Going on 3 weeks!

Hello Everyone!

 

I hope you've been getting my emails now that I realized I should actually push the send button...ha!

 

It's crazy how fast two and a half weeks have flown by! This next wednesday a new batch of Japanese Missionaries (They only come in every 3 weeks) come in so we'll be no longer the "Kohai" or the newest Japanese missionaries and we'll become "Sempai" the second oldest group! The older groups of missionaries always seem like they're 20 or 21 despite the fact that we're all basically the same age. I'm so waku waku! (excited!)

 

The Japanese is actually coming along pretty fast! I'm frequently suprised by what I can say and the sentences that issue forth from my mouth. The gift of tongues is definitely real! But it does take a lot of work. Sometimes I envy the english missionaries a little bit, but I am really grateful that I get this opportunity and it also really helps me focus on the simple important truths rather than bombarding them with the less important.

 

I definitely understand why the brethren make sure the missionaries have P-day. Yesterday I could feel the weariness and some of the stress that had built up over the week and I was just a little plain old cooky. So it's good that today we get to relax so we can work hard the rest of the week.

 

My district is very personal and closely connected. There are some nights where we all just go to bed feeling like our hearts have been stripped away of our walls and are connected. I have a wonderful district.

 

The other day during personal exercise me and another Elder in my district went running around the MTC. At first I was afraid of running barefoot because despite the fact that there's no rules about it, I realize that some people are a bit pharasiacal (like a pharisee) So I always want to be careful that my unorthodox ways don't offend anyone. But I decided I to actually run barefoot again and it was so worth it!! My feet felt so free after being in shoes almost all the time.

 

It's amazing how much more focused you can be and how much you can get done without all the distractions there are out there in the world. I was never able to get so much done so fast at BYU. Thinking about all I've learned in the past few weeks it's amazing.

 

I've especially learned tons about listening and following the spirit. We even had a devotional entirely about it. It was great!

 

I love you all and hope you are doing great!

 

Elder Walton