Jacobs Missionary letter- week 4

5-29-2013

Hello Family and friends again!!!!! This is week 4 e-mail which is crazy! I have been here for a month…. ahhhhh!

So this week has been a crazy one. So much has happened but at the same time it hasn't because weeks go by so fast here. I still love the MTC and you really can feel the spirit so strong here. I’m trying to think of something that really stood out this week. So, as all you guys know the MTC is basically sitting in a classroom all day and they just cram so much information into your brain. Surprisingly though, the longer I’m here the more I’m not as overwhelmed. It’s not because we are doing less work, I think I have just been able to use my time better. You really don’t have much time though. Everyday is so busythat sometimes you don't know what time it is. So this week actually has been a little harder for me. I feel like I learned so much in the first few weeks with the language and I haven’t learned as much as I have wanted to this week. I am still learning so much and my testimony has grown so much. Just the thought of leaving to Romania in 12 days freaks me out a little bit. I am so excited to go and I have spent a lot of time on my knees asking Heavenly Father to prepare me more because I know for a fact I am not ready to go to Romania by myself. I know that through and only through the Lord can I be a successful missionary.

Another big thing that happened this week was I became Zone Leader! My zone is so awesome and it’s a really good group of missionaries. I don’t know if I have told you guys but my zone has about 65 missionaries in it. It includes all the missionaries going to Italy and Romania. My leadership position caught me by surprise but I am so excited to serve them. I’m convinced we have the best zone in the MTC. Actually tonight we are getting a few more Italian missionaries so I have to welcome them which I am looking forward to doing! I thought I was busy enough with everything else that I have been doing but I guess the Lord doesn't think so.  I am excited and my goal is to get to know everyone and bring us closer together. I also know that as I continue from other peoples examples, that I will become a better leader. I am looking forward to growing a lot from this because I honestly don’t know that much.

Yeah, that’s about it. I am lovin' life here. At times I do get a little home sick but I know there is no experience like serving a mission and I love serving the Lord. I hope everyone is safe and happy! On the days that are really hard for me and I can’t focus very well, I think of all of you guys and know that you believe in me. It helps me to think that everyone back at home supports me and loves me. Thank you for everything and for all the prayers. I can feel them and they comfort me. Anyway, the church is true. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. If we show our trust and faith in Him, he will help us become the people he wants us to be.

P.S. Keep those letters coming!! There is no such thing as sending too many letters.

Elder Mayans

Friends and Family,

  If you want to write Jacob at the MTC  it is really easy.  Go to dearelder.com   It will have a place to click write a missionary. When selecting a mission select  PROVO MTC.  His box number is 164 and his departure date is 06/11.  That is all you need .  Then type your letter and they will print it off and deliver it to him by the next evening for no charge.  It is a pretty awesome service.  Here is another great letter.  It made his mamma cry (ya thats me)!!!

week 3!!!!!!!!!

Woooohoooo!!! Hello again family and friends!!! I cannot believe this is week three for me!! From today I am exactly half way done with the MTC!! It has gone by so quickly. It's little a scary to think that I'm going to be in Romania in just a few weeks.

So this week has been absolutely amazing! The Spirit is teaching me new things every single day. The main focus we had this week was the docterine of Christ and faith. I love learning more everyday and I feel like even though I know it I learn more every time. Also, I'm beginning to love the scriptures so much more now. It's so useful to use scriptures in lessons. It's really cool because if someone asks us a question about something we know right where to go in the scriptures to answer the question. It's so much fun.

Dang its really hard to think about what to write because this week has gone by soo fast. So basically the average day is filled with teaching us about 60 percent gospel teachings and 40 percent language. We learn a few things about different grammar principles for the language and if feels like it never ends! haha I love learning though and each day is so productive. So for example if we learn how to say certain things in Romanian we have to include it in baring our testimony or teaching a lesson. It really forces you to master it.

   

Another thing that has been on my mind and is something we have talked about this week is the people out there who are looking for this Gospel. We have talked about how this life is a test and everyone is at different points all trying to get back to our Heavenly Father. To me that reminds me that we are just trying to get them back on the path. The path that they want to be on but just dont know why. I'm so thankful for this opportunity I have to do that and serve the Lord.

I love everyone so much. You guys have been so good to me and have given me so much support. Thank you for all the letters you have sent me, they really help each day to be even better. Well, again I love you all and I love this gospel so much and there is no where that I would rather be. The Church is true!

Oh so by the way, I have learned a little bit more about Romania this week by my teachers and I thought I should share because its really funny. So everyone I guess calls Romania the Mexico of Europe. haha. I know you guys know that there is a lot of poverty there but also there are no opportunities for jobs. So they said that basically everyone that you will meet is either moving out of the country or wants to. Also, during the summer just to get away, many families go one a 3 month vacation and just leave the country. Also, on every single street corner there is a shoe shiner and a tailor! haha so that's good for me. My shoes will always be polished with a nice Romainian spit shine haha. Thats about it! By everyone

Jacobs 2nd letter

Week 2

Hello Family and friends!!! How is everyone doing?? I’m trying to think of what to write but there has been so much and I don’t want to repeat myself. So sorry if I say the same thing twice.

So I officially feel official now. It was a big transition coming into the MTC but now it feels like normal life. Ha ha it’s been probably the longest two weeks of my life. Just looking back to when I got dropped off feels like forever ago because so much has happened. The first week was soooo slow and the days felt like weeks but now that I’m getting the groove of things its starting to speed up. It’s great and I love everyday I’m here. During the day I sometimes think about what I would be doing right now if I wasn’t on a mission and nothing seems as important anymore. I know this is where the Lord wants me to be at this point of my life.

So some stuff I didn’t mention is my first letter. In the MTC we do practice lessons with our teachers and fake investigators. My first lesson I did was the second day I got here! And it had to be in Romanian! It went well but it was interesting. I’m pretty sure they just did that to us so that we would understand that there is no way of learning this language without the Lord. I have taught I think about 10 lessons now and each one is getting better and better. I take notes to look at during my lessons to help me say certain things but every lesson I feel more and more comfortable. I take a lot less notes with me now and I can express what I want to say a lot better on my own. It’s still hard, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a goal for me in the next week to be able to teach without any help. I get nervous for every single lesson but I kind of like it. haha. It makes it more of a challenge and I look forward to it everyday. I know the Lord has blessed me with the Gift of Tongues and I can already see it working. It’s pretty amazing. The only thing that makes me mad is that one of the girls in my district is a straight up GENIUS! It amazes me how much she knows but its ok, everyone learns at different speeds.

Last night we had our Tuesday night devotional and guess who came and spoke to us!!! Russel M. Nelson!!!! It was soooooooo good!!! It was a really neat experience. Right when he entered the building, the entire room went completely silent and we all stood up. It was so cool and his talk was very inspired. He talked about missionary work and all the people that are cheering for us, even the ancestors of the investigators on the other side of the veil. The way he put it made me very excited to serve and love all the people I meet in Romania.

Lastly, today is P-day so we went to the temple! I love the temple so much I feel the spirit every time I go. I’m going to miss going to the temple in Romania but hopefully we can teach and convert so many people that they have to build a temple. haha I guess that is a positive way to look at it. Well, I love you all!!!! Please, please please write me. I enjoy reading every single one of your letters and I’m sorry if I don’t respond soon. I try my best but its hard to get any extra time. I love and miss you guys. You’re in my prayers. The church is true. I know it with all my heart. I’m so grateful for the knowledge that I have of the Gospel and I want to share it with others because it will bless their lives just like it has blessed mine. 

PaPa ( means bye bye in Romanian)

Family

-Mom and dad hope you guys had fun in Hawaii... ha ha you guys would go to Hawaii right after I leave :)

-Mom, happy late mothers day! I love you

-and I sent a little hand written letter to Ben today but I don’t know his address so I just sent it to the house.

- and of course do some spell check, I try to type fast.

Personal funny fact!!! Ha ha so the first time I gave a lesson I was super nervous but it went well so I shouldn’t have been nervous. But afterwards my companion and I went in the hall and all the sudden I ran and threw up in the trash can!!! Ha ha it’s the start of the funny mission experiences- just thought the family would enjoy that!




Jacobs First Week at The Missionary Training Center

Elder Grochmal meeting us at the MTC

Romania District

Jacobs companion Elder CLoward

Every Missionary has to ahve this shot

Hello family and friends!

How is everyone doing!!! I don't even really know where to start because everything has been so amazing!!! I love being a missionary and I feel old! It's weird. This week as you can imagine has been a huge change in my life and it takes getting use too. But I feel now that I have been at the MTC for exactly a week now I'm starting to get the hang of things. I love it here. Everyday has been filled with the spirit and it really does make your day so much better. And now that I'm waking up at 6:05 every morning (because our district is the first district to have gym :/ ) each day is so long. So lets see going back on this week, so much has happened. As you guys know, Ryan was my host and met me at the curb, which was so cool.  I registered and he showed me around and then he took me to my classroom to meet my teacher. I walked in the room and my teacher just started speaking Romanian to me super fast -it was crazy! I had no idea what he was saying. ha-ha Then later that day we had our first orientation meeting which was so cool because it was all the missionaries that entered that day all in the same room. The spirit was so strong as the MTC president and councilors bore their testimony and testified how important missionary work is and how happy the Lord is for us to go on a mission. It got me really pumped for the work but you guys know me I've always been excited to serve a mission.

So actually right before that meeting I met my companion! His name is Elder Cloward from Salt Lake City. Ha-ha. I would have to say we have completely different personalities but somehow we work very hard and got along together. He is always either super funny or super spiritual. He has a really good heart and a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

So my room has four people in it. The others are Elder McArthor and Elder Reed. I like them a lot too. We as a district work very well together and get a lot of things accomplished. Oh yes, so districts. As you guys already know there are not very many missionaries that serve in Romania so there is a total of I believe 11 Elders and 2 sisters that are here right now which I guess is a lot more than normal!!! My district has 4 elders and the 2 sisters and the other district has the other 7 elders. Our two small but strong districts are so awesome! We have a lot of really good people and we need it because our zone is the Romanians and the Italians. And the Italians out number us 50 to 13! ha-ha

So the Romanian is very hard but it’s coming along pretty well!! The teachers are very good and their way of teaching us is by never speaking English!!! At times it is very frustrating but every day I can understand more and more!! I can now bare my testimony, say a prayer, and make little small talk!!! I know that this wouldn’t be possible without the Lord because there would be no way I would be able to learn it in ^ weeks!! Yes, I know only 6 weeks. I leave to Romania June 11. As I think back I remember that I have only been here for a week. Its crazy!!

I don't have much more time so lastly I wanted to talk about Sunday. Sunday was such a good day. It was fast Sunday but before Church started it was MTC conference. The speakers were amazing and I was really comforted that this is where the Lord wants me to be. I know this is where I am suppose to be but is was really nice just to have the spirit comfort me. I know this church is true with all of my heart! I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for my Savior Jesus Christ. This week, my teachers have touched a lot on how none of this is for me. I am to loose myself and bring souls unto Christ. It’s a huge task but I know with the Lord, anything is possible.

I love all of you so much and I hope everyone is well. I miss you guys but I can feel the love that you guys have for me. If anyone gets a chance send me letters!!! What makes missionaries happy are letters!!! ha-ha but really after a really long day its nice to read letters from you guys!!!  My Mailbox number is #164!!! The Church is true!

P.S.

- Tia thank you for the huge box of food!!! It’s amazing and everyone in my district is so jealous! I told them I have the most amazing Aunt

-Elder Reed in My district has the same exact mole on his chest. We bonded right at that moment!