Week 18 (response to dad)

Hey everyone!

 

It seems like everyone is doing really well back home! I hope things continue to go well, and I look forward to hearing about the fun and growth you are experiencing! I am so excited to hear about Reilly and Brian's calls and I know they will be incredible! Any idea what position McCoy will be playing at BYU? Apparently my trainer's trainer is there as a... full back I think.... tell Sarah to have fun at Prom and mom to take pictures ;)

 

I am happy to hear that everyone enjoyed conference! I have been able to see all of the sessions, but one was in Chinese, so I didn't get very much from that one... I was busy contacting potential investigators... It was wierd only having an hour between each of the sessions instead of two, but I think it made things connect together just a bit better. The session I missed was the Sunday morning session which is always a really good one, so I look forward to watching that when we have time (probably over a few meals).

 

It seems like you and mom had a great time down in St. George! What was the conference on? It seems like you had the best time at the temple unsuprisingly :) It is always good to spend time at the temple. It is so incredible that there are so many so close to home. I can only imagine the struggle some people have gone through to get to the temple. It is staggering.

 

Say "hello" to Sarah for me and to everyone else! I look forward to hearing about how Comic-con is this year. I don't know if there is anything big happening... I am a little out of the loop (which is fine). I hope they have a great time there!

 

Yes, most of the missionaries in our mission now have been out for less than a year. Those who have been out for more than that are in leadership positions and so are a little more difficult to contact than those in the district, but I am still working on finding that information for you.

 

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We pray for you and hope that everything continues to go well. I am always so happy to hear about how everyone is doing and I can't wait to (at least) hear your voices next month!

 

Keep praying, Keep reading your scriptures. Keep doing what you know is right. Work hard in doing what's right because I am convinced that God helps you in an exponential relationship with how much work you put in. Much love.

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 18 - The missionary age of innocence

Dear Jordan,

Mom and I just drove back from St George today so the email may be a little incoherent. I sent you a quick email about Reilly Stamps' call to Chile (yes, in South America). Brian Carlson received his call to Texas. Dillon Hill will be returning from Texas in May before heading to BYU to play football. Katherine Johnson is engaged to be married in June. Sarah turns 17 on Friday the 11th. She will be going to Junior prom on a
date.

We were able to watch General Conference over the weekend. Mom says that they have already posted the Korean version on the web. It was very enjoyable and there were many topics. Hannah actually watch the Priesthood session with me at home. I then went on a split with the missionaries. On Sunday we went to Robert's house. Robert did the lunch and I did the dinner. Robert did bbq pork and Robert rolls. We were pretty full after lunch so we didn't eat as much for dinner. I made the burritos with the green sauce. We had a lot of leftovers. Ben had his hands full.

Monday morning we got the girls to school and then we drove to St George. I was helping present at a conference. Grandma helped drive/pick up the girls from Monday afternoon until Wednesday afternoon. Mom and I enjoyed the trip. We did a little sight seeing and did a session in the St George temple. I also did another session and got to see the newest temple movie. I didn't like it as much as the older, new version because the acting was distracting. In the session with mom, we were chosen as the witness couple.
Sarah says "Hi!" I tried to get her to say more but I guess she is too tired. Ben is planning on taking Hannah and maybe Rachel to Comicon this next week.

We hope that you are doing well. Thank you on the updates on your languages. I think it is a great blessing for you to have the opportunity to learn two languages on your mission. How are you doing with the cultural differences? Did the majority of the current missionaries arrive during the summer and that is why they are so new and inexperienced for Mother's Day?

Please continue to study and pray. We know that you are working hard. Please work smart as well. Let the Spirit guide you as you make decisions but always be out and about so that people can be put in your path. They won't come knocking at your door very often.

We love you very much. We appreciate your emails and letters. The letter arrived in about 10 days. Mom sent you a letter in the mail on Monday so you should see it within two weeks.

Keep up the great work. We continually pray for you.

Love,
Rachel, Bekah, dad, Mom, Sarah, and Hannah

Week 17 reply to Dad

From: Jordan Stamps Jones <jsjones@myldsmail.net>
Date: April 6, 2014 at 8:58:34 PM MDT
To: "Sajmba2002@yahoo.com" <sajmba2002@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Week 17 - "You are 17 going on 18..." From Korea's Alive With The Sound Of Teaching

Hey everyone!

I'm glad everyone made it back from driving safely! I am also glad the van is still holding up! How much longer do you think it will go? I keep seeing exact replicas over here and it just reminds me of the old van; we have seen a number of vehicles stop working in the middle of the road ;)

I really am happy to hear that everyone is doing so well and I hope you continue doing well! I am so happy that missionary work in the ward is still going strong. I know dad knows, but I can attest to the fact that members are a vital part of the work. Nothing can replace a friend in the ward and a non-missionary face at lessons. It is difficult, but any help you can give is always a giant help.

I hadn't heard about any North Korean stuff. There was really nothing out of the ordinary at all. It is incredible how little Koreans care about the whole situation.  I can ask some other missionaries farther north about it at conference, but the fact that no one has said anything reminds me that it really isn't very serious most of the time. I just hope it stays that way!

We still don't know about Mother's Day arrangements. I think I will need to ask at the mission conference later this month, but I'm sure it will be explained in a mission email before then.

It is still a bit tough to switch between languages, but it will turn out alright. The practice from translating during lessons has been quite helpful! I think that will stay the same for a while. They are definitely different languages, but I am starting to learn some Chinese words via translation because a lot of the religious words in Chinese are only a little different in Korean. I am able to pick out a lot more in lessons than on the street, but it is still fun. I really do hope I get better quickly, though. It is a little awkward for an elder and a sister to teach while their companions just sit back and listen.

I am hoping to send you some pictures soon, but I am still looking for a good way to send them. I apologize for not sending a letter last week, but I will send one this week, so it should get there before May... Hopefully...

Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts. You are such a help :) I look forward to talking to everyone in May; hopefully we will see each other's faces, too!

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 17 - "You are 17 going on 18..." From Korea's Alive With The Sound Of Teaching

Dear Jordan,

I just got home from teaching Hannah and Rachel how to drive. We are all alive and breathing a little easier. Both did very well. The van's battery had run down so that we needed to have a jump. Fortunately Jerone Richards was driving by and helped. Since I needed the car to run for a while I asked Hannah and Rachel if they wanted to go driving. Both said yes. Both may have their licenses by the time you come home.

Mom is teaching her classes again and it looks like it will be both Wednesday and Thursday. Bekah is taking swimming lessons on Tuesday/Thursday so we will have to figure something out on how to get mom to her classes and Bekah to hers.

Sarah has the week off from school due to spring break. The other girls will have spring break in two weeks. Next Monday through Wednesday mom and I will be at a conference in St. George. Grandma said she will drive the girls to and from school.

We had snow on the ground on Sunday and have been receiving rain and snow during the week. Fortunately it hasn't stayed on the ground and there is snow in the mountains.

From the news we keep hearing about North Korea firing into South Korea's space but no casualties. There was a town that was evacuated for a while. We hope that you are safe. We also hope that the people will use these situations to turn to the Lord.

The missionaries are still teaching Kelton in our ward. He is nine and his mom is a member. We have been trying to get them to attend our ward so that he can be baptized. They were supposed to come on Sunday but it fell through. We we have to wait until after General Conference. I thought it was interesting that you will have to wait for the Korean translation of Conference before you can hear it.

Any word on Mother's Day yet or do we need to wait for you to have another zone conference to talk with someone who would know? We will come up with a list of questions from the family so you won't have to repeat too many times.

Your last email sounded so positive and upbeat. It was wonderful! We are so glad that you are able to use your Chinese and Korean. Do you sometimes mix them up or because they are so different you really can't? When I started speaking Spanish with the Galena Branch, it was like grinding gears to get my mind back into the Spanish mode. It is much easier now. I noticed that you have started having some spelling errors but I bet it is due to having to type so fast.

I got to look at your picture in the stake office on Tuesday. We still don't have your picture up in our ward yet. That is probably good because it would remind us more of how we miss you.

Please keep up the great work you are doing. It is true. We love you. Your Heavenly Father loves you. Jesus loves you. Even when the work is hard and the day is long, please remember that those who are for you outnumber those against you.

We pray for you and your success in doing the will of the Lord. We care about you and look forward to seeing you again soon. You have completed 4 months already. The time is going by quickly.

We love you. Big hugs to you.

Hannah, Rachel, Bekah, dad, Mom, Sarah

Re: Sorry I missed you. :(

I finally have a bit of unscheduled email time. Just wanted to let you know that I pray for you. I hope you are doing well and I hope things are good in the family. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you :) If you are ever tempted to be down, count your blessings. That will help. If you really want a surefire way to feel better, though, go out and serve :) It may seem like you are always serving as it is, but I am learning more and more out here that there is always more to do. Daunting: yes, but it is always worth it :)

 

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

 

P.S. The more time I spend with Elder South the more I realize it may be a good idea to just do BYU undergrad, get some stuff on my resume, then go ivies. It may just not be a possibility currently... Though I definitely feel comfortable saying that there are more things in life than can be put on paper :)

Week 16 reply from Jordan

Hey!

 

Congratulations to Robert on the test! What did you guys do to celebrate? And I hope Ben hears back soon! Whatever happens, I'm sure he, Hannah, and Rachel will have a fun time at Comicon.

 

Thank you for the tip about backing soda. I did know that, but I haven't had a chance to use it 1. because baking soda is surprisingly expensive, and 2. I was able to get some American toothpaste near the temple. It is less than surprising that there is an American goods store so close to the temple and Mission office. Thank you for the concern, though :) Also, we can technically drink from the taps, but it is not advisable, and every house has a filter system, so it is easy to get water (gratefully).

 

I got the email about Dallin, and I was amused by how different the circumstances of each mission is. It's not surprising, but it is interesting. I can't even imagine what some other missionaries go through in their fields. Every mission, zone, every area is just too differnt to compare. I hope you are having fun with Brother Urton and Brother Wood! Is Sister Urton doing alright? I am also glad mom was able to get some medicine. Hopefully she feels better sooner than later. I hope everything went well with Grandma's trip and I hope Bonni and family is doing well, too. Basically, I hope everything is going well with everyone. I think you've caught that drift already.

 

I've been paying attention to how most of the Korean food is made, but it seems like everything folows one of two recipies. 1. Gather all necessary ingredients and cook slowly, stirring occasionally. Or 2. Gather all necessary ingredients and cook as quickly as possible over an open flame, burning if so desired. I suppose there is a third: Gather all ingredients and wrap with rice and seaweed, but I don't think that quite counts as cooking. It's still really good though :)

 

Anyway, we don't hear the news at all out here. I hadn't heard anything about North Korea or the US for quite a while. No one here really seems to care. I suppose news about North Korean military action to South Koreans is like news about Canadians doing well in hockey to Americans. It's there so much, that no one actually pays any attention anymore.

 

We've been having between 14 and 18 lessons per week, which is surprisingly high for the mission, but most people don't get Chinese lessons. I think about a third are in Chinese. None in English or French lately because those people have been falling through or too busy... I think a typical day for us is most of a normal missionary's study. Leaving early for a lesson. Lunch. Heading out for another lesson. They don't show up. We do some calls. Dinner. We have another lesson or two. We make some calls. That's about what we do each day, give or take. It's fun, but both Elder South and I feel entirely drained at the end of the day.

 

We are looking forward to conference, too. Though most of us are looking forward to not having to wear full suits after the conference in addition to hearing the talks. We will hear the conference a week after you do because it needs to be translated and I guess they don't want the missionaries hearing the talks before the natives... I hope you and Robert do something fun! I hear Spiderman 2 comes out soon. You could go see that, I think...

 

I like your thoughts on teaching by the spirit. You are definitely right. People always have certain needs, but sometimes, it is impossible for even the person to know what they are. It is difficult, but if you can follow the spirit's promptings, they will alwys have their needs met. It's incredible how true that is. It goes for daily life as well, but it is all the more necessary when teaching something about the gospel.

 

Thank you for all you do. We pray for you many times every day and hope you are all doing well. I will try to find out about the Mother's Day situation as soon as possible, but we haven't been told about it yet, and no one in the district was here last Mother's Day... I'll let you know. Once again, thank you for everything. 

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 16 - "You are 16 going on 17", The British have 16 ounces in one pound; the Chinese used to have 16 liangs in one jin

Dear Jordan,

Spring has Sprung! at least here.

 

It was great to hear from you last week. We are thrilled that you are having the experiences so that you can learn both languages. I was surprised to learn that their toothpaste was so different. You probably know that you can use baking soda to make your own toothpaste. You would mix water with the amount of baking soda that you want to use so that it is pasty but not too liquid.

Baking Soda in Korean

중조, 탄산수소나트륨, 소다

Are you able to drink the water from the tap or do you need to use bottled water? Do you have hot water for showers?

 

We started receiving the emails from Dallin again and I forwarded it to you. According to the email, he is at week 78. It is hard to believe that you are at week 16 already (basically 4 months).

We were home taught on Sunday and our home teachers are now Brother Urton and Brother Wood. Mom was still sick so she didn't go. She has had a cold and a bad cough. She went to the doctor on Saturday evening and got some medications. Rachel went with me to hometeach Sister Lee at the Clements' house. They are all well and asked about you and how you are doing.

 

Robert passed his test so he isn't as agitated. Ben is still looking and hasn't heard back from his interview. He wants to take Hannah and Rachel to the Comicon in Salt Lake in April. They will be out of school that week for Spring Break. They will probably only get to go on one day. Rachel has the Language Fair at BYU on the first day and then Ben has a wedding he is going to (not his own, we joked about that) on the last day. Grandma returns from Denver tomorrow.

 

Have you been able to learn to cook some of the Korean food or are you making home meals? Have any of the members/investigators tried to teach you how to make Korean meals? Do you follow the news very much? Do you have any emergency drills? I know that North Korea has fired several missiles over the last couple of weeks since South Korean and the US have been doing a joint exercise.

 

About how many people to do teach a week? How many in Korean, Chinese, English, French, etc? Will you describe a typical day? If you never have a typical day, how about describing what the mission president asks you to do.

 

We are looking forward to Conference in a week an a half. The Women's Conference is this Saturday and I have to think about if I will do something with Robert because all of the women-folk in the house will be attending or are invited. That leaves me all alone. This Sunday will be Fast Sunday and in the evening all of the girls have a fireside to talk about Girls' Camp this summer.

 

In Dallin's email, it was interesting that he was seeing such a difference in investigators from Brazil. He is running into some of the same issues that you face with some of the investigators. I know that people will be touched by the Spirit when it is appropriate for them and that you can't force it. I am learning to speak up when prompted to say those things that come to my mind. It has been a little hard for me because it has always been easier to let others speak, especially in Gospel Doctrine (think Webster, Berit, and Wilson). As you meet with the investigators, think about what you think would mean the most to him/her/them and then pray about it. Windows will open as well as hearts.

 

We love you. We are thankful for you and everything you have done and continue to do. We pray for you. You are important to us and to Heavenly Father. You are already a sixteenth through your mission and time is flying. We look forward to hearing from you. We also need to find out soon if you are able to call us/Skype us/etc on Mother's Day (May 11th). You will probably be able to call/Skype/etc on your P-day since that will be our Sunday evening. Please let us know what is available or what we need to do to be ready.

 

Love you,

Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Bekah, dad, Mom