8-26-08 Tues.

We received a nice letter and photo from Jake’s Mission President, R.J. Anderson. (We were glad to see the name tag, Aunt Sue had placed on him when entering the MTC, has stayed.) He told us that from the airport they took the new missionaries by the Albuquerque Temple en route to the mission home. (We’re wondering if Jake had been so tired he had fallen asleep, as he has failed to mention seeing the temple.)

He said that Jake and his companion had been assigned to work with the Cortez 2nd and Mancos Wards. Mancos is approx. 15 miles east of Cortez. If you go to the Mormon.org web site, place your courser on the “Worship With Us” tab then type in Mancos, CO . It will show you the location of the Mancos building and the chapels in Cortez. On the map you can see how they must drive right by Mesa Verde Park. However, his first P-day did not consist of site seeing, but rather playing tennis with some members.

The mission president also reminded us “It is against Church policy for full-time missionaries to have visits from family members, relative and friends…The missionary is to maintain singleness of mind on the work of the Lord.” However, Jake stresses that it is very okay for everyone to send him mail and occasional care packages.

He says “Colorado is great, hot, but great”. He reports it’s been about 97 degrees. However it appears he is concerned more about the weather of the future. “I’m just praying for a transfer before I get snowed in here!” (They’re in a pick-up truck for goodness sake!)

He shared the following: “I met a Bro. Walkis yesterday evening at his house. He is a paraplegic from a dirt biking accident but he has one of the strongest testimonies of anyone I know! I think he taught us more than we taught him that night!”

Place your curser over the slide show for the labels for each picture.

08-24-08

Cortez Colorado
Located in the southwest corner of Colorado, Cortez is where the majestic mountains meet the glorious desert.
Coordinates37°20'57″N 108°34'45″W
Area 5.5 sq mi
Elevation 6,191 ft
Pop (2000) 7.977
Density 1,450/sq mi.
The City of Cortez is the county seat and the most populous city of Montezuma County, Colorado. It is a local commercial center whose economy is heavily based on tourism.
Mesa Verde National Park, situated southeast of Cortez, features a large grouping of old Indian cliff dwellings. To the west is the San Juan National Forest, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation and the Navajo Indian Reservation.
The racial makeup of the city in 2000 was 80% White, 13 % Hispanic, and 10% Native American (don’t get the math).
There were 3,209 households and the population was spread out with the median age of 36 years. The median income for a family was $35,533 with about 15% of families below the poverty line.
There are four wards (LDS congregations) in Cortez and two chapels.



Colorado Fun Facts
Nickname: The Centennial State. It was admitted to the Union in 1876.
Official language: English
Demonym: Coloradan
Motto: "Nothing without Providence"
Unofficial Slogan: "Colorful Colorado"
State Mammal: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
State Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine

The state is almost uniformly Christians. Colorado, specifically the city of Colorado Springs, serves as the headquarters of numerous Christian groups, most of them Protestant. Catholicism is popular among many Coloradans, and is becoming more so with the influx of Latino immigrants. Major religious affiliations of the people of Colorado are:
Protestant-44% (Evangelical-23%, Mainline-19%, Other-2 %)
Roman Catholic - 19%, LDS/Mormon - 2%, Jewish - 2%, Muslim - 1%

8-19-08 Tues.

“Flight went great except it was a little toothpick plane and everything so it was cramped like no other. New Mexico is great! It feels like I walked out of the MTC and into the neighboring town. It looks exactly the same, sort of.
Ok well I hope someone bet on Cortez, CO b/c that’s where I am right now and will be for at least 2 transfers, most likely. My companion is Elder Besler from Salt Lake City. I’ve had a great 2days here so far. We stayed at the mission house yesterday for orientation. Pres is great and all. We went out tracting for like an hour with some of the older missionaries in Alb. My guide was elder Roberts who was awesome! We meet this guy from India who stopped and listened to us. We gave him the first lesson basically. He wouldn't take a book but we gave him a pamphlet. Then we slept over at the AP apartment for the night. We got up early again and then went to the mission office for some more instruction. We met our companions got our assignments, packed our bags, (we drive a Chevy Silverado), loaded up and drove all the way up to CO. We ate at Denny’s for free in Durango and then came to Cortez. and that was my day lol driving.
Oh and I got my bike which seems to be in good order and all but where in a driving area so we wont use them much.

8-18-08 Mon.

Jake called from the Salt Lake City at 9 am. He was ready to get into the “field”. It was GREAT to hear his voice and to be able to talk to him in “real time”. After some technical difficulties with the phone all family members were able to ask him a few questions before he had to go. He told us of all the people who had written him and sent him donuts, cookies etc. and how much he appreciated them. A special thank to Sis. Webb’s for taking our package for him with her to UT and adding a calling card so he had a way to contact us today. He said he had seen Elder Sonderegger and they had gotten a few photos--which we will post when they arrive. He then wanted time to eat his Burger King breakfast, being excited to have it and saying it was a delicacy (what can we say)?

8-14-08 Thurs.

“I learned that there is another Buhler here at the MTC. He’s from UY but my Buhler genealogy doesn’t go back far enough to cross. I also just met a new Elder 2 day by the name of Greenwood so if I find him again we’re comparing genealogy. I looked for Chad 2 day but I couldn’t find him. Oh well, I’ve got 3 days so I’ll keep looking. Love you guys so much! Hope all is going well!”

8-13-08 Weds.

Jake’s cousin Chad Sonderegger entered the MTC in Provo today heading to CA Arcadia, Spanish speaking.

8-12-08 Tues.

“We went to the temple. Good news we all got our travel plans awhile ago. We leave at 5 in the morning next Monday and get there around 10:30. My Kentucky buddies leave at 4 in the morning lol. It’s the last week and we’re all getting pretty rowdy and ready to get out of here. All the food starts tasting the same about half way though the second week. Don’t know how guys who are here for 12 weeks deal!
“My instructors are great! Our sisters left our district because one of them went home and the other had to go into a 3some. We were sad about that. Then Sister Allred, our instructor, graduated this weekend so we have a new sister instructor but Bro. Wilding is a great teacher, too!
“Ya I’m getting all your letters and stuff. It’s just hard finding time to write back and the mail is slow but I like it anyway.”

8-5-08 Tues.

“The … MTC is great! Besides all the meetings and companion restrictions it almost just like EFY! Not really, b/c your studying like crazy for at lest 8 hours of the day! The food is as good as you can get with café food and the staff is great along, the teachers. Bro. Wilding and Sis. Allred are my teachers for two of the three , three hour periods of the day. Bro. Wilding has a girlfriend but Sis. Allred is single and has no plans.
“I did my first wash 2 day but I still have 10 min. on the dryer. It is so hard to get a machine! You have to wait for like 15 min before you get one.”

8-4-08 Mon.

The good folks at the Missionary Training Center let the "newbees" write a quick note home to let the folks know the kid actually showed up and is where we think he is. The mail took four days to get here.

Jake described his first day as "different". He said they were hit with a lot of stuff and a lot of general guidelines.

He is sharing a "dorm" room with his companion, a Gregory Smith from South Jordon, UT, Jason McDonald from Vancouver, Canada (whom Jake doesn't think sounds like a Canadian) and Preston Tuttle from someplace south of South Jordon. They are all preparing to go to New Mexico, English speaking and so should get to know each other quite well.

The four roommates have classes with a Sister Weatherston (from Idaho) also headed to NM and four Elders and one Sister who will be going to Kentucky Louisville Mission.

7-30-08 Weds.

'At the MTC Jake met former BYU Coach LaVell Edward’s sister. Upon learning he was from NY she spoke of her trip to visit Coach Edward while he and his wife served a mission in NYC.' They made it to Provo in plenty of time for Jake's 11:30 am appointment, so they stopped at the “Missionary Mall” store. There they ran into Sue and Jake's cousin, Patricia Tyler Stone, who was doing some last minute shopping with her son who was also entering the MTC, en route to Fiji. 'Aunt Sue makes it "official" as she puts on Jake's missionary tag.'

7-29-08 Tues.

Jake flew from Albany, NY to Salt Lake City, UT. His Aunt Sue & Uncle Joe Slade picked him up at the airport and took him to do some last minute shopping. They stayed the night at Melissa Slade’s and he got to visit with her son Josh for a while.