Ok, so Mongolia isn'tperfect. Letme just say that rightoff the bat. Therefore, I amhere in an internet cafe typingon a keyboard that has a slightlybroken spacebar. Therefore, someof my wordsare going tobestuck together. This e-mailis goingto require your cognitive thinking skills to decipher if I meant something or the other. Atleast it's better than the keybopard I just had thatwas missing the A key. I neededthat, I don'tnecessarily need a space bar :). Goodluck!
SO, ifthere is anyone that would like to communicate with me, there are a few ways. THe regular mail willwork and I'mprettysure you have the address to send it to. It's the Mission Home. Then, you can use DearElder.com and write an e-mail to me and they'll print it and i'll usually get it in like a few days. Then you can just regularly e-mail meat my e-mailaddress: james.cappuccio@myldsmail.net Anyofthose three ways willwork. Now, if there is any confusion on the waytosend packagaes, send it throughthe USPS, FedEX, UPS, orwhoever elseyou want. Fromwhat I've heard, the USPS isthemost reliable. Send those boxes to:
ElderJames Ammon Cappuccio,
Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission
UB49 POB 242
Ulaanbaatar, 210649
Mongolia
Ok,next item of business: I'm alive! Last week i was on the brinkof death as the different Mongolian cuisines teamedup on my stomach to reek havoc. I amhappily able to say thatI am fullyfunctional and in verygood condition! Last Monday night i received a priesthood blessing frommy districtleader and it really helpedin quite a few wells. Since then I have been ableto adapt to the food. In fact, just a few days back I was eating the heart, intestines, ribs,liver, and side ofa goat. What madeit a littlemore personalwas the fact that when we firstgot to the house, the goat was still in the process of being cleaned out.He was on his back, his skin acting asthe table to do thebutchering on. After they had taken all thevital organs out, theyscooped out all the blood and saved itfor later. Then they cutup the restof the bodyinto sections. I didn't trythe blood just yet, but everything else I had was alright. The intestines were very hardto chew...They just wouldn't break up! Haha anyways, another thingthat i am getting usedto is the milk,water, salt combo drink they give you in a lotof the gers. The secretis to drink it when it's hot. Nevertheless, it still is pretty tough toget down.
ANyways, after receiving a blessing of myown,I was ableto take partin two blessings thisweek and experience both endsof the priesthood at work. Iwould just like to testify ofhow powerful the priesthood is when used righteously. It truly is the power ofGod that is to be used as a tool to bless the lives of others. Iamvery grateful for the opportunity I had this week to exercise and magnify my priesthood callingin that aspect.
Just the other day I witnessed a veryinteresting experience. Wewere heading back to our apartmentsfrom anotherareaand there was a traffic jam up aheadon a bridge. Our van driver expertlymanuveured pasteveryone else and we were soon at the epicenter of thejam. Just then, this herd ofCows and Sheep and Goats came across the bridge right through allthe cars! It was awesome! Probably one of the neatest things I've seen out here in Mongolia. On a sadder note, the reason the traffic jam even startedwas because a semi truck had hit and killed someone. Itotally missedthe fact thatthere was a dead body on the ground with blood all around it. Iwas too focused on the herd! Nevertheless, he had died and they were trying to figureout what to do with the body.
Oh, we've had some reallly greatwork days lately. It is interesting and tellingof how the Lordworks asI've analyzed our days. The days when we are focused,we striveto center our day around the people and do all we can for them,in unity of companionship,we are blessedwithgreat work. When we have issues, when we're not entirelyobedient however, plans fall through, people aren't home, and lessons just aren't recieved as we hope they will be. I am thoroughly convinced and have gained a strong testimony of the truth of the statement in D&C 1thirty:20-21. Every blessing we receive is predicated upon obedience to a law that God has made. It would be veryinteresting to readthat ledger that holds all the laws and the specific blessings tied to each one. At the same time,I amconvinced that we can make our own ledgers that will mirror God's as we live our lives in obedience to the laws He has given and notice the blessings that result. And of course we havethe words and promises of the Scriptures and the Prophets. Thoseare great sources forunderstanding what blessing is applicable to which commandment. THe greatest blessing of all, eternal life, is predicated on our following all of the commandments. One of course being repentance which allows us to make upfor the other commandments we overlook sometimes. It allows us to retry at that law until we get it right, as long as we have the right attitude about it.
This Gospel is wonderful, as I see what itdoes for the people here I am convincedof the universality ofit! I know thatit will work for anyone anywhere. The law and plan of God supersedes any culture, language, or climate. This is because underneath all those confusing boundaries thatdivide thehuman race, every single one of us is of common heritage: we are Children of God. Every day, I labor to let the people ofMongolia know thatthey are of divine heritage and birthright. It is a wonderful workindeed
Ok, So I've got a very good Idea that I think you need to puttogether for me and mail out tome. Mydistrict leader has this homemade calendar of all the months from the start ofhismission till the end and each month is accompanied with a picture of family or friends and a quote or favorite scripture. If you could putone ofthose together with our family and some of my churchleaders and like the familiesof my friends out on missions and what not. That would be awesome! And then also please send candy and good non-perishable food items. and maybe some receipes soI can learn howto cook. Oh and most importantly, send me your love andyour prayers!
Any mailore-mails you are willing to send mewould be greatly appreciated. I can only e-mailfamily butI can send letters,theywilltake about weeks though. Hey mom,tellthe kids to write me e-mails! I wantto hear how things are going. Especially Amy as she starts school at BYU. I love you all! ~ElderJames Cappuccio
Dear James,
It was good to hear from you, but I hope you are feeling much better than when you last wrote. My mom is worried and wanted me to check to see if you let the mission president know when you are sick I said you probably did, but she thinks you might try to be tough. I should have told her the story of you cutting your foot and just sitting there screaming and bleeding on the carpet until I came to your rescue, and then she might believe me..... Anyway just want you to take care of yourself, so if you have a Doctor's name ready, you can give me ,so I can tell your Grandma you are taken care of if the need should arise....or she might have to fly out there to check on you! I am sending some medicine and some vitamin supplements for you along with some good stuff, so you should get them in a few weeks =). I am also sending your Carnegie Hall CD, a CD player and portable speakers as you requested. I hope they make it. The speakers stick to together in a ball, you just have to pull them off the middle part to use them.
Well, we are still in the same ward, in case you were wondering, but Ben is in Ray 1st ward. Our ward boundary is a lot different. Everything south or Orchid and then the whole block from Mcqueen to AZ ave and Ray to Chandler.
I like the way they have there names, it sounds much like how the American Indians create names. FirmAxe Cappuccio does h ave a strong sound to it. I might have to move to Mongolia for the driving freedom. I haven't had much luck lately with photo radar and red light cameras. And I guess you might like us to send you some Tabasco to put on your food, so you can spice it up a bit. Maybe you can buy some there in a foreign food market. My mom says her friend who went to Mongolia recommends the German Markets for good and healthy food source.
Sounds like you have a great companion and already have been able to teach some lessons. So can you actively contact people on the street? How are the English classes that you are required to teach? Do the native Mongolian missionaries also teach with you? We wold love to hear more about what your average day is like. It would also be nice to hear how the people you baptize were converted.
Enough from me right now, hope to hear from you tomorrow.
Love always,
and....Keep the fire burning!
Mom
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