A Care Package from Home

No we haven't gone mad as a family and started to learn Greek.

 Elder Teal may be learning Greek, but it's his third language as Maths is his Second! 

For those not conversant in Maths allow me to explain, from the top.

The square root of -1 is i

2 cubed is 8

S(Sigma) is Sum

p is Pi

Put it all together "i 8 sum pi and it was delicious"

This week we sent Elder Teal a Cherry Pie, his favourite, bubble wrapped and boxed, with these pictures in the package. He should have receive it in time, to celebrate his A level results that he got today.

Physics A*

Chemistry A*

Maths A

Further Maths A

This means he has the results he needs, to accept his deferred place on a Aeronautical Engineering, Masters degree course at Manchester University. We are proud of his success and impressed he has decided to put a promising career on hold, to follow his heart for 2 years.

Week 1 MTC

Wednesdays become special days for parents of missionaries at the MTC. It's the day that missionaries get to email home. With lots of emails in his inbox that had collected over the last few days, the time was quickly gone. So it is our job to compile a selection of things to share with you from what he has emailed home. We also have been asked to apologies to those he didn't get time to reply to.





When asked about the zones and districts and his role as a Zone Leader?

"I love it! Its great to be able to go around the other districts (there are 2 Greek and 2 German) and to get to know the elders and sisters. I've been trying to learn everyone's names and to be friendly with everyone, and its going well! Our responsibilities include making sure the district leaders are okay, assigning prayers and musicians for devotionals, and other general jobs. There are no AP's in the MTC, so we kind of take on that role for the MTC pres sometimes as well.

There are 2 zones. Kimball zone is for second language missionaries, and Hinckley zone for English speaking (or 2 weekers as we call them haha)

There's a running joke that German is much easier than Greek, and that the English speaking missionaries are just here on holiday to mess around for 2 weeks."

What has been the highlight of your week?

"The highlight - either a devotional from Provo MTC (not live) with Elder Bednar, or a lesson on invitation to baptism.

The devotional was from June 2009 and it was about recognizing the spirit, you should try to find it. He talks about how the spirit usually isn't a big burning sensation, but when we are being obedient and being a "good boy" or a "good girl", we are always acting under the influence of the spirit, whether we realize it or not.

We had a lesson about inviting people to be baptised. As you know I was always quite dubious about invitation to baptism on the first lesson, but I really have a testimony of that now. It's so important to set the investigator's mind on the future and our goal for them. We learnt that everything we do as missionaries is directed towards our Purpose, which is fundamentally the same as the Doctrine of Christ as found in 2 Nephi 31. I'm sure you have before, but study that chapter again, its amazing."

Any messages for the blog?

"Please tell everyone as well that I've read all of their emails, and it was a nice surprise to have 17 in my inbox!
Please get people to write. I wont be able to reply to everyone, but its so nice to get letters in our little pigeonhole."

 So here is his address :

Elder Jacob Teal 
(Greece Athens Mission)
England Missionary Training Centre 
Temple Way 
Chorley 
Lancashire 
PR6 7EQ

Missionaries can write and receive postal mail any day so I am sure he will be happy to see something from you in his pigeon hole.

In addition to emails today we also received 3 letters that he had written over the past week, a highlight from each of them..

Don't forget you can sign up for email notifications each time a new blog entry is added. just add your email address to the "Follow by email" section to the right of the screen.

Email Notifications

If you would like to receive an email to let you know there is a new post on Elder Teals blog, 

you can now do that !!

Drop me an email at johntealon30@yahoo.com and simply say you want notifications.

Inbox me on Facebook with your email address.

Or just stop me in the street and tell me your email address.

Do any of the above and I will add you to the list of special people who get VIP notifications 

straight to their inbox !

Or even easier, enter your email into the "follow by email" box on the right hand sidebar of this blog !

The Missionary Training Experience

The England Missionary Training Centre (MTC) has its own Facebook page to keep families in touch with there Missionaries.

On day one, this picture was uploaded by the MTC with Elder Teal obviously happy and enjoying himself.

Later in the evening, after this was taken the missionaries were assigned into companionship's.
The missionary to Elder Teal's left, Elder Kwok, is now his companion.

Mission life is structured so that missionaries are always in twos,
this provides a constant support system and also protection.

2 - 3 companionship's form a district, with one of the Elders assigned as the District Leader.

A few districts form a Zone, with a companionship of Elders assigned as Zone Leaders.

In the "Real World" A Zone is defined as a geographical area, in the MTC it is slightly different with the Kimball Zone being defined as all the missionary districts learning a new language (Greek and German)

Today we received a brief letter from Elder Teal reassuring us he had settled in and was enjoying himself and explaining that Elder Kwok and he, had been interviewed by the MTC President and assigned as the Zone Leaders for Kimball Zone

And so it begins...

This morning we dropped Elder Teal of at the Missionary Training Centre MTC.
With the exception of two skype calls each year (Christmas & Mothers Day) our only communication 

with him now will be via email or letter. 

This seems harsh but there are good reasons, it will help him focus and in doing so he will be less home sick.

As we expected it was a hard morning, but we are all happy that he is doing what he feels he should.

You cant beat being in the right place at the right time.

Teal Family outside the MTC

Dad, Elder Teal, Mum

Happy Elder Teal (Greek flag in the background)

Going

Going

Gone

1-30pm Update... Elder Teal has sent us his first email

Hey, they want us to email home to let parents know we arrived safely, so yeah, I made it inside from the car park.

Everything has been great so far, I have my badge and I've had interviews with a member of the MTC presidency and the medical guy, which went fine.

I've unpacked in my room, I'm in with six other guys that are going to Greece, including Elder Eady and a guy from Essex called Elder Dixon. I don't have a companion yet, that will be assigned this evening.

We had sandwiches for lunch in the cafeteria, and it was nice. I'm struggling to find things to talk about really because it's only about 3 hours since I saw you!

I think I'm going to love it in the MTC, everyone is so nice and we're all here for the same purpose. I'm not sure yet when P Day will be so I don't know when I'll next be able to email, but I should be able to stay online for a little while now if you want to reply. Tell the girls they can email me for the next 15 minutes or so as well.

I probably won't be able to reply to all my friends and things now, but if you could put something on facebook telling them that I'll reply to emails on the next P Day that would be good. I'll do a group email that anyone who wants to be can be copied into, and some people I'll reply to individually. You can put the group one on the blog too if you want, and feel free to put this one on as well.

All my love,

Elder Teal

Elder Teal can be contacted by anyone via email

jacob.teal@myldsmail.net

Don't be offended if you dont get an instant reply his computer access time is limited 

Setting Apart

The last step to becoming a missionary is to be "Set Apart" This term refers to a priesthood leader that has been authorized by the Prophet placing his hands on the young Mans head and officially "setting him apart" from the world as an ordained minister and teacher. 

This is how Jesus authorised his original 12 apostles to go out and preach. 

Elder Teal is now officially a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

All that is required now is to be dropped of at the Missionary Training Centre

Tonight was a bitter sweat occasion for a parent. Immense pride in a son that has lived in such a way to make himself eligible to serve, but sadness at knowing it is now so close to him leaving home for 2 years.

Those that know missionaries may spot that the name tag Elder Teal is wearing is the older style church logo.. That is because when I (Dad) came home from my mission 25 years ago, I put this tag away for this very night for Elder Teal 2 to wear. 

Back home with Jessie and Max

Open House

Monday the 28th of July.. Countdown 3 days to go before departure... We held an open house at our home for people to pop in and say goodbye before Elder Teal leaves.

 

We were overwhelmed that over a hundred people came, 

we were also glad it was warm and sunny so we could use the garden !