MTC: Week 5

Dzien Dobry Rodzina!

(Good Morning Family!)

 

It's good to hear from all of you! I'm doing just great! Language is kinda a struggle right now but I'm gonna keep working hard. We are teaching like 3 different fake investigators right now! It's pretty crazy! I'm trying to just focus on bearing my testimony in Polish! So everyone please keep me in your prayers! I need the help! And maybe even your fasts this weekend. While at the MTC you are learning two different languages! Polish, and the language of the spirit! The spirit has been so strong here! I honestly just felt it while saying that. Every time I feel the spirit my testimony just gets bigger and bigger. I love it. But we learn the language of the spirit because that is what you will really be teaching by! If you are teaching by the language with the spirit then people will not feel the spirit so they won't be interested!

My testimony is so strong! But i know i have a lot my building on it to do. I feel like it is complete testimony. But i still need more! If you are not continually getting closer to your Savior Jesus Christ, then you are moving away from him! Everyone must always be getting closer and closer to him! Keep building all of your testimonies!

I sang in the choir on Tuesday devotional! Like a BOSS! hahaha it was actually really cool. And we sang "Lead Kindly Light" which is one of my favorite songs after "Come thou Fount". So im like always singing when i walk around now. I always sing the song from Tarazan too. It goes..... Shaaaabaaadaaaappp Duuubiiiiidooooo Dabbbbbiiiidappp dooobidooobi deee dopppppp!!!!! DEEEEE DOPPPPP DEEEE DOOOOOOOO!!!! hahaha its gonna be stuck in all of your heads now. haha cause its stuck in everyones here. I love it. I sing it in the shower mostly. Thats my favorite time to sing. hahahaha alright..... ANYWAYS....

In like three weeks I found out that our Choir is doubling! haha there is going to be 1100 missionaries in it! Insane huh! And guess what! We are all going to the marriot center on like the 23rd and the Prophet is coming! I found that out from Elder Ringer Mom! you said you like met his grandma or something! yeah he just got in our Zone! But i'm super stoked to sing and LISTEN to the prophet! I just felt the spirit typing this!

So i'm still Zone Leader! I wonder when they'll release me! But more than half our Zone left on Monday! (like 24 missionaries) To The Czech and Croatia and what not! It was super sad cause we were close with them! Elder Fausnaght or how ever you spell it was my favorite, along with Elder Talbot and Elder Gashler, And Elder Foster! They are gonna do great! so They left Monday and we got new missionaries on Wednesday! like 28 of them!

So sweet! We are already good friends! I know two of them! Elder Wright from BYU hawaii. I met like once while there. And Also Elder Earl went there! But We played golf since we were like super young! I'll send pics of them! And of our old zone of missionaries that left!

So Lennon is playing 7 on 7 with varsity? that's sweet. just tell dad to step on his hand and what not and he'll be good! keep working hard and staying close to the savior. Keep going to seminary and building your testimonies! You and Isaac's team is gonna be good but its important you stay humble! I pray for all of you every day! Miss you all!

I'm super excited to get out of here and go to Poland! But I'm still trying to soak up all the teaching me that they're doing! The spirit i'm absolutely going to miss. But the language is hard to soak up. But I'm still workin hard and I know that the Lord has a way for me to learn this crazy language! "Kick when you don't want to kick! and Stroke when you don't want to stroke!"

Let me know how ALL the kids do.

Send me pictures of little Emma. I miss her so much.

I know the Elder Wooden that spoke to you guys! He was in one of my classes sophomore year in Sports Marketing with Rios! That cool. Send me some stuff he talked about!

Yeah i'm getting Garrett's e-mail! Sounds like he is doing amazing! Getting some baptisms in before he comes home. haha he comes home so soon. Crazy.

Hey you guys can get on "Dear Elder" and if you e-mail me there it gets to me the same day. kinda cool. but keep doing this.

I loved the package. The blanket is so much better to sleep with! I'm actually getting a lot of sleep here! More than I ever have! Probably cause I'm completely exhausted by the end of the day with the language!

I pray every meal and day for Energy to get throughout my day and focus. Some Elder's always say" you wont go through the MTC without taking a nap in class or study." That doesn't make sense to me. If you have that mind set then yeah you will. But I'm determined not to. And I WONT!

I love this place so much! I've seen so many familiar faces! Saw Selu's teammate yesterday! I'll send a pic!

Keep working hard in everything! But more importantly stay close to the Lord! Don't become Prideful!

I love you all so much!

Do Widzenia!

 

 

Week 4: MTC

Dzien Dobry!

Crazy week! I've seen so many people coming into the MTC this week. Our cousin Paul (Elder Langi)! haha I saw Auntie Mahe first. And it was like a natural reaction to hug her. So i did and she gave me a kiss on the cheek haha my zone was looking at me like I was crazy. I guess we're not supposed to hug anyone at all. But it's ok. I saw all of Paul's family. It was sick. He's gonne be awesome missionary. I'll get another pic with him soon. Saw Sister Olsen going to same mission as Paul.

So I'm so stoked for all the kids and their sports! I've been praying for all of them! Selu i'm so pumped for you. All the hard work has payed off now! Keep workin it! Then get married! hahahha 

Ummmmm Oh yeah yesterday as a Zone Leader and our Sister training Leaders (Sister Hemming and Sister Petherbridge) we like did a orientation for a full brand new zone. They are all going to Virginia and Indiana! I love seeing so many missionaries here!

Thank you so much for the packages! Everyone that has sent them! It's pretty much christmas every friday. Cause I heard you guys found a place you can send it for free on Fridays. So feel free to send them;) Cause i'm sure I wont be getting much in Poland! But I'm so stoked to get to Poland!

The Language is definitely hard! The more I learn the more I learn how hard it really is! hahahha Everyone gets frustrated. But I've been praying about it and I really have not been stressing about it that much. As long as I'm working my hardest then my Heavenly Father will help me and has a plan for me to learn the language. I love this place so much!

Saw Bro Hunt! He is awesome! Love him so much!

So pumped that Issac won Nationals. Tell that mahana to cut his hair.

Tell the kids to remember that the best person to have on your team when playing a sport is me. But spiritually if you have the Lord on your team then you will prosper! He will bless you like crazy. Thats why we won state! And the Lord will bless you more than you can even handle. You all better have read Fourth missionary. If you guys could send me a copy of "The Fourth Missionary" that would be great. and I love getting pictures!

I was thinking about little baby Emma alot in the temple this morning. I miss her. Love her. Send me pictures of her so i can watch her grow!

For anyone that is about to go into the mission field remember when you get to the MTC to "Set the P.A.C.E!" Positive. Attitude. Changes. Everything.

I promise if you apply that to your mission it will change your life. And Anyone should also apply that to your life.

hahha I did see sister Baxter.  It was funny seeing her. I always called her Mom on the trek that we went on forever ago. I was confused that she was dropping someone off cause i know her brother shawn is already gone and her sister is way younger. But sounds like it was her husbands little sister. Cool stuff. So many missionaries come in every week! Its getting super packed! But its so awesome!

Love this gospel! Love you all! If anyone wants to write me you can! I'll write back!

Love you all!

Ja Kocham byc Misjonarzem Kosciola Jezusa Chrystusa Swientych w Dniach Ostatnich! (missing some symbols)

MTC Week 3: Good Morning!

So much has happened this week. So busy. We pretty much study all day almost. besides like gym lunch and dinner! It's crazy around here. On Tuesday we got to have President Nelson from the Quorum of the Twelve come! It was so awesome to have a PROPHET OF GOD in our devotional. Some times we dont realize how amazing that is. This morning an older man told me and Elder Foster that i was on a split with cause no one wanted to do Endowment Sessions. But the older man told us that President Monson's wife had died this morning. That is very sad, and made us both sad. But she is in a better place for sure. I thought alot about if the 2nd Coming happened like within a year. And if I would be ready for it. Everyone make sure you are always striving to be like Christ. My whole testimony thrives on Christ now. I have the biggest love for him and am striving to be like him! When I get frustrated with people (companions) when they sleep or just waste time during our studying. I think about Christ and the wicked people around him and how he just loved them.

Please pray for my language skills like crazy. It's crazy trying to learn this language. I thought it was hard coming into the MTC and then I actually leaned about the language and why it's hard. But when I start to think about how hard it is I immediatly think about why am here and who is on my side. Which is Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. So I'm not worried. I know the language will come. And I'm working my heart out to get better.

We teach lessons alot in just straight Polski. It's super hard. But really good for us. We teach about 3 times a week.

K so funny story real quick. As you all know I like to pull pranks. And I was in one of my buddies rooms Elder Fausnaught (from alabama) and his room mate Elder Stewart (from Logan). Elder Fausnaught left to the bathroom and I snuck into his empty little closet door. And told his companion (Elder Stewart) to ask him "if those were his shoes in the closet".

Elder Fausnaught came running into the room all excited for some reason. And Elder Stewart asked him about the shoes.

He was like "WHAT! SHOES?!?!" as he opens the closet door I jumped out and yelled at him. And he gave the biggest little girl scream and fell on the ground. Everyone there was on the ground laughing.

Maybe you that didnt sound as funny as it was. But anyways I'm super cool with all the missionaries in the Zone. But they leave in like a week and a half.

I love the mission! I am stoked to get to Poland but I want to leave the MTC knowing that I gave it my all in here to learn as much as possible.

Still striving to be exact obedient! "Obedience brings success, Exact obedience brings miracles!" -President Nelson

It's obviously very important cause like 20 different people have told me that.

Love you all! Keep me updated on the kids!

I love reading about them!

Thanks for the food! I got so much food this last week!

(keep it comin, cause the cafeteria food aint so good.....) (but i'm grateful for it. I pray everytime before i eat for the people that dont have food.)

Isaac, Lennon, Kerstin, (little Selu), Jared, Spencer keep working hard with sports! Tell the little ones that I love them and miss them.  Everyone loves my pics of my family.

Hoorah for Israel!

Do Widezenia!

MTC: Week Two

So i write you guys a huge long letter and i get no response?

Whats going on here?

hahaha just messin! But thank you so much for the package! Feel free to send me lots cause i'm sure im not gonna get many in Poland. And Sara said she found a place on fridays that sends them for free!

But NO GUM! Against the rules. And i'm an exactly obedient missionary!

Wow so much has happened this past week. Not nearly enough time to talk about all of it.

So You know how i was District Leader already. Yeah I got released as District Leader and am Now Zone Leader. So i'm like over all the countries of Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia, and Serbia. wow. So all the hard missions. Which means all the best missionaries. just kidding.

But Yeah pretty crazy. I'll be announced Zone Leader starting sunday. I'm taking Elder Gashler and Elder Talbot's spot as Zone Leaders.

Holy. This is so crazy. So much info in my mind right now that i don't know what to say.

First off. If any of you havent read the talk or article or whatever that is called "The Fourth Missionary". Then you need to read it now. It's the best thing that I have ever read in my life.And I just wanna tell you all i'm working so hard to be like the 4th missionary. First off I have built the biggest testimony of Jesus Christ. And I think that is why I have been the happiest I've ever been in my life. The biggest thing I have been working on is "Loving ALL our brothers and sisters." I want to have a sincere love with absolutely everyone. Just like Christ did. And it's helped my testimony like crazy.

I love being a missionary.

I've got mad polish skilzzzz

Sike!

Pray for me like crazy.

I have learned like crazy. I've never leanred so much in my life and it is because i have the spirit with me at all times.

The hardest part of my mission has definitely my companionS! hahah it's so rough.

I'm not exaggerating at all. One of my companions is 5"8, weighs bout 140. And thinks he can beat up anyone in this MTC. (Even the huge Poly's)

And he legitally intentionally likes to be the oppposite of me. and always wants to do everything his way. and it has to be his way even if he knows that my or my other companions ideas are better. It's so frustrating but so humbling.

And he loves rebeling against the rules. and being sarcastic with everyone.

But all I think about is "Loving One Another", and i just love him. It's frustrating at times but it's a good experience for me. I've been praying for him to just be a little humbled. And i can see it working little at a time over the past few days.

He's a good missionary. I pray in every prayer that I will be humbled everyday.

I see at least 15 people a day that i know or went to Lone Peak. My companions get frustrated because of how many people i know and they dont know anyone.

Everyone needs to build their testimony of Christ. or of anything. We always need to be moving forward in life or else we will be moving backwards. Please look up the fourth missionary and read it. It changed my life.

It reminded me of Dad when i read it. So Dad you better read it if you havent already. I wrote down a part in it and I read it every morning now.

Last thing. Yesterday my companion (the one that i get along with decently) Told me that he didnt know what it was about me but when i share my testimony he is over whelmed with a feeling that it so inspring to him. And asked how I am so good at it.

I told him, "All the credit goes to my parents for raising me. you realize when you are in here that your parents have built you up to the person you are now! And that has hit me so hard being on my mission now! I love sharing my testimony!"

So thank you mom and dad. I love you both very much.

Oh yeah I play like kick-ball, and basketball, and 4-square. I love it. I ball so hard.

get on my facebook and tell people to write me. Cause i like sharing things with everyone. I dont care who it is but i want to share the gospel with them (members or not)

Send me food if you want. (choco cookies or anything) Love you guys. I might be on later today too cause I have to come back in with some Elders.

I want you guys to know that I am the happiest missionary in here! Love Everyone! I'm staying EXACTLY obedient.

Love you guys. Ofa Atu!

Laterzz.

-Starszy Fotu

Day 1 of MTC: Wasssssgooooood!

Dzien Dobry Rodnica!

So my P-Day this week is on Friday for some reason! It might change so just be ready for some e-mails! I just sent you guys a letter today that I wrote my first night in the MTC. It's the best experience i've ever had! So different than everything else! Something so amazing to me is I see so many different kind of people here (some weirder than others) but everyone his here for the same reason! And all have the same spirit! This legitamitally has to be the happiest place on earth. It's so amazing to be here.

First off we got here and we checked into our rooms and what not. And then we had a Devotional thingy with President Nally! he's so awesome! He's in our home stake, I love him already! But when we walked into the devotional we sat down and one of my two companions had to go to the restroom, (yeah sweet huh i have two companions). But anyways, we left our backpacks on our chairs, after going to the bathroom we returned to our quickly to find that our seats were taken and our backpacks were no where to be found. We listened to the devotional, then after we looked for our bags another hour. Finally we found them in a random room in a pile. So a rough start in the MTC. But i was just laughing the whole time.

Se we went back to our rooms. My companions are Elder Anderson from Hawaii! He lives in Hau'ula but he is a howlie. His dad is in the Military so he moves like crazy. He is awesome though! I love my companions. My other companion is Elder Swicegood (not polish) but he is pretty cool. He's from Colorado! They are both exercise freaks. Which is good. I won't be Garrett status on my mission;) But I love them so much! we are already good friends! I love how they have such desires to serve! We reported to our classrooms the first day and this young Sister McAdams is our teacher. She just got home from Poland. And She just starts going off in Polish. Absolutely no English. Pretty crazy but i can tell we are going to learn fast! The language is absolutely insane! It's so crazy! But i'm so excited to learn it, I know It is going to take a while to learn though. But i guess we're on a different language track that will help us learn quicker! I'm stoked for it! Today we have our first lesson with a fake investigator but he absolutely wont respond to us in English and acts like he only understands polish. So it's all in Polish. So we're kinda done for. But we are learning!

I've learned so much being here at the MTC! And my testimony is so much stronger! The spirit is sooooo strong here! My favorite moment here was singing "Called to Serve" with everyone in the first devotional. I hear there is a rumor that President Eyring is coming tonight! Pretty stoked if that happens! We got to go to the temple this morning! Super awesome, I love the temple so much! I am going to try to send pictures later today! Cause i can't that im on this computer. But let me know how everyone is doing! I know i havent been gone for long but it feels like i've been in here for like 2 weeks already because i have learned so much!

If you guys (selu) wanna get on my facebook to put my e-mail on so people can e-mail that'd be great!jacob.fotu@myldsmail.net

And then ask them if they want my e-mails!

But I gotta go soon! I sent you guys my letter! Dont forget the things that i need in the letter! Thanks family! I love you all so much!

Oh and Elder Morgan Talbot is my Zone Leader

hahahahah oh and i forgot to mention this. I was called District Leader last night! Yeah pretty stoked. Hopefully that means i'm doing good.

But one thing I wanna promise you guys is.... I'm trying my best to be "Exactly obedient"! I'm waking up before 6:30 (@6:10) and if one minute later, that means i have not be "exactly obedient"! I've been good so far but schedule is getting pretty crazy!

Love you all! Write me letters! Send me food! Except no gum! Not allowed! LoveZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz you ALLzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Laterzzzzz.