6 weeks!!!

Where has the time gone?  Williams Choro is in his 6th week in the MTC.  He is ready to go to Nihon (Japan).  Very excited....but must be patient!  He is learning so much in the MTC.  He says that their schedule is so crammed with things that he just doesn't have time to write anyone.  He says he barely has time to write in his journal at night.  Mom says, "Good!"  That is the way it is supposed to be!  Our family has a couple of sayings that we use often....."Suck it up!",  "We're Williams!  That's why!", "You are going to have fun whether you like it or not!".  They all sound a little rough.....but we smile every time we say them because they have personal family memories.  So Steven got a little "Williams Family" talk from mom on Thursday.  He is tired, exhausted, and wondering why everything has to be so routine and scheduled.....So mom told him...."Suck it up, Williams Choro!  You're a Williams!  That's why!  You are going to have fun there at the MTC whether you like it or not!"  It changed his attitude....as far as I could tell from his emails!  It brought smiles.

Elder Williams is really enjoying the Japanese language.  I think he is trying to teach it to us, but we love hearing all he is learning and he says that Eigo (English) is getting so hard for him to write.  He enjoys all of his teachers and says that they are so helpful and kind.  He is in the choir singing bass and loves it.  We are musicians, but not great at singing!  I am so happy that he is singing and really enjoying it!  Singing lifts the spirit and brightens a gloomy day.  We often sing out loud in our home and it sounds like howling wolves, but it brings joy and happiness! I probably shouldn't share the howling wolves part!? :)

Next Monday there will be some sister missionaries from Japan come over to the MTC.  They will be there for 2 weeks, just like the English speaking sister missionaries, then they will travel back to Japan with the Elders to begin their missions.  Steven says that they are so excited to meet them.  He and his companion were able to Skype the other day with a member in Japan.  He said it was awesome.  He learned that saying "you" to a person is rude.  You need to call them by their name and add san.  Her name was Yoko, so he referred to her as Yoko san.  He says that he is going to need to work on remembering names!  

He injured his ham string "showing off" (his words!) to sister missionaries.  He did the splits and his ham string popped. Yes, Steven can do the splits!  He is very flexible for a big guy from martial arts.  He is a first degree black belt and during exercise time he goes through his forms so he won't forget them because when he gets home he will continue in his testing for second degree black belt.  He went to the doctor and all is well.  He was just sore for a few days.  

Williams Choro and Bills Choro....hey...isn't Bill short for William?....I just noticed that!  Anyway, they have teaching appointments scheduled this week.  4 will be in Japanese and 1 in English.  He is very excited.  He has had quite a few teaching appointments while in the MTC and has loved every one of them.  I received a note from one man who said that it was great fun getting to know him.  

12 missionaries leave for Japan on February 10.  8 of them will be in the Nagoya Japan Mission and the other 4 go to the Fukuoka Japan Mission.  They are all very excited!

I may have shared this before, but feel it is a testimony of the wonderful Spirit of missionary work!  Steven shares, "The MTC feels oddly like home!  I think that is Heavenly Father's way of letting me know that I am doing the right thing".  How true!  The Gospel is HOME!  When you are doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, you will feel like you are HOME!  I pray that Williams Choro will share that with the wonderful people of Japan.  Steven loves his family and is so excited to share The Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people so they can know that families can be together forever!  Not a day has gone by in Steven's life that he has not told each of us that he loves us. He says that he says it each night before he goes to sleep so we can know.  We do the same.  Families are forever and we are eternally grateful for that knowledge and our family strives each day to live for that great blessing!  

Keep up the Great Work, Williams Choro!   This is Steven's MTC haricut.  They do not do flat tops, so he said the man cutting his hair said he would get as close to a flat top as he could without breaking the rules!  Steven was happy!