Hey family how everyone doing??!!! It sounds like Summer is treating everyone well. It sounds like everyone is keeping each other busy in some way or another. Kelsie I heard you are dancing a lot. This sounds really fun haha. I am glad that everyone is doing well in school. I hope everyone's summer is the best!!!
This week in the MTC has been great. We got our travels plan on Wednesday and we do leave on July 4th!!! Our travel group is only with 6 of us. Elder Davis and I and then 4 Japanese elders. I am really excited but at the same time a little nervous to leave the country. We fly to Portland and then have I think a four our lay over. That is the time that I will be able to call you. I need to find out all of the rules of that. I will let you know for sure what it going on next week. After Portland we fly to Tokyo!!!! I think we have a two hour lay over in Tokyo and then we fly to Sapporo. This surprised me because I thought I was going to take the bullet train up to Sapporo. Its alright I am really excited to fly into Tokyo. For us in the MTC everything is slowing down. All of us really want to leave and get out into the mission field. I am so excited but I know that it is going to be so hard.When we got our travels I was really excited. I think is like a day and a half of traveling haha. I will also have to figure my luggage situation. I am confident that I will fine with it. If not I might have to wear my snow coat onto to the plane haha.
So this week all of the new mission presidents came in. The mtc has been crazy all this week. On Wednesday we helped host the new missionaries. I think 600 new missionaries came in. OH Yeah this morning I had to go to the frnt desk to resolve a problem with our room. When I went to the front desk Elder Russel Nelson was standing right by me!!!! He talked to me for a little while and asked me where I was going on my mission. It was really cool to talk to an Apostle for a little while. Also today we have a special fireside!!!! That is all that they are telling us. I am so excited for this fireside and get to see who is speaking during it. After the fireside i get to meet my mission president. I am lucky because there are only 6 missionaries going to Sapporo. This means I will probably get to talk to him for a while. Ill have to make sure I give him a good first impression haha.
This week we have been trying to learn as much as we can until we leave. I need to work as hard as I can in these last week so I can be as prepared as I can for Japan. My problem still is speaking everyday life stuff. I feel like I can speak the gospel stuff alright. Everything else is really challenging. I went to the temple for the last time this morning. It was a good experience for my last time at the temple. If a miracle happens and the Sapporo temple gets built before I leave I will get to go to it. I am expecting thought that is not going to happen though haha. This week we are teaching lesson 1 and I am really excited about it. I finally have the first vision memorized in Japanese. It is so long and it made me happy when I finally memorized it!!!! Other than that we just have class for another week and teach another lesson.
I have been playing soccer everyday and I always look for Mandie and Scott driving around. I am surprised that I haven't seen them yet. I funny story that happened this week. I was walking back from the Mtc. I was at the light and a yellow jeep pulled by me. They then shouted and said hey take this!!! It was a bag full of taco BEL!!!!!! I don'[t think I haven't been that excited for a long time!!!!
Everything is going well here!!! TRYING to finish everything before I leave. I love you and hope all is well!!!
Love Matt
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Week 8: June 17th 2011
Hey family!!!! How is everyone doing? This week has gone by really fast I can't believe it is Pday already. Dad I hope you have a GREAT Father's day on Sunday!!!! You deserve a day for you. There should be a whole month dedicated to you haha. You do and have done so much for me and our family. So with that I hope you have a great Sunday and I will be thinking about you. Oh yeah dad you asked me about the Sapporo temple being built. What I have heard is that it won't be finished before I leave. I think this was because of the affects on the earthquake. This fine but it would be really cool if they could finish it before I left. It sounds like Kelsie is a little crazy!! Dancing all day and then going to girls camp!!!??? That means someone is dedicated haha. That reminds me of when i WENT to efy and had a basketball camp in the morning. I would have to leave efy and go to the basketball camp pretty early in the morning. I would play for about five hours and then go back to efy. I remember Jon Browne and I would be sleeping during our classes because we were so tired haha. I still think Kelsie tops me on that though haha. I can't believe how fast everything is going here in the MTC. I basically only have two more weeks until I leave. I am so excited to go to Japan and start my mission haha. The only thing that I might have to figure out is I don't want to pay extra money for my luggage haha. I have heard missionaries that wore all of their snow gear so their luggage can be a little lighter haha. I might have to do this. If that is the only thing that I am worried about I will be fine.
Every Wednesday the new missionaries come. I got to host this week and it was really fun to help the new missionaries move in. Later that day I found out that I got two Japanese roommates. I was so excited to meet them and try to talk to them. One of them speaks English really well and so he helps me when I have a question. This week I realized that I can't really talk in Japanese when it revolved around everyday life. I feel okay when it comes to lessons and other stuff. BUT everyday stuff I found that is going to take a while to get used too. But with these missionaries I hope I can practice and improve a lot more. This got me really excited to go to Japan because they are such nice people.
I got that letter from Yusaku. It was so cool to hear from him again. I think I am going to start writing him because I have his address. Who knows I might write in Japanese. That a reason why I am so excited to go to Japan. Yusaku was such a nice person. I don't think I have met an angry Nihonge. But I am sure I will meet some haha. Something that I have noticed is that they all love my Kobe Bryant and Suzuki Ichiro jerseys. I love always seeing there reactions when I wear them.
This next week is when all of the new mission presidents come in. I am excited for this because this is when the first presidency and the apostles come. Everyone is hoping that the prophet will talk at the fireside. IT is just a rumor but I hope he does haha. Also it would be really cool if I got to meet my mission president. I am going to be first set a missionaries for my new mission president. AHHHHH I am so excited to go to Japan!!!
It sounds like everyone else is really busy with school and work. That is a good sign I guess haha. I always think after my mission I have to start doing all the hard things in my life. Everyone keep it up you are all good examples to me.
I always see a lot of people that I know in the MTC. Friends from highs school and college. It is fun to see where all of them are going on their missions. All of us are going to have such crazy stories when we get back.
Family I am having a good time here at the MTC. Most of the weeks are the same so nothing really new is happening. Ill I know is that I am going through this time for a reason to prepare me for Japan. I want you all to know that I have a strong testimony of this church. That I know why I am going to Japan. The reason I am doing this is because I believe in the church and what it stands for. I love you all and thank you for the support!!! Tell me how everything is going!!!
Ai Elder Maughan
Every Wednesday the new missionaries come. I got to host this week and it was really fun to help the new missionaries move in. Later that day I found out that I got two Japanese roommates. I was so excited to meet them and try to talk to them. One of them speaks English really well and so he helps me when I have a question. This week I realized that I can't really talk in Japanese when it revolved around everyday life. I feel okay when it comes to lessons and other stuff. BUT everyday stuff I found that is going to take a while to get used too. But with these missionaries I hope I can practice and improve a lot more. This got me really excited to go to Japan because they are such nice people.
I got that letter from Yusaku. It was so cool to hear from him again. I think I am going to start writing him because I have his address. Who knows I might write in Japanese. That a reason why I am so excited to go to Japan. Yusaku was such a nice person. I don't think I have met an angry Nihonge. But I am sure I will meet some haha. Something that I have noticed is that they all love my Kobe Bryant and Suzuki Ichiro jerseys. I love always seeing there reactions when I wear them.
This next week is when all of the new mission presidents come in. I am excited for this because this is when the first presidency and the apostles come. Everyone is hoping that the prophet will talk at the fireside. IT is just a rumor but I hope he does haha. Also it would be really cool if I got to meet my mission president. I am going to be first set a missionaries for my new mission president. AHHHHH I am so excited to go to Japan!!!
It sounds like everyone else is really busy with school and work. That is a good sign I guess haha. I always think after my mission I have to start doing all the hard things in my life. Everyone keep it up you are all good examples to me.
I always see a lot of people that I know in the MTC. Friends from highs school and college. It is fun to see where all of them are going on their missions. All of us are going to have such crazy stories when we get back.
Family I am having a good time here at the MTC. Most of the weeks are the same so nothing really new is happening. Ill I know is that I am going through this time for a reason to prepare me for Japan. I want you all to know that I have a strong testimony of this church. That I know why I am going to Japan. The reason I am doing this is because I believe in the church and what it stands for. I love you all and thank you for the support!!! Tell me how everything is going!!!
Ai Elder Maughan
Friday, June 10, 2011
Week 7: June 10!!!!
Family how is everyone doing?!!!!! It sounds like everyone is doing great and keeping them selfs busy. The best time of the year is right now and so love it haha!!! Thank you for all the support and love that I get from everyone. So funny story and went to the temple this morning and was sitting on the bench waiting for my district. When all of a sudden I heard someone honk and yell something haha. I had no idea what was said but I then realized it was Tara Bushman!!! I don't think I have seen a car fly out of the temple so fast haha. It took me a while to realize who it was. That made really happy haha. So I heard Nadal won the French Open (ugh). Mandie I hope you realize that Nadal will soon be the worst tennis player ever haha. Dad thank you for sending me those pictures via email. If you can could you send them by mail? I want to have as many pics of family and friends before I leave. Kelsie so I hear you are really busy with dance!!! That is so cool your are starting the best times of you life in High School. YOu just need to realize that dancing is nothing compared to basketball haha!! I wish you luck with everything going on with that. Oh Yeah Scott I hope you have a great birthday on Sunday!!! Make sure you do something fun like skydiving or bungi jumping. Im sorry to hear about CRaig. Things will all will work out I had a comforting feeling when I thought about this this week. If you get a chance tell hello from me. Well I hope all is well with the family and everyone has a good week.
It has been another successful week in the MTC. Taylor came in on Wednesday and it was really good to see him. He looked really excited but I could tell he was a little shocked in the beginning. I am teaching the Plan of Salvation tomorrow for the lesson. I am feeling pretty good about it. Last weeks lesson we taught a Japanese. It is was pretty epic because I couldn't understand him at all haha. HE would speak so fast and he would mumble. I then realzied that this is exactly how Japan is going to be. This was a good experience for me to see what I need to expect when I get there. For our task this week we are going to help someone with directions. Our Sensei wanted to play a game that would help us with directions. He basically took us outside and told of the companions to close there eyes. The other comapions was going to direct them where to go in Japanese. I have to be honest this was proabably the scariest thing I have done in my life. After Elder DAvis and I got good at it we wanted to go faster. Elder Lythgoe and Elder Wycoff wanted to race us. I don't think this was a smart idea. Eventually Elder Wycoff and I were running down the Mtc having no idea where to go. Elder Wycoff stopped and I ran in to him. Elder Davis said it was the funniest thing that he has ever seen in his life. When Elder Wycoff and I collided all of our flashcards exploded everywhere. When I opened my eyes I had no idea what happened. It was quite the experience. The only damage I had was a scrape on my knee and a little headache haha. I feel pretty prepared for the task this week haha.
This month all of the new mission presidents are coming to the MTC. Everyone is expecting to hear from the prophet sometime this week. This last tuesday we had Elder KIkuchi talk. He is a native from Japan. This talk got me really excited because he told us about his conversion story. He was from Sapporo ALSO!!! It got me really excited to go to Japan and preach the gospel. This week we are getting Nihonge Elders. I am extremly excfited because I will actually be able to talk to them this time. Last time they came I could only ask them basic things like what is your name? where are you from etc. This monday I will only have three more weeks in the MTc. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel haha. There is a lot of things I feel like I need to do before I can leave. I have so many vocab flashcards that I have to feel out. I don't think I will ever feel prepared to go to Japan. My district feels like we have been friends forever. I then realize it has only been 8 weeks. I can already see that I will be friends with them for the rest my life after my mission. This week has been really good with a lot of hard work. Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts during this time. I love you all and I hope you have a fun summer week!!!
Love, Maughan Choro
**Note to reader... the person in the car this morning stalking Matt at the temple indeed was Tara Bushman, as well as my mom. Leave it to these two. They have yet to surprise me what they will not do! They had binoculars and all trying to get a picture of Matt (which will be posted here shortly). I am completely surprised that my mom did not run up to him (just knowing her). Love you Matt!
It has been another successful week in the MTC. Taylor came in on Wednesday and it was really good to see him. He looked really excited but I could tell he was a little shocked in the beginning. I am teaching the Plan of Salvation tomorrow for the lesson. I am feeling pretty good about it. Last weeks lesson we taught a Japanese. It is was pretty epic because I couldn't understand him at all haha. HE would speak so fast and he would mumble. I then realzied that this is exactly how Japan is going to be. This was a good experience for me to see what I need to expect when I get there. For our task this week we are going to help someone with directions. Our Sensei wanted to play a game that would help us with directions. He basically took us outside and told of the companions to close there eyes. The other comapions was going to direct them where to go in Japanese. I have to be honest this was proabably the scariest thing I have done in my life. After Elder DAvis and I got good at it we wanted to go faster. Elder Lythgoe and Elder Wycoff wanted to race us. I don't think this was a smart idea. Eventually Elder Wycoff and I were running down the Mtc having no idea where to go. Elder Wycoff stopped and I ran in to him. Elder Davis said it was the funniest thing that he has ever seen in his life. When Elder Wycoff and I collided all of our flashcards exploded everywhere. When I opened my eyes I had no idea what happened. It was quite the experience. The only damage I had was a scrape on my knee and a little headache haha. I feel pretty prepared for the task this week haha.
This month all of the new mission presidents are coming to the MTC. Everyone is expecting to hear from the prophet sometime this week. This last tuesday we had Elder KIkuchi talk. He is a native from Japan. This talk got me really excited because he told us about his conversion story. He was from Sapporo ALSO!!! It got me really excited to go to Japan and preach the gospel. This week we are getting Nihonge Elders. I am extremly excfited because I will actually be able to talk to them this time. Last time they came I could only ask them basic things like what is your name? where are you from etc. This monday I will only have three more weeks in the MTc. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel haha. There is a lot of things I feel like I need to do before I can leave. I have so many vocab flashcards that I have to feel out. I don't think I will ever feel prepared to go to Japan. My district feels like we have been friends forever. I then realize it has only been 8 weeks. I can already see that I will be friends with them for the rest my life after my mission. This week has been really good with a lot of hard work. Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts during this time. I love you all and I hope you have a fun summer week!!!
Love, Maughan Choro
**Note to reader... the person in the car this morning stalking Matt at the temple indeed was Tara Bushman, as well as my mom. Leave it to these two. They have yet to surprise me what they will not do! They had binoculars and all trying to get a picture of Matt (which will be posted here shortly). I am completely surprised that my mom did not run up to him (just knowing her). Love you Matt!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Week 6: June 3rd 2011
How is everyone doing? I hope this last week has been a good one. I need to know what is going on in everyone's life. I need something exciting here in the MTC. I hope all is well and everyone is enjoying the summer life!! Something funny that happened this morning was a dropped my wallet in the toilet. It wasn't funny when it happened because I had to hurry and grab it out of the toilet. Everyone thought something happened to me because I basically screamed when it happened. I hope everyone had a good memorial day with the Maughans. I thought about that on memorial day. I was grateful for all of the experiences that we have with them.
This past week has been really good. I feel a lot more comfortable with teaching the lessons in Japanese. There is still a lot of improvement but I feel like I can get my point across. That has been basically what we have been doing this whole week. Practicing the first lesson in Japanese. In the beginning of the week I was getting a little frustrated because my companion would never let me talk during the lesson. One time when we were teaching I was frustrated and couldn't teach with the spirit. Afterward I told him my concerns and I feel like it has improved. I feel like he always wants to talk haha. When I taught my first lesson in Japanese I was really nervous. I then realized who cares if I mess up. I feel like this has helped a lot during teaching the lessons. Even if I don't make sense haha. After I was done with lesson it was the coolest because I realized that I just taught a lesson in Japanese!!! I am excited to keep improving every week.
WE had our weekly fireside on Tuesday night. I was really tired and it was hard for me to concentrate during this talk. Afterward we had our district testimony meeting about the talk. I was worried because I didn't feel like I got that much out of it. When I bore my test6imony the spirit was so strong. I shared the poem that grandma Morris sent me. You should get it from her and read it. I was wondering why did I feel the spirit like that. I didn't focus on the talk and I still got something out of it. I guess the spirit works in mysterious ways. What I got out of it is that even when I am tired I still need to focus and listen to everything. I feel like our district is becoming really close. We have district prayer every night. It has been weird not being the district leader anymore. I have had more time to study and do other things. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve as the district leader.
This last Wednesday we got the new elders going to Japan. I was really excited because that meant that I was going to get two new roommates. It so happens that there were short two missionaries. I didn't new roommates after all. IT alright though because that means I get my own drawers and bed haha. A lot of the new missionaries seemed really down the first couple of days. I tried to encourage them and tell that everything is going to be alright. The most excited part about the new missionaries coming means that I only have five more weeks until I leave. I am really excited to get out of here and eat real food haha. Speaking of that I went to the temple this morning and ate at the cafeteria after. It was the first time that I felt like I was eating real food in over 2 months. I basically was crying when I was eating it haha.
Because most of the missions are getting new mission presidents supposedly the first presidency is coming this month. Every Sunday and Tuesday night we are waiting for an apostle or the President Monson. I just hope that we don't get disappointed haha. It is going to be cool though because right when I get into my mission my mission president does also. I will be able to come in with him and leave when he is still the president.
I am loving every second of the MTC and I grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord. Thank you for praying and helping me through the hard times. I love you all!!!!!!!
Your missionary Elder Maughan
This past week has been really good. I feel a lot more comfortable with teaching the lessons in Japanese. There is still a lot of improvement but I feel like I can get my point across. That has been basically what we have been doing this whole week. Practicing the first lesson in Japanese. In the beginning of the week I was getting a little frustrated because my companion would never let me talk during the lesson. One time when we were teaching I was frustrated and couldn't teach with the spirit. Afterward I told him my concerns and I feel like it has improved. I feel like he always wants to talk haha. When I taught my first lesson in Japanese I was really nervous. I then realized who cares if I mess up. I feel like this has helped a lot during teaching the lessons. Even if I don't make sense haha. After I was done with lesson it was the coolest because I realized that I just taught a lesson in Japanese!!! I am excited to keep improving every week.
WE had our weekly fireside on Tuesday night. I was really tired and it was hard for me to concentrate during this talk. Afterward we had our district testimony meeting about the talk. I was worried because I didn't feel like I got that much out of it. When I bore my test6imony the spirit was so strong. I shared the poem that grandma Morris sent me. You should get it from her and read it. I was wondering why did I feel the spirit like that. I didn't focus on the talk and I still got something out of it. I guess the spirit works in mysterious ways. What I got out of it is that even when I am tired I still need to focus and listen to everything. I feel like our district is becoming really close. We have district prayer every night. It has been weird not being the district leader anymore. I have had more time to study and do other things. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve as the district leader.
This last Wednesday we got the new elders going to Japan. I was really excited because that meant that I was going to get two new roommates. It so happens that there were short two missionaries. I didn't new roommates after all. IT alright though because that means I get my own drawers and bed haha. A lot of the new missionaries seemed really down the first couple of days. I tried to encourage them and tell that everything is going to be alright. The most excited part about the new missionaries coming means that I only have five more weeks until I leave. I am really excited to get out of here and eat real food haha. Speaking of that I went to the temple this morning and ate at the cafeteria after. It was the first time that I felt like I was eating real food in over 2 months. I basically was crying when I was eating it haha.
Because most of the missions are getting new mission presidents supposedly the first presidency is coming this month. Every Sunday and Tuesday night we are waiting for an apostle or the President Monson. I just hope that we don't get disappointed haha. It is going to be cool though because right when I get into my mission my mission president does also. I will be able to come in with him and leave when he is still the president.
I am loving every second of the MTC and I grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord. Thank you for praying and helping me through the hard times. I love you all!!!!!!!
Your missionary Elder Maughan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)