Friends and Family:

Hello Friends and Family,

No time this week, sorry this will be fast.

Ah-ha:  Tanner.  Tanner, I want to give you a hug so bad!  I think I got a glimpse into your mind and your world this past week.  I had this ah-ha moment were I just thought, "Tanner and I are a lot alike."  Anyway, I love you Tanner!!

Funny Moment:  We have sports night every friday where we play ping pong (wipe that smile off your face Dallin) and basketball.  We have investigators go, so we go.  Anyway, there is this old lady that comes to English class that is a legend at ping pong among the missionaries.  (She isn't a member.)  And she was crazy good!  She looked so graceful when she played, especially because her opponent jumped like a rabbit EVERYTIME he hit the ball (and he yelped).  So I played her next. . . AND I BEAT HER!!  IN YOUR FACE DALLIN!!!!!!  :P   . . .     But I lost when we played the next four games and everyone else there kept beating me too.  (STOP LAUGHING, DALLIN!!)  I beat her once though!  Yay me!

Cultural Event:  Mochi.  Mochi is smashed rice that you can do whatever you want with.  You can put it in sweet bean paste (my favorite), roll it in some brown powder, wrap it around ice cream, eat it plain, wrap it in nori (seaweed), or whatever.  So yesterday we had a mochitsuki, which is a rice smashing party!  I took a couple hits and I only missed twice (stop laughing, Dallin!)  I eat sooooo much mochi!  :D  So good!  Mika came too!  We talked for a bit.  She still has no interest in doing any real investigating.  :(   She had fun at the party though!

Spiritual Moment:  I have had so many little crying moments that nobody else knows about, because I have felt the Spirit so strong (whether from study, pondering, or feeling it from members).  It happened again yesterday.  At the mochitsuki, I watched this four year old girl guide a girl Kirsi's age around a room of church pictures.  I started bawling to myself, because it was so awesome to see this little girl testify to this other girl in Japanese (I understood what she said too!) about the importance of the Savior as she showed her pictures of Him.

Well, I have to go!  Know that I am so okay and that I LOVE JAPAN!!!!  This week was fun!  We met a Japanese WWII veteran (its in the journal, Mom, don't worry), got attacked by children at a park, drank the South American version of weed (just kidding, it's called matte and it's gross), and I got my $100 electronic dictionary and bike light (with fresh batteries I had just put in) stolen!!  Yay!  Busy busy!  I love you all!  Have a wonderful week!

Forward, Pressing forward,

Jenkins 長老