to Tokyo until when my district leaves (Aug. 6) so I decided to create less hassle for the travel office and the mission and just endure the full 9 weeks.  My branch president said I probably could have left a while ago but that this is a good opportunity to have more time to read scriptures and such ... so I shall be obedient. 

My new best friend this week has become the flashy yellow textbook affectionately dubbed Pikachu by past Japanese missionaries.  It pretty much answers any grammar question I ever had about Japanese.  The more that I read it, I discovered that my Japanese prior to the MTC follows how old men speak in Japan (I don't know if that's true, but that's what the book tells me).  So I'm trying to make my Japanese a little more feminine and more current to my generation. Ha.  Every textbook is named after a Pokemon character (the useless blue dictionary = Squirtle (sp?), etc. etc.).

As far as music goes, this was a more than exciting week.  Sister Cheney is nice and writes letters while I play piano on P-day, so I've been able to dabble with some church music.  The district ahead of us just left the other week, and we got a new batch of Japan-bound missionaries.  Who of all people should move into the classroom next door but my dear HFAC cello-playing friend, Sister Maynes.  She pulled out an arrangement of "I Stand All Amazed" that a composition friend wrote, so we tried out for a musical number.  I didn't really know what to expect but we ended up playing for the MTC president's wife and counselors and she says we can play in one of the upcoming devotionals.  So I'm super excited about that.  It will probably be the most people I will ever play for (a couple of thousand missionaries), but I suppose I should learn to like performing if that's what I'm studying.

Also, Sister Cheney and I are the music coodinators for our branch (SURPRISE!) so we are now in charge of begging elders to play "Called to Serve" in Priesthood and arrange musical numbers.  It's a good time. 

This week we went to the TRC for the second time (where volunteers come from the area to be taught by the missionaries).  I was so pumped when they told me I would get to pump the Brother and Sister Taguchi, an older couple from somewhere in Japan.  Just imagine a nice Japanese grandpa with a plaid shirt, suspenders, and a Mr. Miyagi-esque beard, and a cane.  As soon as we sat down he started telling us his whole life history, I squeezed in a few words about prayer, and then he gave us a whole lecture on how to sit like a lady.  In English.  ("Don't cross your legs.  It's unprofessional.  Sit with your legs together.  Otherwise you're inviting scandal."  Or something like that.  He used some other words but I probably shouldn't quote exactly, haha).  Just for the record I think I was sitting somewhat like a lady.  He also taught me how to shake hands.  (No dead fish--they'll think you don't have testimony).  Got it.  They were the nicest people and I hope I get to teach them again next week (them and Beyonce).

Sounds like you had fun on the 4th.  We had a devotional and watched 17 Miracles (nothing like sitting in a room with 1,000 crying missionaries).  And then we got to eat Magnum bars while watching the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire within the MTC gates.  They let us stay up till 10:45.  It was a really wild time.  The next day we all regretted staying up because no one could stay awake in class. 

This morning the Russian sisters on our floor just left for Washington or something.  I had no idea there was a significant Russian-speaking population there.  I sure will miss them singing folk songs while blow-drying their hair at 5:30am.  But really, they were a bunch of cool girls and it'll be interesting to see who moves in next door. 

We got the chance to host the incoming missionaries, meaning you stand on the curb on Wednesdays and open the car door as soon as the family pulls up and are responsible for showing the missionary where to go.  Soooooo many missionaries.  I actually had a really fun time (in spite of every single little boy reminding me of Zachary and all the tears). 

Spiritual thought of the week:  This week I've been thinking a lot about tender mercies and blessings in our lives.  We taught our progressive investigator yesterday, who kept saying he was angry because he didn't feel like God loved him and he had too many problems in his life.  I'm not sure if anything I said helped, but I couldn't help but just think that if we continually look around us we'll be amazed at how much we really have to be grateful for.  I was sort of grumpy one day so I started making of list of all tender mercies that I saw throughout the day, and I've been adding to it daily.  I found that as I do that it's a lot easier to be optimistic.  Also, I'm trying to appreciate having weaknesses.  Alma 26:12!  If piano has taught me anything, it's that you won't go anywhere without weaknesses and criticism.  I was rereading a note that my old roommate Mariah wrote me forever ago and she was talking about how the Lord wants to mold us into something great.  We just need to allow him to, and that's not happening if we were already perfect.  Being in the MTC makes you VERY aware of all your shortcomings, but I'm learning to embrace them.  This life is all about becoming like the Savior, and our weaknesses will either bring us closer or drive us further away.  It's up to you to decide. 

Well that's all for now.  Love you!

All my love,

Magi-chan

PS: In addition to the contact solution, could you also please take a tube of City Block and a couple sticks of Dove deodorant (preferable pomegranate, but beggars can't be choosers)?  Everyone says the deodorant isn't as strong and I don't want to be a smelly American.  I would supppper appreciate it.  

Shoutout: Alex and Kristen--thankssss for you message!  Keep me posted on KPMG.  Good for you.  (Choach--you should write me via Dear Elder whenever you're not hanging out with your coooolah college friends.  Please and thank you.)   

Pic 1:  Thank you for the package!  Those pop rocks are being saved for when I need a little boost (both literally and figuratively).

Pic 2:  Random run-in with Sister Fontannetti who served in our ward forever ago? 

(Tuesday, July 9th, 2013)

Week 4 "Party Shitai" (I/We Want to Party)

Hi minasan!

Now that I've done my laundry and eaten my breakfast, I feel very relieved.  (Note: the laundry room and cafeteria are the most contentions places on the MTC campus.  "Elder, that washing machine is MINE!!")  I can't believe I've been here nearly a month.  The MTC definitely puts you in a strange sort of time warp.  The other day I was looking at a recent journal entry and realized that I had been dating everything to the year 2011.  Anyway.

Thank you so much for all the birthday lovin'.  I loved all the emails, packages, and letters (Tace Face: loved your birthday package, even if it did make me cry on my birthday gosh darn it).  The stationery will certainly come in handy and I smiled when I pulled out the washcloth.  Also, Zachary's picture made my day. 

I can't tell you how many times this week our district used the phrase, "Party shitai."  Don't worry Okasan--we are all being obedient missionaries :) But here is a rundown of all the shenanigans that occurred this week.

As Tacy called it, I had a lovely "MTC prison birthday."  After playing soccer I was getting ready for class and heard a knock at the door, only to find a random maintenance girl standing there with a huge box with a chocolate in it, courtesy of Aunt Leslie and Uncle Stephen.  It was the happiest moment of my life and you can bet that it was all gone by the next day.  Sister Cheney found some candles, matches, and even a birthday crown in the free bin so we partied after class that night.  As hard as you can party in the MTC.  All the elders had been stashing all the food that their parents had been sending them and so it was a feast of candy, cake, and goldfish crackers. 

Yesterday we celebrated Canada Day in honor of our resident Canadian, Elder Keith.  His parents shipped him a bunch of goods so we gorged ourselves on Ketchup-flavored potato chips, maple syrup cookies, Cadbury chocolate, and supposedly the best chocolate chip cookies ever made.  And we sang a rather off-tune rendition of the Canadian anthem.  But I'd consider it a success, considering none of us actually knew the words.  On a side note, it reminded me a lot of the Genovian national anthem, thanks to the millions of times I watched Princess Diaries as a child.  

This year for my birthday I got some nice whiplash.  On Friday morning, all the shimai (sisters) and I were playing soccer, and I went to shoot, only to slip on the dewy grass and smack my head on the ground.  I was banished to the goalie box for the rest of the game (translation: I was usesless, haha).  Whiplash for daysssss.  But I can almost turn my head to the side now, so no need for a neck brace :)  But I'm trying not to be so clumsy and I'm sticking to the track for now.  One of the elders in our zone had to go home last week for tearing his meniscus during a game so I shall be a little less competitive.  

It was a week of solid speakers.  On Tuesday we heard from Janice Kapp Perry and her husband, which was more a party than I was expecting.  She was telling us about the pickup line her husband first used on her.  She was getting her clarinet ready for a playing test, and her then-colleague leans over to her and says, "Those lips were made for more than playing the clarinet."  As she was telling this story in the devo, Brother Perry leaps up and runs up to the podium and lays a big wet smooch on his wife's lips.  Half the missionaries gasped in shock (probably for lack of witnessing public displays of affection in the MTC) while the other half jumped up and gave them a standing ovation.

Not gonna see that in any BYU devotional.

We had the best Relief Society meeting of my entire life last Sunday, no exaggeration.  I think that every week, but really.  Sheri Dew came to speak, and she gave an incredible talk on being "spiritually smarter."  The following is a paraphrase, so just imagine it a whole lot more eloquently articulated:

Understand who you are, and who the Savior is.  Do you really believe it? Because when you do (and you've really felt it through the Spirit), it changes everything.  How you spend your time, what you think about, what you say to people.  Once you have an understanding of your self-worth and the Atonement and it's just running through your veins, THERE AIN'T NO STOPPING YOU. Sister Dew talked about how she was "intrinsically shy" (which I felt accurately described me) but she overcame it once she had a solid understanding of who she was, expecially in the Lord's eyes.  Tap into the Atonement by finding out what the Savior has done for YOU.  If you don't understand something, ask in an environment of faith.  Don't start by saying, "I don't understand this so the Church must not be true."

Amen.

That's all for now.  Thank you thank you for all the messages.  I love you all.  The Church is true!

Love, Magi-chan

Pic 1: Happy Canada day.  

Love, District 27B.

Pic 2: Favoriteeeee sister-in-law.
(Kristen works at MTC.)

Pic 3:  Best birthday cake. 












(Tuesday, July 2, 2013)