Last email of 2011!

Not a terribly exciting week at the MTC, but it's nice to hear from him anyway.  8)
Here's what he had to say today:
"Not much has happened this week, we've just been cleaning from Christmas, and trying to organize. Our Kohai (younger group) just got here on Wednesday and they're pretty cool. It's nice to have a full Japanese branch again instead of just 1/2, we'll finally have a full team for Volleyball for the first time in 2 weeks. "

In the small package I sent this week was a bottle of the wassail we make every Thanksgiving/Christmas/New years.  Jeff was very glad that someone helped me ship his package this week seeing how someone else took all the keys on a trip to the other end of the state leaving me with a vehicle but no way to start it.   Yes, I am laughing about it.  Anyway, here is what he said about the package:
"The wassail was SO good! I passed it around for the district to try some, and in Elder Baker's words "It's like I'm drinking apple pie!" Everyone that tried it thought it was way good, and after I nuked it everyone was surprised at how good it was. Is there anyway you can send more? ;)"
I think next week's package may consist of a large bottle of wassail and paper cups to make it easier for them to share. 
Have a happy weekend and I hope your New Year will be as awesome as all of you are, I expect a letter at the beginning of next week, so until then...

Suprise Christmas email!

I was bummed all day thinking that I wouldn't even get to hear from Jeff because he's still in the MTC, then I checked my email at 10:00 tonight and realized that I should have checked it at 2:00 this afternoon!  I wish I had known that he was going to be able to email , I'd have sent him a message this morning and shared Jeff's email with my dad before he went home.  DANG!


So here is what Jeff had to say (or at least the portion of the email that will make sense anyway):

"MERRY CHRISTMAS! I guess this is my gift to you, I get to email home on Christmas this year!!

I love the photos that you sent me in the photo book, it was super nice to see everyone and to be able to show off my car to people... The package was great!

The sacrament went well, Elder Bednar came, but I'll have to give a run down of his talk later in a letter. Elder H and I broke bread and handed out trays at one of the 5 tables. The numbers were crazy!!! total there were over 2000 people there."

I must say that the email was the absolute best gift of the day. ♥

Christmas email

Yesterday I received an unexpected letter from the boy.  Apparently he had some extra time at lunch and so he decided to quickly write home.  I guess I'll have to be more diligent about picking up the mail on days that I'm not expecting a letter from him. 

I just got my pre Christmas email from Elder Mosdell who was thrilled to get his big Christmas package from us as well as a couple of other packages yesterday, right up until he had to haul them up the stairs.  Apparently the mail room is 5 floors below the classrooms so there was plenty of time for other missionaries to stare at the brightly wrapped large and somewhat heavy packages that Elder Mosdell was hauling all over the building.  Elder H apparently had some packages of his own to carry around the building so together they must have looked like their friends and families love them or something. :)

Mostly Elder Mosdell wrote about some things he is excited about, he said:
 "I have a crazy cool story for you... or maybe two. Firstly, I found out last Sunday that I'll be passing the sacrament to the entire MTC on Christmas day, and that a member of the 1st Presidency (not Pres. Monson) will be there, crazy cool eh? I'm SUPER excited to do it, I've got everything ready except for a white shirt (in the laundry now) and a hair cut which I'm getting at 9:15 today. I can't wait to write everyone and tell them how it went!"

I know that  a group of missionaries left for Japan on Monday December 19th so their district will be very small until next Wednesday when the new group arrives. Jeff also said "Things are going great here, I'm still plugging away at the language and I'm excited to get our kohai (new guys) in. They come the week after Christmas, the lucky punks, and I'm really excited for the Japanese branch to grow again. I think we're getting something like 30ish new missionaries, cool eh?!  I hope everyone's Christmas is wonderful! I miss you all, and I love you all SO much. Everyone be good!" 

Friday is my favorite day!

Jeff's email today talked mainly about the photos that he sent earlier this week and about his friend Justin who just entered the MTC on Wednesday.  So nice to hear that  Justin has a great companion and that he is doing well there.  I'm so glad that Jeff has been able to see him and talk with him some.

As for the photos, the large group is their zone minus "a few Elders and a Sister who were in a meeting" and the shots with the 6 Elders and 3 sisters are their district. Jeff is in zone 27 district C.  I was able to share a few of the photos with some moms who I met through the email group, they were excited to see their boys in the photos.  That really made me happy.  I'm so glad that they are all doing well, and that I could help bring their families a smile or two.

I've found out some additional information about phone calls home.  Obviously there will be no Christmas call this year, there is just no way to work out having over 3,000 missionaries call home from the MTC.  It makes sense, but I don't have to like it.  On the bright side I will apparently be getting a phone call while Jeff is in the airport on a layover somewhere between here and Tokyo.  His departure date is currently January 31st, we'll see if that's accurate or if it changes for some reason when it gets closer.  Jeff's 1/2 way point in the MTC is coming up, it's on Christmas Eve, I think that is a rather fun coincidence. Don't you?

It is sounding like we've settled into a pattern where we get an email on Friday and a letter in the first part of the week, so we may make a habit of updating twice a week through January.  I've also been told that there will be another memory card with photos coming home in "a couple of weeks".  I'm looking forward to getting that and sharing some more pictures with all of you and some other missionary moms.

A little paper and a lot of folding

Our Primary sent the missionaries in our ward a care package for Christmas. There was a small tree, decorated I'm guessing, and a few goodies. Jeff wants a few more decorations so we're sending him an origami nativity - we thought that would be fitting for missionaries going to Japan! The pattern was shared with us on the email group Jody is part of for missionary moms. Here's a picture of the nativity and a description (from left to right). Three wise men bearing gifts (green), Mary kneeling down (maroon), an angel (blue), baby Jesus in a manger, Joseph (light blue), three shepherds (brown/tan).

Photos and things :)

A letter with a photo card came today.  *Happy Dance*
So lets just dispense with the chatter and get right to looking at the photos!

The boys from zone 27 district C

Zone 27 district C



 

Lots of Elders and Sisters, Elder Mosdell is in the lower right corner
Zone 27




Zone 27, Elder Mosdell is in the middle(ish) of this one,
 



A lovely panoramic sunset  that just needed to be shared :)

He says he is doing all right and really enjoys the walks that they take and the visits to the temple.  They spend most of their days studying in the classroom, but on Saturdays they practice teach members who volunteer their time. 

In addition to the photos that we got on the card today I thought I'd post this awesome caricature of Elder Ninja as a little bit of bonus material.  I totally love it, the white shirt and tie over ninja clothing with the name tag and scripture chucks.  So wonderfully funny, thanks Brimley!


Dec 10, 2011 Jeff Brimley

Yay for pday, email, and good young men!

Jeff says that he is doing good, that his teacher says he is doing above average for missionaries at this point so she isn't worried about his Japanese, and that he has enjoyed the time he has had in the temple.  He has seen his friend Scott a few times but hasn't had the chance for more than a hurried exchange of words, and he's looking forward to seeing Justin who will be entering the MTC on the 14th, just 5 days from now.  For those of you who know Scott, he is doing well.

Jeff also wrote that he will be sending a letter today containing a memory card with the photos he has taken so far.  That means we will have photos for you all to view as soon as our postal carrier delivers that letter, and as soon as we have a chance to go through them to edit or censor as needed and post them here. :)

New letter!

I just got a short letter from Elder Mosdell! 

Finally a response to the request for a scripture to put on his plaque that will hang in the hall by the bishops office.  His choice? 

Esther 4:14 "... Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

He says that he has gained a few pounds so he will be watching more closely how much he eats and will be increasing his workouts.  Apparently the food is served buffet style so he must watch himself closely.  There was also some talk of what he would like me to send him for Christmas.  Not much really, a shoe tree and  more crackers.  Good thing I have a few ideas of my own.

Another missionary mother sent me a pattern for a simple origami nativity.  I'll have Laura make that and then we'll post pictures.  We'll probably send one to the boy just for a little personal Christmas decor.

Over all we know that Elder Mosdell is keeping very busy and has precious little time to write.  He appreciates the letters,  packages, and love that have been sent.

2 1/2 weeks out

The boy has been in the MTC for 2 1/2 weeks now and so far I've gotten 2 letters and 3emails.  Not bad if you think about it.  Unfortunately I've gotten almost no answers, and even less requested information from the kid.  Yesterday's letter was a full page mostly containing a request to group the letters and emails that we send from home so that they are easier for him to respond to.  OK, no problem. 

The first two emails that I received were amazingly short and lacking in information.  Today's email to me was a one paragraph reprimand for writing too often and getting on his case for not answering the important questions I have asked him. Call me crazy, but I think a better solution to that problem might have been for him to respond appropriately to the requests for information.

Well, there you go.  I hope someone else has better information for you  because I've got nothing this week.