Nehongo Here we go!

One of the things we learned early on was that we could get free tutoring to learn (or in Lee's case, re-learn) Japanese. I thought it would be wonderful if I could at least try to learn some Japanese. Since everyone I've met from Japan could speak English, I figured I wouldn't NEED to learn Japanese. And since I'll be working in the office where only 20% of the missionaries are Japanese, and where the mission president and his wife are from Utah, I could probably get by without learning it. And we have even learned we will be in a ward where half of the members speak English.

But how nice it would be to be able to speak with the Japanese people and get around on my own. We have a darling and excellent tutor, Norie Palmer, from Provo, Utah. She is helping us with the language via Skype, and we got to meet with her a few times when we were in Provo in September.

Here she is, busily teaching me Japanese in a Skype session. By the way, you are reading: refrigerator, oven, microwave, and sink.

I was afraid I wouldn't be able to remember the new words. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stay awake while studying. I was afraid it would just be too difficult for me. But...I LOVE IT. It is exciting and fun to learn. And I love the language. It's easier than I thought it would be, and it also has it's difficult parts.

Easy: Very few exceptions to the rules.
No need to worry about singular and plural nouns. Same word for both.
Hirigana
Verb Conjugation (for the most part)
Numbers. Once you learn 1-10, you've pretty well got it. Instead of having to learn new words like eleven, twelve, thirteen, you just say 10-1, 10-2, 10-3.
In English, we speak in sentences that use subject, then verb, then object. The Japanese use subject, object, verb. English: "I am going on a mission." Japanese: "I a mission for the purpose of going." (I should have paid more attention to Yoda!)

Hard: When a word has a "u" (pronounced oo as in shoe) on the end, sometimes a native speaker says it, sometimes she doesn't. How to know what to do? Listen to a native speaker.
There are subject and object markers, like wo, go, wa, ni, ga, etc. When to use what? Listen to a native speaker.
There are at least four different words meaning "that." There are two meaning "this." There are at least three words for "there is," depending on whether you are talking about something you think or do, or something you can touch, or if you are using the honorific. Oh, and I think there are at least five levels of honorific.

My favorite word so far: shukufuku suru. So here's your first lesson: The letter "f" is pronounced like we pronounce "h" but with the sound of air coming out between your lips. Also, you don't move your lips at all when you say this word. So it sounds like this: shoe-ku-hoo-ku-soo-doo. Try it. Don't move your lips. It's fun. And it means: to bless. Great word!! And I love the phrase: Okagasama de genki desu. It means, "Because of your goodness, I am doing fine." I hope I'll be able to use that phrase a lot. It's so lovely.

Preparing for Japan

One of the funnest things in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is opening THAT letter, signed by a living prophet, which tells you where you are going to be living for the next 18 months of your life.

As Senior Missionaries, it is possible to ask to serve at a given location.  It is possible to express where you are not willing to serve.  But if you want to really be brave, you leave it up to the Lord.....and hope.  (At least that's what I did.)

You do get to fill out a "survey" expressing whether you are:  extremely comfortable, somewhat comfortable, somewhat uncomfortable, or extremely uncomfortable, doing any number of things.  For example, how would YOU feel (be honest now) living in a third world country, living where the temperature is 95 degrees all the time, living in a country that is a bit on the cool side (think Siberia), dancing and singing in a musical production, playing the organ, teaching children, teaching teens, taking pictures of genealogical records 8 hours a day, driving where road signs look to you like chicken scratch, starting up a conversation with people on the street about religion, etc.

Lee and I said we'd be willing to go anywhere, but that doesn't mean I wasn't worried.  So when we opened that letter with all the family holding their breath, here was our first thought:

Lee:  Elation! "I've wanted to go back for the last 43 years."

Ilene:  Relief!!  "It isn't Siberia, and it isn't a third world country."

Here's a picture of the moment.

Some Change

I just had to start out this blog with a photo Lee took for me of a bunch of coins.

You know, "change." Because that's what our life has been about: a lot of change. But, of course, not the money kind.

My sweet mom passed away in February just a few days before she turned 93. I miss her.

We have continued to travel frequently, with the highlights being Whistler, B.C., Utah (think BYU football,
General Conference, and family), Las Vegas, Denver, and Houston/San Antonio.

In May we added Kyler to our family, grandchild #21 and child #6 for Alva and Wendy.

In June we lost our brother-in-law, Jim Wheeler. Our prayers are with Lee's sister Joe Ann and family. We also hosted a luau in our back yard for 100 young single adults.

In July we had a wedding reception in our back yard.

In August, we learned that in April we will welcome grandchild #23, child #6 for Jana and Scott. (Gender to be announced.)

In September we welcomed Andon, grandchild #22 and #4 for Amyanne and Kyle.

We also got together (via conference call where necessary) with the entire family and a few friends and opened the letter that precipitated this blog: "You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Japan Nagoya Mission. You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Monday, January 23, 2012."

And a few days after that, Lee was released as bishop of the Westlake Young Single Adult Ward after nearly six years. We miss them, too.

I'd say that is a handful of change.