Conference Letter

I know this letter made my mom cry and it made me cry to. Let's just say we haven't heard many things like this from Jonathan before :) Serving the Lord truly does bring blessings.

Wow, that’s so exciting! Tell Kevin congratulations. I started skimming through the email and saw you started talking about it and saw a capitol C in the answer so I quickly put my hand up to cover it and read the first part of the message. At first I thought it said California (I wish; I would so love to be his trainer) :D Well, I’m sure he will do great! Can I get his email so I can email him some stuff?  (Kevin is a friend from home who just got his mission call to Colorado!)

 Anyway, for general conference we went to the chapel where Saturday it was only us two, but Sunday we had 3 investigators show up, one recent convert, and one less active show up, and only about a few members showed, so that was cool. I'm so glad the church is close by. I think this general conference was the best one I have been to because I really focused this time and made notes on all of the talks. I received personal revelation from every talk. It was truly spiritually uplifting. One thing that really stuck out to me is how we have the priesthood, and through that priesthood worlds were created, and we were created. We just don’t know how to use the priesthood to its full potential yet. But another major thing that stood out to me is how I need to tell my parents I LOVE THEM. So, Mom, Dad I love you. I want you to know I love you and wish I could make up for all of the hugs I dodged  :D, and the kisses I missed. I want you to know even though we’re thousands of miles away, I could still hear your voice telling me good night and saying our usual good night answers :) I know I can’t sleep as well without them. Even though I thought "How was your day" after I got home from school or work was getting pretty repetitive, I could always hear myself saying "Fine" but I love those moments. I remember in my Patriarchal blessing it tells me to lean on my parents when I'm going though a hard time. And I know my parents will help me because they are tough, and rooted in a firm foundation in the gospel. I want you to know I look up to you both and that I know you are my LOVING mother and father. I look forward to the life to come when we all can be a loving family in the celestial kingdom with our loving Heavenly Father. My heart has felt the spirit of the Lord so frequently since I have left on my mission. I can not deny that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and Thomas S. Monson is a living modern day prophet.

  I loved your package you sent me. I received it this week. And the new music is great. Thank you so much! I don’t know how to send the Ipod home. I think it will get stolen if I send it in a card so should I send it in a box? Also, is there any way I could get some Walter Rane art? I am really impressed by his art and the walls in our apartment are bare so we thought of getting some art and a few pictures of temples (and a light house picture to remind me of home :D) to invite the spirit a little more.

  An interesting thing happened. I wanted to listen to Manheim Steamroller’s song of the crickets so I was looking through my Ipod for the song and I came across a message on it. It was Jessica on her point shoe in the middle of the chalk circles and it said Jessica: I Love You. So that touched my heart and I want to let Drake, and Jessica know that I love them very much and Emily, and Tyler are not excluded :D

  I've had such a great week and I hope you will have a great week to come Thank you so much for the sacrifices you have done for me. I like how Thomas S. Monson said a mission is a family affair and I know you have done a lot for me. Hope you have a great week and it’s filled with excitement and lots of experiences.

  

    With MUCH LOVE from your baby,

       Elder Ranquist

Dad's Letter (answering from questions)

My companion has a cd player but when he leaves I don’t know what to do. Also most likely I will be in a car area in the future so I can listen to that cd in the car, but no way of getting my Ipod hooked in with the car so I have to go by an electronics store in the coming pdays or something. I have a GT tachyon bike. Its’ spokes broke twice on me this week so it’s been hard repairing it all the time. The spokes are super thin, really small. I wish I looked at that when I was looking at bikes but now I know. We’re not supposed to give our direct address to anyone. I guess missionaries in the past have done that and people have stopped by and stuff, sorry. Did you or Drake become District leaders or zone leaders or trainers?  That thought just came to my mind; just wondering. I hope you have had a great week. I always look forward to talking to you both. I want you to know I really love you Dad and thank you for your  forgiveness. 

 Love,

 Elder Ranquist

Easter Letter

(Jonathan is responding to my letter where I told him all about Time Out for Women):

Wow, that’s so exciting! It sounds like you had a great time. That actually brought up a few poems I read while my companion was emailing first.

   One of them is:

My Father at the helm

The curling waves, with awful rear,

A little bark assailed,

And pallid fear's distracting power

O'er all on board prevailed

Save one- the captain's darling child,

 Who fearless viewed the storm,

And, cheerful, with composure smiled

At danger's threatening form,

"And can you smile," a seaman cried,

"While terrors overwhelm?"

"Why should I fear?" the boy replied,

"My fathers at the helm."

So, when our worldly hopes are reft

Our earthly comforts gone,

We still have one sure anchor left

God heals, and He alone

He, to our prayers will lend an ear

and give our hearts relief;

and turn to smiles, each trembling fear

to joy, each torturing grief.

then look to Him, mid terrors wild,

when wants and woes o'er whelm,

Remembering, like the fearless child,

Our father’s at the helm!

I really like that poem.

Anyway, I’ll try to get some pictures to you (if I ever take some :) but we took a picture of our district this Wednesday because that was our last district meeting. Because Saturday we got our transfer calls. I'm still here in Berkeley and where there are still all sisters in our district but now there’s going to be a tripanionship so 5 sisters in our district. And the interesting thing is the sisters are switching wards. So we’re going to have the same sisters but they will just switch wards. It’s interesting.

There’s another poem I would like to type that I just found today while my companion was emailing and I think it applies to what I’m going through right now.

          Little by Little

"Little by little," an acorn said,

As it slowly sank in its mossy bed,

"I'm improving every day,

Hidden deep in the earth away,"

Little by little each day it grew,

Little by little it sipped the dew

Downward it sent a thread like root

Up in the air it sprung a tiny shoot

Up in the air it sprung a tiny shoot

Day after day and year after year,

Little by little the leaves appear;

And the slender branches spread far and wide,

Till the mighty oak is the forest's pride.

Far down in the depths of the dark blue sea,

An insect train works ceaselessly

Grain by grain they're building well

each one alone in its little cell

Moment by moment and day by day

Never stopping to rest or play

Rocks upon rocks they are rearing high

till the top looks out on the sunny sky

The gentle wind and the balmy air

Little by little bring verdure there

Till the summer sunbeams gaily smile

On the birds and flowers of the Coral isle.

"little by little," said a thoughtful boy,

"moment by moment I’ll employ,

learning a little everyday

And not spending all my time in play

"And still this role in my mind shall dwell,

whatever I do I will do it well

little by little I’ll learn to know 

the treasured wisdom of long ago

and one of these days perhaps well see 

that the world will be the better for me."

Do not you think that this simple plan

made him a wise and useful man?

I really think I’ve been growing little by little each day. I love it. I had my last New missionary follow up meeting where all of the new missionaries go and get taught. So I think I saw my MTC friends for the last time unless they are in my district or zone one day. That would be awesome. My companion was companions with his MTC companion that would be so fun. Anyway, while in the training meeting President Merideth said we are getting more English speaking sister missionaries this transfer than we have English speaking sister missionaries out in the field right now. And that he said to the elders, don’t be surprised if you are called to a leadership position with all sisters. So I think right now I am being trained on how to be a great district leader with all sisters in the district. I really learned that I don't seek for leadership opportunities, like that isn’t my goal, but I am constantly preparing for them in case I am called to one, knowing that even though I am called as a leader that doesn’t mean I am better or above anyone else. I really really love this Mission President. He is soo amazing and full with love. I’m so blessed he is my president and his wife is so amazing as well. It’s amazing.

An amazing thing happened. Last Saturday and Sunday our district fasted for investigators and missionary opportunities and Sunday after our dinner when we broke the fast we got a call saying a 9 year old in our ward told his dad that he wanted to get baptized, and the members we were eating with helped out the sister missionaries this week and now the sister missionaries had one of their investigators accept a baptismal date because of this member that resolved their concern. But this 9 year old boy is named Antonio Michaels. He’s amazing and so smart. It’s so exciting. He’s going to be my first baptism. His date is April 21'st.

It’s nice hearing from you. Hope you are doing great!

Love,

Elder Ranquist

1/12 of the way through

Can you believe that I’m 1/12 done with my mission!? That’s scary. I think me and my companion are getting along a little better so I’m happy about that too.

This week we taught an investigator but he was single so we had to refer him to the singles ward sisters. Did I tell you that I’m in a district with all sisters except me and Elder Doney? We’re the only ones on bikes too so it’s difficult. The mission president was at our district meeting this week and Elder Doney and him talked about that so we might get a car just to run around in. I think we'll still mainly use our bikes throughout the week unless we have to go to the super hilly places or on Pdays where we have to do laundry and shopping and stuff, because right now we’re borrowing the sisters’ car, while they email, to do our shopping and laundry. Our mission used to have the most cars out of any mission in the world but now we have the second most cars in any mission. That's what they said the first day I got here anyway and we’re getting 8 new cars this week.

Anyway, I had an exchange Tuesday with the zone leaders, but they are Spanish speaking elders so I got there and they had the day full of investigator lessons and all of the lessons fell through. I’m starting to think I’m a curse with investigators. But it ended up all right. We taught a member and the Elder I was with translated English to Spanish and it was great.

Friday I had a really great experience. I was talking to my companion when I mentioned I knew of an elder who brought a phone out with him on his mission and he could call home as long as he had wifi and he had music on his phone he could use. I forgot about this after I left the MTC but something brought it to my mind and I told my companion. Then he told me to call the mission president right away and he will take care of it because obedience is important. I really didn’t want to because this elder was great and I trusted he wouldn't use it and frankly I didn't want to rat him out or talk to the president about it, but after I talked to president about it my chest felt lighter and I felt like I did the right thing, but I still felt bad that I told on him. I think it’s the Lord seeing if he could trust me because if I didn’t tell president about that I don’t know what would have happened with the other guy but I did anyway. Elder Doney thinks that it’s the Lord preparing me to be a leader seeing if I could be trusted, and it shows the mission president that he can trust me as well.  I see this elder on Wednesday so I hope everything goes ok. He might know it was me but oh well I did it out of love to try and help him.

Anyway, since our district was having a hard time teaching people, we decided to fast yesterday for missionary work and things like that. And yesterday we found a perfect member who can help the sister missionaries with an investigator they have. And we got a call saying a 9 year old who is in our ward wants to be baptized so we can start teaching him this Tuesday.  I think he will be my only baptism in this area but I think it’s still exciting and shows me that fasting really does bring miracles!

I hope the test goes well and you can find out how to get better. Excited to hear where Kevin will be going that's awesome!  Oh and I got a letter from someone, I can’t remember who but that really made my day when I got that :) Stay safe and I’ll keep on praying for all of you!

   Love,

     Elder Ranquist

       Ofa Atu

Email to Dad: 

 Wow, I really like the poem. I read it out loud and we were kind of laughing beacuse it related to us really well, going up hill, funds are low, things like that. Wish I could print some of these things off but the printer here doesn't work. I'm liking it out here and hope the best for you. And if in the next package sometime can I get BYU vocal point? I really like their songs. Anyway, I'm excited to see where Kevin might be going that's awesome! I hope Jessica and Tyler are doing great. And also Drake and Emily. I'm having a lot of growing experiences out here. It's amazing. Anyway, good luck in your doctor appointment. I'll pray for you.
    Love,
       Elder Ranquist

Being Sent Home Early

Yes. That’s right, I'm being sent home from my mission early. I will not be serving a full 2 year mission. I regret to say that I will be returning home in one week less then my original departure. Ok, now that I have scared you and had enough fun I will tell you the truth. Everyone in the mission field right now is going home one week early. My transfer right now is only five weeks instead of six because everyone in the MTC is only spending two weeks there instead of three so transfers have to be shortened for there to be trainers to train them.

Also some amazing news is that we are now able to email home to friends! I can email people like Sean Ryan and people in the ward and my other missionary friends out here. That’s exciting to me. My companion is sad that he hasn’t had this able to him for his whole mission but I’m happy. This week has been hard. I have not met with a single investigator since I’ve been out here. I have not been able to extend the baptismal question to anyone which is a goal you were supposed to have within the first week. I have gotten a lot better at contacting people/tracting. I’m not perfect or great at it but definitely improved.

This week me and Elder Doney have been focusing on Family History work to contact people and a lot of people we’ve talked to have been interested and its great since we have a family history center right underneath our Visitor Center. I’ve been reading the red binder of our family history stories like Grandpa’s story and things like that during lunch or free time just so I could have an idea of some things to talk about. We've started to pray for service opportunities we can do last Monday and everyday except for I think Tuesday we’ve been able to serve people its amazing.

I've started carrying around a little booklet to right quotes and things I like down  to remember them, kind of like the missionary did in “The Best Two Years.” I'll share a few I put in there already. "We shouldn't wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available-all the time!" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf If you want to find in life those things that bring good results in your life, see what’s brought good results in the lives of those around you. -Grandpa Ranquist "Don't let your life be simply an existence that is fun or selfish. Life is more than an amusement park. Do not be hooked on obtaining possessions. Accept responsibility" -Ensign. Those are a few quotes that stuck out to me this week. I read this months Ensign and loved it. I especially enjoyed the article on Growing Resilient Children. I was amazed at how much stuff applied to me right now on my mission. I have about half of the article underlined. 

    I have gained a lot of weight. When I left home I was 145. When I left the MTC I was 147. Now I’m 159. Admittedly, I was wearing shoes, tie, belt, planner, and other things which must have weighed me down quite a bit. But really I have never eaten: so much, so good, and so often. Since I’m in this bike area I have been eating up plates and whenever I do I always think of how you don’t like the missionaries finishing off the food so you could have left overs. Honestly I have not fattened at all. I don’t think my belly has gotten any rounder. For one this I’m sure my legs and bottom have grown a sizable amount. Elder Doney is very specific on how he always wants health foods. We only get non high fructose corn syrup stuff like bread.

It’s amazing how hard you and dad are working. That’s amazing. I remember when dad worked a few extra shifts and he was drained the next day. I can’t imagine how it is now. And grandma, wow. I thought last year was supposed to be our busy year with 2 marriages and a mission. It seems like you guys aren’t going to get any rest. Keep it up, I don’t know what to say. It reminds me of the scripture D&C 89 18-21. I know it talks about the word of wisdom but I think it kind of applies. Also I was reading that Joel H. Johnson was there when Prophet Joseph Smith declared the Word of Wisdom. I thought that was amazing. Well, I have to get going here. I want to let you know I love you and the family and hope the best. Stay Strong!

    Sincerely,

       Elder Ranquist

That little trickster. He had me! I had to read the email during my student teaching...which I'm not really supposed to do. Sounds like he's doing well though!