Jubile in Japan

Week 4: KungFu Panda

To be honest, this week I was looking through my journal and I'm pretty sure I started almost every entry off with "Today was fairly uneventful." We're pretty much used to the pattern right now, and we've made it half way! Woohoo!!! Most days we just study and teach here at the MTC, and the only way I can keep track of time are Sundays and Thursdays. Even though it doesn't seem like the most exciting, I still love it here, but also can't wait to get out into the field.

Something that has become very apparent to me in these last couple weeks, is that the Choro-tachi (elders) have more drama than the Shimai-tachi (sisters). I won't go into specifics, but man it must be something in the air, but they get sassier as the days go on. And I feel like I've got to step up my game on having drama in the residency halls or something. Just kidding. But it is sometimes weird to watch their inner drama queens come out and fight for the spotlight. But they're still awesome, and just like a bunch of little brothers running around.

This week during one of our classes, we had a Shimai and a Choro from another zone come and visit our class. They are both from Japan getting ready to serve their mission. Neither one of them spoke very much English. It was a struggle for our class, but it was so cool to have them there. One of the reasons was, that the Shimai (Hoshi Shimai is her name) was able to be a "member" in one of our lessons. And she bore her testimony on the BoM, and he was asking questions and it seemed like she was answering in a way that he understood and I could see that his faith was growing like crazy. Which brings me to another point. Toshii-Kyoudai is one of our "investigators". And to be honest, he every time we went and taught a lesson, he didn't really seem like he wanted to put in the effort to come unto Christ. Like, I'm not even sure why he wanted to receive the lessons from the missionaries. However, in this last lessons we tried teaching him with love. Because during one of our classes our teachers asked us if we told our investigator that we loved them, were we being sincere? And that really hit me. Was I just thinking about how I could get him baptized as quickly as possible, or was I really trying to love him as a person and tailor to his needs? So during the next lesson we explained that Christ and God wanted him to come unto them because they love him. And we were there to teach him because we love him and we want him to feel God's love for him. Then we asked him questions about his faith. And he gave us more sincere answers and said that he actually did know that through Christ he could be forgiven, and that he would try and be more sincere in his prayers and reading from now on. It was really just amazing. And that showed me, that sometimes I try and put limits on our investigators. But that was not how Christ taught. He taught with love, and bluntness that brought so many souls unto him in understanding and desire. So I'm trying to work on my Christ like attributes basically.

We also hosted for the second time. Which was fun, but man do sisters bring a lot of luggage. I was so dead afterwards, but it was great to see how excited they were, which made me excited as well. We also watched the John Tanner video, which I love because I'm related to him. And it really taught me about unshaken faith. He followed the promptings of Christ and was blessed in a way that he couldn't have obtained except through following Christ. Ummm, let's see. We did some salsa dancing lessons in our residence hall from some of the sisters from Brazil. So that was exciting, and very challenging. I think I'll just stick to the kind of salsa I can eat with chips instead. But we had fun regardless. Also last night we were talking on the floor below us with some of the Shimai-tachi, because that floor is abandoned. And then we heard someone open the door into the building (it was security checking the floors) and we just scattered. It was every Shimai for herself! It was so funny! Like ninja's in the night, we said goodnight and ran back to our rooms.

Also, something that I keep forgetting to mention is the temple. We go every P-day and Sunday (for temple walks). And oh, how I love the temple. Especially sessions. Every time I go I feel so much peace, sometimes so much that I fall asleep. But most of the time, I feel like I just can't get enough. I want to go to more sessions and learn more from them. And when I go into the celestial room I find myself just staring at the picture of Christ, I really have been getting to know my savior on a whole different level since I've been to the MTC. Mostly because I have to rely on Him almost every minute of the day. But when I am at my weakest, I then am at my strongest. And I can just testify of the truthfulness of this scripture. So many times when I felt like I didn't know what I should do or where to go, the spirit came to me the clearest in those times, and I have had my strongest conversions. It's weird going to the temple, because it is the thing that feels closest to home because it is the only thing in the MTC that is familiar to me as far as not being new, but it also brings me closer to my spiritual home. I feel God's love and peace for me the strongest there, and I love watching all different kinds of videos they show there. I'm so excited to go again this week, and hope I have more opportunities in the mission field to go to the temple since there is one in my mission.

Cool experience time, this week we had a devotional on the importance of relief society. And I just wasn't feeling it. I was like, "why should I focus on relief society when I'm going on a mission". And of course, the Lord humbled immediately. I was talking about it with another Shimai in our zone, and she told me she was thinking the same thing. Then she realized that it wasn't for her, she would have to teach the investigators of the importance of relief society. And now I admire that sister more than I ever have before. It was exactly what I needed to hear to apply that devotional to my own life.

But ya, sorry this week wasn't more exciting, but it's always a good time :)

Love you lots. Have a Happy Halloween!!!

-Johnson Shimai