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

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

Nacahuil

This week was really good, apart from one day when I got sick, but other than that it was great.  It's crazy how fast this change has gone by, five weeks feels more like two.  It helps a lot when you have a companion you get along with and an area that you like.

   

I honestly hope we don't have changes this time.  I pretty much have six months here but miracles happen right?

   

This week we had a goal to find new investigators, and we found a ton.  We went all the way to Nacahuil, the place with all the pigs, and did divisions with Bladimir and Erick.  We went and knocked on doors and two of the three let us in and we taught their family.  So that was a cool experience.  In that morning he and I ended up with more new investigators than contacts, that's normally not how it is.

 

                               -answers to questions-

Are there bowling alleys in Guatemala?  yes, but none near where I've been.

Have you done go-karts before?  yes.

Are there go-karts in Guatemala? I have no idea if they have go-kart tracks.

Are you going to put up a Christmas tree?  If I can find one.

How has your weather been? cold and foggy

The soda machine is pretty legit.  How is that going to work out?  Do you still have to put money in it?  How are yall going to keep it full?

   

The other really cool thing here is that Esbin is going to get baptized soon.  The plan is for this Saturday.  He feels really nervous about it so we are going to have to help him a lot this week.

   

People have started putting up Christmas decorations.  Last year I saw a few people that had huge things of Christ's birth.  Like fill your living room big.

 

That's all folks. See you next week.

Love,

Elder Jarvie

Selfie Stick Pictures

 The Rodriguez family, Erick and my companion.

They had one of those sticks to take selfies, so I took a few pictures.

 

Things here have been going really good.  It's been raining here a lot too.  Every morning there is a ton of fog.  I like cold weather, the only down side is that the shower is ice cold.

   

On the brighter side, Esbin, Marvin´s brother, is going to get baptized the first week of December.  So that's cool.  He has been coming to church for a while now and is now one of the people that comes up to me and says "gringo" whenever he sees me in the street.  When I say "street," I mean dirt road, but same difference right?

   

I don't ever remember holidays until someone tells me.  Do you guys remember the time I told you that my companion forgot his birthday?  Which reminds me, happy birthday!  This is the 2nd year that someone asked me if I did anything for Thanksgiving yesterday and I thought to myself, "it was yesterday, huh..."   It's not a holiday here.

     

And before I forget, tell the pirate red beard that his facial hair is looking pretty good.  So I'm short on time and I can't think of too much to say.

   

I love you guys and I'll talk to you next week.  Sorry that this letter is a little shorter.

Love,

Elder Jarvie

Rain and new Soles

Hey everybody!

   

It decided to rain all this week. The good thing is that I'm back to having two pairs of shoes.  I don't know if I had mentioned this but the brown shoes I bought before I left were worn down a ton from so many days of walking in Guatemalan wildernesses.  The left shoe had a big hole in it.  Then one day we were contacting, and we contacted a guy who turns out fixes shoes.  He put new soles and everything and it turned out great.

   

We've been teaching a family that lives pretty close to our house.  They have a date to be baptized, but it's been really hard for them to come to church.  In part it's because they don't want to go all the way to the stake center, and the last two weeks have been conferences.  This week it was a special conference that they broadcast to all the stakes in Guatemala.  I think it was 44 or something like that. But it was really cool.

   

We've also been teaching a little with Marvin's brother, Esbin.  Like half the people in their family are members already.  He's been coming to church.  In the picture with the kites I sent you last week he is the one with the shirt that has an oldschool video game or something like that.

   

In a box you sent me, I think Rick's family was who sent them, I'm not sure.  Anyway, they sent scripture stickers.  They are pretty cool.  But it turns out you can make them with masking tape and Liahona magazines.  So I learned something new.  We did that for a lesson with Angel, Marvin, and Esbin.  It was pretty cool. Esbin figured it out really fast.

   

For the first time here in Guatemala it's gotten cold, mostly because we are up in the mountain, and for all the rain.  I almost always wear a sweater in the morning.

   

Sometimes I feel like my English isn't as good as it used to be.  I've been speaking Spanish for so long that I forget words in English or how to spell them.

 
Things for Christmas... a few people have said that they want the scripture stickers, so if you can find some that would be cool.  Ties are always welcome.  I need a few new shirts.  I really like the Lee ones we bought online if you can find them again.  If you send candy, jolly ranchers are still my favorite, and I haven't seen anyone selling them here.  Socks.  If you can find a legit thin sweater that is missionary appropriate. They aren't too strict with the clothes here. Other than that who knows.

  
Anyway, that's my time. Love you all, and I'll talk to you next week.

Bye!!
-Elder Jarvie

Stake Conference

Hey everybody!

 

So things here have been going great. I'm still getting along good with my new companion and everything is going really good.

   

This Saturday and Sunday we had Stake Conference.  It was one of the best I've been to.  I think he was from the area presidency, Elder Maravilla.  The way he talked was really interesting.  He is a funny guy, but still gave really good points, and made you think, laughing and thinking you should probably repent at the same time.  Saturday he talked about ward council and Sunday he talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy.

   

The notebook I use for meetings is almost full, it's going to be the 2nd one.  I think I pay attention and understand a lot more if I take notes.  I started writing smaller because sometimes it fills up a lot of space.

   

Speaking of note books, my drawing books have been the same for the  last couple of months.  There is very little time to do anything.  I miss having time to draw, though I guess when I come back if I'm in art classes I'll be drawing all day long. But still I need to find some time to do it.

   

I started writing a letter so I should get one sent home Wednesday, so we will see when it gets there.

   

Honestly, I hope they leave me in this area for another change. I really like it here, and my companion is one of the best I've had. (answer to your question: he is one month older than me and has nine months in the mission.  I think those are the only two questions you asked.)

   

Now that you mentioned holiday traditions it reminds me, there are holidays they celebrate here and not there and ones we celebrate that they don't here.  For example, Halloween and Thanksgiving.  And here they have the day where they all fly kites and visit the cemetery, and a day where everyone makes devil piñatas and burns them and lights off fireworks. And sometimes the traditions or foods are different too.  Like Christmas, everyone eats tamales.

   

I really can't think of anything else to say. I didn't take too many pictures this week but I have a few that I don't think I've sent, so I'll send those.

   

I love you guys, bye.

-Elder Jarvie

Changes

So this week was changes and I can honestly say I'm really happy with them.  I'm still here in the durazno and my companion is Elder Ramirez from Honduras.  So far I've had one from Brazil, 2 from Momostenango Guatemala, and 2 from Honduras.  So far I get along really well with him.  The problem I had with my last companion was that he was kind of lazy and didn't want to do much.  My new comanion isn't lazy at all, so I'm super happy,

   

Sunday was a holiday where everyone goes and visits their relatives in the cemetery and flies kites too.  I tried taking a picture of the kites but it didn't come out.  You could see a ton of kites from the hill by the cemetery,  It looked like a beehive.  Around five thirty we started contacting the people who were on their way back.  Usually, it's hard to contact a lot of people here but it was like a river of people that day.

   

I'm going to try to get a hand written letter sent too (the old fashioned way) because there were a lot of fun stories this week.  Also I'll make sure to take a picture with my new companion this week to send you guys.

   

Pobrecitos, suffering from heat in HAWAII.  There isn't air conditioning here either.  Luckily, the weather in Guatemala is always perfect.  I just want hot water.

   

Ask Remington if he is going to bring me presents before he shaves the beard.  Speaking of Santa, Christmas is coming up.  Man, I love Skype calls!  Make sure you have a laptop, I want to see the house.

   

Sorry I don't have pictures this time around, this computer doesn't want to read my camera anyway. But next week for sure I'll get some sent. 

   

All in all, things are going really good here.  I get along great with my new companion, and everything is a lot better.

   

So that's what happened this week. I'll talk to y'all next week.

-Elder Jarvie