Left in Suspense

Sorry I haven't updated the blog lately, but I'm doing way better on this than my journal writing: On Aug 3rd, James sent this email:

Hey, not to be a downer or anything, but I just spent upwards to an hour typing out an email for ya'll and then it lost it. So...yea...basically, I'm still alive, and my companion is mongolian and awesome. and the food isn't killing me. I'll write a real one next week. Oh, our P-day is mondays. See ya, bye!

I sent him this in response:

Dear James,

I was a bit disappointed about not getting your email you spent an hour writing. Hope to hear from you tomorrow(Monday). It's probably early Monday already in Mongolia. I'm writing at about 3pm Sunday afternoon. They are showing the Olympics on TV now and I figure your time zone is probably close to Bejing's. Tonight they are announcing a ward boundary change. I wish I knew what the new ward boundaries were for sure, but tonight we are having a meeting at the church to let all the Ray wards know their new ward boundaries. I have heard 2 rumors that people say they heard from someone who knew. One has the boundary at Orchid north going to Ray 1st and the other has the people north of Ray rd going to Ray 1st ward. So there is a possibility we will be in a different ward after tonight. If I get home and you haven't written me back already, I'll write you a quick email to let you know.

Sister Finuf forwarded me an email with a picture of all the new missionaries she got from your mission president. I guess he doesn't have my email address so I didn't get one. Maybe I should email them also. Anyway, it was nice to see your smiling face along with all the other missionaries. I hope you are doing well and having a great experience every day.

On the homefront we are still sweating it out through the hot August days and the almost as hot nights. After church I can barely touch the steering when I first get into the car, for fear I might sear a permanent steering wheel tattoo onto my palms! Just thought you would enjoy a warm remembrance of home.....

So what interesting food have you tried so far? I know you enjoy eating, but wasn't sure how adventurous you would be. I can see you eating just about anything( within the Word of Wisdom) to impress an investigator though. "i'll eat this eyeball and monkey brain, if you'll read the Book of Mormon." Let me know if you ever use that line =) Help will be coming soon by way of a care package in case the food gets too crazy.

Hope to hear about your first 2 weeks and what your day is like over there. Keep the fire burning!

love always,

Mom

James IN Mongolia

Hellooooooo from Mongolia! I made it here safely and i'm sitting in a PC cafe with a group of missionaries writing you. This is amazing. Like nothing I could have expected. The moment we could see the country from our plane i felt this overwhelming surge of love. As much as i tried to imagine it and prepare myself, there was no way to prepare myself for the sheer beauty of it all! The country is beautiful. Mountains, hills, lakes, clear skies. And I havent even seen the whole of it. So far I've done a terrible job of taking pictures here, but I'm going to repent of that and start takin more and then send them back home to you! I might be able to get on my blog from here, I'll have to check with the leaders in my area and the mission rules and all that.

President Andersen is awesome as well. Him and his wife are great and already I can tell how much they care about this work and this people.

So let me try and describe the atmosphere of this place. Right now its a cool...i don't know, maybe 65-75 degrees. Here in the city (Ulaanbaatar) there are people and cars everywhere. THe driving is crazy, anyone can do anything on the road pretty much. If someone decides to pull a U-turn in the middle of a road, everyone just pulls over and waits for him to finish. If someone needs to get into the lane next to them, they just honk and nose their way in. Its a very interesting thing to witness. Also, they definitely use the car horn like it was meant. I've started to realize that in America we hardly use it! Here, while it might appear to be rude to honk, its actually just like letting the other car know that you're there and you're going to be really close to them. I like it. Maybe you should start implementing that in your driving. Dont be afraid to honk. It's ok! Anyways, the people are all over the place as well, they cross the streets whenever they can but the cars have the right away. Uhm, they're all sorts of ages and sizes and it is so great to see them all out and about. Tomorrow we will be doing something called the Dan Jones box where we go out and just street contact. Im excited. Even though I can't speak Mongolian like they do yet, I am excited to try.

Oh, we had our first taste of Mongolian pizza! Its different thats for sure. Whether it's a good or bad difference is yet to be decided. Hmmm....what else...I love this place! I know this is where Im meant to be. I dont actually go to actually area until Saturday so from now till then we'll be doing various orientation activities.

Wow, so i don't really know what else to write. We were in Korea for 7 hours and it was interesting. I've got some Korean money now which I dont know what to do with. haha. We've met quite a few of the Elders here and they all seem great. i can echo the President in saying that this mission is the best mission and that it gets the best missionaries! Im pretty lucky to be able to learn from them all.

Well, I don't know what else to say, so I guess I'll start puttin a close to this E-mail. You should be getting an e-mail from me every week if conditions permit. DearElder.com letters and packages and e-mails and all sorts of stuff will get to me. I can only email family members and I dont know how i'll get a hold of other people but i'll do my best. No guarantees.

This church is so true! I absolutely know it. No long distances change it, nodifferent languages change it, nothing changes it. It is the Gospel, the same as it was with Christ and with Adam. And how grateful I am to share that precious and consistent Gospel with the people of Mongolia. Well ill be in touch, I love you all. Bye!

Travel Plans and goodbye MTC

Wow...ok so the travel plans came on Friday and I've been excited ever since. As of now, i only have 5 days till I leave! We leave on the 29th, instead of the 28th like the originally said. Not too bad at all I'd say. So lemme give you the travel itinerary in case you care to know:

-Leave: SLC 8:55PM 29JUL2008 -Arrive: LAX 9:57PM 29JUL2008 -Leave: LAX 12:30AM 30JUL2008 -Arrive: Seoul,Korea 4:50AM 31JUL2008 -Leave: Seoul,Korea 12:05PM 31JUL2008 -Arrive UlaanBaator,Mongolia 2:35PM 31JUL2008 Ta daaaa! Isn't that just the coolest thing ever? I think so. As you can see, we'll be in Korea for quite a while so I asked some of the Korean missionaries to write down some missionary phrases. I'm gonna practice them then put them to use in Korea. It'll be pretty cool. The airlines have changed their baggage policies lately which is really going to hurt when it comes time to fly. I'm probably gonna have to pay over 100 dollars due to their baggage policies so I'm not excited about that.

Oh, and here's the new address if people want to send me stuff. I believe Amy has it too but just in case:

(letters through the pouch) must be postcard, or single sheet letters folded in 3 panels and taped at the top only (no envelopes)

Elder James Ammon Cappuccio Mongolian Ulaanbaatar Mission

POB 30150, Salt Lake City UT 84130-0150 USA

(packages) Elder James Ammon Cappuccio

Mongolian Ulaanbaatar Mission

5th Fl, LDs Church Bldg, Tokyo Street 6

Bayanzurkh District, 1st Khoroo

Ulaanbaatar Mongolian 210349

Oh, and so yesterday, I probably got the best package ever. Dad sent me this box of New Braunfel's Smokehouse Jerky. It is amazing! I'm sharing it, but I'm not letting it out of my hands too quickly. That stuff is AMAZING! Anyways, that definitely made my day yesterday.

Let's see...what else. On Tuesday, our Devotional speaker was Elder Gene R. Cook. I'm sure you've heard of him. Anyways, apparently he lived quite awhile in Arizona which is probably why he is such a great man. So he shared a story about this Elder that served in his mission while he was Mission President there. He said how everywhere he put the Elder things would change for the better. The attitude the missionary had and the way he did things just worked everywhere. Even when they sent him to Paraguay (which had been struggling in growth at the time), he still was able to work hard and get results. Elder Cook said it involved a lot of things, all of which were founded on Faith. As we discussed it in our District after it ended, there were many great testimonies shared that were prompted by this talk. One thing I thought of was that if I, as a missionary, am on the Lord's time, and this is the Lord's work, then I'd also think that I could use the Lord's talents should I be sufficiently humble and willing. That being said, if you have the Lord's talents, what isn't there to have faith in! If it is all the Lord's how can it fail? The answer is, it cannot. I've chosen to be the vehicle in which the Lord can deliver his message to some of the Mongolian people and he's promised to steer the entire operation. That being said, it's going to be hard. Without a doubt. But honestly, that excites me.

I just can't wait to get to Mongolia! I know my language needs help but I'm not going to let that stop me. The Lord called me here and I'm going to give it everything I've got. When I think about it, it's hard to believe that I'm about to head out into the mission, that I'm actually at this point, both in the mission and in my life.

Well, I'll probably call in between landing in LA and leaving for Korea. I'll buy a phone card and all that. Depending on what time it is in Arizona when I get to Korea, I might call ya again, who knows?

Anyways, my time's almost up. I just want to let you all know that I love you! Mom, Dad, Crystal, Amy, Joseph, Cali; I love you! And I love this Gospel. This is absolutely a gospel of peace, of happiness and of love. I know that it is true, and with the help of the Lord, the rest of Mongolia will know that in not too long!

~Elder Cappuccio

P.S. Tell Brother Young he can expect that letter very soon! haha

BON VOYAGE

Dear James, I guess this is the last email you will get from me before you leave for Mongolia. It sounds so far away, but by email it's just as close =). It will be exciting to hear about your experience when you get to Mongolia. I got a few replies back from people on my email list for you when I sent my last email out. Here are the ones I received:

If you would, tell James: Go dude go! Enjoy, and dive in to the work - you'll love Mongolia. Just don't eat any eyes... Leslie Hodgson

Please tell James how much the Oakey family thinks of him. He's a wonderful person. He'll be a great missionary. My parents "adopted" a young woman from Mongolia when they served together on a mission in St. George Utah. She's 30 now and was married this month. The church seems to be strong and growing there. James will be a part of all that.

Daniel is having a great time serving his mission just a few miles from you! I'm amazed at the success. I think the church is growing very fast in Arizona. He loves it!!!

We love you and think of you often. Have a great day.

--Joan Oakey

I have to say it's exciting reading about how excited James is about his mission and all the various stories he tells. It's like having the missionaries at my home except through James. It's cool and exciting. Hopefully without naming names, he can tell us about some of the people that he will be witnessing too and those experiences.

-Jacque

Plus I got Brother Young's address: Duwayne Young, 615 E Del Rio, Chandler, AZ 85225, He asked me why you wanted to write to him and I said I didn't know....'cause he likes you? He smiled and said, "maybe because it is because I told him if he writes me at least every 3 months, I will send him a box of food!" =) makes sense, but I still see you chewing on an eyeball in a few weeks.... I don't know when my package will arrive, because I haven't sent it yet, so hopefully the other elders will share their good fortunes with you, sounds like you did a lot of the sharing with the treats in the MTC.

So here's my cell number 602-793-5880. What time do you think you will be calling? I think this is your dad's cell # 661-225-7601.

I am so proud of you and know that you will be a blessing to many people in Mongolia. I love you.

Keep the fire burning,

Mom

Raising your Ebeneezer

Alright! Another week has gone by and I'm getting closer and closer to leaving. I cannot explain how excited I am. I still can't speak the language like a Mongolian but man I can't wait to get off the plane and try and talk to someone in Mongolian. If you think about it...We're supposed to leave on the 28th, and that's like 11 days away. Man, how sweet is that! Ok, so really quick i'll address your questions: About the mission presidents address. I don't have it necessarily saved on my computer but it will be on my gmail account. Amy should be able to go on and get it for me. She could just search 'mission' in the search box and it'd pull it up i'm sure. -I already have a copy of the Church News, we get one every week actually. So i'm set on that! Oh, and all the stuff in the room...haha honestly I don't really know what to do with it. I would say take the clothes home and whatever else you can. Textbooks probably can stay because I have no need for them until I start school again. Just use good judgment I guess. If i end up needing something some place, we'll take care of that when I get back. Something that would be really helpful is if you made an inventory of the things I had there. Just so i know what I have when I get back. It doesn't have to be very detailed, or detailed at all. Just so it's easiler for me to know when I get back. It sounds like your New York trip was pretty sweet! I think you and Amy did more than I did with the choir in 3 days! New York is an awesome place though. I loved walking on the streets with all the people, it's a great experience. Oh, and thanks for telling all about the food you ate there, that didn't help one bit. The MTC is remarkable for its spiritual learning atmosphere but it definitely lacks in the type of food it serves. None of it will kill you, but it will kill your tastebuds. They serve some sort of burger EVERY DAY. kinda frustrating. haha. I'm excited to get out to Mongolia and try some Lamb-some head, some hoof, some eyeball; the works. :) Oh and I'm glad you had a good birthday! I made sure my class knew when it was haha. Feel honored because it's very easy to forget dates in the MTC, like Father's Day, the 4th of July, Haylee's Birthday...you know, things like that. Very easy...but I supposed that's a good thing right? Oh, and please tell the Clawsons "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" That package was very warmly welcomed. I love that stuff, heavenly hash is what they called it, i believe. Anyways, she left a card saying that it probably wouldn't make it out to Mongolia and I'd have to agree with her but if she's willing I'd say it's worth a try! :) Ok, so since I'm leaving so soon, I think it would be good to give me some numbers to reach you all at when I get to the airport. In the airport I can call people and I'd like to be able to call the family. That means I need your number and Dads number (the one he'll answer). I still know yours but it's better if you just send it. So yea.

Alright, so now my side of the week: Starting on last Saturday, we have been speaking nothing but Mongolian except for in certain situations when we need to talk to someone that doesn't speak Mongolian (Front Desk, Branch Presidency, Interviews). It has been so fun. It is very difficult though. You're constantly trying to pull together the grammar and words you've learned to make a coherent sentence so the others can understand you. It really is amazing to consider how much we are able to say. We can teach the 4 lessons, and hold a decent conversation and we've been here almost 3 months. It's so awesome. I can only imagine where I'll be after two years.

Oh, I got that picture of you and Sister Finuf! How'd you arrange that little thing? haha, that's pretty cool though.

This past Tuesday, we had a really great Devotional/Testimony meeting. The speaker was Elder Porter, an Emeritus Quorum of the Seventy. For the last 3 weeks we've had Emeritus Quorum of the Seventy speak to us. At first glance, you might think that we get the short end of the stick (as I did) with that because they are...well, old. However, it has become my understanding that these men know SO much. They have been serving the Lord all their lives and have doctrinal knowledge and testimony to prove it. Each of these last three devotionals has been excellent. To start the devotional off, the choir sang "Blessings" which is more popularly known as "Come, Thou Fount". It is a beautiful song. As we sang it, and gave feeling and emotion to those lyrics it was powerful. The choir director, while we were practicing, told us not to sing it for how much we liked the song, but for what it was saying. And it really says a lot. I encourage you to look over the words and ponder them. Especially the part about raising your Ebenezer. That was something he talked to us about in the choir-raising your Ebenezer. Something, some monument to yourself that demarks your change of course to be completely focused on the Lord, to be "fixed upon the mount" as the song says. That's what I am trying to do. In this mission there is no room for my concerns or needs. Every concern of mine that I address means there's one less concern from an investigator that I can deal with. The more time I spend on things for myself, the less time I have for the Mongolian people. That's a lot of what Elder Porter said on Tuesday. He said how the mission is not for you to a language, not for you to go to a new place, not for anything dealing with yourself. It is for the Spirit of the Lord to touch the hearts of the Mongolian people, using you as the instrument. It always brings me back to Isaiah 10 and Alma 26. We are just the instruments the Lord uses, by ourselves we have no sufficient strength. But, if we have the Lord's strength, we can do any and all things pertaining to the Lord's work. Well that's about all the time I've got. I love you all. I'm very happy for Jacque that is so great for her. Keep up the missionary work on the home front and we'll take it to the rest of the world ok? Bye!

~Elder James Cappuccio P.S. I'd really like Brother Youngs address....pleeeeeeeeease.