Soccer Withdrawals

Hey, sorry that I didn't write yesterday.  We went to the temple today and we got back a little late.  On the bright side, I took pictures this week, but because we came straight from the temple I don't have my adapter, so I'll have to wait until next week to send them.

   

On the way back from the temple the office missionaries called me to ask which airport I wanted to go to.  I told them Idaho, I hope that's all right. (My heart stopped.  He's going to Idaho for school two weeks after he gets home, but surely he knows he has to come home first...) No, I'm just kidding.  I said Medford.  That's what the airport is called right? (Whew...)  I haven't asked when my return date is but it should be around the 24th of July.  (He means the 24th of August)

   

I'll start looking to see if I can find some type of souvenirs or something.  There are a lot of places that sell Guatemalan bags.  I'm pretty good at fitting lots of things in my bags.  I want to find somewhere to buy a Guatemalan flag too.

   

We had a pretty good week.  We have a few investigators that are progressing a lot better now.  So far the closest is Cesia.  The only thing is that she's not married to the person she lives with.  His job schedule changes a lot so it's hard to plan the wedding.  Those are probably two of the most common problems with investigators here, work and not being married.

   

The picture you sent me (see end of letter if you're interested) reminds me about someone who was telling us about the craziest things they've heard people say about Mormon missionaries.  One of them was that we steal little kids.  Here in our area there is a kid who always walks up to us and asks if one of us is from the United States.  So naturally, I always point to my companion and say ¨he is.¨  There are some funny little Guatemalan kids here.

   

Sounds like you guys have been doing a lot of hiking.  I miss the forest.  When I get back we are going to have to go to Boulder Alley or something, or the river, I miss the river too.

 

Fun fact: in Spanish scriptures they sell quads now.   It's a new thing in Spanish.  They used to only sell them separately.  Now if only they sold them in smaller sizes.  That would be fantastic.  Scriptures can be heavy sometimes.  They're bigger in Spanish too.

   

I haven't played soccer in like a month.  We've done something else every p-day this change.  And now I really want to kick things.  I'm going to have to find people who will play soccer with me when I come home.  Maybe in Idaho.

   

Anyway, that's what's going on here.  Love you guys.  Sorry for forgetting my adapter.  I'll send pictures next Monday.  Bye.

 

-Elder Jarvie 

mis compañeros y yo

From closest to farthest

1) Me

2) Elder Marin

3) Elder Gonzalez

How's it going everybody?  We had another slightly uneventful week.  It's cool to hear that you've got the classes all ready.  World Religions sounds super cool, and of course the art classes.  I kind of miss having the time to do art stuff.  And now once again I'll be doing art until my wrists hurt.  I miss dancing too.  I've never understood the whole reading class thing, no idea what that would be, but I'm sure it will be good too.

You asked about my birthday too.  Honestly it's going to be like a month before I come home, so you might as well just wait and buy me school supplies for my birthday present.

 

We had to go to the mission office and stuff a few times this week.  When we went to the office that was pretty much our day.  There is a lot of traffic in Guatemala City and we have to go in buses.  We will probably be seeing the mission president again soon, so I can ask him about the whole return date and all that, when that happens.  Pretty much my entire district is leaving like July 12th.

 

I'll try to take more pictures this week.  I had a problem with my camera.  All the computers in Guatemala have viruses.  That kind of stinks.  You have to be really careful with all the pictures.

 

Anyway, things are going pretty good here.  It's a work in progress as always.  Well thanks for everything.  I really loved the pictures.  bye

 

-Elder Jarvie

 

No Math Please

The pictures of the house look super nice.  Thanks a ton for all the pictures, you really did send a lot this time, thanks.

   

It's crazy to think it's already time to sign up for classes.  For the last class, math and English are both things I need to improve in but right now I think I would rather take English.  I haven't done math in a long time.

   

Things here are going well, still struggling a little with my companions.  For some reason president must always think it's a good idea to put me with all the problem missionaries.  Elder Gonzalez is going home in July and both the sisters in my district are too.  Elder Marin is kind of childish and him and Elder Gonzalez don't get along at all.  All that would be alright if they weren't both so lazy.

    

This Wednesday we are going to have a multi-zone conference, so that should be fun.  It's going to be here, so we don't have to go very far.

    

Sunday we had kind of a ward activity visiting people who are less active and/or not signed up for seminary.  My group was the stake president and his counselor and I, so that was fun.  Every once and a while it's nice to be with people who are a little more serious.

   

I honestly can't think of anything else to write.  It hasn't been all that eventful of a week, just trying to get my companions to work.  Hopefully, next week I'll have a little more to say.  I only have like five minutes more anyway.

   

Thanks for everything.

-Elder Jarvie

Trio Trunky Time

Sorry this is going to be a little shorter of a letter, I had to write a ton of people.  But I'll do my best to make it good with the little time I've got.  I ended up in Cipresales Zona 6 in Molino Stake, close to El Durazno.  It's a pretty cool area.  There are some gangster filled areas here.  It's kind of cool actually.  There are streets that are more like stairways strait down a mountain with lots of dodgy people and houses packed really close together.  A lot of the members know me from when I was in the Durazno.  They would play soccer with us.  I don't even have a week here and they are already calling me Woody.

   

I ended up in a trio with Elder Marin (from Nicaragua) and Elder Gonzalez (from El Salvador).  So now I've had companions from almost every country in Central America.  Elder Gonzales is going home in July and is super trunky.  Elder Marin is kind of like a kid but at least he works happily.  One day we did divisions with a member to cover more ground, honestly it was so Elder Marin and I could contact in peace.

   

One of these days I'm going to have to visit El Durazno too.  I think I'm going to have to wait until next week to send pictures.  I only have a little over five minutes, not that I took any pictures.

   

Speaking of trunky people, the other missionaries in our district are two sisters who are going home the same time as me, also trunky, but nobody beats Elder Gonzales.

   

Thanks for everything, you guys are the best.

-Elder Jarvie

Moving On

Godinez Family

Lindsay Godinez Baptism

Shoes I bought for six bucks

Ariel Godinez with a wig

Well everything here has been going good.  Yesterday they told us that I have changes, which I kind of expected.  I've been here a while.  This is the third area in a row where I've stayed six months. Hopefully my next area and companion will be good.  Tomorrow they are going to tell me where I go.

   

Today we are going to say bye to a lot of people and a sister in our district is going to make pupusas, a food from El Salvador.  I don't know how knowledgeable y'all are in Central American food.  I bet Remington knows, he has spent a little more time with that type of people.  That's going to be fun though.  And as always, we are going to play soccer too. 

 

You wrote that I would probably get sent to another town.  The funny thing is I'll probably get sent to the same town, because Guatemala City is freaking huge.  More than half the areas in our mission are in the same city, and that's with other missions taking parts of the city too.  I've pretty much been in the same city my whole mission.  But who knows, maybe I'll go out into the country.

    

I can't think of anything else to write.  It wasn't all that eventful of a week.  We had a lot of people who didn't want to talk to us.  Last week I bought another new pair of tennis shoes because mine have a big hole in the bottom and I was wearing out my socks too fast.  Oh and happy anniversary!

   

It's been kind of hot here too, but not too bad.  It will probably be on fire over there when I get back. At least it will be good weather to go swimming.  I miss swimming.

   

The pictures you've sent of the house look amazing, especially the grass.  You don't see lawns like that much over here.  The rest looks awesome too.

   

I have way too many little things and I'm going to have to find a way to fit all of them in my suit cases.  Luckily, we do believe in miracles, so I'm sure it will fit somehow.  I'm going to get rid of a lot of things too.  

 

Thanks for everything.  I'll talk to you guys next week and tell you where and with who I ended up.

 

-Elder Jarvie