ohayo gozaimasu! 

i don't even know where to start, every day is incredible here! the biggest thing that happened this week was that Grundvig Shimai's companion went home. Long story short, she kept receiving the impression that a mission wasn't where she was supposed to be, and honestly I think she's a lot happier now that she's home. sooooooo by default...

GRUNDVIG SHIMAI, VIOLETTE SHIMAI AND I ARE A TRIPANIONSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's honestly the best thing ever! we get along really well. and we taught a lesson altogether with Takenaka kyodai! i'm not sure if i've told you about him yet, but this was our third lesson with him. and then the next day he became our other teacher! so that was weird? but he's fantastic and just got back from kobe 3 months ago!!!! so he knows my mission president and all of our areas and everything!!!! our other teacher is named clark shimai and she is an angel sent from heaven. i love her sosososoos much-- she is super patient with all of us and probably the sweetest woman in the whole entire world. ALSO SHE'S IN MITCH'S BYU WARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i told her to tell you hi, mitch!!!!!!!!!! 

she will act as our new investigator, chino kazumi, a 16 year-old girl who was introduced to the missionaries and went to a church party, but doesn't know anything about God. So we meet with her on Monday and we'll teach her IN ALL JAPANESE for about 30 minutes. We've already had 3 lessons like that and the past 2 went really well, so that was a miracle. Honestly, it is incredible seeing the gift of tongues at work here in the MTC. it is real!!!!! and i understand so much of what everyone is saying, even though i've only been studying japanese for 9ish days? minus sunday, so 8?

hahhahhhh i'm trying to remember what happened this past week-- everything is bleeding together in my mind. mostly just learning japanese?? hahahhahah OH so i learned my purpose in japanese? this is it:

watashi no mokuteki wa hitobito ni Kirisuto no moto e kuru yo susumeru koto desu. Sono tame ni watashi wa, Iesu Kirisuto to Kirisuto no aganai o shinjiru shinko, kuiaratame, baputesuma, Seirei no tamamono o ukeru koto, saigo made taeshinobu koto o toshite, karaera ga kaifuku sareta fukuin o ukeirerareru yo tasukeru no desu.

woo! hahhaha uh. THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS SO CRAZY REAL. hen desu! (it's crazy!) i think the most challenging thing about it is having the faith to receive it. and the patience (: i can understand so much? sometimes i feel like japanese isn't even that difficult and then i'm humbled again hahha. we're now learning verb bases which will be WAY helpful because up until this point we've just been guessing how to conjugate verbs hahhaa. but i can officially pray and bear my testimony in japanese! a lot of the time i throw in spanish words which makes it a little bit difficult. my district makes fun of me because i pronounce a lot of things in a spanish accent hahaha. dang. alsoooooooooo i would like to share with you a little tidbit of conversation that makes my district perfect for japan. 

background: we were trying to memorize the above mentioned purpose in japanese, and someone recommended that we put it into song form so that we can remember it better. So then a group of the choro tachi (elders) began singing it to various anime theme songs, none of them working too well. hahah then someone tried putting it to a hymn tune and a choro said, "you know, i really don't think i'm going to remember this unless it's the (unknown anime show title) tune." and then they proceeded to discuss their favorite anime characters? shows? i don't really understand hahahaa. i think i'm the only one in my whole district that's never watched Avatar, the last airbender. hahaha but i do make a bunch of star wars and lord of the rings references with my district so i think they respect me almost a little bit. hahahhahahahhahahahha yay japan.

also, dad! i met the girl from kalamazoo!! she's in my branch and ,lives right next door to me!! thank you for your email! i'm sorry i didn't get to respond directly, i literally have suuuuch limited time. send me a paper letter! or dear elder!!! please!!!!!! hahahah or a package (; just kidding. but daniels family: send me dear elders!! porfa!! kudasai!!!

i miss you all and i love you all the way to the moon and back! i'm sorry i didn't really find the way to send pictures, but ari sent some to you i thinkk. anyway, this basho is subarashii!!!! i love it!!! so much. so much. so much. sunday devotional and tuesday devotional were the best things of my life and i really wish i had more time to write them out to you, or just little goodies i received from the Shu no Mitama (spirit of the Lord). 

i need to go!

I know this gospel is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that He is the way to receive salvation. I know that coming unto Him is what He asks of us, and to extend this invitation to others is what I'm here for. I'm here because I love my Savior and I want to share the love and peace that I feel because of Him and His atonement with those who are lost. (thought I'd speak in eigo this time).

i love you all!!!!

ai,

daniels shimai