That's it: we're officially dai senpai! a.k.a. we are officially the "oldest" group on MTC campus. I think this marks week 7?? All I know is that I leave for JAPAN in 16 days and that although my language level is far below ready, MY SOUL IS. I'm sososoos excited, especially after that email that Dad sent about the Japanese festivals and the nihongo men carting around delicious treats while they sing. I am ready. But mostly I'm excited to just go find real people to talk to and real people to invite to come unto Christ. The MTC has been such an amazing time for spiritual growth and I just want to go share with as many people as I can the joy and peace that I've found in Christ and help them to do the same. More about that later, though. Here are some wonderful things that happened this past week:

1. I SAW MITCHELL WORKING AT THE MTC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he got a ground crew job on campus and after gym on monday (?) I saw a familiar ohio state sweatshirt blowing leaves. hahahhahahah Ari yelled, "IT'S HER BROTHER!" as I ran up and hugged him since the rules here are really firm about opposite gender physical contact--  Even with our branch presidency. So i hug them super tight in my mind. But, since Mitch is family, I gave him 3 hugs and talked to him for awhile about life and missionary work and I bore him my testimony in japanese. Tender mercies!!!!! hahah but sometimes i catch myself looking for him whenever we're outside. but i PROMISE that i'm staying focused! like 99.3%.

2. On Wednesday we got the new shipment of missionaries here at the MTC, and we received SIX new sisters in our branch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are two new districts in our branch and it's the best thing ever. i love them so dearly. We gave them a tour of campus on Wednesday night and apparently there is a second door to the laundry room that i never knew existed??? hahah i think i lost some credibility when they realized i've been here 7 weeks and i still don't know these things. i've decided it's my calling in life to be embarrassing to help people feel better about themselves. I ain't even mad.

3. Also, with the new shipment of missionaries, I got to host!!! I, along with a hundred other missionaries, stood at the curb side, took pictures for mom, assured mom that we have food and showers and laundry and email, lugged suitcases around, and showed the missionaries to their dorms and classrooms. It was way fun and I loooooove seeing the families dropping off their missionaries. It was wicked cold outside so we also got hot chocolate <3. hahahhaha AND THE BEST PART WAS THAT ONE FAMILY WAS WATCHING NACHO LIBRE SO I WAS ABLE TO KIND OF LISTEN TO IT WHEN I WAS WALKING BY A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahha we quote that a lot here. I didn't actually see anything, but it was the scene when Nacho gets lots of confidence and decides to go fight for the orphanage. <3 so inspiring.

4. On Halloween my doryos (companions) and i decided to dress up like star wars characters. our options were suuuuuper limited so i basically looked like i just wanted to wear all brown and put my hair half-up. Ah you all guessed it! I was Qui-gon ginn!! (forgive me for spelling that wrong.) Ari was anakin, and Violette shimai was princess leia. hahahah she had side buns and ari had a rat tail but other than that we just looked like brown and white crayons. BUT an elder in our district has- i am not making this up- JEDI CHOPSTICKS. AND THE BEST PART IS THAT THEY'RE BOTH RED AND THE ENDS ARE MAGNETIC SO IT LOOKS LIKE DARTH MAUL'S LIGHTSABER. It is clear we're all supposed to go to japan. i can't even say i'm embarrassed that i freaked out so much when i saw them. I tucked one in my belt (; but a couple people caught on! hhaha we changed around dinner to orange and black clothes. please send me pictures of the kids' costumes!!!!!

5. I am blessed to know some of the sweetest people in the world! Mom and Ferderber family: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGES!! (: it definitely made my LIFE. Ferderbers: you have a thank-you note on the way. Also, the Fegels sent me a super sweet letter and I also got my gloves in the mail! DAD THANKS SO MUCH THOSE ARE PERFECT AND I LOVE THEM. 

6. There was a super cool guy from the quorum of 70 who came and spoke to us (: he had the BEST portuguese accent and he was just the cutest thing I've ever seen. Also, i'm running out of time so i'll talk more about what he said next week because it was awesome. 

I'm sorry spencer that I stole back my OSU shorts. Also, i'm super proud of osu crushing purdue 56-0. I shed a tear. 

I hope everything is going well! I pray for you all a million times every day. Kono fukuin wa kanzen to shinjitsu kokoro kara da to akashi shimasu. Kamisama wa watashitachi no Ten no Otosama to Iesu Kirisuto wa mina san no Sukuinushi to Aganainushi da to shite imasu. Iesu Kirisuto ni shinjinasai. kare wa hoho o ten ni modoru to shite imasu. Iesu Kirisuto no mina ni yotte to akashi shimasu amen. 

have a great week!!!! (: