Elder Smith with his new companion/trainer, Elder Escamilla (who doesn't speak any english!)
Elder Smith, Pres. and Sister Torres at the Mission Home
Ok so first off...the people that I remember in my district are Elder Winn, Elder Dunkley, Elder Bronson, Elder Vargas, Elder Winkel, Elder Bates, Elder Turek, Elder Davis, my comp Elder Escamilla….that’s all I remember. Oh and Elder Fadel and Elder Lusty went to Polochik, speaking Kekchi.
How is everyone? Doing well I hope!
Well my trainer is Elder Escamilla, he is from El Salvador. He goes back home after this change so it’s good to have someone so far into the mission. One thing I wish is that I could study Spanish during language study, instead he teaches me Kekchi. Its super cool and I love it though. And he doesn’t really speak any English so that is kind of rough. But he does know some, he just can’t speak it, so some words he writes on his hand so I can understand what he is trying to tell me.
Masala ch`ool means how are you in kekchi. That really is the only thing I can remember but its all good. Spanish is still really hard. I haven’t really been able to understand anybody still. That is kind of rough. For lessons he teaches and then says, "So now my companion will talk about this. . ." So I will talk for like 3 or 5 minutes, ask a question, and then I get lost from their answer. So that’s about how it goes. I hope I can do better soon though.
But guess what!!!! We already have a fecha!! Or in your terms, a date for a baptism! This girl named Cindy, she is probably 13, she lives with her grandma who is a member. Her dad had passed away recently and I don’t know about her mother. Anyways, they live in very humble circumstances. . . tin roof. We taught her the 2nd lesson, the plan of salvation, when we first met her and she wanted to be baptized. She asked for it not us, it was amazing!!! She is getting baptized this week on the 24th! Can’t wait! (Jordan's grandma joined the church in Guatemala, at about the same age as this young girl and also shortly after her own father had passed away. Oh, the future generations that this baptism will impact! So exciting and such a blessing that his first baptism is under these circumstances!)
So this area here is really tough. I would draw you a picture of my area but I can’t on the computer. But you can look it up on Google earth I guess. We are in Zone 18. Colonia Atlantida and Renacimiento. We live in Atlantida. It’s really hilly, if that’s a word, and we go running here every morning for our exercise time. It’s tough but good. I swear I have lost so much weight here!!! It is probably between 90 to 115 degrees everyday and we are constantly walking up and down hills or mountains. Renacimiento is a mountain village. It’s really rough on my knee, but I’m pushing through the pain. (Jordan's right knee has been bothering him for years from tendinitis caused from years of football and track. He's had it check out multiple times and had 2 MRI's on it but there is really nothing that can be done to "fix" it. He's also had hundreds of physical therapy appointments to help but those seem to be temporary in nature. As his mom, may I ask everyone that is reading this to please pray for the healing powers of heaven to help with his knee pain so that he can continue to work hard everyday. THANKS!)
How is everyone? Doing well I hope!
Well my trainer is Elder Escamilla, he is from El Salvador. He goes back home after this change so it’s good to have someone so far into the mission. One thing I wish is that I could study Spanish during language study, instead he teaches me Kekchi. Its super cool and I love it though. And he doesn’t really speak any English so that is kind of rough. But he does know some, he just can’t speak it, so some words he writes on his hand so I can understand what he is trying to tell me.
Masala ch`ool means how are you in kekchi. That really is the only thing I can remember but its all good. Spanish is still really hard. I haven’t really been able to understand anybody still. That is kind of rough. For lessons he teaches and then says, "So now my companion will talk about this. . ." So I will talk for like 3 or 5 minutes, ask a question, and then I get lost from their answer. So that’s about how it goes. I hope I can do better soon though.
But guess what!!!! We already have a fecha!! Or in your terms, a date for a baptism! This girl named Cindy, she is probably 13, she lives with her grandma who is a member. Her dad had passed away recently and I don’t know about her mother. Anyways, they live in very humble circumstances. . . tin roof. We taught her the 2nd lesson, the plan of salvation, when we first met her and she wanted to be baptized. She asked for it not us, it was amazing!!! She is getting baptized this week on the 24th! Can’t wait! (Jordan's grandma joined the church in Guatemala, at about the same age as this young girl and also shortly after her own father had passed away. Oh, the future generations that this baptism will impact! So exciting and such a blessing that his first baptism is under these circumstances!)
So this area here is really tough. I would draw you a picture of my area but I can’t on the computer. But you can look it up on Google earth I guess. We are in Zone 18. Colonia Atlantida and Renacimiento. We live in Atlantida. It’s really hilly, if that’s a word, and we go running here every morning for our exercise time. It’s tough but good. I swear I have lost so much weight here!!! It is probably between 90 to 115 degrees everyday and we are constantly walking up and down hills or mountains. Renacimiento is a mountain village. It’s really rough on my knee, but I’m pushing through the pain. (Jordan's right knee has been bothering him for years from tendinitis caused from years of football and track. He's had it check out multiple times and had 2 MRI's on it but there is really nothing that can be done to "fix" it. He's also had hundreds of physical therapy appointments to help but those seem to be temporary in nature. As his mom, may I ask everyone that is reading this to please pray for the healing powers of heaven to help with his knee pain so that he can continue to work hard everyday. THANKS!)
The first real day out in the field there was a huge rainstorm. In Renacimiento, the main road we had to cross was crazy flooded. The street was a river, and the ¨streets¨ of Renacimiento were a waterfall. Renacimiento streets or walkways contain series of steps usually 5 or 6 at a time and then a big old slope. It’s rough on the knee. The other day we went back and forth from Rena. to Atl. 3 times. . .up down, up down, up down. I was so tired that day. I fell asleep as soon as the lights were turned off at 1030. It's great here even though we have a lot of rejection, and people are hardly there when we have appointments with them its ok because we have a couple other investigators that are progressing well.
I will send some pictures next week because I forgot to bring my camera with me. Thanks for those packages that Grandma brought. I had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch the other day. 3 in fact. I am hungry a lot. (Jordan's grandma went to Guatemala in February before Jordan got there and took peanut butter and my homemade jam to the mission office to await his arrival in April.) I eat Trix everyday for breakfast, then we usually eat at a member's house for lunch at like 1. Then we don’t really eat after that. Nope, no dinner. That is probably why I am losing weight.
For personal study I have started reading the bible, along with the Book of Mormon that I started back in the CCM when I asked you all to do it. It has been great. I have never really read the bible thoroughly before so it will be good to be able to know more about it since every one here believes in it. That is all my companion uses! I wish he would use the Book of Mormon a little more, but he uses great scriptures from the bible that I hadn’t even heard of and then applies it to the doctrine we have in the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel! He is a great missionary.
Today is my first p day! Yay!!! I receive and send letters on Wednesdays by the way during district meetings. We went to the church and played ultimate frisbee as a district and then we went to Little Ceasars! SO GREAT! I ate a whole large pizza by myself. DELICIOUS! (I received this from Elder Winkel's mom from an email that he sent home today: "Earlier today we played a great game of Ultimate frisbee! Elder Smith didn't know he could bring a change
of clothes so he showed up in his missionary attire and with glasses. He rolled up his pants and took off his tie to play, but I thought it was quiet funny looking. I love that Elder! "
Anyways, it has been good so far. I just wish I knew Spanish so I could understand what people were saying and so I could actually respond with my true feelings about this gospel that I have come to love. It will come though, at least I sure hope it does.
I love you all and hope you have a great week. Please pray for my investigators and my knee!
I’m grateful to be out here and can’t wait to share my testimony with others. Remember to be grateful for all the material things you have. It’s a lot more poverty stricken then you would think. I miss carpet and warm showers.
Well I love you all!!!
The end.
Elder Smith
I will send some pictures next week because I forgot to bring my camera with me. Thanks for those packages that Grandma brought. I had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch the other day. 3 in fact. I am hungry a lot. (Jordan's grandma went to Guatemala in February before Jordan got there and took peanut butter and my homemade jam to the mission office to await his arrival in April.) I eat Trix everyday for breakfast, then we usually eat at a member's house for lunch at like 1. Then we don’t really eat after that. Nope, no dinner. That is probably why I am losing weight.
For personal study I have started reading the bible, along with the Book of Mormon that I started back in the CCM when I asked you all to do it. It has been great. I have never really read the bible thoroughly before so it will be good to be able to know more about it since every one here believes in it. That is all my companion uses! I wish he would use the Book of Mormon a little more, but he uses great scriptures from the bible that I hadn’t even heard of and then applies it to the doctrine we have in the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel! He is a great missionary.
Today is my first p day! Yay!!! I receive and send letters on Wednesdays by the way during district meetings. We went to the church and played ultimate frisbee as a district and then we went to Little Ceasars! SO GREAT! I ate a whole large pizza by myself. DELICIOUS! (I received this from Elder Winkel's mom from an email that he sent home today: "Earlier today we played a great game of Ultimate frisbee! Elder Smith didn't know he could bring a change
of clothes so he showed up in his missionary attire and with glasses. He rolled up his pants and took off his tie to play, but I thought it was quiet funny looking. I love that Elder! "
Anyways, it has been good so far. I just wish I knew Spanish so I could understand what people were saying and so I could actually respond with my true feelings about this gospel that I have come to love. It will come though, at least I sure hope it does.
I love you all and hope you have a great week. Please pray for my investigators and my knee!
I’m grateful to be out here and can’t wait to share my testimony with others. Remember to be grateful for all the material things you have. It’s a lot more poverty stricken then you would think. I miss carpet and warm showers.
Well I love you all!!!
The end.
Elder Smith
Those that would like to see photos of the area that Jordan is serving in, click here for Elder Jensen's blog to see 4 different slideshows of that area.
Guatemala City Time
Just read Jordan’s letter. That is so great! It brings back a lot of my missionary memories. You must be so proud. Have a good one.
ReplyDeleteWe pray for him every day, we will start praying for his knee as well.
-Ed