Birthday wishes and cow tongues

So it has been a month? Crazy! These last latinos I felt like they just got here but they left already! Crazy sauce.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So it's super great that I can email you on your birthday! I know 17 is a pretty boring birthday, but 17 is my lucky number, so you should be happy! 17 is a great age. You are only 17 for a year.

 

Upon the request of a Miss Emily I wanted to share a rough schedule of how my days go.

 

6- wake up (We have a service at 6 30, just my district, so we have to wake up early)

6:30 - Clean the kitchen before breakfast

7 - Desayuno (Breakfast, unsugared fruit loops with an apple or banana and a role and some sort of juice and a little crescant thing)

8 - Personal Study

9 - Companionship Study

10 - Language Study and/or IP (where we teach an "investigator")

11 - Some sort of class, Libro de Mormón or Coaching Study (with a teacher)

11:45 - Almuerzo Lunch

12:30 - Class, Coaching Study or Grammar Study or both

2:15 - Actividad Fisica! Where we go and excercise and show off our "skills"

4 - TALL (A computer language program)

5 - Language Study / IP

6:15 - Cena Dinner

7 - Grammar Instruction

8 - Coaching Study

9 - Planning

9:30 - Return to rooms, get ready for bed

10:25 Prayer

10:30 Thank the heavens for sleep!

 

There it is! Sounds exciting no? Ok it really doesn't but its not that bad at all. I love it!

 

Ok so I hear that Mom has been hugging McKay a lot in my behalf. McKay, I expect all these hugs when I get back. Or just hug the computer for a bit and I will do the same. It won't look odd at all.

 

So has Shawn and Jihyun moved to Japan yet? Just wondering.

 

I heard about the BYU UTAH game! Sounds like a good game! It's funny how insignificant it seems out here haha! Weird not watching it and being the only one cheering for the Utes!

 

So last Saturday for proselyting it rained hard, and we forgot an umbrella. Exciting huh? It was funny, we were like, should we grab an umbrella? Naw... it'll be ok. How was proselyting? Wet. haha it was good, we talking to more people this week but never got a gospel message through, they were all like, no no no you are just boys, we repent, you repent, God makes it rain, don't share your message. Something weird like that! Haha kinda funny actually. But ya between the rain and Siesta time we didn't have too many people to talk to. It's all good! We will get a new area this week, and next week it's general conference, so we get to watch that instead of proselyting! I am actually pretty stoked for General Conference. It's gonna mean so much more when I am not at home in PJ's eating food and throwing Hot Wheels at each other! (Although that was quite fun)

 

So I tried cow tongue the other day. It was odd thinking you were chewing on another tongue, but the sauce it was in was gross. It was pretty nasty. I won´t try it again until I have to.

 

So are we related to a Wesley Knudsen that lives in Orem? He is coming today and I was just wondering. We are all super excited for the new Norteamericanos to come! We kinda got a list of their names and where they r from and stuff. We also wrote advice and encouragement on their boards and notes in their desks! Hope they like it.

 

So something very funny happen. Elder Miller was trying to slurp his Flan like Jello and we made him laugh, and he spewed, maybe projected, flan all over Elders Page and Worsham. Super funny! Oh he got this poor unfortunate Latina Hermana walking behind at the wrong moment. Pobrecita!

 

So I love Sundays. I think I have said this many times. Everyone always takes a nice hour powernap in the middle of the day that is alloted for personal prep, or in other words, nap time. I don't nap, I never really have been able to. I just sit there and ponder on life and the people my God has blessed me to be in it. It's rather fantastic. I quite enjoy it.

 

Lauren, and whoever else this may portain to, look up a 2009 MTC talk by Elder Bednar on the Spirit. It's super good and I think you will all love it, I just felt like it may be good for Lauren in her convincing efforts, maybe thats just the dweeb little brother in me. Most likely.

 

Funny story/joke in that talk, he tells a story of a missionary who always kept a little pocket book of Mormon in his chest pocket. One day a man tries to rob him at gunpoint. The gun discharges, and the bullet starts into the Book of Mormon but stops at the Isaiah chapters. Not even a bullet can make it through the Isaiah chapters. HAHA! It was funny. Out of general conference, these guys are funny!

 

Well I think thats all from today. I really enjoy emailing all my brothers individually too, just little paragraphs cuz I have many emails to send sometimes. But I love hearing especially from everyone individually! I wanna hear from everyone! Even you Kevin!

 

Love you all, you are all daughters and sons of the Most High God and are destined to become such! I am blessed to have all of you as a part of my adventure!

 

Romans 5:3 "... we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience."

 This is the older District that left this week.

Hermanas West, Drew, and others that I forgot their names already, in that order.

Elder Hansen, Smart, Ence, Oliver, Pederson. that order.

Elder Hanson, on the left, we call superman. He looks like him right? He is a legit semipro hockey player in Canada and is super crazy. I think he is my hero. Super cool guy. He is super nice to everyone, but the last day he was here we asked him how many fights he got in in hockey, he said 4 or 5. So jokingly we asked how many people he knocked out cold and he was like, 1 or 2. Not joking at all. Haha it was hilarious! Super cool guy, look him up, there was a news article on him.

 These were my roomates for the 2nd 2 weeks, Elder Ibarra and Elder Gomez. They were super cool and fun to talk to. Super good at futból!

Week 3 - Halfway through MTC

Woah it's already week three? Crazy... Mom I hope you got those pics, thats the best way I can figure out how to send them.

 

Can I get Kevins email? Thanks.

 

Sorry to hear about Noah, I bet it's hard to get a Visa to go to Denmark!

 

Thanks for all the scores updates, I appreciate them! Keep me updated on the Braves as well! Basketball, football, soccer. Basketball and football I don't need play by plays however, just how they r doing, and the boys in our ward are doing.

 

No they do not have the new film down here, but I got to see it in Spanish for the first time today! It was super cool. I would say I understood half of it.

 

I am glad to hear that all went well with missionary week! I am glad there was a good experience!

 

So Lauren sent me a letter before I left, and I got it last week. So it takes a good 2 to 3 weeks to get here. So from here on out, I would send anything to my actual mission. Thanks I appreciate it! I liked getting a letter too thanks Lar.

 

So we have this joke in our district that whenever someone does or says something a little sacreligious we go, And..... smite. And push our invisible smite button. Yeah... We think its funny.

 

So Hermana Sanders who is a psychology major went around and told everyone in the group what their role in the group is. I am the camilion I guess. I just get along with everybody! I guess thats a good thing!

 

Mother dear, thank you for the sweater, I quite love my sweater and its super classy and I will never go back. I love sweaters over white shirt and ties. Love it. Thank you mom!

 

So all the Elders in the District gave a priesthood blessing together one night and it was super cool the feeling, a bunch of teenage boys acting together in the name of God, exercising our Priesthood Authority. It was real neat.

 

So all my candy that I stashed is now gone. I ate the Twizzlers last. They were soo good.

 

So my taste buds must be dying cuz the bland cereal tastes great now. And I love Alfahores! And my whole District is obsessed with Dulce de Leche. It's rediculous.

 

So here is a quote from Hmo. Fioramanti in preparing us for proselyting...

"Two words will open every door for you,... push and pull."

I thought that was pretty funny.

 

Hey here is a little spanish joke for ya, what did one fish say to the other? Nada.

(It´s funny cuz nada means nothing AND you swim.) Tehe

 

So you know that poem that Noah read at his farewell? About the missionary and his dream? I read it everyday. I love it.

 

I have started to realize how much I miss music. We sing hymns and stuff but I miss just hearing music! I think my District is sick of hearing me sing. Well too bad District, this is my stress relief hahaha.

 

So there is no Be Still, My Soul in the Spanish hymnbook. Sad right? So we are trying to translate. It's fun.

 

Called to Serve in Spanish is super cool. Here is a direct translation of the last line,

"God gives us power, we will fight for the Celestial cause."

Super cool huh?

 

Funny quote this week comes from Pdte Openshaw and Elder Degn while in a fireside.

"So there was 6 liters of wine per person and the end of the wedding (talking about a story in the New Testament), What does that mean?"

"Quite a party!"

Ohhhh my it was so funny, he didn't even mean to say it out loud. Sooo funny.

 

Alex, thank you for picking out my shoes. I love them. Also I caught your snap and sent it back through this email. Thank you.

 

Ok proselyting. So saturday they drop us off in this "middle class" area. Tons of stores and some super nice houses and some not so nice. No homeless people or anything.

 

On the bus on the way there we stopped at a light and this guy blew a kiss at one of the Hermanas through the window! It was so funny! Especially cuz he only had 2 teeth and was probably 50 or 60! haha sooo funny.

 

So proselyting went like this, Hola! Como esta? And they don't answer and walk right past us. Haha we literally didn't teach anybody for 4 hours. Just walked around our little area 10 times and tried to tak to people. They were always busy! Some even crossed the street because they see us coming. It's sorta funny actually!

 

The weirdest part was that from 2 til 5, it's siesta (nap) time. All of the businesses close and almost everyone is inside. So weird!! We still had people to talk to on the street, but we tried clapping (yes clapping, not knocking) a few doors but no answers.

 

Well it was a total of 5 hours proselyting, and at the end we got a breakthrough. We talked to these 3 teenage guys who we just sitting there eating something. We talked about the Libro de Mormon and La Iglesia (Church) and stuff, and one of them especially was super interested! Too bad we couldn´t understand what he was asking us... Haha but we gave them a Libro de Mormon and a Plan del Salvación pamphlet and gave them the address of the church! They said they would go on Sunday! I wonder if they ever did... I hope so!

 

Other than that it was a lot of walking and ignoring, what-are-you-doing faces looking at us two tall gringos that barely speak spanish! It was fun. I appreciate the CCM a lot more now. We r in such a litttle bubble!

 

Adios for now! It's been great hearing from everyone! Someone hit Ryan with a 2 by 4 would ya? and push Kevin in a font. That'd be nice. Just kidding that's blasphemy and a smitable offense. I will watch out for lightning. ANd..... smite.

 

Love you all!

2 Cor. 5:7

(For ye walk by faith, not by sight:) (with smiley face too)

 Me and Old man Degn in front of CCM sign!

(Also note Elders Page and Miller Photobombing)

  

Mom, I thought you would enjoy this pic of me hugging a fat pokey tree

Our roomies, Elders Bronson, Teloma. Abarca, Toledo, Degn. and me from left to right

 Hermana Braunersrither and Hermana Sanders

 Jake with his first companion Elder Dagn from South Jordan in front of Buenos Aires Temple

 CCM (MTC) cafeteria

 

 Volleyball area at CCM

Got Pictures?

Hello all! I am trying to figure out how to send pictures... It´s complicated stuff. I guess for now I will just write.

Yes it does feel like I have been here for a very long time but last week just flew by. Time plays weird tricks on us.

This morning we got up at 6 so we could get an extra half an hour to write (presidente said we could).

WEATHER

So on Tuesday was the hottest day ever in Buenos Aires history. It was 35.5 celcius, which is like 95 farenheit. But it was like 50% humidity and since our classroom is like the only one without air conditioning, it got soooooo hot!

I am glad to hear about missionary week! Keep me updated on everything! Sounds like everybody is having fun. I think you all (especially Alex) got sweet companions! Go teach!

Speaking of missionary work... On Saturday they are dropping us off in the city for 5 hours and we are just gonna proselyte. Wow I hope I can understand everybody with their Argentine accents! I can understand the Peru and Mexico accents but Argentines have this weird sh sound instead of a yuh sound when there is a double Ll. Paraguayans don't have that I don't think.

We attend the temple once a week on P-day. That's today! It's hard to do everything you need to do in Spanish! Eh, it's fun. It's a beautiful temple! I forgot to tell you about it last week. This week I wrote down stuff so I don't forget.

So the other day I found out that Elder Holland is coming to this CCM! ...but a week after we leave haha! Eh, maybe if I do terrible at Spanish they willl let me stay ;p

Lauren, would you please send me that RM Dating Application? I was telling my district about it and they want to see it.

So all the cars here are so funny. Mostly there are super old little 2 seater 90´s cars. And retro looking trucks. Then every once in a while we see a nicer car, like brand new. Kinda odd. Oh and the ambulances here (we must live by them cuz we hear them 3 times a day) look like ice cream trucks. No joke. It's so funny! Haha!

Ok so my teacher Hmo. Fioramanti is so funny, he is always smiling and asking how you say things in English. Yesterday he was trying to find the word for sneeze, he was like, how do you say... snarf? hahaha so now we all say snarf instead of sneeze. It's funny.

Oh so we watched that movie about Joseph Smith's life and it was SO good! I had seen it before but when it was over I was like, I am a whiner. He went through so much stuff and I complain about the bread being hard or it being a little hot? Yeah it was cool. Go read Doctrine and Covenants Sección 122. Good stuff.

So our Mission Presidente, Presidente Openshaw is crazy scripture smart. We will be in a lesson with him and we ask him any random question about the plan of salvation (we have learned super deep doctrine about that) and he will be like, oh ok lets go to D&C 103 something something then to matthew 5 something then to alma 42 something. We will say, so theres a scripture, i cant remember where but it says something like this... and he is like, that's hebrews chapter 3 verse 58 or something. It's crazy! That all probably made absolutely no sense... It's 6 30 am.

I like questions, if anyone has any I would love to answer them! And if Alex or Mckay or Lauren or Kevin want me to add them to the email list, then let me know! If anyone wants to really.

I will try to figure out pictures, but no promises.

Ok I am gonna tell you about my District.

Elder Degn (AKA Old Man Degn)

He is one of the youngest but he has a good old man voice and tells us stories about Vietnam War. Like how he went after a shark with only his dog tags and a army knife in his mouth. Funny stuff.

Elder Miller

He is the one I know from school. He has a bunch of funny faces and a spot on impression of the witch doctor from Princess Bride. Humpadink!!

Elder Page

Super funny all the time, has good impressions for a ton of stuff. Super funny laugh, once he laughs everyone starts laughing.

Elder Baxter

Basketball guy who contributes often to the hilarity.

Hermana Sanders

Our body guard if anyone tries to hurt us, she does like amateur fighting and stuff. super tough chica, but she is also a psychology major, so pretty sure she knows us better than we do.

Hermana Braunersrither

Hard to pronounce her last name. She is like our mom, keeping us on task.

Elder Worsham

The baby of the group, even though he is 6'7"

We always tease him about stuff and he does some pretty stupid stuff, like drinking the hot water and burning his mouth.

Elder Reed

The technitian who can fix and or get into anything. He is crazy smart. Pretty sure he could rob a bank if he wanted to.

Elder Eiker

A new convert to the church, works super hard, keeps us on task, but has a pretty good batman voice.

I think thats everyone.... I hope so.

This all might not be anything anyone actually wanted to hear, but it was fun for me!

OH! All the natives left the other day! We are getting new ones today! Gonna miss Elder Toledo breaking all the rules, flirting with the Hermanas and eating our candy, Elder Abarca his companion trying to speak with him, Elder Montes who had sweet PJs, and Elder Felix who was just so happy all the time I loved it. He never stopped smiling.

Well I will try to figure out pictures, but for now, I will bid you all adeiu!

Remember you are all Sons and Daughters of the Most High God!

"God calls His servants in their weakness, but He always qualifies His servants."

(I don´t remember the real quote, it was along these lines:)

-

~Elder Simpson

 That's my Boy!

 

Jake: " Weird Basketball/Soccer Goals at the MTC "

First week in the Argentina MTC

¡Hola familia! ¿Qué tal? So Thursday is my p-day here for future reference, so that's when I will write! And I found out that I can write anybody, Noah, friends, anybody! I could even go on facebook if I wanted to but I don't think that I will.

 

So to answer the first questions, I flew solo to altanta, sat next to the cutest little boy ever and was making faces at him the whole time while he yelled, "Airplane!" Yes son, we are on an airplane. Haha it was funny. I guess the family next to me was LDS... so no baptisms yet. ;p I got to atlanta and had to rush to the next flight, bought some apple jacks on the way there. I got to the terminal and there was a hoard of 20 something missionaries waiting for the next flight. I guess the all took an earlier flight or something? No sé. (I don't know). On the way out of Utah I looked out the window and saw the little B on the mountain and the School and even our house I think! Goodbye mountains! No mountains here!

Anyways on my long flight I slept maybe 2 hours real sleep until the screaming baby next to me had a contest of keeping me awake with the karate kid behind me! Haha it was fun though. There was movies going on the whole time we were on the plane, so I was trying not to watch. I think one was great gatsby. I just took my glasses off. But I think I was more tempted by the little girl behind me watching Dora. Haha just kidding. Do do do doot do Dora!

 

That morning on the flight there was an INCRIDIBLE sunrise!! Oh bonita. Most beautiful thing ever. Yeah, you bet God loves us.

There's and Elder here going to Uruguay named Elder Miller. I went to school with him, he graduated a year before me! Cool stuff. And my companion is Elder Degn who knows Noah. Like they were way good friends I guess. Elder Degn is the district leader too. There is also and Elder Boyer who ran track with Nate I guess. He says I sound like him. Small world.

 

So the first 2 days felt like a week each. SOOOO long. It's speeding up again though, like a normal day. Met with Presidente Openshaw and his wife, they are super nice. There are lots of classes. All day long. But its ok! Our district is super fun and its a daily occurance that we all end up crying because we are laughing so hard. Yesterday it was cuz this one Elder was talking like batman and saying stuff like, "Read the Book or Mormom" and it was funny. That and the Minnesota accents. Oh my its funny.

 

FOOD

I know you are are wondering if I am eating anything. No I have been on a weeklong fast. Just kidding! The food it soooo good. I bet I eat healthier here than at home. Like 5 fruits a day, bananas, pears, apples, etc. 3 or 4 veggies, potatoes, corn, peas. There is ALWAYS bread out. Its hard but good. And there is always meat. Always. Its so good. The other day for dinner we had mashed potatoes and roast beef and I just about died. SOOO good. The only foods I don't really like is breakfast, the cereal. It's like whatever cereal you want, frosted flakes, fruit loops, cocoa puffs, but with 1/10 the sugar. Its not good. But I eat it anyways! Oh and I drink soooo much water. Like 7 bottles a day. Its great. It keeps you awake in class.

 

It's so funny to hear everyone speak in English and have latino accents on some words haha! Like California. Can't say it normal anymore. It's funny, cuz last night it was getting late and Elder Degn (Dane) and I were rushing to say a compañero prayer so I just said it in english, but it was hard! I just said it in spanish because I am so used to spanish praying now. I couldnt think of the english words as fast as the spanish. Sorta funny. Don't think I am all good at spanish or nothing, just in praying.

 

I am learning spanish very fast though! I am starting to be able to have a little conversation with the native elders here! It's just hard to understand them. Working! Lemme tell ya, the Gift of Tongues is a very real thing. Even just the first day I remembered almost all me spanish I had ever learned and could make sentences. Crazy stuffs.

 

Oh, all the Latinos love my name. Elder Simpson. They keep asking me if I am yellow. Haha! I guess its a big deal down here.

 

Fast sunday was great, but long cuz we didnt eat til dinner. Usually I give in before that but you know, there was no food to give into. Anyways I love Sundays. They are so relaxing here. And so powerful. Such a strong Spirit. They give us free time for an hour or two in the afternoon to just relax and nap if we want. But I don't nap, I never can! I am sleeping super well though! All 8 hours.

 

So we had an unusually tall district. There are 8 elders and 2 hermanas in our district, and I think 6 of the elders are my height or taller. Tallest at 6' 7". Its crazy. One of the hermanas, hermana Saunders did some sort of taichi or crazy fighting thing, so we try not to make her mad, she could kill us. Haha but we have so many funny moments in our district! I love it. Everyone gets along. Its like having class with 9 close friends. Its very fun.

 

On Sunday we watched a Fireside from Provo in like January, from Elder Holland. It was sooo powerful! He was like yelling at us with a voice of thunder and its just like, Yes sir! He said he can't even deal with the fact that Missionaries come home and become inactive. He said itll be a successful mission if we have one convert. Us! It was inspiring. Here are a few funny quotes. You can watch it if you can find it, its funny.

"Don't find me in the back alley! I go crazy!" (about inactive RMs)

"Sometimes I just wish I could revoke agency. (He then proceeds to make sure there is no lightning coming down)"

 

So I think that Presidente Openshaw looks like the bad guy from Now You See It, that magic Disney show, I think the guys name in it is Max. Not sure. But he looks like him. Just thought I would say that.

 

I am using my journal to remember what to write, so on dia 5, monday I think, we taught Esteban, our "investigator" about El plan del Salvación. My spanish just flowed better than it ever has! It was great. Gift of Tongues, better believe it.

 

So I am trying not to say phrases like, sweet or dang, etc. I am finding Spanish substitutes. Just kidding is Estoy bromiando! I am joking! Yeah... It's fun. So for actividad física (physical activity) we play volleyball a lot, and it is super fun! Elder Degn this one time just turned around, ducked down like he was gonna hike it, and served it backwards through his legs. Funniest thing ever. He can hit it over every time! Crazy.

 

Ok, funny story, we were doing this class teaching us about stress control and our teacher, Hermano Fioramanti (funny guy) tells us to run downstairs, from the third floor mind you, run outside, run around the courts twice then come back up, first companionship up gets a treat. So me and Elder Degn were totally winning and I was running back inside and totally wipe out on  the volleyball string holding up the net. I get up and we win anyways but I got a nice grass stain on my shoulder! I got it out when we did laundry though, no worries mom.

 

Oh by the way, don't send packages here, they wont get here in time. If you have packages send them to my mission home in Paraguay.

 

And por favor it is much easier to write faster when you all write in one email, easier to read. I only have an hour in here, so I will try to get everything!

 

So this actividad in class I had to pretend to be an investigator for someone to teach, and they said use someone you know so you dont have to make up a story, so I pretended to be Kevin. It was great. Sorry Kev, I wasnt as funny as you. It was weird being a Korean in North America speaking Spanish. Yeah you can see why. By the way, don't ever say you are an American to someone from southamerica, cuz they will get mad and say they are Americans too! so say you are a norteamericano or a gringo to make fun of yourself.

 

Last night there was a devo from Elder Scott broadcasted from Tuesday in the MTC. There was such a strong spirit! He felt the Spirit to say that by his Apostalic Authority he promised us the Gift of Tongues. Super cool!

 

So just about the only thing out here that is hard is planning. You all know me, I just kinda go and do it. Not plan. Eh, I guess I will work on it.

 

Oh there is a Baday? here. I want to try it sooo bad. I will before I leave.

 

Here's a bit of a different spin on a doctrine,

"Endure to the end, the end of each day. Every day endure to the end." Cool huh?

 

Anyways, I love it out here, I love those pictures I took, they all make me smile. I am not really homesick at all, I hope that doesn't make anyone sad or anything, there is just no place I would rather be!

 

Yo sé que la iglesia de jesucristo de los santos en los últimos diás es la verdad. Yo sé que jesucristo sufrido por nosotros y por medio de Su Expiación podemos vivir con nuestra familias por eternidad. Le amo mi familia mucho. José Smith fue un profeta verdadero.

 

Love you all. Until next week, it will be shorter next week.

Love you all, remember that you are Sons and Daughters of our loving Heavenly Father!