Hi Mom!
I'm on a little bit later than usual today but I've got about another hour - maybe half hour if I can book it through emails. I've gotten myself into a little bit of a predicament - I like talking to a lot of my friends and the best way to do it is via email because all I have to know is their first and last name, that is more or less their email address. So it's really easy. But I have emailed so many of my friends that now it takes me forever to write replies to all of them, even if they are short replies. Now email time is really long and I am not the fastest typist nor do I really like emailing, so that is no good. But I always try to write to you and President Jeppson before everyone else. I do always like hearing from you and the family.
Yes, I do love missionary work! It is a happy thing to do. It's not easy and I almost never do all that I want to do, but I still enjoy meeting people and going to new areas. Maplewood's ward is AWESOME. There are tons of Africans, especially from Ghana. There are also a lot of Haitians - lots of Haitians everywhere in NJ I guess. Fine with me, I like them. So that is why I thought to try to learn French... maybe I could communicate a little bit with them. I would guess it is either the third or fourth most spoken language in the areas I go to behind Spanish and Portuguese. I am counting Creole as French, I've been told they are similar enough not to worry about it. Thanks for sending the book! I appreciate that. Before you send it, I don't need brown shoe polish that bad. I have some.
Today was the first day I have done my laundry at a laundromat. That was nice cause my clothes got really clean - those industrial machines do work. The mission refunds laundry costs so that's good too. We went to all the same stores that I used to go to back when I was in east orange. The same people work at ALDI. It's weird - I feel like so much should change while I'm away but it usually doesn't. People still live in the same places and their furniture is still oriented the same way. Their homes still smell the same, haha. I imagine that it won't be much different in Provo, and you keep telling me that. While serving a mission, my perception of things change a lot but the world doesn't. I can't quite explain what I'm talking about, and I don't really know why I'm talking about it, so anyway.
It was a good week... we reached most of the goals that the previous elders set for us - apparently they weren't doing so well - and the WML and the other Maplewood elders were excited to have us here. So is the ward. Most of the people we saw during the week were active or less active members. We weren't left with any investigators and the advice from the other missionaries in the ward was to just start from scratch. They said none of the formers were really interested either. The biggest stressor I have found in the area is the lack of updated membership records. We were visiting a member on her porch and she kept pointing to people who walked by or people's homes saying, "that's a member" or, "a member lives there" and so I asked if any of these people were on the ward list and she said probably, but none of their addresses are current. UGH! So next time we visit her, we're going to have to work on that.
Other than that, not much exciting happened this week. I met a million new faces at church and I recognized a few of the people. I've found that I am pretty good with names, so I hope I remember all of the people I met. There are lots of really cool people in this ward so I'm excited to get to know them. I hope I stay for 6 months, or longer haha.
My companion is Elder Nathan Priest, he's from Mapleton so maybe I knew him from elementary school. He knows the Mehl's, Starr's, and lots of people who I was friends with. He's super nice too. I am hoping to help him get comfortable with the people, he can be a little bit awkward at times. But I think he's that way because he is such a nice guy and he wants to help everyone. Plus he's been speaking strictly Portuguese for the last 6 months. I like him.
I will stay in contact with my Trenton friends. It's always hard to leave an area where I not only became familiar with the people, but also the streets and what not. So now again, I have to familiarize myself with a new area. But that usually doesn't take long for me, and I don't think it will take long here because I'm already somewhat familiar with it. I've been through here many a times. I did get your package - thank you! And thanks to Nate and Caitlin.
Keep up the good work! I love each of you. Say hi to my friends for me!
Love you,
Tab
Hi Dad!
Awesome week... sounds like once again you stayed too busy.
So, I have to be quick, but I want to mention a few things. You should attend a Synthesis concert - I went to one in the DeJong concert hall for a writing class assignment and I loved it. I wish I would have gone to more. The environment is energetic, exciting, and sometimes even rowdy. The crowd seemed like they were all regulars, a sign that the concerts are good enough that people keep attending regularly. Anyway, I think you would enjoy it especially if you went with mom and/or Colby. Elder Traasdahl said that Synthesis is one of the best Jazz groups around and that they are world renown.
So the idea to learn French is not President Jeppson's, nor did he assign it. I just decided that if I have an hour to wait for Elder Priest while he does language study, I might as well study a language too. French seemed to be the most useful. I would say Spanish, but I haven't had a need to speak it in the areas I have served, and if I have had an opportunity, I can say what I need to. I've learned enough in HS and out here to get by, and I don't have the desire right now to master it. Mom said she ordered a French for Dummies book for me, and I have a dictionary and a Le Livre de Mormon, so for now I think I am good. The mission office also has language study books from old missionaries that I will ask about.
I hope to hear some awesome thoughts from your reading! Have a great week.
Love you,
Tab
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