Week 5

Ni men hao!

     Hello everyone! I'm stoked to write to you today! I don't even have much to say but I just love writing! How is everybody doing? I'm doing great at the MTC, our older generation just left this morning which was pretty bitter sweet! They've been such great examples to all of us and they're going to be such incredible missionaries, but i'm going to miss them! They've really been great resources to go to if I had any questions, and in a week from now I'm going to be in the "older generation!" Isn't that crazy?? I don't feel like I've been here that long! My Chinese is coming along but I feel like it's nowhere near what I want it to be. This week was a little harder than any of the others so far, for no reason in particular! Just a little slow and I'm really trying to give it all I've got but my results aren't what I want. Which makes me feel kind of bad! Do you remember the story in Alma (chapter 27 or 28 i think) when Alma is talking about how he wishes he were better, but he feels guilty because of that wish? He talks about how we shouldn't want more than what God already gives us because we don't even deserve those blessings, but he then goes on to talk about how God will give us what we want if we are righteous. I feel like that right now, God has given me SO MUCH and yet I still want to improve more. I know that I can't do it on my own, and I know that God WANTS to help me! I just need to ask!

     Well I'll get off my soap-box now, I'm so happy here at the MTC! A little stressed at times, (ok who am I kidding, all the time) but just being here and doing the Lord's work is life changing. My Companion and I have 2 investigators at the moment, (our teachers) and they are progressing well. One of them is actually supposed to be "baptized" this saturday! I'm stoked, and it's weird because it's not even a real baptism! The other one is progressing but I'm having a hard time connecting with him, and giving him what he needs. Yesterday we had a great lesson on faith, and I was learning from it as I was teaching it! It's an interesting thing isn't it, faith? What in the world is the difference between having faith, and just believing something to be true? It's something I'm still pondering on but I know that there is a big difference! Dad, you and I have had discussions on topics related to this, and I'm really beginning to understand your view of it much better. Every one believes in something. Whether that's religious or not, every one has something that they believe to be true, and yet they can't see it. Dui ma? But when does that turn into faith? Faith, in my opinion, is something that penetrates much deeper. A belief, stays near our brains, and we continually ponder it. But faith, faith penetrates striaght through our hearts and into our very souls. Complete Faith is something that doesn't need pondering, because it is something that we know to be true! When Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ, he later said something along the lines of: "I had seen a vision. I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it." Now, I'm not saying we need to see visions in order to gain this type of thinking, but this is a statement that I've loved ever since I very first saw the Joseph Smith movie at Temple Square! God knows that WE KNOW we have received revelation! In Alma 26, Ammon and his brothers return from their missions and Ammon "boasts" of his God! Our God! He knows and loves each of us, and we cannot deny that.

     I love our Heavenly Father, I know He loves us. He watches over us daily and HE IS INTERESTED IN OUR LIVES! I'm so greatful to be here at the MTC and I know that God is helping me always. In the name of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

Week 4 in the MTC

How is everyone?? I'm honestly not sure what week number this is! By MTC standards, I'm starting week five, but in the real world (yes the MTC is its own world) I'm almost 4 weeks out! haha it's really easy to lose track of time in here! It feels like the first week was a month! But now it feels like the weeks are days! I just got back from the Temple, and on top of the incredible experience that the Temple is, the breakfast is celestial! Wow, after eating MTC food all week, going to the Temple cafeteria is just an added blessing to the Temple experience! Not that the food here isn't good, it's just incredibly heavy and it's definitely not mom's cooking! 

I'm so grateful for the MTC though, it's an incredible place. Everyone is here to serve the Lord and everyone has a mutual purpose! I've been seeing Sister Lancaster and Elder Johnson everywhere!! Sister Lancaster has Sacrament in the room right next to our zone, so I see her at least every Sunday. Yesterday I saw Brother Glazier, and it turns out that he worked with my laoshi (teacher) a little bit just a couple months ago! Small world huh?? 

Time is really flying by here! Our older generation of Chinese Elders leave next week, which means that my MTC stay is half over! It's exciting and scary all at the same time! My Chinese is really starting to improve though, so that's a comfort! I'm constantly reminded that the Spirit is absolutely essential to day to day activities! Without the Spirit, we are nothing! Without the Spirit we could never make it back to our Heavenly Father's presence, I'm so grateful for that Spirit of love and comfort every day!

So basically the MTC is very... I don't know the word for it! Redundant? Repetitive? I don't know how to describe it, it's amazing. I love everyday of it! But there aren't a lot of exciting moments to share haha! Wake up, do pull-ups, eat, read BofM, gym, eat, learn chinese, eat, learn chinese, and last... learn more chinese. And despite what you might think about my incredibly boring, but busy, schedule I love it!! I actually like learning this language! As frustrating as it might be, it's so interesting! It is actually a very simple language, which is why so many English speakers struggle with it! English is so complex that it makes it difficult to learn such a simple language! I've been working on a lot of Vocab and some characters lately, and I feel like I've been improving immensely! I just started a new Language Study Plan, so I'm really excited to see how much progress I can make with it!

So tell me about life! Macy, I just got your letter and I loved it! I'm glad your doing good! Don't let those meanies get you down, just keep being the best person you can be and love everyone that you meet! If you do that, people will look up to you so much! Guess who the greatest example of that is? Can you guess? Our Savior, Yesu Jidu! He was such a great example, the BEST example, of perfect love! No matter what people did to him or said about him, he always loved them. He always responded with love! If we could all strive to be like our Savior, can you imagine what the world would be like?? It would be so wonderful! So keep going, Jiayou! I love you Mace!

Jessi, how ya holding up? I want to hear all about your life! How's the hand healing? How's school? How's Jake doing without Tyler (oops, Elder Johnson)?? I want you to know I think about you, and I pray for you everyday! I want you to know how much I love and miss you! I hope your doing all you can to prepare for a mission xianzai!! right now!! Because if you come in here pre-prepared, then you will not only be a good missionary, you'll be the best missionary. One piece of advice I want to give you really quick that everyone has been giving me for the past 4 weeks, DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. Compare yourself, to your BEST self. Use the person that you want to become as a comparison and don't worry about anyone else! I love ya bro! Keep on being the best 16 year old I've ever known!

Alec, I love you little man! I miss you everyday! I even miss when you would be mad at me for teasing you! Is that weird?? I want to hear your voice so bad! I can't wait until I can talk to you on the phone about everything that's going on! Don't worry, only 7 more weeks! I'll write you a real letter today ok? I love you buddy!

Mom and Dad, I'm sorry but I've only got a minute to say what I want! I'm a slow typer! How is everything? I hear that things are going really well... I saw Bro Glazier yesterday. I hope that your all doing great! I miss you all, but I know that your safe because I ask God to keep you all safe every night! I love you all so much! Zaijian!

Luo Zhanglao

First Pictures!

The first (of many) gift baskets...

Look Mom...It fits!

Ryan and his companion

Hi everyone!

Ryan's District

Takin' A Break

The Provo Temple

Week 3

How is everyone?? It's so hard to believe that it's only been three weeks since I last saw all of you! Three weeks since I last watched a movie, picked up a guitar, listened to music!! But the funny thing is, all that worldly stuff, I don't really miss it! The only thing that I miss from the "real world" is all of you! Receiving letters from you during the week is the highlight of each day! I love hearing all about what's going on back home, and how things are going! I love getting those handwritten notes from Alec and Macy too! They make me miss you even more! I hope everything is going well! 

I was so shocked when I heard about Haley, but after thinking about it, I know that she is in the best place possible. She is comfortable for the first time in years, and she must be so relieved to know that this disease isn't with her anymore! I'm praying for her family because this must be such a hard trial for them, but I'm happy inside knowing that Haley is at peace

Wow, the MTC is so incredible!! I can't even get over how awesome the MTC is! This week has flown by! It really hasn't been that exciting of a week! You might find it surprising, but I absolutely LOVE learning Chinese! It's seriously the highlight of my day! I have two different teachers, Mu Laoshi, and Wen Laoshi. I can't even decide which of the two I like more! They are both return missionaries from Taiwan, one from Taipei and one from Taizhong, and they've both come back within the year. They're absolutely hilarious, and they really push us hard! It's interesting because we have 2 "progressing investigators" and those investigators are our teachers! It's kind of hard to teach them sometimes, because we know that they are already members! But I've learned something that has really effected the way that I teach. No matter who it is we're teaching, no matter if they are members, missionaries or Lamanites, the Holy Ghost will testify of Christ. There have been times when I'm teaching and I forget that they aren't real investigators! I just get into the zone and start pouring my soul out to them! I'm really amazed that I'm actually able to even learn Chinese in the first place! 2 years in junior high, and I learned maybe 3 words! I'm now able to bear a real testimony, teach, pray, and use a little bit of everyday Chinese. And I'm starting to understand it a lot better when others are speaking! I never would have thought in a million years that I could learn Chinese, and I know that I can't! There is no way I could learn this language on my own. God has blessed me so much, I owe every thing that I have to Him who created us. He continually blesses me with feelings of comfort, He continually helps me to know that I can do this with Him, and I continually feel His love for Me and for the rest of His Children. If we are not giving every effort we have to praise Him then we need to start now! 

I was reading in Mosiah the other day, and I can't remember which chapter, but I think it's chapter 8. King Benjamin talks about how we don't even deserve to lick the ground that our Lord walks on, and yet, HE continues to bless us! I love this Church so very much, I love my Savior and I know that he knows me personally and loves me. I testify that if we testify of HIm, and if we serve Him with all our might, He will be on our side on Judgement day. He will vouch for us. How do we serve Him? We serve each other. As King Benjamin said: "When ye are in the service of your fellow men, ye are only in the service of your God." And as the Savior said: "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." I know HE lives, I know He loves us, and I know that through service we can return to Him. 

I love you all so much and I think about you every day! I'm sorry this E-mail is short! I'm just not a very fast typer! I'll write some letters home today. I wrote to Steph and Auntie Sue last week so they should be getting those letters soon! I love you! Zaijian!

     Love, Luo Zhanglao

               Elder Noll

P.S. Jessi,

          Tell Josh that I'll be his senior companion if we're ever companions so he better get used to it! Tell him I'm so stoked for him, and that he's going to the best mission in the world! ;) Love ya bro!

        Macy,

           I love you mace! Keep on attending the Temple! It's the best place ever! I love your letters so much

        Alec,

           You are such a good kid Alec! I love you more than I could ever say in words! I love your letters more than you could ever know! Keep em coming!

Wo ai nimen!

Week 2

  Elder Noll seems to be adapting well to life t the MTC...
 Tuesday October 9, 2012

Hello everybody!

  How is everything?? It's been so great to receive all of the packages and letters from everyone! I love to hear about all the little going-ons back at home! Wow, where to start! This week has been incredible! I can honestly feel the Lord shaping me into the missionary I need to become! I am constantly feeling the Spirit here at the MTC, even in the cafeteria when it's meal time! This truly is the Lord's work, and we truly are His servants! The first thing that I wanted to share with you today is about the new mission age! Wow, it's so incredible to think about how the work will increase now that the age has been lowered! I can't even begin to tell you how incredible the Sister Missionaries testimonies are, and now the number of Sisters will likely double! Also, any 18 year old (Jessi) who wants to serve a mission (Jessi) and is worthy to do so (Jessi) NEEDS TO DO IT!!! I'm not trying to hint at anything though... ;) Jessi, I testify to you here and now that a mission will change your life more than just spiritually or physically, but a mission (through God) will literally shape you into the Man you need to become. Any other 18 year old boy I would say that they need to wait for a little while. But you are so prepared for this Jessi, you have SUCH a strong work ethic, I've heard your testimony and I marvel at the strength of it! You can be such a force for good!! I know that by telling you to do this, it means I won't see you for over 4 years, and that is difficult for me to think about. But I know that this sacrifice will benefit so many people, and it will create ETERNAL relationships with so many people! If any young man is worthy and able to serve a mission THEY NEED TO DO IT!!! But it can't be my choice, it can't be mom and dad's choice, it can't be your seminary teacher's choice. It is entirely up to you.

     Now, to get off my soap box for a little bit, I can't even begin to explain how weird of a feeling it is to be in the MTC! I've waited for this my whole life, and it's finally here! It's incredible, waking up everyday (much too early for my taste) and preparing myself to preach the Lord's gospel! It's a dream come true! During Conference, my favorite talk was definitely Elder Holland's talk on following the Savior. It hit so close to home for me, and it really gave me a great lift in my Spirit to know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to! I love this work so so very much, and I would never give these experiences away for anything! I miss you all like crazy, but I can honestly say that this is the happiest I've ever been in my life. Having the Spirit with me constantly is one of the greatest feelings in the world. The last thing I can say is this. 2 Nephi 31: 21 (I think this is the scripture!) It says "Behold, this is the way. And there is none other way, or name, that we can inherit the Kingdom of God..." Such an incredible scripture! I believe in it whole heartedly! My feelings about this scripture can be summed up with another. 2 Nephi 9: 49 (I'm pretty sure!) "My soul abhorreth sin, and my soul delighteth in righteuosness!" My soul DELIGHTETH in the gospel! wo hen ai zhe ge fuyin he, Yesu Jidu. wo ai Yesu Jidu he Ta de sacrifice. wo feichang ganxie wo de Jiuzhu! Wo ai Nimen!!!

     Love, Elder Noll

     Luo Zhanglao

P.S. Dad and Jessi,

On Sunday evenening, we had a devotional with Chad Lewis. Yes, THE Chad Lewis. BYU and Philadelphia Eagles Tight End, served his mission in Taiwan Taizhong! I thought that something he said you might find pretty dang interesting! He said he was giving a devotional at the MTC one Sunday, and he looked down on the front row and saw an Elder Polumalu. He was interested because Chad is friends with Troy, so Chad went up to this Elder and asked if there was any relation... Elder Polumalu is Troy Polumalu's younger brother!!! Isn't that so awesome???

First Letter Home

Elder Noll has been in the MTC for 6 days, and here is his first letter:

 

Ni men hao!!!

     I miss you all mucho, (yes i'm learning espanol as well... not really) but I'm having the time of my life here! My companion (Lu Zhanglao, Elder Luke) and I just returned from the Temple with our entire Zone and it was absolutely incredible. As I sat in the Celestial Room, I could feel God's presence better than ever before, and it's an experience I know I will never forget. My Zhongwen (Chinese) is actually coming along pretty well. I can pray, bear a simple testimony, and somewhat carry on a conversation! The Gift of Tongues is so very real and I am so grateful for it. I keep looking at myself and telling my self I need to do better, I feel like I'm behind in the language but then I think to myself that I've only been here for 5 days!!! It's incredible what the Spirit of the Lord does to a person. I was speaking with Elder Ockey before one of the Devotionals and I told him this: "Even if I were to be sent home today, I would never be the same." The second I walked away from the van, the Lord was shaping me into the missionary I need to become.

     Now I know you want to hear all about my Tongban (companion) and about every little detail :) so hear goes! My companion Elder Luke is from Logan, Utah, and he is very smart. He's studying Physics and Math at the U of U. He is very punctual and on time so its nice to have somebody who will not let me slack off. It's been a little bit difficult because we don't share the same interests AT ALL! But I know Lu Zhanglao and I are companions for a reason. Our District is about as small as it gets! We have 6 people in our District! Elder Luke and I, Sister Chen, Sister Ward, Sister George, and Sister O'brian. It's been a wonderful experience to be in a District of Sister Missionaries, Jiemei men (Sisters) are so much more in tune with the Spirit than us Elders. It is such a blessing to be with them. My Zone has welcomed all the new missionaries with open arms! There's even a missionary who goes around the rooms and night and says "Hug Time!" in Chinese! ha I love it! I've finally met Elder Dwiggins and he's an awesome missionary! I dont have a lot of time left so I'm going to bear my testimony in Mandarin for all of you, I don't know how to write the tones out on the computer so bear with me! Wo zhidao Yesu Jidu feichang ai women he Ta si women. Wo ganxie Yesu Jidu shuzui! Wo zhidao women shi Shen de haizi he Yesu Jidu shi Ta de Erzi. Wo zhidao Yuese Simi touguo Tianfu he Shengling fanyi Mo'ermenjing. Wo zhidao zhege jiaohui shi zhengshi de. Wo feichang ai Yesu Jidu he Tianfu!! Wo ganxie zhege chuanjiao jihui. Feng Yesu Jidu de ming, Amen. I'm so grateful to know all of you are doing well, and your letters and packages this week have been so greatly appreciated!! I love you all so much!! Wo hen ai nimen!! I think about you everyday, and I know the Lord is watching over you so I'm not afraid!

 

     Love, Elder Noll (Luo Zhanglao)

 

 

          P.S. Mom, I thought you might want to know that I have those pictures up on my wall, and when my Zone Leader came in and saw the picture of you and I at the Redcliff Inn, he said: "Oh!! Ta shi ni de niu pengyou ma?" Which translates to: "Oh! Is she your girlfriend??" Haha he was shocked when I told him you were my mom and I still dont know if he believes me or not! The same Zone leader wants me to tell you that the sugar cookies are amazing! I love you so much mom! I am constantly thinking about you, and I appreciate you even more every day! I thought I should also let you all know that out of the 2 Elders in our District, I am the District Leader for the first 6 weeks! It's been an amazing oppurtunity to lead my District in meetings, songs, and prayer!

          P.S.S. Dad, one of the members of my Branch Presidency is Brother Teng! He says he was a Dept. Chair with you for several years! 

 

(Roughly translated...his testimony above says: I know Jesus Christ loves us and died for us. I am thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ! I know we are children of God and that Jesus Christ is His son. I know that Joseph Smith, with the help of Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost translated the Book of Mormon. I know this church is true. I love Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. I am thankful for this mission opportunity. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.)

        

The Big Day

Ryan teases mom...knowing she will cry A LOT!

Packing the car to leave - lookin' stylish

Elder Noll with Jessi, Macy and Alec - saying good-byes

Mom says...don't go, but dad says...get outta here :>)

Our silver lining...Elder Ockey arranged to be the host Elder for Ryan! Somehow it made it easier to let him go...knowing he was in good hands!

...And off he goes - no looking back...He headed off into the giant swarm of black suits and ties with a happy glow about him!

Ryan has been waiting so long for this day to come. There are so many emotions, it is hard to know which one weighs more...excitement and pride for what he'll be doing...anxiety - hoping everything will go ok and just sadness because he will be missed!

It's Official

Ryan was ordained and set apart as an Elder on September 25, 2012. He leaves for the MTC tomorrow!

The Call

Ryan received his mission call on May 2, 2012..He will be serving in the Taiwan, Taichung mission and leaves for the MTC on Sept. 26, 2012.