In the "new non-fiction" section of the library this week...

Merry Christmas!

Dear Jordan,
Just a quick email to wish you Merry Christmas. We look forward to talking with you later today.
We love you.
From dad and Family

Week 56 response

새해복 많이 받으세요! Receive many new year luck! Doesn't translate well, but that's the word for word translation. ;)

It sounds like you had a fun New Year's party! I still know nothing about either of those movies you watched! Maybe next year. :)

We didn't have any fireworks here. They may be saving them for Chinese New Year, 설날. That is supposedly a very big party. I barely missed it last year. I was a few days late... It is reportedly bigger than the American Christmas. We will see. They definitely have holiday spirit saved up from December. I look forward to it. I think it will be on the 19th of February. I don't know anything about our plans except that we clean apartments on that day because there is no one to talk to. The apartment needs it, so I am grateful. :)

The ward went to the top of a nearby mountain to say a prayer and watch the sunrise on New Year's day. I was sick and so stayed in bed the whole day, but I'm better now, so I think it was a good trade. Also everyone came back with sores and near hypothermia from the steep climb and windchill added to the negative temperatures (Fahrenheit) at the peak. No one said it was fun. Koreans really put a lot of emphasis on suffering together. I suppose there are a lot of reasons they survived the Korean War. I suppose technically still surviving... That's the message the Korean War Memorial here says. I haven't heard anything about the situation up north, but everyone still wants unification. It's just part of their subconscious and culture. I don't know, but it may be what the Germans felt about Berlin. That ended. 

Thank you for the reminder that I only have 11 months left. I have 8 transfers left. That is just not very long, and I am really focusing on not letting any moment get away from me. I will talk more about college as time goes along, but now I do not think is the time. ;) 

It's always a pleasure to hear from you, and I hope you keep doing well. I'm glad that we have something besides a Kia (all the Koreans will hate me now), and I'm glad Dallin has a car. Is it safe, though? ;) 

I hope you all made New Year's resolutions and look back at them regularly. There is really nothing of any consequence at New Year's except those goals. That was the focus of our Christmas conference... held in very early December. Make goals. Write them down. Figure out how to make them happen. Do it. I hope those goals motivate you. They sure motivate me. :)

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Week 56 - Doctrine and Covenants 56:18 But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs. AND Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Dear Jordan,

 

Happy new year! We hope that you continue to do well. Please let us know if there is anything that we need to get for you. How is the weather treating you? Are you staying warm enough?

On Monday we got some more snow. We also had the Platt family party in the evening. It was enjoyable to see all the relatives that we hadn't seen for a while. They asked how you were doing and if we were able to talk with you at Christmas. We were able to say that you're doing well and that we enjoyed talking with you. 

On Tuesday we didn't have anything really happening because there was no YM/YW that night. But mom went out with grandma and grandpa to do different activities. Wednesday, Robert picked up the girls around noon and took them to his house. They watched some shows and ate fun food. After work I drove to Robert's house and we watched a show and continued to eat the fun food. We watched How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy. We then came home around 10:00 PM. Some people had already started setting off fireworks. 

On New Year's day we all slept in. I then worked on the computer to make sure it was working properly. We then went to Robert's house and ate lunch. We had homemade pizza and chips. We spent the rest of the evening at Robert's house watching shows and snacking. On Friday I had to go in to work. Dallin flew in from Minnesota and mom and Rachel picked him up in the van. He then dropped them off and went down to Provo. 

Mom and Rachel tried to get Rachel's learner's permit. In the evening mom and the girls went with grandma and grandpa to go watch a movie. I stayed home with Sarah and tried to find some documents. On Saturday I worked out and Robert brought the Pilot over so now we have the Pilot. I then did some shopping and also cleaning. I want to put the Pilot in the garage during the winter. On Sunday we started our new block schedule at 9:00 AM. After church, grandma and grandpa Stamps came by to visit with us. We went over to Robert's house early to start cooking. We then a dinner and watched a show. Grandma and Grandpa Stamps started their drive to Las Vegas and then to fly to Michigan.

What did you do for New Year's day? Did they have any special parties or traditions? Are you enjoying being senior companion now? How is training going? Since it is now 2015 you only have 11 months left in your mission and you will be coming home by the end of this year. Please try to make the most of all the time you have left. 

After your mission, do you want to try to start school immediately in January or do you want to take time and then start college in the fall? Please let us know so that we can try to help and support you as best we can.

We are thrilled that you are on your mission and you are an amazing son. We love you very much and care about you. We pray for you and want to help you anyway we can. You are doing a wonderful job. We love to read your emails.

 

Love,

dad, Mom, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Bekah

Jordan reply

Hello! Great to hear from you in a medium that is more difficult to interrupt. ;)

Congratulations on the tablet! How many are floating around the house now? 3? It's funny that over here, there are more phones than tablets, but that the phones may as well be tablets for how big they are. I see people walking around straining to get a good grip on their phone with one hand. It's like the return of the original cell phone. The struggle this time being too big instead of too heavy. ;)

Sorry it has taken a year to get back to you. I guess we did just miss each other last week... At least email doesn't expire very easily!

I'm so glad you got to see your parents for the holidays. I guess it's getting pretty hard to get on their schedules nowadays. They're quite popular. ;) I can definitely see them as a mission president unit (I don't know how to say that...) They are really similar to our mission president in a lot of ways. :)

I hope you have a great week. I've got to write the family email, but I figured I should email you first this time. I hope it's nice. :) Love you!

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

From Mom: It was so great speaking with you on the phone!

I'm writing to you using my new mini tablet. its 7.1 inches or something like that. anyway Verizon had a special. I could get it for 30 bucks and then have it for the $10 a month like any one of the regular phones. It pretty much can do anything and it seems to be working great. the coolest thing so far, is that the recording ability on it is incredible. I am dictating this letter with my eyes closed from exhaustion and it seems to be doing a pretty good job of picking out hurry (words... Kinda funny; that's the one it doesn't get!)

My parents came with us to Robert's house for dinner and we watched Frozen. I can't remember whether you were here for that or not. I'm thinking that you had already gone before we got to see it and it's definitely one that you want to see when you get home.

I am so proud of you. It's been such a pleasure to know that my favorite son is doing what he can serve the Lord and build the kingdom. So many people ask about you every Sunday. My primary class has been generally fun: six little ruffians... 3 boys 3 girls. Well, I did. Starting next week I will have the 4 turning 5 kids.

It will be interesting to see how a new class in the New Year will workout. My parents have been here for just over a week, and we get them for another week. It has been a very pleasant visit. They have done lots of fun stuff with me. We went shopping the day after Christmas or the day after the day after and we were able to get really good prices on Christmas movies and this new tablet.

Rachel was beyond surprised when she opened up her birthday gift this morning, space and found the archery set she had been begging and begging for. I was pleasantly surprised when L. L. Bean had a special deal for Christmas. I snagged it. It came with 3 arrows, but I ordered six additional arrows so she wouldn't have to go hunting quite as much. Well, today, she hit the target, but lost two of the arrows to the bushes or snow or something... So we will try to find them tomorrow.

Sarah went to the DI with her own money and she bought a beautiful dress for $25. Unfortunately, its a beautiful white wedding gown with gorgeous beading on it. She actually came to church today for a few minutes and looked very pretty.

I hope I haven't missed you tonight. I just want you to know how much I love you, and how much I think about you, and how excited we are that you are where you're supposed to be, and that you are doing good works.

Much love honey, mom

Birthday Response

I also meant to say happy birthday to both Rachel and Grandma, but somehow after writing a reminder down 3 times, I forgot. Happy birthday to them both! Nice work on finishing the kitchen. :) 

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ.

Best wishes,

Elder Jones