Dear Family,
Hello from Oaxaca, I hope that everything is going well for all of you. I love you and miss you all so much, but I am doing fine here. I received the two packages on Wednesday during the Zone Conference. Even though it was only Zone Conference 2 for me, it was the last one with Pres. De La Cruz. I really learned more about him and I'm kinda sad that he is leaving, he really seemed like a really good mission pres. Thank you soooo much for the packages mom and grandma and grandpa also. I believe everything was there that should've been. Me and my companion really have been enjoying the caramel popcorn, and all the other snacks. I think I only have one rootbeer milk left :( but everything is really good. Thank you so much, I'm glad I have family that loves me so much, a lot of missionaries were jealous.
I still feel like I'm not really improving in the language. But thanks to the Zone Conference I was able to get a glimpse of the fact that maybe I am improving a little bit at least. Because at every Zone conference the new missionaries and the missionaries on the last cambio have to give their testimony, in Spanish obviously. And not that I was happy at the struggles of the new missionaries with their Spanish, but it gave me a gage to remember how it was when I arrived and bore my broken up testimony at my first Zone Conference at in Juchitan.
Sunday number one was fast and testimony meeting, and I didn't have to speak yesterday either. Although I did bless the sacrament yesterday. Me and Elder Jimenez had to do it every Sunday in Union, I messed up only once back in Union though. I really am enjoying the barrio a lot better than the tiny rama ( ward=barrio, branch=rama ). Union will always be my first area, but its nice to have a mission leader and ward members to work with. And we have taught lessons to investigators in the Church building. We did divisions yesterday and I went to visit some inactive members with the Obispo (Bishop). He is a really good bishop that is hard working and willing to help out.
We haven't moved to the new apartment, so we will wait another week. Its because we still haven't received the money for the rent and for the things in the house. So one more week with 4 missionaries in a really nice house. Although apparently the rainy season is started as I've learned. One hot sunny day suddenly turned into a massive rain storm during the last few hours (Saturday I think). It was strong enough to drive us back to the house to grab boots and umbrellas. We were pretty wet when we finally got a mototaxi to take us back, but it was pretty fun. The roads were huge rivers and giant torrents of water were falling from the cement rooftops as the taxi dodged through them and shot through small alleys and had to avoid the spray of the giant buses. It was like a water ride at Disneyworld, but it was more intense than Splash Mountain. My comp didn't like the rain but I enjoyed it, all the Oaxacans were freezing to death and I was happy in my short sleeved shirt with an umbrella. But I should also say that when we returned, the window to our room was open, and guess who's bed is by the window? Mine. So it was sopping wet. But we closed it and hung everything up to dry while we went out to finish visiting all of our appointments. It wasn't a totally dry, but it was dry enough to sleep on.
We are going to have interviews with Pres. De La Cruz this Wednesday. It will probably be the last time I see him, but I say this for two reasons. One is that I should be able to send the Hymn books with him when he visits the Istmo, and two is that Elder Pimentel and I are going to ask for permission to visit Monte Alban one of these Pdays. I hope he will let us go, its the famous ruins that aren't far from Oaxaca. I want to go check out the remnants of the Nephites and Lamanites. Our Zone is even called Monte Alban, so hopefully that's another reason for us to be allowed to go, haha.
Ummm, what more... oh ya, you asked if there was some sort of progress planner thing we send to the pres. each day. The answer is yes and no. We write a letter to the pres each time we are here at the Internet, and we enter in all of our numbers for the week. Baptisms, investigators, contacts, lessons, etc. there is a lot. And then we write about whats going on, I'm still not good at writing about it in Spanish, but that is what happens, and that is how he knows about whats going on in the mission I guess.
I guess I should also respond to what you said that your mom worried about when you were in Taiwan. I haven't met anyone yet who wants me to take them to the U.S. haha. Although a lot of girls supposedly flirt with alot of the Gringos. I've heard the saying from a few missionaries, Flirt to Convert! I have had a few try to flirt I guess, but it usually doesn't work when I don't understand. My comp knows some English and its funny when we are talking with some girl around our age and he will just look up at me and say, shes flirting, Its pretty funny though, but I don't think I have to worry about it. haha. I couldn't talk to girls when I actually could understand what they are saying. But I know why I'm here and I came to do it. Supposedly before Pres. De La Cruz there were a lot of problems. There is a member in our ward here that served here in Oaxaca, now he is living here with his wife, he left his mission for her. I don't know how long ago it was, but he served his mission with Pres. De La Cruz as his mission pres. So its gotta be less than 3 years. But he is still going to church and is a good person. But.... ya.
Still haven't had any baptisms. The one that we were supposed to have once again fell through. Her name is Alma, and she just has so many economic problems and work and whatnot that is stopping her from coming to church and getting baptized. Another investigator has been taught for the last 4 transfers by missionaries, we are the 5th transfer to continue with him. The only reason we continue this much is because his wife and two children were baptized in the church, and are having a hard time staying active. The thing that is holding him back is that he wont stop drinking, because all of his friends always invite him to go after he finishes working, and I'm not sure exactly what happens, but he drinks with them. We have two investigators that I have hopes for, but I'm not letting them get to high, I think I may be getting used to disappointment, which is bad. But its a husband and a wife that we contacted. They have a cute little 8 month old daughter. The husbands name is Andres, and the wife is Rosa-something, I cant ever remember it, I feel bad, because I learn so many Spanish words and names in a day that I cant ever remember anything, my mind cant handle being in a totally different language, cuz it is still running in English, I cant solve that problem yet, anyway back to what I was saying. They have showed up to church and have been taking our lessons. I think we are going to teach them the word of wisdom tomorrow, hopefully all goes well. But we taught them yesterday about the restoration of the gospel of Christ yesterday. And it went awesome! Elder Pïmentel usually lets me explain everything about Joseph Smith and the First Vision. But It was really neat yesterday. I love telling about Joseph Smith and especially about the First Vision, I always can feel the Spirit, and yesterday as we taught them at the church and as I held the picture of Joseph in front of Christ and Heavenly Father and repeated Joseph's words about his experience, even though it was in Spanish, the spirit was definitely there and I just felt such a happiness. I hope that it all works out with them. I really want to see someone come into this wonderful gospel and partake of the blessings and great love that Christ and our Father in Heaven has for them.
But that is about all for this weeks letter. Just so you know, I should be able to receive packages when they arrive, a missionary told me at Conference that the ZL's will pick up packages for their missionaries here in the city because they go to the offices alot, and the ZL's are in my district. But there is one thing that I think would be cool if you could send it. I'm going to buy some soccer jerseys here, but I would think it would be cool to have a REAL Salt Lake Jersey to represent. We played soccer again this morning and it was extremely fun! I even impressed myself and a few Mexicans a few times today. But if you could get me one that would be cool, if not, it doesn't really matter. My comp has been asking alot about soccer in America and stuff, I couldn't say too much, if only Braden were here. But anyway ya. I have photos, but I don't have time to send them, sorry. Next week hopefully. I love you all so very much! Talk to you again next week!
Love,
Jordan
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