MTC-April 4, 2012 #2

MTC-April 4, 2012 #2, a set on Flickr.

Set #2

MTC-April 4, 2012

MTC-April 4, 2012, a set on Flickr.

This is the first of three sets that Sam sent us this week.

身なーさん尾は世がざいます！！！

I'm going to apoligize in advance for this letter. Most Thursday nights I write out kind of an outline for my letter home but last night I was so busy trying to Shibuta-san no resson o hon-yaku that I wasn't able to write it out so this letter home might be a little scattered, but hey, what're ya gonna do??

Mom - The package Shelby sent me was just like take out in a box. Tabemono wa oishikatta desu =). Yeah it's been really weird having Yoshida著路 gone. Yoshida was always really happy and he seemed like he was doing good, he just didn't enjoy what he was doing. We tried to help him out but he told us that he just didn't have any motivation. He was awesome, he was one of the guys that I could really connect with. The dog sounds super cute!! She better still be around when I get back haha.

Dad - I got the rain gear and it fits perfect so thank you for that. And another thing, you're not very bright man... I was happy to get the package with my memory card but you sent me a package that had nothing but the memory and a MAGNET!! Come on dude you know better than that haha it didn't do anything to the card but I opened it and was like "本と。。。本とにか？” "really....really?" haha. I got the uke and the pictures last night. I hung them all up in our classroom and in my room. Everyone was so happy that I got the uke because we needed some kind of background noise haha.

Jenny / Rob - Thank you guys so much for the salsa, it was oishii!! My district basically eraticated the cookies withen a minute but other than that it was really good =). That's one thing I have noticed since I've been here, food that isn't from the cafeteria is like gold. Thank you for visiting Shelby, I bet she loves hearing from you guys =).

Gma / Gpa McConnell - It was good to hear from you guys! Yeah the language is going good but it's still pretty slow. I can say a couple of gospel oriented things but that's about it. Next week though we are getting 28 Nihongin Chorotachi who do not speak any english... and we have to translate for them. It's going to be tough!!! But as long as I dont make them want to be buddist i'll be good =). That's crazy that the car finally died. You guys have had that car forever!! Love you guys!

マカナル著炉　二番！！！

Elder McConnell #2

Jamie

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I hope your good.

It's cool hearing about O'Higgons and I dont have your address to send my testimony but If mom and dad send me your address then I can, or I could email it....wakaranai.... Anyways... So I realized that this place is basically spirit prison no joke. It's my 6th week and I am ready to Nihon ni ikimasu!!!! But I still gotta learn a lot. I memorized the Senkyoshi no Mokuteki, Baputesuma Ketsui, and Kirisuto no Fukuin though so that's cool. Here ill write them in Hiragana/katakana/kanji.

(I know hiragana/katakana but not kanji but that's what's cool about the computer is that It does it for me!!

Baputesuma Ketsui

_____-産イエスキリストの模範にしたって、神様の真剣の嫌悪尾お持つ人から、ばぷて須磨お受け手いただきますか。

_____-san Iesu Kirisuto no mohan ni shitagatte, kamisama no shinken no kennoo o motsu hito kara, baputesuma o ukete itadakimasu ka?

Kirisuto no Fukuin

イエスキリストの福音の原則と儀式とわ、イエスキリスト尾信じるしんこおお持つこと、悔い改めること、罪の許しのため水に沈めるばぷて須磨お受けること、政令の賜物お受けることです。私たち輪その後で最後まで耐え忍ぶひつ世お画あります。

Iesu Kirisuto no fukuin no daiiichi no gensoku to gishiki towa, Iesu Kirisuto o shinjiru shinko o motsu koto, kuiaratameru koto, tsumi no yurushu no tame ni mizu ni shizumeru baputesuma o ukeru koto, Seirei no tamamono o ukeru koto desu. Watashitachi wa sono ato de saigo made taeshinobu hitsuyoo ga arimasu.

Yeah I'm pretty cool.

I love you man!!! Stay Subarashii and Sugoi!!

SSSSOOOOOO.......I cant really remember this week but I will try.

Crap...

Gomenazai....

Sorry.....

So this week has kinda flown by a bit slower than the other ones. It took a couple of days to get used to Yoshida Choro not being here, but I bet he's doing good.

I ran into Justin on Wendesday and he seemed a little nervous. The first thing that he asked me was "do i need to be nervous about wanting to go home." And I was like "Dude... this place is easy... haha" I told him the only problem that I have had since I have been here has been the language and he is already pera pera in spanish so I told him not to worry. He's in 3M so I was going to to try hunt him down a bit while I'm here and beat him up.

This last Sunday we watched the Joseph Smith Restoration Movie in Nihongo!!...................................................Holy crap. The way that Nihongin hitobito speak nihongo sounds like someone mumbling in their sleep so it's a little confusing, but I got it ;).

Monday Carlos left for Costa Rica. It was sad to have him go. I stopped by his room Sunday night and said goodbye to em. We took pictures on his camera so If he sends some pictures home there should be a couple of me and him.

So this week we have begun to teach our newest investigator Naruto-san / Aburai-san (Kerr/Shibuta Choro) and it was a lot easier than teaching our sensaitachi. We went in to teach them with basically a basic idea f what we were going to say and that was it. And by the end of it we had talked about the Kaifuku and had Committed them to Inori and Morumon sho o yomu. It was really good. I feel like when I am teaching people who know just about as much nihongo as I do its really easy, I dont worry about it much at all.

This week has basically blurred together.....Wake up, asagohan, kurasu, hirogohan, kurasu, bangohan, kurasu, and sleep. It's all basically the same stuff. Tonight though Watashi to Woodward Choro wa Shibuta-san ni sukui no keikaku nitsuite o oshiemasu. So after this that's probably what I'm going to go prepare for.

Um.. yeah sorry guys theres not a whole lot to talk about. If you guys have any funny phrases you want me to translate feel free to dear elder me a phrase and i'll try my best.

Today I'll send a memory card home, theres a lot of weird stuff on it just FYI. haha

So yeah, that's basically it. Today I have laundry and I'm waiting for a letter from Shelby so I can write back, I usually get them hirogohan ato de... So... Watashi wa matte masu...

身なーさん尾愛してます！！

Mina-san o ai shite masu!!

I love you everyone!!

Dad, Mom, Jamie, Meri, Grace, Sophie, and dog.... and i still dont know her name....

またね！！

Matane

See you later!!

Moshi Moshi!!

Temple Stone. I sent a picture of it. It's a part of a temple apparently that was dedicated. this stone has just been passed down through the Japanese Branch for a couple of years. Hammond Choro got it from his Senpai, so then he gave it to me.

 

The language is coming along. My language study plan consists of 2 Bunpo each day (grammars, like toki ni (When something happens) or like P.F. V node (because something happened. Then I try to do 10 tango a day (vocab), but I'm not very good at doing it, I keep getting distracted and its hard learn new tango and then trying to use it in everyday speach, just because all I can really do is teach about the gospel. Then I work on kana (the alphabets). I've memorized the 46 basic Hiragana and about 25 variations of the hiragana but there is still 36 more variations. And then I've also memorized only 25 katakana and no variations so I still have a lot to learn. All of the hymns we sing are in hiragana or katakana so the hymns are always great review when it comes to trying to memorize kana.

 

I got the package and my district tried to beat me up for it. I havent tried on the rain gear yet I keep forgeting but it should be good.

 

You should print and send that picture of "I was reading the Book of Mormon. "The Nephites die."" That was hillarious!!

 

Dog?! for realizzle?!!?! What's it's name? Is it a Kyodai or a Shimai (Brotha or a Sista?) You should send more videos of the dog that would be awesome.

 

This Week -

 

I forgot to write down a lot of what I did this week so I might forget some things but aw well.

 

Last Friday

 

I got a package from Shelby Newby with........COSTA VIDA!!!!! AND CUPCAKE RECEES BROWNIES!!! It was amazing I have never enjoyed costa vida that much in my entire life. I had some of the cupcakes too and they were amazing. Some guys on my floor wanted some and I got a tie and a box of pencils for two cupcakes lol

 

P-day was way fun we laid around in our ryo (residence halls / dorm) and played nerf basketball. It was pretty fun. Me and another kid on my floor also just through the rugby ball around because we got so bored. We had a dance party too. Three chorotachi here have flashlights that can do strobe and theres a choro in our branch that can do amazing beatboxing. So we danced. It was legit.

 

Saturday!!!

 

TRC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

was awesome.

 

We taught about the importance of prayer and how you can learn and grow through prayer. I also shared a personal experince with prayer totally in JAPANESE!! It was awesome. I feel like with the bunpo and tango that ive learned I am able to communicate at least enoguh to hold a conversation. Most of the bunpo Ive learn though is for like telling stories like about Iseu Kirisuto or Kamisama. We taught a girl named Alicia which is the same girl that we taught last week but this time she had a friend of hers. And it went really well. Then we Taught a guy named Remington. Who was the happiest guy I have ever met. He had a huge grin on his face and he looked like he was just super happy when he was talking about japan.

 

Sunday

 

I had an interview with a member of our branch presidency named Mack Kyodai. And it was a really great interview. I just told him how there will be days that I struggle and days I do well. He then asked what I did on the days that I didnt do well. And I said I didnt know. He asked if I had started the day with meaningful prayer/scripture study. and i was like "thats what I gotta do!!!" haha he said that there are 4 things that we have to do in order to become great missionaries here and to become great people once we return home

 

- Start the day with meaningful prayer

- At least 30 Min of meaningful scripture study
- Obideince / constant repentance

- Sharing, and giving service

 

If we make those things become a habit in our everyday lives we will be blessed.

 

Kyudosha -

 

Shibuta-san

So we went in there and we were going to teach about the Sukui no Keikau and he started the lesson by saying In Nihongo "I dont belive god exists, because my life has been hard and god hasnt helped me." and we were like CRAP. We had no idea how to teach him about how trials hep us learn and grow. We didnt study the bumpo or tango in order to teach him effectivly so it was kinda a bad lesson.

 

Fujimuta-san

FINALLY WE HAD A BREAKTHROUGH!! Everytime we have taught him he hasnt done anything we have asked until thursday when he said that he began to read the book of mormon and we were like "BAUMFF FINALLY!!" He said he had read in 1 Nephi but he had no idea what it meant. WE told him that 1 Nephi talks about Nephi and his father Lehi who were both yogensha. Lehi prayed to god, god answered and warn, and Lehi listened. So we spent the rest of the lesson talking to Fujimuta-san "Watashitachi wa kamisama ni inori toki ni seirei kara kojin keiji o ukeru koto ga dekimasu." When we pray to god we can recieve presonal revelation from the spirit. IT WAS SO GREAT! Next I said that Prayer is essential for conversion. And he was like OOHHH. whats conversion?!! And I was like ....................Crap................ I dont know how to explain it in nihongo so I told him that we didnt have the answers for him then but we would study and learn how to teach what conversion was properly in nihongo next time we met. I WAS SO HAPPY THAT WE FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO HIM THOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Dad - Call justin and tell him to get on his myldsmail.net account and find his address to his building and then dear elder it to me so I can find him and beat him up on Wednesday.

 

So first a funny story and then a sad one.

 

The funny one is a little inappropriate but it was hillarious.

 

So the first day I got here I said the phrase "Is it though?" or "do you though?" And since then everytime anyone in our district says anything basically everyone goes "Do you though?" It's pretty funny. So last Sunday we were watching the Testiments (which I've never seen before but it was pretty good) and theres a part when a guy brings his son to jesus and asks him to heal him.

Then jesus says "do you have the faith that he can be healed?'

And the guy says "Yes I do"

And then jesus looks at him in the most hillarious way and didnt say anythingn but the way he looked at him looked like he was trying to say "Do you though?"

And when we saw that the entire district turned to me and whispered "Does he though?" AHAHAHAHA

It was hillarious

  

So Yesterday was a pretty tough day. Yoshida Choro decided that he was going to go home. He told us at the end of the day that MTC had just been a really hard experience for hima and that he felt like he needed to go home. And it was so sad. I felt like I was saying goodbye to all of my close friends at home again. I love Yoshida, and I'm going to miss him. He leaves today at 11. So were all going to get together and talk right after thig and just say our goodbyes.

 

Well that's about it for me. I'm going to write a couple of letters today but that's about all I have planned. I didn't get a letter from Shelby yet so hopefully I'll get one before Pday is over so I can write back to her questions. I love you guys! See you guys soon MATANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MTC #3

MTC #3, a set on Flickr.

This is our first video card from Sam

おーはよがざいます!!!!

Hello everyone!!

This week has just flown by I feel like I almost dont have anything to talk about cuz I feel like I was just barely writting home.

- Last Friday Night - Hammond Choro came and gave me a temple stone. He just said that It was a tradition that the stone was passed down from senpai to Kyohai. And he said his favorite Senpai gave it to him so he gave it to me. He's been an awesome friend since ive been here. Everytime that I ever had a problem with Japanese he would come in and coach me with what I needed help with. I got a picture with him so the next time I send a card you guys can see some of the Senpai.

- Last Friday - So we have a joke within our district. Everytime we go up the stairs or obey the rules we yell Jujun!! which mean obidence. Cuz theres an elevator In our building but were not allowed to use the elevator unless we are injured . so when we go up thwe 5 flights of stairs we yell jujun!!!

Another funny story, so last thursday Barrus Choro wrote his letter to his girlfriend when it wasnt his pday. And we told him that something bad would happen to him cuz he did it on the wrong day. So the next morning were walking to breakfast and a mouse runs out in front of him and he steps on it and kills it. Sad right?!?!?!

Saturday - We had TRC. It's where we go to a building and teach random people a lesson in Japanese. IT WAS SO SCARY!! But we did pretty well. We taught Nate/Ryo to return Missionaries, and Alison and Niyoku, who are both from Japan.

Sunday - Since the Senpai are leaving they had to call a new zone leader. They called Kerr and Shibuta from our district. Because of that Medeiros was made the new distrcit leader. It was pretty cool.

That night we had a fireside and honestly I didn't remeber the talk. The one thing that I did remember though is that the guy who spoke served in Japan. The last 4/6 Speakers we've had have served in Japan. It's kinda showed me that learning this language isn't impossible. It's nice seeing the end affect of a mission.

Sunday Night - Said goodbye to the Senpai (Older Missionaries) I got pictures with all of my favorite ones, So I'll send a card with pictures next week.

Monday/Tuesday - Seriously, I had no idea what happened lol.

Wednesday - I ran into Dallin Hardy!!! He seemed really good!! He's gonna love it here.

We taught Fujimuta-san (Christiansen Kyodai) and it was very confusing. We taught him about prayer, restoration, and the Morumon Sho. At the end when we asked him if he had any questions he went crazy in Japanese and we didn't know what to say so we were like "May we end with a prayer?" haha

Thursday - Today I fully translated my lesson pray for Shibuta-san (Reading Kyodai, Hamaguchi-san, Crawford Kyodai hahaha I'll explain the names later.) Woodward Choro and I skipped dinner in order to finsh translating.

Funny story about teaching Shibuta-san. So we were in the middle of the lesson and Shibuta-san said "Tadashii", and my Doryo was like what? And started to look it up. So I thought for a second and looked at Shibuta-san and said I think that means correct to my doryo. So then Shibuta-san winked at me and smiled, so I turned to Woodward Choro and said yeah I'm pretty sure its correct lol but Woodward thought that I just guessed and he didn't see Shibuta-san wink so he kept looking it up then said "Yep, it means correct" lol Me and Shibuta-san (Reading Kyodai) laughed about it afterwards.

So Reading Kyodai is one of our teachers before he was our teacher he was "Hamaguchi-san" our first inverstigator. But two weeks into class we walked in and he was there wearing a teacher nametag and was like "Surprise!! I'm a teacher" haha. But now he also pretends to be our newest investigator Shibuta-san. And it's funny cuz he lost his nametag so he came to class with a nametag that said "Brother Crawford", a friend of his' tag. So we always joke with Reading Kyodai that he has so many aliases that we dont know who he is. And when we said that he said in a super deep voice "Watashi wa Batman desu" (I'm Batman.) haha It was so great.

So I've lost about 10 lbs. I left home weighing 206 and now I weigh 194. I just eat a lot better hewre than I do at home lol

Mom - Thank you for the letter. My studying is getting a lot better. I'm starting to learn a lot more Nihongo but when ever I have to use it in a lesson I get really nervous. But I think I will get more comfortable with time.

Dad - It cracked me up the story you told about all of the hormones in the house and what you said haha I couldn't stop laughing. Thank you for the Magnet by the way. It's legit. Keep sending em.

My district is alright. We had problems focusing but that's about it. We just really need to dedicate studytime to studying.

Well that's about it for me.

I love you guys!

See ya soon.

Ai shite masu!!

Matane!!