Gaining Weight

That is sad to hear that Kate died.  I guess you just have to think that she's in a happier place.

But it's great  to hear about Emerson.  It sounds like you have good missionaries.  Here they always say that it's better if the members do the baptizing.  For me, I totally agree, but some people I guess just think differently.  Has Emerson had much of a chance to go with the missionaries?  Tell him he should start practicing Spanish because that is the hardest thing about the mission.  I'm just kidding, he's going to serve in Utah.  I think Em will be a good missionary.  He likes talking and has at least half a brain.  (Said like only an older brother can.) That and he is a pretty hard worker.

 

Sunday Henry came with us to a lesson we had.  If you don't remember, Henry is the guy who got baptized about a month ago.  That was amazing.  We had a lesson and he said he would like to come with us, but the lesson fell through.  So we searched all of Prado, but we ended up with a good lesson. And it was fantastic that Henry came with us.

   

The other really cool thing that happened Sunday was that Kevin got his mission call.  He opened it at the Roca family house right in front of us.  He is going to El Salvador.  Kevin lives pretty close to us, just a few houses up the road.

   

When I've talked about the harder parts of my area, it's mostly that we split the ward and we only have the half that is residential areas where people work until eight and are always busy (members and investigators).  So it's a little tougher to work things out, but it could be worse.

   

That's cool that Remington is taking a dance class.  I miss dancing.  Does Emerson still dance a lot? Or mostly just work on cars now?

  

I totally remember using a trenching machine, and that I almost couldn't use it because I didn't weigh enough.  Speaking of weight, so far I think I've gained like 10-15 pounds, but I don't think I look too different so what ever I guess.

   

I'm almost out of time so I'll talk to you later  I love you all!

 

-Elder Jarvie

A Refrigerator!!

Things here have been pretty good.  Though it's been a little hard in this area. It's a hard area to begin with but recently it's been worse.  But I guess there are good times and bad times.  We don't get to do a whole lot of service either.  I wish we did.  Luckily, things are starting to get better.

   

Thanks a ton for the pictures you sent me.  I love pictures of the family.  I miss you guys.  I wish people here would invite me to do yard work.  I also wish I could go to the beach. (Our missionaries helped us with some yard work and we went to the beach for the weekend.)

   

For Emerson I would say that if he is willing to study a lot it would be a great idea to go to school in Idaho.  Does he know what he wants to study?   Honestly, I think it's a great experience.  And if Remington is leaving, I'm going to need another brother to live with me.  Though I guess he won't be there for a while when I will. (Emerson will leave on his mission about the same time Donavaghn comes home.)

   

Do you remember me talking about Henry, he got baptized like a month ago?  Yesterday he taught the class in priesthood.  It was amazing. 

   

The most amazing thing happened Wednesday.  We got a fridge!  So that is pretty fantastic.  We can keep more food in the house and we can have milk too.  We had bought powdered milk which wasn't actually too bad.  It would be nice to cook every once and a while, but we don't really have the time or the stuff.  Sometimes we cook a little.  Our stove is really terrible too.

   

I was going to try to send pictures but I plugged the memory of my camera into the computer and I think it got a virus.  That's the problem with using public computers I guess.  I'll have to see if I can fix it some how.  It's hard though when I only get to touch a computer one hour a week.  Maybe I'll just ask one of the electronic shops in the maya.

   

How was you trip to the beach?

How is the house coming along?

   

Thanks for being an amazing family.  I love you guys!

 

Bye!!

 

Elder Jarvie

Forgotten Birthdays

It turns out that not only semana santa is hard but the week after too.  But apart from that things have been really good.  My new companion is still great.

   

Today we got to watch a movie!  That usually only happens once a year, but we are going to watch "Meet the Mormons" today at one o'clock, so that is super cool. 

   

That is really awesome that Grandma and Grandpa bought the house next door. (Correction: "Going to buy")  Ya'll are going to have a boat load of property.  I bet that is amazing after living in the last house. 

    

The questions:

   -Do you remember seeing a picture of that big cement sink thing (pila)?  That would be where the cloths are washed.

 

   -If you are planing on sending me a box maybe a flash drive with good missionary music, letters of course, a puppy, they don't sell garments with the small neck here so maybe two or three of those.  I'll keep thinking.

    

My companion forgot when his birthday was.  Last week a couple of people asked him and he said he didn't remember.  We found out this week when president called to tell him happy birthday.  Then we checked his birth date to see how old he was.  I think that is definitely the first time I've seen that happen.  He is twenty-one by the way.  (I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around that one.)

   

Things here are a lot different, but whenever people ask me how I can't really think of anything to say.  I think I might be used to here.  There are some really fantastic parts of Guatemala.  One of the weirdest things is the differences just here.  There are parts where there is no difference between here and there, and others there is.

   

There is a family we visit that is literally dirt floor poor.  Speaking of this family, the first three visits we had yesterday were with people that did not stop talking.  We talked to the grandma in this family who is less active.  I think we shared two verses and were there for like an hour.

  

Michaela, Elder Torrez wants your email.  He is from Nicaragua I think.

 

Anyway, I have like two minutes left so I have to go.  I love you all!  Have a ton of fun

-Elder Jarvie

New Companion

 With his new companion, Elder Bonilla, and a man they met at General Conference

Sorry if this one is a little short, they asked me to do a super long survey.  This week was one of the harder ones.  They were right when they said that "semana santa" is a crappy time to be a missionary. But lucky that is just last week.

My new companion is really good.  We walked a ton this week because almost nobody was home.  This week everyone goes to the beach...unless they're Catholic, then they carry pictures and statues of Jesus in the street.   It's an interesting week.  They close a lot of stores and shops and stuff.  Like I said, my new companion is really good, at least so far.  He is from Honduras and his name is Elder Bonilla (the 2 Ls are like a Y, like in tortilla.)   So I'm up to companions from 4 different countries and not one that speaks English since the CCM.  But it really does help with Spanish.

   

The conference was amazing.  There were a few talks I loved a ton.  I really liked the guy that talked about the 2 brothers climbing the canyon.  There were a ton of great ones.  That one reminded me a lot of my brothers.  I loved when he gave the comparison that Christ is that person for us.

   

You asked if I get chances to speak English.  Usually Mondays, Fridays and sometimes another time in the week.

   

The notebook that Sister Karcher gave me when I left for school is now officially full.  It was a good book to take notes.  But it feels like an accomplishment to finish it.  I used it for Sundays and conferences mostly, district meetings and stuff too.

    

Thanks for the fantastic emails that you send me, and the pictures too.  The letters from dad and everyone else.

    

Thanks for being amazing.  Love you all, I gotta go.

-Elder Jarvie