"You can't judge a book by it's cover" nor a person nor an email.
So on Thursday we went to America.
A family from Misawa (which has the American Air Force Base in it) invited us to come to an American thanksgiving.
It was insane....
Everyone from the district came with this family and we just ate food and played games with them. It was so weird...
There was an oven, a trampoline, family pictures on walls, and most importantly, a couch... a sweet glorious couch.
All the American missionaries just sank into it. For some (and me as well) it had been the first time I'd sittin... ? I've sat on a couch in over a year. It was crazy....
Mo Choro just sank into the couch and stopped moving. I'm pretty sure he just fell asleep in like a minute. When he woke up to go into the other room he with blood shot eyes asked a simple but profound question: "Why doesn't Japan or Tahiti have couches?"
The answer: I don't know.
It was so odd eating things you once considered normal, now foreign but strangely familiar at the same time, like something you've done in a dream.
Rolls and Turkey, etc.... and it caused me to learn something about American culture (which I then decided to teach to my English class, cause I always teach them the good things.) We WASTE FOOD!
Every missionary ate every last bit of food that was put on their plate. There wasn't the smallest bit. But everyone in the American family, every one, had a little bit of food left over that they threw into the trash.
I'm not judging, because I used to do that all the time. It was just interesting for me to realize that I've been in a different world for such a long time.
This week, dendo wise we didn't have a whole lot of time.
I did a training at district meeting, (I've been assigned to do one at Zone Meeting this week too).
I did it about the "Afterlife".
Cox Choro fist palmed when he saw me write it on the white board.
I was told him the truth in a joking manor when I told him I was going to do a training for trunky missionaries. (Him and Tuttle Shimai are going home in like two weeks)
I talked about how we're all missionaries forever, and used my famous example of rechargable batteries vs normal ones.
God likes things that are eternal- God doesn't just want missionaries for two years, He wants forever missionaries.
We planned an talent show/ thanksgiving dinner event. I wrote and directed a 7 minute play about where thanksgiving and the first thanksgiving came from. It was hilarious, but under-appreciated, there was only about twenty people there besides the missionaries ,which is too bad.... We do activities to the members and mingle with our investigators and build friendships, but out of the over 50 active members in the branch, only about five actually showed up.
I guess they must've been busy or something.
Oh my English, it's getting progressively worse.
okay,
So a member onegai-ed us (asked us) to help him propose to this recent convert in the branch.
It was pretty awesome- He had someone kidnap her and sit her in a wheel chair with a box around it so she could only see in front of her, they attached speakers to it and we did a live music video where we all slowly came in, starting with his friends dressed up as the band members. She was like crying and stuff, and the crowd split and they he walked out with a suit and a one dollar bow-tie, and proposed to her. It's similar in Japan, (like the getting on one knee and stuff) but the way you say it is a little different.
Instead of 'asking' them to marry you, you say
"Please marry me!"
Then you wait for their response.
She was crying and stuff, and she said doushoukana, which literally translated is "I wonder what I should do." in the least sarcastic way possible.
He got up off his knee looked the other way, walked around for a bit, then said
"I'll give it another try." and got on his knees and said again
"Please marry me"
She responded the same.
He said "I'll lose weight"
She asked in a high pitched voice between sobs "Five Kilos?"
After he agreed she replied "Onegaishimasu" Which means lit. (what you have just said) is my "honorific wish".
and bam!
PDA is like culturally not okay, so they didn't kiss or hug or anything, but it was good.
I love missionary work in Japan.
I've got to go really soon.....
uh...
Japan is cool....
I love you!!
Elder Wheelwright
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