> Things in the MTC are going actually really well. Not to be stereotypically cliche, but every single week, when I dont think that my testimony could grow any more it blows the roof on my previous expectations and keeps going on and on and on...
>
> Its funny actually. I was talking to one of my teachers and asking him how I should make my study more effective and he offered me one simple suggestion-read the Book of Mormon for someone else. Dont read it for your own gain, read it for the gain of the Philippino people that you are gonna be teaching. I have started the Book of Mormon over again and actually started studying it intensely and HOLY MUD there is SO much. Ha actually, it takes me like an hour to get through 2 chapters I am that indepth in it. There are so many principles and so many doctrines that most people miss because they arent studying, they are just reading verse after verse. Read it for someone else and you will figure out what I am talking about. Mom and Dad, I STRONGLY encourage you guys to get old and wrinkly so you can go on a senior mission. I look at the senior missionaries here and they are having a blast holy cow. By the way, mom, I think you have some sharing to do with some people if you know what I am talking about, and I think you do.
>
> I am almost at the halfway point into my MTC experience. I look back and its like holy cow, I just got here yesterday (or so it seems ah ha!) President Stott (a branch president) and I have become quite attached and he brought a problem up to my attention this week. There is an elder who is having a really rough time in one of his districts here, and he wants me to go talk to him. I dont know why, but everyone here seems to think that I am the guy to go talk to; I am the guy who talks with everyone. Elder Hansen actually gets frustrated with me sometimes haha because I always talk to the sisters and elders all over the place. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do!
>
> Small side note, I felt bad the other day cause I laughed at an elder. Whenever you talk to an elder you ask them where they are going and how much longer they have left. I was talking to this one elder in the lunch line the other day and I was like "Hey champ how's it goin?" and he was like "good how about you?" and I was like "good. Where are you off to here in a little bit?" and he was like "pocatello idaho..." I almost drenched his face because this enormous laugh-I have NO CLUE where it came from ill have you know) came unexpectantly and all this spit went everywhere. He didnt find it very funny because I was like "Dang killer, you are going straight into the heat of the jungle with that one-how exciting!" obviously JOKING...but he didnt take it very well.
>
> I hope, once again, all is well. Tell Leah that my best wishes and prayers are with her. I hope you all are doing well. I love you and miss you all!!!
>
> Love,
> Jake
>
> aka Elder Muller
>
> P.S-GO TO THE TEMPLE MORE ITS AN AMAZING BLESSING:):):):)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
MTC email #2
> So first let me establish why I didnt email last week. So, we get 30 minutes to email to the second. So here I am, having a good ol time typing up a storm when this wee itty bitty window pops up saying that I have 5 minutes left to type. I blow it off-what does it know right? Well, at this point I should have remembered how it took me 5 minutes to log on in the first place, but I didnt. I kept typing and trping (my email was about novel length at this point) until my timer read 0:08 at which time I clicked send. The system decided to show its superiority at this point by freezing BUT continuing to keep the countdown going. Yea. I got jewed over in the MTC. Tight. I clicked send and my computer stood still until the timer ran out at which point another wee itty bitty message box came up to say that my time was up. Kicked off with no way to send you an email telling you what happened. I will try not to make this mistake again...
>
> There has been so much that has happened since the last email that I wrote (that got to you). I will first answer your question mom-my favorite scripture is gonna have to be...well I already told you that one. I went to the temple this morning and got a nice surprise. I think you should go to the temple soon so you can see what surprised me. I love the temple so much. It brings so much peace and tranquility. I only get to go once a week, but that one day is so worth it. The first week in the MTC sucked. The second was getting adjusted, and this week has been amazing. I have the study habits of a champ, I have the self-discipline of...well, someone who dominates, and my testimony has grown exponentially. I have had countless hours to go over the scriptures and I have learned so much. There is SO much in there that I never even know was in there. My teachers point out stuff that someone who read a verse for 3 hours couldnt. I get to go to the RC (referral center) every saturday for a good 2 hours. That is where we get to call up the people who ordered stuff from the church, or wait online for people who log on to talk with a missionary and answer questions that they may have. You can make outbound calls there too so sometimes I just look up investigators numbers and drop them a call to see how they are doing. The chats are cool because you always get people logging on to try to find their missionary ha. Sometimes you get bottoms who call in, but it is all good.
>
> My district dominates. Elder Hansen and I have already made plans to rock lake powell when we get back. He has a house boat and a plane and all this cool stuff haha so I have the hook up when I get back. There are like 8 elders who are going to Utah State when they get back, and one of them's (elder saxton-the one who I went to school with at Roy) brother has already looked at houses and stuff for when they get back because with 8 elders living in a house it would drop rent to like 175 a month. Things to consider. Elder Sanders went to USU before he came here so when we get out (he is probably gonna leave a transfer early too so he can get in fall semester) we are gonna tear USU UP!!!! I cant wait to go back there ha there is so much I want to do now, its like I have this wack new outlook on life (yea, wierd I know) This way I will be able to dominate with determination and rock the grades not play xbox all day like I did last year. Speaking of which, I hope brady hasnt been playing that too much...
>
> Anyways, life is good. I have 2 years of bomb missionary work, then 5 years of bomb schooling so my life pretty much dominates:)
>
> Tell the family I said hi and tell B-Rizz, Samuel, and Ben to keep doing that they are doing! I hope that you all are doing really well, and (this is random) try to attend the temple more. There are SO many blessings that come from temple attendance. I have gotten so many answers in the temple its not even funny (maybe thats why I have a new outlook, who knows:/)
>
> I love you all and wish you the best and I will click send with more than 8 seconds this time.
>
> Love,
> Jake
>
> a.k.a Elder Muller:)
>
>
> There has been so much that has happened since the last email that I wrote (that got to you). I will first answer your question mom-my favorite scripture is gonna have to be...well I already told you that one. I went to the temple this morning and got a nice surprise. I think you should go to the temple soon so you can see what surprised me. I love the temple so much. It brings so much peace and tranquility. I only get to go once a week, but that one day is so worth it. The first week in the MTC sucked. The second was getting adjusted, and this week has been amazing. I have the study habits of a champ, I have the self-discipline of...well, someone who dominates, and my testimony has grown exponentially. I have had countless hours to go over the scriptures and I have learned so much. There is SO much in there that I never even know was in there. My teachers point out stuff that someone who read a verse for 3 hours couldnt. I get to go to the RC (referral center) every saturday for a good 2 hours. That is where we get to call up the people who ordered stuff from the church, or wait online for people who log on to talk with a missionary and answer questions that they may have. You can make outbound calls there too so sometimes I just look up investigators numbers and drop them a call to see how they are doing. The chats are cool because you always get people logging on to try to find their missionary ha. Sometimes you get bottoms who call in, but it is all good.
>
> My district dominates. Elder Hansen and I have already made plans to rock lake powell when we get back. He has a house boat and a plane and all this cool stuff haha so I have the hook up when I get back. There are like 8 elders who are going to Utah State when they get back, and one of them's (elder saxton-the one who I went to school with at Roy) brother has already looked at houses and stuff for when they get back because with 8 elders living in a house it would drop rent to like 175 a month. Things to consider. Elder Sanders went to USU before he came here so when we get out (he is probably gonna leave a transfer early too so he can get in fall semester) we are gonna tear USU UP!!!! I cant wait to go back there ha there is so much I want to do now, its like I have this wack new outlook on life (yea, wierd I know) This way I will be able to dominate with determination and rock the grades not play xbox all day like I did last year. Speaking of which, I hope brady hasnt been playing that too much...
>
> Anyways, life is good. I have 2 years of bomb missionary work, then 5 years of bomb schooling so my life pretty much dominates:)
>
> Tell the family I said hi and tell B-Rizz, Samuel, and Ben to keep doing that they are doing! I hope that you all are doing really well, and (this is random) try to attend the temple more. There are SO many blessings that come from temple attendance. I have gotten so many answers in the temple its not even funny (maybe thats why I have a new outlook, who knows:/)
>
> I love you all and wish you the best and I will click send with more than 8 seconds this time.
>
> Love,
> Jake
>
> a.k.a Elder Muller:)
>
Sunday, September 20, 2009
An Excerpt from a letter since there was no email this Week...
An Excerpt from a letter since there was no email this Week:
Let me drop you a story that happened to me at one of our large group meetings- just a seminar on a topic of the speakers choosing. So let me give you a little background on the subject. We are sitting in this room, There are like 150 missionaries in total. A guy named Nick Hansen is giving a talk on "how to get more people to attend sacrament." We were about 15 minutes in when he goes, "Ok, I need a volunteer." This elder near the back raised his hand. "Ok elder, what is your name?" I Don't remember what it was bah. "Ok elder ______, where did you go to high school?" "Alta" the elder said. "Ok so you went to...wait a minute, didn't you play basketball?" "Yes..." the elder said and a wee smile come on his face..."and didn't you DATE MY SISTER?" Ha the speak picked an elder who he apparently had a bad experience with in the past. I found such a thing funny.
There should be an email tomorrow....sorry this is all I have time to type for now!
Let me drop you a story that happened to me at one of our large group meetings- just a seminar on a topic of the speakers choosing. So let me give you a little background on the subject. We are sitting in this room, There are like 150 missionaries in total. A guy named Nick Hansen is giving a talk on "how to get more people to attend sacrament." We were about 15 minutes in when he goes, "Ok, I need a volunteer." This elder near the back raised his hand. "Ok elder, what is your name?" I Don't remember what it was bah. "Ok elder ______, where did you go to high school?" "Alta" the elder said. "Ok so you went to...wait a minute, didn't you play basketball?" "Yes..." the elder said and a wee smile come on his face..."and didn't you DATE MY SISTER?" Ha the speak picked an elder who he apparently had a bad experience with in the past. I found such a thing funny.
There should be an email tomorrow....sorry this is all I have time to type for now!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
1st letter from the MTC (9/7/09)
> To all my family and close friends,
> Greetings from the MTC, and Kamusta po kayo!!! So many things have happened since the time I have arrived, and there is so much for me to tell, but I only have 25:44 left so I will get right to it!!\
>
> The first day was mad hectic. It was constant running around and intense rules, laws, mandates, jurisdictions, horrible food, all that good stuff. It was just learning where our classroom is and trash. Its all good though. Our classroom time is intense, but I will get to this all in good time, right now I am just trying to rock my schedule out in this email. The first day wasnt really that interesting actually. Tons of meetings, orientations and stuff like that. Thats actually how the first 4 days went, and those days were rough. I see where Chelsea came from when she was complaining about homesickness up at USU now because there is no way that I can see you guys now, and it cut deep the first couple days, but all is well!!! The first couple days you need to get used to the schedule, the food (which tastes like garbage ill have you know, but once again, all in good time), and not having a close network of friends and family to lean on. If you are going foreign, you are immediately pushed into language training, and it is really really intimidating. Our primary language teacher, Brother Barthalomew, only speaks tagalog, and the first couple days you are like "fool speak english before I throw a chair at you" but now I understand most of what he says. He is a good teacher, but, for the umpteenth time, all in good time.
>
> Where shall I start? The residence hall? The food? The classroom? The language? My companion?
>
> The residence hall it is!!! We stay on the bottom floor (it made it really easy to move in) of the building way way WAY back in the boonies. It is like a 3 hour walk back to our room from the front of campus. Its all right, if you like that which resembles a jail cell ha. It has cinderblock walls, unpadded carpeting, and bunk beds made of 4 peices of metal. Ha I know it sounds bad, but it really isnt as bad as I made it out to be. The elders in my district and I have a BLAST all the time. Today (P-Day) just hang out in each others rooms and tell jokes and play mattress dominoes, and launch floss at the wall with the excercise bands that they give us ha its freakin bomb! That is what we do for fun. Sometimes we will play signs, but we just rely on each other to have a fun time, and it works. Even in class, we just joke around and do what we want to do, in accordance to the rules of course!
>
> This brings me to the classroom. We are in the classroom like 10 hours out of the day. We constantly study the language, and we constantly rely on preach my gospel. We go in the classroom, sit, learn, sit, eat, sit, joke, and sleep. Thats how life goes here at the good ol' MTC. We have two primary teachers-Brother Bartholamew(I have no clue how to spell his name so if its spelled ten different ways in this email thats why, but he has the same last name as the old brother B back in Frederick) and Brother Ward. Brother Ward just got married, Brother B is a creeper and isnt married, and sometimes we have Brother Molina, who is going to go to stanford for law. He is definately one smart cookie(not a cookie from the cafeteria though cause if that was the case he would be gross and droopy). Even though some of the teachers are annoying sometimes, they are all good teachers, and all good men.
>
> The food? How is the food? One word-gas. No just kidding on that one, but the food is not all that good. I tried eating it, but it just doesnt work for me so I have been living off Honey Nut Cheerios (with bananas obviously), fruit, and bread. Oh, and the occasional plate of rice. Oh, and multi-vitamins. Didnt forget now did I mom?? The first day here, some genious forget to plug in the refridgerator for the skim milk dispensor, so I had the chance to drink warm, sour milk with delicious flavor enhancing chunks in the bottom. YUM!!!
>
> The language is intense. It started off really hard, but now that we study it CONSTANTLY, it isnt that bad. The only challenge is word conjugation, and solid memorization of adjectives, nouns, and verbs...basically the whole language ha no just kidding. We start by memorizing straight phrases like nagpapasalamat po ninyo para sa inyong anak na si Jesucristo and then learn what they mean later haha. It is a lot of straight memorization, but even in the one week that I have been here memorization has become simple simple SIMPLE! I can retain so much more information its not even funny. Ha funny what happens when you apply yourself huh? You hear that Brady? You better apply yourself. You dont think that I see you smiling?
>
> Speaking of which, how is the family? How are you and Dad doing? How is B-Rady, Samuel, and Ben doing? Please stress how important the church is. I have only been here a week and there is so much irrefutable evidence that the church is true. Please tell them that they need to start turning that seed into a tree RIGHT NOW so they can be ready to serve a mission-its DEFINATELY the right thing to do.
>
> I want to apologize for not sending pictures in this email. I really dont have time actually. I only have 30 minutes to email everything that I want to, and it took like 5 minutes just to set up this trash. My hands are moving at mach 10 so I cant make tight jokes or anything so im sorry if this email is boring and seems like it resembles the doldrums. I am sending a memory card today (well, there is no mail today so it will get sent out tomorrow) so you will get to see how life goes here. I only have three and a half more minutes before it logs me out and kicks me off, so I will say this really quick. Please forward my pictures on the memory card to all those who you forward the email to. Also, PLEASE send JEANS. I need them for the service projects (cleaning the MTC) on wednesdays, and I cant do anything without jeans. I love you all so much and miss you with all my heart. Tell Braeden, Samuel, and Ben to stay on the straight and narrow and to do what they are told or I will come back and destroy them. Tell Chelsea to STAY SINGLE until I come back. This is how it goes. It is the plan, I have already decided. Give my love to both sets of grandparents, and to the family. I love you all and miss you and wish you all the best. Dang, look at this, with 51 seconds to spare:/
> Greetings from the MTC, and Kamusta po kayo!!! So many things have happened since the time I have arrived, and there is so much for me to tell, but I only have 25:44 left so I will get right to it!!\
>
> The first day was mad hectic. It was constant running around and intense rules, laws, mandates, jurisdictions, horrible food, all that good stuff. It was just learning where our classroom is and trash. Its all good though. Our classroom time is intense, but I will get to this all in good time, right now I am just trying to rock my schedule out in this email. The first day wasnt really that interesting actually. Tons of meetings, orientations and stuff like that. Thats actually how the first 4 days went, and those days were rough. I see where Chelsea came from when she was complaining about homesickness up at USU now because there is no way that I can see you guys now, and it cut deep the first couple days, but all is well!!! The first couple days you need to get used to the schedule, the food (which tastes like garbage ill have you know, but once again, all in good time), and not having a close network of friends and family to lean on. If you are going foreign, you are immediately pushed into language training, and it is really really intimidating. Our primary language teacher, Brother Barthalomew, only speaks tagalog, and the first couple days you are like "fool speak english before I throw a chair at you" but now I understand most of what he says. He is a good teacher, but, for the umpteenth time, all in good time.
>
> Where shall I start? The residence hall? The food? The classroom? The language? My companion?
>
> The residence hall it is!!! We stay on the bottom floor (it made it really easy to move in) of the building way way WAY back in the boonies. It is like a 3 hour walk back to our room from the front of campus. Its all right, if you like that which resembles a jail cell ha. It has cinderblock walls, unpadded carpeting, and bunk beds made of 4 peices of metal. Ha I know it sounds bad, but it really isnt as bad as I made it out to be. The elders in my district and I have a BLAST all the time. Today (P-Day) just hang out in each others rooms and tell jokes and play mattress dominoes, and launch floss at the wall with the excercise bands that they give us ha its freakin bomb! That is what we do for fun. Sometimes we will play signs, but we just rely on each other to have a fun time, and it works. Even in class, we just joke around and do what we want to do, in accordance to the rules of course!
>
> This brings me to the classroom. We are in the classroom like 10 hours out of the day. We constantly study the language, and we constantly rely on preach my gospel. We go in the classroom, sit, learn, sit, eat, sit, joke, and sleep. Thats how life goes here at the good ol' MTC. We have two primary teachers-Brother Bartholamew(I have no clue how to spell his name so if its spelled ten different ways in this email thats why, but he has the same last name as the old brother B back in Frederick) and Brother Ward. Brother Ward just got married, Brother B is a creeper and isnt married, and sometimes we have Brother Molina, who is going to go to stanford for law. He is definately one smart cookie(not a cookie from the cafeteria though cause if that was the case he would be gross and droopy). Even though some of the teachers are annoying sometimes, they are all good teachers, and all good men.
>
> The food? How is the food? One word-gas. No just kidding on that one, but the food is not all that good. I tried eating it, but it just doesnt work for me so I have been living off Honey Nut Cheerios (with bananas obviously), fruit, and bread. Oh, and the occasional plate of rice. Oh, and multi-vitamins. Didnt forget now did I mom?? The first day here, some genious forget to plug in the refridgerator for the skim milk dispensor, so I had the chance to drink warm, sour milk with delicious flavor enhancing chunks in the bottom. YUM!!!
>
> The language is intense. It started off really hard, but now that we study it CONSTANTLY, it isnt that bad. The only challenge is word conjugation, and solid memorization of adjectives, nouns, and verbs...basically the whole language ha no just kidding. We start by memorizing straight phrases like nagpapasalamat po ninyo para sa inyong anak na si Jesucristo and then learn what they mean later haha. It is a lot of straight memorization, but even in the one week that I have been here memorization has become simple simple SIMPLE! I can retain so much more information its not even funny. Ha funny what happens when you apply yourself huh? You hear that Brady? You better apply yourself. You dont think that I see you smiling?
>
> Speaking of which, how is the family? How are you and Dad doing? How is B-Rady, Samuel, and Ben doing? Please stress how important the church is. I have only been here a week and there is so much irrefutable evidence that the church is true. Please tell them that they need to start turning that seed into a tree RIGHT NOW so they can be ready to serve a mission-its DEFINATELY the right thing to do.
>
> I want to apologize for not sending pictures in this email. I really dont have time actually. I only have 30 minutes to email everything that I want to, and it took like 5 minutes just to set up this trash. My hands are moving at mach 10 so I cant make tight jokes or anything so im sorry if this email is boring and seems like it resembles the doldrums. I am sending a memory card today (well, there is no mail today so it will get sent out tomorrow) so you will get to see how life goes here. I only have three and a half more minutes before it logs me out and kicks me off, so I will say this really quick. Please forward my pictures on the memory card to all those who you forward the email to. Also, PLEASE send JEANS. I need them for the service projects (cleaning the MTC) on wednesdays, and I cant do anything without jeans. I love you all so much and miss you with all my heart. Tell Braeden, Samuel, and Ben to stay on the straight and narrow and to do what they are told or I will come back and destroy them. Tell Chelsea to STAY SINGLE until I come back. This is how it goes. It is the plan, I have already decided. Give my love to both sets of grandparents, and to the family. I love you all and miss you and wish you all the best. Dang, look at this, with 51 seconds to spare:/
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