I'm in a RS meeting right now but I told them I'm gonna email you a bit, but I haven't read your stuff yet, but just send pictures and journal entries!! We love to hear whats going on and all your thoughts and feelings. If you are able to use the alphasmart, that's perfect to just get on it and do a brain dump ramble of all any random thoughts that come into your mind and get it all out!
His reply:
Yeah I'll send them but keep running out of time because I can't really do other stuff while it's uploading
He had already sent the email below, although I hadn't read it yet, so I didn't know how short it was. I'm feeling like I did after our dinner date this past week at the Charleston in Draper, where my "salad" had 8 mint leaves and a sliced up peach. Like I needed a re-do to get what I'm after, this one is lacking. Anyway, sigh, here's his mass email (shorter than last weeks email and no pics this time, boo) Not to complain, but I may need to adjust my expectations going forward...
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Subject: Que Chilero___
So this week was great. First official week in the field whoo!!
I learned what reopening an area means. That you contact A LOT and really have to get to know the members so they can help you know the area and references.
I had a banana thrown at me. It missed haha but got a little banana mush on my shoulder. Some guys who were probably drunk threw it and later threw a rock at Elder Aqino and missed. Because we're missionaries and are protected.
We're finally making some progress with some Investigators and I think Spetember is going to be an even greater month. Lots to do.
Elder Aquino killed a cockroach crawling on him in the middle of the night. So that's great. Ugh haha we're gonna do a deep clean today.
Not much else has been happening but please go read the talk by Laurence E Corbridge about the Fourth Missionary and also find the Boston Massachusetts Mission Case Study Sister Susan Fulcher. They are both very good and very inspiring and help you know what kind of missionary you need to be.
Que Chilero is a phrase that as far as I can tell means sweet. Elder Aquino uses it a lot haha and I'm using it a lot too.
Oh also I would like to announce that I know how to whistle. I learned how to in the CCM and in the CCM I also learned how to do that snapping thing with one hand where you flick your wrist. They do that a lot here too.
We're working with this one family a lot to help the 9 year old girl get baptized. They're kids remind me a lot of my siblings. They have a little boy who's the same age as Daniel and a little girl that looks a lot like Natalie and is 5 years old and just acts a lot like Natalie does. And Megan is the 9 year old and she reminds me of Sophie. They're a really precious family and have some struggles but things are getting better. We're going to try and visit them again tonight.
Oh also I saw a guy wearing a UVU shirt! He didn't know what UVU was though and just somehow ended up with that shirt haha.
Lots to do. Chao
________________________________________________I usually like to include some kind of photo if I can in all my blog posts, so do you want an image of a banana or a UVU logo? I guess we'll go with UVU....
Do you spend most of the online time reading emails? or replying? Or do you need internet time to do other online things for the mission? Are you able to use the Alphasmart on p-day in the morning, before you get online, to write any emails, and then when you get on just upload it? Seems like uploading it would be faster than typing or replying once you are online? Or is your internet connection really slow and that makes it take time? I gotta admit I am feeling not quite like I got my fill from your emails last week or this week, but dad said "I disappointed my mother most weeks" lol. So not to give you another burden, but if you could pretty please make sending a longer email or journal entries or pictures next week a top priority that would be great. Your "small plates of Joseph" won't have much in them with emails this size or without some more large plates stories to take my historical abridgment from for you. Not that recording your mission is your priority right now, but just trying to think of how we can help best record for you, cause so much of what is going on is going to be forgotten if it's not written down - names of people, places, thoughts and experiences, you'll mostly remember your mission from what you are able to capture in pictures you take and words from your journals and letters. Just trying to think ahead for ya. xoxo We love you!
My final email of the day, I just sent this email to the mission! Lol, I guess I'm one of those anxious missionary moms!
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Hi Assistant to President Missionaries or President Shumway or whoever reads this - not sure....
Not to be an over anxious new missionary mom, but I guess I kinda am since Elder Wride is our first missionary and I'm learning how all this works. And I'm just trying to adjust my expectations of what he's able to do on preparation day-
Last week we got a short email, which I understood because he just left the CCM and I was sure he was busy with transfers and getting to his new area and getting stuff to get settled in his new area in the field. I was really excited that we were sent a few pictures since we didn't get any during the MTC, so that was a treat!
But this week we didn't get any pictures and the email was even shorter. He just has an hour to be online, is that right? And maybe he has a bad connection, I'm not sure, but I did sent him an Alphasmart in a package with hopes that that would him, but he says it takes too long to upload so we didn't get anything from that. I'm not sure if he knows how to use it or if it's allowed? (Although since it was recommended by another Guatemala City South mom I assumed it would be okay?) Is he able to get on that and type up an email file on pday morning before he gets online? Or is it allowed for him to use that during the week to type up journal entries and then send us his journals via email?
Anyway, I know he's still getting into the swing on things, but I was really hoping for a longer letter this week, not shorter, so thought I'd reach out and ask so I can adjust my expectations for the next few months if necessary as he figures things out.
I know he's super busy and has "lots to do" as he said this week - I know he loves Elder Aquino and is so excited to be working in the Lord's vineyard, We'd love to hear more about the work he is doing and things he's learning. If snail mail is a better way to do that then we'll send him written letters and get him some stamps in his next package.
Thanks so much for your help and advice, I appreciate it!
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So we'll see if anything comes from that, ha. Sorry, Joseph, if you get a call from your zone leader - "Elder Wride, your mother is already bugging the mission president asking about your letters to her!" It could either make him feel like a slacker or it could make me seem like a crazy mom, I hope more the latter. He's a good kid, so let's get this fixed if there is anything to fix (either him writing more or my expectations being more realistic) before we get months into the mission.
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Aw, look that that! Less than 30 minutes later and they've already replied!
Hello Sister Wride, we are the Executive Secretaries and are happy to help with the any concern. First off regarding his emails, we are allowed one hour every preparation day to write family and friends. Sometimes bad connection does affect writing abilities but not usually. He is definitely allowed to use his Alphasmart to type adequate letters before he writes on Pday. We would recommend continuing with emails and can assure that everything will work out as you and your son are both experiencing the wonderful learning curve of the mission. Elder Wride is a fine missionary and will adjust quickly to the mission schedule. He will be writing more in detail in the future as he becomes accustomed to the mission routine. He and his trainer are happy and having wonderful experiences.
Thank you for concern, and have a wonderful day!
Ok. I'll take a breather now and will try to just lower my expectations for the next few weeks/months as he continues to adjust to mission life. :) Should be easy enough with being busy with the kids starting school. Until next week!
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