Jubile in Japan

Week 8: Nacho Libre

The MTC is very much like Nacho Libre. There is spiritual madness, and a lot of weirdness mixed in the middle. Then some singing and some awkward romances here and there. But altogether it's just awesome. I think one of the greatest blessings in the MTC is having hardly any access to technology, because then we are forced to talk to people, and really people are the greatest. The stories they have and the experiences they've learned from are just like reading those awesome links on the yahoo homepage. I have met all sorts of people here at the MTC from all walks of life. So I challenge you all to go meet someone new, someone random, just look at small indications of something they are carrying or something they have. It seems awkward at first, believe me it was but something that seems bold today will become habit tomorrow (I didn't come up with that, but it would've been cool if I had. I got that from a devotional, who I think they got from a talk).

This week was uneventful for the most part, but I think it's the small things that make the MTC. Well, actually it's a mixture of both. This week I went to the temple and did initiatories for the first time, other than for myself. The ladies that work there are just the sweetest and while they were reciting the words they would put feeling into it. So it didn't just seem like a normal speech, I could tell from the way that they said it that it was important and that it was for me. I could see their grandma wisdom shining through their eyes and it made me feel loved even though I can't remember a single one of their names. But really, it was just fantastic, get to know them a little bit if you can.

Speaking of names, we hosted for like the 6th and final time. Our zone really loves to host where we can, and get out of studying when we can. Anyways, I learned a very important lesson while hosting. So I was hosting like my 5th or 6th girl (700 people came into the MTC that day, it was a bit crazy) and we were talking, and she asked if I remembered her name. And I looked at her and thought, "You are like the 12th girl I have hosted just today, do you think I can remember everyone's name?!" So I threw out a guess, and of course I was wrong, but I could see the bit of disappointment in her face so I immediately apologized. I had been studying about Christ-like attributes in PMG this week, so the next thought that popped into my head was, "Christ would've remembered her name, because He loves her and she is important to Him so she is important to me too." And even though I don't love her as much as He does, because of my imperfection of not knowing her that well and being able to love her on the spot, I can develop that love for her step by step. And remembering names is one of the most important ways to show someone you care. Plus in Japan their names are going to be a lot more difficult, so if I can't even remember these 'merican names, how will I be able to remember Nihon-jin's (Japanese people's) names.

Also another thing that happened this week was that we did skype TRC. Which is a lot like regular TRC, but you skype with real nihon-jin in Japan. And this week we talked to an awesome member named Miura-kyoudai (He took a picture of us and put in on his facebook, tell me if you see it!). He was this cute little old man who loved talking to us. Even if our Japanese wasn't that good he was very patient and loving. And it got me excited to go to Japan. Like if I had met that man in person, how cool of an experience would that have been. So I need to work even harder on my Japanese so that I can communicate with these people and listen to their experiences so that I can build off of them, because the Lord has prepared these people to hear the gospel. Anyways, we talked to him about being grateful, with Thanksgiving coming up and everything. And something that I have been trying to do in my prayers is thank the Lord often and much for all the blessings I receive. And as I have been doing this I have noticed that my days are getting brighter, even if the weather is getting colder. I think i will have to start up a gratitude journal, because as I have gone back and read my regular journal I have really been able to reflect on the things that I have learned. If we don't reflect every so often, then I truly believe we have not learned anything, because it's those experiences that we learned from that help us grow. And one of my greatest blessings that I have noticed substantially this week is Patriarchal blessings. Really whenever we have questions for the Lord, we should read our blessing first, because I can almost guarantee that there will be some part of the answer in that. It is our personal michi (path) through life, and it was given to us from the Lord. I have read a part of it everyday this week and as I the day that I read it I notice that (almost subconsciously) I am trying to act in such a way that these blessings of life can be given to me. The Lord pours blessings upon us freely and abundantly. As I have noticed these blessings I have come closer to my savior, because the atonement is the greatest blessing he could've ever given me. I know that he lives and continues to watch over us milli-secondly. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and praise God openly and sincerely just like all the blessed people in the Book of Mormon. I love you and and wish you the best this week!

Love,

Johnson Shimai

P.S. I LEAVE IN 11 DAYS!!!

Left to right: Johnson Shimai, Tolen Chourou, Jennings Chourou, Phillips Chourou, Dunn Chourou, Packard Shimai, Reed Chourou, Jackson Chourou, Smith Chourou, Gorski Chourou