Feeling Good...

Week 100

The highlight of this last week was being able to baptize a young member of our branch.  Her name is Irina and we have been working with her family slowly over the last several tranfers. She has wanted to be baptized for a long time now but her father is a non-member and doesnt really love that his wife and 2 daughters go to church, but he allows them to.  So she finally got his permission, and walked up to me after our english practice and said in Surgic(1/2 russian 1/2 ukrainian) "I have good news, I am getting baptized on saturday, and I want you to baptize me"  I was so happy for her.  I also confirmed her on Sunday and I had such a burning feeling in my chest. Conferring the Gift of the Holy Ghost is an amazing feeling.  

Viktor and Nastya are waiting for their baby to come any day now, and there fore missed church again. We taught them a couple lessons this week to help them understand baptism better and to help them build their testimonies.  They love us and love the teachings of the church.

Viktor is doing well and is keeping his commitments, he only had one cup of coffee last week and is doing good at fighting temptations.  He loves feeling like he is a part of the church and the Branch has really taken him in.

Liza, Mashas little sister came to the baptism on Saturday and and after I asked her what she thought. She replied that she liked it and I invited  her to be baptized on September 16th(Happy birthday Jacob) after her sister gets back. We are going to help her prepare for that date.  So that puts our total on date at 4(More than I have had accept a baptismal commitment over the course of my entire mission).  I feel like the Lord is really hastening the work here.

​Strangeness: We met a member from Montana here on Friday, he bought us pizza and talked to us about his mission.  He owns an ammunition company that is pretty big, his name was Tim.  Talked to him for a bit, he has been inactive for quite a while, but claims to be inwardly active, hopefully we can help him come back, but it sounds like plenty of people already have.  

The Church is true and I love you all and miss you!​

Hey Jax,

I did your blog posts the other day and noticed that this week's email will be week 100!  That seems so amazing to me.  I am so proud of you!

I absolutely loved your email last week.  The minute I finished reading it, with tears streaming down my face I got on the floor to my knees to thank Heavenly Father for answering so many of my mother prayers in 1 email.  I have prayed your entire life for some of the things you talked about.  I have been praying for you to have a full conversion and go from believing the gospel is true to knowing it is true.  Also, I have been praying that you can baptize your family before you go, I hope they make it! I have also prayed that there would be a good reason that you were staying the extra 2 weeks...so that answered 2 prayers.  I have also prayed you would get to see a miracle investigator like Viktor has been.  I am praying so hard for all of these things now.  We will be fasting for them.  I will get their names in the temple, and I am praying that the power of satan will be diminished for the next few weeks for all of you.

So Sarah Ralphs came home this week!!!  It was so great to see her.  I was able to do her and Jessica's eyebrows on Saturday and visit for an hour.  She is doing great!  She was in shock when she saw Josh and how much he has changed.  Josh was a lot taller than her and she made a comment about it and then he said, "Yeah, I'm still not as tall as Jax though".  Sarah gasped and asked how tall you were now and we told her a little over 6 feet and she couldn't believe it.  Then I may or may not have showed her the photo that Viktor sent me of you flexing your bicep when we talked about the "behind the walls" approach and stacey told Sarah that you get to go to the gym.  Let's just say she looked at the photo for a long moment;).  She leaves for Utah State the weekend before you get home, but she said she will make sure to be home for your homecoming.  Her homecoming was today and she did a great job.  They had 2 youth speakers and she got the rest of the time.  It was awesome.   It did make it so I had to miss Elder McCleary's homecoming though.

Also we are back to not being able to go to EB. homecoming because his is now on Sept. 17 at 1:00 too.

I have decided that for the next 4 weeks I am only going to send pictures of how everyone looked when you left.  That way when you get home you'll have a good perspective of how much they have changed.  So prepare for a flashback;)

It's Jordy's birthday this week so please make him a recording, or send a happy birthday note to him on this email that I can have him read.

I am not sending you a birthday package...which is killing me...but I know it doesn't make sense and I promise I have a fun surprise for your birthday when you get home!  I did send a lot of letters over the last 3 weeks.  I actually took pictures of a lot of them that I will send if they don't show up in the mail.  That way you will get to read them for sure.  I am so bugged my letters aren't making it to you.  I keep praying that all of the sudden you will get all 10-15 that are missing!!!

I was so happy and relieved that you didn't get transferred and that you are still with Elder Jarman!!  I hope things are going good!  

I was able to find out that the Stake President should be able to release you the night you get back.  Bishop said the other day there was a missionary flying it at 11 pm and he was waiting there to release him.  So no worries there.

So Ethan got his mission call but they have been gone for a couple weeks.  They just got back tonight so we will do the opening tomorrow night.  It should be really exciting.  I hope he gets to leave soon!  Especially if it is stateside.

We are all doing really good, just enjoying summer.  Dad's foot is much better and I am feeling better too!  I am starting to get prepped for school to start again and we have Lake Powell next week.  

questions-

1-How is miracle viktor doing?  What are his issues he needs to work through?

2-Has Nastya had her baby yet? Boy or girl? Name?

3-How is Nastya Viktor and Anna doing with the baptism goal?

4-How are you feeling about your last month out there?

5-Have you got any letters this week??? (I sent my last letter a couple days ago.  I keep sending them just in case, but now if they made it there you'd be home anyway.)

6-Do you think you will need some new school clothes?  Plus like dorm stuff???  I guess we can just figure it all when you get here, it's just going to feel rushed I'm afraid.

7-When does Masha get back from Germany?  Does she write you at all?

8-Does Vika still write you?

9-Message for Jordy.

10-Send pics to the JulieToone3 because I can't open them for the blog if they come through this email.

11-recordings

12-Are you still happy and positive?

13-Do you need anything from me?

14-Do you want to have a family swim party the day after you get home with the extended family?

15-Best thing of your week?

16-Funniest thing this week?

17-message for me:)

I miss you and love you so much.  I can't wait for you to get home.  We are getting so close:)  Lyndsee will be having her baby around the time you get home so that will be extra fun too.

Keep working till the very end.  Give everything you have to the Lord.  Pray hard, work hard, stay positive.  You will never forget this experience.

I love you!

Mom

1 He is doing well, I shouldnt tell you about those issues over email, it is super private.

2not yet it should be a girl

3 Not super great. he they didnt come to church yesterday, they will for sure get baptized, just not while I am here.

4Good, we are working hard and we have a lot of stuff to do.

5NOpe still no letters, but it is weird to know that now your letters wouldnt even make it hear, it is crazy to have so few days left.

6 I will probably need some new clothes, but i dont know what yet, so yeah it will just be a bit rushed.

7 well she did, but she didnt answer my last email. :) I think we are in the clear for that one.  The nightmare would be if what Vladlena says is true and Masha plans to get to America some how.  "knock, Knock" *opens door*.... Yeah I would not be a happy camper.

8Yes we write eachother and she is doing good, but I wouldnt marry her either, she is a super good friend though.

9 Jordan Thomas Gordon Jorgensen! Happy birthday pal, I cant believe it has gone so fast, I will be home 25 days after your birthday.  This week I was thinking about picking you up and hanging out with you. I miss you so much.

12 yes

13 Nope, I just need you to be there at the airport. 

14sure, that sounds good, I dont know if I can swim any more

15 Baptizing and Confirming Irina

16 We were playing ultimate frisbee at our sports night, and I needed to use the facilities, but at their facilities there was no TP...

17  I love you so much and I cant wait to see you again.  I am so grateful for everything you do for me.  I got a good surprize present for you and G-ma when I get home.