Conversation with Elder Maikolo

From Martha   November 16
So I was trying to think of what to get you for Christmas...I can't decide so...you will have to get it on Dec 28 when you get home!!!!
How long have you known that you were going home Dec 28!!!!! You are so funny...we are excited Al though we know it isn't that fun for you.
What a surprise and we are sure you are f going to work hard until the very last minute.
All is well here. Russell turns 25 on Monday...1/4 century...65 years younger than grpa Ralph and grpa herb.
W loved your letter and your experience with the man who spoke for 30 minutes..I hope he goes to church and back t to the temple. The gospel brings us joy even though it isn't always easy.
I love love love you
So do you want to go back to byu Jan 7? We have to let them know asap plus find you a place to live with your companions...get a job at the mtc, you have to go online and have you MP sign you in....please  let us know...asap

JACOB

Yeah so I have known for a few weeks that it was a possibility that I could be going home on the 28th, but today it got confirmed when the tickets were purchased. I didn’t think you would all know about it , but then the Mission secretary Sister Jensen, told me that the Itinerary  was emailed to you and I thought I would check my email real quick just to see if you got the notification. I honestly was planning on telling you on Christmas as a big Christmas surprise to you all, but now you all know. Who all have you told?

I even thought of maybe telling dad and working out someway for no one else to know and he would come pick me up and then take me home and surprise you all, but the mission Grandma, Sister Jensen told me that if I were her son she would hate me for doing that so I decided not to do that haha

You know mom I honestly Don’t know what to do know about BYU, to be honest back a few months when I was really worrying about it, we went to the temple and i prayed about it asking what I should do, and I felt like I wasn’t suppose to go to BYU that early that i was suppose to go home and spend time with you and all the Family, and go on that trip to Hawaii. If I was going to School close to home I think it would be easier for me to go to school quicker, I really want to have some quality family time with you all. But then all of a sudden this whole thing happens and now I have the possibility of going home early spending time with you all and being able to go to BYU, to think that in two months I could be at BYU really does get me excited. But really I think I am going to have to pray about it to know what to do. Maybe heavenly father made this work so that I could have family time and go to BYU, but I think it would be really awesome to go to Hawaii with all you too. hmmmm well tell me what you think mom, and I write again on Saturday

MARTHA
Hi Jacob,
We know there are many decisions to make. Here are a few dates to choose from
Jan.7 first day of winter semester
February 28th first day of block
April 30th first day of spring term
June 24th first day of summer term
February 12 to February 18 Hawaii
What are your friends doing? And why did the mission end up having you come home the 28th? Are the new missionaries coming in that early?
Are any of your companions going back to BYU? Who do you want to live with?
We need to let BYU know when you're coming so when you know please let us know. We know these are big decisions and you would rather not think about it but like Gordon Weisenberg always says “if you fail to plan you plan to fail”.
Jacob
We are taking Hawaii off the table. We want to plan a family trip where everyone can go. You’ll be here the same time is Hillary and Russell in December so let's do something together then.
You decide when you want to go back to school and let us know so you can make those plans.
we love you
speak good be faithful be obedient
love mama

JACOB

Wow, honestly mom really the only thing that was keeping me from going immediately back to school was the trip to Hawaii but if that is off the table then I know that the Lord wants me to go to BYU for Winter Semester. I have a friend who just finished his mission in October who is going to go for winter; I will email him real quick to see if i can live with him. Wow this is changing everything! Are you online right now, maybe we can figure this all out right now?

MARTHA
Jacob, are you online I'm here. You do what's best for you if you want to go to BYU will call on Monday and get you in. have your mission president sign you a recommendation for the MTC. Are there any of the guys going home going to BYU. Why did they have you come home in December?
Everything is changing. Let us know what you want to do I love you
Sorry the Hawaii trip is off. Dad is going to send his sales manager and it was getting complicated because all of us wanted to go but we couldn't take Russell Ellen and Hillary and you and all this go.
Some good news Amaris got her mission call to Ecuador. She goes in April. Ashley Bennett got a mission call to Chile and she goes in March.
Today was brother McEldowney funeral.
I hope you're doing okay we love you

JACOB

Um the reason that it changed to December was that the lady from Salt Lake who does all the flights was having a difficult time getting seats for such a large group of returning missionaries for the 7th of January, so I knew that Elder Fisher was already going back on the 28th of December and I prayed if that was a good date for us to come home and i got the strongest feeling that it was. The lady couldn’t get flights on the 7th because of all the after Christmas/new years traveling. But then this Monday the lady emailed again saying that she would just try to work it out for the 7th, but then all of a sudden on Thursday I get a call from the Mission secretary telling me that I have a ticket for a flight on the 28th of December. Mom can I put you cell number as my residential phone number

That is totally fine that the plan didn’t work out, I think it was the lord wanted. I am right now going to see if I can do the MTC teacher application online and the try to figure out my school schedule

Oh I don’t think I can call you right now ha-ha as much as I want to; no there are 11 of us coming home on the 28. Do you think that is too soon to start school mom?

MARTHA
I'm kidding I know you can't call me. But I do feel the urgency for you to get registered. I know this changes a lot of the plans. Maybe it's supposed to be the plan. You go back to school on January seventh and you meet your wife and get married in April ha ha ha ha.
At least we know you are going to go to school right.
How is your mission president taking you leaving... How is Elder Williams? How is this week for work,,, I love you

I think it's great you'll have 10 days home. And then you'll jump right into a new schedule. You’ll be with kids your own age. And you can get close to your bishop. it won't be easy but it's doable. Sister Sterling’s grandson went 3 days later. I think it worked out for him. You are going to be cold and tired. Pray about it and do what you know the Lord want you to do we love you no matter what you do

JACOB

Yeah it will be a little scary to be in a new environment so fast, one completely different from where I am right now, that will be really scary. It will be way fun to be home for New Years and Ellen's Birthday, i am already planning on just spending New Years Eve with you all.

I am going to be really weird when I get home, like worse than Russell i cant speak English all that good any more I’ll have to relearn it ha-ha

MARTHA

 I spoke to sister sterling and her grandson was home for 3 nights. You’re going to have a blast with Hilary and her cute roommates. I think it's good for you to be up there. Do you have any friends from Tonga going? I'm sure you're going to have no problem making friends and adjusting if you can live on an island for 5 months and shampoo with toothpaste you can do anything
I'm just saying you're pretty adaptable.
Come Monday will call BYU and get it all settled. Things are changing up there too because so many kids are going on missions.
I hope Ellen can get in so you're all there together.
I love you

Tell your mission president and his wife we love them too. Dad wrote him a letter last week. I hope you got his email.
It was hard for Hillary, but she will be up there with you
you'll be okay. Just remember how much you're loved and heavenly father is watching you.
You’ll find Polynesian kids to hang out with
maybe you can get on the MTC.
Tell us about this week
How is Elder Williams.. Don’t get Trunky, work to the end.
I know you have to take care of these details, so do what you can today and then get back to work.
love love love you
JACOB
I laughed out loud when you mentioned Niua and showering with Tooth paste.  I have definitely learned a lot on my mission that will help me when I’m living as a poor college student at BYU, I just have to learn how to cook, we don’t have to worry about making out own food here so that is one thing I want you to teach me for the 10 days I am home. Hillary and I will have a blast together; it is so weird that Russ will not be there when I get back, he is in Texas (what is the name of the School he goes to again?)

It will be difficult change but heck, I have had my fair share of those out here, plus nearly half of the kids I go home with are all from Utah, so I will already have a ton of friends up there. What are the things that are changing up at BYU due to all the people leaving on missions, I know that tuition went up but other than that what’s been going on?       Is Hillary flying down for Christmas or is she driving? Does she have a car?

This past week was fun we didn’t have a whole lot of office work so we spend as much time as we could visiting members and teaching people, we have one investigator who I taught before with Elder Fisher, but he never really progressed, but now he lives with members and we have been teaching him every day last week, he is progressing really well and is scheduled to be baptized on the 24th of This month.

Elder Williams is a great guy, I love him; he is a lot like Elder Fisher in that he is really a humble, spiritual guy with a great desire to do the Lord's work, he is in my opinion one of the best in the Mission, he wants to go and get out of the office and do actual missionary work. His humility is what sticks out most about him.

 Next week should be similar to this past week in a lot of normal missionary work.      Definitely no time around here to be trunky haha we call it 'Lepa' which literally means coasting in Tongan.

 Right Mom I just tried to Register for a class but it says that my eligibility is invalid, I think that is because I am still differed, it says I have to call the Registration Office(801) 422-2631, I think it might be because I deferred until Fall semester 2013