Week 2 in the MTC

Hooray! This one came with pictures!!

Here are some of the rad dudes in my district. My companion, Elder Chab, is the guy on the left with the Captain America Shirt.

Here's the entire zone. Love them all to death. The one holding the flag is from Brazil and barely knew English when he first got here. He studied English and Japanese, but he was called to the Japan Kobe mission speaking Portuguese. Crazy Right? He's also super nice.

Some peeps from the zone that I've become friends with. They wanted to take a picture with me before leaving for Japan on Monday.

Judas! The MTC is chalk full of secret combinations. OK, maybe just one. So in my first week I attended the MTC choir practices which have been AMAZING since music is strictly prohibited around here. At one of the practices, they passed around a survey paper and told us, "It's just a quick survey about how you enjoyed your choir experience. It's optional, but we'd like to have it for statistical purposes." No big deal, right? I figured I'd be nice and fill it out, BUT they ran out of surveys by the time they got to my row. No worries, right?

Wrong! Next morning rolls around and people are checking their mail. Some people go invitations. Turns out that they used this survey to get info, and they used said info to decide who they wanted to invite to be in the MTC General Conference Choir. I didn't even get a chance! Also, for the first time at the MTC, I was completely ticked off! But, I've got spilled milk to worry about so that didn't last too long.

I lied. There's another secret. Our 'investigator' mentioned in my last letter is actually part of the MTC staff. In fact, she's our other teacher now besides the wonderful and absolutely legendary Strauss Kyodai (Brother Strauss). Her name is Waddell Shimai (Sister Waddell) and she's an awesome teacher. She's also a very good actress because she had me and Elder Chab completely fooled! Apparently it's tradition here to convince all the new guys that their mock investigator is completely real. That really messes with your nerves considering we had only been here 2 days and our 'investigator' spoke no English, whatsoever.

Other than that it's pretty much been the daily routine here. The morning workouts still leave me sore, but at least I know I"m putting in work. I'm still amazed at how fast the language is coming, yet I know that its still so little. We have a group of Elders and Sisters here who are native to Japan and only speak Japanese. It's been fun to understand a majority of what they're saying. I just can't speak the language for the life of me!

The Spirit is never ending here and I'm glad I got the district I got. These guys are absolutely hilarious and provide much needed comic relief. The days are really starting to move fast which kinda makes me sad because now it seems like there's less time to savor everything. I love it here. It may seem like a bubble, but this is a bubble I don't mind being in.

Check out Mosiah 4 whenever you've got a chance. It's still my favorite chapter.

Week 1 in the MTC

Nothing in the world like a new missionary's first letter home!

Day1 was a bit hectic. Within 15 minutes I had my luggage dropped off, I was given a ton of books, and put in a classroom. The teachers here are fantastic and I've made a good amount of progression in the language. Also the teachers don't speak English, it is by definition, the refiners fire, which is awesome! It's all about your attitude here, and you can tell who is making the most of their experience here, it's the ones smiling and treating every trial the way it should be treated, as a way to grow. Many describe the MTC, especially the Asian language branches, as drinking out of a fire hose. That's okay though, it's actually pretty refreshing if you're thirsty. Just don't be a debbie downer, my least favorite people are the one's who treat and call the MTC "Spirit Prison". We had an investigator, named Ohira-san, within the first 2 days, which was interesting since we barely know the language. The first lesson was a bombshell, she asked a lot of questions and out of all of them the only 2 my companion Elder Chab and I understood were "What's the Atonement?" and "What's the difference between this church and the Presbyterian church?" On the upside, we knew what we were going to talk about in the next lesson. We've met with her 4 times now, and the most recent lesson was fantastic, she's been getting started on The Book of Mormon and we got her to pray with us! Sadly she's flying home to Tokyo on Thursday. But Shimpai Shinai ( No Worries ) this investigator we were given were to help us get over our nerves, and really teach us how to prepare, invite, follow up, make commitments, and overall get the basics down in working with an investigator. We were definitely not expected to convert her within a week, but at least seeds were planted and she's got a general idea of The Gospel. My companion Elder Chab is incredibly smart, he got called as district leader, which was good for him cause at first he was really quiet. He's really came out of his shell since day 1 and he is AMAZING. We've got a very similar sense of humor, and he's very laid back. Which makes sense since he hails from Long Beach. He is The California Kid. My District is amazing, they're a bunch of fun guys who are incredibly strong in the spirit. Also our Branch Presidency are the coolest dudes on the planet. The days seem long since your schedule is packed from 6:30 AM - 10:30 PM, but the longer your here the faster they get. It's amazing here at The MTC, I've been having an absolute blast, the best parts are the hard parts, because that's where all the growth happens. The food may not be the best, and the beds aren't too comfy, but the spirit is strong here, and that's what counts. We had a devotional with a member of the Quorum of the 70, I forgot his name, but his wife spoke, and she had a stellar quote. She said, " I hope you Elders and Sisters haven't lost your ability to smell the roses, even though you are working in a flower shop." meaning that we can still feel The Spirit, even when we're constantly surrounded by it. I can tell you right now that those roses smell wonderful. 
In other news, our Zone likes to get together for soccer and beach volleyball, it's been so much fun. We play just for fun, plus the best part is the smack talk. Ever hear Missionary Smack talk? It's the cleanest comedy roast you'll ever experience. Also I know you guys said I'll get fat in The MTC, so far I've lost weight. We have pull up bars in our residence hall, and one of the elders that's been here for 6 weeks is a calisthenics instructor who organizes workouts at 5:30 AM on top of whatever we do at exercise time. I've been joining him and the other elders on the that, and it's awesome! They do similar workouts to what I did with County Fire. Push ups, pull ups. sit ups, squats, wall sits, and leg lifts until you cry. There hasn't been a day that I wasn't sore and I'm really toning out. So jokes on you guys. Also it's not hard to eat healthy here, they've got a large salad bar and hot meals. Also one of the other Elders that reported on the same day as me is a rock climber! He's in the other district, His name is Elder Epel, He's a white guy, Very small and thin, has a very gentleman like British accent, and went to school in Singapore. Very humble guy and we've become good friends, he brought a portable hang board which is a workout tool climbers use for finger strength, so we've been having fun with that. 
There's so much more I'd love to tell you but I only have so much time to write this, also my laundry is almost done. I've got a couple things for you guys to read, first being Section 6 of Preach My Gospel. It's called "Christlike Attributes" I challenge you guys to pick 1 of those attributes a week, read up on it, and set goals on how you'll develop it. This week I've chosen to work on Hope.
Also, I want to leave you with one scripture reference, and I want you to feast on it. 2 Nephi 31: 14-21. It's not much, so you have no excuse, also don't read it, feast on it, there's a difference. 

The Journey Begins

Elder Eric Kelly Cuff entered the Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah on Wednesday, September 14th at 12:30 P.M. He was more than ready to go!

Many of you remember when dropping a missionary off at the MTC actually took some time as the family entered with the missionary and all participated in a short, inspirational meeting held in a rather large auditorium type room. Inspiring messages were shared, along with emotion evoking music. Then, just when emotions were at their peak, you would say your good-byes and the missionary would exit on one side of the room while family members exited the other side. With their tears and tissues.

Eric was the first missionary we actually "dropped off"! As his mother, I have to say I quite like this set up. We had all morning with each other and took time to say our good-byes privately. As we pulled into the MTC parking lot, we were directed to pull up in a specific spot as delineated by orange construction cones. The second Eric stepped out of the car another missionary staying at the MTC greeted him, shook his hand, introduced himself as Eric's host, asked if Eric had any keys or phones in his pocket, helped him get his bags out of the trunk, told him that has his host he would take him to get his tag, books and to see his room. Eric hugged each of us and...

he

was

off.

No more than a minute or two and we were back in the car and being directed to exit the parking lot.

Eric was fine. We were fine. No muss, no fuss, no tears. He's where he should be and so are we.

This gets all readers up to date. From here on out, this is Eric's blog. I will post when we hear from him.

Set Apart

Monday, Sept. 12th, our stake president, Brian Stucki, and one of his counselors, David Johnson, stopped by the house to set Eric apart as a missionary. After some small talk both before and after the setting apart, Eric, James and I make a list of the blessings that caught our attention and stayed in our hearts.

• You are now a representative of Jesus Christ
• In every action and word remember you represent Him
• Be mindful of the history and culture of the people of Japan
• Do not teach faster than you are prompted
• Meet their needs
• Teach in a language the people of Japan will understand. Not just the Japanese language, but the language of their culture.  Jesus taught in a way the people could understand, even his disciples.
• Be healthy and strong enough that when the mission president sends you to difficult areas, your physical body will not hold you back
• This is a foundation for your future life and marriage
• You will form brotherhoods, bonds that will last through the eternities with companions and those you teach
• You will be blessed with good companions
• You will not just be teaching of the restoration of the gospel, but you will be teaching about Christ’s first visit to the earth, birth and life. You will help them understand who Christ is before teaching His gospel

Highlights of the Farewell Talk, September 11, 2016

Thanks to all of the family who traveled to help us celebrate.

Service

• Legend tells of a Joke that will make your hair fall off. Apparently Bishop has only heard half of it. Brother Sanborn will fill you in later.
• Not a fan of long talks, I apologize for the briefness.
• I am speaking on Service.
• Whenever you do something, do it with a smile.
• What is service? In the April General Conference of 2009, Dallin H Oaks spoke on Unselfish service, which is not just volunteering, or performing some form of labor for someone else. Unselfish service comes through the reason why you chose to help. It is not for personal gain, it’s not so you can maintain the image of looking like a good person. It’s done out of Love, Charity, and unwavering faith. In Matthew 16:25 it states:  25 For whosoever will save HIS life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for MY sake shall find it. Whatever you do, you do it with a purpose, and smile.
• Continuing with Elder Oaks’ talk, It was difficult to find him mentioning service and not including the term Sacrifice. It’s a given, true unselfish service requires some form of personal sacrifice. For instance, church leaders and teachers may give up opportunities of personal gain in order to fulfill their calling. Work hours may be given up, and at times, they may sacrifice precious time with their own families in order to reach their hand out to those who are in need.
• A mission is full of sacrifices, for the next 2 years I will be sacrificing my ability to grow my hair out to a beautiful mane, go rock climbing, Rappel, and constantly harass bishop. I will also be sacrificing Social Media, 3 AM runs to Taco Bell, driving, Time with friends, time with the family, Mom’s cooking, and the English language. It’s not supposed to be easy, it’s not a vacation. This is an opportunity for growth, maturity, and unselfish service.
• Although it has not been easy to give up personal priorities and desires, It would have been much harder to give up an opportunity to serve, and love my fellow sons and daughters of God. I have never felt more peace, joy, and overall gratitude, then the times that I am serving my fellow man.
• In our most recent General Conference in April, Bishop W. Christopher Waddell stated, The peace we all seek requires us to act - by learning of Jesus Christ, by listening to His words, and by walking with Him.”
• Service is an act of doing, it’s not something you simply talk about. My favorite scripture is Mosiah 4:9-10 which reads: Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.
• Service requires humility, you can’t expect the blessings of service and expect that you will make an impact on someone when expressing pride. Whenever President Spencer W. Kimball would start meetings with the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, he would open with one hymn, “I Need Thee Every Hour”, In a room of spiritual giants, men who were called to lead the masses, humility reigns king.
• Pro tip. When someone gives you an opportunity to do something hard, and WAY out of your comfort zone, I would advise you to take it. I will admit that at one point I questioned whether I wanted to serve a mission or not. I’ve had friends and family who chose not to serve missions and they have still turned out to be wonderful loving people who faithfully live the standards of the church. Remember a mission is highly recommended, especially to those who are worthy and physically able but not required. The big turning point for me was when this grumpy police officer asked if myself, and the other young men, wanted to walk around the backcountry of Yosemite for a little while. I was physically and emotionally challenged, but I saw the ultimate beauty of the Earth, and began to understand how simple our lives can be. I felt the spirit, and relied on it, heavily. I had a lot of time with my own thoughts, and due to lack of distraction, I was able to think clearly about what I personally wanted to do with the rest of my mortal life on this Earth. But the big thought that I could not get out of my mind, was the decision to serve a mission, and how much more beneficial it would be for not only myself, but the life of others, and how it outweighed continuing on without that experience.
• I’ve been asked by leaders, family, and my peers on why I choose to do this. Why I choose to leave all the comforts of home. Here’s why, This church and it’s teachings have brought me joy, a sense of purpose, I’ve met wonderful, supportive, and overall loving people who have taught me the skills and lessons I utilize nearly everyday. I’ve learned to love, I’ve learned to push myself, build myself, and most importantly, I’ve learned to serve, and help build others. And I feel it would be selfish of me to give up an opportunity to share these opportunities with others.
• I don’t know what lies in store for me in the next 2 years, I don’t know exactly what life will be like in Japan, but what I do know is there are people waiting for the opportunities this church has to offer, and that this is my calling to go out and bring that opportunity to them.
• When sending me emails, don’t update me with what’s happening on this side of the world, don’t send me your complaints. Send me your testimony, share scriptures and the feelings you had, share positive experiences and what you did to make someone else happy. Tell me what you’ve done to become a better Son or Daughter of God. I don’t want to be distracted by the social issues of the modern world.
• All I ask, is that you allow me to get lost in the work.