Monday, December 28, 2015

Skype

Hey everybody!
 
So this week had some good parts and some bad parts.  The best part was Skype.  That was awesome. It always is.  I really enjoy hearing what's going on.  The house looks different and you all have a lot more expensive stuff.  And holy cow yall have a lot of cars.
       
I'm going to answer questions from your letter now:

Does your package go through customs? Do you have to pay money for it? Or did they just deliver it to you from the mission home and you don't know what happens in between?
 
-I have no idea what they do with it, it just shows up in the stake center when we have district meeting or weekly planning.

Did the dad from the house where you Skype sit beside you on the couch the whole time we talked? I could hear his voice every once in awhile. Was that really nerve racking for you?
 
-I think he was there most of the time if I remember right, and nerve racking, no, not really.

Is there anyone you are teaching right now that we could pray for?
-Emilio, David, Sandra and Jose, Lilian.  Mostly those four.

So anyway things have been alright.  My companion has still been having problems with his blood pressure.  He gets mad at me a lot too.  I don't know if it's for the same problem or what, but he gets mad a little more than I would like.  (Can I just say this broke my heart! )
   
I was going to send pictures today, but I had problems with my camera.  The problem with using internet cafes is that the camera gets a virus every once and a while.  The good thing is that I bought a USB so I have a backup, so I don't lose it all when that happens.  The bad thing is that I do lose the pictures I haven't saved.  I haven't taken many picture recently, so it's not too bad.
   
Make sure to remember the family history thing I asked about.  I remember that when I logged into Family Search it was all there, but I've tried and nothing shows up.  I don't know if it was another website or what.
   
Thanks for all the pictures, and sorry I didn't send any.  I'm pretty sure I fixed my camera, so I'll try to take more pictures this week.
 
-Elder Jarvie

Monday, December 21, 2015

Family History

Hey everybody!!
   
I still feel weird in a different area. I know it a little better now, but not quite what I'm used to.  There was very little when I came here, so it's been a little hard.  But this week we contacted a lady in the street and this Sunday we had a lesson.  She accepted a baptismal date, asked a bunch of questions, and it was pretty awesome, the lesson.
   
Oh! I just remembered something really important.  In the multi-zone conference they talked about family history, the spirit of Elijah. and the temple and stuff.  They have a pamphlet that they want us to have filled out that includes our family tree up to great grand parents I think, dates, places, pictures, if their temple work has been done and any other little thing you want to write down.  I don't know exactly how much information like that  you have, but I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANT IT.  If you could e-mail me the information and pictures if you have them I can have them printed here.  At least the 4 generations. Please.
   
Christmas is coming!! And just as awesome, Skype.  I'm still not a hundred percent sure where we are going to go to Skype, but one family offered, so at least we have a possible choice.  Also speaking of Christmas things, the box still hasn't come yet, so this Wednesday or sometime after Christmas.
   
It's great to hear that Kennon got his mission call.  You will have to send me his e-mail so I can write him a few times.
   
Speaking of missionaries, I think Jared is in zone 7, so he could be more or less close to my first area. It's weird to think we are in the same city right.  Not just the same country, the same city.  It's a big city, but we are in the same city.
   
Sometimes I feel important because the United States Embassy sends me e-mails.  It's like an update they send to everyone who's not in the states or something like that, but it makes me feel pretty cool.
   
It's super cool to hear about all the people that are on missions now or going to leave soon.  I've got a big list of friends on missions right now.
   
Sometimes I catch myself screwing up when I write or talk in English now.  I don't know if the amount of grammatical errors I make is more or if I just feel like that, but I don't think I talk the same in English anymore.
   
We got Liahonas this week. I really liked the book they did in memory of Richard G Scott.  The quote on the back I like a lot.

                                  Heavenly Father didn't put us on Earth to fail
                                             but to succeed gloriously.

Or something like that.  The point is that I enjoyed reading it a lot.  Those books that they do about the life of the apostles are really interesting. 
 
So those are my thoughts for now.  Hopefully it was all understandable.  I'm pretty much out of time now, so I'll talk to you all more, later this week.
  
Elder Jarvie

Monday, December 14, 2015

Panamanian Companion

This week has been really weird.  Like I had said I had changes.  I'm back in Zona 18 but not close to Esperanza.  I'm in a place called Pinares Del Norte.  My ward is Pinares 2.  It's all city, so it's a little different than what Im used to.  And I don't know anyone.  We don't have anyone that comes with us to visit and we have very few investigators.  We have found a few this week though.
   
As far as my new companion goes, things are alright.  His name is Elder Vanegas, and he is from Panama.  He is a little sick though.  He has been having a few health problems so that's been making it hard too. But other than that it's been alright.  I did get along well with Elder Ramirez so I was kind of sad we were only together for one change.
 
I almost forgot the list:
   -2 from Guatemala (Momostenango, Totonicapan)
   -2 from Honduras (Comoayagua, and San Pedro Sula)
   -1 from Brasil
   -1 from Panama
and if you count the MTC one from California.
   
It's good to hear that everything went well with grandma's funeral.  It sounded like she was doing pretty bad before she died.
   
It's really good to hear that Kennon is doing good though, I haven't seen him in ages.  And it sounds like I won't be seeing him anytime soon, seeing that he's got his mission papers in.  Or maybe he will come to the Guatemala East Mission and we can be companions.  That would be fun right.
   
Two other things changed with changes, my zone is really big and my district is really small.  Before we were like 10 missionaries in the zone and I had had like 6 or 8 in my district.  Here there are like 22 missionaries in the zone and my district in just Pinares 1 and 2, us and a companionship of sister missionaries.  So that is really different.
   
This week we are going to have a multi-zone conference in Molino, so we are going to be there with everyone from my last zone too.
   
I'm really exited for Christmas too, we just have to find who is going to lend us their computer.  It's super weird to think that this is going to be my 2nd Christmas here.  It doesn't feel like it's been that long.  At first time went by pretty slow, but now it goes way too fast.
   
So that was pretty much my week.  Things have been going good.  Sorry that I didn't send any pictures.  I'll try to take more this week.  Thanks for everything.
-Elder Jarvie

Monday, December 7, 2015

Changes


Far left is my teacher in the CCM and second to the left is Jared's teacher, 
then Jared and his companion.  A little after I left the CCM, my teacher 
got married with Jared's teacher and now they have a baby.

So I have changes......
That's too bad.  I liked my area and my companion.  Hopefully the next one will be good too.  Who knows where I'll go.  It's going to be my fourth area.
 
Jared sent me a picture of him with our MTC teachers.  His teacher married my teacher and had a baby.  It's a pretty sweet picture.
 
Esbin didn't get baptized this week.  He still feels nervous and wants more time.  He wants to get baptized around Christmas.  It's too bad I'm not going to be here.
 
The Christmas devotional was great.  I liked the wheelchair story too.  I thought it was going to start at six but it started at seven, which would have been alright if we didn't live super far from the stake center.  Nobody from our ward came so we didn't have a ride.  The last bus left at seven thirty, and there is no way we are going to walk all that way because it's like half an hour in a bus.  But miracles happen and the devotional was only an hour long.  We walked fast to Jocotales and right when we got there a taxi stopped and took us up, so we got to the house before nine, and we didn't get charged too much either.
 
Thursday we had exchanges with Jocotales. I went there, it's weird working in the city again.  I'm used to the mountains.
 
I'm not sure what else to write about.  I'm out of time too.  I love you all and I'll talk to you next week.
Love,
Elder Jarvie