From President Wada

Dear Brother and Sister Spackman:

Your son arrived in the Japan Tokyo South Mission on February 26, 2015 in good spirits and ready to commence his proselyting assignment. We had a wonderful time with him.

Elder Spackman has been assigned to work with Elder Nagano and they will be serving in an area called Tokorozawa. Your son can receive his mail at the following address (Mission Home address):

Elder Brett Merrill Spackman

Japan Tokyo South Mission

1-7-7 Kichijoji, Higashi-cho
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-0002

Japan

Attached is a picture of your son with Sister Wada and me, of himself, his companion, and a group picture of the new missionaries, trainers, and Assistants. We have also included a map showing the locations of the various areas in the mission. You can use it as a personal record of his assignments.

By the time you receive this letter, Elder Spackman should be arriving in his new proselyting area. The positive sustaining support he gets from you at home will be a great blessing to him. May the Lord bless you and your family as you share in your son’s mission experience.

Sincerely,

President Takashi Wada

wadata@ldschurch.org

Dear Gary and Diane,

I don’t usually add a note to President Wada’s, but once we found out who Elder Spackman’s grandpa was, we just had to add an extra picture. Please give Merrill our best and let him know that I will always put lots of raisins in any rolls I make for Elder Spackman. No extra charge!

Warm regards,

Sister Powell

Japan Tokyo South Mission

I. LEAVE. ON. MONDAY.

I really don't know if I have been more excited for something than to get out of this place and go to Japan. Holy crap. SOOO STOKED.

Really don't have much to report this week. Though all of you won't have to hear any more complaints about the MTC after this email. Guess the rules got even tighter this week to avoid "secret combinations" (basically any secret group gathering of elders). We were told we aren't allowed to do tie trades, pass down traditions (even passing down ties, clothes, etc). I brought up how many traditions our church has for example going to church weekly, Thanksgiving dinner or even Christmas. My branch pres said some traditions are good, some are bad. I just don't agree with where the line is drawn I guess...

We have been skyping Japanese church members. So hard to understand them sometimes. Though they are all sooo nice. For example no matter how bad your Japanese is they will always say it is way good. I already love these people so much and I haven't even gotten there. So stoked! 

This week was seriously just the exact same as last it feels like... It just flew by a lot faster!
I do have some pictures though!

Sorry for the lame email... Things are busy and there seriously isn't much to report...

Can't wait to get some food outside of this cafeteria, have a little more freedom and start changing peoples lives!

Pictures-

The ties I have picked up here in the MTC. This may seem dumb but I get pretty stoked when I convince an elder to make a terrible trade for one of my crap ties

The classroom I have spent like 11 hours of my day for the last 10 weeks in

Just an example of how bad the food can be here at times. That is supposed to be a french fry. lol

Ready to Go

Sorry, ready to get out of here. I feel like I am going insane in spirit prison! lol. Little things are starting to really bug me. I just want to get to Japan and start really learning the language and changing peoples lives, and eat something other than cafeteria food for once! 

Just an example of me being easily annoyed. I was walking out of the exit of the cafeteria and a senior couple were on the other side. We both started coming through the door at the same time and I tried to be very polite in saying sorry as I quickly stepped through the door and out of their way. The husband of the companionship grabbed my arm and turned me around as I walked by. He got in my face and said "Elder! THIS is a lady/sister, she deserves a little more respect. You should have let her go in front of you." I sat there shocked for a second that he had the nerve to say this. I pointed at the door and said, "THIS is the exit." He and his wife looked over at the entrance and said, "oops wrong way." No apology or anything. I usually wouldn't care and really should have more patience than that. Though I am so stuffed up here, little things make me mad. 

Otherwise, my week was very non eventful and basic. Until today. I got to see the homie Jordan Lee today who is headed out to Copenhagen, he arrived to the MTC yesterday. Also saw Aden Cowley (not sure how to spell the last name). Both good friends from high school. The amount of Elders that have come out of Eagle High is crazy. So exciting to see the amount of people that have decided to serve due to the examples of others, that now have the opportunity to be the example. Sometimes I feel like we over complicate how to change peoples lives. Loving them and being an example is where it all starts.

I have lost my retainer in the transit from Boise to here. So today I got a chance to go off campus to go to the ortho. Wow. How great it was to get out of prison after being cooped up in here for 8 1/2 weeks. The orthodontist was blasting some good music and they gave us slushies. I never knew a slushy and  music at a orthodontist office could make anyone as happy as I was in there. In the mtc they don't let us even listen to church music unless they are the ones playing it. Which is not how it will be in the field, the mtc is just super strict due to past occurrences. So that was the first music (other than hymns sung by elders) I had heard. Great experience. 

Now to add to the joy. The shuttle driver that took us back was way cool. Right before we got out to go back in the mtc he asked where we were going. He got excited and asked if we knew Gregory Sensei. Said they were good friends. I quickly told the story and he shot Gregory a text for us saying sorry and that we miss him. He also gave me his email! So great. I just sent him an email asking if we can meet up at the temple next week before we leave to at least say goodbye. So thankful for that!

Love you all and so thankful for your support and prayers. I get emotional every time I realize how many people are praying for me. I feel God's love and help every day of my life.

Ai Shite Mas,

Spackman Choro

Elder Lee and I. What a stud.

 

Igan Choro (from my district) and I at the ortho w/ our slushies. 



Gotta Work Hard

Saying goodbye to Judd Choro was sad. It made me realize how limited my time is here. Gotta work hard these last 2 1/2 weeks. He is from Salt Lake area and went to Brighton. May be a future Aggie (so of course he was cool). He reminded me a ton of some of my Bountiful and Utah friends. What a stud. Going to miss some good times with this kid here. Crazy how close you can get with someone in just 6 weeks. He and I went back to the room to grab something and I was barely able to open my door enough to go in and see all 8 chairs from the lobby chillin in my room lol. 

Since the Di Sempi, oldest elders in the zone (oldest in terms of time at the mtc), left we received 2 new districts in our zone yesterday. Haven't met them all, but they seem chill! Since Belnap and I were the only elders in our room, we took on two more. They seem like some of the coolest ones so that's good. Though one snores a lot :/ This means that my district is the new di sempi. Straight up so insane.... I'm trippin. So ready to leave but so shocked we are next. The days go by slow, weeks go by fast.

This last week we started skyping real Nihongin (Japanese people) for lessons. So hard yet so much fun they are all so patient and nice. Also willing to lie to make us feel good about our Japanese which I have mixed feelings about lolz. 

The biggest thing this week though: one of our "investigators" went to church with us. He is Watanabe (the one that doesn't believe in God). At church some of the members thought he was a missionary too. Made him feel good because he has zero self confidence and thinks highly of the missionaries. Which is great. We prepped for next lesson to tell him why they thought that, because they see more in him than he sees in himself, just as we do and most importantly God does. Though when we got to the next lesson he said he had gone to a Protestant rally in Japan and they said that we were Satan's church and a cult. We had trouble explaining it with our broken Japanese. Didn't go the best. We came back next lesson and he said that he went to Protestant church and they gave him something to read that would help his drug addiction. He said that their church would help him quicker than ours. So frustrating knowing such little Japanese. He hadn't read this book they gave him but had tried reading the Book of Mormon and had said it was impossible. We told him our testimonies and asked when we could meet again and he said never. He just wanted to go to the protestant church. We left feeling like crap...

Of course we got a chance to teach him again. The teacher that plays the role of the investigator (Sheehan Sensei) told us that we weren't speaking with the Spirit, and had us watch a video. Both Belnap Choro and I prayed to know what to do. We felt that he needed to just pray in the lesson for help. We knew God would do the rest. When we went into the lesson we talked for a bit and told him that if he prayed right there and then he wouldn't have an addiction anymore. He didn't believe us. Told us it was impossible. 

We shared Alma 32:27 and tried to explain what it means. Everyone check that scripture out! I would copy and paste but I can only have one tab open #mtcprobz. Definitely top 5 scripts for me. For those of you that don't have a Book of Mormon just look it up on google. I promise that God blesses us if we have faith, but also even if we just have a desire to believe and let that desire work in us, God will help us with the rest. 

The lessons are usually 25 minutes long, we were in there for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Our teacher later told us that he was going to drop us again and never let us teach Watanabe again if we didn't blow him away that lesson. So he just kept being difficult and wouldn't pray. Finally stopped the lesson and said (as the teacher, not investigator) Watanabe thinks we are just saying stuff, that we don't actually believe it. Something changed after that. Belnap and I spoke with a power that I have never had before. Always considered myself to be a powerful speaker but not in Japanese nor with the power of the Spirit at that point. I asked him again to pray. I told him that I promised he wouldn't have an addiction anymore if he did it. A promise I would not usually make. I saw his chin quiver. Belnap testified of similar things. You would have to be extremely shut off to not feel the Spirit in that room at that point. After an hour of pointless conversation we finally started speaking with the spirit and he agreed. He knelt down and so did we (in this super awk position that Japanese people sit in). He started praying and stopped. Stopped for about 5 minutes. I knew he felt it. He thanked Heavenly Father and said for the first time that he is happy. After the prayers he was crying. Though he was the one having the experience I would be dumb to say I didn't have one either. He said he had zero desire to do drugs, that his body didn't feel the need. Belnap asked him to be baptized and he accepted!

Though this lesson was not with a real investigator. Sheehan told us that though he was acting as an investigator he still felt God's love and help in the lesson. God knows each of us personally. I promise that. He loves and knows what each of us need. Belnap and I needed to learn how to blow people away with the Spirit. 5-10% of Japanese people take a second lesson. That is absolutely terrible. Time to change those numbers. Not by my abilities though, I am nothing without the Spirit and God. Watanabe would have felt nothing without the Spirit. I promise the Spirit is real. I have felt it and seen it change many lives and will continue to do so. If you need help with anything and have nothing but a desire to believe, let it work in your heart and humble yourself and pray about it. Pray to feel His love, for help, for guidance. You may not receive an instant answer as Watanabe did but you will receive one if you continue to show faith. I promise. 

I'm not proofreading that... Love you all!! 

Ai Shite Mas,

Spackman Choro

I found my camera!! Here are some pictures.

Judd choro and me with the best smiles we could give?

Judd and me round 2 with all the couches of the lobby in my room (someone pranked us).

Elder Maynes and me right before he left :(

#basic pic of the temple, had to do it

8/10 elders of the sickest district ever

Judd and me round 3 with Egan choro who is in my district 

Crazy Week

This week I got released as district leader because of the whole Panda incident. Not too happy about it... jk lolz though I did get released! Each DL serves for 3 weeks here. That flew by. It really wasn't that much responsibility. Though I am kind of relieved I don't have to get the mail and conduct meetings anymore. I feel like being district leader in the field is probably more responsibility/more legit. I have less than a month here, which is sweet.

I am stoked to leave. I will miss this place in a weird way but also will be so relieved. During my release interview with my branch pres. the Panda incident came up. He had gotten a call about it. He didn't even really care. I explained how we were all kind of angry and confused that we don't have our teacher back yet. He said in the phone call that he was told the mtc had let our teacher go...meaning he was fired. I won't even bother trying to explain my feelings about this cause I don't have the time. Though I am not happy about it. Nor is the rest of my district. We are trying to figure out who we can write letters to about it. Either that or we may be having someone come in to answer our questions and explain the reasoning behind firing a great teacher for bringing food to some elders to motivate/reward them for their hard work. I love this gospel. I love the Spirit I feel here. I love the teachers. I love so many of the people I have met. But as to the MTC? I really don't like it and hate some of the ways they handle situations. Call it hard hearted or prideful, I don't care. The MTC is too strict and controlling. Love hate relationship is real right now. 

This week I finally got some tough love, blunt statements, and honest opinions from our teacher and some of the speakers. So nice to hear that because it's what really motivates me. Our teacher talked about teaching people not lessons and asking inspired questions from God/the Spirit. He also talked about how important applying our lessons to specific people rather than teaching what we teach everyone, is so important. More importantly though, he told us that we aren't using much inspiration in our lessons nor speaking with the Spirit. I needed that. 

Then this last Tuesday we had an awesome devo!! Greatest one yet or equal to the David Archuletta one (goodness he is so hot <3 lolz). Elder Larry Katcher of the quorum of the 70 spoke. As many of you already know I struggle with my attitude towards obedience to a lot of the rules here and in life. Katcher spoke on WHY obedience brings so many blessings. Finally makes sense to me. Obedience allows us to gain trust. Not just with our friends, boss, or parents or for me with fellow missionaries or even my mission pres. but most importantly with God. God has so many miracles that he hopes to perform through us missionaries (and everyone in general). Though, if he can't trust us to be obedient then why should he trust us to be a part of these miracles? I want that trust and am striving to work harder, be more obedient, and to do the right things at all times.

Katcher also spoke on the importance of our attitude. I learned a lot about this selling alarms in LA this last summer. Though I didn't do the best, it prepped me for this really well and I had such a great time. Every time I got dropped off in a neighborhood and believed the hood was crap and that I wouldn't sell there, I never did. In fact I would many times just sit on the curb "knowing" I wouldn't get a sale. Every time I said "this hood is straight money, finna blow it up" I more often than not, would do well. I realize that Japan hasn't been the most successful place in terms of converts to Jesus Christ and this gospel. Though I don't have that attitude going into it. Japan has many great qualities but has the second highest suicide rate behind Korea. Many of the people are struggling at the bottom of the hierarchy in their culture. So many people there need the gospel. Katcher said that anyone that says: "the people are nice in your mission, though you won't get many baptisms, you will mostly do seed planting" (no offense to anyone that said that) is lying. I hope to prove those expectations as wrong. Maybe I will exceed the anticipated baptisms, maybe I won't. All I know is I won't let the expectations that others have for Japan missions (and the amount of conversions I will have) hold me back. The number of and strength of conversions with investigators is what is really important. I feel like the saying, "the number of baptisms you get isn't important" is true but has become an excuse to be a mediocre missionary for many.

My best friend here Elder Judd from Brighton is leaving this Monday for Japan. He is going to Tokyo! Stoked for him but I am going to miss him. Hopefully we can find a way to see each other at the mission border, or meet at the temple. 

I am trying hard to lucid dream every night I go to bed. It's crazy. If you don't know what it is look it up. I know a decent amount about it. If you know anything about it shoot me an email with some tips or fact or something cause I can't really look that stuff up here.

Thanks a ton for the support everyone! 

Ai Shite Mas,

Spackman Choro

Past the Hump

Waddup!! 

I am past the hump here at the mtc! Yesterday was the start of my 6th week. I leave the 23rd of February. Tomorrow will be a month until I leave. Crazy to think about. When I first left I kind of prepped myself for Japan. Now that I am used to the life here at the MTC (well kind of), I will have to prepare for such a different world again for next 23 months of my mission. One of the few things we are allowed to do here is get on google maps and check out our mission and it's pretty addicting. I definitely spend too much time doing that. I heard about the NFL playoffs and sad I am missing out. When I first heard about the playoffs I guessed it would be a Pats and Hawks in the SB and that the Colts would upset Denver. Just saying.. still got it. 

For some reason I can't find my camera. Let's hope I didn't loose it.. So sorry no pics this week.. 

So couple things I want to clear up from last email. We didn't actually go to Panda express last week. Our teacher just brought it to us in the parking lot on our way to the temple. We were trying to do it within the rules. Guess we still broke it... whoops! lol

Also this place really isn't as bad as I made it sound. I just know all of you want to hear my feelings about the mission and I try to tell you the unabridged version of how it really is. Just cause I would rather not say anything than not be real. FIRST THINGS FIRST I"M THE REALEST. lolz. So if you ask how the MTC is I will probably just tell you to check out my weekly email, cause that is actually how it is. It really is sick here though and I know it's where I need to be. I realize most of the reason they have these crazy rules are to keep structure with so many missionaries here.

So an update on the teacher that brought us Panda. We haven't heard from him since. We were told that he is supposed to talk to someone about what happened but that person of higher authority is gone. He was supposed to be back yesterday but the time got extended to next week. We are all starting to get worried. Sucks because we don't have any way of communicating with him... 

On Tuesday my best friend here, Elder Maynes got sent home... He had some things that he didn't clear up before he came out. I felt pretty bad plus I am going to miss him around here a ton. I see how hard it must be to be here for 8 weeks or so and not be able to make it to Japan. Sometimes that is the only thing that keeps me going. I am way proud of him though. He is such a great example for doing the right thing. Don't ever judge a missionary for coming home for whatever reason it is. Just love the crap out of them. It has got to be one of the hardest things. I have seen too many become depressed and/or throw away their lives because of the judgment of others. Don't get me wrong I am just as guilty as any for judging others. Still working on it.

I got a huge letter from the fam (thanks guys). Heard some GREAT news. My sister Amber is pregnant! I couldn't help but get teary eyed seeing this realizing how much I will miss while I am gone. It's all worth it though. I already know that and I'm not even in Japan. She asked: Girl or Boy? I am guessing boy. Just because I already have 2 nieces... So I think the odds are in my favor. Just call it hunger games? Dang I feel like I am loosing my humor here.

Elder Ballard (one of the 12 leaders of the church for those who don't know) came and spoke this week. One thing he said was that whenever we are feeling down to just write a letter to Joseph Smith in the terrible conditions of Carthage Jail and try to cheer him up. We will be humbled real quick. For those of you who don't know Joseph Smith, just write a letter to a hero of yours who has been through an extremely hard time. Something that seems unbearable to you and try to cheer them up. Great advice I know that would make me appreciate life so much better. 

Ballard didn't do this but I have noticed here that so many people compliment and tell us missionaries that "we are doing great" and that "we shouldn't stress too hard." I don't know about the rest of the missionaries here but I respond a lot more to blunt and sometimes negative encouragement. I love responding to opposition that doesn't think I can do something (haters are motivators lolz). Sometimes I feel that we are almost worshiped which in all honesty none of us deserve it. I am just happy to be here, it's a great opportunity. I wish I felt more pressure to learn the language. It's all on me here in the MTC, which may be the hardest part for me right now.

I feel like I am missing something but can't think of anything else! I love you all and am so thankful for all of your friendship, memories together and example that many of you have set for me. The chances of me being here now without so many great friends and examples would be very slim. Family is not only blood, but also the friends you choose.

Much Love Fam.

Halfway Done at the MTC!

Here's my district. Love these guys

top: me, Hansen, Igen, Muhlstein

bottom: Shuenman, DE LA PAZ, Nelson, Welch, Whisenant, Belnap (my comp)

O haio gozaimasu minason!

Sorry I wasn’t able to get back on yesterday to send this. My comp and I got done with our temple session (always great) and a lady asked us if we had a few minutes to come help with laundry. I was excited about the opportunity to serve! Though she unloaded a huge pile of socks and showed me the tedious way of folding them. Almost 2 hours later we said that we needed to leave to make it in time for dinner. When we left the temple we saw the sickest sunset and the temple looked great. I realized that I hadn’t seen a sunset since I got here because we are always in class. No picture of the sunset though pictures don’t do justice. Plus I am trying to avoid being too basic.

Not the craziest part of my day though. We begged one of the teachers here to get us Panda Express (we all miss food outside of the mtc) Greggory said that if we did really well with SYL (speak your language) for the next week we would do it. So we did yesterday. I got a Mountain Dew which I have greatly missed in this caffeine free prison ;) That first bite made me so happy. While we are sitting there eating and talking a cop car pulls up and this British guy that works for the MTC hopped out. Our teacher was like “ah busted, I can’t get in trouble right now” The man asked us how we knew this man. Greggory said that he was our teacher. Of course the man asked who the district leader was. At which time I tried to take as much blame as possible by saying it was my idea and that’s how we motivated ourselves to speak our language. It was p day so I had a little scruff on my face and the man chewed me out for it. Our teacher is such a stud I don’t want him to take any heat for this. I learn so well from him. The enforcer asked if he knew this wasn’t allowed and our teacher honestly didn’t. The rules say that he teachers can’t bring food to the “classroom.” I don’t see the big deal. The man said we should have known because “you don’t see anyone else doing this, I haven’t seen this in the 15 years I have worked here.” I couldn’t help but think “Aren’t we supposed to avoid doing what everyone else does?” I’ll be super angry if anything happens to my teacher.

Getting pretty annoyed with the rules here. I think we deserve a little more trust. Elders back in the day used to be able to take a bus on p days and go to the mall. Sometimes they would even attend BYU football games (which I wouldn’t mind cheering against the Cougs). The mall?! We can’t even get some panda express as a reward for working on the language. I sound super negative. I just don’t like rules that reward the people that just lie or purposely break them. For example we could have just walked to Panda and no one would have noticed. Though we knew that was against the rules. So we tried to do it within the rules. This place is a jail sometimes, though I still love it. My teachers are awesome, Spirit is strong, district is sick, and language is fun. Just the ups and downs I guess.

Earlier in the week our upperclassmen left for Japan. So crazy! I am stoked for them and it really got me excited. My district beat the cereal eating record here at the MTC for a single district. Previous record was 73 now it’s 83 for a single sitting. Elder Nelson of my district ate 15 bowls. What a stud.

My comp and I are still teaching the investigators. One of them doesn’t believe in God so we are just helping him pray to know if He is real. This was our 5^thlesson. I decided to tell him again that I know God loves him and wants him to be happy now and eternally. I asked if that’s something he wants. All he said back or at least all I understood was that he prayed and as usual he didn’t feel anything. My comp and I sat in silence for about 15 minutes. The investigator finally just went to the bathroom. We quickly go some words together and told him that God doesn’t always answer our prayers right away or how we want Him too. He just has to keep showing faith. Later we asked our teacher (who acts as our investigator) if he needed to go to the bathroom. He said, “No we just needed some time to think” lol.

Sorry to those of you who aren’t LDS, this may not make a ton of sense. Let me know if you have any questions. At last Tuesday’s devo for some reason I was crying through the opening hymns “Choose the Right” and “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go.” The Spirit was strong. I knew there must be someone special waiting to come through the doors. Sure enough Elder Nelson of the 12 came out right after. His second visit while I have been here. I believe that Elder Nelson and the rest of the 12 disciples have been called of God. There is no other way I could have felt His presence in that building through the Spirt. One of the things he said was that we need to learn how to trust ourselves, and never break that trust. I love that, if nothing else, you will always have yourself. Whether religious or not, do what makes you happy, not necessarily for the here and now but for your future and future family. Commit to it, and “trust yourself” that you will fulfill it. I needed to hear that just as much as anyone else. His wife talked about “being desperate” and used it in every sentence. I realized that I need to be desperate for success as a missionary as I was desperate for playing time my senior year of basketball.

Sorry lots to say this week! Again no hard feelings if you are getting these emails and don’t want them, just let me know

Ai Shite Masu

Supakuman Choro