November 10, 2013

I`m super excited to get the packages.  Your timing will be perfect.  We get transfer calls on the 21st, so you will probably know where I am going before you send the package.  By the way Pday is Tuesday next week, so you wont get an email as soon as you usually do. 

So all the people from MTC district are in different zones, so other than a few people I flew over to Japan with, I didn`t know anybody.  I did get to interveiw with the Mission President.  It went fine.  He just checks up on you, makes sure your companionship is working well, makes sure your keeping mission rules, etc.  I like him, he seems pretty cool.  He`s obviously very busy and that, combined with the fact that I`m on an island mean I haven`t gotten to know him very well.  But he used to run a construction company and I think he did business in CA, so it would be interesting to see if he ever worked with Pacific Erectors or anything.  But I`m not sure.  

There was a guy from Okinawa at church on Sunday.  It was way cool to see an American again.  Other than missionaries, we don`t see a lot of Americans (especially on Amami).  He works for the US embassy and right now is the Consul General of the Naha (Okinawa) Consulate.  Essentially the highest ranking person other than the Ambassador, but no biggie.  He said there is a boat coming from Okinawa with 80 military personell coming sometime this week and said if we emailed him a list of this we wanted, he could send them (like American only stuff; peanut butter, chips ahoy, cheeze-its, etc.).  

I love to hear from you.  The language is coming.  I won`t say more than that.  I have realized very quick that rote memorization does not work well with my brain.  I don`t possess that skill.  But I can figure things out, so if things make sense, if they pieces, then I will be able to remember them based on the pieces.  So as far as my vocabulary goes, it is very limited.  This makes understanding a little difficult.  But I have figured out the grammar pattern and am able to figure out how they speak, so I sound pretty good (I think.  My companion is a Japanese person, which means I can`t rely on an honest response from him.  But people usually understand me).  I have found that studying some of the Kanji actually helps me figure out words and their meanings and as I do so, my vocabulary increases.  So I am studying some kanji.  When I get back I might be able to read a little Japanese.  Way cool.

We rode out to the airport again (another seven hours of biking).  I think I am getting sick again, which is annoying.  Right now the weather is terrible.  Not much else has happened this week.  Sorry.  

I love you guys. 

Love, Iain