More From the MTC--- 17 Aug 2010

Week 7

Mission Log

Here is the schedule of a typical day here.

6:30am - Wake up and get ready

7:00am - Study on your own
7:45am - Breakfast

8:25am - Gym

9:15am - Shower and get ready for class

9:45am - Class

12:30pm - Lunch

1:15pm - Class

5:30pm - Dinner

6:15pm - Class

9:00pm - Plan for next day

9:30pm - Go back to dorm room. Write in journal, get ready for bed, and study

10:30pm - Sleep

*Gym moves around to different times depending on what day of the week it is. Also, on Monday, we have a large group meeting just before lunch and on Friday we have service in the morning and gym right before dinner. Sunday and Tuesdays follow completely different schedules. Each day, we have one teacher teach one of our classes, a different teacher teaches another class, and the third class time, we don't have a teacher and we just study by ourselves. Overall, there is a lot of studying every day.

Funny Story:

We were in the TRC where we practice doing things and teaching people in Japanese. We wanted to share this scripture about Jesus Christ with the person. My companion is thinking, "I'll have him read Alma 7:11." He pulls out his scriptures and he accidentally opens it to Mosiah 7:11. Mosiah 7:11 says, "And now, for this cause have I suffered that ye should be preserved, that I might inquire of you, or else I should have caused that my guards should have put you to death. Ye are permitted to speak." We had them read it aloud, but it was in Japanese. So, we didn't understand what he read, and we didn't know that it was the wrong scripture. Then we asked him (in Japanese), "From this scripture, what did Christ do?" Then he said, "I think someone's about to get killed (in Japanese). The whole time my teacher was watching through a camera and laughing hysterically. It was so funny. It was probably the funniest things that's happened since I've been here.

After the first part, we leave for a few minutes, then come back and teach a lesson. When we came back somehow there were three people in our room. I guess word got around that we were funny and other people wanted to come here. The lesson went really well, though. Two of the people we were teaching were returned missionaries, but the other person I don't think was a member of the church. And, he was a native Japanese person. Mostly, in the TRC it's just church members that volunteer to let the missionaries practice on them. I wish we were more fluent in Japanese so that we could have taught him better. I hope he learned a lot and was able to feel the Spirit anyway.

I've grown a lot in many different ways since I've been here. I'm able to work a lot harder, I've grown a lot spiritually, and I now have a pretty good five o'clock shadow. I like it here a lot. It's great being here. Everything about it is good. However, I'm totally ready to go to Japan. I want to leave for Japan already. I'm excited to be walking the streets and teaching people (in Japan). I'm excited to be eat rice and sushi (in Japan). I'm excited to be sleeping on a futon in a little apartment (in Japan). I'm excited to serve the Lord (in Japan). I'm excited for everything. I'll write you again next week. I hope you're having a good time back at home. I miss you all. Bye.

-Elder Isaac Swift