One Month Down!

Friday will be my one month mark and it is crazy how fast that has gone! I can now say that I am 1/18th of the way done with my mission. And I know that once I'm actually in Japan the time will just go by even faster. The days are long, but the weeks fly by. Before I know it I'll be flying back home! Haha, but let's not get ahead of ourselves...

So, this past week has been really busy. Not only with normal missionary stuff, but a lot has happened as far as our district/zone goes. I'll try to make sure I can cover everything, but I'm sure I'll miss something and remember tomorrow. Haha, such is the way of the missionary mind. First, some good news. We have Kohai!!!! Whooooot! Last Wednesday they came in and were welcomed into our zone. There are 10 of them in total. 9 Elders. 1 Sister. It's been really interesting having more missionaries with our group, but they're so much fun and we're excited to get to know them better over the remaining 4 weeks. Quick rundown:

District 1: 4 Elders, 1 Sister

Sister Savage: A solo sister (which means she is the only sister that came in going to Japan), and technically now part of our companionship. Really she just comes with us in between classes and around on P-day. At first I was nervous that it would mess with the relationship Porter Shimai and I have, but it's been great. She's super sweet and fun to be around. Turns out she's interested in cosplay, too! So we definitely have lots to talk about.

Elder Olsen and Elder Aiwohi: From St. George and Hawaii, respectively. An interesting companionship. I'm curious to see how they progress.

Elder James and Elder Contadini: From Washington and Brazil, respectively. Elder James is the district leader and seems really motivated. Elder Contadini is learning two languages in a way, since he's still learning English, but he's been doing really. 

District 2: 5 Elders

Elder Skagerberg and Elder Lux and Elder Matsuo: A trio companionship. I haven't been able to get to know them quite as well, but they seem like good missionaries. Elder Lux is 26, so just barely at the age limit to go, but his wisdom will be extremely helpful to the younger ones. 

Elder Carter and Elder Harrison: Elder Carter is the district leader of this group. These two seem like typical good kids and I'm hoping they continue to do well and be obedient here at the MTC.

It's been great having them and I'm sure I'll tell more stories about them in the weeks to come. But for now, an update on my own district.

So, this past week we've had lots of changes. Elder McKinzie broke his hand and needed surgery. Because of his insurance, he had to go back to California in order to receive that surgery. It was hard to see him go, and our district is still adjusting to his absence. But we know that this is all part of God's plan for him and it was meant to be.

Because of his absence, the companionships have been switched up. Now Elder Christensen and Elder Pook are companions. And Elder Namoa and Elder Bennet are companions. Again, it's been an adjustment. But I think this will help us to refocus on our purpose as we complete our last month at the MTC.

Alright, a couple funny stories really fast. First, we play this game in class were the teacher tells us a sentence in English and we have to translate it into Japanese. It's one on one and there are teams and it's really fun. So, we were playing this game and I was going against Christensen Choro. The sentence was: "May I go to the bathroom?" which translates to "Toilet ni ite mo yoroshii desu ka?"  Which is what I said. However, Christensen Choro--with a confidence level I have never before seen--says "Toilet no mina ni yotte o-inori shimasu, amen." Which means "In the name of toilet I pray, amen." ... Let's just say that the class got a good laugh out of that one.

The other story is courtesy of Pook Choro. The British man that he is, saying certain words is hard. This week he has been desperately trying to say "I'd like to order a cheeseburger" in an American accent. But for some reason he always says it more like "cheeeeesebugur." And it's is hilarious. Youtube a British person trying to say Cheeseburger. I'm sure the results will be similar. He has taken to saying "I think you'll find I'm (British), darling." And replacing British with all kinds of things. It's hilarious. To us at least. We may also be going stir crazy and find the dumbest things funny, haha. Hard to tell at this point. (Okay, I'm also attaching videos so that you can fully appreciate it, hopefully they work).

What else, what else...Oh! So we got new Nihonjin Senkyoushi (Japanese Missionaries) this last week as well. They're only here for 3 weeks, but it's been so fun to get to know them. They are hilarious and adorable. There's 6 sisters and I've been trying to talk to them--in a mix of Japanese and English--this past week as much as possible. Now every time we see each other we send each other little hearts and it's great. It just gets me so excited to actually go to Japan and get to meet even more Nijonjin.

Other than that, things are going as they always have. I'm still struggling to learn the language, but I know it will come with time and through relying on the Lord. I'm excited for what this next month at the MTC will hold.

To end on a spiritual note, I'm going to tell one more story from this week. So every Sunday we watch a "film". Whether it's an actual movie or a recorded talk depends on what your district decides on seeing. This past Sunday we decided to watch "The Testaments." If you haven't seen it, first, I advise you do. Second, it's the story of Christ's life told through the side of the Book of Mormon and the Bible. And while the acting at the beginning is a little cheesy, the story overall is good. As I was watching it, especially when it showed Christ suffering the garden and dying on the cross, I felt the Spirit come over me. I actually teared up a little the Spirit hit me so strong. In that moment I knew with absolute assurance that Christ really did live. That He came to this Earth, died for our sins, and was resurrected on the 3rd day. That He still lives and is our advocate with the Father. That He loves and wants us to succeed. And I know that I am right where I am supposed to be. I cannot wait to spread this wonderful gospel to the people of Japan. God truly does exist and He loves all of us. I am so blessed to have this knowledge and I know that through Christ, others can feel this happiness as well. 

Thanks so much for all the emails and support!

Aishitemasu <3

-Armour Shimai

PS: It's true that any time a missionary receives something in the mail it feels like Christmas. Just putting it out there ;)

 The temple with Sister Savage and my companion

All the kohai