Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Well Hirrro Kazoku!

Week 4 down without too much pain. Family, guess what?! I can speak Japanese, I can understand Japanese, I can tell the difference between Asian Languages and Asian People, things are crazy.  I got called as the District leader and I will be doing that for the next 4 weeks or so.  Many of our teachers have been out of town this week so instead of teaching our regular investigators, we've been cold contacting our substitutes as if on the street and we've gotten pretty good at striking up conversations and teaching a brief first discussion.  It feels like I've been here for like a year, but it's only been a month, and I've got another 7 weeks to go!  I see alot of my friends from school here now, a few of them are already leaving to the field and I'm so jealous.  Our sempai (people who have been here longer than us) are leaving next Monday and the Nehonjin are going with them.  That means a new batch of missionaries are coming in like two weeks and we are the Sempai now! However, I've really grown close to the sempai and I'm going to miss alot of them, but I will see alot of them in Tokyo.  Thank you for the package! It was perfect, I really needed more shirts and socks and the brownies were Sugoi! I get a few letters from my friends, only like 3 though, and Sean and Riley have written me.  I've been working on my thank you cards and have sent some of them out already, still finishing some.  The Nehonjin that we are with are really starting to come out of their shells and they are really funny.  One of them did 4 one handed, two fingered push ups! He's a beast! The Nehonjin Shimai we are with are like stereotypical Asian women, super short, pink glasses, and ever night they tell us," Have a nice Dweeeam!" in broken English.  They are so nice and courteous and always apologize for nothing and make you feel good.  I love Asian people.  Japanese is hard, teaching in Japanese is even harder, but teaching by the spirit is simple, it's not easy but it is simple, that is the biggest thing that I have learned so far.  My doryo is good at Japanese so he teaches the doctrine, I listen and ask important questions and bear testimony, we have a good system and we've been able to help alot of people out.  One of our investigators refuses to pray, he will not pray, apparently that is the thing that happens in Japan, its the darnest thing, people just don't want to pray.  We've focused most of our efforts and attention on learning how to teach him why prayer is important.  Anyway, it's great that you guys are so busy and actually live interesting lives, haha.  Keep on working hard and I will keep on working hard.  I love you guys and I miss you, but not too much, haha.  Kelsie still hasn't written me!!! is she dead? Tell her to write me!

Ai Shitteimasu!

Elder Crandall