Wednesday, August 31, 2016

How great is it to have Christmas every week? Time for Sister Jordan Wunderli's email again!!

Happy Wednesday.  I hope your week is off to a great start.  My week just got infinitely better when I received Jordan's email.  She's almost done at the MTC - less than two weeks left before she goes to Japan.  I'm so excited for her.  Here's her email so that you can get caught up on her week and her thoughts about her experience and the time left in the MTC.

こんにちは,
Before entering the MTC, all I could think about was getting through the 9 "awful" weeks at the MTC. I couldn't wait to get to Japan. I couldn't wait to get there so I could actually learn the language. I couldn't wait to get there so I could be exposed to a completely different culture. I couldn't wait to get there so I could explore all of the new places. I couldn't wait to get there so I could eat my heart out in sushi. All I thought about before my mission was, I just have to make it through the MTC and then I'll be fine.
I've spent 7 weeks at the MTC now and it feels like it's flown by. My feelings have completely changed about the "awful" MTC. I'm not ready to say goodbye to my companion, or roommates, or district, or zone, or teachers, or anyone else amazing I have met. I'm not prepared enough to go to Japan to teach them the word of Christ. I need to prepare more so that I am better!! I can't believe I only have less than 2 weeks left. More than that, I can't believe how sad I am at the thought of leaving the MTC.

Let me tell you some of the reasons why I've absolutely loved the MTC.
- The people. The people I have met here are some of the best people I have ever met. So sure of themselves, so sure of their purpose, so funny, so nice (I could go on and on).
- The devotionals. Listening to the words of apostles, members of the seventy, and anyone else who comes is so powerful. Hearing an apostle bare witness that Christ is our savior is unlike anything else.
-The undeniable spirit. I have never felt the spirit so strong anywhere or anytime before. I have truly felt like I am walking with God here.
-The people. The people. The people.

THE GOOD STUFF
- Sister Kema got a bottle of Dr. Pepper in a package and so we got sack lunches and stole ice from the cafeteria and then had a picnic and ate cookies, drank Dr. Pepper and drank a whole V8 juice to compensate for it.
- We got new kohai which means I'm a Daisenpai which means I've been here the longest out of the people going to Japan.
- I spilled a whole plate of food in the cafeteria and it was so loud and everyone looked at me. So that was great.

THE SPIRITUAL STUFF
- Kema Shimai and I took a study break and walked around and we ran into some ASL Elders. One of them prayed for us using sign and it was probably the most powerful prayer ever. We all had our eyes opened, watching him speak to God through sign.
- The same ASL Elders then did the first vision for us. He got down on his knees as if he was actually Joseph Smith. I felt like I was actually there, having the same experience as Joseph Smith had. He explained the first vision better with no words than anyone ever has with words.
- An Elder in my zone had to go home for medical reasons, so my whole zone fasted for him. We fasted for a full 24 hours and it was so hard but we all bonded so much. It's awesome that everyone was so willing to fast for someone. Every single person in my zone (around 50 people) fasted for him. We ended the fast on pizzaFriday and it was the best pizza Friday ever (I had 5 pieces).

あいしています,
Wunderli Shimai

PICS:
1) prettiest part of the MTC and our name tags
2) laundry room fun
3) the Daisenpai and branch presidency
4) a day in the life
5) matching with Short Shimai






I can tell by the one picture that she got my most recent package.  I sent her a few different things in this package than the first package and I see them on the table.  I'm guessing what I sent was well received.  I'm always so happy to hear about the great progress she's making and the fantastic people that she is with.  It is amazing to hear the testimonies of the apostles and other great church leaders so I can only imagine how powerful and wonderful those experiences are for her.  A frined of mine served an ASL mission and I always loved watching her sign - I'm sure that Jordan's experience with the ASL missionaries was very beautiful and touching.  

As always, please feel free to comment and / or ask questions.  If you would like to email her directly, her email is jordan.wunderli@myldsmail.net.  Please remember that she can only email on P-days, which is Wednesday in the MTC, it will most likely change when she's in the field in Japan.  Additionally, with so little time, she may not be able to reply all the time but that doesn't me she doesn't love and appreciate you.  Thanks for all of your support; she appreciates and her mom and I (her dad) appreciate it very much as well.  Have a fantastic rest of your week.   

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

It's Christmas, I mean Wednesday...

Tuesday is like Christmas Eve to me.  I get so excited because I know the next day I will get to read a bunch of emails from my beautiful daughter.  We actually get to have some back-and-forth emails and I get caught up on her week.  I just love Wednesdays; they are like having Christmas every week for me.  Enough rambling here's her email this week:

こんにちは,
The good stuff:
-I saw Brandon Clark and Nathan Gerrard this week! It's always great to see people that I knew outside of the MTC.
-Sweater Saturday!! We died from heat but having a photoshoot made it so fun. Now every Saturday is Sweater Saturday.
-My roommates and I told each other our first impressions of each other and they were pretty funny. Only one girl said she hated me (we're cool now though).
-We played "What are the odds" at dinner on Saturday and my companion had to drink meat juice mixed with ketchup, mayo, salt, pepper and orange juice. She spit it out and let out a little scream because of how gross it was and one of the MTC workers came over and asked if she was okay. I was crying, I was laughing so hard.
-We are now Daisenpai (means we have been here the longest out of all the Japanese missionaries) and we get new Kohai today (new people that are going to Japan) super excited for that!!

Spiritual:
-So my companion and I were studying outside in the evening and we noticed that this girl was crying at another table. We decided to go up to her and share a scripture with her that we had read in companion study (Alma 26:27 - Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success). We asked her where she was going and she said Sweden!! It was her first week in the MTC and she was really struggling. We gave her some advice and just told her to do her best and rely on the Lord. Her and her companion both thanked us so much and told us that it was exactly what they needed. Then while we were talking to them, this Elder comes around with a huge pan of brownies and gives one to each of us. What a tender mercy. It was such a cool experience.
-We had a devotional given by Juan A. Uceda of the seventy, and it was one of my favorite devotionals by far. He was such a cute, humble, and nice old man, I just wanted to go give him a hug. He was a convert himself, born in Lima, Peru and he told us his conversion story. He then spoke to us as if he was still an investigator. He told exactly what he needed, "I need help, I need someone who is there for me, I need guidance, I need you to show me how, pray with me." He goes on to say, "See me as a human being, a precious soul, a child of god." It was seriously so powerful. I absolutely loved everything he said and it made me even more motivated. I want to do everything I can do be the best missionary I can be.

Other:
-Food is still not the best, really looking forward to the food in Japan.
-I HAVE LESS THAN 3 WEEKS LEFT IN THE MTC!! HOME STRETCH.
-Japanese is so so hard, but it is coming, it is coming, slowly but surely.
あいしてます,
Wunderli Shimai
Pics (going down):
1. District pic, we're hot I know
2. Kamae Choro and I are the only Utes in our zone
3. Laundry room Polaroid pic
4. Sweater Saturday
5. Can I bring a fork to Japan?






 That's all for this week.  As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section and your emails / letters to Jordan are very much appreciated by us and especially by her.  She LOVES them.  Her email is jordan.wunderli@myldsmail.net.  Make it a great day and a better week.



Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Guess What Day It Is...

It's WEDNESDAY.  You got it.  Hump day.  My favorite day of the week.  Why you ask?  Because I get to hear from my beautiful daughter - Sister Jordan Wunderli.  I don't actually get to HEAR from her but I do get emails and get answers to the questions she remembers to respond to that I've written in my emails / letters throughout the week.  I got a great personal email this morning and have had some nice conversation with her on a few things.  For now, here is her (abbreviated) email - you'll see why it's a bit shorter this week than normal.  Enjoy.

こんにちは,
I was really sick for most of this week so I either laid in bed and slept or I was miserable during class haha. So sorry for the shorter and more boring email. But I'm all better now.
FUN:
-My district had a queso party to celebrate the fact that we made it half way through the MTC!! (We have a little less than a month left now)
-My roommates and I had a slumber party last night and put face masks on ourselves and called ourselves "the blue man group"
-Phelps Shimai and I were way sick on Thursday so our teacher sent us back to the dorm and we went to the MTC store to by icy hot and she knocked down am entire shelf so we just kind of ran out... Oops
-While I was sick and dying in class last Wednesday, an Elder said that I looked like death haha and then he felt super bad because everyone was like ohhhh
SPIRITUAL:
-So me and Kema Shimai have this really tough investigator and he doesn't pray, believe in God, but he loved church history. It has been frustrating because he won't do anything ever as far as faith goes but he has read the Book of Mormon. My whole district has been having the toughest time with him and he will not pray for any of us. So I slept Thursday morning and then me and Sister Kema had to teach that afternoon with no lesson plans. The lesson was not going to well because I could barely think in English let alone Japanese. We had our hymn books with us and I felt the urge to share a hymn with him. I flipped to "I am a child of God" and since I couldn't sing it I handed it to him and just told him to read it. The spirit was so strong and then after he read it, me and Kema Shimai bore our testimonies. After, I asked him to pray and he prayed!! That experience made me realize that we really aren't the teachers, the spirit is.
-We watched "The Will of God" by Elder Christofferson and it was so good. A couple things I really like from it:
     •Pray for his love-inspired correction
     •Thank you for loving me enough to cut me down.
あいしてます,
Sister Wunderli
PICS (going down):
1) the blue man group
2) my companion and our Kohai
3) the best zone ever
4) district pic always necessary
5) queso pic to come next week







I think it's important that you know how much Jordan appreciates your support and any correspondence you send whether it is through email, snail mail or DearElder.com (Unit 82, JPN-TOK, SEP13).  As her dad, I also really appreciate an support you give - prayers are great and correspondence is as well.  She can receive emails every day but can only right them on Wednesday.  She may not have time to respond to everyone since her time is very limited but she really does appreciate it.  Until next week, enjoy and make it a great week.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Cool Missionary Stuff From Sister Jordan Wunderli

My favorite day of the week has finally arrived.  I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas, countdown and all.  Tuesday is Christmas Eve and Wednesday morning is Christmas morning (without the cinnamon rolls but with the best presents ever - minus the wrapping paper and the need to assemble stuff - LOL).  Jordan really loves the letters she's been getting via DearElder.com so thank you so much to those who have registered there and sent them.  For those who would like to send a physical letter to her through DearElder.com, it's free to set up an account and free to send the letter while she's in the MTC (cheap when she's in Japan).  Her unit number is 82.  Her mission code is JPN-TOK and her estimated MTC departure date is SEP13.  That said, she loves getting emails as well - jordan.wunderli@myldsmail.net - and can read them everyday during free time.  She doesn't have a lot of time on her P-day (preparation day) so she may not be able to respond individually to everyone every time but please know that she loves and appreciates all of your support.  Now to Jordan's email:

こんにちは,
I'VE BEEN HERE A MONTH!! Only 5 more weeks to go haha
First off I would just like to say thank you to everyone who sent me a dearelder/letter it really means so much and makes me so happy.
FUN TIMES:
-It was an Elder in my districts birthday on Monday and his mom sent him a package full of birthday cake, decorations, a candle, and some drinks. So after cleaning our classroom,Monday night, we went outside and had a birthday party for him and it was a blast.
-Since no balls are allowed in the MTC, my district played catch with a pocket-size Japanese/English dictionary. We got a few papercuts but it was pretty fun.
-We got Kohai!! (Just means that we finally got some more people going to Japan in the MTC). There are so many of the them, but the ones I've talked to seem way cool.
-I played the flute for the first time in years. You can rent instruments here for free so I rented a flute one day and played a few hymns.
-In my weekly email from my branch president he told me he was going to teach me the BYU fight song hahaha
-We watched "Ephraim's Rescue" for our Sunday night movie night and two people kissed in it and the WHOLE MTC clapped and made "ohhhh" noises. It was absolutely hilarious #missionprobs 
LANGUAGE/CLASS/RANDOM
-I'm sick. And it seriously sucks. I miss my mommy who takes the best care of me when I'm sick and my dog to comfort me!!
-Japanese isn't getting much easier.. it's honestly the hardest thing ever.
SPIRITUAL:
-Elder Neil L. Andersen of the quorum of the 12 apostles came and spoke for our Tuesday night devotional. It was also his birthday so the whole MTC sang happy birthday to him. A few key things he said:
     •learning how to be a missionary is not complex, but it isn't easy
     •learn how to speak about the savior if nothing else
     •believe in miracles
     •DON'T BE DISCOURAGED, BE FULL OF COURAGE
-So my roommates and I had the coolest experience this past Sunday. It was our first fastSunday in the MTC and it was the absolute best.
     •My roommates and I had just gotten out of sacrament meeting and we were looking for a quiet place to end our group fast. We turned down a vacant hallway and went into a cramped, dark copy room (room A120 to be exact). Silence. We were squished together, trying to decide on who was going to offer the prayer. "Having a meeting in here, are we?" We look and a guy named Brother Nilsson was standing in the doorway. "Where are you sisters going on your missions?"
     "Tokyo," we replied. What we thought was going to become another, "oh good luck with the language, pray for the gift of tongues" talk, took a turn.
      He stood in the light, all of us in the dark, and testified to us. "It's not about the Japanese, it's about calling down the power of heavens and teaching with the spirit, if you do this, it won't matter if you speak Portuguese to the Japanese people, they will feel it in their hearts."
     "A powerful missionary testifies."
     "The MTC is not a school, it's a spiritual experience where you can walk with God."
     "You will be stronger on your knees than you ever will be on your feet."
     Just as soon as he came, he was gone. We looked up at each other as if to get reassurance from each other that that really did happen, and it wasn't just a dream. He testified with such power and conviction, and it is something I will never forget. I swear, he was one of the three Nephites or an angel.
あいしてます,
Sister Wunderli
PICS (going down):
1) the delicious cupcakes that my fam sent
2) weekly district temple pic
3) celebrating Elder Michelson's birthday
4) my favorite zone leaders with an illegal selfie (despite what it looks like, we're friends)
5) another birthday partyyy pic








I hope you enjoy her updates and can feel the spirit that she radiates through her messages.  She is giving a year and a half of her life in the service of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and doesn't get money in return.  She gets something far more valuable - the blessings that come from serving Him and sharing His gospel.  Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments and ask any questions you have.  We all love and appreciate your support.  Make it a great day and a better week. 

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

It's another Wednesday which means...my favorite day of the week thanks to Sister Jordan Wunderli's emails

Hello and happy Wednesday.  I hope your week is off to a great start.  I'm having a good week but there is always a huge uptick in goodness on Wednesday when we start receiving Jordan's emails.  I'll share some thoughts after you read her email so if you're interested, keep reading.  Without further ado, here is Jordan's email and pictures.

Sister Jordan Wunderli's email:
こんにちは,
This week has probably been the hardest week yet at the MTC. And most boring but there are still pictures pics at the bottom!
The daily life of a missionary (in the MTC) (for the most part)
-6:30am wake up and get ready
-7:00am personal study
-7:45am breakfast
-8:15am-11:15am class (learn Japanese and the gospel)
-11:05am companion study
-11:55am lunch
-12:35pm-3:35pm class
-3:35pm language study
-4:40 dinner
-5:30-6:30 exercise time (only 4x a week)
-7pm-9pm study
-9pm-9:30pm daily planning
-9:30pm-10:15pm get ready for bed
-10:15pm quiet time
-10:30pm lights out
So for P-day, we always watch the "Parade of Missionaries" which is just all the missionaries that come in to the MTC because they all come in on Wednesdays. We grab a sack lunch, and have a picnic, while screaming "Welcome to the MTC!!!" And this P-day is extra special because we have new Kohai (just mean that we have more people that are going to Japan) coming in!!
FUNNY:
-So this week was pretty boring/uneventful, so me and Sister Gorner were talking and we said, okay next week were just going to "do it for the journal" (so expect more excitement in my next email hopefully)
-One of the Elders in my district told us about how he has been hearing this creepy knocking on the wall next to his bed at night, so me and another Elder in the district thought it would be funny to right a letter from 'Wall Tapper' and it said "Why don't you answer me???? I'm so lonelyyyyy." He read it to us that night and he was soooo creeped out. I was dying.
-On breaks, my district all sings songs and makes raps which is quite entertaining. My favorite one we did this week was Tik-Tok by Kesha hahahah.
-So I told some Elders about how Jodan (means joke) sounds like my name and now they only call me Jodan which is way funny.
-I am really good friends with this Elder from Australia who is in my zone but not my distrct and he is teaching me how to do an Australian accent.
LANGUAGE
-Japanese stinks.
-We have to teach all of our lessons in Japanese with no notes and it is honestly so so hard.
-The language has definitely been the hardest part so far of the MTC, and we are all trying so hard not to get discouraged.
SPIRITUAL
-So for our Sunday Devotional, Stephen B. Allen (managing director of missionary department) came and spoke.
       -He showed a lot of LDS commercials and they were way cheesy but way entertaining.
       -He told us to "Rejoice in the fact that a prophet of God received revelation for your calling."
       -God doesn't want you to become like your companion, district leader, or anyone else, he wants you to become like Christ.
-For Tuesday Devotional, W. Christopher Waddell (In the presiding bishopric) spoke and it was an amazing talk.
       -He talked about how we are like Christ and he said that when we sent in our letter saying we accepted our call, that we basically raised our right hand and said, "Here am I, send me" just as Christ did in the Pre-existance...So cool!!
       -He also said to "Baptize converts, not numbers."
Every day you're a missionary, is a beautiful day.
あいしてます,
Sister Wunderli
PICS (going down)
1) On Wednesdays we wear floral (and each other's dresses)
2) Reppin our countries
3) Peace out MTC (jk)
4) Roomies and I eating microwave popcorn at 10pm
5) My fam bam (my district)
6) name tag pics are always needed











So you are all up to day.  I typically send an email almost everyday.  Once in a while I'll send two when I've already sent her one and something else might come to mind that I want to share with her.  My messages to her are always very supportive - I think she made a great choice and I have every confidence that she will do very well.  I sent her an actual letter via DearElder.com.  If you register for a free account on this website, you can write a letter on the website and they will deliver it for you.  She loves getting a physical letter.  It's free when the letters are to the Provo MTC and not very expensive when they are out in the mission field.

The church rolled out a new curriculum for teachers and I had to introduce it to the teachers in our ward (I'm the Sunday School President).  There were lots of great and relevant messages in the material including getting class members involved - that's the biggest thing - class members should teach, when possible and teachers should encourage lots of participation from class members including sharing life experiences and baring their testimonies.  One of the messages that really hit home for me was the reminder that we learn about the gospel, gain a testimony of it and get to know Jesus through the spirit.  Jordan had mentioned something along the lines of teaching with the spirit and suddenly I came across a number of things related to this so I've been sharing those scriptures and my thoughts.  She tells me she loves them and looks forward to them so I'll keep sending her my messages.  :)  That's all for now.  Feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts.  She loves any and all support (ie emails, letters, etc.).