Short and sweet!

Eric got baptized. Hadi and carlos did not. I'm headed to downtown Spokane working the spanish branch which has had 12 baptisms in two months so i'm moving into even a more fruitful area. Love you mom

This week emails12/15

Dad,
Go cougs, go Jazz, go 'boys.
So everything in warden is going well. Except, Alex Lopez, who was just baptized, his father was murdered this weekend. Crazy. His family is in a bit of shock while the police investigate the event.
See mom's email for the rest of the interesting things. However, I do wish to thank you for the mp3 with your recordings and conferences. If you could pass the message to Braxton that I endured a great laugh while listening to his brief yet truthful message.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God.
We tracted in 9 degree weather, and the wind has blown non stop, harder than hard for 3 days straight. I think the wind chill put it to 0 at least. The flags were tighter than tight with the wind which pierces even to the very soul. I may need some thermals for Christmas, but don't know if there is still time,.
I was going to send a chastening to the ward through mom, but as it is her birthday I feel it is better suited for you (please don't take any of the following personally):
whose ever idea it was to cancel the ward Christmas breakfast should be sent to an island far away, and locked in heavy chains. ("What's up Doc?") By the time I get home in two years the tradition had better be re-ignited or I'm leaving the Ward with no questions. The breakfast is the best thing that happened to that ward since CHRISTMAS. without it we're nothing but a retired (or should be retired) bunch of empty nesters who isolate children, and families with children while having adult only parties - which basically means it is a "empty nesters" and "parents who can pawn their kids off at another 'empty nesters' house so they can attend" party. I mean not to rebuke, only to teach. If you want young families coming to the ward or staying in the ward, have parties that young families can attend, not parties that discourage them. If you want converts, or re activations, have parties that help converts and less actives want to attend! I wish not to discourage a progressive dinner, but that sounds more fitting for the thanksgiving or valentines seasons. The Christmas breakfast can be a tool of encouraging young families, and inviting non-members and less actives. Thus, I invite you to exercise your personal influence and reinstate the ward breakfast, and other activities like unto it which invite non members, encourage less actives, and fellowship families of both classifications, all for the purpose of becoming unified in the faith of our Lord and Savior, whose birth celebration this is.
Well I love you dad, sorry about the chastening. Nothing personal, this is critical work though. The party must be re-instated.
-Elder Jacobson


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Mom,
I hope you're having a happy birthday. As for your gift, alas, I don't have excessive funds so I apologize.
As far as calling on Christmas... They cancelled it this year because missionaries had been abusing it. April fools. I don't know when I will be calling, but I can talk for an estimated 45 minutes.
As far as Warden News: Eric is back on date for baptism at the end of the month. Last month his mom said he was far to young and dumb to be baptized, but after mighty prayer and dedicated fasting the Lord blessed us with a miracle as when we approached her again she hesitatingly gave her permission. She didn't want to say yes but the Spirit constrained her. Brothers and Sisters we have seen a miracle. What could have changed this woman's mind? Was it my charisma and great communication. Heck no, she can hardly understand my broken Spanish. was it that she just has a hard time saying no? No. she said no to us before with motherly force. Did she feel like she'd disappoint her son by saying no? No way, she's done it before she'll do it again. The only answer is logical and simple, the Lord gave us a miracle for little more than the three of us skipping 24 hours of food and drink, combined with mighty prayer.
Next bit of news, Hadi, from Iraq is on date for baptism at the end of the month. He still has major confusion but he has decided he wants to be baptized. Another man, Carlos, who is bigger than big is nearing the date of his baptism which still needs to be set for... the end of the month. We're going to throw him "on-date" tmrw.
I've received the 12 days package and your/family history letter. It was inspiring and I thank you. Thanks for everything mom, you're the best. I love you very much and hope you have an awesome birthday and Christmas!
-Elder Jacobson
D y C 42:14

From my son who LOVES Christmas almost as much as his Mom

Mom,
Thanks for the email, but more so thanks for the package. It was unexpected to see how full it was of Christmas festivity. I love the ties, and the Mini tree.. It goes perfectly with our 6 foot tree we bought last week at wall mart. The little tree is on the dresser. I'll send you some pictures and vidoes of our festive room. I lined the walls with lights again, and put all our supplies beneath the big tree to give it the appearance of presents. I think our room should be in a magazine picture of Christmas Cheer and Festivity. Let your joy radiate to others, and make this the most memorable holiday season ever, and then the ensuing years others will want to recreate the great memories you gave them this year. Viva Christmas! Thanks for the package, the journal and the ties. The ties are sweeter than sweet. Oh and thanks for the music, though one CD didn't have any music on it. haha. I feel bad putting you through such effort just to send a package, but I am very thankful.
Victor, a recent convert, when I asked if he is going to decorate his house for Christmas responded, "No, no vamos. Las Decoracions son del mundo, no de Dios" (No we're not going to. Decorations are of the world, not of God.) As you can imagine I felt pretty worldly... I don't agree with him!
One tip to spread Christmas Cheer: answer the phone saying, Merry Christmas this is Diane. That's what I do only I say Elder Jacobson obviously.
Also, I just wanted to apologize for complaining about the new tree you bought last year with the white lights, and thank you for making the tedious effort to exchange the white lights for colored ones. I am grateful that you would do something so tedious and unimportant for me, although a year ago I was too puffed up to say thanks.
we had another baptism yesterday, Alex Lopez. Eric Castillo was supposed to be baptized too but his mom wouldn't give him permission so we didn't get to baptize him yet, but we are praying for her to come around by the end of the year.
My old trunky companion who finished his mission wrote me and told me that he cried himself to sleep the night he was released. I couldn't believe it.
Well, as far as thanksgiving you may refer to Dad's email. It was definitely one to remember. I think I mentioned that we are determined to make this Christmas one we look back on with fond memories for the rest of our lives. It's going to be funner than fun.
My spanish is improving. Over the last couple of days I've been able to express my self a little better, all of a sudden, but I still can't understand all that is said to me.
Well that's about it. Thanks for everything you do mom, small and big. I love you
-Elder Jacobson
Helaman 5:9-12


Dad,

Thanks for the brief email. I'm in Moses Lake today emailing at Big Bend.
It's a community College. Smaller than small but everyone here thinks it's
the coolest thing since the printing press.
Josh played some turkey bowl? Man i'm jealous. How are the Cowboys doing?
I'm assuming they won since I heard they played Seattle, and since I heard
seattle is stinking it up.
we had some interesting thanksgiving experiences. We went to Willie's, the
alcoholics, and his brother had past out from too much booz. He had keeled
over, and was moaning and twitching occasionally. Then
his brother began to paint his toe nails pink. Then Willie tried to
antagonize the drunken yet unconscious beast by hitting his belly several
times. This caused him to take a blind swing and put up his dukes ready for
a fight, yet still unconscious. Amidst our lesson he screamed out "AMEN!"

We did some amazing decorating and I'll send the pictures home in a while.
Love you dad.
-Elder Jacobson
3 Nephi 30:2

"Prideful Antics"

Dad,
First, (in order of least importance) I love the cowboys and I can't believe stinkin BYU is letting Utah walk over them.
Second, The talks on the mp3 player will work just fine, and I may be able to get a member to burn them later or something.
Third, we had three baptisms yesterday, Victor showed up from mexico on monday so we frantically organized the baptism, hoping beyond hope that everything would work out so they could get dunked this weekend. The delays of the baptisms of these kids caused more stress than I can handle- well almost. However, Victor asked me to baptize the kids, He has the authority to do it, but he felt strongly that I do it. I was extremely honored to do so. So they were the first converts that I have baptized, though we have baptized Four others. Victor is a good man, and I was greatly honored that he would have me do it.
We have two baptisms scheduled for this week, however, it will take a miracle (more than one) for them both to happen, so pray hard! Thanks for everything dad.

-Elder Jacobson

P.S. I was thinking about how much I miss snowboarding and mountains.. Also I want to apologize for always ditching you on the mountain when you would come ski with us. I apologize for my prideful antics. Schedule a saturday in december 2010, we'll go again.

Thanks giving we'll be going over to a bunch of folks's house to eat. Probably will gain 20-25 pounds but oh well. Hopefully you send me a new journal before the 12 days of Christmas because I only have about a week left.
Tell dad that he inspired me, I am trying to write everyday in my Journal, and I want to memorize 100 scriptures on my mission, only in spanish.
Why does Josh hate your car? Girls like it, and they think it makes you sensitive, which is a attractive in a pathetic way. Tell him that. I like the car, can I have it? I don't think I need boots for the winter, the winter's here I have a feeling are pathetic, a few inches of snow on the
ground at a time maximum is what they tell me. People here are wimpy about the cold, but that's ok because the field is white!
If you read dad's letter you'll learn all about Victor. we also have a 14 year old boy set for baptism this weekend. He is pretty much a golden investigator named Eric. we're hoping that his family starts listening too. At the moment a bunch of little kids are looking over my shoulder reading this.

November 17th

Washington Apples!!!

Dad,
I don't have my new companion until tmrw. As for now I'm hanging out in Othello with the Zone Leaders. Tmrw I'll pick up my new comp and we'll head off to Zion, Aka Warden. His name is Elder Garrett. (don't know if I spelled that right). He is from Utah, I think, and he has only been out for one transfer (6 weeks) longer than I have, so this will be pretty fun. It's going to force us to learn spanish (meaning rely on the Lord). I'm glad I have a young companion because that means he is still ready to work and will have energy to do it.
Tinsmith's departure was relatively unexciting. Just said bye, then drove with ward mission leader Bobby Whitaker to Othello to work with the Zone Leaders for a few days.
But we were supposed to have 4 baptized this last weekend and nothing happened.
The four people who should have been baptized will be baptized. Just probably not this weekend. Two weeks from now would be a reasonable goal though. I really feel like Warden can have 8 people baptized by the end of the year, at least.
Thanks for the email. Go Cowboys! Go BYU! and GOOOOOO JAZZ!!!!!!
-Elder Jacobson
Quote of the Day, "The optimist is just as wrong as the pessimist, but he has a lot more fun doing it."

Mom,
You and Dad should coordinate better, I haven't heard a thing about Stacy's new car. What happened to the green one, can I have it?
thanks for all your prayers and support. I love you. Feel free to pray for my companion and I that we can have the gift of tongues, and that we can get the 8 baptisms before the end of the year.
Thanks, Love you.
-Elder Jacobson
Philipians 4:13

Tinsmith is leaving next week. One more week of trunkiness, but i'm gonna miss the kid. He's a good man.
The last week it has felt like we're in seattle with off and on rain and overcast all the time. I love it. I'm sick of the sun. Tinsmith is leaving next sunday so I'll find out my new companion on Friday
Thanksgiving is rushing upon us, and so is christmas. I'm excited for Christmas, I decided I'm going to decorate my house and stuff to get me in the spirit of the holidays even though I won't be getting people presents and stuff.
Victor should be home tmrw, so we should be able to baptize them this weekend. And we'll be baptizing A boy named Alex Lopez this weekend too so we will have four if Victor shows up, and Victors wife Amada doesn't have to work this weekend. It's crazy.
So we found a golden investigator named Eric Castillo, but his parents aren't the biggest fans of us teaching him so it makes it tough. He will hopefully be baptized at the end of the month, but not if his parents wont' let us continue teaching him.
Thanks for the support. If you could send me the Christmas ties, thermal garments, and all christmas music is approved. no rush though... I'll be alright for at least a few more weeks. Bye
-Elder Jacobson D and C 131:20-21

Nov.3

I have not heard from A Dawg yet. Just tell me where he is going in case his letter doesn't get here by next week, who cares who tells me, I wanna know! The anxiety is killing me!
Thanks for the email. It was one of two that i received this week, and one was from josh, a one liner. You should count yourselves lucky there in Utah with cleaning churches and this. The members here have five times the duty for those things, such as cleaning, missionary splits, dinner, etc. Never realized how easy we have it there in Utah, or how anti utah some people are for no apparent reason. The minute I tell some people I am from Utah, that minute I am discounted as a missionary. It's annoying but what can you do?
This week was a pretty lousy week so I don't have a lot to say. We had zone conference and I went on two exchanges one to othello and one to Royal City. When I'm not in my area we get nothing done.

Sorry my email is short and lame this week. I can't think of much to say. I'll give you something better next week if I can.
Michelle sent me a package but there wasn't anything about ghost hunting. sounds pretty interesting to me. Thanks for the package, the bread was good. By the way i've lost five pounds so I'm back to normal weight.
Elder Jacobson

Oct.28th

Warden, Washington

So I have two minutes so I'll tell you some stories I suppose.
We are still teaching Hadi, (the man from previous email from Iraq) and he is progressing slowly. I think he'll be baptized one of these days. He's all confused about the million religions but only ours makes perfect sense because it's right, and he is understanding that.
Yesterday we went to Wenatchee (thus no email) and did some shopping. I bought a tie and a shirt but only spent twenty bucks. We went to this house for lunch and they had a three foot long iguana/dinosaur. It was huge. I put it on my shoulder. I'll send you a picture one day when I get it back to me.

As missionaries we do a lot of reactivation, so far we've been pretty successful, infact that's how we got the two baptisms sunday.
So three baptisms had to be postponed again because their dad ran to mexico to visit his sickly father. We baptized two and I did it for the first time, in spanish too.

Oct.20, 2008

This is the house where Ben lives! In the basement of a members home.

Dad,
Be careful in OC (Orange County, CA). From the tv show there is a lot of horrible things happening there, watch your back. Of course I never saw the show I'm just assuming. After all, Terminator is the governor, how safe can you be?

Next week we have five baptisms scheduled (we had three for this last week but we had to move them to this sunday.) It's going to be the best day of the mission thus far.

Mom,
The man named Hadi, from Iraq, is progressing slowly. He has all these crazy views, and before we teach him more we have to get clearance from the first presidency to teach him. For some reason that is a rule with Muslim people - need to have permission to teach them (because if they are planning to return to Iraq Christian, they'll end up dead - Hadi reiterated that fact to us as well). He believes in the Book of Mormon, and prophets, but he thinks Christ was merely a prophet. We were finally able to show him that prophets are called of God, not just inspired, spiritual people. he eventually understood and agreed after using some scriptures.

Spanish is still improving slowly. We ate at a peruvians house the other day when I was on exchanges in Othello. The food was AMAZING. But they started laughing at me when they were complimenting my spanish, and then asked me a simple question and I became confused. They thought I understood them perfectly so they were saying how good I was at spanish. Once they asked me a question and I didn't understand they started laughing. It was funny, however, I was understanding most of what they were saying, just the oddly worded question threw me off.

If basketball season starts soon let me know how my Jazz are doing.
Thanks for the package, it saved me. Thank you very much.

Que les vaya bien
-Elder Jacobson
Alma 30:34

Oct 14th

Mum,
Thanks for the email, it was very good. I'm glad you were able to see Aaron Kristen and Candace. I havent heard from them in a while and I thought aaron moved to austrailia or something (my brain created that when i hadn't heard from him in a while). Will you tell that kid to send me a letter. I'm in a horrible letter drought and I wanna hear of his weber experiences.
Yes I need a coat. It's in the twenties at night and the high is in the fifties and the wind pierces even to the very soul all hours of the day. Could you send me your olympic glove liners, and that gray nike XC hat that i have. It is a beenie and it has a bill... If you cant find it then you can simply send me some of those ear things to keep my oversized hearing tools warm.
Sorry to keep asking you to send me things.

Sorry to make you send me that absentee ballot. I decided i'm not voting. for several reasons: I don't know anything about politics because i've been out of it too long. And I'm being to worldly trying to get involved or wanting to vote.

We met this guy from Iraq. He lived there thirty years and has been here for a while. He said the people in Iraq are very grateful for George Bush because Sadaam was a tyrant. He said if you got a speeding ticket, and you were on bad terms with cops they had the right to kill you... and your brother.. and your mother. "But now we are free," he said. "I think God put into George Bush's mind, that Sadaam Hussen (spelling?) had weapons of mass destruction, even though he didn't, so America would come and free Iraq."
We baptized Gio Flores on september 13, Victor Medina on the 20th, and Charity Clark on 10/10. We have three more coming up this week that didn't happen last week. They are victor's children. Then we have two more the next week.

Thanks for everything mom, Love you.
-Elder Jacobson
Mosiah 3:17, 2 Nephi 31:21

The Work Goes Forward

Dad,
So you're lucky, I gave mom the boring email and you'll get the exciting one. Apologize to her for me please. Oh, and exciting is relative. Just have her read this one.
We met this kid named Franky one sunday while he was walking the streets. We made an appointment to teach him a few days later. The next night we saw his little brother whom we had had a few encounters with previously. He told us tenderly once to get lost, the next time that we shouldn't come back. And that night we saw him walking home and he told us that he just doesn't like Mormons, "no offense." we ended up giving him the lesson of the restoration while walking with him home. By the time we got to his house we had finished, set up an appointment with him to come with his brother the next day. We then talked about music and movies with him. This worldly conversation helped us a lot because now he thinks we are cool when before he had us stereotyped as Mormons so he hated us.
Carlos and Franky are their names. Both have read in the BOM and are inches from a testimony.
Next we have Juan and Tony. Two other high school aged kids. We have talked to these guys many times, while biking with them and just talking. We played basketball with them randomly one afternoon in our suits. Then we played football with them, which I might add, I dominated even in a shirt and tie.
Anyway we finally taught them and I think they are ready to here it. They wouldn't have been ready at first, but this we got to know them as friends many doors have been opened. if all goes to plan they will be baptized at the end of the month. Speaking optimistically of course.
There are too many other similar occurrences than i can share at present. Just know that the gospel is true, or we'd be walking around with nothing good happening. But, The Lord works miracles for us, and people progress towards baptism.
-Elder Jacobson
Psalms 9:11

Ben hates to Drive -- Oh Well

We had our first baptism last week of a kid named Gio Flores. His fellowshipper baptized him and Tinsmith and I spoke. He's a good kid. We'll miss teaching him. We have a for more potential baptizms coming up here quick. we just gotta be finding more people to teach. But the stinkin members! we've got like one referal in three weeks. Don't get me wrong, still love the members here, they just frustrating me.
we almost got killed as we drove of the road because tinsmith drives like a maniac. He was pretty upset and he screamed upsenities about the car being stuck is a field. I ran a half mile in my suit to get a shovel to dig us out, but by that time we had to get a local farmer to come pull us out. We didn't need his help, he hooked the chain to the car, and tinsmith backed out as the farmer was allegedly pulling us. the farmer thought he pulled us out but the chain was dragging on the ground. we expressed our thanks and never told him that we didn't need the help since he did a lot trying to help us. Needless to say I'm the designated driver now.
-Elder Jacobson

Ben's Testimony

Last email to Mom

I could use a vacation to Lake Powell... That's the first place we're going after I get home here in a few months. 24 or so months.
I'm not going to be able to write grandpa a letter this week. Sorry. p day was yesterday and I'm emailing today because we were too busy yesterday. we're short on time today too, which isn't p day. Tell grandpa I say hi and I love him and that I can try and drop him a line next week.
I wish we lived in a place where we can cook but oh well. we only have a twenty minute commute morning and night. in a package that you send in the future i would like my blue adidas jacket. I need a jacket. If it's not in the closet then Aaron Burgin has it. Get it from him if you could please. I dont' know if he has it or not actually, I forget.
The ward and branch are not very missionary oriented. Elder Tinsmith is always sayin how the members here don't do enough. Make sure you're helpin the missionaries out, not by feeding them but by continually getting them people to teach. and fellowshipping the people they teach.
I'll probably be with Tinsmith for two transfers after which he will leave. he wants to go to byu but thinks he has to have a 3.5 gpa to transfer there... is that true? if you have a chance to look into that i'd appreciate it. but if you can't thats fine too.
Thanks for the package and the support. Tell Stacy I love her and Aaron as well. No time to email. Paz -Elder Jacobson philipians 4:13

He is begining to see...

I've decided that politics suck, and the way to live is to try to align your life with the Life of Christ, who spent his life in service to others - never thinking selfishly. I'm tired of hearing the complex opinions of every member we eat with in Warden, just stinkin' quit worrying so much about money and start thinking about how to help others. I see some of the poorest families here in Warden yet they seem just as happy as people in Kaysville. Money doesn't buy happiness. The values that Christ Himself taught brings happiness.

I'm starting to take the training wheels off and start talking to people more effectively. It's exciting. It's amazing what a simple attitude change can do. Whenever I tell myself that I love tracting, it becomes fun.

My comp and I go running a few times a week, but he is so slow and out of shape that it doesn't do much for me. In fact I've gained weight since leaving the mtc. I'm pretty much as heavy as Newman.

We've got two baptisms this week so we're pretty excited. Both had been working with the sisters before we got here though.
-Elder Jacobson
ps, update me about the cowboys will ya?
"Lovest thou me?.... Feed My sheep"

Last week in the MTC

(I told him that our boating tube was destroyed and that we would not be getting a new one)

Dad,
Don't even try to psych me out, never works; Too mentally solid for the psych out. That tube is the bomb, don't get rid of it, hang it up in my room or something. And don't get a new one til i come home because i don't want it ruined before i get back, know what i mean, vern?

We manned the phones here a ton, i had some strange experiences on them. We talk to people from all over the country, and when we do spanish calls people from mexico and puerto rico. I talked to this lady from Indiana, she was really nice, right up until i started talking about Joseph Smith. She quoted her preacher pretty well though, about not being able to see the face of God without dying, etc. Said some really uneducated things. Started yelling at me, blah blah blah, i tried to be nice and i didn't bash with her or anything because as Josh and probably you can testify nothing good comes from that.. she might have said that i was on a path to hell but i can't remember.

Talked to another lady five minutes after that from the Bronx. She was actually legitimately nice. She was sincerely interested and when i read to her 2 Nep 25:26 and bore my testimony she replied, "I apsolutely believe that." She was way sincere, nice, and humble, so after talking more with her for a few minutes she said she wanted the book of Mormon and the MIssionaries. I hope that works out.

Ten minutes later i talked to someone who dialed the wrong number to me, from like Carolina or something. She thought she had dialed direct TV. Then she started complaining to me about how no body would have any patience with her, and she was behind on her bills because she had had three surgeries in the past year. I asked her some questions and got her talking to me a bit when the conversation turned to how Christ can help her in her life (she also has a son who is 50 mentally challenged and blind and she struggles to help him because she can't even help herself with her hip surgery) she sincerely believes in Christ and I also talked to her a littel about the church and encouraged her to go to Mormon.org, and she said she would. I hope she does. I told her how the gospel could help her even more in her life. She said, "sorry I dialed the wrong number - well, i'm not sorry I talked to you but i'm sorry that I wasted your time." It was cool that she dialed the wrong number, almost like providence.

There are more, but the day i described to you was the most intense. My fellow missionary talked to this lady for over an hour. She was screaming at him because the missionaries came and talked to her, and that made her mad, until he bore simple testimony then she was really interested in talking with him. she really opened up, but even after an hour of talking, when challenged to listen to those missionareies - because that's what she needed - she thought about it, and still said no. How sad, but maybe later on in life she will be just a bit more humble- enough to hear them.
-Elder Jacobson
1 Peter 2:17-20
Acts 5:41

Ben is Still Happy!

Pappy,
I'm glad you didn't kill yourself or nothin on the motor cycle. It's a dangerous thing, but i suppose you gotta live up the few good years you have left.
Please take back your blasphemous statement in the which you said manti is still the best to you.... we all know that Bountiful is the best, no need to argue otherwise.
And yes, i pity you. You got a cushy life: motor cycle ridin, temple attendin', dinner eatin (real food), etc.
So does that mean you're in the bishopric if you have to talk on sunday, i thought you were saying we are getting a new bishop.
I don't know if i should tell you this, but maybe i should.. You told me to tell you the bad news, and to not tell mom, so here goes... ha ha, psych, there's no bad news, you totally fell for it. I think you're heart rate is up a little bit too because you got a little worried there for a minute.
all joking aside, life is the same as it was last week, and the week before, expect of course for the learning curve - which i hope is going upward.
-Elder Jacobson

The Blog is Finally Ready

Sorry it took so long to get this going. Ben has written several letters since leaving so I just included a few emails to let everyone know how he is doing.

He is still very humble. He said he was tired of "slam dunking everone" so he would have to go play kick ball or something.

His last letter said that he loved every minute and that he has learned to love his companions. He was having trouble with the "Right Winger" at first.

If you leave a comment I will pass them on to him.

MTC Again

MOM
Today, p day, i have very very little time to write because basically my whole day is booked. the temple finally opened and we were able to go for the first time while here at the mtc, it has been closed the whole time until today.
It was an excellent experience going with the missionaries in my district.
It was weird though not having you there in the Celestial room, i suppose i just got used to you always being there. Thanks for helping me get to the temple often before i left for the mission.
As far as the spanish is coming, it's alright. compared to some i'm way good, but comparing to people is worthless. compared to fluents.... i'm the worst. My goal however is to be fluent by Christmas so that i have many months to be very effective. I'll talk to ya'll on christmas in spanish.
Thanks for the letter and email, have fun in the city by the bay. Tell Josh to keep it real, and to listen to Stacy in relation to not being right wing.

MTC at the end of July

Mi Padre,
Si, siempre. I'm assuming that "y'all" (see Josh's vocabulary) figured out what it actually meant - definiately not "ice cream cone-jojo...
Brother Morrell was the man. Always did enjoy his lessons; mostly because he usually incorporated something concrete into the abstract concepts commonly known as the Gospel. I try to simplify things when i teach (we teach pretend investigators) and I think it's helpful.
Spanish is más o menos. I´m obviously not the best at it but i do have an unfair advantage of grammar comprehension while others wonder why there are no words such as ¨do, did , is, etc.¨ to make things past tense. It´s way better than english, alas, i know english, not spanish.
I´ve already told you waht the typical day consists of but i will refresh your ever aging memory one more time: Wake at six thirty. do something until break fast at 8:15 (i.e. class, study, gym or service.. it varies depending on the day) after breakfast we go to class, til one. the class rooms are smaller than aaron's old windowless bedroom, and we have eleven in our district. at one we eat, then we go to gym or to class depending on the day. gym is less than an hour. dinner is at six, then six forty five we class it up til nine thiry. thus concludes my monotonous day known as the mtc. It's good though. i should really be hating this but i like it. i think most everyone likes it. I don't have the emotional ups and downs like some of the others, who knows why... i'm out. Paz a fuera
-Elder Jacobson

First Email July 4th conejo@myldsmail.net

My name means the Rabbit. It's meaning is derived from the high school knick name as well as the knick name of Eminem who grew up in detroit where i claim to have matured. I'm sending you a letter today, also, don't know if this is your email so sorry if you don't get this. (if you don't get this then there is really no point in me saying sorry if you don't get it, because you won't get it.)
-Elder Jacobson
Mosiah 28:3-4