Aussie Adventures : Second week!

Dear friends and family,

Life is good. I am starting to enjoy the MTC a little bit more. I guess it is hard to like it when you are sick. Haha. I am feeling much better. Thanks for all the kind notes and encouragement people have given me. They have helped me.

Mom, I have finally met my mission president. He is the son of Neal A. Maxwell. Isnt that awesome (question mark). This keyboard is horrible. That is ok though. I really like him and his wife a lot. We got to talk to them for about an hour. Sister Maxwell really likes my name Bjorn, so she had me tell her about my Icelandic ancestry. She calls me Elder Bjorn. Haha. I am really excited to work with both of them. She is outgoing and he is a little bit more quiet, but there is a strong spirit of love with them. They told us that one of their emphases will be continuing to develop a love of the scriptures. They told us that there is only one branch, a small congregation of Vietnamese there. I hope to make it a little bit bigger, at least, if that is Gods will for me. That is something that we have been discussing recently, how we are simply planting the seeds or even somethimes, just preparing the soil. I believe that my mission will make a difference, even if I dont completely see it during my two years. I want to work hard, so I have nothing left at the tape. That was something that Sister Janice Perry spoke about yesterday. She and her husband spoke yesterday. I feel like it was a very spirit-directed talk. They were able to combine a little humor with some very inspirational messages. We sang together as an MTC, some of the songs she had written for the Childrens Primary Song Book. It reminded me how music has the unique power to provide comfort and peace. We sang Sisters in Zion and Army of Helaman together. At first, everyone was sitting down, but slowly, everyone began to stand up. It was awesome. She then sang for us some of the songs she has composed, which are not published. She ended with a song called Like Jesus. It is about a person wanting to develop patience, to forgive as He forgives, in all situations to let His light
shine...Let people see a little big of Jesus in me. I am trying to be a better reflecter of light. (Look up Pomperderos, a Greek who recounts a story about a mirror he found during WWII).

It is so important to be optimistic and carry confidence here. You feel a mantle a responsibility here, but I feel as the Atonement teaches, that Christ can bear us up and lift us higher. I know this to be true. I read in Proverbs this week how a merry heart is like medicine. That is so true. I think it is Proverbs 18 or 19. Also, Joseph Smith described himself as having a native cheery temperament. I enjoy telling jokes occasionally here. Most of them probably arent very funny but everyone laughs because Im laughing. That is like the jokes you (Hyrum) told me about that they tell in China. By, the way, I love getting your letters. Im glad that youre loving China so much. Its an adventure you will always remember. Elias, I stole a couple of your jokes. The one about the mushroom and the stairs. Everyone laughed. Keep telling jokes Elias. They really have the power to brighten peoples day. Youre so good at that. I play beach volleyball here almost every day. I didnt know it, but I dont have a half-bad serve. Haha. I will try to be humble. My technique of punching the ball occasionally probably isnt legal though. We always play a district. We are all Vietnamese Elders. There are only 7 of us in the whole MTC. There are 5 missions in the world that have Vietnamese Elders. 2 are going to Houston. To the very same ward that I think Grandpa Myres set up. 1 is going to Cambodia. 4 of us are going to Melbourne. By the way, I met someone from Melbourne yesterday. I guess if you want to talk like an Australian, drop the Rs. I been giving it a little try. Hopefully, it doesnt make the rest of the district go crazy. He said that most of the Vietnamese live in Western Melbourne. He gave me the line, there are shrimps on the barbie. Haha. I am excited to meet some more Australians. The Vietnamese language is coming along. The soung I was struggling with is the ng. I trying to continue to work on the pronounciation. Im slowly using less and less notes. Mostly, I just now go into lessons with some vocab words, so I am able to say what I need to. I do practice with the sentence structure though before hand. Im starting to have more fervent prayers for help with the language and the gift of tongues. I read D and C 46 30 and 1 Corinthians 14 12. It is about how spirituals gift are from God, not for us, but simply to glorify God. That is so true. I know that mind has been quickened and my tongued loosed. There is no other way that the language has come so quicky. It is still a struggle, but it is definitely coming along. As in John 2 with Nathanael, I believe that God will be able to wrought more mighty miracles as I place faith in him. Yet,
I know I have to my part. I am trying to be more goal-oriented. It has helped a lot. I think the key is being specific with goals that are reasonable, but still push us. Dad, I am keeping a daily journal. Youre right in that it is so important to record insights and promptings that we have. If we dont write it down, we forget.

I loved the World Broadcast on Sunday. It was amazing to be able to see eleven Apostles so close. There is seemed to be a strong theme of love. I think it was Elder Nelson that said love is the light and lubricant of missionary work. Imagine, if this world was ruled by love. I give everyone an invitation to began the Book of Mormon with me. I am going to start it once more. I know that insights will come, regardless, of how many times you have read it. We did this exercise this week of read the book of Omni, verse by verse, each reader commenting on the verse. It surprised me how each verse could really teach me something different, or something that I needed to hear. When the Prophet Joseph Smith described the translation of the Book of Mormon, he described how mentally strenuous the process was. It is a lesson to me that personal revelation from God will require of me effort and faith.

Love you all.

By the way, my email is jonathan.shumway@myldsmail.net. Sorry if anyone sent an email to the wrong one. I guess that is what you get for writing a Facebook message at 3 am. I pray for all of you and wish God speed. Thank you for that quote Grandma and Mom about the ship. I have thought about it a lot. A ship does have to leave the harbor, even if it has to go through some storms. Hopefully, not like any of the storms you told me about that Uncle Blakes ancestor had when he went to Australia in the 1850s, Aunt Dana. Haha. I guess we will see. Finishing with the words of how my Grandpa Shumway used to end his weekly emails.

Elder Jonathan Shumway and Elder Evan Myres at the Provo Temple--cousin love.

Elder Jonathan Shumway and Sister Katherine Orgill and a very excited handshake. The Orgills are dear family friends from the home ward. Both Katherine and Jonathan's younger brothers are kindred spirits.

Here is a quote from her missionary letter this week, "He actually got really sick this week. I kept hearing about an elder who threw up during Tuesday night devotional and passed out... I just found out it was him :( I talked to him yesterday and today and he's doing a lot better. I'm bringing some goodies that the Neubergers sent to me to his classroom later today. He's such a stud."