Hey, this is Shana. I'll try to post C's blog entries within 24 hours of her sending them to me so that you can all keep updated. Please feel free to contact me anytime through my blog at www.shanalyris.blogspot.com or through my e-mail if you have it. And now, here is C:
Hey everyone! I was originally hoping to have these posts appear on Sundays, but I can only write e-mails on Tuesdays at the MTC. I believe the P-Day (the day we can write e-mails) in Tokyo is Thursday, but I'm not sure, so that will vary a little bit too.
I'm here at the MTC, sitting with my companion, writing some rocking awesome e-mails! This is great. I better tell you a little bit about what happened before my timer runs out, huh?
Just because I'm a glutton for letters, let me point out that you can write me (it'll be like sending an -email for you, but I'll get it as a letter) through Dear Elder, though I'm not totally sure about that link. My mail box number is 228, my mission code is JPN TOK, and I leave October 13th.
I arrived at the MTC bright and early after a refreshing walk with my parents. We figured we were close enough and walking would be hilarious, so we walked. Upon arrival I was carted from one building to another and told to stand in this line or that line, handed several packages and some books. No one really explained anything to me, they just dropped me off at a classroom and said g'bye. There I got to meet the rest of my district; other new missionaries that were called to Japan. We all greeted, met our teacher, and discovered that the missionary day is divided into 5-10 minute increments that span from 6:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night. It's totally bizarre. I've never been so worked in my life. I met two companions that first day, and we were all bewildered together.
Thursday was also pretty neat. A general day is wake up, go to the classroom and study, go to breakfast, return to the classroom and work with your first teacher, go to lunch, return to the classroom and work with your second teacher, go to gym, go to dinner, return to the classroom to either work with a teacher or get self-maintained mandatory study time, then have a companion planning session (to plan the next day) and return to your room to write in your journal, pray, shower, and sleep. It's awesome, but it's super busy and pretty stressful. I love it.
The coolest part about Thursday is that I got moved into the advanced class. Rather than stay here 12 weeks I'll be staying here 6. I got a new companion, too. She had been a solo sister before, but now there are other sisters so she gets a companion! She's super happy about it, and I like her a lot, so it's pretty mutual fun.
Everyday we can eat lunch fast, or use our personal study time to go to practice teaching appointments. These are when we go and teach to a teacher who is pretending to be an investigator. Since I missed 6 weeks of practice, I'm way behind. The rest of my new district is already teaching entirely in Japanese, and they've had a lot of practice at being smooth, relaxed, confident teachers. My Japanese can take care of itself for the most part (I had to learn a TON of new gospel words), but my teaching skills are still lacking.
The food here is so delicious, I can see why people gain weight. Also, they in no way try to make you eat a balanced meal. You actually have to plan pretty carefully in order to eat right. As it is, I really need to get some more fiber and vitamins in my diet. There's way too much temptation to eat unhealthy food. Curse you, delicious cafeteria food!
$10 says I'll be sick of it by next week, though. Any takers?
Anyway, the coolest part here is how much you feel the Spirit. You really do. I was worried the first day (I wasn't feeling too spiritual) but I've just had so many experiences since then. It's really been amazing. I probably will sound like one of "those" missionaries for a while, but please put up with me. It totally rocks here.
People have been going pretty easy on me, even though I'm in the advanced district. I still haven't been in the MTC for a week (It's only been a week?!) so people don't expect me to have the same hymns and scriptures memorized in Japanese like they do. They also don't expect me to have a well thought out talk on Sunday.
Oh! That's something neat about the MTC. Every Sunday you have to prepare a 5-minute talk before Sacrament meeting. There's a catch: you only find out what the meeting "theme" is Sunday morning. So Sunday afternoon everyone writes a talk. The Senpai (advanced districts) assured the kouhai (new districts with new missionaries) that the kouhai wouldn't have to speak on Sunday. No one expected them to know Japanese yet. Since I'm still a new missionary, they assured me I wouldn't speak either. There were still senpai who haven't spoken, and NO ONE speaks their first Sunday.
Well, I guess I broke that record. Guess who got called to speak this last Sunday?
Me, in case you couldn't guess. There was a pretty big gasp and a lot of whispered, "Aw, no WAY..."'s in the crowd when they asked me to come up and give a talk. The theme was baptism. I'm so glad I prepared!
The Branch President thanked me for speaking afterward. I thought it was pretty awesome, but I was super surprised. I guess they're going with the Trial by Fire method sometimes.
Well, that's about all the time I have. If you want to contact me, I suggest using Dear Elder, please. If you want to e-mail me, contact a member of my family. Hopefully they'll have my e-mail address.
See you next week!
