This place is ready, I can feel it!

January 19, 2014
Alright so I finally figured out how to write you back. The Internet is way slow, but this place is way nice.  I think I might have burnt my neck today, just randomly saying because we just kind of walked around the island today and tried to figure out where stuff is. There is quite a bit out here, and it was cool to see how prepared this place is, we had 23 people to church on our first Sunday, and we'll see if we can keep that up, we've located 6 or so members now, and this one family already wants their children to be baptized, so that'll be good if that can go through. The only problem with the solid family is that they don't speak Marshallese so when we held our service on Sunday she didn't really understand what was going on, but it's all good. We'll figure it out little by little, oh it's super funny how surprised some of the people are when they hear this white boy speaking in understandable Marshallese, the smiles on some of their faces is like priceless! My companion is Elder Va'aulu from Samoa he's been out for a while now, almost 2 years, he goes home at the end of March, so I'll get someone new at that point obviously. He's the man and it'll be awesome working out here, definitely different but still good.  Naw the dialect is relatively the same, they just speak way fast and stuff and it's a little harder for them to understand what I'm saying because my pronunciation isn't perfect to say the least, but hey, I do what I can and as long as I can get my point across that's all I really care about. I'm going to attempt to learn some Kiribati while I'm out here. That'll be fun starting from square one again but hey I learned one language so why not try to speak another? The family with the two kids they want baptized don't speak Marshallese at all, but they do know a little english, so that's nice we'll see how that goes. This island is sick, there's all sorts of world war two stuff on it that the Japanese left, and there's nice shady beaches and it's a really neat island. It's also a whole lot cleaner and the water is so blue... haha but don't worry I promise I won't go swimming :p I think that's about all for now, we're still just trying to get stuff established and figured out right now, so it'll be different for a bit. But this place is ready, I can feel it!

Lots of lovin'

From Elder Jordan Michelson (laddik in Wotje)

Moms comment

Usually we get emails on Sunday afternoon so when at 10pm we got this, it was a WONDERFUL surprise!! 

Sorry for the Craziness

January 19, 2014 

Haha okay so sorry for the craziness, and not letting you know what's happening exactly, just kind of been rushed and running around like a chicken with my head cut off, but it's been good! Haha so basically I got to say goodbye to almost no one, it was way rushed and then I just went and worked with a bunch of other companionships throughout the mission, it was weird not having any investigators and what not, so yeah and my companion right now is Elder Vaaulu and he is the man, it's going to be really fun working with him, plus we're going to go do work! I don't know we'll see what the island is like when I get there, I heard that maybe it has email, so we'll see once again. We're kind of just going in blind and setting everything up from scratch, we don't even know if we're going to stay there or not, we need to go find a place to live, and all that. We have a week, if the irooj or like the king i guess of the island says its okay to work there then we are good to go, and we can find a house and figure stuff out. If we don't then I come back and probably head out to arno, where there definitely is no email. So it'll be an interesting next month, but it'll be fun for sure! Oh and the lady that I worked with for all that time, I was not able to see her get baptized but oh well it's not that important, I know I did my part and as long as she does get baptized right? And let's see what else Wotje is, from what I understand, the most beautiful island in the marshall islands, so I'm kind of excited to see it! And we almost flew out this morning, checked all of our bags and were on the plane, flew for 2 minutes and then came back down because there was a problem with the plane, hahaha aindein majol in (just the way it is in the marshalls) but hopefully we'll fly out later to today and all goes smoothly! I guess just send some emails on Sunday and I'll try to respond when I can and see if I can get some internet access! But I love you all a ton and thanks for everything,
lots of lovin'
From Elder Jordan Michelson (Ri-wotje)

mom's note
we got this on friday and didn't know if we would hear from him again for 6 months. I was on pins and needles. Other families with missionaries in the Marshall's haven't heard from them in 5 months so I know it was a possibility.:( 

January 5, 2014

Let's see just like a bit of new news this week... Like maybe I'm going to open an outer island or something and I might be out there for like 6 months with probably no email, and I also get to fly to another outer island and see if that's ready for missionaries, if that's the case that's where I'll call home for the next 6 months. Haha so I'll either be working on Wotje or Arno, I don't know, but then again I don't really care either way I'm opening up a whole new island to missionaries. It is going to be awesome, apparently President trusts me a little so that'll be nice! I'll be working with the former AP which will be nice because Elder Vaaulu is that man, oh it's going to be awesome! It was weird saying goodbye to all my investigators and the area that I was accustomed to once again, and it kind of sucks that I'll miss Katline's baptism, but it's not really important if I'm there or not, at least I helped her progress. And my last sunday in the Laura ward there were 7 investigators that showed up to church, which was just a really nice way to end leaving! So hopefully all those people will progress and do well, so hopefully your online for a bit because otherwise I don't know if I'll be able to talk to anyone for a while. 

Mom's note 

This is the email we got, and got left in the dark with no other emails for a couple of weeks. I needed to know more info so I emailed the mission office. They said that he would be able to email before he left. Unfortunately he didn't email for almost 2 weeks.  

It was awesome talking to you!

Sounds like a good week, and when's the rook tournament then? You gotta keep that thing in the house, and who's going to be Erc's partner?? That'll be good that you're teaching seminary, something to keep you a little more busy hey? And transfers are really random, it's just kind of whenever they need to happen, I guess, nothing too set in stone. And recently with this new president, transfers don't happen that often, people have been tending to stay in their areas a little bit longer, but I guess we'll see what happens. I think it's pretty clear that I will be moving soon, I just have to no clue as to where. And no I haven't received his letter yet, I got one from the Holt's and one from Paige another from the Brooks' fam, and I think one from Grandma Mich, that's all for now, so I guess we'll see when I go into town today. I was fine after talking to you, I mean this whole Christmas season is kind of busy and different to begin with, so it didn't make me homesick or anything, it was just really nice to talk to you all, and I do just miss being with you guys. I guess I only have a year left, which is weird to say, and weird as to how fast it has gone thus far, I feel like I say that a lot, but it's true. And I don't know something that was kind of nice, was on Christmas eve I read the story of Christ's birth and then read Jesus the Christ about his death and just kind of took some time to reflect on his life and everything that he did, it was nice and I definitely felt the spirit. Definitely a different Christmas, but it was good. It was also nice that I got to spend a lot of time with Elder Parkinson, that kid is a stud, and we are officially in a bromance! But don't worry about it :p And a scripture that I used and liked this week was Isaiah 55:8-9. I liked it just because I'm able to relate to it personally and also help relate it to my investigators, it's a great scripture to use for teaching the word of wisdom. But yeah I think that's about all for the week, it was awesome talking to you and looks like you are all doing wonderful! Have a crantabulous week and thanks for everything that you do! 
Love,
Elder Jordan

Talk to you all in like 3 days! Whoop whoop i'm pumped!

Dec. 22

Sounds like a good busy week, this week was a tad bit slower just due to some christmas caroling and people just kind of being gone, they really like to just jambo and go different places, but oh well it was still good. Had a really good lesson with my investigator, Danny, about Enduring to the End and I really felt the spirit when he bore testimony at the end of the lesson. We read the story from the book of Mark about the seeds by the way side, in Mark 4, and he really understood it. Hopefully he'll be able to progress and come closer to baptism! Also I got asked if I was a wolf this week, or if my Dad was a wolf hahaha just because of the hair on my arms and legs. Had some like 12 and 14 year old kids playing with my hair in church and that was just kind of funny, apparently I'm a wolf now though. Beat will happen on Christmas Day, all day, haha it's kind of a big deal. So we'll be doing a Samoan dance for the beat, all the elder's and then the sisters will do their own separate one, it'll be good and I'm looking forward to it. I'll finally get to wear a lavalava and rock that for the beat, so that'll be nice! Tell Emily and Tori I say hi back then, the next time you see them. I started running and stuff every morning. Elder Parkinson and I are going hard, and it's nice to run in the morning. It is so much easier here though, like back home I was just sucking air and stuff, but here it's nice to be able to breathe and stuff when we go on runs. So now I bike everyday, run, and then work out a bit, so hopefully I won't be getting too fat. With a diet of rice, chicken and fish I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon. But yeah I definitely miss the Christmas chocolates, oh dang, but I guess that's what happens when you go to an island for 2 years! Anyway I think that's about all for the week, didn't really have a Christmas Devotional or anything, we had Brother Tiban the high councilor from Rita come and that was awesome, he's a powerful speaker and just love that guy and his family to death. So that was the week, hope that you all have a fantastic Merry Christmas and I will talk to you all in like 3 days! Whoop whoop I'm pumped!

lots of lovin'

from Elder Jordan Michelson

I am starting to feel the spirit a whole lot more

Dec 8, 2013

Happy FREAKIN birthday by the way. I heard that a lot of decorating didn't get done just because you're so popular and had tons of people call you. Anyways I hope the day was awesome and I send some loving from the Marshall's! This week was actually really good and am starting to feel the spirit a whole lot more, I don't know it's just kind of different. With training and having to do literally everything, it's quite the new experience. It's hard to find the balance between helping my companion learn and grow and give him time to speak, and actually having lessons. When he speaks he tends to stutter a lot and then will stop and ask me how to say every second word, so people just have a hard time trying to understand what he's saying half the time, plus his pronunciation is a little off. Needless to say he is doing good though and we are having success, I just am trying to figure out when I need to take over and when I should give him his time. It's getting better. But what else this week, I've been having some really good personal studies lately and have been guided by the spirit more so in lessons. It's nice, for example on Tuesday morning in my personal study I studied about Joseph Smith and the Restoration literally not knowing why I was doing that, I had nobody who was at that point in the lessons and was supposed to be studying about dispensations and prophets. But I continued on in studying the Restoration, annotated once again and had a really good study. Writing things down and asking questions really does make a difference,  and also asking yourself ways in which you can improve on teaching the concepts and also how they can apply better to investigators. Had a really good study, and really felt the spirit and I thought that was the purpose of me studying that. But we went to our first lesson, the one we were supposed to be studying about dispensations with and I felt prompted to share the whole message of the Restoration, which I normally don't do. The Investigators were really able to understand and that was one of the most powerful lessons I felt I've shared over the course of my mission. It's cool how much the spirit really does lead and direct us, if we choose to listen and obey. So that was my cool experience for the week, and just had quite a few spiritual lessons. Also I've been thinking lately about why we are put in the situations we are put into, sometimes I feel like it's to help our companions, ourselves, and even the ward, as much as it is to help our investigators, if not more so. To answer your questions, so for christmas activities, all the Elder's and Sister's are doing a combined pday today to practice for beat, which is like the marshallese dance and christmas celebration. So we'll see how that goes, as for getting invited over for christmas, nope I don't think I've really ever had a scheduled dinner appointment with members, I had one where a guy fed us shark and that's about it. You just go to people's houses and they'll feed us, that's just kind of Marshallese culture and I had some delicious rice with coconut milk and iu, which is like another part of a coconut. That was pretty good, and the language is coming very slow with the companion, he understands fairly well, but his speaking is slow, and he tends to say the same thing every time. Trying to help him change it up a bit and I know it'll come. Just kind of adds to the responsibilities, but it's all good a little extra stress always helps, makes us stronger, right? But my favourite scripture from this week, is probably 1 Nephi 7:12, just a simple verse about faith, but it really stuck out to me and I used it a lot this week to help my investigators understand the concept of faith. Anyways I think that's about all for the week, hope I answered your questions, and that it warms up a little back home! Oh and my companion probably won't have a lot of christmas stuff, just not part of the culture as much so if you want to help him out or whatever that would be nice. Thanks for the emails and the love!

Lots of lovin'

From Elder Jordan Michelson

Dec 15

Monday had a really good family home evening with a less-active lady and her husband who is not a member. They have a couple kids also and one of them is 9 and hasn't been baptized yet, so we're trying to work with the whole family but it makes it a little tough because the dad works all the time and has almost no free time. But anyways, I made their family a pizza and had a really good family home evening. The kids and the dad loved the pizza and were just talking about how it was real pizza and not like the fake stuff that some of the restaurants make I thought that was kind of funny. But after eating and starting the night off right, we sung the song I am a Child of God. It was just a simple idea that popped into my head, because I had planned to teach about prophets. Once again being led by the spirit was able to share a simple message that was powerful. The lady (Justina) was really able to feel the spirit, and said that we should have another one on Friday because she liked it so much. So that was a cool experience, and the best part of that is that we went and did another one, she had some friends there this time, and then on Sunday her and her family came to church. So that was really nice. On wednesday we had district meeting and I had bought a gingerbread house kit or something because it was on sale, so to celebrate Christmas and just have a little fun, we made some houses after the meeting. Haha see the attached pictures, but Elder Parkinson and I totally won! That's like the perfect marshallese house, and then afterwards we didn't really want to eat it... So it was like let's go give this thing to some random kid! So we go walking around for a bit and we didn't find any kids. There was this shirtless guy doing some lawn work though and just cleaning up his house and whatever, and we went up to him and just gave him this random house. It was hilarious, we went up to him and the approach was "Do you have any kids? Because we made this house and it tastes good, and just want to wish you a Merry Christmas" and then gave him the house and walked away. I wish I could do that back home just to see what someone's reaction to that would be. That was awesome and just kind of funny, totally something I would do though. And then on Sunday we went on an exchange and I went and worked in Laura with Elder Parkinson, who is my new District Leader and is just solid. Such a stud and I love that kid. But the work was just so easy and fun, it's so easy when you don't have to think about literally everything, when you don't have to worry about explaining things or whatever, when you can actually build off what each other is saying and have really powerful lessons. I hope that one day I can work with Elder Parkinson, that would be such a good time. Plus we made some Gnocchi which was good and I also made some Chicken Parmasana this week, which was also good nice to just be able to make some random good stuff, just saying. Oh also another random fact, I found a place that sells bubble teas here... Holy freak I was pumped, so good and it was the same as at home, good thing that store isn't in my area or I feel like my money would be gone a lot faster! I think that's pretty much all for the week. Overall a really good week and I can't wait to talk to you all at Christmas, Crazy how fast that's coming!

lots of lovin'

Elder Jordan Michelson

I love Jesus,and on the other side WWJD (what would Jesus do?)

The Marshellese gingerbread house

Elder Parkinson and Elder Michelson lovin' there Marshallese gingerbread house

Dec. 1

 Hello and Iakwe nan aelop! haha ejjet ami mour? Life is pretty good out here, had some good experiences this week, and learned some stuff this week for sure. So on Monday, we went to a lesson and it started pouring rain afterwards, so we biked home in the rain and definitely got wet, but oh well, it was kind of fun! One of the pictures is after us coming home, kind of hard to see how wet we are, but if you look at all the water droplets on my glasses you can see that we got fairly soaked and then the rest of the week was good, Thursday was Thanksgiving so we went to the mission presidents house and ate some turkey and whatnot the whole nine yards and then watched a movie when it was done, it was fun and was a nice change up for the week. Have you ever seen the movie Ephraim's Rescue? It was actually pretty good and I would recommend seeing that one if you could find it! Friday and Saturday went to 2 baptisms the one was in our ward, the other was in the other ward of the other elder's and sister's in our district. So that was good and got to be a witness for the one on Friday, always fun! Then on Saturday learned a valuable lesson on just working no matter what, we went out for the whole day and literally no one was ready, all the scheduled appointments we had fell through, the people that we tried to go talk to weren't interested and it was just kind of a rough day frankly. But I learned that (working) no matter what, even if it a bad day, I felt proud because I went out and did what I knew I was supposed to be doing, despite the setbacks that I had, when I went back home that night I still felt the spirit and knew that this is what I need to be doing even if I don't find the success I'm always anticipating. My companion is starting to open up a little more and speak more, which is nice,  it's still not perfect but at least he's talking to me a little more. And he's good at talking to the people and trying, despite not really knowing what is going on so that's nice. He'll be really good soon, he just has to learn this language, which he is picking up pretty fast, since it is similar to kiribati. But yeah let's see to answer your questions... What did I say was wrong with the bike? I don't remember saying anything about that, although we got some new bikes lately and are the only elder's with new bikes on the island so that's nice! Those things are speedy! I don't really have a favourite scripture this week, since my studies are focused a lot on my investigators, and I've been annotating Preach my Gospel lately which has helped me see some new things and has given me some new insights. I've actually been reading a lot from Preach My Gospel lately so I guess that's my favourite scripture of the week. Preach My Gospel chapter three and talking about the Plan of Salvation. Lately I've been trying to figure out how I can better incorporate scriptures in my lessons and apply these lessons to my investigator's so I'm not just talking at them, that's where my studies have been focused this week.
Best meal was probably Thanksgiving although I did make a pretty good pizza this week with some bbq ranch dipping sauce, crap I cook for everyone now, I have made so much pizza dough lately. Kind of getting sick of it! So some new food ideas would be good! I want to make some butter chicken and naan bread if that is at all possible! Give me some other meal ideas if you could please? Although Elder Parkinson, my District Leader, who is a stud, has this cookbook that we were looking through and just getting sort of homesick because we couldn't even make a quarter of the stuff in that book. Haha and it looked so good! Freak I miss good real food, I think I would kill someone for a good steak, although just need to have patience, it'll come. But that was kind of funny this week, just looking at all the stuff we can't eat and talking about real good food. That's about all for the week! Take care and I love you lots!

Lots of lovin'

From Elder Jordan Michelson

I don't know if you can see the water droplets on Jordan's glasses but they are soaked!

Getting ready to be a witness to a baptism in the ocean

The ocean baptism