Week 19

So, yes indeed this letter finds me in good spirits. Well, I have a little headache becuase we spent the day at the zoo but yeah i'm good.  So, I was just informed that i need to rush right now becuase we're gonna be late for an appointment. Sorry!  Ok. so the nitty gritty of a missionary day.  I wake up at 530 with my companion. Then by 545 i'm in the study reading my book of mormon in japanese.  It's really a struggle because im tired.  Then at 630 i shower and have breakfast and then i read my english scriptures until 8.  Then i start my personal study.  i usually do pmg and other church books.  Then at 9 we have comp study.  Then language study at 10.  We finish study at 11 and then we make lunch.  We usually have whatevers quick.  We're outta the house by 12 and then we ride bikes to wherever and then go streeting or housing (both=tracting),  for however many hours. Sometimes people do even stop or acknowledge us. So then we keep going with that and we go to any lessons we had planned and then we return to the apartment at 8 and have dinner and do planning for the next day. and then we go to bed.  So yeah sorry this can't be longer.

love you and miss you

Elder Keith

Week 18

So today, well, this week is rather short because time is rather scarce at this period of the day.  But I guess the biggest thing that happened was a change in me this week.  I am about to say something that will shock all of you. 

 

Keep your rooms/living spaces clean!

 

Surprising isn't it?  Yeah I'd never thought I'd hear myself say that either.  But my new companion, Elder DeBuse, when he first arrived, cleaning the apartment was one of his first priorities, and as a result of that, I definitely feel the Spirit in our apartment more.  Not only that but we've seen miracles this week too.  The terrific part about this week is that one of our investigators took a major step towards baptism.  And there's a good chance that she will be baptized within a couple weeks.Things are going well but the Japanese difficulty level is still 9000.  Unfortunately my level is not quite 9000. Am I dreaming in Japanese yet?  Nope thankfully.  Because if I did, I still wouldn't be understanding what they were saying to me hahahaha. So that concludes yet another week from Japan.  Hope everything is going well with you all.  皆さん,　いつもありがとうございます。　愛しています。　いつもイエスキリストのもはんと愛を覚えて下さい。　がんばって下さい。

Week 17

So based on the number of days that passed, the number of months that have passed, the fact that my trainer left for a different area, and the fact that I have a new companion while I myself stayed in Tama, tells me that I have just had my first transfer.  Yeah my trainer has left.  And I have a new companion by the name of Elder DeBuse.  And I don't know how rare it is to have 3 companions in 3 transfers but that's one thing that's going to happen to me.  And the only way you can be certain of when someone is going to be transferred is when they're getting transferred out permanently.  Yes, my follow-up trainer is going home at the end of the transfer.  So that kinda means that I've got to grow up (mission wise) rather quickly.  But Japan is treating me way awesome right now.  Not language-wise,  the language still doesn't like me yet, but just weather wise and good mood wise.  It's weird to see how fast time goes by too.  Like it's mega incredible.  I haven't been home since September and it feels like I only got on the plane to come to japan last week.  wow life is incredible.  well now it's time to hit the streets and do some dendo!  がんばりますよ！　みんなさん愛しています　＝Ｄ

 

キース　長老

Elder Tyler Keith

Week16

そ。せんしゅの火日から私はよかったです。　今週私たちは And for those of you who don't speak or read Japanese, these first couple sentences say: `So.  Since last week I've been good.  This week we had 264 attempted conversations.  That means where we try and stop someone on the street or knock on someone's door.  I think out of all those there's 3 or 4 who we have a possibility of seeing again or who showed even slight interest.  Yeah we had a very busy week.  No baptismal dates or anything yet but we are working hard.  However our time may be slightly limited.  We get transfer calls this Friday.  Odds are that I will be staying here in Tama, but we're not sure about my companion.  He's been here 4 transfers.  So we just have to wait and see.  We both hope he stays though.  Wow coming up to the end of my first transfer already.  That's intense.  I don't know about all of you back home but time really flies here.  So yesterday was `seishin no hi.`  It's a holiday here in Japan and one of the things involved in this, is taking a big hammer and a big tree trunk piece with a bowl carved in it, and pounding the heck outta some rice to make a dough called mochi.  It's then put with all kinds of other foods and a lot of them taste real good.  So other than that we spent the week doing streeting, housing, and a couple lessons.  Our Eikaiwa (english class) for this year has started again too.  And for the first time today we saw a little bit of snow.  And I mean little as in like a few flakes.  But the weather is starting to think that it wants to get a little colder.  But in any case, that's how Japan is going.  みんなさんきょつけて下さい。　愛しています。

 

キース長老

Elder Keith

Week 15

So this past week was Shogatsu, which basically means new years.  The only thing is that in Japan, it doesn't last for a day or 2.  It lasts for 4!!  It's huge.  Way bigger then Christmas.  We actually had 8 dinner appointments in the past 5 days.  And I definitely tried all the traditional Japanese Shogatsu foods.  None of which I can remember the names, or what they were.  There are some that I'm glad that I don't remember what they were because it's very unappetizing to know what you're eating.  But it was much fun.  The members here in 多摩 (Tama) are all terrific.  Really reminds me of Hawkesbury except that Tama has like 90 people. 

 

So here's a little bit of what one of my days looks like. Wake up between 6 and 630.  Eat breakfast, shower.  Then start studying.  Gospel study for 1 hour.  Then companionship study for 1 hour.  then language study for 1 hour.  then lunch (my companion usually makes it and I get to spend a little bit more time studying.  Then we're out of the apartment by 12 (mission rules) and then we go streeting for a bit.  Streeting is just stopping and talking to people on the streets.  I've been ignored or 'kekkoed' so many times I stopped keeping track.  Then we do some housing which is knocking doors, but we don't really do too much knocking because they all have 'kekko boxes' which you ring and it's got a speaker and a mic and sometimes a camera so like only 1/50 will someone even come to the door.  Oh and by the way this is all in Japanese.  And then sometimes we go kubari, which is handing out chirashis (advertising cards) for our 英会話 (eikaiwa--> English class).  It's a good thing I'm pretty optimistic because Japanese missionaries face a LOT of rejection.  Then English class on Wednesdays, pdays on Tuesdays, church on Sundays are the only other set things.  We also have district meetings once a week.  Then whenever we have time and our investigators have time, we teach lessons.  So that's what missionary work here is like.

 

It's hard to believe that I've been in Japan almost 1 month already.  Transfer calls are next Friday and myself and my companion are both hoping that we stay.  He's been here 4 transfers though and me only 1.  But wow how time really flies.  It's insane.  At the end of the day, at the end of the week, I think 'Wow.  Didn't I just get here?'  It's 2011 now.  I return in 2012.  Hows that for perspective?  So I'm grateful to all of you for all the support that you've given me in getting here and your continued support while I'm here because sometimes it's really hard.  Especially not knowing Japanese ;)  Do I speak it?  Goodness no, thank the president my trainer does.  Maybe I'll catch on soon.  So I bid you all  さよなら (sayonara)　until next week.  皆さん愛しています。(minna san, ai shite imasu)

 

Elder Keith
キ－ス　長老

Week 14

Minna-san Konnichiwa and Meri Kurisumasu

I guess I should apologize for missing Christmas.  Last week we had a party for all the missionaries in our mission, at the mission home, on our Pday.  It was much fun.

So, you all are probably pretty curious to hear about Japan.   I will start with some stuff that's taking some time getting used to:

-On my bike, my brakes are switched, the left hand is the back brake, the right the front.  I've only almost gone over my handlebars once ;P

-The cars drive on the wrong side of the road and the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car.

-The people talk really fast and speak a language similar to Japanese (just kidding they speak Japanese but upon coming here, I discovered that I didn't)

-Instead of regular doorbells they have  "kekko boxes", where you can talk to the person without them coming to the door.  I have been turned away many times by this.

-A lot of the food is really good!

-Some of the food, (like nato ---> fermented soy beans) is probably the worst thing on the entire planet!!

-I do not sleep on a bed, I sleep on 3 inch thick futons and surprisingly I have not slept-walked at all since being here.

-I take my shoes off in a place called the genkan before entering anyone's house.  

-Everything is in yen not dollars.  1 yen is approximately 1 cent.

There's a lot I wanted to say, but I forgot my journal from which I get all my stories for the week.  I will have to share stories next week.  If there's anything you want to know about Japan or anything, then you can email me, or write me and I will include my response in this weekly blog.  That being said, if there is anyone who I emailed while I was in the MTC who is not a member of my immediate family, I'm not going to be able to do that, because it says so in the white handbook.  If I want the blessings, especially help with learning Japanese, then I need to be exactly obedient.  I can still write letters, it's just the emails that must stop.  I miss you all and love to hear from you. Just to say too, it takes around 12-14 days for mail to arrive here.  Thank you to everyone for your support.  It really means a lot to me here.  I hope you all are well.  I hope you had a Merry Christmas and will have a great, terrific and Happy New Year.  ありがとございます.

Elder Keith

キース長老

Week 13

No email from Elder Keith this week.  : (