Re: Hey! I'm writing an email! (Week 10)

Konnichi wa Minasan [Hello, everyone]

How is everyone? Are you all awesome? What's new these days? How's Kujo? How's my car? So help me if it doesn't run when I come home I won't speak a word of English to you until it does.

I got my travel plans yesterday! I know exactly when I'm leaving and where I'm going and when I can talk to you on the phone and stuff. I leave the MTC on March 12 and take a bus to Salt Lake. I don't know how bad the construction is so I don't know how long I will be on the road. I heard the buses take University Parkway and the guy that took me to the ct scan place told me it was a nightmare like you wouldn't believe. I don't actually know though. I can call at the airport after I get there and before my plane. If you want me to call tell me what number is good to call. And I really forgot the numbers so send me them. I leave Salt Lake March 12 and I arrive in Fukuoka at March 13. How weird is that? I'm so excited. Just over one more week!

So on Tuesday we had Elder Holland come again to speak to us. He is so cool. He's crazy. I thought he was bold in general conference. But here it was nuts. He was so cool. I loved it. The spirit was so strong. I love having the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles come. They are different here than in general conference. They are funnier and crazier. I watched a talk by Elder Bednar and he did an impression of the cookie monster a couple times. They are so cool. Its awesome to hear them.

Elder Eliason likes my imported toilet paper. That's what he calls it. I let him use a little. Its amazing. I love it. And since we are on the subject of toilets I have a story to tell.

So we were getting back to the residence hall after a long day of sitting in the same tiny classroom studying like you wouldn't believe and I changed into my jimmy jamz. Then I had the need to go to the bathroom. The kind where I need to sit down for a while. So I sat down and everything was normal. And I was there for a while. I like to be thorough. But as I was finishing I stood up and I felt the strangest sensation. And I smelled something kind of minty. I thought to myself Who is chewing gum? Gum isn't allowed at the MTC. And the strange sensation continued. I walked to the sink to wash my hands. Elder Eliason and Elder Apina and Elder Trane were all there. They saw the puzzled expression on my face and asked what was wrong. Elder Eliason asked Is it indigestion? Elder Trane asked Geri ga arimasu ka? [Do you have diarrhea?] I said no. I've never experienced something quite like this. I asked myself why on earth are my buns on fire? I went back to the toilet to inspect the seat. I was horrified to find that there was some kind of white cream on the seat that I couldn't see in the bad lighting and it had been there long enough to dry enough that I didn't feel it when I sat down. This is what was causing the minty smell. I told Elder Eliason to go check it out. He yelled immediately that someone put icy hot on the toilet seat. And then it all made sense. That's why my hind quarters were aflame. Well let me tell you what. That was not very comfortable. Do you know how hard it is to sleep when your buns are flaming and there's nothing you can do about it? Its not so easy. Wow. There's something I never imagined I would experience. And I still didn't quite feel normal the next day. But I'm better now.

So we played a song for one of our investigators yesterday. Called Baputesuma no Hi. Baptism Day. From the primary song book. And it sounds so cute to hear a little Japanese kid singing that song. I almost died. I don't really know what the song said but we thought it would win our investigator's heart to hear such a cute voice. And we actually made a little progress with him I think. He's very frustrating. But he's ok.

Last Saturday we went to the TRC. That's where we go teach real people that come to the MTC to be taught. In Japanese. And its scary. We taught a woman from Japan who has only been a member for 4 years. But she was super cool. We had a great lesson and the language didn't hold me back too much. And then at the end we asked her to pray. And during her prayer she started crying. The spirit was so strong. It was so cool. I loved it. That was just too awesome. The best lesson I've had so far. It was good.

Every Sunday night we are supposed to go watch some church movie in the MTC. We can decide which one. And one choice is the Joseph Smith movie in Japanese. I've watched it three times now. And its cool to see that I am understanding more and more every time. I feel like its difficult to see how much I'm progressing here. I just feel overwhelmed all the time because there is so much I don't know. So the movie is a nice way to show me that I actually am making progress with this language.

So of the Nihonjin [Japanese] that were here before I became really close to Yamanashi Choro. He was my favorite. I was sad to see him go. But He's going to Fukuoka so I'll probably see him again. And then with the new Nihonjin I have become really close to Aono Choro. Which I found out is Yamanashi Choro's friend. I thought that was very interesting. They are so cool. I love the Nihonjin.

I came up with a sentence this week that Elder Eliason has been telling all the Nihonjin. Its pretty funny. Watashi no chero o hiki tabi ni subete no josei nakimasu. Every time I play my cello all the women cry. So now I'm known as the cello player among the Nihonjin. And Elder Eliason told some of the Nihonjin sisters. They thought it was funny. Then they said nakimasho. Which means lets cry. The Nihonjin think that's pretty funny.

Well I'm out of time. Have a good week. I will. I'm almost in Japan! I love you all.

Love Elder Liddle