HOUGH HAPPENINS: Elder Jake Hough, 8.1.18--week 1

Hello Everyone!

This is Jenn writing. I just wanted to share a few things as we begin this journey with Jake. First of all, thank you for coming along! It means a great deal to Jake and his parents. If you were accidentally added or if at any time you don't wish to receive these emails, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Any comments or explanations I make will be in red. If you have any questions about anything, again, let me know!

Below is Jake's contact information:

Email: jacob.hough@myldsmail.net

Mailing address (until September 25, 2018):

Elder Jacob Allan Hough

SEP 25 HUN-BUD

2005 North 900 East Unit #173

Provo, Utah 84602

Mailing address (after September 25, 2018):

Elder Jacob Allan Hough

Hajnoczy Jozsef utca 14

1122 Budapest

Hungary

Over these next two years, I know it would mean a lot for him to hear encouraging words from you and if what he has shared has touched you or taught you in any way. If you do email or write him, I'm sure he will write you back when he has a chance, but with only one day a week to dedicate a little bit of time to letter writing, it might be a while before he can respond. Thanks for your patience there!

Also, this will be the LONGEST email, so no need to panic. :)

If you'll indulge me, I just wanted to share a special experience from the day Jake reported to the Missionary Training Center. Jake flew out of the small College Station airport last Wednesday. He had a connection in Dallas and then flew to Salt Lake City, Utah, where my parents (Allan and Cindy Lee) were waiting to pick him up. They took him out for a quick bite to eat and then they went straight to Provo for his report time of 12:45pm.

The Sunday before Jake left, our friend, Kendall, told us that his sister, Annette, is a greeter at the MTC. He asked us what Jake's report time was and said he'd pass it on to his sister, on the off chance they cross paths.

This was the experience related to me by Kendall's wife, Jennifer, who was visiting family in Utah when she called me Wednesday night. Jennifer told me she had just come from Annette's house and as she shared the experience with Jennifer, Annette couldn't do it without getting a little emotional.

There were 404 missionaries who reported to the MTC that day. There is someone assigned for each one and the greeters don't get to choose who they greet. Jennifer's sister-in-law only knew that "Jake Hough from Texas, who was going to Hungary" was arriving at 12:45. (Note: the MTC greeted over 400 missionaries on that day from 12:30-1:30pm. The incoming missionaries were assigned to one of four groups and arrived in 15 minute increments. You do the math!! That's efficiency at its finest!!) Well 12:45 came and went. No sign of him. 12:50 came and went. A couple more minutes passed and then a car pulled up on Annette's side (there were two lines for vehicles to be in). Annette asked if this was a Sister or Elder arriving. My dad (Grandpa Lee) said it was an Elder. Annette then asked what mission and when she heard Hungary Budapest, she stopped and asked, "Jake Hough?" (First of all, Hough is not a last name easily pronounced. So we're always impressed when people get it the first time. But the fact that this woman knew his whole name and was waiting for him made my dad choke up with tears). Jake was thrilled to meet his friend's aunt and squeezed her hand for a long time. Annette said he looked great, that he's so excited, and that he's going to do a great work! She continued to tell Jennifer that they see SO many missionaries come and go from all walks of life, but said you can just tell that Jake is pure to the core. So clean and pure.

We were so touched by this assessment of Jake from someone who spent maybe a minute with him before sending him on his way which, by the way, we've heard that it's down to 9 minutes from curb/drop off to classroom!!!

I hope Jake recognized the magnitude of that special greeting the moment he arrived at the MTC--orchestrated by his loving Heavenly Father who always knows the exact place Jake is and what he needs (it's the same for all of us). And I hope it carried him through the coming days because Jake got totally hit with the unexpected!! After receiving his email this afternoon, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Maybe a little of both!!

Without further ado....

Sziastok y'all!

Wow. It has been so, darn CRAZY this last week. Tons has happened and there are a ton of changes that I've had out of the gate that I was not expecting at all, so I'll try to go through a lot of it. It started at the Dallas airport, because I got there and saw an elder with his nametag going home to ogden. I found out he's Elder Corrigan. He was in Brazil but had serious health problems. Sad, but he went out and served. Then another elder showed up later by the name of Cook, and I froze. We had worked in the Houston Temple together before we left, and we were leaving for the MTC the same day!! that was awesome, we got to sit next to each other on the plane to Salt Lake and we've been friends ever since, and we still bump into each other often so that is awesome. Also I saw Elder Manley (Jake's friend from College Station!) yesterday! Which is the day before he left, that was fun to see someone from home. He's doing great. Left this morning I think.

So when I first got here and was shown to get into the "military line" of papers and name tags and all that fun stuff (my tag looks sweet by the way I'll attach a picture) I got my companion assignment. Whooh yeah Elder Coles who I met through the Pre MTC!*....eh no. It wasn't him. He is delayed from the MTC until OCTOBER which means I have no companion for the 9 weeks I am in attendance at the MTC. (Missionaries exist in companionships--sometimes trios in short-term extenuating circumstances. They are always in pairs and always together!) So yeah, wasn't expecting that to happen! I have a special and very rare situation of being a "Solo Missionary", meaning my rules are you just can't be alone or with a single female, there has to be two. Well, that's not too bad. Except the Hungarian district is me and 6 other sisters (Noverek). So I am alone with sisters for about 8 of the 16 hours a day for 9 weeks...OI! I was feeling a little uncomfortable by this point, and then to top it off I teach with two sisters, and my roommates are all German-speaking, which means two things. 1) I am the only Hungarian Elder of the 2200 missionaries in the MTC, and 2) I have no one to practice the language with outside of classes.

The Sisters are AMAZING, I love em they are so fun to be around and to learn with. And the German Elders are amazing too. They are really loud sometimes but they are fun! Ha! I just was not expecting to be in the position I am in is all. The first few days were weird getting used to the 16 hours a day working and the eating schedule and keeping track of notes and it's a whole new way of living that frankly I took a few days to adjust and didn't know if I was adequate and those things. I was having heavy self esteem and confidence issues in my abilities--it was rough. But I read from Ether 12 verse 27 and that scripture came ALIVE for me. It took on a whole new meaning. I'm ok now, through fervent prayer!

the language of Hungarian is beautiful, but very difficult. I love it so much. It'll take me a bit to get it down and even by the end of the nine weeks it'll be rough going into the country. I am always tired by the end of the day and I just pass out, it's a new tired I never expected. But the Lord sanctifies our efforts. I know that to be true. Hope ya'll are all ok and well, I love ya'll and talk to ya next week!

Sziastok!

Hough Elder

*Two months ago, we learned that Jake was part of a new Pre-MTC program (along with his fellow Hungarian missionaries) that the church is piloting. One of the his instructors from the MTC contacted him to let him know they would be working, one-on-one, for about an hour or so each week. Topics during their video meetings would include, among other things, his language training and making personal goals before he even arrives at the MTC. It's a very impressive program and because of it Jake was able to bear his testimony in Hungarian during his farewell talk the Sunday before he left.

Meeting elders in the Dallas airport.

A quick pic with Elder Manley before he left the MTC.

The sweet name tag!

The Hungarian speaking district. Which one of these is not like the others?

[Below is the letter Jake wrote to the family. I asked him if I could include it and he said yes.]

Hello fellow movie quotians!

I have been restraining the quotes all week and it bugs me, but no one gets them, and if you didn't hear, I have no companion. Yep you heard right! I am officially "in downtown coolsville, population: me" (quote from Iron Giant ;). I am the only Hungarian elder cause my comp got delayed for whatever reason, which is so sad I wanted to meet him, and also sad because I am officially alone among so many. Which means I am district leader by Default! I have sister companions for teaching which actually is not bad, they have really good insights. We've taught 3 lessons to a person who wants to hear the gospel and for the most part, we've done great! Except we don't speak in fluent yet (our 10 year old, Calvin, commented that before long Jake isn't going to remember how to communicate in English :) and we can't understand what she says to us when she asks a question. :) You really have to learn to rely on the spirit to teach, they (the MTC instructors) have been emphasizing that a TON. "Don't get in the way of the spirit. Let there be silence for the spirit. Teach true, pure and simple truths so the spirit can teach." It's an interesting change to teaching for sure.

I want y'all to know I was so grateful for the package (we mailed one off Tuesday last week while Jake was in the car, actually :) with personal letters and a small album with family pictures and encouraging church quotes. It arrived Thursday on his first full day). I was not feeling good about myself and when I got that package with y'alls letters I felt much better, it was noticeably different for sure. if you are ever having a hard time with ANYTHING, get on your knees, stop letting pride or discomfort get in the way of accessing the Atonement of Jesus Christ for strength beyond your capacity. That is how I got past my trial of fitting in and adjusting at the MTC.

I haven’t fully adjusted but I’m more adjusted than the first four days which really made me doubt myself cause it was SOOOOO much thrown at me at once it was ridiculous. I realize I’m alone, I’m with sisters and the next day I get the assignment of district leader so woooooh! I was sinking fast, trying to bail out the water but to no avail. It was on the 3rd day that I realized I needed to repent for my lack of faith in Christ and his enabling atonement and to start using it in my everyday life. Every night now I have an accounting with God about what I did good and what I needed to repent for and be better for, and I pray every morning through the atonement for strength beyond my own, and the talk I heard that changed my life forever and still does is Elder Bednars “character of Christ.” try finding it and watching it for family home evening or on Sunday, it’s powerful. It really has changed my life.

It's still different but I am doing much better because of prayer and pleading every night for strength beyond my own and you can have that, too. The pictures you sent are great, I was laughing hard at some of those! Haha! I want y'all to know I love you and that even though I do miss y'all, it's not debilitating for me. I can focus on the work while still missing which is a blessing in disguise for sure.

Love you all! God lives and his Son Jesus Christ governs his church through the prophet today Russell M Nelson. I know this to be true.

til next week! Sziastok!

Hough Elder

With Grandma Lee who leaves on her 6th mission with Grandpa on Dec. 10th--this time to Iceland!