MTC!

Jordan & her companions pointing to their spots on the map!

Jordan & Sister Wang!

Some "Sisters"


A poster the Congers sent Jordan for Valentines!

Jordan trying to make her bed. She is too short to stand on the ground and do it!

Studying.

Jordan & Sister Woyak

Jordan's companion's, Sister Woyak & Sister Wang!

Wow! How great is life really!

Dearest family!!!

I just sat here with a huge grin on my face reading your e-mails and laughing out loud! (I'm trying to keep my chortles to a minimum though because i don't want everyone else to be jealous that my family is way funnier than theirs.)

I don't even know where to begin telling you about this last week because WOW!!! I just absolutely love, love, love being a missionary. I have never felt more uncomfortable at times or pushed out of my comfort zone so far, but I have also never had such great faith in our Savior. In class time with our teachers we don't really spend a whole lot of time just listening to them, because they say you learn how to teach by teaching. So we study on our own time (which is way too minimal), and then we role-play with each other. (at least our elders are becoming like family, so it's okay to sound like a complete fool sometimes). Can you say AWKWARD MOMENTS!!!?? You just have to laugh at yourself sometimes. They are also all about focusing on the needs of the INVESTIGATOR, so we watch these videos on the internet from the "6 billion people" project and talk about what doctrines would be important and mean something to them, and then how understanding those things would help them progress towards baptism. The videos are really cool--you should check them out.


I've found out that obedience is a blessing and a curse. (mostly kidding.) We really have so much more energy and feel better when we go to sleep at 10:30, but they also say to be fifteen minutes early to sacrament meeting, and I can't quite decide if that is the best option....I got cornered! They called me to be the coordinating sister for our branch. Meaning, I work with the zone leaders to orient all the new people we get every week to the MTC. haha. I laughed my butt off at first cuz HULLO, I am certainly no MTC expert!! But I guess I haven't epically failed...yet....last night I had to introduce them to missionary planning during the meeting with the branch presidency. And I guess after someone overheard President Price say that even if i hadn't said anything, the diagram (a daily planner page all planned out) I drew on the board was the best they had ever seen. Sigh of relief. I thought I was going to be fired for sure!! But, my companions have been great helping out too because right now, I'm the only coordinating sister and next week we have 16 new missionaries!!!! (not gonna lie--I felt pretty sweet walking around wednesday without a dork dot..hehe)

Can I say again how much I love my companions?! I wish I could elaborate but time is so short.

Anyway, I am so lucky and so blessed to have this opportunity. I love hearing from you all and can't adequately express how much I love you. But, I won't really say that I miss you TOO much, because I realize more and more every day what a sacred trust I've been given. We watched a "district" video (real-life missionary stories) and I just sat there sobbing (at least I'm still a bawl baby) watching the person being led into the font. I was thinking how great it would be to see someone you had taught come unto Christ and enter the waters of baptism! Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he gave his son to provide a way for us to return to Him and inherit all that He has! I can't wait to be able to help others understand that the Savior has restored His Church and His Gospel and that we can know how to return to Him!! What a blessing, i mean really. I love you!!!!!

I love you so much and I do miss, but am just trying to push those thoughts away.
Love, Jordo

P.s. I love, love, love my clothes! I sometimes feel a little spoiled, but I will admit that it’s nice to not feel like you have to look totally frumpy.

There are also some things I never knew would have guessed about the mtc. Like there aren’t that many people who play the piano. In my branch there’s me & one sister who can play a few hymns. Oh, and I like relief society so much here, since there’s not very many sister missionaries (one dorm building), we have it all together and show up & there are guest speakers. Like today was… Janice Kapp Perry!!!! FOR REAL!!!! Obviously we sang as part of her talk & she sang for us. Many, many tears & tissues used in that estrogen-filled environment.

Singing “Called to serve” on Sundays @ the firesides is pretty sweet, I’m not gonna lie! It’s fun looking around the huge auditorium & seeing everyone singing proudly while sporting their black nametags.

One thing that warmed my heart yesterday was that I got Elder Garcia to say “he’s great.” Elder Garcia is in my class, (he is serving in montreal & speaks French, english & Spanish fluently already) & kinda one of those sorta not super friendly & a little stubborn, but really sweet elders. Whenever I asked him how he was doing, he said either “fine” or “all right” without fail. So, I told him I was determined that one of these days I was going to get him to say, “great.” And he finally broke yesterday!! We were partners for role-playing, teaching the word of wisdom & after I finished, he told me he felt “GREAT!!” My heart was warmed for sure!

So, I showed my companions the pics of our family in that album today. Sister Wang couldn’t get over how pretty my mom was! I wholeheartedly agreed.

One of our teachers referenced the “Jedi missionary” this week in a large group meeting. And used the appropriate hand gesture & said “you will be baptized.” Great Moment!! It’s those times that I miss you guys the most though cuz I look around to share a secret laugh & inside joke & you’re not there. But it’s ok, in the health clinic there’s a sign that says, “Missionary (misch-un-a-ree): a person who leaves their family for 18 months, so that others can be with theirs for eternity. I know that’s super cheesy, but really that’s what it’s about & I know I couldn’t be doing anything better.

Jordan's first email home!

Bonjour family!!! things are absolutely crazy on the other side. I pretty much have no idea what is going on, but the great thing about that is that I am learning a lot! So there is definitely never a dull moment. I gave mom a lot of details in a written letter since i spent all morning waiting in the health center (my poor companions aren't doing so well. I wanna say suck it up, but that might not be in keeping with the whole "love your neighbor" bit!)

I guess they have restructured the MTC stuff in the last while, and it is awesome. I am coming to better understand my purpose as a missionary and how I can better pick out the needs of the individual investigators that are waiting for us. it's some serious pressure knowing that you are a representative of the Lord and that you are called to be a steward of souls basically! We are learning that we don't teach lessons, we teach PEOPLE. and when i say we....i'm not sure who i am talking about, because i know that's the idea, but i'll be honest that i have no idea where to begin teaching a lesson!

My companions are great! And yes, I did just say companionS. the whole advanced language/international branch is arranged differently because there aren't very many of us. Sister Woyak is going to Paris too and is definitely helping me step up my French. Since we aren't learning French at all in our classes (i think i might try to sit in on some of the normal french classes during MDT "missionary directed time"), we are trying to quiz each other on "church vocab" as we walk places. I'll be honest though---it's mostly her teaching me!! Sister Wang is adorable. she is from Taiwan and learning English to serve in California Santa Rosa. We get along really well, which is good since you can pretty much never leave each other's side! When someone has to go to the bathroom, the rest of us wait outside and read from the handbook or practice vocab, because we really can't waste time! The food is good (except the pastrami sandwich--which i should have surmised from the name), and our beds are actually pretty comfy. I forgot to set my alarm last night, but the great thing about two companions, is that you have two more alarm clocks!

The spirit is incredible! I have a lot to learn, but I feel like the spirit is helping me learn "at an incredible rate." The spirit is a much better teacher than i could ever hope to be, so i'm just praying that i work hard enough to be worthy of its companionship. I'm beginning to realize that missionary work involves an earnestness that i have never imagined before. Sure, in nursing i could "kill people", but like i said before, these are souls we're dealing with! heavenly Father's children. who he loves and wants to bless just as much as he loves us. I still can't believe how lucky and blessed I am to have had a knowledge of the gospel my whole life. But really, it wasn't because i did anything great, but because i have a great family and especially great parents who taught me right. so thank you so so so much.

They don't really give us much time to be homesick. So i miss you, but I haven't cried over it yet, because 1. it probably hasn't really hit me yet and 2. i have many more things to be focused on. I am grateful to be here and am hangin' in the first week! I love you all dearly.
love, jordan
p.s. tell the congers and tara thank you for their letters. i'll try to write them back today, but just in case i can't until next week. oh and tell the conger girls i can't e-mail them personally
p.s.s. halle, joshy, johnny, matthew--love you guys and i'm waiting for those lousy letters you promised!!! hope st. george was great!

Au Revoir et Salut Soeur Pearce!

Jordan went into the MTC, Wednesday, Feb 10th! She had a lot of friends and family come say good bye. Here are a few pictures of her send off!Nelson, Kirstin, Michael, Katie, Caroline & David!

Thomas & Cassidy!

Jordan is 4'11" tall and Michael is 5'11" tall. Here he is saying his good-byes on "her level." Jordan really loves Michael and was pretty sad that he will probably be gone on his mission before she gets home, so she won't see him for 3 1/2 years!

Dave, Ali, Lindsey, Brittney & Matthew!

Leslie, Kaden & Christian!

Nate, Diana, Jackson, Kate & Gwen!

Callie & Lizzie!

Love the awkward boy picture!

Jordan had already been set apart so here she is saying good-bye to Andrew and Stephen. Note: We have a similar awkward picture of Jordan & Andrew from when they ran into each other on the street in Paris, while Andrew was serving a mission in Paris and Jordan was on a study abroad!

Kaitlyn, Kelsie & Callie!

Kib, Lisa, Steph, Jacob & Justin!

The family in front of the MTC sign!

Our family and grandparents went to see Jordan off at the MTC. They won't let you in there anymore so we parked across the street and walked over to take pictures! Then got back in the car and did the drive through drop!

You have to look close but you can see Jordan being escorted inside by 2 Elders! They were really sweet and trying to keep her chit chatting so we didn't all have a total break down on the curb!

Jordan's Farewell!

Jordan's farewell went really well! She gave such a sweet talk and then we had family and some close friends for dinner after church! It was a great day! Here is Jordan with the Abbott cousins!