MTC Week 6

This Tuesday was Elder Watkin's birthday and Jake asked us to have Tori send him a "friendly" letter just for fun.  Of course, we did better than that and sent him some little gifts that went along with the letter.  They all had a good laugh and it brightened their day.  We were happy to help make Elder Watkins day a little more memorable.

"Elder Watkins opened his letter last night and read it out loud to all of us.  It was so funny!  The whole room was laughing so hard.  He loved the letter and I think that he will write Tori back, but I'm not sure.  It was the funniest thing ever!  He liked everything you sent and says thank you for the gifts.  Funniest letter in the world for sure!  He said it will be one of the best birthday MTC memories for him.  Thanks to Tori for doing that!"

"Elder Keller is the new district leader and the zone leaders have changed too.  They are really cool guys.  One is Elder Marker.  He is a very fast runner and can go forever.  I only know him a little.  The other is Elder Shumway.  He is always happy and smiling and is fun to talk to.  He genuinely cares about everyone.  I think he is from Alabama."

"We lost Elder Phan as our teacher.  We were all so sad because he was so cool and I didn't even get a picture with him.  He was a convert and we were teaching his younger brother as our investigator.  I really wanted to know his conversion story, but now I won't be able to.  We all sent him an email to let him know how much we love and appreciate the time he spent helping us to be the best missionaries possible.  This all happened last Wednesday.  Brother Olsen said to use this experience to help us understand how it feels to lose an investigator.  It was a sad day."

"This has literally been a "sick" week.  Thursday I had a little cold and couldn't breathe very well.  It made it hard to concentrate because my head was aching.  I also got a rash that formed on my leg.  At first, I thought it was just dry skin, but it never went away and I finally went to the health clinic.  The doctor said that it looked like a fungal infection and that I needed to go to the BYU health clinic pharmacy and get some cream.  I really hope it works because it burns and I want it gone before Thailand!  Me and Elder Vance got to leave the MTC and walk down the street to the pharmacy.  We saw real people and were free for a half hour!  It felt so nice just to walk and see the MTC behind us. haha  I took some pictures of our adventure for you."

"I've run into  a lot of people I know lately.  There was a pretty girl sitting next to me one day, so being who I am, I turned and asked her where she was going and such.  I soon realized that she is the girl that we met at the travel clinic that is going to the Phillipines!  It was fun talking to her and to hear her speak Tagalic.  The other missionaries were scared to talk to her, so they now think that I'm a stud. haha  I also ran into Connor Ogden, who is also in my building.  I still talk to David Ju a lot.  Also, Matt's good friend, Elder Claflin is in David's district, so I talk to him too."

"I love Sundays because you can truly relax at the MTC.  I know it probably won't be like this in the field, but I'm just soaking it up. haha  We had sacrament meeting review where we talked about the Book of Mormon and the spirit was so strong.  We all shared our testimonies.  People tell me that they really like it when I speak because I'm easy to listen to and they love my stories I share.  We also had temple walk as well.  It was blazing hot because we have to wear our suit coats.  It's still nice to be able to leave the MTC and go to the temple."

"Monday we had service and cleaned the outside windows.  It was tough because there are bushes in front of the windows and we have to use this thing that you stick a sponge on to be able to reach the windows.  The sponge never stayed on and would fall off and land in the dirt.  I'm like are you kidding me!  After the 10th time of it falling, I finally got a system where I could keep the sponge on the stick.  It was quite the accomplishment.  Then later that day, me and Elder Watkins memorized 7 lines of the first vision in Thai and it was awesome!  I'm not too fast at saying it, but I have it memorized.  Tones are so hard to get."

"Tuesday we had class in the morning and then had the rest of the day to just study and go to the gym.  Elder Crump found one of those Thai mats that you can lay on the ground, so we took it outside and used it to sit on for personal study.  It's awesome because we can go where there is shade and we can lay down while we study.  Then we waited for.., another Cafe Rio drop off from Elder Watkins!  His brother dropped it off for his birthday.  It was a tender mercy for sure because it was so good to have some real food again.  We pretty much had a party for Elder Watkins and it was fun.  I don't want you dropping anything off because if I see any of you, I would want to go home. haha  This was the day I went to the health clinic."

"The dinners here are not too good, but they feed me and that's all I need to get through the day.  I don't look forward to mealtimes.  I look forward to the time of day when it is a bit more relaxed like personal study time.  I don't have to worry about anything but the investigator and me.  Those are the times to cherish.  And the bacon jerky was delicious and I loved it.  You should send more because it really tastes like real bacon.  It's crazy!  But really, it was very good.  I also like Cheezits a lot.  Just saying. haha"

"We learned a little about the Thai culture and how to bow correctly.  We talked about the food there and how to say that you don't want any more in a polite way without offending them.  We learned that the national anthem is played twice a day.  We also were told that we cannot take a picture with Budda or else we'll go to jail.  They are really respectful people who will always let you in, but that doesn't mean that they will be there the next time you show up.  We learned about the respect given to the elder people and what not to do when with them.  We should never touch their heads except for a blessing which they consider awesome because they view the head as sacred.  It was fun to learn all this stuff, but we really won't learn more until culture day which is right before we leave.  Until then, we will still be working on the language."

"I just want to say that I miss you all a ton and that I love you.  This week wasn't too bad at all.  It was still a little boring, but more things are happening all the time.  I won't host until 8:00pm tonight, so I'll have to tell you about it another time.  I pray for you every day and can't wait for my picture album, so that I can see your faces all the time.  I love you with all my heart!"

Elder Jacob Smith

Freedom is bliss!

Mission accomplished at the BYU pharmacy

Elder Claflin with Elder Smith

Elder Smith with Elder Ju

Lazy MTC Sabbaths

Not much different from home

MTC Week 5

Jake was able to connect with some friends from home this week and got to participate in giving a blessing.  He also was asked, and is looking forward to hosting a new missionary who will be entering the MTC next Wednesday.  He said that the missionaries are all curious about the new clothing guidelines, but they haven't been informed about anything yet. 

"It is just another week and I am really ready to just leave.  Every day is the exact same and nothing new really happens.  I feel that I have grown so much over the last month and I know a lot more than I did the first day for sure.  The language is super hard still.  I do try to find something good in every day to keep me moving forward.  I've met a lot of people that I know.  I've run into Kyle Nordhagen and David Ju.  Kyle has already left for Columbia and David actually lives right below me in the residence hall.  I talk to him a lot at the end of the day.  Tyler Newland still emails me and tells me all about his experience so far.  His companion's name is Elder Larson."

"I really like the package you sent.  It had a lot of stuff I needed.  I really liked the horn!  I used it to scare some guys taking showers.  They jumped so high. haha  It was funny!  I found the card reader, so no need to worry about that."

"I don't like the food here too much, but I need to make it through another month before I'll be eating the best food on earth!  I don't know if I am losing weight.  I am feeling healthy, but I feel like I don't have much energy lately.  I have been sleeping good because the branch president came and told everyone that he wants us in bed at 10:30pm and that we'll receive many blessings.  My district is trying really hard to keep that rule.  Everyone is doing fine and no one is really struggling I think.  We are all moving at our own pace and trying the best that we can.  We got chewed out by Brother Phan the other day.  He told us that our companionship study wasn't where it should be and we got a big lesson on it.  He said it was out of love for us though and I do think that we could do a lot better as well, so I was fine with it."

"I taught a cool person in TRC the other day.  Her name is Sariprapa and she has only been in America for 2 years.  She is from the Udon area of Thailand.  Let me just say that.., I can not speak Thai! haha  It was mostly because of her dialect.  We couldn't understand her and every time we said something it seemed like she was either answering or telling us how to really say it.  It was so intense!  I sure hope the Lord will give me the gift of tongues because I am going to need it.  It would be cool if Uncle Jeff came to do the TRC, but it would be hard for me to teach him when I just want to talk to him. haha  We have to teach a 40 minute lesson next Saturday, so I'm freaking out a little."

"We don't really get any feedback from the branch presidency because there is just too many of us.  They don't have time and I don't talk to them that often.  I shared a story about the first time I jumped off a bridge and related it to being on a mission.  President Jackson got up and used my story in his comments and I was honored. haha  The story was about how I was afraid to jump off the bridge my first time.  I didn't know what was ahead of me.  When I finally jumped, I fell and hit the water and it really wasn't that bad.  I got use to the water and everything was alright and I was glad that I did it.  I related it to the MTC experience.  At first we are nervous about what we are getting in to.  Then we take the leap of faith and find out that we really are alright.  We will have struggles, but we will get use to "the water" and be glad that we did it.  It is like what Richard G. Hinkley talked about in his devotional this week."

"I participated in a blessing for one of the sisters in our district.  Elder Crump gave the blessing and it was his first.  I stood in and I could really feel the power of the Priesthood.  The cool thing about it was that I felt it even when I wasn't giving the blessing.  I could really tell that the Lord was speaking through Elder Crump.  It was a cool experience!"

"Next Wednesday I was asked, along with the zone leaders and district leader, to help with a bunch of new missionaries coming in that will be going to Italy.  We will give them their first day orientation because there aren't any senior Italian missionaries.  They all left, so they trusted us with these newbys. The branch president of Branch 33, said that they will look to us as their senior missionaries. haha  I can't wait!  It is going to be so fun."

"I'll try to record my testimony in Thai, but I'm still not that good at it.  It will be short and simple and really that is what a testimony really is.  We learned that we must teach the simple doctrine and not really go into deep detail and stuff."

"I got a bunch of packages this week.  My friends, Sariah, Grandma and Grandpa Capps, and you guys.  I felt so awesome. haha  I loved everything!  Well, I love all of you so much.  Sometimes when I'm thinking about you, my heart starts to pound rapidly.  I really miss you and wish you were here with me."

Elder Jacob Smith

Elder Smith with Elder Ju (Taiwan Mission)

Elder Smith with Elder Claflin (Taiwan Mission)

Elder Weaver with Elder Smith

Brother Olsen

Brother Booth

MTC Week 4

This is the half way mark for Jake at the MTC.  He says that the language is still really hard, but that he doesn't expect to learn the language well until he gets to Thailand.  He is just trying to understand the logistics of it all and build a foundation to build on.  This is a self evaluating time for the missionaries where the newness has finally worn off and emotions get close to the surface.  Jake's district is a great support to one another. 

"Hey Family!!  Before I get started, I just want to say that I'm sorry that I don't answer all your questions.  It is because I forget to bring the letters to the computer lab.  If you have questions that you really want to know, email them to me.  I'm a lot more organized with my emails now."

"First, I'll tell you how my p-days go.  We wake up early and get laundry done because we don't have the temple to go to anymore and we have nothing better to do.  We then go to breakfast while we wait for the laundry to get done.  I usually eat oatmeal or cream of wheat, or I'll get biscuits and gravy, which isn't all that bad, but they only have it like once a week.  Then we'll go get our clothes and fold them or hang them up in our room.  By this time it is around 9 am.  We usually then write letters or send our emails about this time.  After, we have some free time to get things done that we want, like go to the mailroom or just take a nap.  I never take a nap, but the others do, so me and Elder Keller will go get some exercise or catch up on reading or language.  I took Dallon's advice and found another Elder that wanted to play Volleyball.  It was awesome because I really enjoyed meeting and talking to the other missionaries there and it was a change from just playing soccer everyday.  Plus, I get back to the residence to shower before all the people from the fields. haha  I went with Elder Her.  He is a really cool kid from the Hmong district.  He always comes in our room to hang out.  There is usually about 2-3 hours of nothing to do.  We hang around the room talking until personal study around 4:30.  Then the day starts up again.  We have dinner, teach the investigator, and have classes.  Usually it's hard to concentrate during classes on p-day because we all need to get focused again. haha"

"Nothing really different happened for the Fourth of July except that we didn't have to teach our investigator because it was a holiday.  At the end of the day, we went to the gym for a devotional and sat right up front.  We listened to a guy talk about how the Lord and Gospel are tied to America.  America needed to be in order for Joseph Smith to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was a great talk.  Afterwards we watched 17 Miracles and then went to get ice cream and watch fireworks.  They let us stay out past our bedtime. haha  It was so fun, but made me miss you guys so much.  Another thing happened that day where I learned that sometimes, and probably most of the time, we don't get big feelings of the spirit to know what to do and we have to trust our own thoughts and feelings.  But if we are doing the things we are suppose to do and living righteously, we would do things that are promptings from the spirit and we wouldn't even know it.  So I need to keep on living righteously, so that when I make decisions, I make the right ones."

"The day after the Fourth was very hard.  We were all tired from staying up late, so everyone was out of it all day.  Everything we learned went right over our heads.  Even I started to fall asleep during TALL which is the most boring thing at the MTC.  We just sit at the computer and listen to words and really get nothing out of it.  I worked on 7 words for an entire hour and I don't remember them at all. haha  Then we had 3 hours of class where we had to teach Phii Joe and it went actually quite well.  We taught him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon.  We didn't even have to use the dictionary the whole time!  It rained that day and our teacher wasn't there because he got stuck somewhere, so we all ran outside in the rain and got all wet.  It was soooooooo awesome!!  We were soaked. haha  When the teacher finally got there, we were all pretty much sleeping through class.  No one really knew any of the stuff we learned that day, so we had to go over everything again as a district later. haha"

"So my birthday was a great day!  I woke up and opened the gifts that you sent and I loved it!  I played with the yoyo all day and everyone wants one now. haha  I wore the tie that day and it was cool.  I was complemented all day.  I also got a gift from the Carlsons of dark chocolate, flaming cheetos, and a tie as well.  It was awesome!  I don't know why you sent me the BYU shirt?  I like it but the whole district are Utah Ute fans, so they didn't like that very much. haha  You should have sent me a Boise State shirt or something. haha  I then went to the classroom and all the Sisters wrote Happy Birthday on my desk and gave me a card.  They wrote about how much they loved me and they each bought me candy and cookies.  Everyone knows I love cookies! haha  The Elders also gave me a card and it is really funny.  You will have to look at the picture of it that I'm sending.  They also gave me a Hi-chew.  The day then went back to normal and nothing really special happened.  No Dear Elders print out on Saturdays."

"Sunday was fast Sunday and I survived!  It wasn't that bad because I don't like the MTC food very much.  We had testimony meeting and I bore my testimony.  Everyone said I did awesome.  We had missionary conference where we sit through a 2 hour devotional and then watched "Characters of Christ" by Elder Bednar.  I suggest that you all try to find it because it is soooooo good!"

"On Monday I got 10 Dear Elders and everyone was so jealous!  I also got a package that was a big cake!  It was soooooo funny!  I loved it and it tasted soooooo good!  Good thing I didn't get it on Sunday or I would have died!  I shared it with my district and we had fun.  It was some other Elder's birthday on Monday, so I surprised him with a slice of cake.  Everyone was laughing and happy."

"It's interesting that we really don't hang out in the hall when we are at the residence.  We just stay in our room doing our own thing and people love to just come hang out.  It makes me laugh because they are always wanting to come in and we let them.  I think that you can feel the spirit in our room because our whole district gets along with eachother.  I had a great talk with Elder Beatty.  He told me that I have great Christlike qualities and thanked me for being a good person.  It got me a little emotional.  I told him that he was also great and had his own Christlike attributes.  I also told him to not be weary and that I know he was called to be the Zone leader because he really does do a great job."

"The language is hard, but I'm getting it and feel that I'll learn more out in the field.  Well, that is about all I have to share.  I miss you and wish that I could be there with you.  I was able to get a picture with Elder Heiner and the other district.  I hope you like them.  Love you all!!"

Elder Jacob Smith

The Birthday Cake!

The Sister's decoration and gifts

The Elder's card

The Birthday tie from Hawaii

The other Thai district

Elder Smith with Elder Heiner

Elder Schmitz with Elder Smith

Elder Her with Elder Smith

Elder Smith with Elder Tran

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER SMITH!!

MTC Week 3

The temple is closed so they moved Jake's laundry time on p-days to 7:00 am.  We were able to talk to him a little on email real time.  His spirits are high and he is having fun.  His July 12th group is now the old ones in the zone, since a group just left for Thailand.  It was interesting to find out that his zone consisted of Laotian, Vietnamese and Hmong languages also.

"Hello Khrubkhrua!  I think that is the way to spell family romanized in Thai?  Nothing too exciting happened this week.  I've felt bored a lot which stinks because then the time goes by slower, so I try to find ways to keep busy.  Don't get me wrong, I'm doing a lot of work and learning and teaching.  It's just the same thing every day and nothing new.  I am still able to find time during the day to do things that I want to do whether it's for a couple minutes or a half hour."

"The Phii Thais have finally left for Thailand and now I am the Phii Thai and don't feel like a freshman in high school any more.  I'm actually sad about them leaving because towards the end, I really got to know them really well.  I hit it off with them and they seemed to like me.  Maybe that will be a blessing when I'm out in the field.  My district is way happy that they are gone. haha  I spend most of my time with my district, but I know the other districts and we still talk a lot.  There is one kid from Wisconsin who is part Thai as well and we always say, "us Thais need to stick together", and we laugh.  At one point he was feeling really down and I went over to talk to him.  He said he was going through some tough things that he didn't really want to talk about.  I told him that everything was going to be fine and if he needed anything or anyone, that he should come talk to me and I'll be there for him.  He said thanks and left.  When I saw him again, he gave me a big hug and we talk a lot now as friends.  He is a really cool person and likes to play soccer of course.  I get along with the zone pretty well.  In the zone there are many different languages.  There is Laotian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Hmong.  The Laotian and Hmong missionaries are way cool.  I love them all because I can tell that each of them have a special strength."

"Elder Vance was released and Elder Watkins is the new district leader.  Also Elder Beatty and Elder Crump are the new zone leaders. They do great and are very responsible and do what needs to be done and says what needs to be said."

"The language is coming along.  It's funny that I've only been here for 3 weeks and I know more Thai than I do from studying 3 years of Spanish.  It's probably because I really want to learn the language.  We started to try to read Thai.  It's so hard!  There are all these rules that are so confusing and when we read, I cannot find the tones.  However, it's coming along and I can read the words from the Preach My Gospel.  I've already read the first two paragraphs, with words but not with tones.  It is a big accomplishment.  I can't wait until I can just speak the language really well.  It's going to be cool to talk Thai.  However, the Thai language is really affecting my spelling in English.  I looked through my journal and I can see my writing getting worse and worse.  Like is wasn't very good to begin with. haha"

"We had some good devotionals.  They were spiritual and I liked them.  They all seemed to talk about how we are at this moment missionaries of God.  Those words really hit me this week.  I am a missionary and the Lord trusts me to be His missionary.  The investigator thing is going alright.  I don't like it too much, but I go in every time and do the best I can.  We get through a lot of it without even looking at the script.  We are off script and have to do the lesson with only our scriptures and a small dictionary that we try not to use."

"Oh, I get to watch the fireworks tomorrow!  I am super excited!  My birthday is also on Saturday, so I am super excited for that too! haha  Maybe my district will throw me a surprise birthday party. hahaha  One night me and all the Elders in my district were talking about Cafe Rio.  So one of the Elders told his brother in a letter to bring us some and the other night he did!  It was delicious!!  His brother snuck it over the fence in the back, shhhhh...hahaha.  It was super awesome because I was so hungry for some good food.  Ever since the temple closed, there is nothing to look forward to food wise.  I crave real food!"

"I miss you so very much.  I forgot to bring the letters with me to the laundry room, so I didn't really answer all your questions.  I'll send home a letter answering all that I can.  I love you!"

Elder Jacob Smith

Elder Smith finds Elder Stepan

  

Proof of "Operation Cafe Rio"

A shout out from Elder Smith