Email #6

It has been so nice to receive a weekly letter from Jordan.  It is truly the highlight of our week!

He writes:

Dad, thank you for your letter and insight on that place Ishmael was buried. That's just another testimony builder that it's true. One of the branch presidency members of our Korean branch gave a talk the other week on things such as this. He listed facts like, there are 500 and something mentions of Jesus Christ, written in 80 days without any revision, first copy, by someone with an elementary school education, and adding over 100 pronouns to the english language, and Shakespeare only added 40ish. There are so many facts, and if you can find a list and send it to me, that would be great. I didn't take notes, and he won't give it to us, because he says our testimonies shouldn't just be built on factual evidence. Mine isn't, but the facts just solidify my testimony. We also talked about the 17 points to the true church, where Einstein gave a lecture and admitted that there has to be a supreme being, and 5 students in that lecture studied the bible and came up with 17 criterion that the true church has to have, and after the war, 4 of the five ended up joing the church separately. They didn't know each other joined the church until they met up at a church meeting once. The 5th was dead from the war, but no doubt he accepted the gospel in the next life. I have a little business card size piece of paper with these scriptures and facts printed out and I carry it with me in case someone asks about one of these facts on my mission. If my Korean fails, then my testimony will come through. That's why they first teach you how to pray, then how to bear your testimony. Those are the first two things they teach you here, after how to read. Those are the two most important things you can do on your mission, pray and bear testimony. 

In an previous email, I shared with Jordan my testimony.  I also recalled the day when we had a family home evening lesson and Brad challenged both of our boys to pray about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  The next day, Jordan came into the kitchen, just beaming... a smile from ear to ear, and gave me a big hug.  When I asked him what was going on, he just said that he was happy.  Very happy.  Then I remembered what we did the night before and put two and two together, guessing that Jordan had indeed, received an answer to his prayer. Jordan was probably nine years old at the time.

Mom, I remember that day clearly. Except one part, wasn't it in our old house? I just remember being so happy. It's wonderful how an omnipotent being will answer even a small child's prayer.

Jordan & neighnorhood friend, Taylor Longmore, who is going to the NY mission

Our halfway point was this week. It seems to go by so slow but also so fast. The days seem like weeks but the weeks seem like days. Once we get the new Korean district tomorrow and 5 Korean missionaries next week it'll fly by. Yeah, one missionary in the other district is going to LA. I don't know much about what it's like in Seoul, but I'll tell you in a month!! Thank you for your story about your mission, I really like hearing stories from your mission and your testimony. Yeah, Mosiah 12:1 makes me laugh too, I highlighted that a few weeks ago when I read that. Also, I have come to the conclusion that Harry Potter was inspired. It could also be real. Think of it. The infinite monkey theory: Place a monkey in front of a typewriter for an eternity, eventually he'll type a novel. If God's worlds are infinite, eventually one world has characters such as Harry Potter and his two friends. And after an eternity of worlds, one has to be the perfect storm. In Helaman 10 it says the spirit carried Nephi from place to place - APPARITION. It's real. He apparated, so did Harry Potter. Anywho... Thank you so much for the packages I've received! I love carrying a package through the MTC bragging about how awesome my parents are. I'm excited to start opening the presents starting on the 13th. 

 In part, here is some of what Jordan shared in an email to his Grandpa & Grandma Shell:

Grandma and Grandpa Shell: You're right, I'm so busy I don't even have time to think it's December. We are singing Christmas songs in Korean, and now we are having devotionals with topics about Christ's birth, so Christmas is coming, but it's hard to imagine that Thanksgiving, black friday, and most everyone's birthdays in our family have already passed, and Christmas is almost here. I'm still impressed at how many languages you know, Grandpa. But I'm even more impressed at how much you value the scriptures. I have not truly appreciated them until recently. They are a wonderful blessing in our lives and we can all benefit from them if we utilize them. YES!! I get your dear elders, and I LOVE receiving DearElders from you. It's so nice to hear from you and know how you two are doing. Know you are all in my prayers, and I love you very much.


Love,


Jordan