Week 8- Corsages for Mormon Prom and Blue Doors

Hey I love to hear from you. I love you guys so much. I am excited to get packages.

So this week I was reminded that we really do have nothing going right now. No lessons or investigators. It has been interesting. We do so much service it kills me and sometimes I get to a point where I feel like we are used. I don't really know why we do so much service. It sucks because our teaching pool is so close to zero and we are already 2 weeks into a transfer.

It is so gross that we do the project rats and snakes every Friday so that will be fun. I want to hold one of the bigger snakes so I can get a picture but I never want to touch any of the Rats or mice.

We chased a dog the other day that was kinda fun. We were driving down the road looking for a Less Actives house and there was a white fluffy dog running around so we helped this older couple catch their dog who didn't want to be caught by all means. so that was funny.

We did have a miracle though. I told my companion that we need to follow the spirit and do everything that we think is a prompting. so at first we had no idea what to do and I thought that we need to do something specific. so I thought to knock on a blue door and we went looking for one and there aren't a lot of blue doors around. We knocked on the first one and ... no answer so we walked up and down the street and talked to anyone there and we talked to a girl and we asked if she would like us to come over sometime.  She said yes but we haven't got anything back from her. The second blue door a lady answered and said that she was currently busy but that we should go back on a Monday or wed or fri when her husband is home so I think we might go back tonight. I am so excited.

I can’t wait to have more investigators that I know what to do with because right now it has been really slow. I hope that me and Elder McGary will get something soon.

We are getting are carpets cleaned because the apartment is nasty so I can’t wait to see what it looks like tonight when it is all clean.

I love you guys so much and it means so much to me to read the emails about home every week I love it. I can’t wait to get those packages they are the best. 

Look what I did this week for a service project. Haha we helped out the sisters and ended up doing this so that was fun. BTW thanks mom for the arts and crafts lesson ;)

Elder McGary, the sisters, and me

The sisters, Elder McGary, and me

Week 7 - First Week in the Field Snakes and Rats

Family

it has been so great in cali. I am glad that I be here. my companion is great his name is Elder McGary. He is great too. I am glad that he Is my companion.

first my mission address is:

23 lake road, Irvine, California , 92604

So yeah send me treats the apartment had nothing in it and we haven't really shopped for anything.

so when we got to the apartment it was filthy I cant believe that elders lived there It was so terrible the first night we had to clean our bed room and use a lot of frebreeze to get it to smell decent at all and we sleep with the window open which is actually pretty nice to have cuz the wind blow in and it doesn't get hot at night. Thank you so much for my blanket I love it.

I love it here and am not really bummed that I am here instead. I have already felt my language suffer in Dutch so that is rough. but it will be ok. I will figure it out everyone thinks that I speak really well in my prayers and when me and my companion pray I always pray in Dutch. Its awesome.

The last missionaries both went home and were pretty much just done working so the Area book sucks and they have 0 investigators and 0 of anything really. We both are brand new and you could say that we are white washed but I got told that isn't a term used because it can be negative. so We are doubled-in which is great because we are literally starting from ground 0 nothing nada, nix. so that sucks... We still work hard every day and its great I am learning how to not be quite and my companion is great to me.

So quick miracle. My mission president basically the first thing he said to me in his office was that my companion is inspired because he had everything already picked out and then he had the impression to put me with my companion who ha previously been a zone leader. and was going to be an AP this kid is probably the best missionary out here. He told me that the Lord knew me and that I needed to be in a companionship with Elder McGary I am super excited and I cant wait to see all these miracles.

This week on Thursday you could never guess what service project that we do for a non member named Scott.

Its really nasty and we get to do it every Friday. They call it rats and snakes. .........

So basically this guy has his garage filled with mice and rats on selves on racks so there is probably about 1000-3000 mice/rats in his garage that we move into another bin clean the rack and then wash the bin  after we transfer them all. so yeah that is really nasty.. really really gross. heel veel vrees

Then snakes is pretty cool he has a room in his house that he probably has cages for 100-300 snakes that he breeds and raises and sells these snakes. Its kinda cool all the stuff he talked about he breeds so many different kinds and loves to tell us all about it but I think that the snakes were pretty cool He doesn't have anything really big of thick. some of the snakes are long and slender though probably as long as 5-6 feet. so we move the snakes into different bins and clean the used ones and that is pretty fun. He does love to feed the snakes when we are there and they eat the mice that he has in the garage. which is so crazy and a little weird.

It was actually his birthday Friday night so we went and ate at his party which was funny because him being a non member had all non member friends so there were 6 missionaries alone in the outside part away from the music and just eating food and they were respectful but they would come out and ask all sorts of stuff like why don't you come it or something. oh and almost everyone was drunk so that was interesting. hahaha it was some great food though at this restaurant place. It should be great.

So We have started from the bottom and we plan to work hard and to never give up and keep going strong. I think that we will start having some lessons soon. and I cant wait to see how it all goes. I am glad that the mission president knows about my situation and that it will all work out. thanks for being honest with me and I am glad that Dad came home. Tell him that I love him and want to here from him soon. I think post takes 3 days so I should be able to get stuff before next Monday haha so send it soon. I love you all so much and I love to hear from all of you so often.

tout zines

Love you mom

to the moon and back :)

Elder Dulig

Cleaning the rat bins

Elder McGary

Checking on the rats. Eww

Elder McGary

Rats and Rats and more Rats

Spray paint temple

Week 6 - Into the Mission Field - California Irvine Mission

Family 

I am safe in here in California. My mission president is great and 
I have a good feeling being here. Long day so I am going to take a nap and I will let you all know how it goes on Monday. 

Let me know how it goes at home. 

Here Is a pic with all the new missionaries and the Mission President.

Its definitely weird being all sunny when I was prepared for biking in the rain. 

Tout zines

Elder Jardine with the new missionaries assigned to the Irvine California Mission (Hoping for his VISA Soon)

Ugh VISA - Wish me luck

So I just got a notice in the mail and It told me to email family immediately... So I have to wait on my VISA so they are going to send me to California, Irvine until I get my VISA so pray really hard for me I want to go to the Netherlands so bad. The last Norwegians had issues but they had it changed the next couple of days so they all went to Norway I hope that is what happens to me. So yeah kinda bummed......  Wish me luck. 

Week 5 - Ready to leave the MTC!!! Yeah

Family,

I feel ready and I just need to start speaking with the Natives. I know that is the only real way to improve my language. I want to get out and do the work that I have been called to do. I am super excited I think that I will learn language well and that I will become an elder that can talk to anyone. I truly feel that the mission is going to allow me to get outside myself and talk to people. I truly think that I will be able to not be that shy kid in the back of the room any more. I hope to aspire to be as brave as a Lion and that I can be BOLD. I know that the Lord wants that for me. I am so exited. I dont feel fear at all except for one thing. that is just street contacting. I think that will be a skill that I will definitely have to learn while I am there.

Those cookies you sent mom were absolutely the best. We ate them all in 2 days and I think they were the best cookies that you have ever made. So awesome job! Tell Emily that I am writing in my journal and that I have only missed a few nights.

I love all of you at home and know that I think about all of you daily. I think that it is so cool to hear everything from home. I am so glad to hear all the little things too. they make my life here a little more exciting. I think that It will be so much better to tell stories from this end once I get into the field and start serving. I can’t wait. Thank you so much for the effort getting my patriarchal blessing. It means so much to me. Mom and Dad and Emily you should pick up yours and read it. I know that it brings personal revelation to us and that I miss mine so much being here in the MTC when we talk about all the spiritual gifts that we have been promised. I am so excited to read it.

Last night in the Devotional We had the first counselor in the presiding bishopric (which BTW I don’t know what that means.) Anyways he told us that Pres. Monson always tells the Brethren in the temple meeting because he always speaks last. He always says that "When you are on the Lords errand, You are entitled to the Lords Help" I think that this is so true because I literally am giving a tenth of my life currently to the Lord and He answers all of my prayers. Enough that I know that I can ask for a lot. But however like the one of our hymns "wherefore I have been given much, I too must give." I think that as the Lord gives me the blessings I ask for I MUST give of all my time and efforts in building the Kingdom of God. I love you all

Tout Zines!
Elder Jardine

luv ya more mostest mom :)

Elder Smith, Elder Jardine, Elder Solomon, Sister

Elder Jardine and Elder Smith
Go Dutch

Armor of God, Dutch Style

Armor of God, Dutch Style

Armor of God, Dutch Style

Elder Smith, Elder Jardine, Elder ?. Elder Solomon