Vietnamese Champ.

Rosie, you are doing really well with the blog, I hear.  I have had (I believe) at least one letter per day on average here.  Writing back takes a lot of time.  I have to write 18 or 19 today, and then can't write again until next week's preparation day.  This week has been pretty good. About the same as last.  The language is progressing.  I'm trying to learn 30 words a day.  In 60 days, that's 1800 words, which is a lot.  The great thing about Vietnamese is that I don't have to conjugate, and I don't have to deal with imperfect or passe compose tenses, but I still have to deal with tones, which are very difficult.  There is a sister in our district who is fluent in another tonal language (Hmong, with 8 tones), but who has just as much trouble as the rest of us in hearing and speaking them.

I am no longer the district leader, so I don't have to attend as many meetings now.  This gives me more time to study and learn the language.

Aside from the language, this week is the Mission President's seminar.  We have had the Prophet and all the Apostles here at one point or another.  We haven't seen any, though I think I saw Uchtdorf getting into his car.  In 15 minutes I'll be in line waiting for a devotional from one of the Apostles.  It's exciting.  It is good to hear from home.  Dad, thanks for your e-mail.  Alex was a great example before I left, but I'm sure he's even stronger now.  I heard he gave a talk in sacrament.  I am excited for his progress.  I liked hearing about Logan and Kaylee eating the raspberries.  I remember once when I was little, Jon and Hunter and I were picking berries over by the office hill and we saw that Grandpa Stan's car was parked in the "handicap" parking spot.  Jon told me that he would give me the money from picking his basket (we were paid $2.00 US usually) if I went into the office and asked Grandpa if he was handicapped, and why he parked in that spot.  I still remember him telling me that no one used the spot and he could get a better parking space by using it.  I felt awful at the time, but learned from the experience.  Come to think of it, Jon still owes me those two dollars.  We used to sell the berries down by the road on a huge spool.  Dad was smart in starting us in sales from young ages.  "Buy low, sell high."  "A quick dime is better than a slow nickel...", "Measure once, cut twice."  All great idioms applying to business and in life in general.  We're supposed to be as efficient as possible and make the best of the time we have here.

I learn more all the time about where I'm going.  I may be number 6 of the missionaries there. Little Saigon should be renamed "Huge Saigon".  I probably won't be fed a lot.  My mission call packet says that I will have the unique opportunity to teach in both my assigned mission language and English.  I'll be able to go into the Long Beach mission to serve the Vietnamese people there.

In the few minutes I have left, I'll talk about one quick thing.  In Christ's ministry on Earth, he counseled about prayer.  He mentioned some of the blessings from it, and taught how it should be done.  In 3 Nephi 18:21, He says to pray in your families, that your wife and you children may be blessed.  I would highly recommend that you do this, even if it's just you, Mom and Dad, or if Madi is there or Hunter or whomever.  The blessings of prayer are real.

Life is good here, thanks for the Leaves, and thanks for the packages :)  Keep in mind healthy food is a plus.  Fruit leather, Clif bars... Fruit leather especially.  Mmm... I have lost something like 8 pounds since being here.  I have been running a lot and *trying* to watch what I eat.  Do you all go to the YMCA together as a family a few times a week? Mom and Dad could walk together every day, that would be great.  Love you all! :) Keep on keepin' on.

Elder Steele

Rem the Runner.

Mom, thanks for the e-mail.  I don't know why, but I haven't received any from Dad.  Can you see what the problem is??

Tell Dad I said, "Happy Father's Day!  Love you!"  And let Hunter know I said Happy Birthday!

I haven't received the package you sent last week yet, but I did get a package from Savannah, Grandma, and a thing of burt's bees from GNC? Thanks!

Savannah, I sent you a letter, but it was returned.  How can I send it so you get it?  Thanks

A few things from this past week:

1.) Viets point with their lips.  At least I think they do.  Our teacher made it look like they want to kiss everyone.   haha.

2.) Elder Bruggeman was speaking in Vietnamese to our teacher, and didn't know how to finish the end of the sentence, so he kind of mumbled.  Our teacher heard vietnamese and went on... Just to give you an idea of what it sounds like. Every time I think I have the grammar or words down, I realize there are six tones, and I'm probably not saying over half the words right.  They say if you miss a tone, it would sound like us in english mixing up the word "sentence" with the word "crayon".  Just an example.

3.) I'm something like 38% done with the MTC. Still not sure if I leave August 7th like it is estimated, or August 1st with my companion.

4.) The man Buddha in the Buddhist religion is named in Vietnamese, "Mr. Buddha".

5.) We had Sheri L. Dew come and talk to us on Sunday, it was amazing.  I took 4-something pages of notes and I now have a lot of things I can apply.

6.) We made some goals, met some goals, and have planned some more goals.

7.) I started running every day with some Elders from the Hmong district.  I've lost [fat] weight here, instead of gained.  Good stuff.

8.) I've run into so many of my friends here, it's ridiculous.  Nate Lambert and Justin Smith have both been here and left.  I've seen Cameron here at almost every meal time, and I'm planning on sitting next to him tonight for choir for the devotional.  Andrew gets here tomorrow.  That'll be really nice! I'm excited.

9.) We are supposed to get new roommates tomorrow, which will be the first time we've had a full four of us in a room.  We extra cleaned and tidied our room today in preparation for them.  We have always had perfect room checks, so we need to keep a high standard with two more elders in the room.

I haven't gotten any mail or heard from a lot of family members.  Grandma writes me, which I love.  Mom sends e-mails, and Rosie sends DearElders, Matt and Erin send a couple letters and a nice package, but I haven't heard from Dad, Zac, Liz, Jon, Hunter or Madi.  I got a picture of the Car Lot, which looks great.  What are the sales percentage increase post-new-location?

It's great to hear that the strawberry social went well and that Atterton's are going to help at the next event.

I have to go now, love you ALL! Be good, and I wouldn't mind if you wrote me! :)

Elder Steele

Finally Another Email.

Note 1: please send the next email in the form of an ATTACHED WORD FILE.  This will allow me to read and respond a little better.  Thank you :)

 

Note 2: I sent an email last week, but I don't think it sent.  Sorry.

 

Note 3: Thank you for the package Mom and Dad (and Logan and Kaylee), and thank you Matt and Erin for the package, too!  It made my day.  I love getting mail.  Keep sending the DearElders.  Ask Rosie to be persistent in asking my friends/people in the ward to keep me updated and keep sending me letters.

 

This past week went really well.  We are improving as a district.  Together we have made a lot of goals, and are working hard to accomplish them.  It really is different, having more sister missionaries than Elders in the district.  Too much estrogen sometimes... The language is coming along.  I had an interview with one of my teachers last night, who told me the end goal of us in the MTC is to have us be able to make a difference in teaching the day we get to the field.  Everything else we will learn language-wise should fall into place.  It's amazing how much a little proactive head start can improve your ability to reach your goals.  Because I worked on the Vietnamese before I got here, I feel much better about the language, and don't stress as much as everyone else does, it seems.  It is nice.

 

Some other things: Rosie, guess who I saw the other day, and have seen a few times since?  Austen Oviatt.  He's going to the Quebec, Canada mission speaking French.  Pretty cool.  Also, every day after gym time, we shower (because we're nice, clean young men).  Yesterday, I went into the bathroom a minute before everyone else, turned the shower on and shut the curtains, and went to my room for a few minutes.  When I came back, everyone told me "they're all full".  I don't think they liked it when I walked into the shower I had saved without hesitating, but really, it pays off to think ahead of time.

 

In one of the packages you send in the future, WHILE I'M STILL HERE, will you please send 100-200 laminated leaves from a certain wooded area in Palmyra? That would be nice :)  I also need chapstick (burt's bee's or blistex?) because my lips are getting so dang dry.  Keep the "good" food to a minimum, I'm trying to run and exercise more and eat salad every day.

 

Is everyone going to the Y everyday and exercising? I know Dad said he wanted to go.  Will Hunter go with him every morning four days a week or something?  I'd like to see Dad do that, and it would be good for Hunter to spend quality time with Dad.  They will be blessed for doing it on a regular basis, and could help prepare Dad to go on a hunting trip with Five to Idaho, possibly.

 

On Sunday we had a talk by Stephen B. Allen (the second time we've heard from him), who is the head of the missionary department for the church, I believe?  Anyway, he had worked for the Church since the 70's, creating videos similar to today's "Mormon Messages", like the "Family. Isn't it about time?" videos.  For his talk, he showed us a lot of the videos and encouraged us to apply the simple one-liner phrases to our lives.  I can't remember any off the top of my head right now, but they're in my notes right now.

 

It's been great here.  The food is pretty good.  I got a haircut a couple weeks ago, which looks good, I think.  I'll have pictures for you when I get to California, we can't send them from here.  I also sent off a letter today for home.  It's real quick, but they don't really give us a lot of time.  Work hard, everyone, do what's right, love your spouses, love your children.  Hunter, be good.  Madi, ace those tests!  Jon, do you still Google Hangout with my friends?  Get working on that!  Rosie, can you send me the addresses of Liz and Jesse, Zac and Sarah, and Savannah and Brandon?  And try to find any other ones you can of my friends?  Like, Cameron Smith's mission address?  Thanks!

 

Love you all,

Anh Ca Steele

First Email!

Dear Family,

This first week at the MTC has been fun.  We have been working hard all day and still struggle to want to go to bed at 10:30, because we stay up working so often.  My companion's name is Elder Bruggeman.  He is from South Jordan, UT.  He will serve in San Jose, California.  I expect you have gotten/will get my letter soon which I sent on Friday.  I need someone to print my immunization forms and send them to me.  They need to see that I need the second Hep A booster shot.  I need that ASAP.  With that, I wouldn't mind a lot of snacks, food and anything Jon or Matt think would be helpful for me to have here or in the field.  The food is okay, but I think it will cause me to gain weight.

I have had no problems here so far, but the language is very difficult.  The third day here, they set us up with a "non-member" (member) investigator who is white, but is surprisingly "from Vietnam".  Her name is Chi Suong.  Elder Bruggeman and I have been working hard to comprise lessons in Vietnamese to teach her about Prayer, the Atonement, and the Restoration.  We have set lofty language goals to push ourselves to learn fast and discover the most effective learning methods for ourselves.  We have two teachers here, Thay Kiet, and Thay Tuan.  They are great teachers who both speak fluent Vietnamese having served in Cambodia and Houston, South, respectively.  Elder Bruggeman has told me that he will be the 25th Vietnamese speaking elder in the San Jose mission.  Wow.  It is amazing how unique an opportunity he and I share in serving the Vietnamese people in California.

Our district is VERY small.  We have two elders and three sisters.  The three sisters- Chi Hays, Chi Fabricius, and Chi Yang will serve in the Cambodia Pnom Penh mission, but will not serve in Vietnam.  Vietnam is closed for white missionaries, and only has one pair of Elders of Vietnamese descent.  Elder Bruggeman is the Senior companion in our companionship, and I am the district leader.  He and I will alternate assignments every 3 or 4.5 weeks.  We went to the Provo Temple today, it was big and beautiful.  I can't imagine how big the Salt Lake temple is if Provo is only about half the size. We have had great weather.  I know Jon experienced a lot of "frisky" weather while he was in Brasil, but we don't have to worry about that here!

I have met the MTC president a few times.  He is a very great guy.  We had an awesome branch president, too, for four days until he was released.  He still taught me some great lessons which I intend to apply throughout the rest of my mission.  Our next branch president will be just as great, I'm sure.  We have a fireside tonight which will probably be spoken by an Apostle.  It will be great to have a full-time servant of the Lord in our presence.

Oh, I also need a four-generation pedigree chart for both Mom and Dad.  Grandma Edie gave me a chart which extended about five generations, but that was only to show my mission president that we have Bowens in our family tree, and if he's related, he may be able to connect a few generation gaps we are missing.

Please let me know how things are going back home!  I would love updates on Sicily, Ella, Delainey, Kaylee and Logan!  I hope Rosie has been able to get back to work after being upset.  Let her know they didn't kill me here, and that I won't die like she made it seem I would.

I need the addresses of Matt and Erin, Zac and Sarah, Grandma (Jueschke) Forrest/Ayotte, and Liz and Jesse.  Please be sure to include ZIP Codes!

PLEASE SEND PACKAGES.  I would like a nice interchangeable-color scripture marker.  Also I get hungry. And kind of jealous of seeing elders who were here for three weeks who left today that had packages upon packages from their friends and family. Food is greatly appreciated.  I get enough healthy food as it is, like apples (~4 a day,) and salads with oil and vinegar the way Five likes them.

Anyway, my companion and I have to go prepare for dinner.  Any packages, letters, packages, e-mails, or even packages (if you want) would be greatly appreciated!

Elder Remington Steele.

Before the MTC.

Here's some pictures of Elder Steele before he went into the MTC. He reported May 23, 2012 to the Provo MTC where he'll be learning how to be a missionary and the Vietnamese language.

Elder Steele and I!

Elder Steele and Logan.
Seriously so tender.

Elder Steele and Bryn.

Elder Steele and Izzy.

Elder Steele and Ginger.
Just before he went into the MTC.

Mom, Elder Steele, Elder Adams, Heidi.
Hung out the night before they went into the MTC.

Elder Steele and Elder Adams.
They got together and did a temple session together
the night before they reported!