Week 8 - August 20, 2013

This time next week I will be in Japan!!!  I am so excited.  There are so many things I yet to learn though.  Last week I finally started feeling like I was understanding this crazy language.  I am just so frustrated that it took me until I only had two weeks left to finally understand how to do this thing.  Right as I started understanding what was going on, I'm sent packing.  (sigh)  Oh well.  I guess better late than never, right?  I know that once I get there it will be much easier to learn tongo (vocabulary).  Here it can be so hard sometimes to remember and learn new words.  Although I have been doing it, it is just more difficult.  Once I get to Japan I will have to learn and remember them because I will just be hearing them constantly.  

The ironic thing about this language, that has taken me these eight weeks to learn, is that the order makes so much sense.  For the longest time I couldn't understand sentence structure (the hardest thing about Japanese), but I am finally starting to get it.  In English we have the verb in the middle (unless you're Yoda), but in Japanese the verb is always at the end.  So you have to state who is verbing and what they're verbing before you state the verb.  For instance:

I read the Book of Mormon

I the Book of Mormon read. 

watashi wa Morumon-sho o yomimashita

It didn't make sense for the longest time, but now that I am in the thick of it, it makes so much more sense than English.  I find it hilarious that I learned so much about English by studying Japanese (for instance, so many exceptions in English).  

 

Unfortunately the district I have become so close to in the past 2 months are not all going to Fukuoka.  All of the Shimai (Sisters) are going to Kobe and three of the elders are going to Kobe as well.  So I will not be seeing any of them, but I the other four elders are going with me, so we will be on the same flight together.  

Something that I don't think I have mentioned before.  Everyone is broken into zones/branches and then are broken into districts here at the MTC.  So my district is split almost half and half going to Kobe and Fukuoka, but most of the rest of the zone are going to many various places.  The other Daisenpai (which are the oldest Japanese going missionaries here, all of which came in with me and leave with me) are all going to Kobe.  The new people in our Zone are going to Nagoya, Sendai and I think Tokyo.  So it would seem as if I am one of the only five going to Fukuoka, but no.  There is another zone of Japanese missionaries and most of them are going to Fukuoka.  So the people I am leaving with and heading over to Fukuoka with, most of them I have never even met before.  So we call ourselves the lost sheep, because we're like the only Fukuoka missionaries not in that other zone.  

I have such a great time here.  It feels like I have been in the MTC for like forever.  I have gotten slightly sick twice and have had tons of other experiences that have prepared me to go out into the field.  Going for two years without any breaks or doing things that I used to do at home (watch TV, hang out with friends, etc.) used to seem so hard.  But now I can finally see myself doing it and I am fine with it now.  As hard as it will be (and believe me, I understand now how hard missions are; the language gave me that perspective) I know that it will be so worth it.  

Last week we commited one of our investigators, Suzuki-san,(apparently a very popular name) to baptism.  My companion and I were so excited.  After working so hard to prepare and teach lessons (especially because we had to plan what we say almost word for word beforehand)  it was great to see our efforts finally pay off.  I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had here and would not give them up for anything.  If I ever thought about quiting and going home, those thoughts have been crushed by the Spirit and the great experiences I have had.  

Thanks to everyone who has written me and sent me letters/emails.  Although I usually do not have enough time to write back, I am very grateful to hear from you.  I hope you are all doing well.  Take care,

Lee Choro

Week 7 - August 13, 2013

So we should be getting our travel plans either Thursday or Friday, so I am super excited!  Not that I don't like the MTC, but I can't wait to be in Japan! 

 

I noticed this week that the MTC has kind of become home now.  I am so used to walking around the campus so often, it's just what I have become accustomed to.  It will be weird leaving this place and the sights I have just grown so familiar with. 

 

So far we have not been able to go to the Temple at all.  Normally on your P-day you have a set time when you can go to the temple, but the Provo temple has been closed since I got here.  But it re-opened yesterday and I can finally go in!

 

Another thing we hadn't had the opportunity to do until recently is to greet new missionaries.  New missionaries always come on Wednesdays, so when they come through, they call on the missionaries already here to escort them to get their books and study materials (for instance the japanese to english dictionaries and so on).  We were finally able to do this last Wednesday and spent a good three hours escorting the new missionaries. 

 

i haven't mentioned this in the past, but when we first came to the MTC we received a TON of books.  We got a Japanese Bible, Book of Mormon (triple comb.) and romaji PMG (the missionary hand book; romaji is japanese put into english letters).  We also got tons of study books which were all given names ages ago (apparently our sensei's had the same names, so a long time).  We have a thin long red book called the miagi (like the sensei in Karate Kid) a thick yellow book of japanese grammar called the pikachu, and so on (I won't give descriptions, but the names are as follows: bulbasaur, squirtle, sumo, samurai, katana/jisho, magikarp, togepi).  Our sensei will say something like 'get out the Pikachu" and we all get out our grammar books.  It's awesome. 

 

One thing I've noticed as I've been here is that my priorities have changed.  Beforehand I just wanted to be the best japanese speaker leaving the MTC.  But since I've been here, I've found it really doesn't matter.  What matters is touching people's hearts, and if you can do that, your ability in the language doesn't matter.  All you can do is bring the Spirit; He will do the rest. 

 

Although I don't always have time to respond to your emails or letters, my time is very limited, know that I appreciate your contact.  I love you all and am grateful for the impact you have had in my life.  kono kyokai wa shinjitsu da to akashi shimasu yo (authentic Japanese). 

Week 6 - August 6, 2013

We are officially Diasenpai (the oldest japanese speaking missionaries in the MTC).  We can finally get excited for our departure date.  We will probably get our flight plan a week from Friday. 

We had Fast Sunday yesterday.  Like BYU, it is nigh on impossible to bear your testimony for all of the people who want to go up.  The best is to hear the Nihonjin (native japanese speakers).  It is great to listen to a native speaker; super helpful. 

SYL (Speak Your Language) is very hard, but it can be super helpful.  Essentially we try to speak as much Japanese as we can and as little English as possible.  Hearing others speak and practising making sentences myself has made my comprehension and speaking quicker and more accurate (I am still terrible at Nihongo though). 

We started teaching other companionships this week, which has been much less stressful than teaching our sensei's. The companionship we are teaching knows about the same amount of Japanese as we do, so we don't have to worry nearly as much about saying things correctly. It has been very nice. 

While most of my district (at least the elders) are still playing four square, I got bored of it like a week ago.  I decided I need to actually burn calories, especially because I have been eating so unhealthy.  My companion receives approx. two packages a week (at least!) and all of them have tons of cookies and lemon bars and other sugar snacks.  If there is one thing I don't need right now, it's sugar. 

One of the things I really want to do when I get back is teach here at the MTC.  It would be sooo cool.  Not only would I get to speak japanese, but I would also be able to prepare new missionaries for the field.  I don't know if I would be able to do that, just because it is a very rigorous process getting a job here; but if I could, that would be awesome. 

My companion and I had the opportunity to befriend and help out a Nihonjin this week.  His name is Sizilio Choro and he is from Brazil.  I am not sure what his whole story is, but he moved to Japan about five years ago and had to learn Japanese from his native Portegeus (yes I am terrible at spelling).  He then learned Spanish and eight months ago learned English from watching the TV show, House.  He is pretty much fluent in english now.  He also knows some Chinese and can read French.  Needless to say, he has the gift of tongues.  But he had something wrong with his knee, I can't exactly remember what though, and he had to go to physical therapy this week.  But Sizilio Choro's companion had to go to in field training because he was preparing to leave the MTC, so my companion went with him to therapy.  It turned out something was wrong with his cartilage, so he had to have surgery.  Because his companion had to prepare to leave for the field, my companion went with him again.  He now has to stay for another few weeks.  It was a great opportunity to make a new friend and serve another missionary, for both Elder Budge and myself.  Budge Choro was also able to receive help with his Japanese from being around Sizilio Choro.  Because Sizilio Choro has to stay for a few weeks he is now in our district which means we are able to hear a fluent Japanese speaker constantly.  Although I feel bad that he can't leave right away, it is a great blessing for our district.  This is a shorter version just because I don't have a ton of time, but I think you can understand the jist of what happened. 

So I will describe Durin and Malaska Choro now.  There is tall elder who has multiple pairs of glasses he rotates through and they are all pretty cool; his name is Elder Malaska (from Toquerville [probably not right spelling, but pronounced like toker ville]).  The Shimaitachi (sisters) call him the hipster.  He's kind of the class clown and is great at lightening the mood with jokes and stuff.  I was worried he would detract from the Spirit at first, but so far it has not been the case at all.  He has been a great asset to the district. 

His companion, Durin choro is a smart elder, but he is also one of the most interesting people here.  He loves to make weird noises and is never predictable.  He is very good at making comments that come out of nowhere.  He, along with Elder Malaska, are the funniest people I have met in the MTC.  It is great to have them both in our district. 

Thanks for the letters and packages I have received.  I really appreciate the thought. 

I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity I have and I have learned so much and been able to feel the Spirit so strong. 

Powell Sensei (MTC instructor)

Black Sensei (MTC instructor)

Iain's MTC District

All Japanese learners going to different missions in Japan.

Week 5 - July 30, 2013

Today we got up at five.  I know that's a shocker, but it happened.  We put our laundry in and went exercising until our laundry was done and then just took a nap for a couple hours.  In the end, we really didn't lose much sleep (although I am still not a huge fan of 8 hours of sleep). 

I love hearing about my friends and old roommates going on missions.  It is uplifting and inspires me with the knowledge that I am not the only one going through this, my friends are too. 

So I thought I would talk about a few of the Senkyoshi (missionaries) in my district.  My doryo (Elder Budge), was a baseball player (pitcher) throughout high school.  He is from Mapleton, which is like ten minutes away, so he has grown up around the MTC.  We have three missionaries who have had lots of Japanese experience before the MTC.  Sister Donnely took three years of Japanese in high school and like three in college, so she's almost fluent.  Sister Teney has taken four years and has speaking down pretty well (at least more so than most of us).  Two Elders have actually lived in Japan before, but only one of them has learned how to speak some Japanese.  One, Elder Kotter, live in Japan two years or months (I don't actually remember at the moment) but did not learn any Japanese.  The other is Elder Teney (not related to Sister Teney except distantly) and he lived in Japan for twelve years because his father teaches Japanese.  Now you may be thinking he's the best, but most of the Japanese he knows he learn in high school, which he took here in the US.  So his main advantage is reading, comprehension and not sounding super white.  He always claims he's not ahead of us, but that's not exactly true.  He is also a HUGE anime fan and a decent nerd. 

Since about a week ago, maybe longer, everyday someone puts notes on our desk that have been personalized to each of us.  For instance, one day someone gave everyone a spirit animal.  When we came into the classroom we all got to read what our spirit animals were.  Another day we each received fortune cookie fortunes and another we got Disney Princes or Princes.  Elder Teney and I (who are probably the biggest nerds here) gave everyone a super power/super hero.  It is actually pretty fun.  As a district we have been able to make ways to make everyday different and enjoyable (even though the schedule is almost always the same).  In order to encourage ourselves to SYL more, we made a couple of games.  The first we call Tanaka-san.  Essentially we have a bunch of slips of paper that all have names.  We go around the room taking names out of the container and whoever takes out Tanaka-san has to try their best to SYL all day.  The name you choose stays hidden, so no one knows who Tanaka-san is.  At the end of the day, everyone votes for who they thought Tanaka-san was.  We also pass out stickers all day.  During the day, whenever we decide someone is doing really good at SYLing, we give them a sticker.  We each have three stickers at the beginning of the day, so we have to try to get rid of them all. 

My Senseis are awesome.  They both have very different techniques but they work so well together.  I have learned so much because they are such great people.  The Spirit they bring is so strong.  I learn so much from my teachers, Branch presidency and the devotionals we are able to attend every Sunday and Tuesday. 

Week 4 - July 23, 2013

Well, I have to admit, I really want to get out of here.  The MTC is great and all, but I want to get out into the field sooo badly.  I am not yet to the point where I feel like could hold a conversation with a Nihonjin at all, but I still want to be in Japan. 

We are almost finished with the Myogi (one of our missionary textbooks; looks like a sketch book) which means we're pretty close to knowing all the bunpo (grammar/grammar patterns) that we will need to know as missionaries.  There may be some we need to learn later, but they at least give us a foundation.  Now most of our time will be spent learning vocab.  It's so exciting.  While I can't really understand people all that well yet, it gives me hope, since I know I still have five weeks left. 

One of the best parts of each day is gym time.  Each day (except Sunday, Tuesday [p-day], and Wednesday, so really not everyday) we get 50 minutes for gym.  While we used to branch out and do different things, we are now spending most of our time play four square.  The elders in our district play for almost the whole 50 minutes of gym everyday we have gym, so they're starting to get rather good.  I feel bad sometimes because new people come in and try to play with us, but they get out so fast (usually).  Our elders are just so practiced in the art of four square.  They're even talking about making it an Olympic sport when they get home (might as well, they have ping pong). 

I printed out a bunch of general conference talks today.  I'm excited for my Personal Study Time (PST) so I can read them.  PST is one of my favorite things.  We have a little over an hour each day (this is actually everyday) to focus on reading the Preach My Gospel, Book of Mormon and approved literature (i.e. Jesus the Christ, etc.).  I learn something new every PST, it is fantastic.  But I have found I learn most when I am focusing on my "investigators".  When I look for answers for someone else, I seem to find scriptures that will work so perfectly, or teach me how to explain principles so clearly. 

Meal time is of course a favorite time of mine.  We only get to eat three meals a day and at very spaced out periods, so I am always hungry by food time.  Although I don't love most of what we have to eat (half of the veggies look/feel like rubber) I am grateful the food is warm (mostly) and usually tastes good. 

I love Sundays here; we get to spend most of the day studying the scriptures and going to spiritually uplifting meetings.  It gives us a break from the relentlessness of the language. 

I have come to love class time.  It is one of my favorites.  Our senseis are awesome!  They are both so different, but since we get them together, it works out great.  Black sensei is very focused on the language and teaches us mostly Japanese principles, while Powell sensei focuses mostly on spiritual matters.  Black sensei is huge and hilarious and nerdy, while Powell is smaller (not that small, just by comparison) and cool and is super focused on work (seriously a workaholic).  They're the best!

I know that what I'm doing is so worth it, and I'm so grateful to be here.  Fukuin ga sinjistu da to shitte imasu

 Lee Choro

Week 3 - July 16, 2013

Wow.  I can't believe it's been three weeks already!  The time goes so fast!  The phrase, there aren't enough hours in a day is finally becoming real for me.  One thing I have found is the inconsistency between days.  Most days are good, but somedays you feel like you did really good and others you feel like you didn't learn anything. 

The Spirit is soooooo important.  I never realized how important until coming here.  Without the Spirit it becomes ten times harder to understand what anyone is trying to say.  I get lost super easily in lessons when I am not focused on having the Spirit with me.  Before coming to the MTC they ask you to watch the District (essentially a missionary documentary produced by the Church) and one of them says it is the most challenging and draining things you can do.  And he didn't have to learn Japanese!  What he said is definitely true; being here is though.  You have to reject all of your old habits and all the things you used to think about and do, and completely refocuse you thoughts, time and talents on learning (Nihongo and Fukuin [Japanese and Gospel]). 

I am now a senpai, which means almost absolutely nothing.  People serving in Japan come in every three weeks and leave every three weeks, so when the new people come in they are called Kohai (Ko-ha-E), the people who have been here for three weeks are senpai (sen-pie) and the people who will leave in the next three weeks are Daisenpai (die-sen-pie).  We've been here three weeks now, which means we're not the newbies anymore.  It was awesome to see the daisenpai leave; they were so excited to get out into the field.  Tomorrow we get the new group of Japanese speaking missionaries.  It's great to see people come in and out. 

I don't have much more to say, things here are becoming the exactly same and have been for a while now.  It's becoming hard to believe we will ever leave this place.  It's so hard to think of going anywhere else.  But I'm a third of the way done and I'm sure I'll be out in the field in no time.  I'll finally be able to fullfill my purpose and teach the people who need the gospel. 

Week 2 - July 9, 2013

Weather here is actually quite cool; I cannot complain.  After last Wednesday I don't feel like I'm floundering with the language anymore.  I woke up Wednesday calm and collected.  I guess I just realized how much I had already learned and recognized the Lord's hand in my studies. 

For the fourth of July we had a very patriotic devotional followed by a fireworks show.  Byu stadium has a fireworks show they put on every year and we were allowed to watch from the grounds of the MTC.  The MTC presidency decided to make an exception to the rules and allowed us to stay up later than we are normally allowed to.  It was great fun. 

Since then, we have been working hard to learn how to speak and more importantly how to teach Nihongo.  I will not say that it is now easy, but it is coming along quite nicely now.  Once I finally understood sentence structure I could finally start saying things (as long as I knew the vocab.).  I still need to learn the particles, but overall it is going well.  Just memorizing words really. 

My teachers are still trying to only speak Nihongo, but since some of us still have no idea what they are trying to say, the Sensei perodically switch to eigo.  I think it's because of our blank stares (mostly mine).  We have two investigators now.  Preparing to teach them is terribly difficult.  My companion has a hard time with sentence structure and talking in Nihongo, while I can't understand what anyone is saying!  On the other hand, I can say almost anything if I now the vocab. (and I know quite a bit now), while my companion can usually follow a conversation and understand the message.  If my companion can translate what the investigator says, then I can do the talking.  We might have to try this sometime and see how it works. 

I am very happy with my district.  They are all hard workers and dedicated to learning the language.  Four out of the fourteen of us have already had some Japanese training, so the rest of us can go to them with questions.