Of Missions, Teachers, Languages, and Vomit

Yes, vomit. I'll get to that in a minute.

 

Hello again! I'm glad that I was able to email you twice this week! Hopefully you got that email already.

 

Elder McHardy - you're welcome! I'm glad you were able to use it! I wrote this in a letter to my mom, but I seem to be chosen to do the music stuff, too. In fact, a week and a half after I got here, I was called to be the music coordinator for our branch. No pressure! Haha.

 

Let me address your last letters before I talk about me:

 

I absolutely LOVED Colton's comment on the need for short missionaries in Cambodia. I laughed pretty hard! I don't know what the average height is over there, but hey, maybe he's right! ;]

I'm not that tall, and I guess we do have some shorter people in our district, but most of us are "normal" height. Elder Nicholson and Elder Blocker are definitely short, though!

 

Thank you so much for sending me Bro. Chochran's remarks. He's always been a wonderful speaker! I still remember that talk he gave YEARS ago about how Pinocchio is an allegory of the gospel. Do you remember that talk? It was really good! Which reminds me - I still need to write up my notes from Elder Bednar's talk he gave here on Christmas Day. I probably won't have time to type it up, but I'll send you a letter soon.

 

I don't think we can receive pictures through this mail system, but I'd love to see a few from this last weekend and stuff!

Whenever you have a chance to send me things, be sure to send back my memory card, too. Please and thank you!!! I'm going to make a video pretty soon of me speaking Khmae so that you can hear me talk! That will be on this memory card, so the sooner I get that one back, the sooner I'll be able to send you this one! =D

 

That's so awesome to hear that David Archuleta will be serving a mission! (I got a letter from Amber a couple days after I got your letter, and she told me the same thing!) I doubt he'll be in the MTC the same time as me, nevermind that I'd get to sing with him, hahaha. But yeah, that'd be awesome! I don't know what kind of mission he'll be serving, but I doubt he'll be able to serve a full-time, proselyting mission. (Did I spell that right?) He'd probably have to have bodygaurds with him wherever he went, or something. I don't know. But there are tons of other missions that he could honorably serve!

 

Did you ever get that postcard I sent you?

 

Thank you for your loving comments, Mom. The Lord may have lent me to you for the past few years, but I will ALWAYS be your son, and you will ALWAYS be my mom. I love you so much! =]

 

 

Alrighty, time to talk about me! Hahaha. It's crazy how fast time has flown here. It feels like we've been here for forever, but at the same time, it feels like we just got here! It's been 3 weeks now, and the English-speaking elders that got here with our district on Dec. 7th are gone now. It's crazy to think that we'll see 4 districts of English-speaking elders go through our branch before we leave!

 

We have 4 teachers for our district. Brother Godfrey taught us the first 2 or 3 days, and from there, Brother Hawkins took over. He's been the one teaching us the most. Brother Stevens comes from time to time - I think he's in training to be a teacher here or something. Brother Merrill actually started out as our first investigator, and so we taught him (in Cambodian) starting our third day here, and then after a couple of weeks, he's started teaching us as well. They're all fantastic teachers, but I love Brother Godfrey the most. He's so compassionate and encouraging, and very sensitive to our needs. I think I learn the most when he teaches us. The sad part is that after this week, he won't be teaching us anymore. He's moving up to the next stage of his schooling - I don't know if it's graduate work or his internship or what, but he's going to be a doctor for geriactrics. I don't know if I spelled that right, nor do I know exactly what that entails, but he did say he would be working with the elderly a lot. I'm really going to miss him though, he's awesome!

 

Alright, so after I emailed you on Christmas, we had another fireside that night from Steven B. Allen, who is the director of the missionary department for the Church. He had some very serious, powerful moments, but also a lot of funny moments as well. We had a great time at that fireside, and we all watched "Mr. Kreuger's Christmas" afterwards. The next day (yesterday), things were pretty much back to normal as far as classes and everything goes. We were preparing our lesson for our newest investigator, and I was feeling really sick for some reason. I had been battling nausea all morning, and I didn't eat very much for lunch. We were sitting in class, and I felt really really sick, so I put my head down on my desk and actually ended up falling asleep. When I woke up, everyone was in the computer lab next door working with TALL (Technology Assisted Language Learning), and my companion was waiting for me there in the room. He stepped out of the room for a second to grab something, and I felt like I was going to throw up. No sooner had I felt that urge to grab the trash can then I puked over my desk and onto the carpet. Oops. I puked 5 or 6 times in a row, then heaved 3 or 4 more times after that, but nothing else came up. So that wasn't very good. I had to be taken back to our residence hall (this was about 2:30 PM) and I slept for about 4 hours, then I woke up for about an hour and a half, and then I slept some more until about 10:00 PM, and then after being awake for half an hour I went to sleep again and slept till about 7:00 this morning. I don't know if it was a 24-hour flu or something, but other than a headache, I feel fine now. It might have been what I ate for breakfast yesterday, I don't know. But I was super embarassed - our classroom still smells like cleaner/disinfectant.

 

I got called up to the front desk today - apparently, Pres. McIff (2nd counselor in the MTC presidency) wants to meet with me today after lunch. I'm super nervous, I have no idea what it's for. Maybe it's because he found out that I know his daughter since her family used to be in our ward? I don't know. We'll see, I guess. I'll let you know about it in my letter.

 

I'm about a minute over my allotted email time. Aaaaahhh!!! I'll write you a letter soon, Mom. I love you very much!!! khnom srolan mdaay robah khnom. =]

 

Elder DeLong

 

 

Merry Christmas!! =D

Merry Christmas everyone! We were surprised this morning with an extra half hour of computer time this week! So you'll have this email, and then I'll send another one on Tuesday. =]

 

So far, this has been one of the best Christmases ever. I had completely forgotten about the materialism and commercialism of this holiday season, and to be honest I sort of forgot that this day was coming. It came up so quickly! Not that I forgot what this marvelous season celebrates, but the specific day almost slipped my mind. I've been completely losing myself in learning this language, dealing with companionship issues, and striving to become a better person and missionary. I count this as a blessing, because, like I said, it's not been about who's getting what and getting the plans for the day laid out and making sure the decorations are all set, or whatever. This Christmas has been completely about Christ, and I love it. 

 

I hope things are well there at home! I definitely want to hear what you've all been up to! (You too, Elders McHardy and Ellsworth!) I hope this day has been wonderful for you all. Mine has been AMAZING. Last night, we had a fireside for Christmas Eve. It was a nativity scene type of thing, with narrators reading off of a script and quoting Luke 2, and missionaries in costume acting out the parts. There were several musical numbers and congregational hymns; it was a nice evening. Then we all got to eat popcorn and watch "A Christmas Carol" (the one with George Scott as Scrooge). Sister Taylor (the one sister in our district) and I have decided that watching movies at the MTC is better than watching them anywhere else. Funny moments were even funnier with all 2100+ of us laughing, and there were moments when we would applaud or give standing ovations to characters. It was tons of fun! We also sang a couple of fun Christmas songs in addition to traditional carols and hymns, like The Twelve Days of Christmas, missionary style! I'll give you the last verse: On the Twelfth day of Christmas, a missionary needs: 12 apostles speaking, 11 elders preaching, 10 prayers for blessings, 9 sisters singing, 8 teachers teaching, 7 sessions planning, 6 bowls of ice cream, 5 golden contacts! 4 referral calls, 3 meals a day, 2 heavy bags, and a copy of the Book of Mormon! It was a really enjoyable evening.

 

This morning I got up, and there was no anticipation to open presents. Instead, I had an anticipation for our 2-hour sacrament meeting with a General Authority. No, I didn't have my family with me, but you were in my thoughts and prayers. After we ate breakfast, we all met to watch the Christmas "Music and the Spoken Word", and right after we had sacrament meeting. Normally, we meet in our individual branches (there's about 50-something branches for the MTC!) for sacrament meeting, but this week we all met together. All 2100+ missionaries! We do that for firesides and devotionals, but this one was different, because it was also sacrament meeting, which meant that we all were going to partake of the sacrament together. Let me just set this up for you: there were 5 sacrament tables in various places around the room. Each table had 4 elders that were breaking the bread (only one elder at the front of the auditiorium said each blessing), and at each table were 7 or 8 more elders who passed the sacrament, each with 2 trays. It was a huge, coordinated effort, but we got it done. It was really cool! That was probably the biggest sacrament meeting i've ever been in or will ever be in!

Guess who we had come and speak to us? Elder David A. Bednar. It was an incredible meeting! His wife gave a wonderful talk, but Elder Bednar's...wow. I think that was probably the best talk I've ever heard in my life. EVER. It was so awesome. I have 5 full pages of notes on just his message. It was about the character of Christ - I'll have to type up another email with my notes and give you a run-down of his talk, or maybe I'll send a letter. It was really, really amazing.

 

We then had lunch (turkey, potatoes, rolls, stuffing, etc....AND CHEESECAKE!), and now we're here doing our extra 30 minutes of email. After this we have some personal time and a district meeting, and then another program from the Tabernacle Choir, and another fireside tonight! It's truly been a fantastic Christmas so far, and I can't wait for the rest of it. I know that I'll never have another Christmas like it!

 

Something I keep forgetting to mention:

You know how when you're walking around, doing whatever, you're usually looking at other people's faces, if you look at them at all? Here, you're looking at everyone's nametags. It's so cool to see all the different languages (though about half of the missionaries here are learning Spanish, it seems) - in most languages, it just says "Elder ______), and sometimes Sister is changed, but in Russian and a lot of the Eastern European languages, the word they use for Elder is different! It's been really neat to see all of the different languages on the nametags and get to know people here. I feel like our district is the most-talked-to district in the whole MTC though. Every single day, without fail, at least one person will stop and ask us "What language is that?!" and we get to proudly say each time "THAT is Cambodian." You should see the look on their faces when I tell them I'm going to Massachusetts. =D

 

I talked about the Mandarin-speaking missionaries, right? We've made pretty good friends with them, since they have the same schedule as us (along with the Hmong, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean missionaries, too). No, I did tell you about that, because I remember saying that I learned a couple of things in Mandarin, and that the sisters who were teaching me were surprised at how quickly I picked up on the tones. So that was cool! Sister Burton and Sister Resendes are the two that I talk to the most - Sister Resendes is into musical theatre too, and she has a similar sense of humor as my own. We get along really well! She's going to Taiwan.

 

The language continues to be very challenging, but it's also really interesting and cool at the same time. We've been starting on the script this last week (yes, all the swirly, weird-looking stuff!), and I now have all 33 consonants memorized, as well as the 32 sub-consonants. The vowels are much more difficult to memorize though, and one of our teachers mentioned that starting Monday (tomorrow), the teachers will no longer be writing in Romanized Cambodian on the board - script only. It's very intimidating, and I'm doing my best not to freak out. We sang "I Am a Child of God" (or "khnom kuu cia koon robah preah") yesterday in class from script, and we caught a few of the words. The gift of tongues is coming to us bit by bit as we trust in the Lord and do our very best, and little by little, we're learning to read the script. Line upon line, precept upon precept. It's crazy how much we've learned in just 2 and a half weeks!  

 

Well, I'm down to my last minute of email time. I love you all so very much, and I pray for you all the time. I hope you've had an enjoyable, memorable Christmas. Expect another email from me on Tuesday! Maybe a letter sometime soon as well, if I don't get to address everything in the email. I love you!!!

 

suasdei thngai no?ael!

 

Elder DeLong

Elder DeLong with his companion, Elder Nicholson

Email Tuesday Dec. 20, 2011

 

Dearest mother of mine who I love and miss so very much,

 

 

Hey there! It's been getting a little colder, and it's lightly snowed a couple times. It's absolutely beautiful!

 

Yes, I did receive the package, thank you! Did you get the letter I sent? With the memory card? Did you get the postcard I sent too? (It had the Provo temple on it!)

 

I think the system we have right now works well, Mom. When you reply to me through Dear Elder, I get that email right away. It's also really exciting to get mail when you're here, so let's keep doing it that way! I'll just have to wait to reply to you until Tuesdays.

 

I love your insight about Keira, I had never thought of that before either! I can't wait to get to know her for who she really is, for who her spirit really is, you know? I always like to think that she's going to have a BEAUTIFUL singing voice in the eternities, because she loves music so much. =]

I was surprised at how difficult it was for me to say goodbye to her when I left, and I'm finding that I'm missing her a lot more than I expected to. I knew that I loved her very much, but I didn't realize how special and precious she is to me until I left. She holds a special place in my heart and she always will! Please send my love to her.

I know that she knows what I'm doing and where I am. She knows the Lord is pleased with me and she's happy that I'm serving a mission. =]

 

Elder Moffett got a haircut? I thought you said he got transferred. Maybe you meant Elder Maddux? Haha. I'm planning on writing him a letter today. It's good to know that people care about me and are asking about me!

 

That's great to hear about Sis. Bennett. She's such a kind, sweet lady. She just talks and talks and talks and talks, but that's alright! I still think it's incredible that she's come to love the Lord and accept the gospel and to be baptized even at the ripe old age of 101! I hope she is able to go to the temple and receive her endowments a year from now.

 

CONGRATULATIONS to the Castletons! I'm so happy for them, and I wish I could meet this latest addition to their family. Did they bless him yet in sacrament meeting?

 

I laughed out loud at your comment regarding Dad not solociting me for marriage from the pulpit this time. Thank goodness for that! x]

 

I've seen Elder Vogan a few times, yes! He seems to be doing well. I mentioned in my letter that Elder Blocker (Jan's friend's son) is in my district, which is the group of missionaries here that are learning Cambodian. There's 11 of us - I explained all of this in my letter! I haven't seen Santiago or anyone else on my list of people to look for, I'm sorry!

 

Thank you so much for your love and prayers - you are all in my thoughts and prayers too. I really hope you got my letter, I told you about TONS of stuff in it! Plus, like I said, I included my memory card, even though it's not full, so that you could see some of these people and places that I keep talking about!

 

Last week's devotional was with Sis. Elaine S. Dalton, the young women's general president! She gave a fantastic talk, I wrote about it in my letter. I can't wait to see who speaks at the devotional tonight! (The weekly devotionals are held on Tuesday evenings.)

 

I absolutely LOVE Sundays here at the MTC. It's truly a day to rejuvinate, spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. We don't exactly rest from our labors since we're always learning and stuff, but it's still the best day of the week here, I think. 

 

This last Sunday, Elder Nicholson and I blessed the sacrament, which was really nice. I haven't done that in a while! 

Here's some exciting news - I got called to be the music coordinator for our branch! I'm pretty psyched for this calling. I know that the Lord puts us where we need to be so that our talents are utilized to help bless and serve others! =D 

 

I'm down to my last few seconds here on my email time, so I'll have to close. I'll send you another letter in the next day or two. I love you very much! 

 

suasdei thngai no?ael! (Merry Christmas!)

 

Love, 

Elder DeLong

First Letter

Written Dec. 14 and 15, 2011

13 pages long!!

Dear Family,

Comreapsua! Khnom chmua Elder DeLong, hatty khnom pii Mesa, Arizona. Khnom mean bccg b?oon buan neak. (some of the characters he wrote are different than what I could type!)

We learned all of that in the first 20 minutes of being in class at the MTC! Like I said in my email, we’re using Romanized Cambodian still, though I know all the numbers! (He then writes the charachers for the numbers and their names).

The pattern repeats- it’s nice because they just cycle through the first five numbers. Another cool thing is that there’s no conjugation at all!  It’s still a very difficult language, but we’ve learned so much. The script we do know is the word “preah” which I explained in my email, so we’ve been using that. I’ll bear my testimony at the end of my letter. J It’s remarkable how much the Lord is helping us to learn.

My gosh, I have so much to share with you!  I’ll reply to your latest email first though. (Speaking of which, I think that works well for now- you writing me on Dear Elder, that is.  I get a much faster response, since I won’t be able to check my email until next Tuesday!)

Yes, I did get the first card, and it got glitter everywhere, hahaha! Nice to hear you guys are getting rain, it (gently) snowed here today- it was beautiful. Way to go on Math Blasters, Colton and Treyton! And nice job on Inheritance, Colton! I hope you both get to do Pinewood Derby! J That’s crazy that Elder Moffett got transferred already- I’m going to write Elder Maddux soon. Let me know about his new companion.

My companion’s name is Elder Nicholson, and he’s going to the California Sacramento mission, Cambodian speaking. He’s from Waterbury, Connecticut, which is actually in my mission. I’ll talk more about him later.

Our district has 11 people- Elder Nicholson and myself, Elder Kaufman, Elder Fisher, Elder Barney, Elder Garlick, Elder Decker, Elder Blocker, Elder Jongsma, Elder Taylor, and Sister Taylor. (I’ll talk a little bit about Sister Taylor a little later, and no, she’s not related to Elder Taylor). Our DL is Elder Kaufman, and our ZLs are Elder Garlick and Elder Barney- our zone is our whole branch, which is about 5 districts, I believe.  Our district has a great time together as we try to learn the language, and we sit together at lunch and stuff. We’re the only Cambodian-speaking missionaries in the MTC (that’s how districts are set up- by language) and the other 9 are all going to Cambodia.

I haven’t seen any of the people on that list- I’ve seen Pres. McIff, but I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to him yet, and I have no idea when I’ll be able to see him. :/

Let Dad know that yes, I ‘m definitely taking advantage of the gym time. We play volleyball with some of the Mandarin-speaking missionaries, it’s a blast! I definitely underestimated how much physical exercise could help me de-stress, and it’s tons of fun!

I really appreciate you trying to find those things for me! Thank you- ?cckuun! (ah-koon) (again-I am unable to write what he actually wrote for lack of the actual symbols on my keyboard).

Alright, SO… I’ll tell you everything about things here and what’s happened! Going back to last Wednesday (wow, I’ve been here a whole week!), after I finished talking to you (it was very hard to hang up L) we drove down the street to the MTC. I got so excited as we pulled up to the curb- we unloaded my stuff, took a picture or two, and I was off! It was just go go go go go! We went through one of the buildings where I got my nametags, my ID card (used for meals and such), my official “ministerial certificate” card thing, and a few other materials.  We dropped off my stuff in my room, and then I was in class. Yeah, that fast! I hope I get to be a host missionary at some point; these are the guys that pick you up from the curb, help you with your bags, and lead you around until you get your companion.

Anyways, I get into the classroom and I’m one of the first ones there, but the teacher just starts talking to me (and the other missionaries as they arrive) in fluent Khmae. We found out that our teachers won’t be talking in English. At all. We did full immersion right from the start. It was really overwhelming, but it’s definitely helped. We have to figure it out for ourselves, and thus, our understanding is greater and lasts longer. Our teacher (our “look ruu”  “loh-kroo”) helps us though, it’s almost like charades or something. We’re slowly but surely piecing the language together- it’s amazing how much we’ve learned and accomplished in just one week!

Back to our first da- we had class for a while and then went to a “welcome” meeting with all the new missionaries and the MTC presidency (and their wives- this was the one time I saw Pres. And Sis. McIff). It was weird having everyone call me “Elder,” but I’ve sort of gotten used to it.  It also helps to remind me of my calling, and that I’m really a missionary now! After that meeting, we went to dinner- the meals here are great! It’s all you can eat, and there’s usually 3 choices of main dishes you can choose from, with tons of desserts and sides and drinks to grab as well. Don’t worry, I eat salad and/or vegetables with each meal ;)

I realized I didn’t give you the name of our teacher- Brother Hawkins. The first couple of days it was Brother Godfrey, and Brother Stevens has come in a couple of times, but Brother Hawkins has been doing most of the teaching. They’re all young returned missionaries that are fluent in Cambodian. Like I said, they don’t speak English to us, and if they do, it’s one or two words to help us understand something in Khmae.  However, there have been 2 lessons (about 30 min. each) where we’ve talked about teaching and fundamentals of the gospel, and for those Brother Hawkins speaks English.

Random fact- about 400 new missionaries report to the MTC every Wednesday, and at any given moment there’s about 2200 missionaries here! :0

On the evening of our second day, we got to meet our branch presidency and their wives, which was nice.  Pres. Seamons (the president) is great, I can tell he’s going to be a wonderful leader for us! At that meeting, DLs were assigned (there were 2 new districts: ours, and one with elders who are speaking Hmong or Vietnamese), and senior/junior companions were assigned as well. It doesn’t mean much in the MTC, but I was asked to be the senior companion. We switch halfway through, according to Pres. Seamons. He said we’ll probably get a new DL at that time, too.

On the third day, we learned a bunch of new vocabulary, including how to pray.  We also got thrown right in with an “investigator” – it was intense. Even though we all know that he’s probably a member, and that he’s going to be teaching us as well pretty soon, it’s still scary.  It’s good practice, but it was hard, too.  Can you believe it? On our third day, they had us teaching someone in Khmae!  We had to just jump right in. Elder Nicholson and I had a really hard time, and I was so embarrassed.  I got upset and discouraged about it. I prayed about it while I was waiting for Elder Nicholson to come out of the bathroom- I asked Heavenly Father for help, and for the courage and diligence to press on.  Not two minutes after I prayed, a man happened to be walking down the hall of the building we were in. I must have looked as upset as I felt, because he sat down next to me and asked how things were going. He introduced himself as Brother Hunt, one of the teachers there, and started talking to me about my language. He said that the Lord helps His missionaries to learn their new language, and He told this story about an investigator he had: She only knew that Moses had parted the Red Sea, but that was enough for her to believe because it was a miracle, and that was her testimony.  He said that the Lord will send us a miracle too- to learn Cambodian. As he spoke, I realized that he was the answer to my prayer. The Lord knows me and loves me, and wants me to succeed.  He cares enough to send help to downtrodden and discouraged Elder DeLong at the MTC.  It was a special spiritual experience, and I had a witness that God truly  does help His missionaries. Now that I’m one of them, I am entitled to that divine aid.

We have this program on the computer called TALL (Technology Assisted Language Learning), and that helps us learn more vocabulary and phrases.  Time for that is allotted in our schedules- and yes, everything is mapped out and planned here, from gym time to meals to personal study. We even do some service every week, which so far has just been custodial work in the residence halls here.

On Saturday in class we learned more vocab and how to make appointments. We also had another lesson with our investigator, which went better than the previous on, but still had a couple of rough spots.

I discovered that in the main building, there are rooms used for meetings that have pianos in them that aren’t used during the day. We’re allowed to use them to play or practice or whatever!  That’s been good. I’m actually going to audition that arrangement of “I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go” piano solo by Amy B Hansen tomorrow morning!  Every Thursday, they hold auditions for special musical numbers for the weekly firesides/devotionals and other meetings, so hopefully I’ll get to perform!

Sunday was interesting because the “normal church meetings” (the “block”) was spread out- our branch had priesthood/Relief Society at 10 AM and sacrament meeting at 4 PM. It’s okay though, because we were doing personal study and had other meetings in between and throughout the day. It was a nice Sunday, though!

I went to the MTC choir rehearsal this week- it wasn’t what I hoped for. It wasn’t that great, and we had to go over really easy things several times. It was okay though, maybe we sounded better than I thought. We rehearsed a couple times and performed at the devotional last night. I don’t know if I’ll keep going, but maybe I will, since I love to sing! It’s a huge choir, at least a couple hundred people, if not more.

We had a fireside Sunday night- the BYU Men’s Choir came and performed, it was awesome!!! They were fantastic. It was great to be able to indulge my inner choral nerd as they performed all of their songs for us.

Alright, it’s getting really late. Elder Nicholson and I are both writing letters, but it’s past time for us to be in bed. I’ll finish writing tomorrow!

(I’m so sorry for my poor handwriting and my scribbles over my mistakes. I hope you can read all of this.)

Khnom srclan mdaay! (I love you, Mom!)

Please send my love to Keira as well. J

12/15/11

OK, I ‘m not sure what I was thinking here, but yes I do know elder Cameron Blocker! (Jan Bueler’s friend). He’s in our district! I’m not sure why it took me this long to put 2 and 2 together. Sorry! So yes, I do know him!  I explained that our class of 11 people who are learning Cambodian is also our district, right? Yeah, he’s in our district.

Sister Taylor is the only Sister in our district. She’s a solo missionary, meaning that she doesn’t have a companion. She just has to remain with our district during the day and for everything else she goes with the Thai-speaking sisters. Anyway, she’s fun to have around, I’ve enjoyed having her in our district. She’s kind and funny, and she has a really nice singing voice. She’s not “trained”, per se, but it’s still very nice!

Elder Nicholson is a constantly happy, joking, positive kind of guy, which is good for me when I get discouraged.  At the same time though, he does a lot of things that get on my nerves. For example, he’s very social, and so he’s constantly talking to everyone, especially those who aren’t in our district.  He’ll just wander off sometimes without telling me and I’ll finally find him talking to random people way off down the hall or something – the worst is when he does this when we’re supposed to be somewhere or when we’re supposed to be doing something. It’s just not good. He also talks about girls a lot. It’s really annoying. “Oh, who do you have waiting for you? Are you writing to anyone? Let me tell you all about my girlfriend! How many girls have you kissed?” etc., etc. He’s not the only one that does it, a lot of elders talk about it, and it’s so obnoxious. I’m so sick of hearing about who Elder So-and-so is writing or who Elder Such-and-such is dating. I just want to gather them all together, tell them to forget about it, and get to work.

Anyway, Elder Nicholson gets on my nerves sometimes, but we get along otherwise, I guess. I’m working on being more patient and tolerant, and I’m praying for charity. I’m still getting used to having someone around me 24/7, and no time to myself. Maybe that’s the point, though- now that  I’m a missionary, my time is the Lord’s time.

We had our third lesson with Mon on Monday, and it went really well! I had him read a scripture out of the Bible (in Khmae), and it really brought the Spirit. I received a powerful witness that the gospel is true in every language, and that God wants all of His children to return to Him. He loves all of them, and I’m going to my mission and speaking this language for a reason.  My call is from God, and I know I’m in the right place at the right time.

From then on, the Spirit was with as we taught, and the words were so much easier to say.  We did very well that lesson, and I know the Lord was helping us, especially with the language. It was an awesome experience!

Tuesday was P-day! We got to go to the temple in the morning- the Provo temple is so beautiful, as all temples are!  The celestial room though was incredible; it’s definitely one of my favorites! It was nice to relax a bit, do laundry, and get things done that day.

That night, we had our weekly devotional (the one where a general authority comes)- this week Sister Elaine S. Dalton came with her husband. She gave an incredible talk about gifts: unexpected gifts, gifts of the Spirit, and gifts that we as missionaries give to the world. She also touched on the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the endowment, and trusting in the Lord. It was a wonderful meeting! I wish I had the text of the talk to send to you.

Today I had to go see the MTC Clinical Services, since I indicated on my medical papers that I turned in with my mission papers that I had an “emotional or medical difficulty”- my Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I guess that they just wanted an update on how I’m doing, checking in on me, you know. I assured them that since I started medication I’ve been fine, and that things are going well for the most part. The visit didn’t benefit me too much, but I  appreciated the sentiment.

Every Thursday morning they hold auditions for special musical numbers firesides and meetings and stuff- today I auditioned with that arrangement of “I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go” by Amy B. Hansen- they really liked it, but it was too long, apparently. It has to be under 4 minutes, for whatever reason, so she asked me to cut out a little bit (which I did) and that they’d love to have me perform. She also added me to the accompanist list because she loved me playing that much! It was cool. I’m glad that I’ve been able to utilize my talents here. J

I’ve made friends with a couple of the Mandarin-speaking sisters, especially Sister Resendes. She’s really nice and fun to have around- she loves singing and musical theatre, so we clicked right away! She taught me a couple things in Mandarin, and apparently I picked it up really well, really fast! She was impressed that I got the tones right on the first couple of tries. My guess is that it’s because I have a good ear for music and pitch. But yeah, be sure to let Dad know that I seem to have a knack for Mandarin. J

I think that’s about everything! Do you guys have any specific questions or anything you want to know about?m

You’ll notice that I included a memory card! It’s nowhere near full, but I figured you might want to see some of my pictures! Could you offload the pictures and send the card back to me please? This way you’ll have some pictures to post on the blog! JI’ll include another paper with the descriptions for all the pictures!

He then bears his testimony in Khmae. He says “I hope this helps to show you just how much I’m learning. :0 I just wish that you could hear me say this.

Hello from the MTC!!!

Comreapsua!!! (jom-ree-aap-soo-ah) Hello!!! I'm finally at the MTC in Provo, Utah!!! It's crazy being here, I can't believe I'm actually a missionary! It really feels great to put on that tag and know that I'm Elder DeLong, a representative of Jesus Christ! It's been weird having everyone call me "Elder", though - that's definitely something I've had to get used to. I've also had to get used to having a companion with me EVERYWHERE I go, but hey, such is the life of a missionary.

 

The first few days have been awesome and busy, as I'm sure the rest of the next two years will be. The language was really discouraging those first few days, but as I'm adapting to missionary life, I also seem to be getting the hang of Cambodian - called Khmae (kuhm-eye), in the native tongue. We're working mostly with the Romanized Cambodian, though we do know the script for numbers and a couple small words, like "preah", which means God, or Divine. You use that for everything dealing with things of God - the Book of Mormon (preah koompii moomon), Jesus Christ (preah yeesuhkrih), the Church (preah vihii), etc. I want to send you a copy of my testimony in Khmae sometime if I can, but I don't have very much time here! We can pray, bear testimony, set up appointments, ask "getting to know you" questions, that kind of thing. It's amazing how much we've progressed in only a few days!

 

I got Trey's card in the mail - that made me so happy! Thank you, Trey, you're awesome too!!! =D

 

I'm glad you guys enjoyed the Jon Schmidt concert, and I'm definitely jealous that I didn't get to go! Oh well, I'm out here preparing to do the Lord's work, and I know without a doubt that I'm where I'm supposed to be.

 

A couple things you need to know, Mom: my departure date from the MTC is February 22nd - if that changes, I'll let you know. Also, December 23rd is the last day that the MTC will be receiving packages before Christmas, so if you were planning on sending anything it needs to be here by then. We'll get them again starting on the 27th or 28th, but if you want a package to get to me by Christmas, it needs to arrive HERE by the 23rd.

 

I realized when a button came off of one of my slacks that I forgot my sewing kit...can you send that to me please? I also forgot the other pictures of Christ I was going to bring...there's the Greg Olson one called "Lost and Found" that you know about already, but there's also a couple other 4x6 pictures that should be around my room somewhere...I'm not sure where I left them. Would you dig around and try and find them for me please? Any other pictures of Christ or inspirational things of that sort that I have in my room would be great. I also have a thing hanging on my wall next to my bulletin board - it's a cool-looking thing with Proverbs 3:5-6 on it. I'd really appreciate getting those things!!!

 

My temple shoes and other clothes would be nice too, since we go every week, but if not that's ok, the rentals are free for missionaries! Another thing that I don't NEED to have but would like is my small whiteboard that's on my dresser, with the markers and eraser that are there too.

 

So yeah, my P-days are Tuesdays, in case you couldn't figure that out! Expect emails on Tuesdays, Mom. =]

 

I have SO much more to tell you about, but I have almost no time left. I'll write you a letter and send it soon, and you can type it up and post it on the blog. I'm so sorry that I don't have time to include everything that's happened in this very short email time slot! And SPEAKING of letters...all the rest of you should write me! I love getting mail, and I promise to reply to every letter! I hope to hear from you all at some point.

 

Dad - I got your note as well. Thank you! Be sure to ask Mom to let you read my letter as soon as it gets there!

 

I love you so much, Mom! I miss you all. The MTC is great, and look for a letter in the mail from me soon! Comreapliah! (jom-ree-aap-lee-ah) Bye!!! =]

 

- Elder DeLong

 

And he's off!!

We bid a sad/happy farewell to Justin tonight.  He is on his way to Utah.  He will spend the next day and a half with his grandparents. He really wanted to go through the Salt Lake Temple so that is what he will do tomorrow.  He had a great opportunity to take a relative's name all the way through the temple here and will be getting that person sealed to his parents tomorrow.
We all shed a few tears, some more than others. I thought I would be a mess, but I held it together (after falling apart ALL day yesterday, there wasn't much left!!).  Treyton, Justin's youngest brother who is 7, was actually loudly sobbing as he hugged Justin goodbye.  Justin went through security, turned and waved, blew us a kiss, and then signed "I love you" before heading off.
We send our son off with love, respect, and humility as he goes to serve our Heavenly Father for 2 years.

Set Apart

I was set apart as a full-time missionary tonight by my stake president. It was a wonderful, powerful, enriching, strengthing, and sweet experience. I don't think I'll ever forget it. I'm officially an Elder, with a capital E!

That being said, this is my last post. I'm turning the blog over to my mom now, and she'll be posting and managing it from now on.

It's my time to serve, and my turn to proclaim the gospel from the metaphorical rooftops on my mission. I'm so excited! I'll just leave with you all with one of my new favorite missionary scriptures:

"Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thrash the nations by the power of my Spirit."
- Doctrine and Covenants 35:13

Besides the fact that I definitely feel like I'm one of the "weak things of the world", I love this scripture because of the imagery: to "thrash the nations". Let's get out there and do some thrashing! =D

Sincerely,
Elder DeLong

My MTC Address is here!!!

I received my mailbox number this morning! This is the address you should use to send me letters (and packages) while I'm at the MTC, which will be through February. I posted the "official" address in the box to the right, labeled "My CURRENT Address". =D

------------->

PLEASE write me letters, I would love to hear from you all! I promise to reply to every letter that I am sent, even if it takes me a little while. Missionaries are pretty busy, you know. =]

-Justin

The Clock is Ticking...

I just went to my last mission prep class! I've technically been through the class 3 times. The first two times were through my stake, and although I enjoyed them and they helped prepare me for my mission, this third time has helped me the most. It was taught by a man and his wife who recently got back from presiding over the California San Jose mission - it was neat to be taught by someone who was fresh out of the field! Another thing that was different this time was that I actually had my call, and it's become increasingly more important that I know all of this stuff that I need to know!

I fly out Monday evening to Salt Lake City, and I will spend Tuesday with my grandparents who live there, and then I report to the Provo MTC on Wednesday! I'm so unbelievably excited, I can barely contain it! However...I'm stressing out. The pressure is on, and the clock is ticking. I have just 3 days to finish getting everything ready and in order for me to leave, not to mention double and triple checking my list of things I need, and then PACKING it all...oh boy. Time to buckle down and get to work.

I'm very nervous and scared about this experience...I'm scared about having a companion 24/7, I'm scared about learning Cambodian, and quite frankly, I'm scared to open my mouth to complete strangers and share with them the most precious thing in my life. BUT...I know that the Lord will support me, help me, and guide me as I serve Him, especially once I've been set apart. I just have to put my trust in Him and have the faith that He will fill my mouth as I open it. He's promised me and every other missionary that, and now it's time for me to have faith and act on it.

Despite my fears, I'm immensely excited for this new chapter in my life. I know that I'm doing what my Heavenly Father wants me to do, and that He has been preparing me and continues to prepare me for this moment. I want to do this for Him, for myself, and so that I can share the true joy and peace that comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Not to mention that this work is important to the salvation of each of God's children! Tonight in mission prep, we read this scripture in 2nd Nephi:


"Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."

- 2 Nephi 2:6-8, emphasis added

These verses really struck me, especially the part I italicized. "How great the the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth" - this is the Lord's work, and I am humbled and grateful to be a part of it.
I may not feel completely and 100% prepared for this, but I know that I'm ready, and that the Lord will bless me as I serve Him. I'm so psyched! Let's do this! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL! ;]

- Justin

My Farewell Talk

Hello all! Like my mom said, I wanted to post the text of my farewell talk on here for those of you that were not able to attend. For those that did, I sincerely thank you for the support you showed me! I'm so thrilled to be serving a mission!
- Justin

Nov. 27, 2011

Good morning, brothers and sisters. My name is Justin DeLong, and I have been called to serve a full-time mission for two years in the Massachusetts Boston mission. I will be speaking Khmer, the Cambodian language. I report to the Provo MTC on December 7^th, and I couldn’t be more excited! Scared and nervous, yes, but very excited.

One of my favorites of President Monson’s stories is one that he told a few conferences ago. President Monson said that he received a desperate call one day from the MTC president, who is unsure of what to do. He tells him of a young man in the MTC who is struggling with Spanish and is about ready to quit and go home. President Monson suggested that the young missionary attend a Japanese class the next morning, and asks the MTC president to call him back the next day at noon. The next day, President Monson received a call at 10:00 AM, saying that the young man was then sure that he could learn Spanish.  I’ll probably experience some of those same feelings, since I also have to learn a difficult Asian language. In all seriousness though, I am humbled and grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord.

Serving a mission is going to bring many blessings into my life and into the lives of my family members. These blessings come from God, as all blessings do. He has given us everything – our talents, our possessions, our friends and family, our jobs, everything. All He asks in return is 10% of our increase to help build His kingdom here on the earth.

This is more commonly referred to as tithing. That 10% is sent from our local leaders to Church headquarters, where a council consisting of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric decides where these funds need to go. They act according to revelation and direct the money to where it is needed.

In “True to the Faith”, we read: “Tithing funds are always used for the Lord’s purposes – to build and maintain temples and meetinghouses, to sustain missionary work, and to carry on the work of the Church throughout the world.” One of our local missionaries, Elder Maddux, pointed out to me that the current “mormon.org” campaign efforts are being funded through tithing.

Some who are struggling in today’s economy may feel like paying tithing places a financial burden on them, but the Lord has promised us blessings.

“Bring me all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” That promise is found in Malachi chapter 3, verse 10.

 It’s hard to imagine being bestowed with blessings of that magnitude, “that there shall not be room enough” to receive them, but I know and testify that this principle is true, and the Lord will keep His promises.

President Thomas S. Monson taught, “We urge all Latter-day Saints to be prudent in their planning, to be conservative in their living, and to avoid excessive or unnecessary debt. The financial affairs of the Church are being managed in this manner, for we are aware that your tithing and other contributions have not come without sacrifice and are sacred funds.”

As you plan financially to be able to pay tithing, the Lord will help and guide you.

Even if your tithing contribution is small, you will still receive these marvelous blessings. Christ taught us this truth through the poor widow who gave all the money she had as an offering unto the Lord. We find this woman’s great example in Mark, chapter 12:

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” 

Money may be tight, but I promise you that we can’t afford to NOT pay tithing. 

My parents have shared with me their experiences and blessings with tithing.  When they were first married, my dad was still in school and working a telemarketing job for $5 an hour and my mom was working for $5 an hour as a Salesperson at Dillards. There were bills coming due and my mom would say to my dad, “I don’t know how we’re going to make it!” My dad would always say: “Is our tithing up-to-date?” and when my mom would say “Yes, of course!” my dad would say: “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”  A few days after paying tithing during an especially difficult time, my mom called my dad in tears saying “ASU Financial Services just called.  They have a grant down that you qualified for and you haven’t picked up the check yet.  It’s yours, and they were wondering if you still wanted or needed the money.” Soon after that, my dad found a perfect job in Customer Service with Discover Card, making a considerable amount more than his previous job and having full Medical and Dental Benefits.  My mom was soon promoted several times quickly to a Management position within Dillards Department Stores. They soon made a decision to find an apartment closer to ASU and my dad’s work. The rent was a bit more but the savings on gas and time offset the difference.  More importantly, they moved into a Ward in Scottsdale that was a perfect match for them and gained friends that have provided strength and support until this day.

In addition to being faithful, it is also important that we give willingly; otherwise we are not truly obeying this commandment. Stephen L. Richards taught, “When one pays his tithing without enjoyment he is robbed of part of the blessing. He must learn to give cheerfully, willingly and joyfully, and his gift will be blessed.”

The blessings we have been promised are both material and spiritual. If we give willingly, Heavenly Father will help us provide for our daily needs of food, clothes, and shelter. Speaking to Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that if people ‘will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them’ (‘Inspirational thoughts,’ Ensign, Aug. 1997, 7). The Lord will also help us grow ‘in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same’ (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124).” – Gospel Principles manual, pg 188.

My dad once said to me that being focused requires sacrifice. For us to be focused on the things of the Lord, He requires us to make choices and sacrifices. Although we have to give things up, we will reap the rewards of following His commandments. President James E. Faust gave a great talk at a CES fireside in 2007, called “Put Light in Your Life.” In his talk, he tells us several ways that we can receive spiritual light from the Lord, such as daily scripture study, sacrament meeting attendance, prayer, singing hymns, and yes, paying tithing. President Faust goes on to say, “we are entitled to increased spiritual and intellectual enlightenment if we first seek ‘the kingdom of God, and his righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33)… Our faith is not a bundle of beliefs and practices that are too heavy to bear. Those who have come out of the darkness find that their faith carries them. Faith is not heavy; faith lifts and gives us wings to carry us over hard places. As Isaiah promised, ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint’ (Isaiah 40:31).”

In Doctrine and Covenants section 64, we read, “Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.” I’d say that being spared from the awful destruction of the wicked that will take place at His Second Coming is definitely a blessing! 

I’ve often heard the phrase that “faith is a verb”, implying that true faith requires us to act on our beliefs. When we follow through on the things the Lord asks of us, He is literally “bound” to bless us. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, “Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we ‘might have hope.’ Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness.” Even though it may seem difficult, we need to have “the infinite power of hope”, as well as the faith that we will be blessed.

Developing a habit of paying tithing helps us to remember to live this commandment. Whether it’s once a month or every Sunday, having that specific time will help us to remember to pay our tithing to the Lord. I get paid every Friday with a direct deposit into my bank account. When I check my account balance each week to ensure that my paycheck went through, I write up a check with the amount I owe in tithing so that I will remember to pay it on the following Sunday.   

The charity aspect of that quote from President Uchtdorf comes in as we are asked each month to contribute a fast offering to help care for those in need. A general, widely-accepted description of a proper fast offering is the amount we would have spent on food for the two meals we’re giving up, as well as whatever we are able to give. The money given for fast offerings is used by bishops to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for those who need it. We, as members of the church, can also donate funds for other church purposes, like missionary work, humanitarian aid, or the Perpetual Education fund.

Everything at we are given is the Lord’s, so Him asking to give back just 10% of what He gives us and a monetary contribution every fast Sunday to help build the Kingdom isn’t asking all that much. In addition, we must give thanks to Him and “acknowledge His hand in all things”, as we were taught by Pres. Bowden and Bro. Goodman last week. “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” This verse from Doctrine and Covenants section 59 is quite appropriate for this time of year, as we just celebrated Thanksgiving this last week. However, we shouldn’t be thankful only on Thanksgiving – we need to acknowledge the Hand of the Father in our lives each day, and thank Him for the many blessings He sends us.

As I mentioned before, everything we have has been given to us by the Lord. The only thing we have that’s truly ours to give Him is our will. Aligning our will with His is truly the only offering we can legitimately give to Him. Yes, the Law of Tithing is a commandment, and He is pleased when we contribute our 10%, but He is most pleased when we offer up our hearts to Him.

He said, “Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood…and your burnt offerings shall be done away…and ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:19-20).

This means that as we turn over our hearts to the Lord, we also “offer deep sorrow for our sins as we humble ourselves and repent of them” (Gospel Principles manual, pg 151). When we do this, He has promised: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).  

I know these things to be true, and that we are blessed in abundance, both physically and spiritually, as we pay tithing and offer up our hearts unto the Lord. This quote from True to the Faith perfectly illustrates the main point I’d like to make today:

“Remember that paying tithing is not as much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith. Trust in the Lord. He gave the commandment for our benefit, and He made the accompanying promise. Seek strength in the faith of Nephi, who said, “Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth” (1 Nephi 4:1).

We always hear the cliché of the fact that since missionaries are usually about 20 years old, that a mission is like paying tithing on your life. Even though it’s a little over-used and cliché, I believe that to be true. This is me paying my 10% on the life that the Lord has given me.

To close, I’d like to share a story from the Book of Mormon. It’s not very well-known, and it’s very short, but it has become one of my very favorites. It’s found in chapter 19 of Alma, and it’s about a woman named Abish – her name is mentioned only once, but her story is powerful. She was present as Ammon preached the gospel to King Lamoni, and she witnessed the king’s conversion.

“And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father –

Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen, and the king, and Ammon lay prostrate upon the earth, she know that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people…

And it came to pass that she went and took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying: O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!

And when she had said this, she clasped her hands, being filled with joy…” (Alma 19:16-17, 29-30)

I have the same joy and excitement about the gospel as Abish did, and just as she saw that it was her chance to proclaim the truth through the streets, this is my chance to declare the “good news” of the gospel on a mission.

(I then went on to bear my testimony)

Farewell and Open House

Justin did a great job on his talk on tithes and offerings in sacrament meeting today.  Thank you to all who attended.  He will be posting a copy of his talk soon.
We also enjoyed hosting an open house for him this afternoon.  Once again, thank you to all who came and showed support for him.  He is SO excited about going on his mission. A bit apprehensive as the time approaches, but still sure he has made the best choice for his life at this time. 
<3 Mom