P-Day 8

*I finally broke the news to Hayden that his truck had died about 2 weeks after he left.  (I am supposed to go out and start it every week while he is gone and although I did that, on week three it wouldn't start.)  I only told him now because I think I've figured out the problem.  You'll see the recurring theme throughout his letter though.
*I also asked him to share something with me that I can share at a Relief Society Meeting we are having this month honoring the missionaries.  All the mothers have been asked to read an excerpt from a letter and I wanted to know if there was anything in particular he wanted me to read.

Hi!

I got all the packages and they keep me nice and warm. It is official... It snowed! The snow didn't stick down here but it did on the mountains. Lows are in the 30s now when we get up to go to morning sports. Time to go hiking and see the snow! I finally got sweatpants and a sweatshirt shipped up here so I'll have something. Not even September and it snowed. Temps are in the 50s for a high. By the time we get into the apartment it is high 30s low 40s.... Almost as cold as killing someone else's truck.

 

So we have taught like every lesson for the last couple of weeks. We taught Sunday School and Relief Society and the 5th Sunday. That's what happens when you are missionaries you get called to teach on the spot! and your truck gets killed! Everything just got reorganized so there was some confusion. 

YOU KILLED MY TRUCK!

 

Funny story of the week. We were over teaching Jaynee and as we got in and started talking to her, she said sister missionaries were coming over to teach her. We asked her which ones and she said from this church but she didn't know their names. So we asked her for the number and it was the STLs (Sister Training Leaders). They called in the middle of our lesson and told Jaynee they couldn't come until next week because they couldn't find her house. So we saw the STLs at Trainer Trainee meeting and asked them about Jaynee. They had no clue who Jaynee was. They have a Jenny but not a Jaynee. We were all so confused and it was super awkward... Then we asked what number they called and sure enough it was Jaynee. They have a less active in their Ward named Jenny Sweet. Jaynee just got a new phone and the number happened to be Jenny's old one.  They also happened to have very similar names, and it happened to be one of our "investigators." We all died when we found out the story, like my truck.  We tried to get them to teach the last lesson to her: The Law of Chastity... They said no so we will have the young woman leaders do it then as a member present. 

Then I chastised the STLs because they are stealing an investigator of ours. They are teaching a Thai person and our branch covers Hmong, Thai, Laotians, Cambodian, Mien, and Vietnamese (but we are mostly Hmong) so we technically have stewardship priority over them.... And they are asking for us translators... Almost as bad as killing someone's else's truck! Me and Elder Vang do know a few Thai phrases and we also know the translators as well as have stewardship over him. I don't think they got the hint to hand him over.

 

Just read this: 

We finally got back in with Sheng and Cheng, they were the referral from my first week here. They are GOLDEN. They keep every commitment even if it's hard, especially reading the Book of Mormon. They read even though they have a hard time understanding. So next time we are reading with them and helping explain everything. We taught the restoration a way back but they went in and out of town for a while and we finally got back with them. We were teaching the Plan of Salvation. I don't know how to teach that in Hmong yet. So Elder Vang taught in Hmong while I taught in English and a little Hmong. I have the biggest testimony in opening my mouth and having it be filled. This lesson and another lesson are great examples of how it is done:

1. This was in my second week in Alaska. We were teaching a lesson through translation. We were teaching and it was my turn to talk. When we teach through translation I have to put ultimate trust in the Lord. I started to speak and what came out of my mouth seemed a little confusing. I used an analogy with a path but it was halfway through the analogy. I thought to myself that it won't make sense. I left the lesson kinda disappointed. Elder Vang, in the car, turned to me and said how did you know where to pick up right where I left off on an analogy. I was astonished. I literally continued on after him with no idea he was using an analogy. 

2. We were teaching Sheng and Cheng the Plan of Salvation this week. When we were teaching we basically went point by point. I talked about Pre Earth life and Elder Vang talked about Earth life. I shared a little bit about it then Elder Vang talked for a bit and for some reason I stayed on Earth life then Elder Vang talked and again I stayed on Earth life. I thought Elder Vang moved on and I was being Crazy. Turns out I answered everyone one of their questions without me knowing the question and I stayed right on topic. Then they asked us a question in Hmong. I had no clue what question but I read something from the Plan of Salvation pamphlet in Hmong. I had no clue what it was until after when I looked at the English one and it answered their question.

Don't kill my truck! Love you!

Elder Frey!

 

Ps I hope you loved all the little truck thingys

Pss thank you for the clothes and taking care of my truck

Psss Send me lucky 

Pssss don't kill my truck

Psssss I almost took a cat home. It was following us and rubbing against me while we were tracting and it had no collar. I carried him with us for a while. 

Pssssss I named him lucky

Psssssss He was cute

 

P-Day 7

Hi!

I promised Kua, a dude that didn't know he was baptized, that if he read the Book of Mormon everyday then he would get a job. Because we are instruments of the Lord, if prompted we can actually make promises like this. I was talking to one returned missionary, in the MTC, he said he promised a family if they went to church they would get a house. Well they went to church and the next week the missionary couldn't find them. He couldn't find them because they found a new house and moved. This story came to my mind and then I felt like I should make a promise to Kua, so the Lord will do his part if Kua does his. We'll see if he does his part.

I went back to Paj Kub's Saturday, I hadn't really seen her in a few weeks. She hasn't been to church because of work and we hadn't eaten over there. We were there for a party (We get invited to every party its AWESOME- like free food heck yeah!) and I actually had a conversation with her in Hmong and after we conversed for a bit she was like, "Wait you speak Hmong now?!?!" I about died.

Send me the video! I spoke slow so you could try to see intonations in the language. Random side note: I messed up the tone for hais in the video so I said hai instead of hais. So it was changed from speak(hais) to pull(hai).  Oh well, you won't see a difference but the Hmong will, but they would get what I was trying to say

We had interviews with President Robinson, that's when Sister Robinson took the video when Elder Vang was interviewed.  When he asked us how our relationship was we both said: "like a river meets the sea." We may get transferred because he laughed and said we were having a too good time. Oops!

Not much this week, we tracted a lot. We placed all of our Books of Mormon and we need to get more. So good week! 

Sib Nstib Dua!

Elder Frey!

 

 

 

 

Sister Robinson

Saturday I received this special email from the wife of Elder Frey's mission president.

Thank you for raising and sending such an awesome missionary!!! We love and appreciate Elder Frey.

With love, President and Sister Robinson

 

 

She sent a video of Hayden speaking Hmong.  I'm not sure what he said, but I think he was bearing his testimony.  Unfortunately, I can't get it to upload.

 

 

 

P-Day 6

I had asked a lot of questions in my last email to Hayden and most of his email he is answering them.  I mostly asked about his branch and his companion...

Hi my favorite Mom!

We got transfer calls. Staying in Hmong as expected. Elder Lancaster and Elder Uasike are too as are the Sisters. So the scatterball squad is still intact. Nome is in our district too. They got switched around and they reopened Bethel so they were added to our district. They have to FaceTime in for district meeting LOL, thankful for iPads. 

 

Hmong branch, we have about 160-170 records but average attendance is about 40- lots of LAs. Working on it!

 

They (the Hmong) are everywhere in Southern Alaska but mostly Anchorage. We go up to Eagle River and Chugiak to teach a few up there. There are some in Palmer, Wasilla but we don't go down there. 

 

Yes, we go (to transfer meeting) anyway. Everyone flies down to it. Elder Vang is singing at this transfer meeting because the Jacobs requested him to sing at their last transfer meeting. 

 

Elder Vang was called to English speaking. But he spent 7.5 months here when he first got here. Then he left to Ketchikan and Prince of Wales, Anchorage to be a ZL and now back to the Hmong branch. If he dies here then he will be here for about 13 months though. 

 

So me and Elder Vang had this crazy idea to wake up at 5:30, run 3-5 miles (depending on the route) to the church building, play morning sports which is usually scatterball but basketball if the sisters don't wake up, then run 3-5 miles back.... Then come back and finish working out before studies.... By the end of my mission I'll be running a marathon.......  The first day we did it it was 40 degrees and all I had was a TShirt and Shorts #AZProbs

 

It's getting colder! The daytime temps are still 60s and 70s but the sunlight period is shrinking. It's still bright as day when we head in at 9/9:30 but by 10:30 it is getting darker. It's still lightish at 5:30 am when we get up to run but from about 11 or 11:30 to 4:30 it's dark. So the morning temps are getting colder and colder. It's no longer a low of 58-60 but 40-50 because the sun isn't out all night. I'm gunna freeze soon. I'll be sent to Barrow just watch.

No Baptism this week. Weirddddddd. 

Love you!

Elder Frey

Sister Dickson



Last week when Hayden emailed he said that a woman in his Hmong branch was going to friend me on facebook.  She is the branch pianist and also the primary pianist and the elders go to her house for dinner almost every Sunday.  I was devastated because I had seen her friend request and deleted it (not recognizing the name).  I tried to search for her and couldn't find her, so I told him to tell her to try again.  She contacted me yesterday and we had a great visit through facebook.  She sent me a photo from church yesterday and then tagged me in a few photos she already had.  She said she is signed up to have Elder Frey and his companion over for dinner on Hayden's birthday and asked if there was anything she could do to give him a taste of home.  What a tender mercy!!  I told her I was planning to send him a birthday box with the ingredients for his favorite dessert.  (He isn't a big fan of cake.)  She is going to help him make it after making him tacos for dinner.  I'm so happy and relieved to know he'll be taken care of!

At the temple when he got to go through with a member of the Hmong branch a few weeks ago.

At a picnic after the branch hike last week.

 Dinner at Sister Dickson's a while back.

 Dinner at Sister Dickson's last Sunday.

They had Kimchi soup and apparently Hayden loved it!

 Yesterday at church

P-Day 5

Hi Mom!

I went hiking!!! Pictures are included! Took my nice camera so it wasn't dinky iPad pictures! We had a really good turn out! We had less actives, investigators, recent converts and all our active members there! It was easily 60+ people. Lots of food for everybody afterwards. Loads of fun! That's what happens when you have counselors that are loads of fun.....

Apparently this has been the hottest summer in Alaska ever. Records are being broken everyday. I brought the AZ heat up with me! Aye I love it. Just going to wait out the cold winter. Last winter was the warmest ever and they got barely any snow and it never got below 0. They are expecting an even warmer one this year because it is an El Niño winter. I hope I stay here in Anchorage or go to like the Kenai or Ketchikan. Ha sike! They'll send me to Barrow where the only time it gets above freezing is in July and it gets into the low 40s. Come on -70!!!!! And polar bears....

Not much this week. Just a lot of meetings basically. We had district meeting like always, Trainer-Trainee meeting and Zone meeting. Had some bishopric stuff, just playing ref this week. It's a very slow week because school is about to start here so everyone is getting in last fishing trips and no one is home. Also school registrations... They were gone all week because registering 12-18 kids must be a pain. So we actually only taught about 8 lessons this week. Slowest week so far.

We have this one less active who is a member but doesn't think he is...... Awkward! He was baptized and ordained a deacon when he was 13. He's 19 now and had no clue or recollection. We had been going over and over there. We would hint he is a member. Elder Vang finally said straight out "Kua you were baptized and you are a member of the church" he prayed that day saying thank you for the elders for telling me I am a member!

Joanna Dickson added you on Facebook!! We eat there a lot of Sunday's and hang out with Tsemeng. Jaynee, Anthony, and Allysin were there yesterday too. Joanna is awesome! She is the branch pianist and primary pianist. 

Love you!!

Elder Frey

P-Day 4

Hi Mom!

I am doing well! We baptized 4 people Saturday! We started to teach Janee and Anthony, they are 12 and 11. They come to church every week and mutual and such but they aren't members. The parents wouldn't let missionaries come to teach them. Well we prayed and fasted and the parents hearts were softened! They even expressed interest in learning! So now we have two golden investigators. And hopefully Elder Younger and Airport Heights don't try to take Lori Vue because she is Hmong. She apparently is Golden and is out of town for the summer. Me and Elder Younger are having a competition on baptisms and they want her but they don't know where she lives. We do. I know it's not about numbers but I have to beat Elder Younger. We currently have 10 on date, 6 baptized and 5 committed to baptism without a date currently. I can fix that. ;) Then Lori Vue and some scattered investigators and eternagators. Going well so far! 

So we had an earthquake this week while I was in the temple. There are about 13 earthquakes a day somewhere in Alaska. Most of them you don't feel. This is the second one I've felt. It wasn't anything big. It was just the ground shaking. I never found out what the Richter scale was. But there wasn't any damage in Anchorage so it was nothing. They sent out a text tree about it and Elder Vang is DL so he is supposed to send it out to the district.... But we were in the temple for the Hmong session they put on for our branch.... So we sent the tree out 3 hours later. We had an excuse for being the ones that made this the longest text tree ever! 

They put on Hmong temple session for our branch in Hmong!(: That was a neat experience hearing it in Hmong. Same spirit even though I have no clue what they are saying at all! Nancy Cheng got to take out her endowments YAY!!

Hike this Saturday all the way in Palmer(: We get to go because we are counselors. It is way out of our zone but we get some leniency because it is a branch activity and we are counselors! That's why we planned it out of our zone.... So we could save the in zone hikes for P-Day.

Busy day this P-Day. We have a zone BBQ and we asked someone in our ward to make a Hmong side dish for 16.... They misheard us and thought we said 60 so there is food for 60.

Love you! 

Shib Ntsib Dua!

Elder Frey

Alma 47:36