Dear Family,
How is everyone doing? I was happy to hear about all the things that are going on at home!!! It seems like we are all busy in different ways. I am grateful for all your support and love. Please tell the Maughan family hello from me on Monday. I am so grateful that I have such a good family. Dad told me that his guy (Scotty) won American Idol. I am sure the whole family was excited about this Ha Ha!!
Kelsie - good job on being a crazy good dancer!!!! I’m pretty sure you could make anything that you wanted. Also, it sounds like Mom is having fun in Park City!!! You need to make sure to go on the Alpine slide for me!!! I hope all is well and keep telling me how everything is going. I hope you had an awesome birthday with a lot fun.
This week has been hard exactly how I expected it would be. Tomorrow, I am teaching a lesson in Japanese for the first time. I feel pretty good about it. This week has been really busy with a lot of work. I am pretty sure some on some of the days that I was so tired because of all things our teachers crammed into my head. The good news is that I can only improve from here. On Tuesday, we had Elder Russell Nelson speak to us in our fireside. He is the third apostle that I have had the opportunity to listen to in the MTC. I have six more weeks so I am hoping for a few more as the inspire me.
Skylar Schone entered the MTC this week. It was good to see him and how excited he is to serve. The new elders for our zone are coming in on Wednesday. I am hoping for cool roommates. The thing that I am most excited about is they will be speaking English. I feel like I have improved in my listening skills with my companion. It has helped as with the language. I love being a Japanese Elder!!! Whenever someone asks me where I am going I say Japan. The responses I receive back are always priceless. For example, “I am so glad I do not have to learn Japanese”, or “Wow! Good luck” and many more. I still can't believe that I am learning Japanese. It is the hardest thing that I have ever done, but, I am glad that I am doing it.
I am feeling bloated with all of this food - ha! ha! They feed us really well but after a while it is too much. One of the highlights of the week is playing soccer on the field. I enjoy this because I get to out of the dorm. One of my hardest challenges is sitting in a desk for over 10 hours. I am excited to start learning more about the language. I feel like I have learned so much in these 6 weeks. I also have 6 more weeks to go to learn as much as I can. I try to read the Book of Mormon I Japanese. It is really difficult!!! I can say most of the characters, but it is hard to find which character goes to which word. A Book of Mormon written in Japanese is read right to left and top to down. It is really confusing in the beginning.
I am grateful for all the prayers and support. I feel that it did help me this past week. Keep doing it and I will be able to get through it. I am grateful to be a missionary and get to serve the Lord. I am also grateful for my family and everything that you do for me. You guys help me be motivated in the work.
Love you all
Elder Maughan
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Week 4: May 20th. ONE MONTH! (not that I'm counting...)
Hello Fmily!!! Mom I wanted to wish you a happy birthday today!!! I am sending you something but I am worried that it wont make it you on time. I hope you have a great birthday!!! Make sure you listen to the Beatles Birthday song for me. I hope you get an awesome breakfast in bed and with terrible singing haha.
How is the rest of my family doing? I hope everyone is doing well and successful in everything they do. I am sure that Kelsie is excited that school is winding down. I hope everyone is loving this rainy season haha. That is funny that Mandie kinda of saw me walking at the light. I always look for Scott and Nikki and Mandie. I feel like they live so close that I could see them really easy. Ill keep my eyes out haha.
Mom wanted to tell you guys how my schedule is. My schedule usually depends on the day. The longest and hardest days are Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. On these days we have 6 hours of class, 2 hours of language study, and 1 hour and 30 minutes of personal study. I also have 45 minutes of gym everyday but Friday and Sunday. Tuesday and Sundays we have firesides at night. The firesides and the temple are the highlights of my week. Also on Thursday we have service for 2 hours. Sunday is a really relaxed day. WE study a lot and go to sacrament, priesthood, temple walk, and fireside. That is usually my schedule every week. The hardest part for me to adjust was sitting around in the classroom for 11 hours +. I feel like I am getting used to it.
This week has been good once again. Like I say the days go so slow but the weeks go by so fast. It doesn't really make sense but oh well. I had a really spirtual experience this last week. It was during personal study and I was impressed to read 3 Nephi 11. While I was reading it I just broke down haha. I think my district thought that I was going to die. Reasons like that is why I go on a mission. Sometimes the days are really hard and disappointing but then other days I am on of the world. This next week we are going to start teaching the lessons in Japanese. I am excited about this but also nervous. All of the older elders tell me that the first week of teaching is always the hardest. So everyone should pray that I can get through this next week. Although it is going to be hard I can't wait to start teaching. Good news my companion still doesn't speak English to me haha. I think he is going to get interviewed by our branch president about this. The sempei are leaving to japan on Monday. It is going to be sad because I have become such good friends with them. We will have 1 week to our self until the new missionaries come in. That means that I am going to be the sempei. This kinda worries me because I feel like I don't know that much haha. I am excited because when the new elders come in I will be half way done in the MTC. I am so excited to go Japan and to start my adventure. I know I will be nervous but I still have a long way until that. I am trying to speak Japanese as much as possible. The challenge is changing the gospel vocab to all all day vocab. The only way that I can get better is by practicing and speaking the language. This is my last week being the district leader also. They switch half way in. It will be nice to have more time to study and do a lot more things. Although I make a lot of mistakes speaking this language I will only improve by speaking it. I am trying my best!!!! Thank you for all of your support and love!!!
I love you and have a good week
Matt
How is the rest of my family doing? I hope everyone is doing well and successful in everything they do. I am sure that Kelsie is excited that school is winding down. I hope everyone is loving this rainy season haha. That is funny that Mandie kinda of saw me walking at the light. I always look for Scott and Nikki and Mandie. I feel like they live so close that I could see them really easy. Ill keep my eyes out haha.
Mom wanted to tell you guys how my schedule is. My schedule usually depends on the day. The longest and hardest days are Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. On these days we have 6 hours of class, 2 hours of language study, and 1 hour and 30 minutes of personal study. I also have 45 minutes of gym everyday but Friday and Sunday. Tuesday and Sundays we have firesides at night. The firesides and the temple are the highlights of my week. Also on Thursday we have service for 2 hours. Sunday is a really relaxed day. WE study a lot and go to sacrament, priesthood, temple walk, and fireside. That is usually my schedule every week. The hardest part for me to adjust was sitting around in the classroom for 11 hours +. I feel like I am getting used to it.
This week has been good once again. Like I say the days go so slow but the weeks go by so fast. It doesn't really make sense but oh well. I had a really spirtual experience this last week. It was during personal study and I was impressed to read 3 Nephi 11. While I was reading it I just broke down haha. I think my district thought that I was going to die. Reasons like that is why I go on a mission. Sometimes the days are really hard and disappointing but then other days I am on of the world. This next week we are going to start teaching the lessons in Japanese. I am excited about this but also nervous. All of the older elders tell me that the first week of teaching is always the hardest. So everyone should pray that I can get through this next week. Although it is going to be hard I can't wait to start teaching. Good news my companion still doesn't speak English to me haha. I think he is going to get interviewed by our branch president about this. The sempei are leaving to japan on Monday. It is going to be sad because I have become such good friends with them. We will have 1 week to our self until the new missionaries come in. That means that I am going to be the sempei. This kinda worries me because I feel like I don't know that much haha. I am excited because when the new elders come in I will be half way done in the MTC. I am so excited to go Japan and to start my adventure. I know I will be nervous but I still have a long way until that. I am trying to speak Japanese as much as possible. The challenge is changing the gospel vocab to all all day vocab. The only way that I can get better is by practicing and speaking the language. This is my last week being the district leader also. They switch half way in. It will be nice to have more time to study and do a lot more things. Although I make a lot of mistakes speaking this language I will only improve by speaking it. I am trying my best!!!! Thank you for all of your support and love!!!
I love you and have a good week
Matt
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Week 3: May 13
Hey family how is everyone doing? Thank you everyone for the support and the letters. MTC life is a lot easier when I get away from all of the work for a minute. Thanks everyone for the packages, news from the worlds, and everything else. I am really grateful for all of you. Things are about the same here in The MTC. I am working as hard as I can trying to learn this language. I have about 500 words on my flashcards to memorize. Haha whenever I am walking or doing anything I am studying my flashcards. This week has been really good. It went by really fast and it seems like I was just emailing you yesterday. This past week we have Elder Neal Andersen come to our fireside. It was such a great talk the firesides are the highlights of the week for me. I have heard Elder Dallin H oaks also. I hope that I will hear from another Apostle because I am in here for so long.
Our district is trying to speak as much Japanese as we can. It is tough for me because I only know gospel related words right now. I am trying to get better so i can have a normal conversation without gospel related stuff. I feel that I am improving and that is all I need to be worried about. Tomorrow for our task we are going to have to talk to someone for 15 minutes straight. I feel like we will do will because I think we are prepared. Kyle Asay one of my good friends left to his mission this week. It was fun to see how excited he was to leave. I am pretty sure that I will be going crazy the night I leave to Japan. I feel better about my companion this week. I just realized that he is different than me and I am going to just deal with it. He still talks japanese to me but most of the time i have no idea what he is talking about haha.
I watched the Joseph Smith movie this past week in Japanese. I can say that I caught a couple words in the movie. They talk so fast haha. The coolest thing that I realized this week is the gospel is true wherever in the world. Especially in Japan, we have the Japanese missionaries here and it made me realize how true the church is. They can't understand anything anyone is saying. They only understand Japanese and when we try to speak Japanese they don't understand us. I memorized my missionaries purpose in Japanese this week. It took me a while but it made me feel good when I finished. The next thing that I am going to work on is the first vision in Japanese. I am excited to start teaching in Japanese. All the sempai(older missionaries) say the language starts to make since more when you start teaching the lessons. I think in two weeks we start teaching in Japanese. I played soccer twice this week on the giant field. Scott you would be proud I scored twice in both days. It was funny because a lot of them are soccer players and somehow I made the two luckiest goals of my life.
I think I have already said this but the days seem so long sometimes but the weeks go by fast. Our district seems to be doing really good. We are all improving and try to be better everyday. Oh yeah mom I guess you tried to send me taco bell haha. When I received the package there was a note inside of it saying your fast food goods couldn't be delivered to you. It later said that it was thrown away or disposed of. I am pretty sure The MTC workers had a pretty good lunch haha. My district thought that was really funny when I read it. Thanks for trying it was great. Everyone needs to tell me whats going on in their lives. Even if it is boring I will read it for sure. My time is up and I hope everyone is doing great!!!!!
Love, Matt
Our district is trying to speak as much Japanese as we can. It is tough for me because I only know gospel related words right now. I am trying to get better so i can have a normal conversation without gospel related stuff. I feel that I am improving and that is all I need to be worried about. Tomorrow for our task we are going to have to talk to someone for 15 minutes straight. I feel like we will do will because I think we are prepared. Kyle Asay one of my good friends left to his mission this week. It was fun to see how excited he was to leave. I am pretty sure that I will be going crazy the night I leave to Japan. I feel better about my companion this week. I just realized that he is different than me and I am going to just deal with it. He still talks japanese to me but most of the time i have no idea what he is talking about haha.
I watched the Joseph Smith movie this past week in Japanese. I can say that I caught a couple words in the movie. They talk so fast haha. The coolest thing that I realized this week is the gospel is true wherever in the world. Especially in Japan, we have the Japanese missionaries here and it made me realize how true the church is. They can't understand anything anyone is saying. They only understand Japanese and when we try to speak Japanese they don't understand us. I memorized my missionaries purpose in Japanese this week. It took me a while but it made me feel good when I finished. The next thing that I am going to work on is the first vision in Japanese. I am excited to start teaching in Japanese. All the sempai(older missionaries) say the language starts to make since more when you start teaching the lessons. I think in two weeks we start teaching in Japanese. I played soccer twice this week on the giant field. Scott you would be proud I scored twice in both days. It was funny because a lot of them are soccer players and somehow I made the two luckiest goals of my life.
I think I have already said this but the days seem so long sometimes but the weeks go by fast. Our district seems to be doing really good. We are all improving and try to be better everyday. Oh yeah mom I guess you tried to send me taco bell haha. When I received the package there was a note inside of it saying your fast food goods couldn't be delivered to you. It later said that it was thrown away or disposed of. I am pretty sure The MTC workers had a pretty good lunch haha. My district thought that was really funny when I read it. Thanks for trying it was great. Everyone needs to tell me whats going on in their lives. Even if it is boring I will read it for sure. My time is up and I hope everyone is doing great!!!!!
Love, Matt
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Week 2 May 6: Another week another dollar
Hello family!! MOm happy mother's day this Sunday!!! I wish I could have breakfast in bed instead I just have the MTC food haha. It was good for the first week but I think I could use Taco Bell now!! Mom I hope you have a great mother's day!!! Let it be a day a relaxation and bossing people around haha. The best part about mother's day is when we all go sing to you to early in the morning. Especially Dad's singing skills I think he has been watching American Idol too much. Anyways I hope you have a good day becasue you deserve it. You mean everything to me and I Love YOu!!! Thank you once again for all the support that you are giving me. I have food coming out my eye balls right now haha. I think I will be throwing a killer party with all my food soon. Thanks for giving me tips and encouragement because sometimes I need it. Also thanks DAd for the updates it is a good relief at the end of the day. Thanks Kelsie for writing I forgive you for not writing me last week haha.
This week has gone slow and fast at the same time. Sometimes the days seem so long but then I realize that the week goes fast. I have been working hard and still trying to find the best way to study. Scott if you have any advice on study tips on how you learned Portugese that would be great. We tried to do an English fast yesterday and only speaking Japanese. That basically meant that I was quiet most of the time haha. My companion is really good at it though. I think he decided to only speak Japanese here on out. Whenever I ask him a question he always responds in Japanese. It gets frustrating sometimes when he won't tell me anything in English. I know it will help but our teacher didn't really recommend to do that utni week 8,9. I am trying my best and I am realizing that I am learning Japanese. One of the hardest languages for an English person to learn. I am having fun at the same time.
We had a missionary in my districrt that was really struggling. We would try to help the best that we can but it didn't really help. He went home this week and it was really to see him go. I can't even imagine quitting and going home. No matter how hard it will get I could never do that. When we all said goodbye to him he said the only reason that he stayed as long as he did was because our district. That made me feel pretty good. I just feel that he wasn't ready to serve a mission. The Japanese elders came this week too!! They are such nice people and really generous. When they saw me wearing my Suzuki Ichiro jersey they loved me. They don't speak any English and I only speak Japanese Gospel terms right now haah. It is still fun to try to communicate with them. There was a Korean elder that was with the Japanese elders. HIs japanese wasn't that good so our branch presidency put him in our district!!! He doesn't know English and doesn't know Japanese so I count blessings for sure. The more I learn about the Japanese I am more excited to get there. It has only been two week but I can't wait to get out there. I got to play on the field this week and we played kickball. It reminded me of the good ol elementary days. I think anything could be competetive with alot of missionaries. My testimony is growing evrday and I loving serving the lord. I love you all I hipe you have a good week!!!!
Love Matt!!!!!
This week has gone slow and fast at the same time. Sometimes the days seem so long but then I realize that the week goes fast. I have been working hard and still trying to find the best way to study. Scott if you have any advice on study tips on how you learned Portugese that would be great. We tried to do an English fast yesterday and only speaking Japanese. That basically meant that I was quiet most of the time haha. My companion is really good at it though. I think he decided to only speak Japanese here on out. Whenever I ask him a question he always responds in Japanese. It gets frustrating sometimes when he won't tell me anything in English. I know it will help but our teacher didn't really recommend to do that utni week 8,9. I am trying my best and I am realizing that I am learning Japanese. One of the hardest languages for an English person to learn. I am having fun at the same time.
We had a missionary in my districrt that was really struggling. We would try to help the best that we can but it didn't really help. He went home this week and it was really to see him go. I can't even imagine quitting and going home. No matter how hard it will get I could never do that. When we all said goodbye to him he said the only reason that he stayed as long as he did was because our district. That made me feel pretty good. I just feel that he wasn't ready to serve a mission. The Japanese elders came this week too!! They are such nice people and really generous. When they saw me wearing my Suzuki Ichiro jersey they loved me. They don't speak any English and I only speak Japanese Gospel terms right now haah. It is still fun to try to communicate with them. There was a Korean elder that was with the Japanese elders. HIs japanese wasn't that good so our branch presidency put him in our district!!! He doesn't know English and doesn't know Japanese so I count blessings for sure. The more I learn about the Japanese I am more excited to get there. It has only been two week but I can't wait to get out there. I got to play on the field this week and we played kickball. It reminded me of the good ol elementary days. I think anything could be competetive with alot of missionaries. My testimony is growing evrday and I loving serving the lord. I love you all I hipe you have a good week!!!!
Love Matt!!!!!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Week 1 April 29: OB la Di ob la da life goes on yeah!!!!
What is up my kazoku (family). I hope all is well in Lindon and in Provo. It is funny how when I go on my temple walks I can see Scott and Nikki's apartment. I told my district that I live so close to the MTC and that my brother lives two minutes away haha. Today is my first P day and I enjoying the break that I have. The stress throughout the weeks is more than I have ever experienced before. As I told you guys before I was called to be the district leader. I was shocked becasue I am one of the ones struggling in Japanese the most. I think this is becasue about 75 % of the elders in our district has studied Japanese before they got here. Probably the best elder speaking Japanese is my companion Elder Davis. He is a really cool guy and you always wants to work hard haha. I want to work hard of coursse but I think he over worked me in the first couple days haha. I need to learn to settle my differences with me and him and I will be fine.
I wanted thank all of you for writing and sending me packages!!! My roommates were a little jealous with all of the stuff that I got. I am sharing all the stuff with them becasue there is no way I could eat all of that haha. Thank Bonnie for me for sending the cookies they were delicious. Scott and Nikki I got your letter that you left in my bag. I didn't find it until I got a letter from you guys saying where you put it haha. Mom and Dad I am grateful for your comfort in this week I needed it!! This week we have been learning and teaching the first discussion of Preach my gospel. It has been great for me to dig deeper into this lesson and find the things that are really important. In language study we have been going over a lot of things. I can now say that I can say a prayer and bear a simple testimony in Japanese. We have also learned contactiong this week. This is just an example Watashitachi wa matijitsu seito Iesu Kirisuto Kyokai no senkyoshi des. ( We ae missionaries from the Church og Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints). I have learned so much in this first week of the MTC. So much more than that Japanese for Dummies for book. (that was useful haha). My favorite word that I have learned in Japanese is tonikaku which means anyway!!! When ever I am joking around and then want to switch back to missionary things I say TONIKAKU!!!!!!!! We have even got our sensei's to say it.
We have gym everyday and of course I make it rain on the basketball court haha. They say that gym is the most used gym in the entire world. I think I am going to start doing P90X again so I dont lazy and fat. If that is possible. Elder Davis and I room with sempeis which are older missionaries that are about to go into the field. They are really funny and I try to help us as much as possible. I know quite a people hear in the MTC. Friends that I went to Pleasant Grove and BYU Idaho. Even more are coming in this week. The food is really good but I feel that I getting sick of it already. SO I can't even imagine how it is going to be in 11 weeks. I was surprised when they said that my departure date was on JULY 4 becasue I thought I would be leaving around July 20th. I am so excited to go to Japan and start my crazy adventure. The only little difficulty is learning Japanese haha. Our main sensei got married this week so we have had subs the whole week. I think there is like 15 teachers and we have had 10 of them. It has been a little difficult with all of the teachers haha. I want all you to know that I am grateful to be a missionary. I challenge all of you to live like a missionary even when your not. Read the scriptures daily, pray, and live gospel of Christ. I know as we do this we will be blessed. I am sorry if any of this didn't make sense I had to type so fast.
I love you all!!!!! Matt the chosen one Maughan Talk to you soon
I wanted thank all of you for writing and sending me packages!!! My roommates were a little jealous with all of the stuff that I got. I am sharing all the stuff with them becasue there is no way I could eat all of that haha. Thank Bonnie for me for sending the cookies they were delicious. Scott and Nikki I got your letter that you left in my bag. I didn't find it until I got a letter from you guys saying where you put it haha. Mom and Dad I am grateful for your comfort in this week I needed it!! This week we have been learning and teaching the first discussion of Preach my gospel. It has been great for me to dig deeper into this lesson and find the things that are really important. In language study we have been going over a lot of things. I can now say that I can say a prayer and bear a simple testimony in Japanese. We have also learned contactiong this week. This is just an example Watashitachi wa matijitsu seito Iesu Kirisuto Kyokai no senkyoshi des. ( We ae missionaries from the Church og Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints). I have learned so much in this first week of the MTC. So much more than that Japanese for Dummies for book. (that was useful haha). My favorite word that I have learned in Japanese is tonikaku which means anyway!!! When ever I am joking around and then want to switch back to missionary things I say TONIKAKU!!!!!!!! We have even got our sensei's to say it.
We have gym everyday and of course I make it rain on the basketball court haha. They say that gym is the most used gym in the entire world. I think I am going to start doing P90X again so I dont lazy and fat. If that is possible. Elder Davis and I room with sempeis which are older missionaries that are about to go into the field. They are really funny and I try to help us as much as possible. I know quite a people hear in the MTC. Friends that I went to Pleasant Grove and BYU Idaho. Even more are coming in this week. The food is really good but I feel that I getting sick of it already. SO I can't even imagine how it is going to be in 11 weeks. I was surprised when they said that my departure date was on JULY 4 becasue I thought I would be leaving around July 20th. I am so excited to go to Japan and start my crazy adventure. The only little difficulty is learning Japanese haha. Our main sensei got married this week so we have had subs the whole week. I think there is like 15 teachers and we have had 10 of them. It has been a little difficult with all of the teachers haha. I want all you to know that I am grateful to be a missionary. I challenge all of you to live like a missionary even when your not. Read the scriptures daily, pray, and live gospel of Christ. I know as we do this we will be blessed. I am sorry if any of this didn't make sense I had to type so fast.
I love you all!!!!! Matt the chosen one Maughan Talk to you soon
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