Letter to Mom - 4 September 2014

Hey Mom!!!

Wow, this week has been crazy! And actually, I didn't get your letter! So I should get it today. I think everything is behind one day because of Labor Day, but that is okay. That's so exciting! I think that you are going to have an awesome day. 

Let's see, where to start this week. First off, We got travel plans last Friday, and that was SOOO exciting!! So the plan is that I will be at the travel office at 6 in the morning on Monday, and then we will get our passports and information there, and then we will head off to the airport!! :) That is super exciting! So, my flight will take off at 11:15 and we will land at 3:55 or 4:55 ish in Japan, the next day! haha It is a 15 ish hour flight, and we lose 15 hours, so we will land approximately 30 hours after we take off haha. :) I am so so so excited, and it has just been a week full of anticipation of leaving!! Also, I would love to make a call home at the airport, but I am not entirely sure how that works or what time it would be, so just make sure that you have the phone with you that day before 11:15 (My guess is it would be somewhere around 9-10 that I would call) so that I can call okay?? I would love to hear from anyone who is there!! :)  I can't wait to talk to all of you!! :) 

Ahh, mom, I am so excited to be in Japan. It is kind of scary, but most of the time I am just thrilled and so so so so excited to get there. :) It is going to be such an adventure, and it has been super fun to hear all sorts of stories from the teachers that we have here. The people in Japan are absolutely incredible. We have had the opportunity to skype two ladies in Japan (members) and it has always been so so fun and just super happy to talk to them! And the best part is that I could actually understand them! :) haha They are amazing, and I can't wait to be serving among them. Also, I love the language. It is so hard, but it is also so so so rewarding. And it is such a cool language! It is (or at least can be and most of the time is) so so respectful. For example, I could say "Nihongo de hansu" And leave it there which would mean I speak Japanese, but in an informal and kind of impolite form, or I could say "Nihongo de hanashimasu" which would make it polite and show respect to the person that I am speaking. How cool is that?! They are all about respect, and it has been so so so fun to learn. 

So, to explain the picture that I forwarded home this week, that was a Japanese business man who teaches English in Japan that wanted to come here and see how we learned Japanese, and once again my district was chosen to represent the Japanese speakers! It was such an honor, and I am so so so grateful that the people in my district are so amazing. I really love them, and they are some of my best friends. It is going to be so weird to have to say goodbye to 6 of the 10 in our district, because they are going to the Fukuoka mission, instead of Tokyo South. 

Ahh, this gospel is true. I just want to leave you my testimony that I know this church is true. Christ did live, and does live, and He really did pay the price for our sins so that we could come back and live with Him again. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and we really can learn anything through the Book of Mormon, especially the truth of all things. I know that President Monson is God's representative on the Earth today, and it is so exciting that General Conference is so soon. I know that this gospel is how our family will be able to live together forever, and I know that we really will be able to live together forever. I love you all so so so much. Dont ever forget it. I can't wait to talk to you on Monday, and to send you my next email from Japan!! :) I love you and miss you all!!

Love, Elder Livingston

P.S. I may not have time to write you a written letter back today because I have a lot to do and to write, so I will send you one from Japan as soon as I can, okay? :) I love you!! <3