Wonky Houses

Sorry if this one is a little short. I had a lot to read and write.

I don't remember if I ever said anything about Hermano Otto Lorenzo from my last area.  But Sunday we went to a far off part of our area and were looking for the less active members and we found his brother.  That was really neat.

Also, when we were there I saw the wonkiest house ever. I sent you a picture but I'm not sure it captures the pure weirdness of this house. (When he first sent the picture to me he told me it was a picture of the outside of HIS house!)

You asked when Meganne goes on her mission, it's June 24th I think.  It's crazy that she is going to Oregon.

It sounds like y'all have a lot going on over there.  It started raining here, it's fantastic. I don't like the heat.  The only problem is that we hang our cloths on a line to dry them and clothes don't dry very fast when it's raining.

Thanks for writing me and I love all the pictures you send me.  Sorry that this one is a little short.

I love you all and I'll talk to you next week!

Elder Jarvie

Fireflies

First off, this week was transfers, but we are both staying here which means I'll be in this area about five or six months at least. I came here when January started.

A few weeks ago I started to see fireflies.  I didn't know there were fireflies here.  So that was really cool. I don't think I had seen any before.  There are a lot of bugs that are different.

   

When I finished reading your letter I noticed something.  At the very end it says "sent from my sprint samsung galaxy s6." When did you buy that?  Since when did they even made an s6?  Y'all are some rich people.

   

I can't remember if I remembered to tell Emerson Happy Birthday, but either way I sent him a letter.  It should get there in about a month...  only a little bit late, right?

   

Who did Shane get engaged with?  Do I know this person? 

 

There isn't a ton to say about this week.  We walked a lot.  We brought an investigator to an activity.  It was good that he went but it probably would have been better if we sent him with somebody else. First off, all they played loud music and then started late.  And we didn't have any way to get back without a ride from a member, and because it started late it ended late.  And it just didn't go well for us.  Though it was a really good activity.

   

The week in general went pretty good.  We went knocking doors in some areas where we hadn't been much before.  It's pretty much wilderness there.  But there are still a lot of people that live there.  Just that they live off dirt trails, and some of the houses are a little less of a house.

  

It was a good week, just not much to say about it.  And I'm pretty much out of time.  I love you guys.

 

-Elder Jarvie

Mother's Day Skype

The last little bit has been fun. Skyping was the greatest. I loved talking with you guys. I think a couple of times I said a word or two in Spanish by accident.  Sometimes I think of something to say to someone but I think of the phrase in the wrong language.  That's fun. 

In the morning they told us about transfers.  We're both staying here, so at least we don't have to pack.

 

I thought of something I would like you to send me.  They have talked a little about family history and we were talking to a less active.  I would like to have the information for a few generations, birth dates and stuff.  I tried with my family search, because before there had been a lot there, but now it doesn't show a lot.  If there are neat stories or history that you know, that would be cool too.  I've read some interesting stuff about family history and I would love to talk more about it with investigators but I don't know a lot.

 

Sister Campaneros, who was there when we talked, who said her husband was in another country, he is in El Salvador.  It's another country, but the countries here are a lot smaller.  It's like if Guatemala was Oregon, he would be in California, but it's still another country.

 

Things here are going pretty good.  We walk a lot so at least we have something to do.

 

Thanks for being amazing everybody.  I'm pretty much out of time so I'll talk to you next week.  Love you all!!

 

Elder Jarvie

Rain

When it rained we got to wear clothes we almost never wear, so we took a picture.

It sounds like a lot of great stuff is happening over there.  It sounds like you have some good missionaries too.  Here we don't do too many activities in the chapel (he means at the church).  For us, part of the reason would be that we have to take a bus to get there.  We split the ward with another set of missionaries and I think we have the rich area.  There are good and bad parts to that.

   

Now we just need to get Michaela into ballroom dancing and we'll be set.  That is one of the things I miss. 

   

Dada is right.  If the companion doesn't want to work, life is crappy.  Sometimes that was a problem with my last companion.  The companion I have right now I almost never do.  My last companion was finishing his mission and was a little trunky.  My companion now had just finished his training when he came with me.  He looks like he is one of the missionaries that came with 18 year olds, but he is really twenty-one.  He is a little weird, but it's a lot better than lazy.

   

Dada was talking about his 3D printer.  Does it work now?  It's too bad I didn't get to see it work before I left.  That sounds so fun.  He´ll have to tell me about it Sunday or when ever we talk.  One day I'll get to play with cool things like that... one day. 

   

This week has been a little tough.  I don't know what is happening but everyone was busy, or away from home.  Sunday was a lot better.  I guess some times are just harder than others.

   

It had been really hot the last little while, but it's starting to rain and get a little cooler.  I like the rain. The heat had been killing me.

 

I don't think anything will be the same when I get home.  So much is happening over there.  Different is good a lot of the time so at the very least it should be fun.  I miss you guys.  I'll talk to you later.

 

--Elder Jarvie

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