July 7th, 2013 Letter

Ok the good news is I am in the Mission President's office on his big awesome chair! The bad news is I only have 15 minutes left. This letter will strictly be an answer to all my momas questions in her last letter.

Japan: I love it! Everything is super small and super polite. The saints are the strongest I have seen and every day I learn 50 new things about the place that make me like it more

Food: I have eaten the best and the worst here. I like rice more and more everyday (I got over the rice hump... I made up that phrase). The best thing I have eaten is squid with like a ball of deep-fried vegetables that tasted like onion rings. The worst was probably the fish (seen in the pic below) but they aren't meant to be eaten like chips so that's not really fair. Miso soup is kinda weird.. did I already tell you that?

 

 

Bed: Futons are super awesome and while not so soft you still sleep really well on them. However, I only slept on a futon for two nights because since I am in the big area I get a bed. Moma I am soooo glad you made me bring those sheets. I was so itchy the first few days and wondered why. I try not to think about what it was...

Apartment: big for Sendai. There is lots of room because twice a month we have about 10-15 other elders come stay here. But, it is soooo gross in some places. The aps, district leader, and service missionary are the only other people there and they are soooo busy even on pday that they never deep clean. I found some mold that would make even mom cry. It's bad mold, but I "have the powers of a woman" (that is the direct translation of the saying they say about me) and I have been making it look awesome.

Appliances: everywhere has a dryer which is super rare in Sendai and all of japan but a huge blessing. the stoves are gas, the oven tiny and we have a toaster! life is good in that department.

Companion: Awesome! One of the best missionaries in the mission. The district leader of this area has to be a stud because he is the "go to guy'' for not only the mission president but also the aps. He is super cute and extremely smart. Slightly chubby but has the legs of a beast. He is also sooo kind to me and gives me way to many compliment.

 

Side note: Nobody cares about my blonde hair or blue eyes, its my forearms. Young and old male and female they stroke my forearms and say "tsuyoi" which means strong.. its a bit odd and I still get all blushed but its ok. just weird.

Laundry: love the dryer! I ate crap on my bike yesterday. I am totally fine except my hand but my suit has a bit of blood... cold water and rag or dry cleaner?

Do I need anything... some poor chaps mom sent him a bunch of American candy and he had to transfer so I have been feasting on craft caramels but sugar is what I crave here. I can buy most anything I crave because they have it but at a steep price... which is good! It keeps it special.

Love you all tons! I went over time and have to leave!

Law Choro

June 30, 2013 First Letter from Japan

the east battle ground

1036 hours

 

I know its Sunday there and that is soooo weird. its Monday here! haha so they are redoing the mission office and we only have a laptop in the mission home kitchen to share so our time is cut in half but that is all good! So its going to be short confusing and full of information.

 

Barracks: I am in the heart of the mission, its in sendai but not the downtown big part of the city. I live 10 feet from the mission home and my roommates are the a.p.s and a service missionary and my companion. Yes you are all correct my companion is a nihongin. His name is elder takeshita and yes.... he knows.... and he likes to cover up the "a" with his finger and laugh and laugh when I give him the look. My companions just have weird names. He is a super obedient, hard working, crazy Japanese guy. His testimony is strong and he kinda babies m,e he is so nice. He is from by Tokyo and loves rice. like loves it. you cant understand.

 

language: my companions English is improving a lot faster than my Japanese but mine is improving today is nihongo dake hi so we only speak Japanese. Most of the time he can explain stuff to me like what is going on in English but I am trying to get him to do less broken English and have me do more broken Japanese. He loves English though. At night instead of writing in a journal he just listens to moron tab and sings out of a little ego hymn book. Its kinda cute. I really like him. The aps and the service missionary are all Japanese so I hardly hear English except in the office because the president and his wife and the senior missionaries speak English.

 

 

Food: I have had some of the best food I have ever eaten and some of the worst! its really odd! but in general I am a happy camper! Weirdest thing for me so far has been miso soup (super common you eat it a ton) tastes like someone took a bowl and scooped out some of good ol moses lake. looks like it too! hahhaah its not actually that bad but its weird to me... tofu is awesome!

 

Missionary work:

I have knocked on doors for like 20 minutes one day when a member appointment fell through and we didn't have enough time to ride home. We are super busy with weird stuff. my doriyo is the district leader so we have a lot of meetings, and English class (soooo fun) and home teaching and all sorts of good stuff! The church here is all day! they work all day everyday but Sunday so they put all meeting on Sunday. Imagine your entire week being all work all day and then when your weekend comes you give every second of it to the lord. These people are amazing.

 

Time:

I feel like I got here an hour ago. I am afraid it will all be over and I wont even have learned Japanese. The ward here is the biggest in the mission with nearly 120 members! super cool! there are some awesome people! I said the opening prayer in church. I am sooo bad at Japanese. like seriously. but the people are so nice!

 

I haven't bought anything yet because we haven't had time tell today to go to the post office. (that is where you get money here) but I will let you know how it goes.

 

Physical fitness: my butt... ( I will refrain from the 50 awesomely funny and inappropriate jokes that come to mind) hurts. When I got called here the other trainers all gave me a sympathetic look and said good luck on the bike. We are in the hilliest region I think in the world. Either 100 miles and hour downhill or straight up the other side. You will not get a door slammed on you or yelled at once in japan let alone mugged in an alley (I see 5 year old girls on Iphones walking down the street by themselves all the time! its not even rare!) but you will die by a car. Especially if it rains all the time and you brought black pants and black rain coat and your backpack is black and its night. My bike was prebought for me and I pay them back! its a sweet cool mountain bike that I put this basket on because it embarrasses my companion.

 

Funny story:

We arrive in the Japanese Airport and after a very long journey arrive at the next obvious destination, the bathroom. As we walk through the entry way we stop in our tracks! There is a sign baffling us. After 5 minutes of staring and discussing we agree that it is in fact a picture of a little butt getting sprayed with water. Foolish Americans, proving that we had never seen a badae before. Once the sign no longer puzzled us we continue in and are startled to find a hole in the ground for relieving oneself of abominations, highchairs in each stall for children, and a GIRL cleaning while men are using the facilities. The situation was more than I could bare and I resorted to my usual form of self preservation and begin giggling nervously, no doubt pulling on my blond curls as well. Thayne Choro is disgusted with me once again for foolishly showing everyone around us we are foreigners.

 

I am sorry I didn't give a spiritual thought! I have an awesome one for next time though!

love you all! The church is true and brings happiness! love each other for me!

-Law Choro

June 26th, 2013 Letter from Mission Mom

We wanted you to know that your missionary arrived in Sendai last evening safe and sound.  The group was tired but very happy to finally arrive in the mission after 24 hours of traveling.  You can see from the pictures attached that they were all healthy and full of enthusiasm.  We are thrilled to have each one of them in our mission.

We spent most of today with them in orientation meetings and introduced them to their first companion/trainer.  Maybe you can imagine what an exciting moment it is to meet your trainer for the first time.  After a short training session, they all left to go to their first area of service late this afternoon.

Preparatiion Day is on Monday which will probably be the day you can expect an E-mail from your missionary. (That is Sunday in America). Thank you for sending us your missionary.  We already love them and are looking forward to the next year together.

Much love,
Sis. Rasmussen
Sendai Mission Mom

Cameron is in the back row, second from the left, next to the mission president

Cameron is in the bottom right corner

June 22, 2013 Picture Update

This is how I expect to come out the barbers in japan.. looking like goku. I hear the hairstylists are pro! They also know it and charge like they are pro.. I hear 50 dollars is average.

 

We kneel a lot in our district because you kneel while you teach people...I challenge you to kneel for just 15 minutes, tops of your feet plat on the ground and butt on your heels.. hizamazuku that is what it is called.. pretty much we are Japanese. ;-)

 

talia uli shimai and johnson shimai (I don't think I showed you talia uli shimai yet) she is the winker...

 

riley bruneel!!! we spent running together! it was actually a morning walk because they didn't want to run but it was still fun

 

me and thayne choro with reading sensie! he is soooo cool!

thayne choro's balance isn't as fantastic as my own

 

 

 

 

June 22, 2013 Letter

 

0500 hours

south provo training center

Moral:

sooooo stoked to go to japan. Need I say more? I feel like a kid who has been watching all the Disney movies for weeks in preparation for a trip to Orlando! It is time.

Rations:

so moma... I got your package! thank you soooo much!! It was way fun to get for the reason of getting a package and your card was awesome and I passed out your chop sticks and everybody was sooo happy to get them!

Then I passed out your candy... did you eat any of that? The half Japanese kids and Hawaiian loved it and I got watch a bunch of white kids squirm and tell me thanks while their palms sweated! Pretty much the best way I can describe it is to take one of grandmas roses, put some sidewalk deicer in the middle, close it, stick it in your mouth, and suck. for the first bit you think... think is rather odd.. but not so bad really! And then you hit the middle! I actually thought the middle was kinda complementary but Thayne choro thought the thing had suddenly pooed in his mouth.. it was awesome for me! I thank you! The jelly slime stuff we have only ate one of so far and it was actually really good! but that was the pink one.. today is brown day... brown jelly? what on earth.. but I am stoked! Thayne choro is going first!

 

Departure preparations:
so pretty much I was suppose to pack during the last gym but I kind of like to play too much... but all seems to be going well, all my stuff is now dry-cleaned and fresh. I have some purchases to make for my carry on and such but it will all go smoothly! Everybody be stoked for my phone call up there cause I am down here!

Spiritual thought:

Miracle- the natural effect of correct principles applied properly.

We do not live in a world where miracles need to be few and far between. Every baby is a miracle, every sunrise is a miracle... we have an all powerful God who loves us. Apply the commandments and gospel, the "correct principles", and miracles WILL happen. They will happen at precisely the times and places we need them to makes us the best we can be at the last day. God will make your burdens light if you turn to him. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Physical training:

Here is a new one for the kids back home! 30 pushups every minute for 20 minutes in a row. It gives you ten minutes to stretch and do pull ups if you only have 30 minutes to workout! Its a new thing here in the Japanese branch 68. food for thought!

Japanese:

I cant speak a bloody thing... but! watashi wa shinko ga arimasu! (I have faith) I know enough to start teaching myself and practicing on my own! Japanese people are so kind they will help me out! They already do! ahhhh I am stoked just thinking about being there!

Sad story:

sorry kids nothing funny happened to me all week, but I do have a tragedy in my life.

Friday. Your last Friday is a big deal here at the MTC. You go to this huge in-field orientation thing, you get your new language name tags instead of English, you get your dry-cleaning back, you get a package from your awesome mom with Japanese candy in it.... ;-) thank you moma again. Big day right! its full of sentimental talking and bonding as you prepare to leave.

While you are at orientation the person in charge of your language brings all the new name tags around to the little elders and sisters rooms and places them on their desks so that you can come back to a little treat. In other words after training we are all sprinting back to the classroom to get Christmas! We are about to become a real missionary and join together! I didn't go to my own graduation because I was so excited for this graduation!! ......

Do you remember that Japanese swear word I told you all about? I used it...

I thought I was going to be humble before this! Now I will be an 18 year old foreigner in a new country, my language is horrible, and I have a label on my chest that says I am a girl.. a girl with a face like his! "poor creature" is what people will think.. ahh alas.. all is well!

 

aishiteimasu!! (i love you!)

-Law..... Shimai  ;-)

Note from Christine:
We found out during our phone call with Elder Law that the name tag incident was all a big joke. He came across a Sister Law that was also going to Japan and thought it would give us all a good laugh if he took a picture and told the tale. Which it did. They couldn't figure out if they were related because neither knew their genealogy well enough. We still love him though.

June 8, 2013 Letter

 

0500

South Training Center Provo Utah

Day 45

Moral:

Have you ever heard about how at boot camp in the marines that "in order to build you up to your full potential they make break you down first" well they don't do that that at all here so don't worry this isn't going to be some whiny letter... BUT I see all these mature returned missionaries and I look at myself before I came in and now and I sometimes wonder if this place does that to your sense of humor.. I am telling you guys.. the jokes I try and make are rather sad... demo (but) I figure once I get into japan my sense of humor will really improve! like one of those Japanese game shows and all of you will love me again!

Supplies:

If anyone needs any Band-Aids shoot me a letter and I can hook you up... I don't think I have used a Band-Aid in the last 5 years but I packed about 200 (not even an exaggeration).

The troops:

This is a new section and will be an occasional treat to keep all my readers coming back!

In all actuality this is more a Journal for myself talking about all my district members and it might be a bit dry for the casual listener. But someday when one of them kills somebody and another guys writes a book on it I want an untainted reference to go back to. Actually if they kill me it could be good proof at the hearing....

Bailey choro:

Standing 5 foot 11 and half Japanese this member of the team sports the best history, art, and guitar knowledge. He used to be the district leader and always left fake letters after mail on my desk and about make me cry. He is probably the most learned member of the choros and that also makes him the most attached to the outside world demo he does awesome and is always the first one to laugh at a any joke. (he chuckled literally all day when we found the abomination)

Larsen choro:

Carsen bowden if you are reading this I cant believe you didn't tell me you had a brother going to japan!! seriously though.. the personalities are sooo similar, the looks aren't that different, the style is the same and his favorite thing to do? Ski. He is the most excepting of anyone in the group and probably has my favorite sense of humor. He is my running buddy in the morning and thinks he is bad at Japanese but is going to kick but in the mission field.

Stembridge choro:

Coming to us from Las Vegas Nevada at "tiny white boy size" he is the most willing to be righteous of the group. I look up to him all the time for that! Sometimes he is very opinionated about points of doctrine but I love him all the more for it! He has a huge desire to let people feel the spirit and he is a stud at volleyball! "Someday I will be good at passing" I always say after I do a horrible one to him and he has to set it back to me for the spike... (I swear it was an accident).

Brown choro:

The first brown choro lied to us and told us he was from china. But I saw through him easy as pie. He is quarter Japanese, quarter Hawaiian, quarter I have no idea and stands about 5 8. Handsome pup and always has this guilty grin (you see he is normally guilty of something). Me and brown love to yell insults at each other in Japanese. I always study language with him if I can because we really make each other improve and its just not the same if you tell someone that  "you testify their face is a failure" and they have no idea what you said. love this kid and he has the most sincere simple little spiritual thoughts that would knock your socks off!

Thayne choro:

From Utah (if I don't say otherwise they are form Utah lol) the tallest and most ginger member of the company this choro has won my heart. Thayne choro and I are the perfect team for learning about life, the gospel, and Japanese. (if brown insults me with Japanese Thayne choro makes me give a nervous chuckle because I am not really sure if he means it...) Thayne choro is on a mission because he wants his older brothers to turn their lives around and his younger brother to have a better example in life. He teachers me how to truly care about others.. even if he would punch me if he saw this letter and claim its all a lie. I teach Thayne choro about how to talk to people and Thayne choro teaches me how to care about people.

Lesuma shimai:

Standing 5 10 this Hawaiian sister is sooo cool! I honestly think she knows more random facts than anyone I know. The sister are all older than us so they are a bit more mature (I am blaming it on the age) but we have very similar sense of humor except she is way sweeter to those that need it. She studied Japanese for a couple years before the call and she is sharp.. but I will someday catch her! if I had to send one the members to a black tie event I would send lesuma. she is soo easy to get along with and the most sophisticated of the group.

Money shimai:

Loves to draw and is sooo talented. She drew all the companionships in the group and we have them on the wall. Probably the second best Japanese in the class but the most quiet about it. Super humble super awesome and she throws things at me when she gets frustrated and then apologizes. I always just go to my number one catch phrase "dai jo bu watachi wa tsuyoi desu" that isn't really pronounced how it looks in ego (english) demo it means "its ok I am strong" haha Money shimai is awesome and sometimes she says these one liners that have me rolling.

Gass shimai:

Also half Japanese (grew up speaking and writing more of the language than she admits) she kind of makes me want to cry when I hear her talk demo she has earned it. She is a music major and has a violin.. when she plays the angels cry. she is well versed in the scriptures as well and we sometimes talk about what we think about them together! stud.

Valentine shimai:

Thayne choro I want to show you guys the most but a close second is valentine. Sadie Nielsen you officially have some scary good competition for the best laugh award. She loves cats has the most touching conversion story, loves the scriptures more than any of us and loves Thayne choro more than any of us. I probably tease her the most but she is sooo wonderful and is probably the most similar to me on the Japanese skill level! She will convert thousands.

Taliuil shimai:

A recent member of our team because she had to stay longer because of medical concerns but none the farther because of it. She is from Tonga and her native language is not ego. She winks at me a lot. (they tell me this is a cultural thing where she is from but I never know what to do and have my doubts as it is). Works harder than any of us and slightly scares me.

Jonson shimai:

Standing at 6 foot she is the exact same height as me (we measured). She is from Oregon and would fit into our friend group at home perfectly! The first day she was the first person I meant and I said "well if the whole district turns out to be phsyco at least I will have johnson shimai" I was prophetic.. haha but she is so awesome and a stud athlete. (she might have beaten me at 31 more than once. "Someday" I tell her "we will play football together and I will redeem myself". She wins the most loving award and at 19 she is more of the mother to the group than anyone else. Really happy we have johnson.

I am kinda out of time... demo all the other categories were about the same as usual. I can smell Japan guys... I am so terrified and excited I cant even tell you!! ahhh it will be awesome! Worst case scenario I don't learn a lick more of Japanese and all I do is smile and bare my testimony at the end of lessons and I will have an awesome time doing that for two years!

Funny story:

Of course I wouldn't leave you without a story. Today we will mix it up and tell it from elder Bailey's prospective.

The day was a Friday. I had eaten all my dinner like the champion that I am and was now confidently chatting away with the lesser beings as they basked in my glory.

The district leader strides in that "I am a fighter and a dancer at the same time" sort of way only he can pull of. Shimatta! (Japanese swear word that is completely appropriate and I totally recommend) he is so good looking... all is well though, I put him in his place many times by making him cry because I made him think he had mail, when he didn't.

Its mail time.. he might do something...... but no! He hasn't even so much as tried a swedish switch on me. He is too weak and broken.

dang.. money shimai is the only to have gotten mail.. but wait he is grinning at me.. dang it even his grin is so handsome! but there is evil a foot! he did trick me! he laughs and it sounds like a bloody angel and hands my a letter. At least I got mail.. the trick was so rudimentary and pathetic. Infidel.

at least I got mail. I always get mail because I am cooler than all the others.

I open the envelope:

Dear Baily choro,

Got yeah! you have no mail today.

Love,

Law choro's accomplice.

:-D big shout out to leisha hansen!

love you all and pray for you everyday!

the church is true and will bring you more true happiness than anything else!

-Law Choro

June 1, 2013 Letter

0500 hours

Day 38 (holy cow!!! I feel like I have only been here a week!)

Moral: Thayne choro and I got pretty sick with some nasty bug this week, hundreds of the new state side pups come every week, infect us with there various diseases and then leave before they have to suffer. We are like pond scum sitting in one place too long and full of disease. But on the bright side Thayne choro about dies every time he takes his medicine! coughing face all crinkled up and gaging a teaspoon on the stuff down. Oh the tender mercies of the Lord! hahah but I am now healthy and have been happy the whole time!

Sisters in District

Sisters in District

 

These two give you an idea of my hair cut. I am becoming Japanese and use this styling dry get stuff everyday for fun.

 

Supplies: My pen from uncle Kevin ran out of ink! it happened a couple weeks ago and I keep forgetting to send out an S.O.S I checked the book store and they don't have the right refill.. so.. if someone wants to slip that in there mail as a lil surprise pick me up I would love them.

Rations: We get served outside twice a week now! When the fresh pups come in on Wednesdays now there are so many people that we cant really fit in the cafeteria in the 3+ hours they serve dinner. Its crazy! but the food they give us is from the outside world! Tender mercies of the Lord.

Language skills: We got a new sensai because one of ours went to japan for an internship. He is a Nihongin! (born and raised in japan) soooo intimidating but once again Japanese people turn out to be the nicest people in the world and he is so kind and patient and a good teacher! We are setting lots of goals and focusing on SYLing right now (speak your language) and try to use as little ego (english) as possible.

Outside news: Seth!!!!!!! ahh i am sooo lit up about that! Seth if you ever read this you totally fail on notifying me but I still love you. Kaden going to japan also had me dancing and shouting to my district who had no know idea what I was talking about.. I am excited for you guys!

Tell Sheldon I want a video of the trebuche in action!

keep up the good work on the shop and green house! I want pictures when you can!

I am way jealous you get to see Mikilah! That baby is so cute and I show her off all the time!

Mama, memorial day in here is just like the rest of the days. The only reason we found out it was that Monday was because the book store was randomly closed and no one got mail. I wonder if its because there are so many cultures in this place that every day would be a holiday if we let it.. idk.

If you guys get any of my friends grad announcements you should take a picture and show me, or send them or whatever is easiest! that would be fun..

 Physical training:

We get up every morning at 5:30 and go running. They about killed me the first day. A bunch of thin air breathing, cross-country running,punks, who haven't seen a lick of competition in a month trying to show one another up... I was the weezing fool in the back.. but I found a buddy who is about my speed and we quiz each other on vocab words between our breaths! its fun and makes pushups easier! (I am up to two sets of 125 just you wait I will come home buff) haha

 

One of my favorite guys in the whole world leaving.

 

Spiritual training:

our lessons have improved soooo much this week! we had a lesson about the importance of christ in the plan of salvation and it was sooo wonderful! the spirit is the teacher. especially in japanese. I love the spirit and teaching with it soo wondererful. (its fun because i keep half typing japanese words) I know the church is true and christ is our savior. I am happier to be here every day!

Funny story:

DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE MATURE OR DONT LIKE BATHROOM TALK

I am ripping myself up inside about whether to share this one with you... Thayne choro has been on medication all week and so hasn't been up to his normal funny things so I am forced to turn down a different, darker path. and I have no idea if it appropriate and mom and dad probably shouldn't read it and Christine you decide whether or not to take this to the public.

It was a Thursday. service day for my district. All was well, we get to wear jeans and normal shirts and we were all on top of the world. We got assigned bathroom detail. This was normal for district 68 and we grabbed our bucked, gloves, goggles (we look hot when we clean), and headed off to do work.

I was on mopping detail, working like a man. Mop, mop mop... then.. i hear a gasp. then a flush. then a scream....and then immature screaming laughter. we all come running to the stall from which the sound came to see what all the excitement was about (we are in a bathroom and all are immature teenage boys.. can you really blame us?). Actually in Thayne choro defense he wasn't impressed at all with this whole incident and is way more mature then the rest of us.Back to the story: We all run to the stall and are peer in to see what baily choro is so concerned about. For our readers of more tender years I will simply refer to it as "the abomination." At least 5 pounds, it was impressive enough and made you wonder what poor soul died in its creation.. but.. the thing that makes this immature story make it to number one this week was when we flushed it, to send it back to hell...

Ladies and gentalmen, the public restroom jet engine toilet has been conquered. Not a clog, but a straight up " I refuse to be bent down and even go in the pipe" type of conquered.

I cried I was laughing so hard at Thayne choro's complete disgust and unimpressment at the same time. The thought that we thought it was funny was disgusting to him and the thing itself was rather unimpressive. (has he seen worse?!?!)

If anyone is concerned for my focus out here... Ether 14:18 

Much love to you all!

love each other for me,

Law Choro