Week 5 (Thanksgiving Week)

Well, I'm pretty much out of email time.. So please excuse the shortness of this email! First off thank you so much everyone who's emailing me! Means a lot!  

I heard about your Thanksgiving! Sounds so fun, glad you're all surviving at home without me ;) For Thanksgiving our whole mission had a fun sports day at the church! We played a ton of basketball and volleyball! Later we had a fun dinner at our Branch President's house!

Life is good here, just insanely cold! Things in the Branch are great! Everyone there is so fun, being in the YSA is a blast! Elder Graham signed us up to sing in sacrament.. Guess we'll see how that goes huh?

(in response to my report about BYU's continued mediocrity)Haha wow BYU sucks but maybe in 2 years they'll be good? I don't know.. like Rob always says "BYU sucks!" hahaha that kinda stuff always makes me laugh, not even kidding! I'm always thinking about the family and the funny stuff
we's always do! Like making Gandpa say "6 Mixed Biscuits" Hahahaha still kills me!

(of course I had to tell him about Ronda Rousey) Wow, I can't even begin to tell you how happy that makes me about Rousey getting DESTROYED! At the MTC my whole district was talking about if Maywether fought Rousey and eventually everyone was trying to convince me that Rousey would beat Maywether! Such garbage! Glad she got wrecked!

Thanks for the Malt-O-Meal tips! I'll be sure to try it out! oh yeah!

I'd really love to make these emails longer but you know how it is. I miss the dumb funny stuff you'd do like wearing Logan's football helmet! The picture of you with the Captain America mask at the dump killed me!!! 

I'll do anything to amuse my kids.

I pray for all of you daily! Love you so much, and I'm always thanking Heavenly Father for the family he blessed me with. I'll write more next week! We invited a nice girl named Paris to be baptized and she said YES! We're so excited! Love you ALL!

Love,
Elder Higginson

 

Note from the Editor (aka: Dad): this post is a combination of his mass email, and an email he wrote to me. He includes details that should be included in his Blog.

Week 4

Elder Graham and Elder Higginson

Hey everyone! Crazy week, lot's going on! Being in a YSA branch is awesome! Everyone there really likes me and Elder Graham! 

Taught some weird people lately.. One lady was a witch. Like, she was telling us about her religion and how she's a witch and can cast spells and stuff, pretty cool! 

We're teaching an 18 year old right now named Nate. He's kind of anti Mormon, so teaching him is interesting! We're always really careful not to Bible bash! Pretty fun stuff. 

Yesterday while we were driving around looking for a good neighborhood to knock doors, I jokingly said "Wouldn't it be nice if the people ready to hear the Gospel had green lights over their houses and the people not ready had red lights? It would save lots of time." 

And a couple seconds later we saw a house with a green light on it.. So of course we knocked on the door! And it was a young guy (YSA age) and he was so ready! We have an appointment with him tomorrow! I thought that was pretty dang cool. 

Glad you got the picture from the Vazquez family! I was excited when she offered to do that! Elder Graham is from Roosevelt, Utah! Haha he's a good missionary, we get along!

You asked about how we spend P-Day (aside from laundry).  We usually just email on P day and get some fast food with other Elders but today we're playing some basketball and throwing the frisby! Should be pretty fun! 

We have a lot of options for thanksgiving! We'll probably eat at the Branch President's house, his wife is a really good cook! It's really cool the branch loves us! I like being in the YSA! There are a couple INSANELY attractive girls, so I have to keep the blinders on. hahaha! Oh well. 

Hey, we had Malt O' Meal the other day! Made me think of home! Wanna send me the recipe to make it how you make it!? That would be awesome! 

Dad I got a haircut! Hahaha you were absolutely right, like... it's not bad, but it's for sure not good! Yours were WAY better!  Oh well, maybe I should be happy about it, that way the ladies lay off a little.. (; 

Well again we don't have much time to write.. I'll send a picture of me and Elder Graham! 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'll miss being with you but I know I need to be out here. Love you all so much!!!

Love,

Elder Higginson

Note from the Editor (aka: Dad):  this post is a combination of his mass email, and an email he wrote to me.  He includes details that should be included in his Blog. 

Dinner With The Vazquez Family

On Saturday evening, Nov. 21, I got a text from a number I didn't recognize.  I opened the message and there was a great picture of Jacob and his companion, Elder Graham...along with a family.  This message was sent with the picture:

This is Taera Vazquez.  Your son came to our house for dinner in Spanaway.  He had a wonderful testimony and we greatly appreciated him sharing it with us. My son goes to the Singles Branch where they serve.

So not only did the Vazquez family invite Jacob into their home and feed him, they also took the time to send a picture and message to Jacob's parents.  Needless to say, it made our day!  Thank you so much, Sister Vazquez!!

Elder Higginson, Elder Graham, and the Vazquez family in Spanaway, WA

Week 3.5

The following was an email sent just to me (Dad).  It had a lot more detail than his mass email...and I wanted it in his blog for mission journal purposes.  It also made me laugh!

Hey Dad!  I loved the pictures by the way! I got to show my comp pictures of the people I'm always talking about haha!

Wow I don't know how Ethan did in his championship football game, but tell him i'm proud of him! and Daniel too! 

I'm getting a haircut later today... scary. 

Our area is like 100% a car mission!  We have a 2016 carolla haha it had like 40 miles on it the day we got it! 

My comp is a district leader but he's been a zone leader before! Elder Graham has been out 16 months! The mission president was excited to pair up me and Elder Graham! Our mission president is so awesome! Hilarious too! 

I'm buying a bike today... Hoping I spend the right amount of money! That's the kind of stuff I like to have you around for Dad! Well wish me luck! 

Hey you and mom should send me some easy food recipes! we've been eating good though, just like chicken, fruit, ramen etc.. Dad I got a big bag of fruity Dino Bites and pretty much wiped it out in a week! It's so good! 

Haha my comp and me get along so good, he doesn't have my kind of humor really but we still make each other laugh! I'm blessed to have him, he's really good at being a missionary!  Tell uncle John and aunt Tawnie thanks for the ties! Dad I can't belive how lame everyone's ties are! And I'm like looking too good!  I get so many compliments! Oh yeah! 

Dad we have the Puyallup YSA ward!!! Weird right?! Haha it's pretty fun though the ward really likes me! Well they're actually a branch but they're trying to be a ward! 

DAD! Guess who I saw yesterday.. JAKE RICHARDS! What the heck?! I didn't know he was here! He was like, in shock when he saw me I'm not even kidding hahaha! Pretty cool, and I saw my other friend David Kim too! He didn't even know I got my mission call! So he was freaking out too! So funny. 

I like how our whole day is planned out, feels good! Elder Graham is insane at starting conversations with people! I'm trying to pick up on it! Getting better though! 

Tell the kids that I'm constantly telling other missionaries about them! miss those guys! 

Love you so much Dad! You're my role model and my hero. I miss you always being with me to talk to and make jokes with and give me top notch advice! But I'm enjoying the mission and it'll fly by quick! Love you!

Jake

Week 3 - First Area

Hello Family!

Wow it's amazing how fast I started missing you all. But that's okay because I'm loving life out here! 

Washington is gorgeous! The grass here is a whole new shade of green, it's like, glowing! And it's raining here all day EVERY day! But I like it! 

I don't have a lot of time so I have to make these emails pretty brief! Well me and Elder Graham have been called to the Puyallup Young Single Adult Branch! Weird right? But it's awesome! Everyone is close to my age! 

Me and Elder Graham get along really well, he's an incredible missionary! I hope to be more like him. Luckily we get to have a car! It's a brand new carolla, had 40 miles when we got it! Pretty nice.  

My comp ate 2 raw eggs yesterday after I dared him to.. what a champ! We were knocking on doors and had a few doors slammed in our face, kinda makes me laugh.  I don't know why! Guess I'm just pretty weird! 

If any of you have some good food recipes you could send we would love it! 

I love you all so much! Thanks for always supporting me. Yesterday on Sunday I really missed seeing all of you up at Grandma and Grandpa's house. But I'm helping people change their lives out here, which is a pretty good substitute. 

I've grown a whole new loved for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And sharing it makes me really happy! Okay well i'm out of time. I love you all so much!

Elder Jacob Higginson

First Email From Washington!!

(Sent by Jacob Wednesday afternoon (11/11/15)...just after getting to his first assignment)

 

HEY EVERYONE! So its not my P-day, but my Mission President (President Robert Eaton) is letting me email my parents to let them know I got to my mission safely!

 

President and Sister Eaton are so awesome you have no idea! Such nice people and they really like me so far!

 

Got my trainer! His name is Elder Graham, he's so awesome! He's like the most obedient, hard working missionary ever! But he's very humble and nice too, so I like him!

 

Knocked on a few doors yesterday, it was kinda scary but Elder Graham is really good at starting conversations with everyone!

 

Our apartment is really nice, he says it's the nicest one he's had his whole mission! We just got done grocery shopping, we got some good stuff! Like Ramen, frozen chicken, fruity pebbles, fruits and veggies, just that kind of solid stuff!

 

It's so nice out here! Everything is really green and healthy looking and the sky is always nice and gray, I love it!

 

Our whole mission has a goal of 40 baptisms in the month of November, and we've all promised to pray for it in every prayer! And I mean EVERY prayer! We're hoping that as all of us pray so hard for it that it'll happen.

 

I'm so happy to finally be out here working! I know you're all praying for me and you have no idea how much that means to me. Whenever I'm feeling down or discouraged I just remember how much love and support have from home and it helps me feel motivated and eager to serve!

 

I love you all so much!

 

-Elder Jacob Higginson

Goodbye Utah! See you in 2...

Elder Larsen Brooks & Elder Jacob Higginson on departure day at the Salt Lake International Airport.

This morning, Jacob flew out from the Salt Lake International Airport  to Washington, where he will spend the next 2 years.  I got a phone call from him just before he boarded his plane, which completely made my day!  He sounds amazing...so happy...so much more mature than he was two "long" weeks ago!  I miss him...but I wouldn't take the experiences he is going have over the next couple of years away from him for anything! 

A good friend of Jacob & Nairn, Larsen Brooks, was also flying out this morning to Italy!  His dad, Michael Brooks, was at the airport and got a great shot of these to amazing young men.  What a great looking pair!  Good luck, boys!  We couldn't be more proud of you both!

MTC Days

Letter to come...

Jacob's MTC Zone

MTC District

Elder Jacob Higginson's MTC District

Jacob enjoyed attending the temple on P-Day

Jake with Aunt Karey's Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (Life is good)

Elder Jacob Higginson chillin' with MTC Companion, Elder Lloyd

Chocolate Chip Pie

The first pictures of Jacob in the MTC...with his District...arrived today from my cousin, Julie Higginson, who works at the MTC.  She was helping my sister (Jacob's aunt), Karey White, deliver a surprise treat--one of Karey's coveted Chocolate Chip Cookie Pies, which Jacob happens to love!  

Julie got to see Jacob and his small MTC District, and took a couple of pictures.  He looks amazing...and happy...and tall.  As I look at Jacob's belt line next to all the others in the picture, it makes sense to me now why finding pants to fit him was such a challenge.  I guess most pants are made to fit normal-sized people.  

Thank you Karey and Julie!  This was a very welcome surprise...and I'm sure Jacob (and his pie) is the most popular missionary in his District today.

  



Jacob's MTC Compation, Elder Lloyd, is next to him on the right end.

 

Elder Jacob Higginson with Julie Higginson

 

First MTC P-Day Email

HELLO EVERYONE! 

Wow its amazing how fast i started to miss you all. The MTC is amazing! Really hard, but its incredible how much we've learned so fast! 

My Companion is so great!  His name is Elder Lloyd, he's also from Utah! He's very spiritual and so is the rest of my zone. We're all great friends already and we learn so much from our classes! My main teachers, Brother Mckay and Sister Evens are incredible! Both recent returned Missionaries. 

Me and my comp just got made the Zone leaders yesterday! And we're both really excited to magnify this calling! The sleep schedule is sucky, but it's slowly getting easier to stay awake!  

I wish I had more time to email because I'd spend about half the day telling you all about this amazing experience. But more emails will come! 

I cant tell you how much your emails meant to me. 

Well we're all going to do Endowments at the Provo temple pretty soon, I LOVE YOU ALL.

Sincerely, Elder Higginson

First (very brief) email from the MTC

Hey Father and Mother! 

They're letting us email our parents right now! Well these last couple days were crazy! My district is full of really cool guys we all love hanging out together all day. 

My companion is Elder Lloyd, he's awesome! Me and him hangout all day and today they made me and him the Zone Leaders! I'm pretty excited about it.

We're learning a lot and yes it's hard work! Not used to the sleep schedule at all! But I'm getting more and more excited to go to Washington to teach. I'll have my P day on saturday, thats when i'll get to see your mail or emails. 

I love you guys SO MUCH! this has been a good experience so far. talk to you soon! 

P.S. im getting so many compliments on my hair, ties, and shoes. As expected.. love you guys!

Goodbye Family...Hello MTC!

 

 

There he goes...

Bountiful Temple

Farewell Sunday

 

 

 

 

 

Mission Call

Testing 1, 2, 3

First Mission Suit

Pre-Mission Suit with twin brother Nairn