Ready

Hello

This week I felt like "OK, yeah.  I'm feeling like I'm ready to go."  I love the MTC and am so grateful for the experience that I have had here, I don't know the language super well, and I'm not packed, but I am getting ready to head to the land of the rising sun and serve the people there.  Woot!  I can't believe that I have just over 2 weeks before I head out.  Its just thrilling.

OK, brief recap of this week because I'm nearly out of time:  lessons, new teachers, goodbye to some missionaries, devotional with Elder Andersen, walking in a downpour, and just feeling so grateful and excited!  

I love you all.  Keep being the good people you are.  

Warmly,

Williams shimai 

Hello

Thank you so much for the letters and pictures that you sent!  I relished them, as I do each week.  It sounds like you are all getting ready for the change of season that is coming up soon.  Exciting, isn't it?  

Kinben ni means diligently in Japanese and it sounds so much like King Benny that every time I hear it I feel a need to reach for my scriptures and flip to Mosiah to read about King Benjamin.  As missionaries, we get to hear that word a lot, so its pretty great.  

I love being a missionary.  It is this wonderful blend of blessing, opportunity, responsibility, and privilege.  This week I have felt more deeply converted to our Savior Jesus Christ who suffered for my sins, my pride, my weaknesses, my sorrows, my insecurities, and my problems that I may be able to change and become better and truly love this life on earth.  It is so beautiful!  

That being said, missionary work has its ups and downs.  I had a lot of humbling moments this week that eventually brought me to a greater understanding of what the Lord would like me to become and how I can become so, but at the time, I wasn't so sure I appreciated it.  I know that the Lord knows my weaknesses and what will help me learn best and I am so grateful for His generous and perfectly fitted help to cause me to recognize what I need to change.  

As school is starting this week, we loose one of our teachers because of conflicting schedules.  Gardener sensei won't be our teacher soon.  When he told us, me being me, I started to tear up.  My appreciation surprises me with its depth and just comes out of nowhere sometimes.  Change is good though.  It helps us learn.  

All right dear ones, the time for emailing is coming to a close.  Good luck this week; I hope it is enjoyable for each of you!  

Love, 

Williams shimai

Oh dear ones!

  Hello! 

 I hope that this week has treated you well and that you are happy, healthy, learning, and enjoying every day in this amazing world.  I hope that you seek and find opportunities to love and be loved.  Love is such a central part of the gospel and for that I am humbled, grateful, and encouraged.  I want to share a few experiences that I had this week that taught me more about God's love for His children.  It is so deep, so pure, so rich, so abundant, so available, so graciously given, and just so beautiful.  Ah!  Being immersed in learning, teaching, sharing, and living the gospel here at the MTC grows my testimony of God's love and mercy for His children everyday.  Some days are more powerful than others and often His teaching comes in the most gentle, simple ways but my testimony of it deepens nonetheless.  It is miraculous. 

OK, first Richard G.Scott came to the Tuesday night devotional this week and gave a beautiful address on the gift of prayer.  Hearing him speak about that topic touches me--he has a really deep testimony and knowledge of it.  From him I learned that God is so patient with us in our prayers and so thoughtful and purposeful in the way that He answers them.  His answers often help us to grow, change, and become the people of character that He knows we can become.  His address was so instructive and I loved watching him leave as well.  Before he exited, he cupped his hands to his mouth and called out "Be good!"  and "We love you".  Such a dear man.  I love and am astonished by how dedicated and devoted he is.  

Also, President Eyring's First Presidency Message from the August Ensign is SO WONDERFUL.  I loved reading it and thinking about how God has taught me through His blessings and then feeling and expressing gratitude for it.  I know that gratitude is really a tue principle that blesses our lives.  Sometimes it blows my mind to think how generous God is to us. 

As you know on Wednesday, the MTC receives new missionaries.  They have an orange sticker on their tag so everyone knows that they are new and can especially welcome them.  In the evening, my companion and I were walking out of our classroom to go study somewhere else.  I noticed a sister sitting on a bench outside our classroom with that bright orange sticker on her tag and decided to say welcome and hello.  We had a brief conversation and then she was called away.  I clasped her hand and touched her shoulder before she left.  As my companion and I walked outside I thought about this sister and was surprised by the love that I felt for her.  It was so real and so tangible that it overwhelmed me a little bit.  I am so grateful that God encourages us to love as He loves and gives us that gift as we seek it--seriously, it is just incredible. 

Last one. I noticed in my study lately how many stories about only children or only brothers there are in Jesus Christ's ministry--Jarius' daughter, the man who is says "Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief", the only son of the woman on the outskirts of a town (I think this story is in Mark), Lazarus, etc.  I think its a really simple but profound way of Heavenly Father reminding the Savior that He loved Him.  So cool. 

The MTC continues to be wonderful.  Oh, I was going to write about our teachers!  Right.  OK--We have 2 teachers, Fowers sensei and Gardener sensei.  I am grateful for and appreciate them and while they are really different, I learn a lot from them both.  Fowers sensei is pretty tall, really energetic, teaches us in the evening when some of our district has the energy and nearly the focus of Sunbeams, and laughs often.  Gardener sensei is pretty short (I think he may be just taller than me), quietly funny, kind of subdued, teaches us in the mornings when some of us are really quite lethargic, and is really chill.  Perhaps I'll get a picture of them sometime, though I think they shy away from pictures until the last week for whatever reason. 

Anyhow, thank you so much for your love, support, and prayers.  I feel so at peace and so grateful for you, my dears!  Keep your chins up and know that I love you! 

Love kokoro kara (sincerely, litereally from the heart),

Williams shimai

Another One Coming Your Way!

I love my district, I really do.  It surprises me how well I know, love, and appreciate them and I think that will only grow stronger in the remaining time I have here at the MTC.  Woot!  I do have to think a little more before I write in English--no pontificating or fancy words (other than that one) from me these days!  I embrace the idea of making errors in my spelling and grammar because the requirement now is to be a speedy typer to try and get it all out!  Well, I probably still will be pretty conscious of how my words sound and look like, the emails will just be stream of consciousness--as that last sentence pretty much was. 

ANYHOW,  this week has been great.  I feel like I am learning how to be humble a lot more--more willing to make mistakes in speaking so that I may learn from them--and more accepting of myself and people as we are and of hoping for/working for/encouraging for who we may become through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  It is so cool, the doctrine of sacrifice, service, refining, chastening, and becoming.  I am learning more and more how to love and relish and seek these things. 

Ahh, this world!  Is it not beautiful?! (Apparently this grammar pattern is used a lot in Japan.  Sweet, eh?) 

Do you remember how my setting apart talked about me helping people with the language?  It is happening and I love it.  Every time I work on a translation or grammar principle or word recognition with someone, my mind goes back to that and I am gently yet powerfully reminded of God's awareness of us and how He can use us when we are willing.  It is AWESOME.  Such a gift, blessing, and responsibility! 

The theme for this week seemed to be preparation.  Preparing to teach, preparing to serve, preparing for lessons, preparing plans for study time, preparing plans for each day, etc.  This focus encouraged me to reflect on my own preparation for a mission.  For me, my preparation, like my decision to serve, was really gradual but also really generous.  I've thought a lot about how serving a mission, teaching, learning Japanese, and so many other experiences here have felt so natural or logical.  It is mind blowing and spirit lifting.  I've also reflected on how the Spirit works logically and reasonably.  We had Elder Jay E. Jensen come speak at the Tuesday devotional this week and he talked about teaching by the Spirit, how it is "presenting well what is planned, following reason and logic, speaking convincingly in a normal voice, and departing from the plan (as the exception  not the rule).  This way teaching by the Spirit starts with preparing with/by the Spirit.  It helped me realize how focused we need to be in this work, at every stage in it.  Sometimes, to be honest, it is really wearying.  BUT, the Lord strengthens us so that we can do it and help others come unto Christ.  It is so cool, dear reader.  So beautiful! 

Also, one of our teachers was out of town this week (and a description of teachers is coming soon, I promise.  They are wonderful.) and so we had a substitute teacher.  And he was FROM JAPAN!  Ahh!  This might sound kind of weird  but I was just fascinated by his Japanese-ness, listening closely to how he spoke, his mannerisms, his descriptions of Japan (our district plied him with questions, including "Are there ninjas in Japan?").  It was like a taste of what is to come.  I love Japanese people.  I am so excited to serve among them, to talk with them, learn with them, love them, and serve them.  It is thrilling.  I love the MTC and am happy to stay here (yay for practice and learning!) but I am looking forward to the time where I will go there. 

So, so, so much love,

Williams shimai

PS--HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOON STEPH! YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENTER SWEEPSTAKES AND DO SO MUCH MORE.  WOO-HOOO! 

No tachimukau

Hello dear ones! 

First, thank you so much for making my birthday a truly remarkable one!  I loved the package, notes, thought, cake that you made and enjoyed, and CUTE card.  LOVED THEM.  I love you all so much and am grateful that I get to share my life with you all and learn from your examples and strength.  Thank you. 

On a lighter note, I hope you sang some T Swizzle for me about being two decades and two years.   ;)   Mmhmm, and maybe had a little dance party too--or did some yoga or swimming or running through sprinklers for me.  On Saturday or Monday of course. 

I SO enjoyed reading your thoughts and letters this week.  Seriously, if I didn't have the timer at the top right of the screen telling me how much time I had left, I would probably just sit and read, re-read, and relish them.  And draw attention to myself by laughing--I love reading what you say and imagining how everything you describe happened.  Also. thank you for the pictures and I'm glad thae ones I sent last week were mission ones.  Thank you for keeping me posted on the haps at home.  Sounds like you are all living up this summer time goodness!  Enjoy it.  :)

This week presented more of the same goodness and a little more challenge this week--Japanese is beautiful yet challenging and figuring out how to stay focused and not get carried away laughing when your district starts a dinosuar noise making contest is tougher than I thought. 
Still, its truly wonderful, and I mean that.  As I was bearing testimony about the Savior in one of our lessons this week, the Spirit confirmed the truth of the words I was saying, no matter how clumsily I expressed them, and helped me to realize more fully that this gospel is true--no matter what language it is in.  Ahh, it was such a beautiful tender mercy that I appreciated so much.  I'm not sure our investigator or my companion felt the same way, but if not, it was a real blessing for me. 

I'm glad that the Macdonalds have little Susana Amanda around their house these days!  WOO-HOO for little ones!  Thanks for letting me know--it brings me a lot of joy.

OK, the rest of this week kind of feels like a blur so I think I can deliver on the promise to describe the people in my district a little more.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me!  When I write these emails, sometimes I feel like my mind goes blank and I don't know quite what to relate.  As my companion says, its almost like an exam.  Though not as stressful.  :)
These descriptions will probably be short and sweet because I still need to find photos to attach.  Sorry! 

Elder Johnson--He's from Kayesville, Utah, tall and loves basketball, is really kind, genuine, and capable, though maybe a little unsure of himself.  He plays the piano so well and plays the drums even better and pats out rhythms without really thinking about it.    

Elder Baker--Our district leader, but he doesn't take himself too seriously, loves fishing, often sings (and in that way reminds me of our cousin Aaron).  He hails from California.

Elder Wineagar--From Rexburg, played football in high school, loves wakeboarding and snowboarding, makes one of the best Pterodactyl noises I've ever heard, is really open with our district and likes to have fun.

Elder Hawkes--The artist behind whatever drawings are on our whiteboard, Elder Hawkes is funny, earnest in trying to learn how to be a missionary and speak Japanese, and from Bountiful.  He knew our teacher before he came to the MTC and so they sometimes reminisce about people and the high school sports teams, which is always kind of fun to be a part of.

Elder Wiley--Tall, dark hair, a fan of Anime and knowledgeable about Japanese.  While a little tentative sometimes, he is so considerate and thoughtful.

Elder Poff--From Oregon, Elder Poff is a truly talented pianist and pretty laid back, easygoing personality.  He did a year of BYU before coming to the MTC and often talks about his experiences there. 

Elder Hamblin--A hard and thoughtful worker, from Roosevelt, UT (along with a few of the Japanese teachers here).  He has real dedication to doing hard things--whether they be physical or mental.

Elder Chun--An energetic and comic storyteller.  He's from Orem and often jokes about his being half Asian (Korean), but is really thoughtful and sincere at the same time.  He and his companion (Simmons choro) walk us sisters back to our residence every night. 

Elder Simmons-- A quiet but powerful missionary, Elder Simmons knows a lot of Japanese and can usually answer just about any question you put to him.  He's quite patient and subtly funny, which gives our district a good balance. 

  

OK.  I am nearly out of time for today.  I hope that gives you a taste of what life is like with those shimai and choro.  Its pretty fantastic.  Thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts, and love.  I feel them and echo them back to you.  LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK!

Williams shimai (aka Lindsay--its kind of funny to see my first name, but its still who I am, eh?) 

PS--No tachimukau means to overcome--which is something that I feel I am learning more and more about here.  And its a really, really great word.  Sounds like ( no touchie moo cow).  YES!  I laughed the first time I heard it.