June 29, 2014 Letter

0822 hours THE RAINY SEASON

Actually, this has been a really light rainy season. Rainy season is called tsuyu and it lasts in Sendai about all of June and a little of July, normally. But, it has been pretty mild compared to last year. :-)

Culture Point

 

My companion did Kendo before the mission and he explained it to me the other day. It’s super cool.  You fight one on one and if you strike your opponent in the wrist, stomach or head it’s a point.  The first to 2 wins. In order to have a good strike you have to

1. Move your whole body (legs)

2. Hit the spot with the sword

3. Yell with your voice

The idea is to become united in all three.  You meditate before every practice. Super cool!

Fun Food Fact

Cherries:  So all of those blossoms turned into delicious fruit. (not all but the little fruit bearing trees did) and they are so good and famous! Pretty expensive to buy if you are a poor 19 year old but when you have nice friends, you will be a happy camper! (and don’t worry, you don’t peel cherries!)

Spiritual Thought

Our beloved Ramussen Kaicho (previous mission president) is back in America and we have our new Smith Kaicho. (the new leader of all the missionaries in northern part of Honshu) we haven’t met him yet, but I hear he and his wife are total studs so we are excited. The last assignment I received from Rasmussen Kaicho was the same one he gave my entire area. He asked us to read Beware of Pride by President Benson. I would challenge you all to read it.  I testify that if you are prideful you are not as happy as you could be and if you are humble you can find happiness. At in my life, that’s what I have found so far.

Funny Story

So, if you go way back in my letters I think I once told you about a Hayachi Shimai. She was a missionary that came into my first area my last transfer there and she was so funny!  She is actually a few years older than me but she look about 14 and is just so kind and just a little angle. Anyway, she is in my District again and when we had a musical night, I laughed harder than I have ever laughed in my whole mission and I don’t really know why but I had forgot all my music for the rehearsal but it didn’t really matter because I don’t really sing anyway. But somehow in all the mix up I was reading the lyrics to a song and then they rush us up to the front and the piano starts because a guest came and wanted to hear that song.  As I was singing it, I realized that I didn’t bring my music so whose music was this.... and then I start looking around and everyone has a paper to sing from... what the heck.. but then I look a little closer and Hayashi Shimai just has this random sheet of paper she is pretending to read.  She had like been too kind and shy to ask who stole her paper or that she couldn’t find hers and was just bluffing. I don’t know why but I just died in the middle of the song... and ruined everything.. it’s not that funny but it was good hard laugh.

Love each other for me!

Law Choro