#11 "The Circle of Life"

I know it's only been a little over a week but it feels like I've lived a lifetiime since I last wrote you all. What can I say? Mission life keeps you busy. I swear sometimes I wake up feeling exhausted, go to work, crash at exactly 10:30 when we turn off the lights, blink, and do it all over again. It sounds crazy, but I honestly love it.

When I got off the plane, I was kind of in a daze. Japanese airports are familiar to me, so I had no problem going through immigration, baggage claim and customs. I even felt right at home in the mission home as we ate taco rice for dinner and talked about our families. It wasn't until the next day when we met our trainers that the daze began to fade. We walked in the chapel and found a line of missionaries. There were three sisters - two American and one Japanese. I was told the night before that to have a Japanese companion was unlikely, so I felt calm knowing that my trainer would most-likely speak English.

This is not the case. My companion's name is Ishida Shimai (Sister Ishida). She's from Saitama, Japan, and has been on a mission for about 4 or 6 months. She will be training me for the next 12 weeks. She's super sweet, and actually speaks some English, so I'm not completely lost. Together we speak a mix of all-the-Japanese-that-I-know and all-the-English-she-knows. This isn't much for either of us, so we really do a lot of dictionary exchanges and body language. So hopefully by the end of this transfer if I'm not fluent in Japanese, I'll be a boss at charades.

The same day we met, we were assigned to the second coldest zone in the Nagoya mission - Kanazawa. (I expect a package from home very soon containing all of my ski gear. Please. It's COLD). This zone is composed of about 6 or 7 districts. I am in the Komatsu district with Ishida Shimai and two other elders. The ward is ALL Japanese. They talk so fast, but are still very nice to me. Haha, some of them don't really know how to talk to me, but with Ishida Shimai's help, I think I'm making some friends. We do have some English-speaking investigators, and we also teach English lessons every Thursday, so those might have to be my favorite moments so far.

I honestly keep thinking that this is really just FUN. I keep telling God, either I'm not working hard enough or I was misinformed - this is more fun than it is hard. Haha hopefully He doesn't take this the wrong way and send me a whole bunch of trials. Yeah, it is hard; I have no idea what's going on half the time and all I know how to do is smile. But really that's all I need to know. I just need to smile and be friendly (and probably study some) and let God take care of the rest. I know He is looking out for me.

So my Disney reference this week goes to...the Lion King. More specifically, "The Cirlce of Life". The missionaries have this ongoing joke that when you finish your mission, you "die". This was pretty funny the first time I heard it; "Yeah, that Sister died last week. I'm so jealous. I heard she's super happy though." But yeah, basically as you near the end of your mission, you're "going to die soon" and when you finish, you "die". This ties into my reference;

"On the day we arrive on the planet" (or Nagoya, Japan)

"And blinking step into the sun" (We have no idea what we're doing, but we just dive right in)
"There's more to see than can ever be seen" (or more to study than can ever be learned)
"More to do than can ever be done" (Truth. There's never a moment where we don't have work to do)
"It's the Circle of Life" (or a mission)
"And it moves us all" (from transfer to transfer, area to area)
"Through despair and hope" (You're not a missionary until you've felt both
"Through faith and love" (Also unavoidable)
"'Til we find our place" (or are finally comfortable with opening our mouths)
"On the path unwinding" ("Straight and narrow", if you will)
"It's the Circle, the Circle of Life"

This is what missionary work is!!! It's a lifetime lived in two years. Right now, I'm just in my first transfer (bean-chan, they call me), but I'm going to study and work hard until I meet my father (earthly father that is, I hope I'm not actually going to meet my Father anytime soon. I'd like to stick around a bit).

Anyways I hope that amused you all, and I hope everything back home is going well.

Your missionary,

Johnson Shimai

#10 "Always Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide"

I honestly don't have much to say for this week either, so I feel I should talk on something that I've been prompted to write about this week.

The Holy Ghost is truly an interesting member of the Godhead when you think about it. He's a spirit, he does not have a body. We feel him, we hear him, we think him, but we cannot see him. He teaches us, comforts us, and answers our prayers. We can feel him as a strong burning of the heart, but also as a wave of peacefulness. Isn't this strange? I didn't think so before, but as I've been trying to describe his character in Japanese, I've come to realize that it almost is impossible to do so.

In my Patriarchal blessing, I was once told that I have the gift of sensitivity to the Holy Ghost. I must admit for years after receiving that blessing I didn't believe it. I figured they must have had the wrong daughter there. I had only felt a burning in my heart on two or three occasions in my whole life. Other than that, the Holy Spirit seemed to just leave me alone.

During my early high school years, I decided to play an experiment. I had been watching television, listening to music, and speaking in a way that was not in harmony with the standards of the church. I believed the standards to be too tight, as if they were restricting me. After cleaning my room, I came across some EFY CDs. Now while I still believe the music from these CDs to be extremely cheesy and corny, I knew that the messages behind them were the ones that I probably should have been listening to more than those on the radio. After a while of listening to them, I realized a difference. It was ever-so small of a difference, but there was a difference in my attitude. When the music was playing, I became more loving and patient. I felt more inspired to be nicer to my siblings and parents. I felt inspired to help others. Honestly, it was kind of weird! I didn't think music would affect me at all, and being in the moment I didn't see it. It wasn't until I would leave my room to return some sweater I had borrowed from my sister that I would over hear her music and I would feel that peaceful inspiration leave. It was really weird! But I kept up with the experiment, and I let it grow from not only music, but also with television and words. This is not to say that I surrounded myself with hymns and I would only watch Veggietales. It was more that I was watching and listening to things that I felt better fit the standards of the church.

Now, after years of this continuous experiment, I can finally conclude the results. The results are...you can't tell! I honestly can't!! People tell me all the time that they feel the Spirit and I can't say I agree with them. It isn't until I hear or see something contrary to what I've been seeking, that I feel my soul weighed down. It's a weird feeling, I feel like I'm heavier, somewhat less happier. I've realized that I have become sensitive to the Spirit - not that I can feel when it comes, but I most definitely feel when it goes. I've realized that the promise to always have His Spirit to be with you is an incredible promise. You don't know what you're missing until it's gone, and the same goes for the Holy Spirit. You're given the gift of the Holy Ghost when you're confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but that doesn't mean you're entitled to His constant companionship. Once you've worked hard to gain the privilege of having his presence to always be with you, you'll notice what it's like to have Him leave.

I promise to those of you who don't know if they've felt the Holy Ghost or not, for those of you who wish to feel Him more prominently in your life, follow the experiment. Live the standards of the church with more commitment. Strive to live as you know He would have you live. Keep your promises to Him. Pray. And I promise with my whole heart that, you won't realize it, but He'll be there.

This weeks reference is to Disney's Pinocchio, because if you ever "start to slide, give a little whistle!". Don't wait until you've fallen so far, pray now! Whistle now!! Even if you have fallen, whistle now! Because the second you do, you can "always let your conscience be your guide".

Always let the Holy Spirit be your guide. He's looking out for you. He may be quiet, he may not demand your attention, but he knows what will make you happiest. Men are that they might have joy.

I hope life at home is treating you all so well, and I hope this long testimony of the Holy Spirit helps someone out there.

I love you all so very much.

Your missionary,

Sister Johnson

#9 "Part of Your World"

Nothing really to report this week so I'll keep it short. Finally got my travel plans, and I am outta here on the morning of the 18th. I'll be flying first to Detroit, and then connecting to Nagoya, Japan. The countdown has officially reached single digits and I have officially reached the point where I'm back to the bipolar thoughts. In one moment I think that I can't go, there's no way I'm ready and in the next, I think I just need to hop on the plane and GO. We'll see how this plays out...

This week's Disney reference will be in loving memory of Lexi Johnson. In The Little Mermaid, the song Part of Your World seems to fit those moments where I just want to GO.

"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has everything?...I've got gadgets and gizmos a plenty. I've got who's-its and what's-its galore. You want thing-a-ma-bobs? I got twenty. But who cares? no big deal. I want more."

Here at the MTC, I've got some pretty great collection of textbooks. I've got "gadgets", "gizmos", "who's-its", "what's-its", and "thing-a-ma-bobs". While they've entertained me for the past 8 weeks, I want more.

"I wanna be where the people are...Up where the walk, up where they run, up where they play all day in the sun, Wandering free, wish I could be, part of your world."

I WANNA BE WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE! I want to be in Japan! I want to be wandering free, teaching anyone and everyone. I just want to be part of their world! I can't wait.

Well I hope everything at home is going great! Shoot me an email if there is anything specific you want to hear about (amelia.johnson@myldsmail.net).

Your missionary,

Johnson Shimai

#8 "Almost There"

And the countdown begins! I'll be back in my home country in 16 days today and boy do I miss it!! It's weird because I'm so scared to go and so excited at the same time. I'm scared to death of this language, but I'm so ready to just GO. 

This week has just been a week of adjustment. The new district is very loving and I feel right at home with them. We do work, but we also love to have fun. Sometimes it's hard to find a balance, but we're learning! 

As per request, I'll talk a little bit about the language, p-day, and the MTC food. (Any other requests are welcome! Just shoot me an email; amelia.johnson@myldsmail.net )

The language is hard to pick up sometimes. The teachers focus less on actually teaching the language and more on how to learn it yourself. Which could work, but sometimes it just means that my grammar is interesting. Still as long as the message gets across I know I'll be alright with my very very simple Japanese. 

P-day is different every Saturday. Seeing as it's the only time that we don't have planned out almost minute-by-minute, we like to do things however we feel like. We wake up around 6 or 7, do laundry, reply to emails, eat, organize, clean, and go to the temple. We do have about an hour of study that we have to do in the middle of it, but besides that, it's a nice break from the books. They don't give us much time, by 4 we're off to dinner and then back to class. They sure do keep us on our toes. 

The food...is interesting. My momma will be happy to know that I miss her home-cooking very very much. 

I think I'll stop here and leave you all with my Disney reference for this week. "Almost There" from The Princess Frog seems to fit best. I'm not the best with the lyrics, but the random ones I do remember are perfect.

"Ain't got time for fooling around, that's just gonna have to wait a while." As much fun as I've had with my district, these last couple of days are when I need to crack down and study harder than ever before. I got a packing list from my mission president the other day, and I no longer have time to joke around; I have to study! I love my new district to bits, but I'm just gonna have to wait until we all get off our missions to have some fun.

"I'm getting closer and closer every day, and I'm almost there. Yes I'm almost there." 16 days in counting. Every day I am one day closer to Japan. I'm almost there, I just have 16 more days. I can't give up now, I just gotta keep working. 

"There's been trials and tribulations, you know I've had my share. But I've climbed a mountain and I've crossed a river and I'm almost there." I've had some hard moments during my MTC stay, but they're not going to hold me back. I know that with God, I can do anything. I'm almost there.