First of all to the missionaries I send
this too. My advice is that if you straight up don't have time don't read this.
Second, if you really want to read it and have time later but now don't then take a
picture of it on you camera and then read it later. I learned that from a
sister in my district and it has pretty much saved my life
10:46 Somewhere in the east
Transfers:
So I said somewhere in the east because this
week is transfers. Transfer happen every 6 weeks and missionaries switch
leadership positions, companions, areas, all three or maybe none. I have not
switch areas but I got a phone call and I am switching companions! My new
companion's name is Yamamoto Choro (yes he is very much Japanese) I have only
meant him twice and very briefly because he only knows Japanese (WOOT WOOT!
That is a HUGE blessing for my language) but what I do know about him is he
wants to become a chef. Fun fact: I feel like in the states if you say you are going to be a chef its kind of not respected a ton but here is super
respectable. So I will be eating like a champion. He can do two finger
pushups: that is one arm and only two fingers touching the ground. I can do
one arm 5 fingers but when I put down two fingers only I cried for my moma and
gave up. Give me 6 weeks and I will master it!
Weather:
I could talk for hours about the
weather alone but today is a special day because it is a taifun! (I think it is
spelled different in English.) Pretty much it just means super windy super
rainy and tons of thunder down here. But I can check it off my bucket list and
so I thought I would brag it up to you guys.
Fun food fact:
Lets talk about mugicha. It is like a tea
but you can drink it. I actually don't know what it is from but its everywhere!
It's like sweat tea in the south and water in the north. If it is a semi-hot day and
you go to someone's house they are totally going to hook you up with a glass. If
there is a big meal with lots of people at the church, for sure the drink is
mugicha. It's everywhere and its for all ages. It is light brown in color. In
the summer it's cold and in the winter it's hot! Sometimes if you are feeling wild
you can mix that rule up a bit. In the mtc I had a half Japanese elder describe
it in a way that I think fits perfectly. "It's fire water" that is what he called
it and the reason is not that it burns like whisky (people out there are
going "yeah cause you know what whisky tastes like") but because it tastes like
you lit a match let it burn all the way and then dropped it in water and
stirred. Now, the first time I drank it this description was perfect and I
dreaded when people saw the sweat on my face and ran in the back to grab me a
drink (ok the word dread is a bit strong it isn't that strong of a taste for
anyone to really dread it) but I didn't really like it that much. Then I started
to not even notice a taste it was like water! Now I kind of love it. If there
is a pitcher of both I will grab the mugicha. It is oddly refreshing and just
clean feeling; like nature and hydration came together in a tea.
Culture point:
Trains, buses and phones. So this might
be because I am from a small town in Washington and have never really ridden public
transportation but this was rather interesting to me. You cannot call people on
your phone on a bus or train. It's not only just a cultural rule but it is
actually the bus and trains systems rule. They announce it all the time! There
are like a million people on the bus ands it's dead silent except for me asking
the person next to me lots of questions (talking is ok its just they normally
have no reason because they dont know anyone) and my questions are about japan
at first so they get a feel for how bad my Japanese is then about Japan's
religion because I am into religion of late and then what they think about the
whole thing. It's super natural and I learn lots (mostly I learn lots of new
words then I look them up later but I get better at it every time!). So can you
talk on the phone on the bus and train in America?
Spiritual thought:
So we are at a cross roads with a lot of people. They have told us what
they desire and it is to come closer to Christ and God and they wish to follow
the commandments. Now they have to do. Honestly I feared for them. My
faith was weak and with elder Takeshita leaving I was really kind of worried. Then
I came to this scripture really rather randomly Moroni 8:16 "...Behold, I speak
with boldness, having authority from god; and I fear not what man can do; for
perfect love casteth out all fear." (if you want an interesting couple hours
study the word fear in the Bible, Book of Mormon and D&C) You know what?
I repented. Not of my fear, though that was from Satan, but for my lack of
love. I think of those that are dearest to me and I would have absolute faith
that they could change for the better if they wanted to. I loved these
people more, I studied answers to there questions harder, I prayed for them
harder, and I thought about how I could serve them more. Even though their
positions have not changed in the slightest, I have twice the faith and hope for
them. Love them.
Funny story:
So if you know elder takeshita this story is way funnier but I think it
is still pretty good. You have to understand Japanese are very polite and outside
of the apartment all the missionaries agree he is the most polite and formal of
Japanese.
It's a normal day in the nagamachi
elder apartment. We eat a big breakfast and study and then start to kind of munch
for lunch and then we get a phone call that a brother can in fact eat lunch with
us at the church. So we throw a huge thing of "takeshita special" in a tub and
hit the road (I will make you takeshita special sometime its super good). The
member is 24 so the three of us eat like males our age do when we are together and
we are stuffed to the gills (we had munched before and we didn't want to pack the
food back home so we literally pounded a ton). Then we road up a mountain for
about an hour and a half. It is the longest bike ride we do on a semi
normal basis and we were dying. Takeshita says he might be sick but he
calms down and we knock on the door. Because it was such a long bike ride
she bought us lunch! This is a funny ironic story all alone but the
best part is what it was when she brought it out: a little bigger then a normal
sheet of copy paper size tray for each one of us! AND on the tray was piled
sushi. Raw fish for days (Takeshita choro hates raw food). We had been
worried this sister didn't really feel our love so this was super good news and
yet horrible news. We ate it and after Takeshita choro said he literally doubled
the amount of raw fish he has consumed in his whole life. I will send you a
picture next week! (nobody threw up)
1 Nephi 3:7
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord has commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
Love each other for me!
Law Choro
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