Hello Friends and Family!!
I would show off the awesome Japanese typing abilities of this computer but it takes too long to figure out and I don't have the time today.
I hope you didn't send me anything for Christmas because the ward I'm in is awesome. They gave our four man apartment BOXES of food and gifts! You are not going to receive pictures until I get a signed promise (hard copy) that you won't laugh at how fat I am. I cringe inside when I eat some member meals because EVERYTHING (except the rice) is on the avoid list. :( It tastes so good.... :) But seriously I am going to be so fat!!
Cultural Moment: Speaking of food... NATO! It's highly beneficial to Type A blood. :D Nato is "fermented" soybeans. They come in little packets, about the size of your palm. This is how its made:
At the top of Mt. Fuji
At the top of Mt. Fuji, in a factor big,
the Nato is brewd to perfection, without pig.
The beans are all washed and gathered together.
Then placed in a foam bowls, light as a feather.
Those ailed with colds all choose a pot
and on three give it one good snot rocket shot!
Their noses are cleaned using little force
(They use their pointer fingers, of course)
Then with that finger, they give the Nato a stir.
It is then packaged (using no animal fur)
and shipped to you to enjoy and adore!
(Please, don't judge. My language is poor.)
Nato is actually really good, but it really does look like someone blew their nose in it. :D I am glad I liked my boogers when I was little; it prepared me to enjoy Nato! Tender mercies!
Funny Moment: In the weekly ward mission metting on Sunday something funny happened in translation. Everyone just talks in Japanese and occasionally the Ward Mission Leader will tell me in English what was said. Well, I was following really well in Japanese. Everyone was talking about how we could contact people around colleges. Then every one started using the word: chizu (ちず). I was thinking, "That's interesting, why did everyone start talking about their favorite cheese?" Finally I said something, "Wait, why are we talking about cheese?" They all laughed and said, "No, ちず （chizu) not チーズ (cheese). Chizu is map. They were talking about getting maps of the area and of the colleges. :D Good times.
Ah-ha moment: If you couldn't tell in last week's email, I was really emotionally confused last week. I am sooooo much better now. I just walk up to members and people on the street and talk to them. My trainer says I am unnaturally bold. (shrug). I just want to talk to people!! Well, anyway, we were at a member's house on Sunday and there were a lot of people there. I did about an hour and a half to two hours of dishes that night and I talked to the members the whole time! It was really good practice and it was a lot of fun. They were baffled by how many people there are in our family. Because I did the dishes one of them said something, "Jenkins choro ga hoshii desu yo!" That means (This is for you Mare), "I really want a Jenkins choro!" I don't say this to gloat or anything but that brought soooo much comfort. One of my biggest fears last week was that I couldn't be me in Japanese. I'm still me. I still do the dishes. My smile hasn't changed. My laugh still makes others smile. I'm still me. :D
Spiritual Moment: This week by inspiration (after an appointment fell through), we completely trashed our plans for the day. We felt we should go revisit this boy we had found earlier. He wasn't home, so we housed in the area (that means we just went from house to house talking to whoever was home). The last house (it's always the last one) was had this awesome family in it. The Iwamoto family (pray your hardest for them) is their name. The husband had just left so we talked to the wife. She was surprised by our family's size and really opened up to us. Then her children came to the door, and I was slammed with a spiritual confirmation that this family needed the gospel as I looked at her eldest son. He is probably Bryson's age. I had this overwhelming feeling of the boys potential. The church needs that family in Japan. They will be powerful assets. Pray that when we go back, the husband will have a soft heart and they will listen to our message. Eternal families is what really sparked the wifes interest. I honestly can't stop thinking about them. I think about them when I go to bed and when I wake up and just when we're walking around. I want them to be eternal!
Well, this is long enough. I love you! I pray for you! Have a wonderful Christmas! I will talk to you on Christmas!! Call at 10:15/5:15 instead because my companion's family is calling right before you and in case he goes over just call fifteen minutes later. I LOVE YOU!!!!
FORWARD, PRESSING FORWARD!!
Elder Jenkins
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