Can you believe it! We are FINALLY heading to Japan! I have waited 8 months for this moment, and now I am going to Japan in 2 DAYS!!! This week has been pretty great. It has been like any other week. nothing really exciting. I guess the days here at the MTC have just been really boring for me now, and I am ready to go. I have enjoyed my last times playing volleyball.... Boy does Karina make me a little jealous. I really miss playing. It has been way fun getting to know so many other missionaries while playing volleyball here though. We have had a lot of fun together.
Yesterday, we attended "In-Field Orientation" to help us get ready to FINALLY enter the field. It was such a great experience and really got me excited to enter the actual mission field and go to work. I am EXTREMELY nervous to enter a new country and not know a single word they are saying, but come on.... who wouldn't be nervous. I just KNOW it is going to be difficult, but I am looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to grow. I do apologize for not sending very detailed e-mails. I have not been very diligent with my journal either. at night, we are only given so much time to get ready for bed, write in journals, and get to bed on time, and there are times that I quickly write something short down, or i don't write anything at all. It has been difficult to be detailed. Mom, thanks for reminding me to write in my journal. I promise I will do better. I have just been waiting for that time to sit down and take time to write what I am feeling. I really will do better.
So since nothing really exciting happened this week, I wanted to share with you some things I learned from the Devotional on Tuesday. On our schedule for Tuesday, we have ALOT of additional study time that we can use for whatever we want. This Tuesday, it felt like we had a pretty relaxing day enjoying our free time, and not using all the study time usefully, but we still had fun. That night we had our usual devotional at the Marriott Center. This time it was with a former seventy, H. Bryan Richards, and his Wife. To me the general topic seemed to be to work hard and do all you can on your mission. After the lazy day I just had, I felt like I wasn't doing all that I could to become a better missionary. I have really taken advantage of my stay here at the MTC. There was so much more I could have done to make my stay SO much better. I could have worked harder on progressing in learning the language, i could have done more to learn more about the gospel, and i could have obeyed with exactness to be able to follow the promptings of the Spirit even better. What a humbling and growing experience this has been, and i am sad it has taken me this long to figure it out. I REALLY am looking forward to FINALLY getting to Japan and make the most of my mission. I am a little behind in making the most of this experience, so that means i will just have to work even harder.
Well, anyway, back to the devotional. Sister Richards began starting with stories of the pioneers and there diligence across the planes then she applied it to missionary work. Here is something she said that I really liked. "I will hit the trail running and not stop until my mission is complete." So GOOD! That is what I want to be like having all the confidence in the world. Then, something Brother Richards shared helped me realize how hard this is really going to be, but also helped us know who is going to be with us the whole way. The best thing is, this can apply to everyone, so think of a way how you can apply it to your life now.
First, he asked the questions: "Why isn't this easier?"... "Why is it so DIFFICULT?" When you ask those questions, just remember some greater asked ths same questions.
Then he shared that, "salvation is NOT a cheap experience. We have to pay some price. Missionary work (or life) is NEVER easy.
Just remember! The atonement will carry you!! When we are rejected and spit upon, REMEMBER who you are standing with.... You are standing with the SAVIOR! He is there to help. "he is the way, the truth, and the light."
Everyone.... I love you all! Thank you for all the love and support and being apart of this experience with me. before i close, I just wanted to share my testimony:
watashi wa akashi o wakachiaitai to omoimasu. Kono kyokai ga shinjitsu da to shitte imasu. Josefu Sumisu ga shinri yogensha datta to shitte imasu. Morumon Sho ga Josefu Sumisu ni hon'yaku sareru to shitte imasu. Morumon Sho ga Kamisama no kotoba da to shitte imasu. Morumon Sho ni kansha shitte imasu. Iesu Kirisuto no aganai ni kansh shitte imasu. Iesdu Kirisuto ga watashitachi no sukuinushi da to shitte imasu. Senkyoshi hatadaki ni kansha shitte imasu. Kamisama ga mina san o ai suru to shitte imasu. Kamisama ga ai shitte imasu. Iesu Kirisuto no mi-na ni yotte o-akashi shimasu. AMEN!
Mom, Thank you for the package. IT WAS PERFECT! Thank you for all the candy and especially the car sick stuff. that really might help alot. I am really looking forward to packing and feeling like i am really going to japan. It is going to be AWESOME!! Thank you for all the help!! LOVE YOU!! i will write a short letter today and with it i am sending a copy of my passport. some one told me that it would be good if you had a copy just in case something happened.
p.s. i bought a passport holder at the bookstore this week. just thought i would share that with you. :P
愛知っています！(love you!)
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