Week #3 of the MTC

So I am pretty sure that the high of the MTC has worn off! Things are getting pretty hard again! I keep realizing how much I still have left to learn and I have so little time. So that is starting to be a little stressful. But hopefully thing are starting to pick up again. I am excited that Jake Brown is going to be here. It will be great to see a face that I recognize and know. I hope that he is in my branch because yesterday we had three branches leave so it is pretty small now which stresses me out because that means I am more likely to be called on to say a prayer or speak in Sacrament meeting and I am no way ready for that!!! Teaching our investigator is getting better too. I am just having such a hard time because I don't understand a whole lot of stuff and  I have a really hard time forming  a sentence. Everything in Japanese is backwards from English so that is super frustrating. But Heavenly Father is watching out for me and has sent me some of the best teachers in the whole wide world! Powell Sensei and Heaton Sensei are like true disciples I am so grateful for them. They really are helping me out a ton. I am doing my best not to get too overwhelmed but you know me.. I think the hardest thing I have had to realize while  being here is that I can't do it all on my own I really have to rely on the Lord and that has been such a hard lesson for me to learn. the mtc has been such a humbling place. I have also found that being at the mtc has really tested my testimony. In many ways you would think that being here would only make it grow but that is not the case I have really had to look deep into the gospel and really look at  my testimony. I know that with out a doubt this church is THE true church. I have a hard time saying my testimony in English now haha because I am trying to think like in Japanese and its just throwing everything off, here is a sentence that I believe. It is in Japanese

Iesu Kirirsuto no agani ni kansha shimasu. haha blahh its all good though. I am very excited to go to the Temple today! That always helps with everything. It makes me happy there, which is a really good thing. So yeah!  

 

The gluten free food here is really good.. surprise haha I probably have gained a few pounds I hope not.. I have been lifting weights so that always good and doing a little cardio. I play four square like a champ so its a great feelings know that I am working out a little. It is a good stress reliever. But yeah the food isnt too bad so I am enjoying that. Like it could be so much  worse!

 

On sunday night we had a really great devotional. Have you seen the movie 17 miracles or Ephraim's rescue? well the guy who made both of the movies came and talked with us so that was really awesome those two movies look AMAZING! I want to see them when I get home! You guys should check them out!! Its funny the simple things I am finding joy in now. Like when we watched the Testament I was loving it! any excuse to watch tv or a movie right?! 

 

My companion is so kind hearted I am very lucky that I have her. She has taught me so much! I am so grateful for her!

 

So yesterday while teaching my investigator, she said a word and we didn't know what it was so we were looking it up in the dictionary. But I have no idea who to look things up in it because its all in hiragana and I can't read that yet. well the word we looked up the definition and it said smeared yellow... haha well I was like what the heck that can't  be right. She told us that when she prays and reads the scriptures she feels, "smeared yellow" haha we were just so confused so we asked her to look up the word for us and like literally right across the page from it was the correct word and that was hope so now I know and I will never make that mistake ever again!! 

Things are good here but its going by so fast! I  can't really believe that i am on the start of week four!!! The church is so true and I love this gospel so much. I also have a testimony of the Book of Mormon and know it is the word of God!!

Talk to you all later!! Write me 

XOXO Brown Shimai.

                                                     we have this picture at home!!

 me and the nihonjin (japanese missionaries)