Another week in the MTC!

The MTC is great!  I've had quite the bunch of experiences this last week (which has felt something closer to a month,) and I'll try to cram as many in as I can think of.  Honestly, it’s hard to remember a lot of what went on as every day is SO packed... that's why journals are important I guess.

So, big news... I'm a Zone Leader now!  Clark Chourou was district leader for one and a half weeks, then BAM, suddenly we got a ton of responsibility heaped on us.  So, that's big news. (: ALSO!  Clark Chourou got a tie that all of the Japanese District leaders pass down.  Guess who's name was on it?  That's right.  Elder Whitmer!!  I freaked.  We both held that thing in the MTC.

I freakin' love my district.  (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to use that word anymore...) I SUPER love my district.  (That's better.)  They are so perfect for me.  Every single one of them is so amazing in their own way, and yet we are all completely different people.  Well, except Chinain Shimai.  Except for the fact that she's: half Chinese, French is her first language, and she's a Tahitian, we're super similar.  Every time I tell her about one of my talents she gets wide eyed and says with a slight accent, "How is this possible!?  You must be my twin!" she also insists I look like Ron Weasley.  "Vut, only in ze books.  Iv I said you looked like ze movie Ron, this vould not be a compliment."  YES!  I do know Moore Shimai!!  She's one of my favorite people on the planet!  She's so kind and has such an intense testimony.  Her grandmother passed away a few days ago and she was having a super hard time, but none of us knew about it until evening because she just wore a smile and shared a positive attitude.  That evening however, she asked Clark Chourou and I to give her a blessing.  With the permission of President we did, and Clark delivered a really powerful message.  The last Shimai is Riggs, she reminds me of Megan and Rachel combined... she's the tan taller girl in my pictures.  She has the sisterly aura about her.  I don't know how to describe it other than they just feel like my older sisters, all of them.

Clark Chourou and I are getting along well!  We're still working on some things.  In Japanese lessons I tend to overbear because I simply understand things he doesn't because of my Japanese background, but he is picking up on the language so fast.

So, one of the Chouroutachi, Harolson Chourou is super tight.  He's super into science and while I don't know as much as he does, I follow his discussions better than most, so we talk a lot.  My other roommate, Wilkinson Chourou, loves movies.  We play a game where we whistle songs from movies at night and the other has to guess what its from.  I'm the reigning champ, though this guy has seen SO many.  (Clark Chourou HATES it.  He's not into movies at all.)

One more District story: I was showing everyone my picture book (thank you so much for sending it by the way, mama, you're the best!) and they all died laughing when they saw the cat picture. It's legendary now; they all took pictures of it and Clark said he's gonna send it home saying, "So, this is my companion..."

So one of my biggest growing experiences this week (as there are many,) would have to be when Todd first got here.  I see him all the time.  We're in the same Zone, so that's awesome! (: Everyone thinks we're super weird because we joke around so comfortably every time we see each other.  He's doing well!  Anyway, he saw his district members in the accelerated program and told me, "Bro, you could totally do it.  Your Japanese is good enough." So I was thinking really hard about asking my teacher if I could maybe leave early.  I felt bad though because I LOVE my district.  And if I had to switch to another I don't know what I'd do.  Anyway, apparently Munro Chourou (an Australian Elder who is SUPER funny,) had a few years of Japanese but didn't leave.  So I went to talk to him and he promised we'd talk when he had time.  When we finally got around to talking, he said, in essence, "So.  Here's the thing.  I did the Japanese immersion program, mmkay?  So, I took physics and math, that sort of thing, in Japanese.  Imagine how much Japanese that takes.  When I got here I wondered the same thing you did, but after praying and thinking I came to this conclusion: it’s a MISSIONARY training center. Not a language training center.  There are experiences here that you can't have in the field, though you'll have many amazing ones there.  The Lord has called you to the MTC for 9 weeks, and I'd take it.  That said, it’s your decision.  Think about it."

I've done some real good to my district members.  So far I've helped them understand some things that through our teacher they just weren't getting, and I realized that this is the best place for me right now.  I still have a lot to learn, and what's more, I can help others learn a lot.  So... I'm staying.  The end (:

On the topic of that Elder, he's since become like my older brother (even though he's only been here a few weeks more than me.) He's going to Tokyo too, so hopefully we're comps!  He said we will be.

Lesson of the week: Don't let a word leave your mouth before you think about its consequences.  I love the Chinese proverb dad sent me.  Something like, "Not even the fastest horse can catch words you don't mean after they leave your mouth."  I'll tell y'all about my experience with this next week if you ask. (:

I love you family and I miss you so much!!  Keep writing letters!  Just know that hand-written letters are much harder for me to answer now, and also, even emails I don't have much time for, so if I don't respond this week, please don't be offended.  Love you!

-Elder Stout (Stouto Chourou)