mmmmm so i've been trying to send pictures, but it's not working...and it's using up my time...so i'll try again after if I have time :)

Most exciting news from this week?!?!?!?

WE HAVE A BAPTISM!!!!!!! I haven't told any of your about Kubo san probably....well, basically he's this really great guy that knows that Christ is a nice person, and so he wanted to meet with the missionaries to see if he could become a better person like Christ. (He's just a pretend investigator, but he's really intense and convincing). Kubo san is a real person he's playing, so in that way it was very real to us! But yeah, he's committed to baptism and he's so excited. We made him sing with us :) It was fantastic. I was trying SO HARD not to laugh while he was singing, not because he was bad, but because it was hilarious hearing someone with a legit Japanese accent sing in Japanese and pretend not to know the tune hahaha. It was great. Singing is the best at bringing the spirit :) Everyone who is going to the MTC----highly recommend joining choir! It's super fun, and you get a definite seat for the devotionals on tuesday....

So throughout the week i've been writing down little things to help me remember what to say in my email. So this email is going to be going up down, right and left with no notice. That doesn't make sense. But i'm moving on anyways. hahaha alright. 

First off, i'm leaving for Japan on July 15th! We'll get to call family at the airport? I don't know what time or anything though so I don't know if i'll end up calling. 

More on Kubo San---I don't remember if I said anything about him last week, but here we go! We teach him in ONLY japanese. NO english....sooooo it's been one of the craziest weeks. We taught him everyday, and felt like 5 year olds the whole time. Laughing and laughing. So, when I get nervous, I smile and laugh. Which is convienient because it makes me happy. You can't not be happy when you're smiling. 

Anyways. 

KATE WOOLLEY is coming to the MTC this wednesday if i'm not mistaken. They just started sending some people over to raintree to live, so I'm crossing my fingers that you will be HERE and not there. Then we'll actually see each other!! I'm so excited for you to come. Advice---bring a robe. SO much easier than carrying around a bunch of stuff from the bathroom to your room. I got mine from walmart. It's like an extra-large, with little butterflies and flowers on the neckline. Priceless. It's been really funny, because no one really understands my humor here, so wearing that nightgown and my bright yellow flamingo nightgown just make people look at me....and assume I clearly don't know what I look like. It's like an inside joke hahaha I've been laughing at myself a lot lately hahaha. But yes. Walmart, jackpot for awesome, joy-bringing sleep attire. 

So on wednesday I felt SO LOVED. I got a box of donuts from the Pappenfusses (I'm really really sorry I don't know how to spell it) and a box of cinnamon rolls from Mom! I felt on top of the world. Those made a lot of missionaries really really happy!!! 

Thank you for everyone who sends me letters. It's by far the best part of the day. (in most ways). I look forward to it a ton I guess I should say. So THANK YOU! I love letters. Letters from strangers (haven't gotten any of those...) letters from anyone random, letters from anyone! I love letters. Also, dear Elder is the best! It's free while I'm in the mtc, and they're delivered everyday! Sooooooo dearelder is the best....

Thomas---Sooo remember how you said you had two friends going to Fukuoka? Finally figured out who they are! Bryan is actually in my district! Then Braswell Choro is in another district. cool cool cool.

Oh---get this. My branch president is President Butler, and his councilors are Brother Wood and Brother Willes. hahaha funny. Cause none of them are the butler, wood, or willes that I know...

Oh! Anybody looking for heaps of fun? Memorize the Hiragana characters for Japanese, and then you'll be able to sing the hymns in Japanese!!! It won't take that long, and you'll feel super duper cool!...like everone does who speaks Japanese...

ERYN AND WILLIAM ARE HAVING A BOY!!! I FORGOT TO MAKE THAT THE FIRST THING!!! Rachel and I ran into each other on the way to check the house to see the balloon, and THERE IS WAS!!!! The whole time walking over I was like 'i hope its a boy i hope its a boy I hope its a boy" and rachel was all "I hope it's a girl i hope its a girl I hope its a girl"... ITS A BOY! I couldn't be more excited!! Congratulations times a billion :) I'll get to meet him when he's 1, but hopefully somehow at Christmas or something we'll be able to skype and I can see him! I can hardly wait. He looks sooo handsome :)

I've been wishing that I brought my book The Continuous Atonement. So if anyone hasn't read it, do it. It's like my favorite book in the whole entire world. Besides the Book of Mormon and all the standard works of course. It's just the best. Everyone should read it.

Here's how my shedule looks usually.

Wake up at 6:15, get ready.

Breakfast at 6:45

Personal study 7:15-8:10

Classroom instruction (ALL IN JAPANESE) 8:10-11:10

Lunch 11:10

Preach my gospel study time 11:55-1:30

TALL (language study on computers)- 1:30-2:30

Gym time (we ride bikes)- 2:40-3:30

Dinner- 4:10

Classroom instruction-4:55-7:55

language study 8-9

daily planning session 9-9:30

Get ready for bed

'quiet time' 10:15

Lights out by 10:30

Anyways, its different everyday, but the only thing that's different usually is the order of things.

Next week we start teaching 2 new investigators! So that's great!! :)

SO! I had a nightmare this week that there was this gang of these gross, juicy spiders, and then this other gang of Big, thick, hairy spiders came and sucked the life out of them. So we didn't want to kill the big ones until the juicy ones were dead, but then once the hari ones were done, they ran away and we couldn't find them. It was AWFUL!. 

Also, I woke up the other morning and thought I was at home, and then I heard a "UHHHHH"...then a response with "yooooaa'....followed by a "shimai". All my roommates talk to each other in their sleep hahahaha. Not quite in Japanese just yet though haha I'll let you know when that happens.

Funny story, so I was trying to translate what the teacher was telling us about out investigator, and I thought she said "he met the missionaries at narcotics anonymous"...apparently that wasn't correct. I also frequently mix up "Shu" and "Shi". One means 'Lord', the other means 'death'. SO "i love death, death loves us, death wants me to follow Him, when we rely on death we are happy" ...hai (yes)...that's what I've been saying all week!! Hahahaha...yeah. My sensei-- "Whhhat???"... yes.

So 'hai' (yes) sounds like 'hi' obviously...so many a times people that are NOT japanese speaking (I don't know why I always assume they are) ask me questions and I just say 'hi'. I think that every single person who doesn't speak, thinks I have hearing issues or otherwise hahaha.

So it happened. I had a break down. I think it was on Thursday, my companion and i were just starting our planning session, and I was saying it "...doryo kansha shite imasu...MTC-" and immeadiately we both started laughing. We had had it haha. She had been crying earlier because she was so frustrated, but I hadn't broken down yet haha. But you see, in Nihongo (japanese) MTC is pronounced "MTShe". If you said that outloud, it's hilarious. Anyways, we laughed, except I couldn't stop. I literally could not bring myself to stop laughing. It was one of the most frustratingly glorious moments of my life hahaha.

Okay, I've written like a ton and I know there will be things I will have wished I had written down, but times up! I love you all!! WRITE TO ME! Tell me what's going on! My mtc classroom doesn't even have windows so the days literally melt together. Time has ceased to be. SO WRITE TO ME!!!!

Also---look up the NY Times thingy called 'one in a million'. It's a bunch of little videos of really great people. We haven't watched all of them, but we watch them and then 'practice' teaching them. The live in babysitter is my favorite one by far that i've seen. I also like Patrick. Watch them! Enjoy them!!

DAH I have to tell this story. I thought it was hilarious. But it'lll be more hilarious if you watch the Patrick video first. So go watch that, and then come back and read this story:

(we were role playing, I was Patrick, this elder was the missionary)--Side note: this missionary is completely sincere and serious

Elder: Patrick, I know you love the ocean, it's beauty, and everything about it. You love enjoying the salty air, the sweet sunrises, and the beautiful setting. I too love the ocean, and though I've never gone sailing or surfing, I feel that it would be a magnificant experience. So tell me how you would feel, if suddenly the waves lost their movement. The water became dirty, the sweet smell you once enjoyed was turned to stench. All of the beauty was gone. How would you feel?

Me: I would be absolutely devestated (I sincerely felt darkness as he was saying this haha sucking all the happiness out of pretend patrick)

Elder: So it is with sin.

hhahahahahahaha it was so funny. We went on and he taught a great lesson, but during feedback I did tell him that that was a little strong haha so we laughed about it and he was like 'yeah I thought it might be...' anyways, I don't know if that is anywhere near as funny as it was in that moment, or as funny as is still is in my mind, but I hope somehow you enjoyed it hahaha.

Oh! So my new favorite thing about Preach My Gospel is the Christlike attributes in the back. Everyone should read them and focus on one at a time. they're phenominal!

Tomorrow is sunday. And we're doing an english fast every sunday from now one....Soooo only jpanaese it is. Even with your companion. Goodness gracious hahaha. I'll definitely have stories from that! But I know how to pray, I know how to say 'toilet' and I know how to smile. So I think i'm pretty much covered.

Okay for real now, I love you all!!! Hope you're having a fantastic week!!!!!

Sincerely and with so much love,

Lane Shimai

AHH

MY TIME IS LITERALLY COUNTING DOWN!

Hey mama~

Dropping Heather off at the MTC

So. My name, as I found out a couple days ago, is now Lane Shimai. (sounds a little like Dane She my). 

Japanese...is hilarious. The language itself. Not the class. My teacher speaks only in Japanese, and yesterday, for the first time, she spoke in English, and I had that exact moment that was in The Best Two Years. The one where the nerdy guy is all like 'what language is he speaking?'....'english'. Anyways. I was like woah woah woah!! Hold on there!! That is NOT Japanese! But alas, it was my mother language. Please pray that I will come home speaking english normally. At this point I don't know what my little brain is going to do. I think it's starting to erase english...and it hasn't been that long!

Alright, what else to tell...ummm the MTC is really hard. But great. And also a lot easier than I expected in some ways. It's amazingly difficult to get used to accepting the rules as i've found out. I'm all for rules that make sense to me, buuuut the mtc has a lot of rules that are not explained, and will never be explained. Don't worry, I'm following those too! It's just really weird.

The food- Not that bad. But also not that good. Yesterday we had freshetta pizza (Nathan Tanner---they let us each have THREE pieces instead of 1!) anyways, they also have a kind of cake everyday, usually pretty good. There is this one cake they consistently have, I don't know if anyone will get the joke, but it makes perfect sense that they would have it in the mtc hahaha

I run into people I know all the time. OH--side note----THANK YOU KATE WOOLLEY!!! The first day of mail I got a letter from you, it meant the world to me!!! Dear Elder is the best. No waiting time. anyways. Yes, so i've seen Hermana Bumstead a few times now! I think we have meals at the same time. And Elder Conley! Let's see...who else? Elder Edwards...Rhett? I don't know if anyone reading this email knows him, but he's a kid from efy. McCall (Mishler) would know who i'm talking about but she's in Israel right now haha so nevermind.

Uhh...so my p-days are on saturday, and we go to the temple at about 12:55...so anyone whose interest in meeting me there...(just kidding!) kinda. hahaha oh man I'm so funny. Oh, also, I haven't quite found anyone who gets my jokes. Someday. Someday...

My doryo is Coles Shimai. She was born and raised in Texas, doesn't really have an accent, but she has all those words southerners like to say haha. Her hobbies you ask? Shooting.  Weird going everywhere with someone...and I haven't gotten used to it yet, but yeah. It's weird. Sometimes I feel like everything I want to do is now selfish. "Shimai...I'll be right back i'm going to the bathroom" wait...I mean come follow me I have to go to the bathroom...I don't know how to explain it. But yeah haha weird weird weird weird weird.

So, the first night we got back...I went to go unpack my stuff...and GUESS WHAT I REMEMBERED!!! I have CHOCOLATE! Thank you Thomas Milligan. You're the best. Never have I ever loved chocolate so much as i do now. That was a side note...sorry

What else would anyone be interested in hearing? Oh, contrary to prior dreams i've had, everyone DOES smile here in the mtc. They're all really nice. And helpful! um. 

Oh, something I didn't bring that i wish I would have---a blanket or something from home. And a laundry bag, and a water bottle. BUT they are also unnecessary.

I share a room with my doryo, and two other shimai...one from Canada haha that's fun. They're all very sweet!

It says I have one minute. I don't belive it. 

Oh, fun fact! 'fun' in japanese means minutes.. Sooo I have 1 fun! ichi fun? fun ichi? I don't know I haven't quite figured it all out. Someday.

OH! Biggest blessing... So the season in Provo seems to have magically changed from summer to fall, and it's GREAT! I love it. I don't know how long it's going to last, but all I can say is dandelion wishes DO come true!

Send me letters. Because I love them! The mail is delivered everyday, but we're only allowed to write on p-days. BUT I can print out my emails at this secret little computer lab, so it's all alright! I print the emails so reading them doesn't take up any of my time. Anyways, let's see.

Well, I guess that's all for this week. Any questions about the mtc? it's a little different from what I was expecting. 

Oh! And I went over to the fense the other day and looked at the house-- no one was outside. Which was a shame haha. But on the 22nd I'll definitely be looking for that balloon!!!!!!! I hope everyone has a great week!!

Smile! Be happy! I love you all! Oh, also, if you're ever feeling down about school or whatever, just visualize me. In the mtc. With a teacher who only speaks in japanese. (that's for you Kimber, I thought it would be a nice picture for you). 

Another funny thought for you (or whoever), starting this Sunday, the Branch President randomly calls on like 5 different people from the audience to give a talk. In Japanese. About a certain topic. SO we prepare a talk each week. The problem isn't so much writing it as it is reading it. I get nervous when I speak in ENGLISH in front of people. But Japanese? In front of people who know Japanese? Now that's a funny thought.

People here always say that if you make it till Sunday in the MTC, you're all set. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but hey. It's Saturday...and it's p-day. so I'm okay haha. Church tomorrow will be fun.

FUN FACT---guess who is one of my zone leaders? YES that's correct! Baird Churro. (elders are called 'churros'. I think the Japanese got mixed up in some kind of Mexican culinary service). But yes, that is correct. Sterling Baird, is my zone leader. Small. World.

I guess I have to go for real. (technically we have an hour to email, but most of them are still set to the old 30 minutes). So i've been goin for 45, but my companion is waiting right next to me and checking her watch every minute. haha gotta love her!

Goodbye everybody! Have a great week! SMILE!

Sincerely,

Lane Shimai... ;)