Week 9 - Just after Christmas

From Dec. 28, 2015

 

Hi everyone! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! And thank you so much to those who wrote a letter or sent me something, it made me feel really special :)

 

Christmas was awesome! My parents sent me lots of really nice things, but I didn't like that stuff as much as getting to Skype them! It was so awesome, I only cried a little bit I swear...

 

The last couple weeks have been wonderful! Everyone is just so much nicer during the Holidays! Which makes knocking on doors less scary! We're working with a handful of young single adults, all such amazing people! We're working with a nice girl named Jennifer, and we went over to her house for our second lesson. While we were talking, she randomly said, "Yeah, I don't know why but I just stopped drinking coffee." We were shocked! We haven't even taught her the word of wisdom yet.

 

I know that Heavenly Father is already preparing people to accept the gospel before we even get to them. Me and Elder Graham are getting along better than ever. We're a pretty effective duo! Well, I love you all! I'll send some pictures!

 Love, Elder Higginson

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