Hi it's Me Elder Mecham (Week 2)

Previously at the MTC,

Hello! How are you all? I can't believe it is Tuesday already and I am back having to do laundry and send emails. I love Tuesdays. Best day of the week. Anyways let me start off with a funny story.  So there is a screen in the lunchroom and it displays a bunch of missionaries names and if you name is on there they need you at the front desk.  I saw my name on there on Friday or Saturday and I went to the front desk where I got a letter.  This letter was addressed to Andrea Dunkle, but was supposed to be sent to me.  I later found Sister Dunkle and talked to her about the contents of the letter.  And I quote "I was really confused when I got the letter from you mom. I thought this is a strange letter to get, I haven't even sent my letter back to her yet, and she is already asking me this... weird questions." In the letter sent by my mother the first line said, "We finally got your letters today!!!!!! Happy day to us!!!!! I thought we would hear more about your schedule. I thought you would describe your poops..." Oh mother.  This was so great for Sister Dunkle to read. She thought it was so funny and I did too. That is the funny story of this week. Now to answer all of your questions. 

My p-day is today. It is always on tuesday and I send letters, do laundry, go the the temple, eat, study, and sleep. Today I am singing in the devotional so I have to go to choir practice at 4:30 to practice for tonight. We are singing Joseph Smith's first prayer. It is very very pretty. I am also singing on Sunday. I don't know the song yet, but I know I am singing.  But mostly on P-days I sleep and it feels so good. When Do I write my emails? Anytime on Tuesday before 5:00. I should only have 30 minutes on the computers, but there are some computers that don't time me so I can be on a little bit longer, but I should not be on too long. Plus I get sick of typing. Can I write letters on regular days? I am not supposed to unless it is at night, but then there is still hardly any time.  I am always busy studying or preparing my next lesson.  But I am working on sending more letters. Last week I wrote 17. This week I don't know. My duties as a District Leader are pretty confusing. I don't even know all of them.  Basically I get the mail twice a day and I pick people to say prayer for class. I have to organize one meeting on Sunday that is like Sunday School, but other than that I basically just need to be an example and a leader.  If anybody has questions they ask me, and I usually don't know so I ask the zone leaders.  It is pretty fun.  I have the best district ever.  There are 6 Choro tachi (Elders) and 6 Shimai tachi (sisters) It is so great to have the Shimai tachi.  They are so spiritual and know so much.  My companion is not a district leader also. I am the only district leader for my district.  Whenever I have meetings or something Elder Roopinia (my companion) stays with another companionship.  Oh how you pronounce his last name Row-(like row your boat) oh-pee-knee-ah. All together now Row-oh-pee-knee-ah. He is the greatest. Seriously I think he is one of the three Nephites. Our communication is getting better. It started off pretty choppy because it was tough to understand what he was trying to tell me, and it would take him a really long time to try and explain what he needs to say to me.  He is getting A LOT better.  This week we have been talking a lot more and his english is getting a lot better. He is still pretty slow to try and explain himself, but other than that we are doing great.  I am learning no French. I pretend like I understand what he is saying when he is talking to me, but really I have no idea. I am trying to learn some French, but my priority is Japanese (someone needs set out their priorities) Name that movie!!! Oh good! It is Harry Potter. So I think 5/7 days of the week I have gym. Maybe 4/7. I used to run a lot and actually exercise, but then I got over it because showering is the worst. I hate having to wait in line, and the showers are boring and a waste of time.  If I am ever having a hard day I run a lot, but most of the time (as in I have only ran twice) I play Volleyball. It really reminds me of Lake Powell, because there are people who are pretty good and people that really have sweet spirits.  It is not like Jungle Ball Lake Powell ( I wish it was ) but any kind of VolleyBall always reminds me of Lake Powell. Somehow that reminds me! You can email me here and send me pictures to this email! I can respond to almost everyone, but no matter what I can see them.  It would be very nice to see some fantastic pictures.  Specifically of Lake Powell this upcoming summer (when it happens of course)  So now it is time to get back to the details. This last Sunday I played the paino for the Senpai (wiser district) who sang, "I'll go where you want me to go" in Nihongo.  It was a really good song, but a weird arrangement, so it sounded "sweet spirited" I am playing again the next time we have Sacrament meeting, and Two Shimai tachi in my district are singing a really cool arrangement of "be still my soul" It is called Olive something I can't remember, but it is a amazing song.  I have used my piano skills every single Sunday and I think I will continue to use them every Sunday, because everyone else likes to hide under a bushel, and that is fine with me.  Oh mother my pants are fine. The belt loop just came off because I love the gospel so much and got too excited about it I guess. My Nihongo is getting better.  We got two new investigators this last week.  One is Nishimura Shimai who is a 95 year old woman whose Husband died at war when she was 35 and her only daughter died from cancer.  She is an amazing persong.  Although it is just my Sensei pretending to be this investigator, she acts just like the investigator did because these are real people.  It is amazing to experience a real investigator.  The spirit really takes over and it feels like I am in Japan talking to the real Nishimura Shimai. She loves God a lot. When we asked her if she believes in God she started to scream, "HAI HAI HAI HAI HAI! Kamisama wa honto ni taisetsu desu yo! (God is very important) She was pounding on the chair and screamed. It was so funny.  When we pray she likes to tell us thank you while we bless her or show appreciation for things.  She is so funny. She prays every day to God and her Husband.  She is partially deaf so speaking to her is an adventure.  She also slammed the door on the Shimai Tachi when they went to teach her. They are really working to make this a real experience for us. It is so much fun.  Our other investigator is Suzuki San. I have not taught him yet, so I don't know much about him.  I know he is 20 and in College. I know he likes Ping Pong and to ask qeustions. I heard he is really great to teach, because he really wants to know, but also really wants to make sure that you know what you are teaching him is true, and that we know what we are saying. He is my other teacher Powell Sensei. Both of my teachers are Powell Sensei (brother Powell) and Sandberg Sensei (sister Sandberg) They are both such amazing teachers and they are really helping my testimony grow. I am so glad that I am able to serve a mission. There is so much work that needs to be done and it is amazing to see all of it happening in real life.  During the Devotional we had this last Sunday the speaker had everyone who is speaking a foreign language to stand up. It felt like almost everyone there stood up. It was amazing to see the Gospel being spread to the world in languages we don't even know how to speak yet.  The gospel it true. I am so happy to have it in my life. It brings me so much happiness and peace. I love being here and being able to feel the spirit so much. Personal revelation is a flowin' while I am here. There are some times where it gets really hard, but to quote Imagine Dragons, "The path to Heaven runs through miles of clouded Hell." I know that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and I am where I am suppposed to be.  I love you all! OH and mom please don't stop sending me dear elders. They are easily the best part of the day. They keep everyone going. This one Shimai has recieved 5 packages in 2 days and gets a least 8 letters a day. So it is definitely okay to send a lot of letters. I love hearing from everyone and I will do my best to reply! The Church is true, be excellent to each other!

 

Ai Shitte Masu! (I love you)

-Elder Jake Snow Mecham