August 3, 2013

August 3, 2013

LAST ONE!!!

Hello!

One day I will visit Canada. How's Sav's cheer camp go? That is totally weird and cool that they'll both be at Red Mountain. Good to hear things are going well.

Hey, well, this is my last email after two years of writing emails to you guys. 

We saw President's family in the mall a few days ago because they were at the movie theater and then we went to their house the next day to do the changes for the missionaries and I asked them what movie they saw to see if I'd want to go and see it next week. They just laughed. On monday we're going to their house to have a Carne Asada since it's my last day. President tells his wife that we'll be going to dinner at this restaurant called "Tok's" in the evening because I want to go and I said "Who said I wanted to go to Tok's?" and he just looks at me and says "I did." all seriously because he is like in love with that restaurant. So that's what I'll be doing until I get home, pretty much.

Today we have a baptism for our investigator named Diana. She's totally ready and has been to church about 6 times and she's totally excited about it. So that'll be good. We made cool invitations that are like bookmarks and stuff. I think she'll do really well in the church. I'll show you pictures IN PERSON :D

Anyway Aunt Steph, you asked me to give like a summary of the stuff I've learned in the mish. That's going to be a huge list. I feel like I've learned a ton of stuff. Sometimes it totally makes me feel like a fool when I think about some of the stuff I did before the mission (like do everything I could to not take the bus home from school or staying out way too late, etc.). I feel like I've become a better person. I'm still me, but maybe a little less selfish (I like to think that anyway), maybe more nice to others and try to be a little more conscious of their situations. I think that I do a little better in recognizing what's really important and things that aren't as important. I learned some Spanish. 

I don't really know how to sum up two years very well. And we all know how much I love to talk about my feelings and stuff like that. 

I think I'll sum it up into three things:

1. Putting what I want aside and trying to do what God wants - That's probably been the biggest challenge of my whole mission. Maybe I thought I'd have 1,000 baptisms and that I was going to change the world or whatever (honestly I don't even know what I expected the mission to be like) and having so many influences like what others want you to be doing, I think I've really learned, through tough experiences I've had here, that I have to put whatever it is that I want to be doing or what I want to happen aside and figure out what it is that my Heavenly Father wants me to do first. I might have my plans, but He has His plans and He knows what He's doing. I feel like there's been a lot of times in my mission where He's had to work with my stubbornness and humble me a little so that I could recognize that it's not about me. Obviously I'm still not very good at that, but it's something that I pray for every single night and morning.

2. Problem Solving (Tenacity) - I feel like this is something that UD has been trying to teach me for years but it was until I got here and was presented with an objective and ten million challenges or excuses not to get it done did I really figure out how to solve problems and why it's so important (and how frustrating it is when other people don't realize any of that, so thanks for being patient with me, UD). Especially being here in the office I have like 1,000 things to do and tons of people who are unhelpful or don't get their crap together and I have to figure out how to make things happen with or without their help. With ordering materials, delivering stuff, getting new systems up and running, opening a mission with people that have very little or no experience in any of that, and basically just tons of little stuff like that but I know that my future career will be a lot of that and other stuff, too. It's something that will prove to be valuable, I think.

3 - Consecration - I've recognized a little more about consecrating everything someone has to God or to a good cause. That's basically what being a missionary is. Trying to not waste time that you've consecrated to the Lord and just always be looking for something good that you can do. I hope to be able to bring that into my line of work in the future, too. Maybe I can help someone with the things I do instead of just having a job to make money. Obviously that's going to be a big part of that, but I want to be able to something beneficiary to others, too. That's helped me realize what I want to for a living, too.

But anyway, I've just basically really enjoyed my time here. I feel like I've done some good things. I feel like I gave it about all I had. I feel exhausted. My shoes are a joke. They don't do what shoes are designed to do anymore. I feel happy. I HAVE MISSED YOU GUYS A TON.  I'd recommend being a full time missionary to just about anyone. It's proven to be more valuable to me than to anyone else. I feel less lazy. 

I'm dreading giving my homecoming talk. I hate talks. 

I feel like I have some pretty well thought out plans for my life. We'll talk about those later.

Andddd basically I'm dying to come home and do everything together. 

It's been really great.

It's funny because I also feel like I've learned stuff that other people knew before and I think "Ahh, Aunt Steph totally already learned that and that's why she does this." (That's happened on many occasions with you, and UD.)

But anyway. This is the longest email I have ever written. Historical moment.

I will see you on Tuesday :D 

Thanks for everything over the last two years. 

It kills me how sentimental this email is. Hate talking about feelings.

That's all I've got. 

<3

Jord

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, They just make the best of everything."

July 26, 2013

July 26, 2013

Hey, thanks for the pics. I am looking forward to going to the lake again :D 

I'm glad the vacations were fun, though. Things are are going fine. Just making sure Elder McCoy and Elder Diarte know all the stuff they need to know beofore I leave. Yesterday I put thousands of cards, pamphlets, Book of Mormons, New Testaments, DVD's and who knows what else in people's mailboxes (not a lot of people have mailboxes and all their bills and stuff just get thrown on the sidewalk in front of their house or through their fence, but the ones who did got alot of church stuff). Like literally so much stuff. And only like one person let us in yesterday and we made tons of visits. But oh well.

Basically I just go with the Assistants everyday because their area is closer. Plus they're funny. 

Oh and thanks for the birthday package and wishes. I knew it was totally going to be full of dollar store stuff and it rocked. So thanks for that. I have some pictures that McCoy took for me that I'll send you. It turned out well. Some of the office people got a cake and we used the candles you sent. It was pretty low key; you know, the type of birthdays I like.

 Me and a cake and that face that I'm making is exactly how I blew out the candles.

                                                         The office today.

 

                                               Me and THE FLAG.

That's really been about it for this week. Visited some people, working in the office. The usual.

I would say you might have to start asking me questions if you really want to hear stuff about what goes on here (because I can't think of anything really interesting) but that would go for one more email. So nevermind.

But I'm excited to see you guys soon :D

Thanks for everything,

Jord

                                                      A newsletter from last week

July 19, 2013

Ju;y 19, 2013

Heya,

What UD is doing sounds pretty cool. Sounds like everyone else is having a pretty normal Summer. I'm excited about having a little bit of Summer Vacations, by the way. It's been a while since I've experienced that. 

As for the stolen stuff, the camera is only to see who is at the door. It's pretty low class and doesn't record anything. So whatevs. 

This week has been SUPER LAME because we're taking care of two Elders that are injured. So they're here ALL DAY EVERYDAY. It's basically like babysitting all day. And the AP's and President and his family all went to visit the whole mission this week, so they've been gone. So it was me and McCoy babysitting three very large babies all week. Without being paid. And it looks like they're going to stay here until I finish, so I'll be looking for excuses to avoid interacting with people for that time. 

There's really not much more to tell. I think that's basically me this week. Not really eventful. 

Today I will do my last baptism, most likely. It's a kid who we ate with once that the other missionaries were teaching and he wants me to baptize him because I look like some Elder he used to know. I feel honored.

Talk to you latahhhh,

Jord

July 13, 2013

July 13, 2013

Hey fam!

Thanks for sending the pictures from California :D Looked like a good vacation. You'll have to tell me more about it IN THREE WEEKS.

I'm currently eating a bowl of Captin' Crunch cereal for the first time in my entire mission. I think that because Saltillo is the biggest city people hit when they come from Texas to Mexico, they have more American stuff. Not sure, though, but I'm not complaining. 

As for the new President, he's from Pachuca and does not speak English. He's a native Spanish Speaker. He spends a lot more time at the office and we ate with him at his house yesterday with his family, so that was fun. They do things a lot differently than the Swapp's. It's not better or worse, just super different and I think it's just because of the culture. But they're doing well with the adjustment and everything.

I have no pictures to send this week. Let me tell you why. Yesterday we came into the office and President and his wife were here talking about the plans for the day and I look for the camera that I had bought the day before for the mission. I left it charging so that we could use it that day, but it wasn't there. I assumed President had taken it and then he gave me something to scan and email to a temple president somewhere. So I sit down at my desk (which I'm sharing with Elder McCoy now becuase he'll be replacing me and all that) and some of my stuff were in weird places and I thought to myself "Okay McCoy, nice. Just leaving crap everywhere." And there's a screwdriver on my desk (we have no tools in the whole office) and that was weird to me, but I didn't think much of it and went back to sending the email. Then Elder Mikkelsen comes to my desk and asks me where one of the computer monitors was. I look on the other desk where it should be and it's not. And there were paper clips all over the ground. And the drawers were broken open. SO WE WERE TOTALLY ROBBED. They had broken in one of the windows and stole a TV, a computer monitor, and the camera that I had just bought for the mission, AND MY CAMERA. So now I have no camera or pictures to send. 

But I'm glad it was just my camera. I guess it could have been worse. 

So that's my story. I keep all of the important stuff for the office in the safe, so nothing that really mattered was robbed. Oh, they stole the spare change on my desk, too. But there were about 40 donuts on the counter that we took to a Zone Conference yesterday, and they didn't take any and Elder McCoy was like "Dude, I totally would have taken some donuts, too."

Anyway, so that was the most eventful part of my week. I've been working on a lot of the same stuff as last week (Healthcare, credit cards, training McCoy, buying stuff, etc.).

Hey, you got my flight information, right? I WILL BE THE FIRST MISSIONARY TO GO HOME FROM THE SALTILLO AIRPORT IN THE HISTORY OF FOREVER. 

I think that's all I have. 

We celebrated Elder Mikkelsen's birthday yesterday. I printed out a paper that said "IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY." And taped it to a box of Cinnabon Cereal that I found at the store (which is crazy that they sell it here, by the way) and we bought him a cake. It was good. 

Well, that's it. 

Thanks for being the bomb :D

Talk to you guys later and SEE YOU SOON.

Much love,

Jordan

July 6, 2013

July 6, 2013

Hey fam,

How's California? I got that video of Reese, which was totally the bomb, by the way. 

                                               The new President and his family.

Things with me are going well. Remember when I sent that email like a month ago that I'd never been so busy in my whole life as I was then? Well, I think I'm more busy now. It's been good, though. Basically my weeks has consisted of planning tons of stuff, buying all the stuff we need for the office (hopefully I won't be condemed for how much money I've spent), getting all the food ready for a Leadserhsip Conference we had, working out President and his family's health care, setting up their credit cards, trianing the new financial secretary, today I start training my remplacement (which is Elder McCoy, the Elder I trained :D ), translating for the new President, doing all my normal stuff like references and materials, and thing like that. I take less breaks these days when I work because of how much there is to do but it's good, though. It keeps me occupied and hopefully it's stuff that will help this mission work smoothly in the end. Plus I'll have Elder McCoy's help, so that will be good.

                                                        One of my many receipts.

I do miss the Swapp's, though. I called them both several times this week for help with stuff that I had no idea how to do.

Basically I'm pretty sure that's all that's new with me.

Send me pictures from Cali!

Heart you,

Jordan

June 28, 2013

June 28, 2013

Things here are going pretty well. If I thought I was busy in Monterrey, I'm like 10 times more busy here. So...I don't have any pictures. At all. But this week I'll take some. President Rodriguez will be getting here tomorrow and we've just been trying to get everything ready for that. Basically my week has consisted of having to work with difficult people to get all of the things we need for the office here so that it can actually work like an office dealing with wiring problems here in the building, office max. It will all work out!

Elder Mikkelsen (My comp from the MTC who's here in the offices, too) and I got the Swapps a little keychain with a picture of the office missionaries on it and just wrote them a little card. It was sad knowing that we won't really be a part of their mission anymore, but then again, I won't be a part of anyone's mission, so you know. It made me laugh though because President Swapp says "We are hanging out after the mission" and Sister Swapp says "Can we adopt you?" (I'm totally a grown person and not adoptable). 

So basically it's been a good experience and I've learned some good stuff here. Right now I'm running the Financial Secretary's job and my job here and trying to get it all set up and I don't think I've ever worked this diligently in anything. Totally weird. 

The security cameras and vandalism...well, it's Mexico. I guess it's for vandalism but also for just general security. At our old offices we had a guard and he watched cameras all over the grounds, too but here we don't have that, so we have our own just for the front gate. Nothing super dangerous has really ever happened in my time in the offices. One time in Monterrey a drunk guy jumped the fence and cut his hands up by doing it and tried to get into the office to get money, but he really wasn't dangerous. 

Saltillo is a lot cooler temperature wise. We're in the richer part of the city so there's like everything we need right by the office (basically the opposite of the offices in Monterrey) but in Monterrey we lived right next to the office. We literally hoped the fence to our backyard there and that was nice because we could work late when we needed to and just come and go but here we're about 15 minutes walking from the office. Not as nice, but we live in a gated street and it's a really nice house (the best one I've ever lived in) so I'm not complaining. 

I think that's really all that I have to write. 

Thanks for everything. I'm glad I'm here and have the time I have left. 

Heart you,

Jordan

June 22, 2013

June 22, 2013

Ello!

This is my last P-day in Monterrey! Sorry for not writing yesterday. We went up to Saltillo to see the offices they just built, the new president's house, and our new house. It looks like it'll all work out. I'll see about attaching some photos as well. We also had our last dinner with President and Sister Swapp list night for four of us who are leaving soon and since Elder Mikkelsen and I won't finish with them here in the city. It was fun and good food and nice to be able to do that before we all leave. 

                                                                 The new offices

                                  Elder Mikkelsen and I on the security camera at the new offices

                                             Pictures for the last newsletter we sent out

Last Dinner

This week basically I made the rest of those books for all the missionaries, I updated all of the housing files and other files that I'll be taking with me to Saltillo. I got a bunch of GPS coordinates of all the church buildings and other information and will be loading that into President Swapp's and President Rodriguez's GPS's. Sorted and passed 1,000,000 references. Someone called Elder Avery yesterday from his ward totally worried and freaking out saying "Where's Elder Wheeler?? Is he okay? Tell him to be careful because they're kidnapping all of the Chinese people in Monterrey!"

I obviously was not kidnapped and am not Chinese anyway. 

On Tuesday we'll move out to Saltillo and set up the offices and everything. 

I'm out of things to say.

Thanks for everything.

Much love,

Jordan

New Mission!

June 16, 2013

June 16, 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

First of all, I wish to thank you for your continued love and support for your missionary.  Second, I wish to inform you of the division of the Mexico Monterrey West Mission. Because of the advancement in missionary work, the Mexico Saltillo Mission has been created. Your missionary has been a marvelous example and has demonstrated the qualities of a representative of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  The decision as to which mission each missionary will serve has been difficult due to the love I feel for each one.  However, through much prayer and meditation, I wish to inform you that your missionary will be serving in the newly created Mexico Saltillo Mission as of July 1, 2013.  President Luis Fernando Rodriguez will preside over this mission. 

I have included below the address to the Mission Offices in Saltillo so that you may be able to send any letter or package to your missionary.

MEXICO SALTILLO MISSION
CALLE TREBOL #271
ESQUINA CON TRIGO, COL. LAS PRADERAS,
SALTILLO, COAHUILA, MEX 25295

Thank you again for your devotion and may the Lord bless you as your missionary serves in this marvelous work.

                                                                                              

Sincerely,

  President Edward M. Swapp

 México Monterrey West Mission                                                                  

                                                              

June 14, 2013

June 14, 2013

Heyo!

You know, for all the times UD has gone to Canada, I've never been. I guess he's not like going up there on vacation or something like that. One day I will visit Canada just because.

Sounds like things are going well at home, then. You'll have to tell me about how Austen's camp out goes, too. Taylor was telling me a little about what they were going to do. 

Everything with me is cool. This is probably my last here in Monterrey and then I'll head up to Saltillo. My replacement for the Monterrey Mission is totally hilarious and already knows how to do just about everything so he'll be a good help for the Swapp's. The spiders...well, yeah. They're totally disgusting and gross and not things that I every want to find again. As for investigators, well, right now with all the work we have here, I haven't left to go to an area. Like at all. I actually don't have one assigned to me with so many people here in the offices. We're 11 because of everyone's replacements for the two missions and all that. So, no news there. Just that  it's been super busy and there's a lot to do. 

I've been working on some books that Sister Swapp wants for all the missionaries so I designed the cover and the back cover and, well ,the whole thing, actually. Elder Avery helped me with the layout. I'll send you some pictures in another email. Basically my life this last week has been dedicated to this and updating house information for every area in the mission. SUPER FUN.

Front Cover

Inside

Back Cover

I think I'll miss being here a little. The Swapp's are great and it's been a good experience being able to work with them so closely and do good things for the mission. It'll be a big change in Saltillo because it's so much smaller of a city, we'll be 4 in the office, and the President and his wife will be new and they're Hispanic, and other things. But I think it'll be an experience as well. 

I couldn't ever have hoped to have a cooler or a better family than the one I have. For reals.

I'm pretty sure things may have turned out totally jacked up with our family and everything, but it definitely ended up in the best way. I'm totally grateful to have you as my mother pretty much. Tell UD Happy Father's day! 

MY FAMILY IS THE BEST.

Thanks for everything.

Live up the Summer vacations.

<3

Jordan

June 7, 2013

June 7, 2013

Hey fam!

So...yeah that meeting. It's online and I'm in it but it's...extremely slow paced. So I thought I'd write you at the same time. I'm glad to hear that everything is going well at home and that everyone is living it up for the Summer.

Things here are going well. Super busy. Haven't done almost anything outside the offices this week. Went to the temple for the last time here in my mission. I cleaned my desk. It feels a lot better. I got my haircut last night. I feel like none of that is even mildly interesting. On Monday we'll receive 20 new missionaries and we bought tons of Subway again so that will be sweet. Just doing some projects for Sister Swapp. Yesterday I located about 100 references and gave them to Elder Estrada and he passed them for me. That guy is so funny. He's Elder Avery's comp now but he's become totally hilarious with his time here in the office and having to deal with people all day.

I feel like that effect of having to help people all day everyday has also made me a little more...fun. But I do enjoy everything that I do here.

This is a great meeting.

Hey, also, thanks for all of your support and help. It's been great out here so far. I've learned good stuff. I am sure my mission has had a big impact on my life and will help me with basically everything.

So that's good news.

I'm pretty sure that's all I've got before I start saying ridiculous things.

HEART YOU :D

Jord

May 30, 2013

May 30, 2013

Hey fam!

Hope things are going well. That picture of the UD pizza is totally sweet.

 The sky (it was like 9pm. SO WEIRD)

 1 & 2 - An area called Mitras where I do interviews about every weekend
(there are two sets of missionaries there)

Everything with me is good. This Monday President took me in his office and talked with me about what I thought about going to the new mission to open the offices there and get it all up and running. He said some really nice things about what I've been doing here. So it looks like in about a month I will be in the Mexico Saltillo Mission as the Materials Secretary and I am right now being trained to be the Financial Secretary as well. I'll train the Materials Secretary for here in the Monterrey West Mission and the Financial Secretary for here, too because when I get to the Saltillo Mission I'll have to train the Financial Secretary there as well (which will be a Senior Missionary so we'll see how that goes) as well as set up everything for the offices and the mission there. We'll receive the new mission president (my third mission president) in the last week of June.

A quote I have on my desk

So it's going to be a busy time. But it'll be good to stay busy. Then at the end I'll train my replacement as Materials Secretary and I will be home. I'll be white washing an area up there, as well, so yeah. Basically it will be busy. I'll tell you all about how that goes. But that's basically what's new with me. 

What's up with you guys? Everyone loves the package you sent. Everyone asks me for food and stuff all the time. Thanks again for that.

I'm pretty sure that's all that's new with me. I can't think of anything else of consequence to share.

Heart you <3

Elder Wheeler

May 24, 2013

May 24, 2013

Hello :D

You have to tell Taylor I say hello! Reese is totally the bomb. How funny. And hopefully Tanner can get the housing worked out! That kid is so funny. That's awesome that school is done! Dylan you're totally the man! The totally, sweetly honest man! Do you have any Summer plans?

Happy Birthday to Uncle Ira and Rebekah. You are awesome! 

This week has been good. Elder Holland came on Tuesday and it was an awesome talk. He's so animated and just cool. Like a real person. I totally have no time for people who try to put on like their ¨churchy spiritual face¨ or just be like false in that aspect so it was really cool to see how down to earth he is. He talked about some stuff I'll most likely remember for the rest of my life, hopefully. I wrote it down in a journal (which I don't do often and am not very good at, but I'm trying to keep a better one. 

Apart from that, it's been good here. Not sure what else is new. Took a boiler up to an area outside of Monterrey with President Swapp. It took about 4 hours, but it was cool. I printed out a quote that by my desk that says ¨Kill Them With Kindness.¨ I totally am trying to apply it to people who...are a little more difficult to deal with. We'll see how that goes. 

Oh, and we have one investigator right now. Here's my journal entry on it:

         ¨We taught a lesson last night with someone named Victor, who is Berenice’s husband (Berenice is one of Elder Avery’s converts from a year ago and only she got baptized out of her family. They have 2 daughters of like 5 years and 2 years). They live in humble circumstances and are actually going to be moving to San Lois Potosi in July where the nearest church is over an hour away, but in teaching him last night, you could feel just a good spirit about it all and I just felt like he was understanding everything and that he really wants to be baptized. Then just before we left, he says that he feels like the church has really helped his family and he’s seen changes in them (his 5 year-old daughter totally gave the sweetest prayer at the beginning and even the two year-old folds her arms and closes her eyes) and he feels like he’s the missing piece and he needs to be a part of the church and be there with them. I was so happy to hear that.

It’s interesting to see how things work out and how when Elder Avery and his companion started teaching her husband, he didn’t want anything to do with the church and actually forbade that the missionaries came over to teach his wife. She would have to make specific measures to wash all the dishes and have them dried before he got home for work or he’d be totally upset with her and just like a lot of opposition from him and problems, but now he is completely different and I think that he’s really felt a different spirit about it all in giving what he’s heard about a chance. After a year, he looks like he’s completely ready to hear to gospel and live it.

It’s cool seeing how the Lord works. We don’t always see all the effects of what we do here in the Lord’s work. Actually, we almost never see them all, it’s impossible, but that isn’t what matters. That’s the story of my mission. I feel like I’ve gone around doing good things for two years and seen very little to none of those fruits, but that isn’t what matters. What matters is that I am where I’m supposed to be and I’m trying to do what’s right, even if it isn’t easy. That’s what matters most to me and that’s why I’m here.¨

He`s put his own baptismal goal for the last week in June. 

Oh,  and I got a huge package this week. THANK YOU! That thing freaking rocks! The guard wouldn't even bring it to the office because he's lazy and it was too big. He made us come to the little guardhouse to get it. Everyone from the office opened it with me, even President. And then I start pulling stuff out, and I pull out the peanuts and set them on the table and President says, ¨I gotta have some of these!¨ and just opens it, rips the seal off and starts eating them without even asking or anything. It was totally hilarious because that's how the desperation gets. It's totally cool having a mission president who is just cool and normal, too.

But anyway, so that's the best package ever. Thank you so much. Love you guys tons. I walk around with sound effects all day and everyone was laughing at my beanie. I have an entire shelf in the back room where I keep all the supplies just full of sweet snacks. 

You guys are the freaking bomb!

Thanks for everything,

Jord

May 18, 2013

May 18, 2013

Hey!

It was totally awesome being able to talk with you guys on Mother's Day. Even though we got the times messed up a little (sorry about that) and even though not everyone was there who wanted to be there, but it's totally cool. It was cool, so thanks for that. I TOTALLY MISS YOU GUYS.

Things here with me are going very well. Just the same stuff. Packing materials, opening areas, buying stuff online, passing references, and all of that. Today we actually went hiking with President Swapp and then had breakfast with him and Sister Swapp at IHOP. It was totally cool and fun. I'll see about getting some pictures in here. We just went as the office elders. (P.S. Today is Pday this week because of stuff we had to do here).

So this Tuesday it looks like Elder Holland will be coming to the mission and giving a talk. We're totally excited for that. It's going to be in Saltillo, where they'll be opening the new mission. I'll let you know how that goes, too! 

Definitely let me know how it goes with Taylor this week! That'll be exciting. I loved the pictures you sent me. 

I'm glad I have time to get everything ready for the new mission with the other secretaries as well as train two materials secretaries in the time I have. It'll be exciting. 

 Morning Hike with President

This week my companion and I also went to the airport to pick up a senior couple who are going to be working in the temple here in Monterrey, so that was cool, too. That's why there's really no list of the things I do here in the office, it's just whatever is needed at that time. I've been spending a lot of time getting together all the information on all the houses in the mission to pass it to the new mission and get it all up to date. Totally exciting, right? Either way, I like it. 

I'm doing good stuff and I feel happy about that.

Thanks for everything. 

You guys totally rock.

Much love,

Jordan

May 10, 2013

May 10, 2013

Hello!

Congratulations Savy about getting on Cheer! That's totally awesome! You'll totally have to tell me about how you like it. Happy Birthday Reese! You're the bomb!!! I totally miss you. Also, Happy Birthday Uncle Ben and Aunt Martha.

So everything with me is going well. This week has been extremely busy and honestly I had like the most stressful day of my entire mission this week just because of the workload and how many favors people were asking me. But it turned of fine. I'm alive. It's a lot of work opening a new mission. I also had some problems with the Zone Leaders this week just being completely disrespectful, but I worked it out with them. So as for tons of spiritual experiences to tell you guys or stuff like that, they've been few this week. But I'm sure I'm learning things that will help me in the long run. I don't think I've ever slept so little and been so busy before in my entire life.

Oh, and as for talking on Sunday...Well, we talked with a family and they said we could come to Skype from their house on Sunday. Hopefully there won't be any issues because we didn't work out all the details, so we're in that, but it would be most likely that I'd call between 1:30pm to 3pm. Somewhere around there. If I find out anything else, I'll let you know, but we'll plan on that for now, if that's cool.

Thanks for everything. I'm sure we'll talk more on Sunday. 

Love you all,

Jord

May 3, 2013

May 3, 2013

Hey!

I thought I'd share an experience with you that I had. Not like super crazy or anything, but just something that seemed interesting to me.

So this last week we ate at a member's house whose husband just passed away about two months ago. She told us the story about how other events in her life had lead her up to that point to be able to make it through such a hard trial. She is the only active member out of her immediate family, including her four children who are all married now but one. Just in talking with her anyone could see how much faith she had and how strong she was. I was literally impressed. She talked about how her husband wasn't a member but there was one thing that helped her accept God's will and not her own in that time of her life and it was the fact that she knew, I don't know how, but she was so sure that her husband had to leave this life to be able to progress. He wouldn't go to church with her or participate in the church at all, but her last words to him were peices of advice to look of and accept the Gospel when he heard it on the other side. She knew that somehow with such a hard experience, that it had a why behind it and that God see's things better than she could. 

While I listened to her experience I tried to put myself in her place. How hard would that be for me if someone I cared about so much just wasn't with me anymore? I mean, it's happened, but this was her husband. So I thought of you guys and how hard it would be to not have you here anymore. That'd be SO sucky. Then I tried to see how she came to the conclusion that it was for the better and that it has helped her and him. Even though I've been doing this thing for over 20 months straight and talking with people every single day, I'm always learning new stuff. Maybe I don't always share it all with you guys by emails and stuff like that, but I've had experiences I'll never forget here and if anyone has benifitted at all from my being here, it's been me. The viewpoint of this sister is something I'm going to try and remember when hard times come upon us, since we all know those don't really ever end here in this life, and hopefully it's something we can all think about when life just looks like crap.

Also, this week we had changes and it was completely crazy. I feel completely sleep deprived and exahusted, but good about all we've done. This next change we'll be recieving 25 new missionaries and this month we'll be training the new missionaries for the new offices and getting all of that set up. We'll have to take a trip up there as well to help them open them and get everything settled. It should be good. 

Elder Avery and I when we bought Subway for all the new missionaires.

Also, in my area they put sister missionaries as well as us, so we are now 4 missionaries.  They have a new leadership position that has been created worldwide for sister missionaries, so they now work in our ward with us. And my companion changed, so that's good. My new companion is Elder Rodriguez who got here to the offices at the same time as me. He has like 5 months in the mission and he was Elder Avery's companion. We just switched because I'd been with my old companion for two changes already.  Elder Rodriguez is super cool and totally hilariuos. He speaks perfect English and is from Tiajuana, Baja California. He's just turned 19 last week.

But I think that's all I've got this week. Things are going really good with me. Tell me more stuff that's going on with all of you. Oh yeah, and my comp from the MTC is the new assistant, Elder Mikkelsen. 

The first one is my trainer, Elder Vidal (who just finished his mission last change), me, Elder McCoy (Who I trained), and the Elder who Elder McCoy is now training.

We're four of us from our district here in this mission from the MTC and three of us are here in the offices. It's kind of funny but it makes it more fun. 

Thanks for everything.

Heart you :D

Jordan

 My New Comp.

April 26, 2013

April 26, 2013

Hey Fam!

How's everything going? Sounds like Ryan's homecoming was good.

Everything with me this weeks was really good. The baptismal interviews went well and they all seemed really happy and really sure about their decisions. It's kind of cool to see how the Lord works with all of those people in their lives, no matter how much crappy stuff has happened to them or whatever, they all have found what they know is true because God confirmed it to them. It's just cool to see that He really cares about all of them just as much as He cares about me.

The hospital is just like being in the States. It's because it's run by an American guy who used to be in my ward but he moved to open more hopistals in other parts of Central America. It's basically like being in hotel, honestly. The nicest hospital I've ever been in. I went there with Elder Cinseros when he broke his collar bone last year, too.

And anything that has to do with the mattresses is in our house. That's where all the new and leaving missionaries stay the night, when there's any type of leader's conference, etc. Basically we always have just extra people staying there. 

Life is good with me. We have changes this next week so we've been super busy. But then again, we're always super busy. They're going to put sister missionaries in my area so we'll be two sets of missionaries in my ward, so that will be exciting, too. It's happening a lot more because of the increased number of missionaries and due to the fact that our mission is splitting in two months. 

But other than that, everything is great. Elder Peterson (one of the Elder's from my district in the MTC) is one of the assistants and the other is going to be my companion form the MTC, Elder Mikkelsen. So it'll be cool being here in the office all together. 

Thanks for everything you all do for me. I'm really excited to see you all soon on Mother's day. That's coming up.  I'll give you more deets later. But the jist is I miss you all a lot and I'm just doing my best to make the mission a better place before I leave. 

Thanks for everything. 

Love you tons.

Jordan

April 19, 2013

April 19, 2013

Hola.

Hey, how was San Diego? Good to hear that everyone's doing well! And the spider bite is like basically gone now. But it was totally weird. It beats the experience with the centipede from last year. 

Everything with me is going well. This week I passed a lot of references to areas. Some seem like they could progress and I hope so. It's nice knowing that what you do makes a difference somewhere. We've also been taking care of an Elder who had surgery. We took turns staying with him in the hospital and taking care of him here. So that's been an experience, too. 

It also looks like today and tomorrow I will have to do 5 baptisimal interviews. That'll keep me busy. We're just getting everything ready again for all the new missionaries. It looks like we should be receving 33, more or less, so there's a lot to do. 

I attached some pictures of what Elder Avery and I did this morning at 6:30. 

I'm also really grateful that everything worked out the way it did. Even if it wasn't always easy for any of us and even if I wasn't the best teenager, I'm really glad you guys are the bomb. It would be totally lame to have a not fun family. Also, all your support, letters, packages, and financial help has really helped me a lot. Don't think I could be here without your help. You have to tell Granny thank you a million times over for me. I feel like the future will be a lot better because of my time here and I've been really happy for the time I've had to help other people. I'm usually not down for getting to know new people and putting myself in situations like that or live with a lot of change, but it's been good for me. I'm very happy. 

You'll have to let me know how Ryan's homecoming is and tell him that I say hi and he should write me sometime! 

I feel like this month passed by ridiculously fast for me. 

Thanks for everything.

Love you tons,

Jordan