Safe in Thailand!

 

After about 25 hours from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles to Hong Kong and finally Thailand, Jake looks a little tired, but is so happy to be there.  He flew into Typhoon Utor in Hong Kong and had quite the experience landing.  He was able to call us from the Salt Lake and LA airports, but his calling card did not work in Hong Kong.  He sent us a short email instead:

 "ahhhhhhh that was the most scariest thing that has ever happened to me!!!!! i was so scared!!! but i just want to let all of you know that i am safe and that the calling card does not work here!!! so i love all of you and i am safe but not too sure how i am feeling about getting on another plane!!! hahaha just please pray cause ill be praying really hard thats for sure haha love you all!!!" 

The airplane had to make two passes to land and we were told that people were screaming of fright.  We watched it all transpire online on Flight Aware.  What an intense and memorable beginning!

We received a letter from President and Sister Senior this morning.  Jake is safe and will spend today at the mission home being orientated and will be assigned his area and companion tomorrow.  Monday will be his p-day, so we won't hear from him until late Sunday night.  We can't wait!!

Elder Vance's family was able to drop off a treat and see the missionaries at the LA Airport.  They sent us these fun pictures of Elder Vance, Elder Smith and Elder Beatty.

MTC Week 8

Jake had to clean the temple for 3 hours Wednesday morning.  He told us that they are trying to see if the missionaries can attend the temple on Monday before they leave the MTC for Thailand.  He also said that he has seen Elder Sudol and Elder Sylvester almost every day.  Elder Sylvester is studying language in the same building.  We finally sent a new camera, so we're hoping Jake can get some pictures for us before he leaves. He is happy and extremely anxious to go to Thailand.

"Well as you probably already know.., I am freaking out about how close I am to leaving!  This week has been just filled with review and lots of preparation stuff.  This will be the last email from the MTC that you will get from me.  It actually makes me so happy because I'm so ready to leave here.  However, I am extremely grateful to be able to come here instead of going straight to Thailand because I would have had such a hard time trying to learn the language and how to teach effectively.  I'm super busy every day and we always have something to do because they want us to finish strong.  I have a lot to get ready and to do before we leave.  I'm having a blast this week because we feel like the kids on top because we have been here so long. haha"

"I'm a little worried that I'm going to forget something important.  On Thursday, we had to teach our investigator Doug and it didn't go too well.  We were probably struggling because we were all so out of it after p-day.  Anyways that got me real down about the language and I was having trouble thinking that I wasn't ready for Thailand yet.  I had to decide that everything will be alright as long as I have the Lord by my side.  I got on my knees and said a prayer of thanks only and my day got a lot better.  Also, I was able to call home that day, so it was really great."

"Saturday was fantastic!  We taught a girl named Jessica in TRC about how to receive revelation through prayer.  We used 2 Nephi 32 and we just rocked the lesson!  We were connecting really well and our lesson was on fire.  I could actually understand a lot of what she was saying, which made me feel good.  At the end of the lesson, we were talking in Thai and she was telling us how well we were doing with the language.  I looked at her and said, "phom phayaayaam" (I try) haha. We all laughed so hard and then started talking about how excited we were to go to Thailand.  We talked about the work and of all the things we'll be able to do in Thailand.  It was such a confidence booster after the past couple days.  Afterwards, we had planning study and I realized that me and Elder Vance can get a lot done when we can just sit down and plan.  We had great planning study.  Also my district told me that I say, "n such" a lot while I talk and it's so true! haha  I need to work on that.  I don't even know why I say it sometimes."

"Sunday was hard because it was fast Sunday and I was so hungry the entire time.  I even heard my stomach say, "I hate you right now!"  We had a two hour devotional and oh my goodness, it was so long!  We went back to the classroom and watched a bunch of funny movies on the LDS website, the Joseph Smith movie, and Johnny Lingo.  It was really nice to just relax and not have to worry about anything.  Later that evening, we had another devotional by Jenny Oaks Baker!  I know you know her.  She is a violinist and the daughter of Dallin H. Oaks, so that was cool.  She talked and played the violin and it was really fun to watch and listen to her.  After that we went and watched Mountain of the Lord.  It was great and I think I was in a better mood after I ate. haha oh well!"

"Monday we had class and had to teach Phii Joe for the last time. The lesson went fantastic and we were able to get him to go to church! That was the goal that we had set, so way to go Elder Smith!  We know that it wouldn't have been possible if we didn't have the Lord on our side.  Also, it was Brother Olsen's half birthday, so we blew up a bunch of rubber gloves and gave him some of our snacks that we had from our room and wrote him a letter.  It was really funny to watch him open it and just laugh.  It was a good day."

"Tuesday was a little weird because we had an activity where Brother Thrap told us a story in Thai, that I couldn't even understand any of, and then afterwards we had to tell him what it was about.  Wouldn't you know, he chose me and I really didn't know anything he was talking about.  I got through it, but it was really tough.  I think that Satan is trying to get me to stop, so that I don't go to Thailand.  Well it didn't work because I have the power of God on my side and his son Jesus Christ who through him all things are possible!  Get thee hence!! haha  I'm super excited to go to Thailand and I cannot wait to finally meet my first convert! yeah!!"

"I miss you all so much and I really want to get those pictures from you because I need to see your faces!  I love you all so dearly and can't wait until I can finally call and talk to all of you!"

Elder Jacob Smith

Elder Smith finds Elder Sylvester! (Czech Republic Mission)

MTC Week 7 and A Phone Call!

We awoke today to a phone call from Jake!  His voice sounded so different that we didn't recognize him at first.  Then he would laugh and it was the most delightful recognizable sound.  He was doing some paperwork and needed to know his blood type, so they let him call home for 5 minutes.  What a special treat we received.  He even spoke some Thai and we were so impressed.  He told us that his camera broke and needed another one right away.  There are only 12 days left in the MTC!

"This week was like the last week with nothing really to talk about.  I don't have many pictures because we didn't do much.  There were some highlights though."

"Thursdays are like new Mondays and I always have a hard time transferring over to work time.  We are all done with the grammar lessons, so I hope we just review now because it's hard to keep everything in, when we are flying through everything everyday.  Now that it's over, I really do feel that the language is coming along pretty well for me.  Just the other day, I reviewed 82 new words and almost fell asleep doing it because the TALL program is so boring.  The language is super fun to speak.  Brother Olsen came in the next day and told us that we are not using some grammar principles right, so we went over some and realized that we actually have a lot in our heads, but just don't use it enough.  I can't wait until I can talk to Grandma in the Thai language.  That would be so fun!  I actually have the first vision memorized!  Now my reading is improving as well.  I think that once I am in the field, the language will sky rocket."

"Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the hardest days at the MTC.  We don't really have time to relax, but that is fine because that is how it is going to be out in the field.  Saturday we were able to go to the TRC and teach a 40 minute lesson on Faith.  It's crazy that we have only been here for two months and I can already teach a lesson in Thai!  I have learned more here than I have learned from 3 years of Spanish.  If Seniora Hardy taught here, the kids would be geniuses for sure because her teaching skills and the speed of the MTC would make the perfect team. haha  Spanish would be so easy to learn!  Really, kids are here for 3 weeks and they can speak Spanish really well.  Dallon had it so easy."

"Also on Saturday, my district practiced a song to sing in Sacrament meeting.  Yes that's right, I sang in Sacrament meeting!  When we were practicing, I kept squeaking and wasn't singing very well.  I had no idea why!  Everyone was all saying you better not squeak when we are singing on Sunday!  So I said that I wouldn't and then it happened again. I was frustrated and had to walk away for a minute.  I jumped off the stage and my sleeve caught Elder Beatty's shirt pocket and ripped it off!  I was so sorry and everyone started busting out laughing.  He was fine because it's happened before and Sister Bentley is a pro at sewing.  That was a funny story I thought you might enjoy.  Sister Bentley is the one who signed us up to sing and so we had to do it for her.  It was way fun and gave us something different to do at the MTC.  The song we sang was, "I Know that My Redeemer Lives."  It went really well on Sunday and I am convinced that it did because, before we sang, I said a prayer to help me not crack or rip someone's shirt. haha"

"Monday was a great day because we taught a fantastic lesson to Dxg.  We read 2 Nephi 32 and it was so applicable to what he wanted to know.  He wanted to know why we had to do certain things.  We planned this lesson for a long time because we had to read in the Book of Mormon in Thai and be prepared to answer questions he might have.  Also the sister missionaries, Sister Jackson and Sister Bentley, were there with us acting as our members.  It was cool because we were all teaching in unison and were able to answer many of his questions!  Then he asked me what he should read.  Everyone was telling me chapters that were good and I was all, ahhhhhhh be quiet.  I suggested a chapter that Sister Jackson told me and bore my testimony.  Then I asked him to pray and things got quiet.  As he was praying, I got a huge prompting to tell him to read Moroni 10.  That had never happened before where I received a prompting from the Holy Ghost during a lesson.  I really can tell you that when things are busy and crazy, it is hard to listen to the spirit.  But once things got quiet and we were in prayer, I was guided to say what needed to be said.  I want you to know that we need to listen to the spirit more because I know how busy we all are.  At some point, we need to calm down, say a little prayer, and listen to the spirit guide us.  That way we can make good decisions in everything we do.  The spirit will never lead us wrong!"

"I am always thinking about you and sometimes will even laugh out loud during class when I remember something funny.  I am super excited when I get all the letters from you and can't wait to call you from the airport.  Can you believe it is just a week and a half away?!  I am so excited!! haha  I will miss my district a lot, but I know that I will always have one solid companion and that is Jesus Christ!  I love you all!"

Elder Jacob Smith

This is an excerpt from a letter we got from Jake in the mail.  It made us smile. :)  We are wondering if he read the rest of the inspection?

"Now here is something I want all of you to know.  I, Elder Jacob Smith, your son and brother, am the CLEANEST kid in the room!  I even have proof on the other paper I'm sending home.  Take that family!  You should have had more faith in me.  My bed is always made and I always put my clothes away and hang up my shirts and pants.  THE CLEANEST! haha"

This is his proof.  He circled his check mark to make sure we knew.