Wednesday, July 27, 2016

It's my favorite day of the week which means another blog post for Sister Jordan Nicole Wunderli

Jordan wrote a nice email to the family earl this morning and then followed it up with this email:

こんいちわ everyone!!
So not a ton happened this week, but here ya go!!
FUNNY FIRST:
-So last p-day we went to the MTC store and bought a giant magnifying glass for a dollar, and took funny pics with it (embarrassing pic of me at the bottom).
-Me and Sister Gorner drew portraits of all the Elders in our district and they were quite accurate (pics at bottom)
-So our branch president is a huge BYU fan and on our temple walk he asked me where I went to college and I said the U and he goes well dang that's too bad. Then he went on to tell me how great BYU is and I said well that's one thing I'll have to disagree with you on, GO UTES! Then later I showed him a pic of me flashing the U at the Provo temple and we had another little debate, but I ended it by reminding him that our prophet went to the U!!!
-While we were waiting in line for the Sunday night devotional, a rap battle broke out and they started rapping popcorn popping on an apricot tree lol
-We were talking about guilty pleasures in class and my teacher said he absolutely loved the smell of skunk. Like when he drives through it, he rolls his windows down and breathes it in (ewww)
-On the same topic of guilty pleasures... Elder Hiatt (typical man for the most part) admitted that he loves sewing! He especially loves sewing sock monkeys hahaha

FOOD
-I eat cottage cheese as part of EVERY meal because it is basically the only thing I like haha.
-Pizza fridays are my favorite day and I usually eat about 3 slices (don't worry I am working out)

CLASS/LANGUAGE
-So we had our last lesson with our first investigator this week and me and my companion were so sad to say goodbye because we had grown close to her. We even took a selfie with her so we could remember her.
-So we walked into our classroom the next day to a new teacher (don't worry we still have the other one that I love too) and it's our investigator!!!!! Yup she was never an investigator hahaha so that's chill. And a little embarrassing just because we sucked at Japanese lolol.
-We had to memorize "The missionary purpose" in Japanese this week so me and Sister Gorner went into our own study room and made a song and dance to it to memorize it (first ones to memorize it too might I add) and then we performed it for our whole district
-the word "joke" in Japanese is "jodan" which basically sounds like my name when you say it with a Japanese accent which is a joke lol
-Japanese is hard

SPIRITUAL
-So for our Sunday night devotional the Nashville Tribute Band came and sang a few of their songs.  They are so good and I'm not just saying that because all I've had to listen to since I've been here is church hymns and my district singing. But seriously check them out!! And we (the MTC choir) got to sing a few songs with them!
-One song I really loved was "the hardest thing I've ever loved to do" which was about his mission (he went to Las Vegas!!) and wow it was great.
     favorite lines:
     -The hardest word I ever loved to say is good bye to my mama and walking away
     -The hardest tears I've ever loved to cry fell when I opened my mouth to testify
CHECK IT OUT!!
-One scripture I really likeed this week, that I thought pertained to missionary work is in Moroni 7, "It is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time."

PICS (going down)
1. Go Utes from Provo
2. Elder Hardy and mine and Sister Gorner's fab drawing
3. Roommates' name tags and Provo temple
4. Magnifying glass fun
5. PJ mirror selfie with Sister Gorner!!
6. Elder Hiatt and amazing drawing by yours truly (we thought it would be fun to draw him with long straight hair for some reason)
7. Companion and roommates at the temple
8. Our district posing as ninjas because Japan












I have always thought that Jordan was a very good looking girl and her personality has always shined through - I think you can see that in some of these pictures.  However, she looks a little extra beautiful in some of these pictures - maybe not the magnifying glass one.  :)

Two weeks in and she seems to be having such a great experience.  I can't wait until she gets to Japan so that I can hear (read about) those experiences because I think they will be fabulous...and challenging.  Feel free to comment and ask questions.  I love my baby girl and am very proud of her.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Sister Jordan Wunderli's First Week in the MTC

Here is Jordan's email - unedited, for the most part:

Hi everyone!! (pics at bottom for any who don't want to read)
So I survived my first week at the MTC and I've learned a few things.
1) no food is safe at the MTC
2) don't take laxitives
3) you can have fun at the MTC
4) the gift of tongues is real
My district:
So my companion is Sister Kema and we get along really well! Our other roommates are Sister Gorner and Sister Phelps (not related to Michael Phelps). We are the only four girls in our district and then their are six guys. Oh my gosh our district is so fun and we laugh all the time and have so many inside jokes. We made up a Japanese Dora and we make Japanese versions of the songs to help us remember. We also created (well started) a rap about the first vision to Justin Bieber's Baby:
When I was 14 I had my first prayer,
I walked into the woods and I knelt there.
Then we have the chorus:
Joseph, Joseph Smith,
Joseph, Joseph Smith,
The Gospel is always right, right.
(more to come later)
So the first coule of days were soooooo long, but ever since Sunday, it's been going by so fast. I walked into my Japanese class the first day, and my teacher only talked in Japanese. LOL. But since then, the language is coming along way better. I absolutely LOVE my teacher. He is legit the best.
The funniest thing is when he talks all in Japanese and then will say one thing in English, like yesterday he was talking talking (all in Japanese), then he says "weak sauce" haha so funny.  We had to teach a 30 minute lesson all in Japanese on our second full day.  It was terrible. Since then, we have taught two more lessons and they've gotten a tiny bit better each time. I can also pray and bear my testimony in Japanese so yay.
Oh so something cool: we are the first ones EVER to have androids on a mission. So yeah I just thought that was cool that we're leading it off.
FOOD (if you can call it that) AT THE MTC:
I never thought I would say this, but I actually miss dorm food at the U. The food here is literally disgusting so I survive off of salads and wraps. Also, NO FOOD IS SAFE. Everyone is gassy here, and we are eating safe foods (or so we thought). So big shout out to my parents who packed me peanut m&m's.
My companion and one of my roommates took laxitive one night for "gentle overnight relief" and well the next day they had to go poop every 10 minutes. Not even exagerating. Soon, our whole district knew about it because they left the classroom ALL THE TIME. Seriously, funniest day ever. So don't take laxatives.
So.. spiritual now...
ELDER BEDNAR (ONE OF THE 12 APOSTLES), came here for my first Sunday devotional. Wow, I have never felt the spirit so strong. We first watched one of his talks "The Character of Christ" and then one of the MTC presidents gets up and says, so Elder Bednar is actually here.  And then Elder Bednar and his family walked in.  *Chills* He said he comes to speak at the MTC once or twice a year and I just so happened to be there. I know for a fact that that was a tender mercy from God. So I loved both of his talks but these were my two favorite things that he said:
1) "be good, not perfect, but good"
I think we stress on being perfect way too much, and I think it is better for us to just focus on being good because you can't be perfect.
2) "Girls do 9 things perfect and 1 thing good, and they talk down on themselves. Guys do 9 things bad and 1 thing half-alright, and they think they're all that. Girls: go easier on yourselves. Guys: be harder on yourselves."
Haha I just thought this was hilarious but sorry boys!
Church:
The church we go to is half in Japanese and half in English so I can understand 50.1% of it. Also, we have to prepare a talk each week in Japanese and they call you up randomly to speak, so that's scary. Luckily, I didn't have to speak the first Sunday.
EXERCISE TIME
My saving grace. So we only have exercise time 4 times a week (yep it sucks), and it is seriously the best. I've been going to the fitness center and lifting just any weights they have. Also, I got into a heated discussion about Utah football with one of the Elders in the fitness center (always reppin' the
U). I also made the mistake of asking what mission the Elder was going to, when he is in fact in my ward (our ward has like 30 people max) and he is in fact going to Japan. Oops.

My address for anyone who wants it (you can use it for dearelder.com too):
Sister Jordan Nicole Wunderli
SEP13  JPN-TOK
2005 N 900 E Unit  82
Provo UT 84602
あいしてます (I love you!!),
Sister Wunderli

PICS (going down):
1) I swear I am in the girl's bathroom
2) Mirror selfie with my companion!  
3) My rooommates and I with the Japanese people (they are actually from Japan), legit the nicest humans everrrrrr.
4) My district!!!!
5) My name tag and provo temple
6) Japanese....
7) My companion and I in front of the big world map.









Dad's take:  From a purely dad point of view, I loved hearing that she loves her companion and her district.  I'm glad she's able to get back to exercising and lifting weights.  I'm sorry that she has to put up with BAD food.  

From a spiritual side, she sounds like she's doing great and making great strides and that makes me very happy.  I love Elder Bednar and can only imagine what a great spiritual experience she had listening to the message he shared.  I love the statement about the boys and girls and their differences.  Great stuff.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

One Day to Go...

And Jordan and Chris (her mom) are upstairs doing the final packing.  They are taking inventory of everything she needs for the 18 months she will be gone and making sure she has it.  While Japan is highly technological, their toothpaste has sugar in it so she needs to pack enough for the whole time she's there.   She already knows she needs a few more pairs of white socks - they don't wear shoes in homes over there but guests are supposed to have something on their feet.  We'll get some more socks after we go see what will be her last movie for the next 18 months - The Secret Lives of Pets.

There will be a few more "lasts" over the next 24 hours as well:  last serving of her favorite desert - Cherry Chocolate cake (affectionately known as "Triple C"), her last real meal at an American restaurant - lunch tomorrow at Olive Garden and, of course, our last hugs and prayers and final goodbyes.  Then the adventure begins.  I anticipate lots of learning and new friends and many wonderful stories, especially during her time in Japan which will start on September 13th.  I eagerly anticipate her weekly emails that will provide me with all of the information about her progress, as well as the progress of those she is teaching.  She is a wonderful young lady and I am absolutely positive she will do an awesome job.

I will be sharing parts of her emails along with my thoughts every week.  If you would like to keep up on how she is doing on her mission please subscribe to the blog.  She promises to share pictures as well so that should add another level of excitement.  Make it a great day and a better week.  Until next week, may the Lord be with you.