So I promised a rough schedule of what I do day-to-day and here it is;
6:30-7 - we wake up and exercise. And by exercise, I really mean stretch. And by stretch, I really mean reach for my toes for thirty minutes...Sorry Mom, if you thought I would actually exercise...
7-8- we prepare for the day and eat breakfast.
8-10 - we study
10-12- we go out and work
12-2 - we eat lunch and study
2-5 - we go out and work
5-7 - we eat dinner and study
7-9 - we go out and work
9-9:30 - we plan details of the next day
9:30-10:30 - we prepare for bed
10:30 - we pass out...
We have four hours of study every day - personal, companionship, training, and language. Each one takes an hour and no less. Studying is very important.
When we work, we go out to visit members, do service, visit and teach those who are interested in the church or go door-to-door asking if we can teach.
And yeah! that's a typical day for me. I love every second of it. Well not every, missions aren't easy, but "In every job that's to be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and SNAP the job's a game!"
And there is your Disney reference for this week. From the lips of Mary Poppins comes the advice I needed to hear this week and the advice I will share with all of you. It's finally beginning to dawn on me why missions are hard. I really don't know how to talk at all, much less in Japanese, and I could think of a hundred other reasons why I should just give up and go home. But at the same time, the biggest element of fun can be found in this work. Not that missionary work is a game to me, but it's just as fun. I love talking to people now, even though I have no idea what they say back to me. This is just fun! My advice to you is to find the fun in your work, and then every thing is "tanoshii!"
I've been using that word - "tanoshii" (fun/amusing) - for pretty much everything. My trainer told me yesterday, "Sister Johnson, do you know what that word means? You keep using it, but I'm not sure you know what it means. Sometimes you use it when you shouldn't." I told her life is "tanoshii", and I honestly can use it in just about every situation I darn well please.
Life is a gift - don't just endure it, live it.
