Jordan I'm sure you don't have time to read this. I remember the MTC. 30 min to email. That's pretty tough. I don't know how to and I can't go on dear elder.com (or whatever that site is) so I can't send letters to you that way so... I don't know how that will work. Maybe I'll put the important stuff that would apply to you in the first paragraph while you're in the MTC so that way if you don't have much time you can just read the first paragraph and not have to skim the whole letter for the stuff that would be specifically to you. So to start off. If you could send me a Spanish keyboard that would be great then I could write to you in Spanish. Maybe. I could write you a few words and they might not even make a real sentence. Like I do know that padre means father and I think if you say padre celestial (see I don't have a Spanish keyboard so I can't spell Spanish words, so maybe I'll add an "O" to the end of every word and that will kinda sorta be like Spanish.) anyway I'm sure you already know but I think that it means something to the effect of heavenly father. Well it sounds like you've got a blast of a companion. I hope he stays out. It will be the best thing he ever does if he does and is obedient. Also you need to play basketball in the MTC for me because I couldn't. The gym was closed so I couldn't play so you'll have to get some in for me. Well I doubt you'll even have time to read this but if you do I'm sure your time is limited so I'll wrap it up. Be obedient. Do your best and remember Mosiah 4:27 "And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order." You're only human just do what you can and leave the rest to God. Adios. (Look I can speak Spanish too. Too bad I don't have a Spanish keyboard and I'd be able to speak Spanish better. Oh ya I listened to your farewell talk. It was very good. You did a great job. You'll be a much better missionary than I ever will be.
Well now for the rest of my letter, but to start off... oh I just had an idea. If Jordan wants to read my letters then maybe you could copy and paste them into that dear elder site and send them to him or something like that so he can read them when he has time. That way I'm not eating up his WAY too short emailing time in the MTC.
This is the last week of the transfer. Sunday is the last day. Elder Baker could possibly be transferred but I don't know. This is his first area and they usually don't keep missionaries in their first area very long. He's been here for 4 1/2 months so if he doesn't leave this transfer then the next one will definitely be his last one. I have learned so much this transfer. I now know what other missionaries mean when they say "oh this transfer or this area or this companion was the hardest of my whole mission but I sure did learn a ton." That is me to a T. This transfer has been really tough. We've had some REAL BIG jerks kick us call the police on us and a whole bunch of stuff like that and also Elder Baker and I had a hard time adjusting to each other. We are almost 100% different. He is a worrier and is way wound up and is a real excitable guy while I'm just the opposite and so as a result we had a real hard time getting along at the first but this week but this week, I think, Wednesday it all kind of came to a head and Elder Baker snapped at me and I kind've snapped back and we were both really frustrated with each other. He thought I wasn't doing anything in the companionship and that he was pulling all the weight. I am the senior companion but I'm not too great of a leader, shocker huh, and so I am usually a little slower at taking the lead and he's one of those people who, if they don't have someone completely dominate and make decisions every single second then he just has to jump in and do something. I, as you know do not dominate conversations in any sense of the word. So he would get frustrated with me and he would always be saying that we need to improve this and that and this and that and this and that and this and that and this and that and this and that and this and that etc. and I agreed and would say "yes we do, I agree" and he'd think that because I didn't just jabber off into "ya we need to and this is what I think we need to improve on" he thought I wasn't listening and that I ignoring him, then he'd get mad for me not listening and ignoring him, even though I wasn't, and then I'd get mad for him wrongly assuming and accusing me of being lazy. So, long story short there was a bit of tension this week and so when we got in for lunch we were kind've mad at each other and he had tried to say something to fix it but he called me hard hearted and that just made me mad so then I really wasn't listening. So we got back and we were both mad. But we talked it out and now we're actually getting along real well. The problem was that he was frustrated because he thought he was having to do everything and that I wasn't doing anything even though I was. He just didn't notice it. I definitely wasn't perfect at leading by any means but I was still working hard and it made me mad when he would constantly point out things that I need to improve on and things that I needed to do better so I was frustrated too. But you don't need to worry. We sat down and had a real heart to heart, and explained our feelings and what was really going on and then we asked for ways that we could improve so that we could begin to love each other. It was a good talk. It let me see where he was coming from and it let him see where I was coming from. So we figured out somethings that we each could do better to help our companionship work better together. Ever since that little talk we've been getting along a lot better. We aren't being bothered by so all the little flaws that each person has. We are both kind've prideful and selfish and as you know pride is never a good thing so we were able to put aside our differences and now we are getting along A LOT better. It's still not 100% perfect but we've learned to put away our pride and think of the other person first.
Sorry if that paragraph doesn't make any sense. If it doesn't I'll give you the condensed version. Elder Baker and I were mad at each other, we talked it out and now were good and we're teaching a lot more in unity and I've learned a ton this transfer. You'd think I'd have prayed for patience to begin this transfer. (I didn't but I've surely gained some.)
Now that the drama of the week is out of the way, now for our investigators. Wes is doing awesome. He says he knows that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true and that the church is true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hooray! I always love hearing those words come out of an investigators mouth. He is progressing very well. We taught the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom both this week. You can always tell if an investigator is really doing well by how they respond to the Word of Wisdom. It they are trying to nickel and dime it to see just exactly what they can and cannot do you know that they don't have as strong of a testimony but Wes didn't even question whether this certain kind of tea is okay or any other thing. We asked him if he had any questions and he said "No not really. I'm not trying to nickel and dime God. It's a commandment and I plan on following it." He didn't say those exact words but the meaning was exactly the same. He is so awesome. He is definintely getting baptized. Elder Baker and I are so excited. His date is for the 12th of June.
Angela is doing well also. She wasn't at church on Sunday because she was sick but we went and saw her last night (Monday) and she was doing well. We taught tithing and she accepted it very well. She is also doing the same thing as Wes. She isn't trying to see how close to the fence she can be and still be on the good side. She is trying to stay as far away from the line as possible. "You can't fall off the edge of a cliff if you're not close to the edge."
James. We haven't seen him all this week. He forgot about our last appointment. We're kind've worried about him. We're going to see him tonigh so I hope we will be able to meet with him. He just been really busy lately. (Side note: crazy how people suddenly get really busy once they start meeting with missionaries. Devil you sly dog.)
It's too bad I couldn't be at Ms. M's final concert. That would've been really neat to attend. I'm kind've bummed. But oh well, I'm doing better things.
Mom- Yes I did get the newsletter and Jordan's farewell talk and the conference ensign. THANK YOU FOR SENDING IT! The mission hasn't sent us one yet and so we haven't been able to read it. I've already read about 5 or 6 talks and I just got it on Thursday. Yes sending stuff to my apartment works just fine. No Jordan didn't forward me his letter so if you could continue forwarding them to me that would be great.
Dad- What are these winmail.dat things you keep sending me? I get them but I can't download them or open them or anything. Either the computer is too slow to download it or the computer has a block on downloading. I don't know what they are.
Jordan made a hole in the wall with his knee? I didn't hear about that.
Austin- Summer is starting. Excited? Don't die of heat exhaustion. Drink lots of water.
Natasha- When does school end? Are you excited to graduate from elementary school and go into the big girl school? I bet you are.
Shaylee- Do you have any fun plans for the summer? Did you like In and Out the day Jordan left for the MTC?
Jordan- If you have gotten this far and had enough time to read this... Hola your portion is at the beginning of the letter. Have fun on the mission.
Well there was more that happened this week but I don't have time to explain it all. Lets just say don't read anti. It WILL DESTROY your testimony. There was a little quarrel between two recent converts and an active member this week about Joseph Smith. It got a little heated and we couldn't do anthing about it. Just let it suffice to say anti is posion. Avoid it like you would pornography or some other plague. You might think you are building up an immunity or "leaning about what you're up against" but you're still posioning yourself whether you're meaning to or not. It's bad stuff.
On a more positive note. God lives. He loves us and everything he does is for our own good. Even though we may not see it that way, God loves us and will help us whenever we need it. I also know that Jesus is the Christ and that he died for us and that through Him we can repent and be forgiven of any wrongs we've done. There isn't anything that we've gone through that Christ doesn't already know how that feels. He loves us too and is there for us. I'm so thankful that he died for us and that through him we can have eternal life. I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration and that he translated the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is true. Stay strong and have faith in Christ and he will support you in anything you do.
Love,
Elder John Schouten
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.