Another Week, and Disempai

Konichiwa Kazoku! 

First of all I'd just like to thank you for the packages family. For hontos. (Honto=real) The food keeps me alive in the evening. 

Thank you Fiso's for the package. One Elder after he ate one of your cookies said "These must be the cookies they have in the Celestial Kingdom!" or something to that effect. They were amazing. 

Also, Grandma Wheelwright, I really appreciate the pictures you send me. You're amazing at taking pictures. 

Skyler and Fang, I'm writing you a letter to fully express my joy for both of you. :D 

I love you all, and I thank you for all of the support you give me. A lot of missionaries get really down because they don't have any support from home, and I'm grateful for the blessing of having a wonderful supporting family. Really though, thank you all. 

So this week:

Neal L. Anderson Choro came and talked to us on Tuesday about the importance of love and sacrifice. He said: "We sacrifice for the things we love, and we love the things we sacrifice." His Spirit was amazing. And being in his presence is humbling. (I sang in the choir and the choir director told us an amazing story about how his wife and him met in a choir at BYU and it's always been their dream to sing in MOTAB, but then they had kids and work and ran out of time. Now their kids are gone, but she got Alzheimer surprisingly early in her life, and she's currently in a rest home. The day he was directing us was his birthday- his daughter wrote the MOTAB peoples and they were so touched by their story that they allowed them to sing with them on Thursday. And made special arrangements around the requirement of her being able to walk up the stairs. I would tell it story format, but then I would probably cry. I just learned that any person despite their out side appearance could have anything going on in their life, and it isn't for us to judge unrighteously. ) Sorry- long side note. 

After he talked we were all held in for a while by security because apparently the lighting was really bad. Anderson Choro went around and shook people's hands and talked with them. He's an amazing man.

We all were eventually allowed to walk outside and it was an amazing sight. The asphalt had become a river, and the skys poured. I love ame (rain). The whole walk back I just smiled. The Lord is amazing. (Cool little side note: in Japanese because of the different levels of respect based on social status, etc., when Christ tells the sea "Peace, be still" a direct translation in Japanese is "Shut up and be quiet." I love it!) We were all dripping wet for our devotional discussion. But my planner and shiro hon (white book (bible)) were dry! Miracle. Laugh. 

So just a little thought for this week: Isaiah is cool. Nephi is just like "Alright everyone, I like Isaiah. (My soul delightith in his words) So I'm going to quote him." So if you're anything like I used to be, when you get to the Isaiah part of the Book of Mormon it's like: "Why Nephi?.. Tell us more about cutting off people's heads 'n' stuff." But it finally clicked why Nephi liked Isaiah. He could relate to him. Nephi saw so many of the things that Isaiah saw, and he probably didn't have too my people to relate to after his father died. Not only that, but most of the chapters are about our day! 2Nephi 12:7-8 Their land also is full of silver and fold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. Their land is also full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. Chariot= cars. Just imagine Isaiah seeing Modern New York. Or the idols that we worship= phones. :) Come on, think about it. It ALL relates to us! he said he writes nothing save it be of great value [I don't remember where] and all of it is for us! I was wonder why Nephi was recording Jacob's speech about the last days. I wondered why Jacob would even be talking about the last days to these people who weren't going to be a part of it: then it hit me. The Lord shares greater Spiritual truths with those who can handle it. And they could. Also, Nephi only recorded that part of his speech which had to do specifically with our day. The record is for us! READ IT! (please...?) 

If you open your mind and "liken" the scriptures to yourself, then you will be blessed have gain direction. Pick a question, hold it in your mind, and then read- I testify to you that you question will be answered. I'm not sure how it works, but it does. (The Spirit) The Lord will give all men wisdom, but that does not mean that we don't have to search for it. 

Also, I was reading about the 'Comforter' in John. It says in John (But the Comfoter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.) that He will bring all things to our remembrance. THAT'S SO COOL! Think about it, have you ever had to study for a test, or been bogged down with a ton of things to do (or maybe learned a language?) and the Spirit will bring those things to your remembrance. Also, a crazy deeper level application that hit me: The Veil is the Veil of Forgetfulness- to remember is the opposite of to forget. Do you realize the application? Everything that we knew about God the Father, and His Son, and every Spiritual truth, every ounce of knowledge that we gained in the life before can be recalled though the Spirit. GAH!!! The gospel is true. I am consistently remind of its truthfulness though my study. If you feel any doubt, read the scriptures and pray with real intent and I promise you that God will give you what you need to know and what you need to hear. He will not ubpraid. What kind of father would give his son a stone when he asked for bread? Definitely not a perfect, glorified, loving Father. Seek Him, and you will find truths. Follow Him and you will be blessed more than you can handle. That doesn't mean life won't be hard. It just means that you're have a smile and a full heart as your wading though it. 

So JAPANESE! We got an atarashi sensei this week (new teacher). He went to the glorious land of Sendai on his mission, so I've had takasan no tanoshimi about that. (bunch of excitement). He's a cool man that gets crazy excited about the gospel. If you look at him you would think he'd be a punk, but he's a strong brother of the gospel. (LIKE IN ALMA!) 

For TRC (I'm not actually sure what it stands for anymore because we just use the abbreviation. so much. It's like MTC... What does that even mean...?) this week we got to Skype a kyokaiin (church member) from Japan. Just another side note: I love all of the Nihonjin (Japanese people). I love them so much. They're a beautiful people, with such humble attitudes, and warm hearts. (Even if they guard them more than most people). We talked with this man in Japanese for about 40 minutes. He asked us "How are you going to explain what sin is to a people who think that sin is breaking the law?" "How are you going to teach God's commandments to people who have no idea who God is?" My companion I think was in shock the whole time because he was actually hearing Japanese, so he kept quiet. I smiled even bigger (I was smiling the whole time), and I said "ii shitsumon." (Good question) and he burst out laughing a rich laugh. We couldn't help but to join. "Demo, watashitachi wa gabarimasu" (But, we'll try our best.) 

Japanese humbles me. Because though I may have known the answer in aigo (English) that does me no good at all! I have to rethink all of the principals and concepts that I have so thoroughly leaned in English and relearn them in Nihongo. I feel stripped of everything that I've built up for myself, every clever phrase that comes so naturally in this tongue, and falls out of my mouth in perfect order- is gone. I am a humble servant, with little knowledge, and a humble short testimony and message. Watashino mesagi ga 'Iesu Kirisutosama wa watashitachino Sukuinishi desu' de toshite imasu. (My message is ' Jesus Christ is our Savior' this I know.) And I'm pretty sure the grammar is wrong, but that is what I know. 

Apparently last night Nebeka choro said woke up and 4:00 and heard me talking in my sleep in Japanese. When he told me, I said "Yosh". 

I love every person in my district. Life is so much easier when you love the people around you. You don't have to think about who you have to avoid, or about what other people think of you; you just love God first, then you don't have worry about the latter, then love everyone around you and the former is covered as well. 

Sorry if you think I'm preach-y but that's what I'm called to do. "Kuiaratame nakareba narimasen!" -(You MUST repent!) 

I love the Lord, I love this work, I love the MTC, and I love you! 

Wiruraito Choro

p.s. Kotter Choro left. :( -But that means that I'm a disempai now! We're the next ones to leave! I mean the food is good, but not nine weeks good. 

                                       This is my beautiful name tag.  Christ's name is right under mine.  We get our real Japanese ones next week or the week after :) I got to choose how it's spelled.  I actually got advice from a Nihongin.  I love them :)  

This is all my equipment that I carry around me.  Location: Keys and card- right hip.  White Bible- chest pocket.  Words I don't know notebook- Left pocket.  Planner and Pen- Right pocket.  Name tag- on my heart.  Flashcards- Right inner Pocket.