Christmas Letters: Christian

Christian,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I hope you are having a great Christmas morning Christian!! I’m sure Santa brought a lot of presents to you, Mary, and Sarah, and he even stopped by Taiwan! It was a little harder for him because we don’t have a chimney and all the windows have bars over them, but he still managed it! I know you have been a great boy this last year, so you will have to tell me about all the presents Santa gave you. I’m sorry you can’t unwrap mine this year, but at least you can open it this morning and then unwrap it next year (2017) when it arrives!! The idiom I chose for you means “if you collect together enough sand, it will become a tower”. This is one of my favorite idioms in Chinese, because I feel like it is a good reminder that most important things (maybe even all important things) don’t change overnight. Like little grains of sand, you have to collect lots and lots and lots of them together for a long time to make something big. Sometimes it may feel like it isn’t making a difference, but it is! Every grain of sand adds to the tower of the person you want to become, the obstacle you want to overcome, or the triumph you want to have won. Keep working hard at everything Christian! Enough grains of sand become a tower! I love you little buddy, and I’m excited to see you again this next summer!!

-Jojo (a.k.a. Elder Hawkes)

Christmas Letters: Mary

Mary,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Or should I say, ‘Mary’ Christmas?? Kidding! Hope you have had such an awesome Christmas break from Junior High! That is so crazy to think you are already in Junior High! I loved Junior High, so I hope you are loving it too! The Christmas presents I chose for you and Sarah might be the same, but I really tried to choose ones that I felt like fit you and that you would enjoy! The Chinese idiom or ‘chengyu’ I chose for you means “sincere heart and real intent”. I feel like you have always been such a cute and sincere person, so I decided this idiom represented you really well. It is so much fun to hear in letters about how good you are getting at viola, soccer, and everything else in school! I can’t wait to see you this next summer and we can go hiking every day!! I also hope that as you keep working through Junior High and High School, you can keep in mind having a “sincere heart and real intent”. People really can tell when you are sincere about something, and real intent will help you become the person you want to be and a person other people can trust. Enjoy your Christmas Day!! I love you Mary!

-Jojo (a.k.a. Elder Hawkes)

Christmas Letters: Sarah

Sarah,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Hope you have had a wonderful Christmas break! I still can’t believe that if all goes right you will be a freshman in college at the same time as me. Freaks me out. I’m the one that’s two years older right??? Either way, it will be super fun and I am super excited!! I hope you like the little gifts I got you! It was a little hard, but when I saw that stuff I was like, “Yeah! Cool little Taiwanese stuff!” Even though it is the general stuff as Mary, I chose the color and patterns on the box, teacup, and fingernail clippers from a variety of others based on what I felt like would fit you, so I hope you like it (if the fingernail clippers don’t work, I’m sorry. Even if it’s useless it still looks cool right?)! The ‘chengyu’ or Chinese idiom I chose for you means something like “make lasting and deep connections with others”. Even if that isn’t actually what it means, that’s what I thought it meant. You have always been so good at connecting with people on a sort of deeper and more personal level, and I’ve always admired that. You’ve expressed in several letters how you feel snippety at times and a little bit impatient, but at least I knew back in high school around midnight doing homework when you and I were both fed up with school that you and I were great friends and that after we went to sleep and got through the homework it would be all better. I feel like when people know that you love them on a more personal and deep level (and when you are able to express that freely), people are a lot more understanding and patient with what you might consider ‘personality flaws’. You do that wonderfully, so I gave you that idiom. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas Day! I love you Sarah!!

-Jojo (a.k.a. Elder Hawkes)

Christmas Letters: Mom

Mom,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Hope you are having a great Christmas morning!! Super sorry I didn’t plan the package enough in advance to get it to you guys before Christmas! Even though it won’t get there for about a month or so, I hope this email and picture method works alright. Wierd to think that next year the gifts won’t need to be in a package!! I got you the same wierd nut thing that I got Dad, and I’m not sure what you want to do with it but the lady told me if you rub it enough it will make you more beautiful. I dunno, she said it, not me. The other is a jade necklace thing. Honestly it was pretty hard deciding what you might like, but at least with the wierd nut thing and the jade necklace you can take it apart and do something else with it if you would like. The Chinese idiom or ‘chengyu’ I chose for you means something along the lines of “live in the moment” or “enjoy every second”. I felt like this represented of something you have been striving towards and something you have expressed as being one of the biggest lessons you have learned from when you were my age. I hope the little cut paper thing can remind you to keep working towards whatever goals or aspirations you might have, and stopping to smell the roses along the way as well. I really have learned a lot from you, Mom, about enjoying those simple but wonderful moments in life. You have always been an awesome example of loving and caring and tending to even the smallest needs of others—especially of us kids. I don’t feel like there is any need in my life that can’t be met by Heavenly Father and the enormous efforts of you as my mother! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas time, and enjoy every tree decorated with Christmas lights, every Christmas song sung in the car, and every piece of wrapping paper littering the floor as you read this email ;) I love you Mom!!

-Jordan (a.k.a. Elder Hawkes)

Christmas Letters: Dad

Dad,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I’ve got to apologize I couldn’t get the package there in time before Christmas this year... Oh well, this is pretty close right? Finding things for you and Mom was a little bit hard, but in the end I found some pretty cool stuff. I have no idea what you want to use the little wooden cup thing for, but I figured it made for a pretty sweet flower vase or pencil holder, whatever you’d like. The other, if the lady told me right, is this kind of nut that if you rub it it makes you more beautiful. I rubbed yours for a few minutes and I could already feel the beauty flowing into me, so I know you will find it useful. She also told me (and this might be a bit more realistic) that if you rub it enough it will polish up really nice. Even though I bought it at a Buddhist street stand, I thought you and Mom would like a matching pair. The cut paper is a chengyu, or Chinese idiom. You will have to look it up online, but it basically means “teach while you learn and learn while you teach.” Something along those lines. I know teaching and learning is important to you and something you do very well, so I chose that idiom. I think this represents you really well, and I am always so greatful for the lessons you have taught me over the years, and especially the awesome insights you share in your letters every week. I use those letters often to teach other missionaries and to learn how to become a better missionary, so keep them up! Crazy to think I will be back next Christmas enjoying fresh hot chocolate and cabin trip insanity! Thank you for your incredible example Dad, and for all you’ve done for our family. I love you!!!

-Jordan (a.k.a. Elder Hawkes)

Christmas and the Mountains Belong to Amas

12/25/16

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

And so passes yet another Christmas in the long line of Christmases, though the last of those spent on my mission. What a crazy thought. For whatever reason, this year I found myself pondering less and less on the details of this spectacular event and more and more on the significance of the birth of our Savior: the glad tidings of great joy, the promise of a Redeemer who would take upon himself the sins and afflictions of mankind, the hope that the finality and solitude of death would be swallowed up in the glorious light of just another beginning. What a promise. What joyful news. I get to share that promise, the gospel, with everyone I meet! I am forever touched by the image of the Son of Man--Great Creator, Almighty God, King of Heaven, Alpha and Omega, Messiah--born unto Mary in a lowly manger. Such a humble beginning of the greatest to ever walk the Earth.

Our investigators are doing great, and we are finding more each week. The Liang Family, 梁家庭, have had to move back their baptismal date due to problems with giving up tea, but come to church pretty regularly and have accepted all the rest of the commandments without the blink of an eye. Eric 馬先生 is doing well reading and praying and is progressing as well. For the first time this last week, I was able to meet with Tim, a man from the States who got married here in Taiwan. Elder Heaton used to meet with him a lot last transfer, but Tim got busy this last month so last week was the first time I got to meet him. We shared the Plan of Salvation and he loved it! He thought it was so interesting, and said he would definitely go home, read the Book of Mormon, ponder on everything we taught, and pray to God to ask if it is true. That is all we ask! It was amazing!

I would like to mention something from a week or so ago that has taught me a lot. We were biking up a huge mountain for Preparation Day and were absolutely exhausted. We were in the middle of a super isolated place with just a few random houses of farmers and lots of graves, and we were feeling pretty good about ourselves for how far and high we had biked. The hill was almost straight up though, so we dismounted our bikes and just started walking them up. After a few minutes, we walked past a man who was sweeping leaves that had fallen onto the road into little piles. We had no idea why he was doing such a task, but as we walked past him, he started laughing at us. "Tired?" he asked. "Oh ya! We biked all the way from ShiLin!" we responded. "Well, you're not the only ones to bike this path! Lots of people pass by here!" We were a little confused. We were near the top of a mountain, exhausted out of our minds, a little proud of our accomplishment, only to learn that the crazy idea we had had was old hat?? We asked what crazy fit biking machines would come clear up where we were, to which he replied, "Lots of 70- and 80-year-old men and women. They just put their bikes in the lowest gear possible and slowly crawl up the mountain, getting passed by motorcycles and buses every once in a while. When they get close to the top, they get off and walk along this ridge-line trail up to the summit and then head back down." What??? The only people crazy enough to do what we were doing were old a-gong 阿公 and a-ma 阿馬. Several times a week, these frail bodies make it to the top of this huge mountain: all because the took their time. Like the tortoise and the hare, we had been shown up by people twice our ages put together. It just goes to show, those who are willing to slow things down and with patience and diligence take it in gear-one can conquer mountains. Love you guys! Merry Christmas

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Get my gift emails ok? Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!!! Your guys' presents were so amazing! I'm already using them all! I listened to Sarah's CD, slept on Christians pillow, gorged myself on Mary's caramel popcorn, wore Grandma and Grandpa's socks, and the whole rest of the shebang! I was so excited about the electric razor and pocket knife thingy, and the Buddha Board is already set up! I will have to email about picking me up next week due to time, but in short I don't really mind getting picked up. I don't need the whole airport welcome thing to feel like I've ended my mission. Also, could I bother someone to look and see if they can find a picture from my EFY group from like 6 years ago? When I was 14. I think there is someone from that group in my mission right now, and I just want to make sure I'm not crazy. Love you guys!!!!

I still have food in my mouth for the first few pictures.... ignore those...........

Ya, I'm a pretty professional Harry Potter and Superman. Absolutely stunning view from the top of this mountain across all of Taipei and all the way to the northern tip of Taiwan. I've heard the nighttime view is spectacular as well.

 some spoiled little one-year-olds birthday. They make a huge deal out of them 

here in Taiwan.

 me opening Christmas presents!

Crowded bus on the way up to hike Yang Ming Shan, the national park right up the mountains from where we are. We hiked to the tippy top and it was incredible!!! It was way to hot for my jacket, so I found a stick of bamboo and tied my jacket and shoulder bag to it like in the picture shown

Ward Party in Soul

   12/18/16

 This last week was awesome!! Our area (and our district) has really turned around in the last four weeks. This last week our whole district saw a ton of success and it was so stinking exciting. In our area, we hinged most of our week on one activity: the ward Christmas party. We invited everyone and their dog, and even worked with members to visit their neighbors, give them candy, and invite them to the activity. Honestly, the night before I was a little scared because in Taiwan 300 people might tell you they are coming to an activity 30 times each and you still might not get a single person there. The activity came round though, and to our excitement the majority came. We had a family of three come that we had ran into on the street several times, three investigators, the Zeng Family (also already investigators), and another family who was the neighbors of a member who had gone with us to give candy to their friends. Super cool!

    Earlier in the week after district meeting, we got to go on exchanges with the Assistants in downtown Taipei by the temple. Lately they have just been going on exchanges with a few of the district leaders, and because we are nearby we got to go with them. Probably the best part was getting to drive from our area to the mission office. Usually we just ride the MRT (subway), so that was actually my first time driving in Taipei in a car and it was super exciting! It was also a really fun exchange because I got to go with Elder Reintjes, the only other Elder that had a visa delay in my MTC group. When we came to Taiwan, it was just us two missionaries on the plane, so we are pretty good friends. The funniest part of the exchange though, was when Sister Bao (a member from our ward who volunteers to help out in the mission office) pulled up the last photo of her son on his mission (he came home last Thursday) and Elder Reintjes points to someone in the picture and yells, "That's my old girlfriend! I kissed her!" Needless to say, Sister Bao printed off a giant copy for him, and teased him for the rest of the day.

     As I was studying some talks this last week, I ran into a scripture that answered a question I've been asked a lot but never really been sure how to answer. The question goes something like this: "why do we have to drink water and eat bread when we partake of the sacrament? I know faith without works is dead, but is eating bread and drinking water really 'works'?" The answer I found is in Doctrine and Covenants 88:15, "And the spirit and the body are the soul of man." As I read this scripture, I guess it sort of sunk in that if we just sat in our seats and just thought about it, it's only half the picture. If we want to "bow down before him, and worship him with all [our] might, mind, and strength, and [our] whole soul" like it tells us to do in 2 Nephi 25:29, we have to use both our spirit and our body. Just something interesting to think about. Well, I love all you guys and hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!

ok, I'm sending some emails marked "OPEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY ONLY". As you might guess, DO NOT open them until Christmas!!! They will contain my letter and a picture of your presents.

turtle! 

They forgot to finish this overpass...lots of graves on the way to the mountaintop.

biked for like 6 hours to get to the top of a mountain. Super exhausting. The view at the top was blocked by trees, but we climbed one to get an ok view. We biked all the way there and jogged the last half hour. After we got back to the bikes we realized Elder Heaton left his helmet back up at the top. So we turned around laughing and crying (from pain and laughter) and jogged all the way back up to get it

Jumping fish! 

Assignment for Dad: what on earth is this caterpillar??

Yes, we zip-tied santa hats to our helmets

I found Mr. Bean with make-up on!!!!

 I have been eating Honey Bunches of Oats in an American milk paradise for two weeks!!