Week 2 - Aug. 17, 2016: Absolutely Fantastic!

Hey Mom and Dad,

Thanks for all the emails, photos and letters you sent this week. It is already nice to be able to hear 
from home, and helps to put me into a great mood going out into the week. 

Things are going absolutely fantastic here at the MTC, which now makes it two weeks in a row that I 
haven't had a problem with Provo. I've scavenged enough free time that I cracked open Jesus the Christ,
and it's already a crazy book. I'm very interested to see what else I can learn from it, but I'll be surprised 
if I finish before the end of my mission. On the bright side, I am on pace to finish the Book of Mormon 
before I leave the MTC. Our Branch President challenged us, and its been a good break from Japanese 
to read something in English. 

On the note of Japanese, we have continued teaching lessons as part of the full immersion. Our 
first ''investigator'' left after 5 lessons, but now we have two new ones, who just so happen to be 
our teachers taking on the role. It's really annoying, because we have gone in there and known that 
the person we are teaching knows English, but as of now we haven't slipped up horribly. It also is 
difficult because our teachers both know exactly where we are skill-wise, and they will throw questions 
just beyond our comfort zone. I look forward to being able to communicate with them more though, 
so I guess its all for the best. 

We also are getting the chance to teach Japanese-speaking members on occasion. Our first experience 
with that will be tonight, so once again me and Elder Nukaya (my companion) will get to test our 
Japanese knowledge in a real world scenario. Its crazy how they expect us to do it, but equally 
crazy that we actually can a little. 

I'll make sure not to open any of my packages until Sunday, just like you asked. Hopefully there isn't 
too much food, because someone in my room got ~3 boxes sent in. We definitely are not going to starve. 

As for things I need, or think I need, the list is pretty small. I might be grabbing a few more hangers from 
the store, so I wouldn't need any sent, and the last thing I could see is just more of a keepsake anyways. 
While I've been going through the day, its very easy to lose track of time, or forget to live and embrace 
every moment. I don't know if it's possible, but if I could get maybe a small coin with Carpe Diem or 
something similar on it, I think it would be 
neat.

Tell Grandma and Grandpa on both sides that I love them, and that I will make sure to email both of them 
next week. 1 hour of email really isn't as long as you think it is.  

Love you all,

Elder Mitchell Woodhouse

P.S. I didn't expect to see anyone but Cami here in the MTC, but I ran into
the Elder pictured below playing basketball one day. As it turns out, he left 
only about a month after Tristan got home. It's crazy both how random, cool, 
and even common experiences like this have been. 

Scripture for the week:  D&C 6:33-36

33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.

 34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

 35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sinno more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.

 36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.