Chile Santiago East Mission:An Uninvited Visitor in the Lynch North Chapel

You can see Jordan holding his spider @ this mission blog link:

Blog: Chile Santiago East Mission
Post: An Uninvited Visitor in the Lynch North Chapel
Link: http://santiagomissioneast.blogspot.com/2011/11/uninvited-visitor-in-lynch-north-chapel.html

Over and Over and Over Again

Eden went on her first date Wednesday with her good friend Hunter. I took pictures when he came to get her, hoping it wouldn't make him feel awkward, but he seemed flattered to be that "milestone" =). He seems like a good kid and he made is special for her. They went black-light miniature golfing with 3 other couples, then the girls were all blindfolded and taken to Pizza Hut, where the boys had embellished the atmosphere with tablecloths, candles, goblets and a rose on every girls plate. Afterward, they went back to Hunters to watch a movie and she was home 20 minutes before her 11:00 curfew (which gives Hunter big brownie points in the Mom book.=) She was so excited!

The spirit of the holidays is infusing our home and I am happy. Thanksgiving was relaxing and uniting and joyful. The ranch is such a blessing as a gathering place--no Wifi, no access to television, nowhere else to go--it forces people to interact and spend time together in old fashioned, traditional ways. Lori provided humanitarian projects and Olsen's were so good about instigating group games. The entire week has been packed and I think we were all physically exhausted but emotionally refreshed when we finally pulled in to home on Saturday afternoon. 

The only thing that made the Thanksgiving holiday less than peaceful (other than the noise and dirt and chaos=) was a nagging feeling that started last Sunday and continued to pester me all week. A sister in our ward had asked me right after Relief Society if I would share a personal experience that went along with Elder Alonso's conference talk. I had just re-listened to it while walking Olive and had some good ideas immediately come to my mind so I agreed and went home to re-read the talk, but couldn't make it past the title, which is, "Doing the Right Thing, at the Right Time, Without Delay". The first two phrases pricked my heart and the last one skewered it and suddenly every other idea became clouded in my mind and I could only think of my calling, which has been such a source of guilt and frustration for the past ...has it really been almost a year?! Fred and I have searched and hunted and visited and called and e-mailed and cleaned up records and never seem to be progressing in significant ways and have been in a calling slump the last couple months, but the phrase, "Without Delay" was so forceful that it consumed my thoughts (and here is how "skilled" I am at dodging promptings). The skewering came on Sunday which, of course, was Eden's 16th birthday so I put off "searching" that day because of all of our previous plans. Then came Monday, but Fred and I are supposed to visit as a companionship and by the time he got home from work it was time for FHE so we "couldn't" go Monday. Tuesday I was committed to chauffeuring children to choir from 4:30 to 9:00 and Wednesday I didn't take a break from preparing Thanksgiving food (except once to get dressed) from 6AM-9PM and Thursday we left for Donnelly. By the time we were halfway home from the ranch on Saturday I was feeling spiritually pummeled and I told Fred that we had to go searching for young single adults as soon as we got home. Granted, the timing was odd--only because I had belabored it so long--and so he asked why and without sharing the whole process, I told him I just HAD to. He was kind enough not to ask for more explanation and immediately agreed to go with me, so we unloaded kids and cargo--left Mikayla in charge and went out with list in hand--I, confidant that I was being adamantly prompted for a purpose. And yet, two hours later we had only found the mother of one person who was quite anxious to have us disappear. Knocking doors is terrifying to me and after summing up all my courage and using every resource available to us, I came home more discouraged than ever and not a single passionate thought to share for my Sunday assignment. This morning I woke up and scanned the talk one more time and as I read about Elder Alonso's search for his son in Mexico City, our search for Abe as a little boy on the farm came into my mind and instead of thinking of the police officer who watched us search for Abe as the villain (as I always have) I had this symbolic thought that he was me. A "good" person watching those who are searching and suffering and withholding what is of most value because of preconceived assumptions that the searchers don't care enough, aren't responsible, haven't learned their lesson, aren't deserving and may even loathe the protector. And in that moment it became so clear to me that none of those things matter. Christ wouldn't act like that. If he saw us searching, he wouldn't wait to analyze the searchers, but would come racing across the fields to bring back what was most precious. And he would do it over and over and over again. 

Quote of the week: "The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are." (John Burroughs)

Eden's First Date

THANKSGIVING MOMENTS:

Abe and Seth

Isaac and Mikayla

Braden and Caden

Lily, Sophia and Annalie

Marg, Madison and Dad

Cousins

Rob and Shelby

Boy Cousins

Family Monopoly

Fun Games

From Elder Jordan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elder Jordan
Date: Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 3:43 PM
Subject: Weena


Hello my dear family,
   It sounds like you have had an eventful week,  happy Birthday Eden 16 woot woot, all grow growed up and stuff.  What was the hot air ballon thing is that new tradition, ...do I get to do that??  Your birthday letter should be there soon. Our investigator Fanny loves that we come by and everything she always reads and she is praying and has come with us to church 2 times but simply does not think she can stop smoking, just doesn`t believe in herself.  We are going to pass by this week and teach her more about the Atonement,  hopefully she can feel the spirit and learn of that.  Today we went and hiked up the mountain and it was so beautiful when we got high up to see the big picture of everything and just remember how small we really are.  I did notice a lot of smog hovering over the city which was kind of weird because walking around everyday I don´t notice it at all.  Every day I am breathing it in and I have no idea.  I related it to us in the world and a prophet in our day.
  Everyday we go about our bussiness and we sometimes are un aware of the dangers that lurk about everywhere.  A prophet has been sent to us in our day to warn us from these toxic dangers and to call us to higher ground.  I am truly thankful to be serving here in this time learning about all the miracles that surround us.
As we came back down the mountain, or should I say a mountain from the Andes we found a couple things, I now have some rocks from the Andes for you dad and some wild flowers for you mom.  And we also found this cute lite spider just wandering around. UHHHH it gives me the hibiduba jibbies just thinking about it.  On thursday President Jufra invited us to have thanksgiving at his house, he is our stake president.  I am excited we will be having it with our whole zone, and I will be thinking of you guys. 
Romans 8:35-39, President Jufra shared this in stake conference on sunday.  I know its true.
I love you all so much
Your son and brother
Elder ...

Spiders and Missionaries

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elder Jordan
Date: Mon, Nov 28, 2011 at 2:58 PM



My good dear wonderful family, 
            Well there is definantly no snow here,  I am sweating as we speak sitting in this ciber writing you guys right now.  I loved the pictures of your adventures up at the ranch.  I am hesitant to ask but who is the kid in the red next to my boy Caden,  he looks like he belongs to our family but I´m lost.  So Eden how was your first date everything you hoped it to be,  I hope so, it sounds like fun.  Like I was telling you our Stake President invited us over for Thanksgiving.  He was born and raised in Chile but lived in the states for 10 years. He said that every year someone would invite him to cleabrate with their family when he was so far away from home.  So now he invites those that are far from home to celebrate this time with him and his family.  I forgot my camera but I will send you pictures of it next week. 
   So you know that spider we found last week... well the story just gets better.  Us being boys of inteligence we decided to bring it home, (Side note they are very harmless and calm.) so I could use it in my lesson during zone class.  And surprisingly enough I found a way to use her.  Her name is Shela.  Here is the relation
SPIDERS  Obviously people are scared of them, but why is that because they are wierd, they walk diferently, unpredictable.  MISSIONARIES   We are weird we walk around all day with shirts and ties all day under the hot sun, people are scared of us because we are the unknown.  That is why we must share with everyone what we believe.  SPIDERS at least this kind are compleatly blind, so they have to use there sence of feel  MISSIONARIES  We can not see God so we have to rely on the promptings of the holy ghost to guide us in life to help us know and love our Father in Heaven.  SPIDERS  They are a little bit venomous.  Not anything that could kill a human but enough so to cause a small burning where the bite occurs.  MISSIONARIES we also must be a bit venomous, but in a good way, we need to work with boldness and the spirit so that when we teach our investigators they will feel a burning of truth and happieness. 
I love you soo so so so sooooooooooooooooo much
Con tanto amor
Elder ...

From Elder Jordan

Well howdy there ya loony toons,

              Well today I'm writing in google translator, I can keep thinking in Spanish. I have a goal of not speaking English for a full week. And if I speak a little word of English even I have to start over. So let's see what happens.

   This week as the other is super good, but also with many tests. Me and my partner are trying to find more people to teach. And we are finding many nice people, but that no more. The people who will be interested are the people are who have, many challenges. I think in the end these investiagdores, if we continue to help them feel the spirit, they will be better members and more faithful to the gospel.)

Alright that was taking too long, I will still be speaking in spanish for a whole week but writting is a whole other story.  

President has given me the assignation to be a district leader.  And I feel kind of like Jane on "Tarzan" when Tarzan meets her for the first time and she is like.  Oh dear... oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear.  I am now feeling a little bit old in the mission because almost everyone in my district is younger than me.  WEIRD.  I am loving this ward more than ever and my companion is the best.  He is pretty much as weird and nerdy as me.  So he is pretty much adopted into our family.  I really hope we have a least one more change together so that you can meet him.

  With our investigator Fanny, she continues to come to church with us but does not believe she can quit smoking.  I think she may be testing us to see if we will give up and just leave if she doesn´t conform to invitations.  Oh boy are we going to foil her plans, we will stick it through and I think that is what she needs.

I love you all soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much.

Elder ...

From Elder Jordan

Mi Querida Familia Bloomsqueeks,

                  This week has been one super awesome and special.  We have been finding a lot of people just walking in the street and them comming up to us and contacting us. And also us contacting others, but what I am trying to say is it is amazing the people that have been prepared and want to listen.  I learn more and more about that as I continue on in my mission.  We have contacted super poor people that gather cardboard and sell it for breakfast, and lunch, but are perfectly content because they have a happy family and people to love.  And then there are others with expensive shoes and spikey hair.  That look good but have nothing of real importance.  It really is amazing how God is taking care of all of us at the same time not as a whole but to our individual wants and needs.
  Right now we have an investigator named Fanny, she has come to church 2 times with us and has loved each time.  She always listens intently and clarifies if she does not understand.  She has been reading the Book of Mormon every night, even though it is super difficult for her because her eye sight is bad.  So we bought her a super size one, ( on each page there is only one word that fills the whole page, so to read a paragraph... yeah crazy right.) Ok so its not that big but pretty darn.  She was so happy and continues to read and pray.  We have not confronted her about it yet but I am almost positive that she smokes,  Dad do you know any tricks to help with smoking habits?
  On Saturday we had to wake up at 5:30 to be at the stake center at 7:00 for a special speaker.  We woke up got dressed and left and ended up being the first ones there because our stake center is just like a 10 minute bus ride away.  We got to sit on the second row behind the hermanas.  We were excited to have Elder Corbridge from the 70 walk in.  President Laycock told us he was comming and it is always cool experience to listen to him, but the thing that wasn´t expected was that right behind him Elder Cook walked in, and then my heart started pounding because I was only a few feet away from an apostle.  Before the meeting started he got up and said I would like to meet each one of you and so that is what I will do.  We each got the chance to pass by and shake his hand.  After ward when he spoke he said that he had had a personal interview with each one of us by looking into our eyes and he also said that he was very happy with what he saw.

  When Elder Corbridge spoke he said, today there are more than 8 billion people in the world and today we have the priviledge to be in one the 15 groups in the presence of a prophet.  Through out the whole meeting there was a beautiful and special spirit.  And I can speak for certain that God love each one of us more than we comprehend.

I love you all

Elder ...

Fotos

Our sector

Our district

Piramid district

Minute By Minute Course Corrections

I have had the Atonement at the forefront of my mind this week, partly because my weaknesses have seemed to loom in front of me, partly because I just finished re-listening to conference again, but mostly because I experienced a profound visual and emotional reminder of it's tangible truth last Sunday. Because it was a 5th Sunday, our Bishop had all the ward members, except the Primary, combine for the last hour and invited a missionary couple who are serving locally in the Addiction Recovery program to come speak to us. I admit that I anticipated the lesson with a detached interest, thinking it would be a reference lesson to gain information that didn't pertain personally but would be good to know. (By the way--that is never a good approach to a lesson--no matter what the topic=) What I didn't expect was the young man the couple asked to assist them with the lesson who was probably in his late 20's or early 30's and had gone through the program seeking help for "multiple addictions" some of which had begun in Junior High. He was what they called a "facilitator" for the program here. He had just recently had all of his temple blessing restored and had brought with him a powerful testimony and a visual confirmation, standing in front of us, of a beautifully clean and humble young man. He was very anxious about coming in case someone might know him, but said he had been persuaded by the Spirit. I was so touched by his courage to put his faith before his vulnerability and be willing to stand in front of a crowd and share his experiences (carefully and not in any detail) with the atonement so recently in his life. I think sometimes I forget how pure we can become, RIGHT NOW, through our continual and diligent efforts to accept the atonement in our lives every day, even IN THE MIDST of our mortal weaknesses, but he was a reverberating reminder as he stood there emanating the light of Christ. Because some anonymity is important to keep private things private, he went by his first name only, but I was able to tearfully thank him after class and it was a potent and immersive experience that keeps going through my mind. I haven't had to fight addictions so far in my life, but I often feel like my spiritual growth is so slow and sometimes even stagnant and it can be oppressively discouraging, so I need constant reminders of whose voice I need to be listening to and discouragement is not His.

Another powerful confirmation began yesterday morning as I was reading a magazine which is mailed, complimentary, to our home. It is LDS oriented, but often not doctrinally well-rooted, so I don't know why I ever read anything from it--curiosity I guess. Anyway, I was reading an article about a young LDS man who is becoming quite famous and has chosen to make many good choices about his environment and the way he portrays himself to the media and the lyrics he chooses to sing, but has chosen not to serve a mission because he thinks the righteous impact he can have in the spotlight is the path Heavenly Father wants him to take instead. I don't know much about him and I don't know his circumstances, but I can imagine the incredible impact someone like that could make, especially on his own generation, by momentarily sacrificing that spotlight to serve the Lord full time. The scriptures show us that there are exceptions to many rules, and it's not my place to say where he stands in all of that, but the thought did come to me that I need to be so tediously careful about ever making myself an exception to the "rules", because I will one day have to answer for that to the Maker of the rules. I'm not sure exactly how Abraham  gained his knowledge that he may have had to be an exception, but I can only be convinced that he had a SURE confirmation and not a just a feeling before moving forward and even then didn't want to be the exception. Maybe that is the key. His direction wan't prompted by self justification or desire or personal gain or comfort. We had a lesson in R.S. today on Not Taking Offense/ Forgiveness and a comment was made that sounded like a call for personal justification and pulled the lesson off track. With all of these thoughts in my head, I was reminded of a "Mormon Message" about a man whose entire family minus one son were killed by a drunk driver. You've probably seen it. If any mortal could seemingly justify himself for not forgiving it would be him, but he shared a perfect example of allowing the atonement to lift that burden from his heart. I felt prompted to share that experience in class. I don't know that this particular sisters heart was changed, maybe the pain is too fresh and she still needs time to soften her heart, but the Spirit returned to class and so many other sisters made profound prophetic and scriptural comments about the atonement that other hearts were changed  as was indicated during the brief testimony meeting afterward. And all because the teacher was inspired to teach the particular topic and pressed forward. I am so grateful to have access to truths that make it possible for minute by minute course corrections in my life.

Our FHE Harvest party was fun. I won Jeopordy=) but only because Mikayla was acting more reserved than usual (she didn't try to tackle me once=). 

Fourteen more days until Eden's birthday. Fourteen more days until she realizes that life goes on pretty much like normal=). Of course we'll have a fun party and the weekend will be magical, since it will be spread that far with a Sunday birthday. I'm still working on that aspect of it. She wanted a girl party for awhile but has switched back to co-ed and we have to fit in her date during the same days that Fred is heading out of town so it is going to be tricky and BUSY.

Fred's in Florida on business until Tuesday and has to go back out of town next week for four days which is no fun. I miss him!!! I am so grateful that we are past those years of night shifts and crazy schedules and that these trips are infrequent because I don't enjoy shouldering his presiding roles while he is gone. We lose so much stability in that process--at least I do.

Quote of the week: "I repeat the challenge to strictly abide in the spirit and by the letter of the Lord's commandments--his divinely prescribed code for successful living. Doing so will not only bring us temporal success but also that which is of infinitely greater worth: peace, self-fulfillment, joy, and eternal happiness." (Marion G. Romney)

BLOOMQUIST HARVEST PARTY 2011

Family Jeopardy

The Remains of our Harvest Basket Exploration This Year

Kyle dressed up by Lily and Sophie

From Elder Jordan--Still Trukin'

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elder Jordan
Date: Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 4:37 PM
Subject: 54 days till Christmas


Dear Papá, Mamá, Mikaela, Edén, Abe, Lily, y Sofia

This week, well it started off not the best but finished strong.  On Sunday we finally got an investigator to come to church with us.  She is really interested in learning more.  She said the other day as we were in a lesson that her beliefs are very Catholic, but she wants to do what is right and what God wants.  Every night before going to bed she reads out of the Book of Mormon, before she starts, she prays to ask God to help her understand what she is reading and if it is true.  We also found another person as we were in a sector slam for our stake center.  We each went on divisions with a missionary that was in the MTC here, to find less actives and new people to teach.  The first couple... well lets just say they had their own ideas about the church and how things worked, we tried to help clear up there ideas, but they didn´t like it all that much.  We left them with an invitation a smile and a prayer.  And then got ourselves hence!  As we were looking for the other less active we found a guy named Christian who was washing his car,  he said a long time ago he had spoken with the missionaries and almost got Baptised.  He now participates in the Catholic Choir tuesdays and thursdays, and feels comfortable there.  We talked with him for a while and gave him a book of mormon.  He said he will come to church with us next sunday.  He also invited us to come back next Saturday.  Woot Woot!

Today were changes Elder Weaver and I will still be trukin´ here in El Valle sa-weet.  Elder Erickson, the one from Eagle is moving out of the pention to a different sector though, so that was a little sad.  We heard from President today and he helped us be motivated to return form our missions a different person, to bury all distractions and rededicate.  I love President Laycock, I hope someday you would all have a chance to meet him...

Les amo con todo mi corazon
Elder ...

The picture is me with Elder Weaver my traniee Elder Lyman my Trainer who is leaving tommorow and will be up at BYU Idaho this winter and Elder Cram.

Sudden Changes

It has been such a week! On Monday, Eden came home from school screaming (not that that is unique=) because she was chosen to sing the beginning solo to her high school choir's arrangement of "On My Own" from Les Miserables. Every girl in her choir tried out for the part so she had reason to be excited. She has a choir teacher who rewards desire, not just polished talent, which opens up what can sometimes be a narrow field of opportunity. I forgot my camera (can you believe that), but she performed on Thursday in the new High School Auditorium and did a nice job. It was just a brief opening piece but a fun experience for her. I'll have to see if I can get a photo from someone else who had a camera there that night. She also auditioned for the Treasure Valley Honors Choir and made it. It's just a one month commitment so we're letting her join and that will be fun for her as well. She is getting ready to take the BYU online dating course that we have required our children to complete before dating age, which is less than a month away. Jordan and Mikayla both passed it--I might require Eden to take it twice!=)

Two of Jordan's older friends returned home from their missions this week. One of them reported in Sacrament meeting today. It was so fun to see him. I haven't seen the other Elder yet because he doesn't report for two weeks, but it is a strange feeling to have the wave in the beginning of it's end. Time is now really starting to move.

We're all excited for our Family Harvest Party tomorrow. Fred is getting his annual Jeopardy game ready and Lily wants to deliver tamarind pods for our neighbor gifts. It's an odd gift--I'm used to baking, but I thought it sounded kind of fun to introduce our friends to something we discovered from our traditional Harvest Basket experimenting. I'm excited to go discover some new produce that we haven't yet tried, but the choices become fewer every year as we try more things.

Fred leaves on Friday for a RT convention and will be gone until Tuesday. I'm already sad. He wanted me to go with him but the cost of the flight is so expensive I have a hard time justifying the trip, so he'll be going without me. One of these times, maybe during the summer I'll have to tag along. Last time he was gone I painted our bedroom. I'll have to do something else fun for him this time.

Christmas stuff is already in the stores here. I know it's commercialism, but everything about Christmas just makes me happy--especially when it is taking over the Halloween aisles.

Quote of the week:
"When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer." (Corrie Ten Boom)