Tammy
Hola Familia!
Holy cow, I´ve got a lot of questions to answer. I´d like to start by saying, I´m okay. I really am. I´ve been blessed with health (so far) and everything is going well. Maybe I shouldn´t write much so that you don´t worry so much Mom. haha. I also want to say thanks to everyone for their prayers and support. But now I guess I´ll go on with the questions.
(How is the Mother's Day call going to work?)
1. Mothers day. I really haven´t been told a single thing at all about what will happen on mothter's day. I have no idea whatsoever when I will be calling, where I´ll be calling from, or even how I will be calling. I wrote down your instuctions, hopefully I wont need the country code, cuz I had to figure it out when I called from the Mexico City airport, and I cant remember. But hopefully it works no matter what I'm calling from. I should be calling Sunday though, my comp knows about Mothers Day so I dont think I´ll have to do to much crying and whining to call you. But there isn't many phones that I've seen in Union Hidalgo. And seeing as we have church in the morning and all that I´d guess that we wont be leaving Union to call. I honestly don't know, but just be ready for my call. I know you will be though.
(Did you get any kind of stove or hotplate to cook on?)
2. We´re opening a new area at a new apartment in a small place far from the mission home. So we don't get much help. The few things we recieved were found at the House of Prayer and lent to us by the Branch Pres. but there isn't much people have to lend. We had a Zone Conference on Thursday, and we got a small stove thingy that we can use to cook, as well as a pot and pan. But there isnt ever time to cook, because the members have us eat at 2:00 or 3:00 usually, so we´ve only used it once. And without a good sink to clean and sanitize it still isnt very easy to use. I will try to buy a fork today so that I can maybe make some top ramen before bed sometimes. The only thing that I want is fridge. If I can have cold water I´ll be happy. We have one of the worst places in the mission according to most people I've talked with and the apartements I've seen. But its okay, it just means my next apartment will be really nice, even though it really isn't.
(Do you have an address there that we can send letters or packages to?)
3. Dont send a stove and a fridge, haha. One, by the time I get it I may be gone, and we don't even have room for it anyway. I´m doing fine foodwise though. I bought bread and some peach jam and some fruit bar things for breakfasts. But this question was about mail. Honestly, there is no address here. People recieved packages during the zone conference. So I think every zone conference is when I´ll be able to recieve things. I may not see the mission offices for a while. Email is the number one way for letters, but I dont have the most time, so a few family members saying hi is great, but all my response will be in this weekly letter though. But if letters and packages are sent to the mission offices I will recieve them eventually. I guess zone conferences happen every change, so about every 6 weeks I should be able to recieve stuff. This may change as I get sent to different places, plus, things will change when we get the new mission president. So I don't know.
(How are your feet doing? Are you wearing dry, clean socks?)
4. My feet have been fine so far, don´t worry, I´m freaked out about my feet too. I´ve been bucket showering them every night. I´m still trying to find the foot cream in my suitcases, I havent found it yet, but my feet have been okay so far. Don´t worry, I´m worrying about them too. It stinks being in Union and having to come over to Juchitan every p day, cause its hard to do the things we need to do, it wastes so much time. Hopefully we have time for laundry tonight when we get back, cuz we had to come to Juchitan a little bit earlier today for the District meeting. anyway...
(Is there anything the members need that we could send to them?)
5. Ummm, right now I don´t think I can answer that question, obviously there is a lot that would be nice for them. But most have shoes and the basic things. I can´t yet tell you if there is anything that you can send for these people. I can't even talk with them.
(Have you found a store there yet? Have you been shopping?)
6. There isn´t any good stores in Union Hidalgo. Nothing trustable anyway. So we do shopping on p days here in Juchitan. We went shopping last p day, and I bought some bread, peach jam, fruit bars, for some easy food. And we´ll probably go again today before returning.
(Where is your Zone? Are the Zone Leaders in Juchitan? Do you spend p-day with other Elders?)
7. Okay... the Zone leaders live in Juchitan in what is supposedly the nicest apartment in the whole mission. And it´s even nicer than the mission offices, I´ve been in it. It's this two floor house that's really spacious, has a fridge, and stove, and beds. Plus they have a way nice looking shower. The District leaders also live in Juchitan, they have a really nice home too. Like I said earlier, we had zone conference on Thursday, it was good, I guess. Didn´t understand much of what was being said, but everyone else seemed to like it. I got to see Elder Gotchy at the Zone Conference, and Elder Day too. I think Elder Day and Gotchy, along with their comps, are living together. It would be nice to have four elders in one place, gives you more people instead of just one. Not that I don't like my comp, it would just be nice. So we have District Meeting first evey p day, and we kinda stay together as we eat, there is 4 elders here in the internet place right now. So, it just kinda depends.
(Do you have a cell phone? How do you get to Juchitan?)
8. We were given a cell phone for our companionship. There is a fair number of people that have cell phones in their homes. Not for each person, but usually one for a home. Because I don't know if they really have home phones like the U.S., at least in Union they don't. We travel to Juchitan by bus. There are two buses, one kinda nice one, and one of the gross ones that isn´t very fun to be on. But it isn´t too long of a drive, and it costs 15 pesos a person. I´ve been paying for my comp every time so far, he ran out of money, (don't think he really falls in the wise spending category.) don´t know what he spent it on though, must have been before I arrived though.
(Tell us what you do each day.)
9. This is harder to answer than it should be. Because it´s not as structured in the mission field like it is at the MTC. But every morning we wake up at 6:30, then at 7:00 we pray, the whole mission is supposed to be praying at 7:00, then we can get ready until 8:00. then we have an hour for personal study, and an hour of comp study. We´re supposed to have a little bit of time for language study, but it usually doesn´t happen. Then it all depends on what we´ve got going on that day. We have appointments scheduled with members, we plan out when we are going to go visit less active people, we have a lot of return visit dates with investigators we have taught for the first time, they typically aren't there or have a convenient excuse. So we usually fall back on tracting. We´ve done a lot of that here, because we´re the first ones to the area after two years, so there isn´t any progressing investigators. People mostly try to find excuses to not hear us, even though they´re usually bumming around with nothing to do. But there are also a good amount of people who are happy to take a lesson, say they want to come to church and would love to meet with us agian, and then we usually are never able to find them again. We are really successful with getting in doors and teaching people and getting what are supposedly new investigators, but we haven´t had one yet that we can truly say is progressing. Though we did have 3 inactive members that we taught come to church yesterday. So at least I´m maybe doing something. And we typically eat at around 2:00 or 3:00.
Food is hit or miss. I´ve had some really good mexican foods, and some that my mouth and stomach didn't agree with. I´ve been blessed with health despite some of the things the members have fed me. Most of the people don't use tap water, so the drinks are all okay, most of the drinks are agua de fruta. They just blend fruit up directly in water, and it´s usually pretty good. Although I had some horchata Saturday, Elder Jimenez said its the worst horchata he´s had, I didnt think it was terrible, but after 5 sips I was sick of it. On Tuesday, we ate with a family that is slightly better off. And they fed us spaghetti, a salad, this fresh bread, and agua de piña. They even had parmeson (i cant spell it, but you know what I love with my spaghetti) Anyway, they also had this dessert like a fruit pizza. But it was slightly more cakelike than cookie like, and it had mangoes on top. I was soooooo good. Anyway, had to tell you about that cuz it was one of my favorite meals so far. Though last week the branch pres fed us some really good tostada things. So, like I said, hit or miss. But I´m already getting sick of mole, which isn´t good cuz thats the most common thing we´re fed. I´ll move on now, got distracted.
But we try to get home by 9:00 or so to get ready for bed and write in our journals and plan out the next day.
(How are things going with Elder Jimenez?)
10. We´re getting along alright, sadly we´re not as perfect a match as Elder Gothcy and I were, but that´s to be expected. He is good at working, I like the fact that he can speak english, but it´s probably bad in the long run. He tries to speak to me in spanish, but they talk in such a slurred fast manner that I never know what he or anyone else is saying. But he tries to talk slower for me so I can understand him more than anyone else. He´s trying to learn zapoteca, he doesnt know much yet, but he has more than me down. All I can remember is how to ask, What is you name? and to say that I know that God lives. Only two things. But people say that I can pronounce things a lot better than him. Becasue the sounds it makes are very different than spanish, and I dont know spanish yet.
(What is the best way to get mail and packages to you for family members?)
11. I kinda answered this in question 3 I believe. The best way will be to just send things to the mission home. I know its a pain in the but that I can only be getting mail about every 6 weeks, but we just have to live with it. Feel free to tell people to send letters there. Depending on how many people write me, it may just be too much for me to read all the emails. Sorry everyone, but thats just how it is. I´m amazed I can frantically type this much this fast.
12.
oh, there isnt a question twelve.
Well, once agian to everyone, thanks for all your prayers and support. Mom and Dad, thanks so much for your letters, I love you both sooo much. Wish you could be here and know everything going on in my life with the mission, but it is how it is. Braden, congragulations with the soccer! It´s awesome that you´re starting on Varsity! Keep up the good work. And let me know how soccer is going, I´ve got a picture for you that hopefully I can send, although its not as good as I thought it would turn out. But its cool to hear that your ranked number 2. Keep me updated! I love you so much. And you too Bri, I miss you a lot too. There is this little girl in a family that we visit a lot that reminds me of you. Just the way that she acts, although she´s only 9 years old. It´s funny for me to watch her, because I have no clue what she says to me, but she acts just like you did at that age. It´s neat to see that no matter where you are or what language you're speaking, families are still families, and people are still people. I love you Bri. I love all of you so much, please know that.
Ugh... I know I had more I wanted to say, but can't think of anything right now. I´m just frustrated with our inability to have success so far. I cant remember if I told you about Wilson, the only person we had with a baptismal date, but that´s fallen through and he´s kinda leaving us. Everyone is happy to hear our message, but nobody will act or do anything about our message.
We almost got in a bible bash sort of thing the other day. Some woman was arguing that the Book of Mormon couldn't be true because the Bible never said the exact words Joseph Smith or Book of Mormon. We showed her some scriptures and also the other sheep one. But we just bore our testimonies and left in the end. It was just wierd. Anyway, I´ll try to send a few pictures, don't have as many this time, but I´ll also send the pics of my MTC teachers.
I love you all! Thanks for all of you prayers, I know they truly have helped me and blessed me. Don´t worry about me until I tell you that I have foot fungus or a tape worm the length of Japan. I´m fine for now, and I´m trying as hard as I can to take care of myself. Not even the people here use the tap water, you can buy these giant jugs of pure water for only 11 pesos, and thats what everyone has. I just wish I could have a nice oreo shake or at least some ice cold water. Mmmmm... I really want an oreo shake, I dont know if I´ll gain weight on my mish, but when I get back I´ll probably get fat off of ice cream.
I love you so much, talk to you on Mother´s Day! It should hopefully work out, but I´ve no idea how. Love all of you.
Love Jordan.
My zone in the MTC. Hermano Wood is in the pink. At the far left is Elder Carr. Next to him is Hermano Scott.
The only cooking things that we received on Thursday. Now I need a fork!
Me standing in front of the Casa de Oration. It's just a building rented by the church.
My whole zone at zone conference in Juchitan.
These next few pictures are of a blood red sunset we saw. The pictures don't do it justice. It was really cool and beautiful in contrast with the green trees.
Not sure where the hats came from, but someone was handing them out during church. The guy on the far right is the priesthood leader and acts as a counselor to the branch president. There aren't enough members in the branch to have all of the normal jobs.
Elder Jimenez aka Elder SpongeBob
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