Hi Family,
I hope that everything is going well. It sounds like Mom, Dad, and Elizabeth all enjoyed Girls Camp, even though it was a huge hassle to deal with. That is pretty funny about Uncle Scot, he always gets himself in the most uncomfortable situations. I can just imagine 10 girls with an RV on fire in the background with Uncle Scot making the Doc Brown face from Back to the Future.
I am so very glad that you guys are back, I missed your letters to much. I can't wait to get that Dear Elder letter again.
Well, how is summer going? I hope it is going well. I'm sure that it has been good so far. For Madisen and Vic, how is your cruise going (you started it, right?), I hope that you meet many Alabamians in your travels (Roll Tide, Roll).
This week, we got quite a shock. Our Sensei is leaving us, and don't worry, it is not because of us (or at least he's trying really hard to get away from us). Yeah, Brindley-sensei is leaving teaching the MTC so that he be some international consultant at a some big business in Salt Lake, he has to provide for his upcoming first born son or whatever. I have loved Brindley-sensei being our teacher, he was able to teach Japanese in a fun yet great way for our investigators. Brindley-sensei was able to dive into a deep spiritual thought while giving us one of his classic Brindley-sensei funny stories. The classic Brindley-sensei story that we have enjoyed this week has been: Brindley-sensei was teaching a Japanese woman who spoke really good English. The problem is that while Brindley-sensei is really good at English, his companion, a Brazilian, wasn't. So, the investigator was saying the greatest things ever, like, "We can't expect God to do everything for us, we have to put in the effort ourselves." His companion, not knowing very good English, mistook her sentences for blasphemy. He stood up, grabbed the table that was in between themselves and the investigator, raised it above his head, and yelled, "WHERE'S THE JUSTICE?!!?!" The investigator freaked out and Brindley sensei said, "Doryo(companion) WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" They were able to get her baptized... after the Brazilian got transfered. Great stories.
We also had another surprise this week, we got a new sister. Sister Smotherman had health issues while she was in the MTC a few months ago and had to head back home to get her health back up again. So, now she is back and she is the companion to Sister Pemberton. Sister Pemberton couldn't be happier, she has a new companion who likes the same stuff as she does. I really hope that Sister Smotherman is doing alright, it seems like she is fitting in just fine. I hope that she sees how much this District needs everyone, no matter if they were here 4 weeks ago or 4 days ago.
I want to tell you a little bit about the MTC showers. They are terrible. I wouldn't want to send a prisoner of war into one of those things. It isn't like I have just realized this, I have known for 4 weeks now, but, I just havn't told you about them. Again, terrible. So I walk into the shower one day, like normal, after a great workout at the weights room, and then I see the shower. The shower is covered in blood stains. From the divider, to the curtain, to the tile wall, to the shower head, it was all covered in blood. All the other showers are taken and there is a line of 10 people behind me so I had to suck it up and do it. I hated everything about it. Another thing about the showers is that everyone sings in the shower, most of the time together. While shampooing my hair, I have heard wonderful randitions of "We are Men"(from Mulan), Don't Stop Believing, Johnny B. Goode, among others. It is actually pretty fun to sing along with them actually. Weird, but fun.
I have a few things that I want to ask of you. Can you please send me the following things:
-Hair Gel (I ran out)
-More Candy (I don't want a flood, but I don't want a drought either)
-A copy of the Dear Sarah letter from Ken Burns: The Civil War
-copy of the Lyrics to the following songs:
-Viva la Vida Coldplay
-Believe Yellowcard
-You Found Me The Fray
That would be absouletely amazing if you could just send me just one of those things.
This week has been really hard, it feels like I have hit a solid brick wall at 100mph this week. I thought I was doing everything ok then it just slammed right into me on Monday. I don't think that I know any Japanese at all! I literally, for the life of me, can't carry on an investigator lesson. It happened with one of our lessons with Shimada-san this week. Elder Baldwin did 90% of the talking while I looked like I just sat back and listened. I said a few things but nothing that I should pat myself on the back for. I don't know the language at all. It is so hard for me to study and focus though. The way that they have you study in the MTC is not the way I have studied throughout my life. Here it literally is study with everyone, I don't study that way. I don't learn with sensei saying, "Alright now everyone repeat this after me," and then everyone mumbles through it. I learn through studying hard by myself, by my own time, but I can't do that here. I have to change how I go about learning something itself, not to mention learning one of the hardest languages in the world.
I love you all. I love you all so much. There is not a minute that goes by that I don't think of you. Please continue to write me. Please continue to being amazing. Please continue to pray for me (I need it). Please contine being awesome. I love you all SO MUCH!
With Love,
Klein-choro (Elder Klein)
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