Week 30: From Jordan

Congrats on the new dishwasher! That's been coming for quite a while ;) Probably the best birthday present mom could've imagined.

 

It's been a quiet week out here in Imun. The college students are busy studying hard for their classes now that their tests are over. You'd think the term final would mean that classes are over, but... Tests are over, though, and Love is in the air. It's not the same as back home where people show their love through kissing, or hugging, or other displays of affection. No, here, they go to PC cafes and play games together online. Or they sit in an actual cafe and text while at the same table. Once in a while there is a particularly adventerous couple who holds hands while walking down the road. When they reach the corner, they look each other in the eyes... and look... and look... and evetually the light changes.

 

The foreign population is doing well. In the last two days, There's been an Atheist Muslim, Joseph, the human beatbox, and only this morning, Hammond, the Catholic missionary from Cork. Joseph wants to perform Amazing Grace for worship services this Sunday, but he's not sure if he'll have another appoinment scheduled then. Hammond was great. He's been in Korea for a couple years now, and still has the British Isle gait. He walks with purpose, though at times, that purpose seems to be merely to walk. He talked for a while about the challenges of Korea, and then mentioned that he was from Cork. I said I had wanted to go there once,a nd he instantly piped up with pride. I suppose Cork is not the name of a place that inspires tourism.

 

There appears to be a flu sweeping around the Chinese community. Sister Deng is feeling a bit under the weather, and even Zack has got " the serious flu". They keep trooping along. Great people, the Chinese. Reminds me of a lesson a while back. The man was a student, and while we taught the Word of Wisdom, he started flipping throught the Law of Chastity pamphlet. He turned to one specific page and said, "This. I cna't stop this. All my friends do it. Stopping this would be super, extremely hard." After a time of confusion, it turns out he believes he would have a hard time not joking about sex. He now says he'll work on it.

 

Well, it's been a quiet week in Imun, where the branch is strong, the scenery is good looking, and the missionaries are above average. ;)

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 32: From Jordan

Well, it seems like the summer has completely settled in. I'm glad everyone is well and enjoying their time. I especially look forward to trying that fish fillet when I get back!

 

This week has mostly been a quiet one, though tttthere were a couple relly high points. The highest is probably our run in with Malvis. He's a student from Nigeria who loves God and all the ideas of religion, but doesn't like how churches force people to come. When we met him, he said he was interested in what we were saying and thought he should listen because he had a dream a couple nights before where he was on a stormy sea headed toward rocks, but he was saved and there were two guys "preaching" to him. We are looking forward to teaching him more. We also met a man from Iran who doesn't like what Islam has become, but would like to find another way to know God. We have been able to find some really prepared people. We just hope to start doing the same in Korean soon. ;)

 

Transfers are this week. Elder Redd will be training (probably a Korean). Elder Osborne is going to the next area over. I will be with Elder Pons in the other Imun area. Sister Deng is going over to the temple. We are back to one pair of sisters. It is going to be an exciting transfer. Elder Pons's area had already been doing a lot of foreigner work, so now that the Chineses part will be there too (unless Elder Redd's greenie speaks Chinese really well) we will be a bit hard pressed to teach a lot of Koreans... in Korea... That's a little goofy, but we'll see what happens.

 

Other than that, it has been a pretty normal week. The weather is getting hotter. Monsoon season seems to have skipped Seoul this year. Investigators are doing well, but everyone is still really busy... I don't really know what more to say. Things are good. :) I'm always grateful for your updates from back home and look forward to hearing more as time goes on.

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 32 - Alma 34:32 - For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, Behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

Dear Jordan,

Sorry this email may be a little short. Since I was up at a scout camp for the week, I wasn't able to write an email in the mountains. I came back on Saturday afternoon, still alive, but very tired. Mom will have to let you know what happened at home.
 
On Monday I met with the Galena scouts at the church. Bekah, Mom, and Hannah helped me pack so that I could be ready close to ontime. We drove up to the Uintah mountains (other side of mountains by Smith and Moorehouse). We set up camp and started teaching the cooking merit badge. The scouts set a goal to hike and earn the 50 miler award. On Tuesday we did our first hike. It was supposed to be 10 miles but it became more because we took a wrong trail and added miles. The temperature in the mountains was perfect (highs in the low 70s). I was exhausted by the time we were only half way through the hike. We kept going and finished for the day. I had one blister.  

On Wednesday we did a different hike and took a wrong turn again so we didn't get to go all of the way for the hike because we ran out of time. We still did more miles and I had two more blisters. On Thursday we decided to do the 20 mile hike. We started earlier and we were able to finish. We had been blessed when we took the wrong turn the day before because we talked to someone that we do the hike the opposite direction from what we had planned. There were more down hill areas the way we went.  

On Friday the boys went on another hike for those that didn't go on Wednesday. I took a long nap and then went fishing. I caught two fish but let one go because it wasn't very big. I am learning how to filet the fish so that there aren't bones. We cooked the fish in butter with garlic, salt, and lemon juice and it was delicious. On Saturday we packed up and drove home. It was a good camp but I was exhausted.  

On Wednesday I actually broke down in my tent because my cot wasn't working and I knew that I needed to sleep. I prayed for help and received the inspiration to put away the cot and just use the mat with the sleeping bag. I was able to sleep and get the rest I needed and have the energy to do the hikes. I was so grateful to Heavenly Father for his help. I knew it was beyond my capacity to do it on my own.

Well, enough about me. We received two new missionaries in our stake replacing Elders Alpin and Dean. One is from Missouri and the other from Texas.

Mom and the girls may be driving to Denver to help Rachel because Bonni will fly to Germany to meet with Chris for a couple of days.

We love you, Jordan. We continually pray for you. You are doing a great job. We love that you are excited about the work. Please stay strong in being obedient and following the promptings of the Spirit. You are a great son and a wonderful person. Again, we love you.

Love,
dad, Mom, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel (still in Denver), Bekah

Shoes!

p.s. I attached a picture of one of my shoes, two of them are like that, but I figured one picture would suffice. Let me know if it is otherwise.

p.p.s. I have been using a shoehorn. I think it is mostly the fact that we walk everywhere all day long. ;)

Week 31: From Jordan

I'm really sorry about getting last week's email to you a week late. I thought I had sent it, but I hadn't, then when I wrote all of it and had it basically done, then my computer shut down and I couldn't send it. I was a bit upset about that all week, but it's to you now, and I think it was pretty fun. :)

Sorry about the young men not coming to flags, but I suppose it's a good bonding experience for the family! It might just be a universal thing that everyone gets more busy during the summer. We're experiencing the same thing here, except that no one even leaves the area (with the exception of Chinese investigators who go home). I guess people just want to enjoy their free time so much that they schedule all of it to the gills.

Whatever the case, things are good here. The weather is really warm, and I am going to start taking advantage of afternoon showers. We have permission to do them, but they take a lot of time out of dinner, so it is generally not a popular option. A cold shower, though, would feel incredible. I have resorted to carrying around the camel-back, and it is quite helpful now. It was just too heavy a while ago, but the heat has made it a welcome burden. All the missionaries are discovering impossible sweat stains on shirts that seemingly appear out of the blue. Most of the people in the district are going to try to get new shirts soon. I only recently got my first batch, so don't worry about me. Also, Elder South was kind enough when he stopped by to pick up the rest of his luggage to leave some Fels-Naptha. That has saved quite a few shirts in the district lately.

Transfer calls are this weekend, so we'll see what happens. I think I will be here for the apparently mandatory 7.5 months, so no change for me, but at interviews this last week, the mission president hinted at a fair bit of change in the district this transfer. We're all excited to hear what happens. 

I am always so happy to hear that everyone is doing well. It seems like you are using your summers to the fullest! :) I understand the difficulty of getting everyone up for scriptures, but I'd say it is a worthwhile sacrifice. Proverbs 20:13 :) I hope everyone is enjoying the heat and the ability they have to wear shorts... and t-shirts... and hats... I hope you're all having a good time. :) I am still doing well, and always look forward to hearing about your exciting adventures. Every moment is special and irreplaceable. No moment is like another, so we may as well enjoy every single one. :)

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 31 - Luke 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

Dear Jordan,

 

    We are sorry we didn't see an email from you last week. We know that you sent one to Hannah. You sound great.

 

    Mom was able to scan all of you pictures that you sent. She will be able to post them, probably this week. They all look good except the one where you are sitting in what mom says is the "ugly chair". That one is a little out of focus, probably due to the chair. Ha ha.

 

    Last Thursday after work, I helped Bruce make 10 more flags. The process was pretty simple but it definitely helped having the two of us working together. On Friday morning (4th of July), not one of the scouts or young men showed. Pete put up the flags by the church earlier in the day (6 am). Hannah, Bekah, and Makala helped me with my route and Bruce did his regular route. Hannah and I then drove to Alpine to mow the lawn. While we were gone, Bekah was able to prepare the vegetables for Robert's house. We then went to Robert's house and had hamburgers. He made/grilled the hamburgers with bacon inside. They were good. We then rented two dvds from RedBox and watched them. Since it was so warm we stayed in his house the entire day. Mom had dropped us off at his house and then she drove downtown to meet with the Johnson's from Denver. She took them around the city to see the sites and Temple Square. I have asked her to write to you telling you all of her exploits. In the evening, Mom picked us up and then we took down the flags. Again, none of the young men showed.

 

    On Saturday we did some hiking in Little Cottonwood Canyon. We drove up to Snowbird and walked on the short hike to the end of the trail and back. We then drove down the canyon and stopped to do the hike near the spot where they got the granite for the temple. It was hot down there so we didn't go far. We then met grandma and watched Captain America, Winter Soldier. It was good but very action packed. We then ate lunch at Subway and then Robert drove us around to do some shopping since Mom was with the Johnsons again. I then tested out some camping equipment that I bought after becoming scoutmaster. Bekah helped me. I then put the flooring back in place since the dishwasher was working properly.

 

    On Sunday Mom and I drove to Salt Lake City to meet the Johnsons and to take them to Music and the Spoken Word. It was at the Conference Center (since it is summer and there are bigger crowds). It was very nice. Mitt Romney and John Rhys-Davies were in attendance. John Rhys-Davies was there because they had just had the Fantasy.com and he was attending as well as most of the dwarfs from The Hobbit. After the presentation we dropped the Johnsons off at their hotel so that they could drive to Las Vegas for the rest of their vacation. I went to church with the girls and after church we went to Robert's house for dinner. We had chicken sandwiches and fruit and vegetables. We then watched some television before coming home.

 

    On Monday we had Family Home Evening as usual. I also ran some errands. On Tuesday it was my first real day of being scoutmaster. We ran through the Oath, Law, Motto, Slogan, and Outdoor Code. We selected a new Senior Patrol Leader and then did some knots. I had treats (of course) so even some of the leaders stayed. We then helped the Young Men create some directional boxes (arrows on boxes) for the Stake 5k Run/Walk this Saturday.

 

    We have been FaceTiming Rachel about every third day. She seems to be doing well. I think she will be very happy to be back with us after the cabin. Also, I can't believe I didn't remember it, after setting up the flags, Hannah drove the grey car home. Michaela and Bekah were in the trunk area and I was in the passenger area. She did pretty well but she hit the brake a little hard a couple of times so that Bekah and Michaela hit into the car. I think Hannah is still very worried about driving. She will continue to get better.

    Sarah and Mom are feeling better. Sarah still has a cough though. We didn't do fireworks this year but Bekah was able to see the fireworks from the top of Maria's house again. I have almost finished reading the Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price in Spanish again. In English I am in Alma where he and Amulek have started preaching to the people of Ammonihah. Since school ended, we haven't been reading the scriptures in the morning as a family.  We will start up again when school starts.

    Keep up the great work and enjoy each moment. Your mission is flying by. I know some days may not feel like it but it still is another day. Hopefully you are still healthy and strong. We keep praying for you (and Rachel). We love you very much. 

Love,

Bekah, dad, Mom, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel (in Denver)

From/to mom

From Mom: Thinking of you!  "I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most - to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person." Audrey Hepburn, 1929-1993, Actress and Humanitarian

July 13, 2014

Thanks for the email! It's a good one :) I hope you're doing well. It seems like it. I'm glad you got over your sickness. If it comes back, I can say that spicy and/or (but preferably and) hot foods help with basically any ill. ;)

Thank you for everything you do. You are doing great things even though it can seem like digging ditches sometimes. Alma 48 ;)

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

New Pictures!

To Hannah

Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2014 13:57:51 +0900

Subject: Re: "And I say hello..."
From: jsjones@myldsmail.net
To: hannahjones1998@msn.com

Sounds like you're having a great summer! Keep up the good work!

 

Sorry about the fireworks being too loud, but if it's any consolation, we didn't have any!

 

I hope you enjoyed FantasyCon even though you seem to have missed a lot of it. That seems like a great job for you. I hope you can make that work!

 

Keep enjoying your summer, and I would recommend keeping a journal of what you're doing. It is much easier than trying to remember everything. ;)

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

From Hannah

From: hannahjones1998@msn.com

To: jsjones@myldsmail.net
Subject: "And I say hello..."
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2014 15:33:44 +0000

Hello!

Michaela is visiting for quite a while this time. She's on online school, so she can stay longer. She's only just taller than Bekah....

Elder Redd, do you say his name like the color red, or is there a special way to say it...?

Last Monday, I walked up to the library, and the missionaries were there writing emails. I waved, and Alpin waved back.

The fireworks are very big (seriously huge), and very loud this year... It's a little hard to sleep.

On the third (Utah), Mom and I went Downtown to see MoTab, and Mom's buddies (talked about \/). Before we heard them, Dad, Sarah, Bekah, Mom and I went to Crown Burger for dinner. Sarah's still coughing a lot. After that, Dad stopped the car near the Blue Iguana place, by Capitol Theatre, and told us that FantasyCon was free (it wasn't [$20/person]), so Mom and I walked over to the building. We walked in through an open door.... and all that we did there was take pictures, and eat a small Dippin' Dots. It was near the end of the day, so all the guests were gone (Sylvester McCoy, several of the dwarves from the Hobbit, Sam and Pippin from the LotR, Mark Sheppard, John Rhys-Davies [from Indiana Jones], and many others I didn't know). There were a lot of elves, characters from LotR/Hobbit and Harry Potter, and some from Doctor Who. They had a guillotine and a pair of stocks too.... I saw a friend from school, Sharon. She was one of the staff, and she can get me tickets, and "rope me into being staff." (Which I want to do.) I also met two of her brothers. A boy from school, I never really learned his name, saw me, and I said hello. Mom took lots of pictures, I took as many as I could with my phone, and they're on Facebook. Mom and I rode FrontRunner home, it was my first time, and we went all the way up to the third level.

Yesterday (Saturday [Utah]), Robert, Ben, Bekah, Dad, and I went on two hikes, one at Snowbird, the other down/up the road. It was 78 degrees, or thereabouts. It was very hot for the second because first, it was lower in elevation, and second, there were very few trees... I still enjoyed them.

So you know how Mom missed her flight? Well the hotel shuttle driver who drove her to the hotel came to Utah (with his wife) on their way to Las Vegas. He and his wife aren't LDS, and Mom showed them around Downtown SLC and other places in Utah. I think it was on the 4th-5th... They also came around our house, and I was able to meet them.

That's it so far... Hopefully I'll remember to write you next week.

Hannah Jones

Week 30 - Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Dear Jordan,

    Hope you are doing well. Is it still hot and humid or do you get some relief from the heat occasionally? I have told a couple of people about your comment about the umbrellas/parasols that you see them all over due to people trying to get out of the direct sunlight. We had a bit of relief with some cooler temperatures and some rain but this week it is back to the 80s/90s.

    Last Wednesday evening Mom and I went shopping for dishwashers for her birthday present. On Thursday evening I attended the Galena Branch's Court Of Honor. They did a pretty good job. On Friday Hannah and I bought the dishwasher for Mom and then went to Alpine to mow the lawn. On Saturday (Mom's birthday) I went to the temple and then dropped Mom off at physical therapy and I went grocery shopping. I then took Mom to lunch at the Outback. She had her favorite and it was cooked just right for her. She then took a nap and I prepared taco salads for dinner for the missionaries. We ate at the Urton's house and we had a great time. After dinner the missionaries shared a thought from the scriptures. On Sunday Mom rested all day due to another ear/throat infection. Sarah also was diagnosed with pneumonia. Both are having good and bad days. On Monday we had Family Home Evening and then did Facetime with Rachel. She looked well and was interacting with Bonni's children quite a bit. I then went with the missionaries to teach a lesson on baptism. It was with a 9 year old girl in the Edgemont ward who has been attending church and hopes that her dad will be able to baptize her. He is meeting with his bishop to be ready. On Tuesday it was a joint activity for YM/YW and we went swimming at the White City pool. The boys tried to put Pete into the pool but they were unsuccessful. Chad and Kyle were able to push him in. He then acted like one of the YM and had a great time. On Tuesday we also had the dishwasher delivered and installed. Yea!

    Bonni has asked us to send an email or letter to Chris for his birthday. He is turning 40 so she wants at least 40 letters or emails sent to him. If you want to do a quick email, we will forward it to Bonni for you, if you don't have her email address.

    Brian Carlson sent his first email from his mission and he didn't provide much information on what is going on or what he is doing. His mom was a little frustrated. I want to thank you for how much you have improved in providing more information. We know that we won't understand everything you do or are experiencing. We do want to try. Please continue to send us your experiences, thoughts, feelings, etc that you want to share. We hope that you are documenting your experiences in your journal. When people ask, we say that you are doing well. You seem upbeat in your emails. You are in the same location outside of downtown Seoul in an area that has three universities. Because there are many students, they are your main contacts. Since several are from China, you get the opportunity to use both Korean and Chinese. You are serving in a branch and are with your second companion in Korea. You have had great companions and are enjoying your mission. Is there anything else that you would like added? Is there anything that you want changed in what we say?

    Your photos were great. Mom really enjoyed your letter to her and the photos. This Friday is the 4th of July (Independence day for those outside the country). We will set up and take down the flags and have lunch at Robert's house. I don't know about fireworks yet.

    We love you Jordan. I continue to have people tell me what a great person you are. I agree with them. Keep up the hard work and enjoy the experiences. Heavenly Father loves you and he is preparing the people you will teach. Please keep following the Spirit and you will be led to those who are ready. Be aware of what is happening around you and you will see the hand of God in all of the little things. Onward and upward.

Love,

Rachel (in Denver), Bekah, dad, Mom, Sarah, Hannah

Week 29 from Jordan

Hey eveyone! Sounds like things are going well!

 

First off, thank you for the story [from Sister Urton] in the other email. That's a great couple of stories, and I'm going to remember those for a while! It's really true that there are times we don't recognize what we have. I hope those stories are shared more, and I hope that everyone is able to share the blessings they have with more people. There is absolutely no drawback to sharing the gospel. Forcing the gospel down someone's throat: yes. Sharing: no. It's especially easy in America. Take advantage of that. It is Korean culture to not refer someone to the missionaries even if the person wants to be referred unless there is a strong relationship with the missionaries. Not necessarily a bad thing, but a tidbit of Korean culture. It's an emotional people over here.

 

This past week we had a combined zone conference out of the blue with someone named PJ Rogers. I had never heard of him, but apparently he teaches at BYU-H. He speaks fluent Korean and got a Ph.D. from one of the most prestigious universities in Korea. You can Google him for more information. He did a 2.5 hour training on Korean culture, language learning, and missionary work in Korea. It was one of the best meetings we've had yet.

 

This week has been a good one with Elder Redd meeting a couple investigators he hadn't met yet. People are slowly finishing school and/or graduate school tests, so appoinments are becoming easier to make. We are hoping for another Chinese baptism this next week (though since he is really good at English and near fluent at Korean, I don't think it's quite the same). A few of our foreign investigators have gone back home, and I'm not entirely sure what the procedure is to refer people to Kentucky or Africa... There is, however, a summer semester here, and it looks like there will be even more foreigners than usual. We are stocking up on all the Book of Mormon languages we can.

 

Quick sidenote. We saw the most uneventful crash of all time yesterday. A delivery bike was speeding down the back alley we were walking down (delivery bikes follow absolutely no traffic laws, of course... no one really does) and was about to cross an intersection, when a family walked across the street. The bike stopped about 2 feet away from them, looked shocked for a second, then was hit in the back tire by a student from the other intersection who had been riding a bike without looking. They looked at each other, looked at the family, the delivery man said the family's kid was cute, the bikers asked each other if they were okay, and then went back to business as usual. We can learn something from that.

 

Thank you for everything you are doing. That you for the email and the news. Thank you for working hard back home and being such good people. Love you all. Always remember what you have as members of this church, and never be ashamed. There is no shame in being right.

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 29 - 1 Corinthians 15:29 - Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? (만 일 죽 은 자 들 이 도 무 지 다 시 살 지 못 하 면 죽 은 자 들 을 위 하 여 세 례 받 는 자 들 이 무 엇 을 하 겠 느 냐 어 찌 하 여 저 희 를 위 하 여 세 례 를 받 느 뇨)

Dear Jordan,

    

    We hope that you are doing well. We received your packet with the photos and mom's birthday letter. Thank you. Do you have the photos as digital as well for uploading or should we scan them and upload to your blog? Please let us know which you prefer.

    The girls came back from Girls Camp on Friday and they all enjoyed it except for the mosquitos. Mom was supposed to fly back on Saturday night from Minnesota. She and Bonni flew to Denver but then Bonni's ride didn't show. Lisa helped Bonni until her ride came but by then she had missed her flight to SLC. She stayed overnight at a hotel and then went to the airport. Rachel flew to Denver Sunday afternoon so mom was able to spend some time with her before Rachel went to Bonni's house and mom flew to SLC. A special "THANK YOU!" to Steve and his family for helping Lisa and Rachel at the airport. Saturday was a pretty long day for me. Ben, Rachel, and I went to Alpine. Rachel mowed the lawn (last time until August) while Ben and I finished taking out the rest of the cabinets from grandma's kitchen. She still needs to get a plumber and electrician to make the changes she needs done. Ben and I will then be able to put in her floor and then she can have her kitchen put in. I then helped the Young Men do the shopping for the camp at Bear Lake this week. It took several hours. I then did our food shopping.

    Sunday was fun. I went to Ward Council in the morning (last one for a while). We then went to the Urton's to be home taught. We then went to church and I was released as the ward mission leader. After sacrament meeting, I drove Rachel to the airport and I went through security with her. I stayed with her until she boarded the plane. She didn't seem too homesick. I then drove home and we went to Robert's house for dinner as usual.

    Family Home Evening was different on Monday. It was Mom, Hannah, and me. Sarah still refuses to attend unless we have something she wants. Bekah was asleep for most of it. So it was our small group. I guess Mom and I are preparing to be empty nesters within 10 years. After FHE we did Facetime with Rachel. She was tired from all that she had been doing at Bonni's.

    Big news. Hannah took the driver's test yesterday and pasted so she now has a learner's permit. Mom and I now get to teach her how to drive a stick shift. She is growing up quickly now. I was sitting next to her during sacrament meeting and she was singing out loud so that I could hear her and she had a young woman's voice. It was a little unsettling for your "old man". I almost did this scripture in the Subject (Proverbs 20:29 - The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head).

    In your photos you looked very happy. Did you write down the names of the people in the photos? Rachel made a remark about your bright yellow tie. We are thrilled that you are doing well with your companion. We hope that you will continue working hard especially when school is back in session. Hopefully you won't be transferred before then. However, if you are transferred, I am sure you will enjoy the people just as much but with different challenges.

    Thank you for keeping us informed on how you are doing. Hannah shared her email from you during FHE. We love you. We miss you, especially at Robert's for dinner with your interactions with Ben. Since it was just Robert, grandma, Ben, me, Hannah, and Bekah dinner was fairly quiet. Keep working hard and don't be afraid to talk with the people. You are a great son and a wonderful child of our Heavenly Father. You will continue to be blessed.

Love,

Hannah, Rachel, Bekah, dad, Mom, Sarah

Week 28 from Jordan

It's good to hear that everyone is doing well! Keep up the good work! :) Have fun with the calling to Scoutmaster! I told you that would happen! ;)

 

Things have been pretty quiet this week. Finals are done for all but the post-grads, so people are a bit more free, but a lot of them are just heading to their hometowns, so we're doing a fair bit of refering...

 

I don't know if it is technically monsoon season right now, but yesterday as we were doing door approaches (the distric wants to find a family and feels that is the most effective means toward that end) a storm sprang up out of nowhere and the next thing I knew I couldn't hear Elder Redd unless he was speaking very loudly right next to my ear. It had been a dry day up to that point, but when I looked down at my pants, the leg facing the wind was completely black from the rain, and the other was as dry. When we got home for dinner, my leg dripped for about an hour. They've got really nice rain here! :)

 

We did get to attend a fireside with Elder Cook after a combined conference with Seoul South in the morning. It was the shortest mission conference most of the missionaries had ever been to. I think it was only 2 1/2- 3 hours long. He went through and shook every missionary's hand. That is what actually took the longest amount of time. We had a good time and got to take an investigator to the fireside he spoke at in the evening. I can now say that I have heard 5 talks from apostles on my mission. 2 from Elder Bednar in the MTC and Elder Cook once in the MTC and twice here. According to the mission president, though, that will be the only time we will see an apostle in Korea on our missions.

 

Looking at the pictures some of you have sent to me, I am reminded that the Korean people are really small around. In the 목욕탕 (a sort of bathhouse) we get to go to sometimes there is a BMI chart calibrated to Korean body types. According to that chart I have about another 20-30 pounds to lose to be a "healthy" weight. I have already lost nearly 40 pounds. Some things are very different here. Either way, I am getting healthier, and that is helping the work. :) The house has started doing P90X and another workout routine (Insanity) in the mornings. I think is working well for everyone. At least it has helped my cardio. I am keeping up with the elders who did cross-country and track in high school. :)

 

Whatever the case, things continue to go well here. I am always grateful to hear from you and hope that you continue to have a great summer! Thank you for all that you do!

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 28 - St Matthew 11: 28 - 30 - 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Dear Jordan,

    It has been a quiet but busy week all alone. Mom is in Minnesota. The girls are at Girls Camp. Mom flew out on Saturday but didn't arrive until early Sunday morning. She has been helping Bonni with her kids as they visit everyone in MN. Saturday was a busy day. In the morning (Flag Day) I helped set out the flags with Bekah's help. Robert and I drove to the cabin to help haul out the logs that were cut down a couple of weeks ago. Afterwards we stopped at Polar King and ate lunch. I then did the food shopping. Then I took mom to the airport. Then I drove to Alpine to fix one of grandma's sprinklers. Bekah and I then took down the flags. I then took the girls to get any remaining items for camp and then drove them and their gear to Luann's house. The girls left on Monday morning for Girls Camp. The are returning today so I expect some noise when I arrive home. They rafted the Green/Colorado River and they also sent a picture of themselves in from of Delicate Arch. I will ask questions when I get home to find out all that they did.

    On Sunday I was called as the scoutmaster. I am really looking forward to the calling. I am still the ward mission leader until they call a new one. Monday night we had the ward Family Home Evening at the Haueter's home. Only the Herbert-Voss family came. By the way, James did graduate and he is already up in Alaska. On Tuesday we made final plans for the food for the campout next week for Young Men's camp. On Wednesday, Mark Johnson and I did some home teaching and then I gathered some information so that I could fill out the tour permit for the campout. On Thursday night I helped with the Galena scouts for a bit and then went home and mowed the weeds. We got another warning about high weeds so I took care of it. Tonight is the only night that I don't have anything planned. Saturday morning I want to go to the temple, then Ben and Rachel and I will go down to Alpine so Rachel can mow the lawn and Ben and I can finish taking out the counters in grandma's kitchen. At 1 pm I will be meeting with the scouts to do the shopping for the camp for next week. I will still need to do our shopping but I will probably do it later in the evening. Mom flies in that night around 10:30 pm. Rachel flies to Denver on Sunday around 4 pm. It is a crazy eventful week. Next Saturday is mom's birthday in case you want to do anything special in the email this week.

    Hope you are doing well. Are you healthy? Strong? and the rest of the Scout Law? How is the work going? How is your new companion? In the Church News it talked about two of the apostles visiting Japan and Korea in May. Did you attend the conferences with the other missionaries?

    Can't wait to hear from you. We love you. We pray for you. You are in our thoughts constantly. Keep up the great work. Keep studying both languages and the gospel.    

Love,

Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Bekah, dad, Mom

Week 27 from Jordan

Hey everyone!

 

Sorry it's a bit later than usual, but we just got back from Costco. I figure that's a worthwhile use of P-Day. We have a fair bit of food and will actually eat a bit healthier than usual, it seems! I still haven't gotten an umbrella, but I am occasionally using the extras that have sprung up around the house. I didn't think we had any, but they have just started appearing... The district will make do :)

 

My new companion, Elder Redd, is from Utah originally, but moved to Seattle at the end of his Sophomore year so he says he's from Seattle. He went to a semester of BYU and is thinking of studying engineering. He is the first missionary in 이문 in a while who has been here for over a year. Because he has been in country for so long, he is able to understand basically everything anyone says to him (with the exception of an old man who spoke at 200mph late one night. We were both lost on that one). He's a fun guy who loves to make American food. He has been serving in the countryside for 7 1/2 months so he's still going through a bit of shock at the number of people in Seoul, but he's adapting well. In a lot of ways he's just like Alex, so that's fun!

 

It sounds like everyone is doing well back home. I hope girl's camp goes well and that everyone gets to have a fun time! Sorry to hear about the wisdom teeth, but it seems Sarah is recovering well. I'm glad the missionaries got to help. It is a little funny that dad will be the only one at family home evening this week, but I suppose that is the best time to have family home evening with the ward. Did any of the missionaries in the stake change, or are they both the same still? I know sometimes it is good for new faces in areas. Of course, that's coming from the missionary that will spend a quarter of his mission in the smallest area of his mission. That's funny :)

 

I'm so glad everyone gets to do so much good (Jason getting his endowment and going out to the field soon, Brian getting to the MTC)! If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd love to email them a couple times while they're out, so I'd be really grateful if you could pass along their emails. :) Wish Hannah good luck on her driving test! Has she been learning on the stickshift? Keep up on the chores. It is worth it. Tell the girls that they should just do a really deep clean of the entire house over a couple days then just do maintainence every couple days. It's much easier, and they can have fun with it.

 

It's always great to hear about how all of you are doing, and I hope you keep having a great time! The summer is the perfect time to do what you really want to do. I think doing a deep clean of the house could fall under that category ;) Thank you for everything you do and for what you have taught me. Also, tell Sam I believed him, I just didn't think I'd be using Chinese this much ;) Love all of you and I look forward to hearing from you next week!

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 27 - Doctrine and Covenants 38:27 - Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.

Dear Jordan,

    Hope you are well. How is your new companion? What can you tell us about him? Have you purchased an umbrella yet to keep out of the sun? Is it still hot and humid?
    We have had 80 degree weather with a couple of days of clouds and sprinkles. It has been pretty hot. We implemented a chore system so that the chores can get done during the summer and the girls will be able to enjoy the computer/movies. It started out well but fizzled a little at the end of this week. Sarah went to Special Needs Girls Camp on Monday and Tuesday. She enjoyed it and returned home safely. On Wednesday she had her wisdom teeth taken out. She had all four taken out but they were finished in under an hour. They had to break one of her teeth but the others came out without problems. She has almost recovered. Hannah will be taking the driver's test within the next couple of weeks. She has already started studying the manual. She still doesn't want to drive but she is getting prepared.
    Brian Carlson entered the MTC this week. I forwarded the email from Lori stating that Jason will go through the temple this next week. The missionaries stopped by this week to check up on everything. They helped give Sarah a blessing after her extraction. On Monday I will have the ward Family Home Evening but none of the family will be there except me. Mom will be in Minnesota and all of the girls will be at Girls Camp.
    We hope to have a baptism soon in the ward. Chris has been attending with his wife and they have even been attending the Gospel Principles class. We hope to receive approval soon for his baptism. There hasn't been very much teaching in our ward, except for Chris. The missionaries have been a little busy with the rest of the stake but they still aren't near capacity yet.
    I renewed my temple recommend on Wednesday so I had several people ask how you are doing. This morning Sam asked about you and I told him you had a new companion and also the story of the umbrellas. He told me that he told you that you would be using Chinese on your mission but that you dismissed it as a joke. He said that he has an uncle that served there and some of the Korean characters are from the Chinese language.
    For Family Home Evening, we negotiated how many chores for the different tasks. I then taught Bekah about how to use a pocketknife. I told her about the blood circle and to always wait for the Thank You before letting go. She is very excited about going to camp. Saturday we will finish buying the things they need, including their Secret Sisters.

    Mom says that Ann Wen works at the Smiths Pharmacy and says Hi. Mom and Hannah are sorting through the kids books to see which ones to keep. She is doing it because the suitcase is the only one that is left but it was full of books.

    We look forward to your next email. We love you. We pray for you. You are wonderful and are doing an amazing job.

Love,

Mom, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Bekah, dad