Jan 10, Baltic Chŗonīcļe: Partial Quantification of the Unquantifiable

Well, it has been a while since I wrote, huh? I wanted to give you my mission totals. I know that you're excited for it. I know I am. So, here we go.

Year two (please recall that these are guestimates):

• 45,360 min (756 hours...that's about two hours a day) spent reading the holy scriptures.
  
• 22680 min (378 hours...that's about an hour a day): scripture reading in Latvian.
• 2460 min (36 hours...1.5 hours a week for half the year): writing in my journal
• 22.5 pages (front and back) written in my journal.
• 19,440 min (324 hours...that's about 360 min weekly): planning
  
• 17,010 min (283.5 hours...that's about 45 minutes daily): in prayer.
• 6,000 people contacted on street.
• 17,500 people contacted elsewhere.
• 572 lessons with people (investigators, members)
• 5,483,901 steps (4,277.443 KM / 2673.402 mi) distance walked
  
• About 171 other meetings (district meetings, zone conference, and the like).
  

Recap--year one:

• 27,100 min (451 hours 40 minutes) spent reading the holy scriptures.
• 8,969 min (149 hours 29 minutes) spent doing that in Latvian.
• 4415 min ( 73 hours 35 minutes) spent writing in my journal
• 238 pages (front and back) pages written in my journal
• 8,435 min (140 hours 35 minutes) spent planning.
• 9,876 min (164 hours 36 minutes) spent in prayer. This one is a total guesstimate.
• 4,500 people contacted on the street.
• 3,500 additional people contacted elsewhere (like homes and such)
• 475 lessons with people (investigators, members)
• 4,086,572 steps (3,187.526 KM / 1,992.204 mi, for you in America): total distance.
• 160 other meetings (that's district meetings, zone conference, and the like), probably grossly underestimating the number of meetings from the MTC (we had 5+ a week...x9 weeks).

So, the two year totals (estimates, all. Except lessons taught):

• 72,460 min (1,207 hours 40 minutes) reading holy scriptures.
• 31,649 min (527 hours 29 minutes) reading scripture in Latvian (in addition).
• 6,875 min (114 hours 35 minutes) writing in my journal.
• 260.5 pages (front and back) of journal written.
• 27,875 min (464 hours 35 min) planning.
• 26886 min (448 hours 6 min) in prayer (this is probably an underestimate).
• 10,500 people contacted in the street or on buses
• 21,000 contacted elsewhere (in apartment complexes, homes, &t)
• 1047 lessons taught (to investigators and members)
• 9,570,473 steps (7,464.969 KM / 4,638.508 mi): total distance walked.
• 331 other meetings (district meetings, zone conferences, planning meetings, church, coordination meetings, &t).

And although these numbers may, in some respects be impressive and show what I accomplished, a mission is unquantifiable. You cannot determan the worth of your mission from something as trivial as this. I have already talked a little about what I received/gained on my mission. I like to remember this thought when thinking about what I gave/influenced: we can never know in this life how much good we have done, who we have touched, or what we have left in others. For example, there was a fellow baptized in Estonia during my mission who, about a year before he established contact again with the church, some missionaries talked with him and pointed out the church to him. They simply invited him to come if he felt like coming to church.
A year later or so, he woke up, feeling like he should go to church. Low and behold, he remembered where the church was, and came. He loved it.
I have spoken with many members about why they were baptized. What happened with them. A VERY large percentage took a very long time (often more than six months) before they finally decided to accept that covenant and move on. So, there is no way to measure that. I know that the friendships I forged with many of them will last a very long time. And the influence they have had on me is...remarkable. Powerful. Life-altering. I love these folks.

I think I will write at least one more time. Collage life kinda sneaks up on ya and takes LOADS of your time. Rough. But, it's been good. Anyway, until next time.

--
Jordan
  @..@
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( >__< )
^^ ~~ ^^