26 Oct 10

Jacob didn’t send an email letter this week, but here’s some excerpts from the email exchanges we had with him Tuesday…

- I'm glad to be away from all the strip clubs in Phoenix.

- Guess what!!! My companion loves DCI and marching band. We've been together about a week now and I love this kid. This is the companionship I've been waiting for!! His name is Elder Berardi. He is a way cool guy. I can talk anything with him. I told him that you've (Mallory) been trying to send DCI cd's for over a year now and he flipped out. He's been out for less than 4 months and he's really funny. Has a great sense of humor. He asked if you were sending videos too? We might sit down on a P-day and watch em.

- I asked him if “greenie braker” from last week’s letter means that Jacob is this Elder’s 2^nd companion and he responded with “Yep, I'm his "Mom". Trainers are fathers and Greenie brakers are mothers”.

20 Oct 10

Hey, guess what!! I'm out of Phoenix!!! Yaaaaaaaay!!!!! Hey guess what!!!! I'm in Mesa!!!!! Noooooooooooooo!!! 

Yep after 7 1/2 months in Phoenix I'm back in Mesa I was hoping to go up north to Payson or Snow Flake and have a white Christmas but nope. I'm back in East Mesa. Next to my second area. We cover a singles branch. That should be fun.

I'm on a bike now. My companions name is Elder Barardi from Illinois, and I'm Greenie-braking him (we are guessing this means he is Elder Barardi’s 2^nd companion). 

Well that's awesome to hear. I'm excited to see how CV does against Evergreen HS and the other top schools next week.

Does Mallory have a car? She never sends me anything because she says that you always tell her to send it with your packages, and then you never tell her when you’re sending them. So I guess there's a little miss communication there. 

My last weekend in Phoenix we had a baptism, a 15 year old girl whose parents are catholic and totally support they’re daughter joining the church. They said "if you're going to do this honey you need to go all the way and be committed." Her name is Denise Niccoli and she is awesome!!!! 

Tell you more next week bye.

TTI

Jacob

12 Oct 10

Wow. What a fantastic experience it must have been for Grandma. I wish I could have been there. Glad she got my card. Sorry it came late, I bought it the week before and lost it, by the time I found it, it was grandma's birthday.

That's great to hear about Albi I'm excited to see how the band does this weekend. You're right though, from the recording I saw of last week it wasn't that great sound wise. Keep going!!

This week I went on exchanges with the Spanish missionaries. This was my 4th time doing Spanish work but this one was cool because I got to talk to the Mexican people. Before I just sat back and let the Spanish missionaries talk to them but in this lesson we were having I knew exactly what was being said and what was going on and I wanted to say something so I did and Elder Nicholas translated for me. It was cool.

I feel like the relationship between Elder Richards and I has gotten lots better.

I think this medication that they gave me for my allergies gives me problems with my stomach. I have a really hard time waking up in the mornings now. Harder than usual. I didn't get out of bed until 12:30 yesterday afternoon. That was the worst day. But it seems that after I'm past the morning I'm completely fine. I get the occasional really painful stomach ache, but that’s it.

Transfers are this week. I've been here 7 1/2 months. What’s gonna happen!?!?!?!

TTI

Jacob

5 Oct 10

Wow. That's awesome news about CV! I'm so proud of them! They have improved alot since I was there. They look great!
 
General Conference was good. I liked the talk on a Consecrated Life. And Elder Uchtdorf’s talks. He's awesome!! In the priesthood session Elder Nelson gave a talk on serving missions. At the beginning of his talk he asked all the missionaries to stand were ever we were in the world. I felt honored to stand during that talk even though I knew that my Dad and brother were not able to be present at that exact moment to hear or see that I knew that they were proud of me as I stood there, a missionary for God.
 
Birthday ideas: All I really want are pictures and CD's preferably.
 
Anyway 2 more weeks and I'll be out of Phoenix hopefully. I've been here 7 months and I'm a little tired of this place. But I will be patient.
 
TTI
 
Elder Morgan

28 Sept 10

We have a baptism tonight! 

The second baptism I've had in this area! A mother and a daughter, Gabriella and Rebecca Barron. Gabby is 22 and Rebecca is in her 40's. We've been teaching them for about 6 weeks now and have gone through alot with them. They are amazing. Rebecca's husband is a member but is less-active. We were referred by the Bishop who is there next door neighbor. We knocked on their door and said "Hey your neighbor said that we could come over and share a message about Christ with you." And they said sure. So we taught them, they read, they accepted everything. No problems with Word of Wisdom or Tithing. They were ready. And we did nothing except go where the member told us to go.

 Now we did run into a problem were Rebecca's husband, Marco. He wouldn't let her get baptized because he didn't think she was ready. Gabby doesn't need his permission to be baptized. His whole side of the family, who are all members, was not happy with him. We went over Sunday night to finalize "Gabby's" baptism and got Marco to come out and we talked with him, and got his permission to baptize his wife. A lot of prayers were answered that night.

 A great story on how member missionary work, works. Sometimes all you have to do is point, like the Bishop did, and others will come unto Christ.

 The contacts cost $45 for a box which would last me about 3 months so the total cost for each eye it cost $90. That's why my account seems so low. No need to be in a rush to put money in, I'm fine right now. Actually I have more money at the end of this month then I know what to do with. Usually I run out on my card.

 For next April, that's fine, I don't want you to feel like I don't care about everyone else, I do, but the only person who really matters in all this is Mom. That's why we call on Mother’s day. Dad had a part in helping me along spiritually and I don't know where I would be without Dad giving me those long talks over the phone about my grades and about my church etiquette and my Eagle Scout and my Duty to God and my summer school classes and keeping me going in marching band... anyway. That's why he gets to come, beside the fact that he's attached to Mom at the heart. Everyone else are great supporters and loved ones and I know they want to be a part of this. But, the truth is they have been a part of it the whole way. It's not the end that matters but the journey. Not everyone will be able to come, but that's not important. I can feel their love anyway.

 Love you all!

TTI

21 Sept 10

I know I've been a little neglectful in my posting. But, this was such a good letter, how things can come full circle in the gospel.

"This week was a pretty awesome week! It was crazy! So first, we had P-day on Monday, then Tuesday-Friday was 7 hours of Leadership Training and then I got sick for Saturday and Sunday. Needless to say our numbers last week were not so good. The only stat that stayed the same was TTI's of which we got 49 last week, and we tried hard to maintain that. Elder Richards was hardly in our area this week during Leadership Training, he was with other missionaries who's companions were also at the meeting. So he had to work in 3 areas this week including the American Sign Language Missionaries who cover the entire state of Arizona. So, it was a little rough.

But the meetings were awesome! I was completely drained afterward, but they were awesome! We learned how to better focus our teaching to what our investigators need and bring them one step closer to baptism. Nothing new or spectacular just more practice. It was great. Now if I could just get over my allergies to apply it to my area it will be great.

That's right I have Allergies. It all started when I got to the MTC and I lost my voice for a morning, then I started to get congested and when I got to Arizona it never went away. So the doctor down here who sees all the missionaries gave me some stuff to take care of all that. So I'm allergic to Arizona! Yeah!

I went to a baptism in my 1st area last night of a guy that I taught who was waiting a very long time to get baptized. His name was John Delpp. He had been on parole for a very long time and last night he was able to enter into the waters of baptism. Elder Tackett flew out from Virginia to baptize him. I have never seen a more packed baptism then John’s. They had to hold it in the chapel there were so many people. He was converted 5 years ago in prison and came to the Riverview ward for a year before he could get baptized it was such an awesome baptism. What made it cooler was that Johnny and Rayleen Avachuco were there and they are strong in the church. Rayleen gave the opening prayer and Johnny did the talk on the Holy Ghost.

It will be a full year on the 26th of this month when the Avachucos got baptized. I don't think they want to go to the Temple just yet. But they are awesome and as strong as ever in the church.

We went to the Temple this morning, 6am session, It was cool. I felt like it was the last time I would be going to the Mesa Temple. It was weird. I still enjoyed it.

My check up on my eyes are tomorrow so we'll see how those new contacts do.

Love you all.

TTI

Elder Morgan

8 Jun 2010

We've hit the triple digits. I saw 111 yesterday. Because we're hanging around the Spanish missionaries alot (there on bikes) they call us for rides in this heat in our air conditioned car. 

Attack of the Bed Bugs!! Elder Forkner and I are getting bit by something. Elder Forkner has about 50 bites I don't have as many, maybe 12 but we've been sleeping at the Spanish Elders place for a few nights. The bug guy came yesterday and didn't find anything but sprayed anyway. We might have to move. 

As for the post mission plans, for the last 14 months I've told everyone that asks that I'm going to go to the Art Institute in Seattle. But in order for me to do that I need to take the ACT. So I was thinking (1) get a job, (2) prep for and take the ACT (3) get some credit. That is the extent of my post mission plans. 

One other thing, when I was doing my Eagle Project I was only obligated to do one set of horse shoe pits. Bro. Deehr told me that there needs to be 2 sets for it to be a proper game. Michael Barney was supposed to do the other set but he didn't. So I told Bro. Deehr that I would do the rest. Richy is a Life Scout he could do the other set and he could start today. 

We missed the Temple this transfer, but the Temple is very important. I plan to attend more often than every 6 weeks after next Spring. 

Other missionaries are getting impatient with me. Got to go. 

TTI 

Jacob