Letter from Jordan

What a surprise to find this letter amid the stack of ads and bills in the mail!

Darn!

Gotta wait until December 1st to open it!

Email #4

Today is Zach's 24th birthday.  Jordan sent his brother a letter, wishing him a happy birthday.

Today was a hard day for me as a mom.  Two of my boys, so far away!  I am proud of both of them for what they are doing in their lives.  I just wish I could give them both a hug!

Another great gift in the email box:  A letter from Jordan!

He writes:

 It's another beautiful day here at the MTC. Well, that's what they tell us to say. But it really is. I'm no longer district leader, the companionship that rooms with us became zone leaders, and we are all having a great time.
Thanksgiving was good, the food was nice as usual, and we got to have Elder Holland speak here!! Me and my companion got up at 6 and waited in line to get front row seats (well, third row, the first two rows were reserved for family).

He gave a great talk about gratitude, and even quoted his previous talks about missionary work that he's given here in past years. He's a great speaker. He said: THIS IS NOT A 2 YEAR MISSION THEN YOU RETURN BACK TO REAL LIFE. THIS IS REAL LIFE. THIS IS AS REAL AS IT WILL EVER GET IN THIS LIFE FOR YOU. Great talk, really motivational. I will let you know how my first Thanksgiving in Korea is, but it was great here. I hope we get another good talk from an Apostle on Christmas! Thank you thank you thank you for the rolls, all of the elders loved them (including me)!

He continues.... (He tried Korean food at a couple of places before he left for the MTC.)

Korean food is the most delicious and most healthy food on the planet! It's wonderful. I can't wait to get to Korea. The older district is leaving next week, leaving us alone for a week, then they'll get fresh new Korean missionaries in! We are now done with 4 weeks, starting our 5th week tomorrow, so we aren't quite halfway, but we'll get there. 

   Mom and dad: THIS IS IMPORTANT! Know how much I love you. I just got your package this morning, and it was nice to get coffee cake!

  Wow, it's been almost a month since he's been gone.  So happy to know that he is doing well!

Package #4

It's getting harder and harder to figure out what to send Jordan when he doesn't request anything!

Brad wanted to make him his favorite breakfast food:  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake.

We found a container at the Dollar store and put 2/3 of the cake inside.

I threw in some clean extra dress socks that I found in Jordan's wash, so I hope he can use those!

Jordan mentioned that there is always food to share, so why not make it a party?

Extra plates, napkins, forks and a knife will complete the package.

Dad wrote a letter, which is always nice to have.

Enjoy!

Email #3 & Pictures!!

A wonderful surprise came with this email.

Pictures!!

I love getting pictures, especially if Jordan is in them.  I can actually see for myself that he is doing well, is healthy, happy, and having a great time, just by looking at the pictures.

He writes:

     Thank you for your package! I got it Monday night. The rolls are FANTASTIC! Thanks for the ties, and tell Grandpa F thank you so much for his ties and the scarf. I LOVE that scarf. It's so cool to have that with the story behind it.
Jordan's Grandpa Franchina sent him a scarf that he bought in Russia many years ago.  It still had the tag on it and never got used, so maybe it will be used in Korea!

    I want to see pictures of Oliver SO BAD!!!! I can't think of anything that I need at the moment, I have basically everything I need, thanks to you guys.
 
Okay, Jordan.  Here's a picture of Oliver for you.

Oliver is Jordan's nephew.  Here he is, at 11 months old.  Look at those baby blue eyes!

Here is Jordan's room.  I didn't realize he would be sharing this space with three other people!

Jordan's desk.  Looks like he needs some pictures on his wall....

 This is not everyone in his district, but I am assuming this is during one of his Sunday temple walks.

 

This is a great picture of Jordan with his companion, Elder Smith from Kaysville.

This is an elder from Florida, who had never seen snow before...

 Although this was a brief, wet, snowstorm, Jordan is hoping that it will snow again soon!

Jordan has always loved to do origami, especially with dollar bills.  It took one of the Elders about 45 minutes to fold this dragon.  Impressive, huh?

What a great email.

Package #3

Jordan did not request anything this time, but today, we sent him a package anyway.

Grandpa Franchina wanted to send Jordan a scarf that he had purchased many years ago while visiting Russia.  He wrote a letter to Jordan, describing the events surrounding the story behind the scarf.

I think all three of these ties came from Grandpa Franchina.  A co-worker of his made the camouflage tie. A neighbor of ours told us that her missionary son needed some "ugly ties" to wear on Ugly Tie day at the MTC, so who knows?  Maybe Jordan will find a use for the Army tie.

The conference issue came out last week and I thought it would be a good idea to include it in the package.  I'm not sure if he will have time to read it, but I hope he does ~ there are always inspiring and uplifting talks from our leaders every time we have conference.

Thanksgiving is only a few days away, and you have to have homemade rolls!

I brushed melted butter on the rolls and sent a small bottle of cinnamon honey.

Another package, ready to go!

Email #2

Getting an email from Jordan at 8:35 in the morning just makes our day!  There are still many things we wonder: Did he get the package okay?  Did he like the scarves?  Was there a lot of snow?  How is the language coming?  Who is your companion?

Fortunately, Jordan is able to email us a nice long letter and answer all of our questions!  He is lucky to be able to get letters in the mail or through DearElder.com every day, but emails only come once a week, so they are a treasure to us.

These emails are a source of love and support from our missionary ~ It is nice to know that he is in a great place, surrounded by the Spirit and other Elders who are studying the language and the Gospel.

He writes in part: (I have added my thoughts in italic parenthesis)

--> "Thank you so much! I really appreciate the package. The scarves are great. I will definitely get more when I get to Korea, to match the ties I have. (Jordan is a collector.  Sunglasses, ties, and now it will be scarves)  Scarves and sweaters will save me. I haven't used a sweater yet, but I know they'll be good. The coat I use is great, and I am staying warm, so don't worry.

Also, thank you for for the food, belt, and everything else! I really appreciate it. Food seems to be a curse here. You're never really hungry because they feed you so much during lunch, but everybody gets food in the mail, so people will walk the halls at night offering food to everyone. Usually people turn down the offer, but when they see your food, they quickly change their mind. They LOVE your cooking, and of course I do too. I told them to wait for thanksgiving, your rolls are to die for. (Sweet! It's nice to know my cooking is not only being appreciated by Jordan, but other Elders as well!  Rolls are definitely going into the next package!)

My companion is great, Elder Smith is from Kaysville, and he is great at memorizing vocabulary, so when I fail to remember, he's right there to remind me. (I'm so grateful he has a companion that helps him!)  We get along great, he's really nice. He's a little quiet, but he's opening up. He's sassy, which is hilarious. (Jordan is a social and fun person, so I'm glad he and his companion have hit it off well.) 

This will be a great 12 weeks. My district is great, there's just a few elders that aren't as focused as they could be. But we're only 2 weeks in, they'll find their focus. (He is already showing signs of a good leader; recognizing the potential in everyone.)  I haven't taken many pictures yet, but I'll send them probably next week.  (Please, please, PLEASE send pictures! I am crossing my fingers big time....)

Our whole building is Asian [speaking] (Chinese, Korean, and maybe some Spanish elders, but I don't know why they're in our building.  And we got some good snow too. An Elder in my district hasn't seen snow before, he is from Florida. (It would be fun to see this Elder's reaction to snow!)  We got around 7 inches maybe? It was nice. I hope it snows more down here. "

His schedule?  He writes in part to his Grandpa the following:

--> "My activities are generally the same from day to day: Wake up at 6, shower, study, eat, study, study, lunch, study, study, study, dinner, study, gym, study, bed at 10:30. Those study times are either Gospel study (studying the scriptures), or studying Korean. It's about half and half. They definitely keep you busy here. I can't wait to get to Korea. My Korean is going well, I am able to read at a slow rate, introduce myself, pray fluently, and bear my testimony. I just wanted to let you know how much I love this gospel. I'm so glad to have your support, and I appreciate everything you do."
Love, Elder Jordan Franchina

Items Needed: Package #2

In Jordan's first email, there were several items that he needed.

First, his brown bathrobe.  He rarely wears it and he didn't think he would need it.

Next, he needed a copy of his Missionary Call and his Patriarchal Blessing.  His mission call is signed by the prophet Thomas S. Monson.

A Patriarchal blessing is given to any worthy member of the church who desires one.  It is given to the individual through a priesthood member called to be a Patriarch, through the laying on of hands, the Holy Ghost and the priesthood power.

It is an individualized, direct blessing from our Heavenly Father.  The blessing is audio recorded and transcribed for the individual.  These blessings often contain words of advice, encouragement, sometimes caution, and love from our Heavenly Father, who knew us before we came to earth.

Jordan told us the MTC would be able to shrink down his patriarchal blessing to fit inside his scriptures and laminate it for durability.

Elders in the MTC cannot listen to any music, not even instrumental or Mormon Tabernacle Choir music (what a bummer!).  Jordan requested a pitch pipe, the circular device you see in the red box.  It will help him with a starting pitch to sing hymns and other songs while at the MTC.

He requested a Mission Belt, available at Mr. Mac's.  It has an unique ratchet system that allows him to to use the belt without punching in extra holes.  Hmmmmm .... I'm not sure if he is planning on gaining or losing weight .... he's at the perfect size!

The back side of the "Mission Belt"

He also requested a couple of pictures.  He needs extra passport sized photos to take to the Mission Home (in Korea) and other family photos.

Jordan ordered some ties on EBay and they arrived while he was at the MTC.  They were all around $3 or less and came from China.  He's expecting that he will find more ties in Korea! 

No package is complete unless it has goodies in it.  Dad made some Peanut Butter Cookies and I made Teresa's Brownies in a disposable tin.  I normally don't frost my brownies, but decided to sprinkle some Ande's Mint Bits on top.  Let them sit for a couple of minutes, spread and cool ...

Added some styrofoam peanuts and this package was ready to go.

I am excited for Jordan to receive our weekly packages!  Mailing packages while he is at the MTC is the best thing to do.  Once in Korea, he will have access to almost everything he needs ... except for mom's cooking.  According to my friend whose son served in Korea, mailing FROM Korea is cheap; mailing TO Korea is expensive.

Words of Advice

Uncle Phil ~ Salzburg, Austria Mission

Returned missionaries love to share their stories, experiences and words of advice.  We are lucky to have several returned missionaries in our family.

Aunt Katie ~ Birmingham, England Mission

Eric, a returned missionary from Daejeon, Korea, is the son of a very good friend of mine. When he heard that Jordan was going to Korea, he came over and spent nearly two hours with Jordan, telling him exactly what he needed to bring and more importantly, what he didn't need to bring with him.

Cousin Spencer ~ Latvia Mission

After Eric shared a ton of information, he said, "Most importantly, just go and have fun.  Immerse yourself in the culture, speak their language, and get to know the Korean people.

 

Cousin Tina ~ Juno, Alaska Mission

Spencer's wife, Elisse, has a good friend who served in Korea.  She shared with Jordan her words of advice: "Names are very important. If you learn their name (and title, ie: Doctor, Professor, etc.), that will get you in more doors to teach."

Uncle Lloyd ~ Dallas, Texas

Aunt Lauriann ~ Independence, Missouri

Lauriann told Jordan that every missionary will receive a white handbook while in the MTC: "Its purpose, besides containing your credentials to proselyte and how to perform priesthood ordinances, is to bless you with the Spirit and keep, even the stupid, out of trouble. It was created by Prophets and Apostles. You may find rules that you think, 'I don't need that, I'm an adult and will be fine if I don't follow it exactly'. But if you follow it and serve with your whole heart and soul, you can't possibly have any regrets about your service."

Uncle Gary ~ Quito, Ecuador Mission

Brad and Uncle Gary echoed Eric's advice:  "Go and have fun. It will be the best experience you will ever have in your life." 

We are so grateful to have these examples in Jordan's life! Everyone has been so excited and supportive of his decision to go on a mission.  Thank you!

Cookies and Milk

We found a place in Orem, Post Mart, that will deliver packages to the MTC same day if you bring them to Post Mart by 3 PM, Monday-Friday.  Packages will need to be dropped off by 10 AM on Saturdays. The cost is only $2!

There is same-day MTC delivery available in our area, but we need to get the package ready by 11 AM, they have weight limits and it costs about $9.  So we choose to spend $4 in gas round-trip, + $2 for the package delivery.

Since we did not know what Jordan needed, we decided to mail him some Chocolate Chip cookies, Snickerdoodle cookies and a water bottle.

A hand written letter is always nice, isn't it?

Brad is a cookie/milk/dunker, and wanted Jordan to have some milk, so I packaged some Morning Moo dry milk into a plastic baggie with instructions.

I also put some marshmallows in the cookies to keep them from breaking and extra baggies to he could share cookies with his friends.

Close, tape, and label.  This package is ready to go!

For more information on Post Mart's same day MTC delivery, click HERE.  They also have a FREE reverse delivery service for missionaries at the MTC that need to send items for pick up at their store.

Jordan's 1st Email & DearElder.com

While I was in a Relief Society presidency meeting, I got a text message from Brad, "Did you see Jordan's email?"  I rushed home to get to the computer and there it was ...  the email/letter that I have waited for alllllllll week!

Missionaries only get 30 minutes per week to read and write emails on their P-day (Preparation day, a day set aside to do laundry, planning, letter writing, and personal study).

Jordan writes:

Mom and Dad,

Emails are great, I love to hear from you, but DearElders** are fantastic! Thank you so much for sending them. Please post on my blog, facebook, and other things to encourage people to write me every once in a while. During lunch and dinner times it is my responsibility to check our district's mail, and it just uplifts my spirits to see a DearElder. I don't need one every day, but they are nice to get. 

Oh, my district is awesome. 10 guys, three going to Teijong (still working on the spelling), and the rest are going to Seoul (no sisters in our district). The other new district has two sisters, and total we have 20 missionaries, one going to LA, 6 Puson, 6 Teijong, and 7 Seoul, all Korean speaking, obviously. 

On Thursday we had a meeting to get acquainted with our branch presidency, and they interviewed all of us. I GOT CALLED AS DISTRICT LEADER!! Yay. It's great, not too many extra responsibilities, but sometimes it's hard to set an example. A few elders and I get along really well and sometimes during Korean study time we can get distracted easily, but I'm working on it and doing better. I have to remember that we are representatives of Christ, teaching His gospel with His name on our badges. 

I have come to realize that Korean is truly a Celestial language. If they didn't speak the language that God uses, they would speak Korean. Our branch president calls the Korean branch 'The Celestial Branch'. 

The first day was CRAZY. And so has every day been after that. After we said goodbye, we dropped my luggage off at my residence after picking up my badge, then went straight to Korean class. He only spoke Korean. I suppose complete immersion in the language is the best way to learn, but yesterday he spoke English for the first time because he needs to start explaining grammatical rules and such to us, which would be difficult to understand in Korean. 

Day 1 we learned to read in Korean, day 3 we taught an (mock) investigator who didn't speak any English, and yesterday we taught him a third time, and he already read the Book of Mormon, and he will come to church with us on Sunday (not really, he's a mock investigator, but he's making it as much like real as possible - we knock on his door, he talks to us, invites us in, we teach him, and leave, that sort of stuff). 

The MTC is great, I'm always full, the food is good. I need to make sure I don't eat too much. But it's NOTHING like your cooking Mom. Thank you SO much for the cookies!! They are delicious and my companion and roommates enjoyed them too. Thank you for your DearElders, they are really motivational. I'm highlighting parts to read when discouragement comes, or when I just want to read, 'I love you', and I'm saving them all. Also, thanks Dad for your letter in my luggage. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers. The days feel likes weeks, but I hope the weeks feel like days. That's what they say here, at least.

I am soooooo happy that Jordan is doing well!  I believe he has answered many of my questions!  There was a little more to this letter, which included a list of things he needs sent to him in his next package.

**For those of you who don't know what DearElder is, it is a FREE website that you type your letter on and the site will print a hard copy, put it in an envelope, and stick it in a pouch with other DearElder letters, and take it to the MTC the same day ~ as long as you send your letter by noon, Monday - Friday.  You can send letters to multiple missionaries, read, edit, and print off any letters you send!

It is very simple and easy to do and the Elders at the MTC LOVE getting them!

1) Go to DearElder.com (click on the gray link and it will take you there)
2) Create an account with your name, address and password
3) Make sure you have "Provo MTC-FREE" selected from the drop-down menu.
4) Click on the grey box: "Write a Letter"
5) You will be directed to a window where you will fill in your info and Jordan's info. This only needs to be done once.

 

6) In the blank white box is where you will type your letter.  

7) Once you are finished, all you need to do is click on the gray box, "Send Letter" and you will get a confirmation asking if you are really ready to send.

The date Jordan is expecting to leave the MTC is January 14th, so there is plenty of time to share a thought, message, and your love to Jordan through this fabulous letter writing service!

The Waiting Game....

The waiting game is never fun.

Whether it is waiting for results, surgery, answers, doctors, in the check out line, or for a letter or email from your missionary, it can feel like a loooooooong time.

Jordan packed paper, pens, envelopes and stamps.  What more does he need?

Time.

I am sure he is keeping very busy, learning a new schedule, a new language, and meeting new friends.

Me?

I am trying to keep busy. My new calling in the Relief Society, teaching bread baking classes, and a six month old puppy should be enough to keep me busy, right?

I know Jordan is in a good place, with great people, and doing what he should be doing.  But it doesn't stop the questions that run through my mind all day...

Is he doing okay?

Does he have a nice companion?

Is he sleeping?

How is the food?

Is the language hard?

I don't think Jordan is homesick.  He lived off campus for a semester away at school, yet he came home almost every weekend.  I am sure that he is too busy to even think about home.

Meanwhile, Jordan wanted us to keep track of the days using this Called to Serve Chart, purchased from Deseret Book. It has stickers for MTC day 1, days, 6mo/1yr/18mo marks, Transfers, calls home and Baptisms.

As you can see, it has only been 6 days since Jordan entered the MTC.  I feel like a little kid, putting up the dots and looking forward to the wonderful reward: Jordan coming home!