1/3 of the way there!

Hello Family and Friends!

Wow I can't believe that I have already reached this point and I can't believe that it has taken so long to get here! Time here at the MTC is a strange beast. It moves rapidly during p-day, personal study, gym time, meal time, and sleep time, but it crawls though language study, class time, and lessons. It's like I have too much time to know what to do with, and at the same time I can't seem to get enough of it! It is a strange feeling. So it feels like I was sitting at this same computer only yesterday and it has been ages since I was here last. A lot and a little has happened this week. You could say that it was just like last week, and there is an incredibly monotonous feeling here, but so much has changed! All of our Diasempai (older Japanese missionaries) have left. My group is now the most senior of the Japanese missionaries. We are the example. We are the experienced ones. I was also released as district leader which was sad. I loved serving my district! Now my companion and I are zone leaders. So that is cool. I still get to be in a leadership position, but it doesn't have the personal feeling that district leader does. I love that. I loved to have people tell me what they are struggling with and then being able to help them with it! I have really grown to love service! I am so grateful that I got to be the first district leader, and I am grateful that I get to be the zone leader now.

So we have had two devotionals since I wrote last. They were both amazing! the first one was given by Sheri Dew. It was a wonderful talk about Grace (that's you Grem!). I felt the spirit so strongly! The second talk was given by M. Russell Ballard. I don't really know what his main topic was exactly, but he gave a lot of advice for missionary work. He also talked about judges. We as humans let a lot of things influence our lives and our decisions. We let public opinion influence us. We let the desire for wealth and worldly success influence us. Many people worry about which side of history they will fall on. Elder Ballard simply stated that the only judge that matters is God. He is the judge for eternity. I just loved that perspective! I have seen many people give in to public opinion. They have compromised their beliefs and eternal truths in order to be on the right side of history, to be on the right side of public opinion. They fail to see the temporary nature of this life and the eternal nature of our life to come. Something else that I thought was super cool was that Ballard simply said "follow [the prophets and apostles]. We will not, and cannot lead you astray" I loved that. I am sorry for the short letter! I am out of time! Love you all so much!

Siebach Choro

With Elder Visser--friend from my Japan days!