So I'm actually not in Japan yet. Before shipping out, I'm spending nine weeks at the Missionary Training Center in Utah, learning how to be a missionary and how to speak Japanese (you know, important things). Every day starts at 6:30. We have gym and then half an hour to get ready. Breakfast is at 8, followed by 6 hours of class, with lunch in the middle. Class is all in Japanese so we can learn faster. It works so well! When you have people who really want to learn and a teacher who's really good at charades, it's very successful. Every day since June 12, except Sundays and Thursdays (got here June 10), we've taught a 20-30 minute lesson to an "investigator" (who later turned out to be our teacher. Awkward.) But yes, in Japanese. At night, we have an hour of individual gospel/scripture study, an hour with our companion [insert companion photo here] and then an hour of language study. There's also a software we use an hour a day to learn the language. If you lost count, that is eight hours a day of studying, speaking (or attempting to speak) and listening to Japanese. It is awesome. We are in by 9:30and lights go out at 10:30. By that time, we are so ready for bed, it's not even an issue.
Such is the life of a missionary. We call it finding joy in the journey :)
It's been amazing to feel the Spirit when teaching/learning in this new language! Like Peter walking on water, I sometimes glance around for a second and say "wait a minute! I can't be testifying to a stranger in Japanese - I don't even know Japanese!" But then I immediately look back to Christ who's right there in front of me, cheering me on. And we can all do that in our lives, in something as simple as daily scripture study. Sure, it might seem impossible to get anything major from reading a book, but it's not just reading a book. So don't look around saying "eh, that's not even possible, reading doesn't do that to you." Just do it!
Also, exciting news of the day: we moved. Again. Follow me here - I moved in Wednesday June 10. We relocated to a new place on Thursday June 18 (made for the 6 girls we have instead of the 4 our old room was made for. So that was nice.) Today, Thursday June 25, they found bats in our building, so we had an impromptu move back across campus. Back to a 4-person room, smaller than the first one, with our same six girls. Good things we love each other.
The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. Friday is the new Monday. I don't really have a life right now. I study Japanese for 8+ hours a day, I go to bed at 10:30, I don't have a first name, and I wear skirts. But the Savior said that if we lose our life for His sake, we'll find it (Matt 6:25). So that's my motto this week.
Ai shite imasu (eye shtay moss - I love you)!
Sister Jorgensen
