Hey Family!
This week was quite good. It is kinda fun getting to know a new area and new people and everything. I have met almost all of the investigators that we have and some of the members. The one investigator that has a date for the 25th of this month is named Dennis. He is about 21, and has really come a long ways in the last four months or so. His bigger brother was LDS but was killed some years back. That was what set Dennis into some problems with the Word of Wisdom. He had problems with smoking, drinking, wiffin glue and sometimes getting high. Quite a bag of problems! He has now stopped doing it all other that occasionally smoking, but he has now gone four days without a cigarette. This last Saturday the ward had a temple trip so we took Dennis. He had a really good experience at the temple. Afterward he was a lot happier, and a lot more determined to be baptized this 25th without fail.
Afterwards we went out to eat in a big mall area, that whole scene was new for him. It was really interesting to see somebody experience all of that for the first time. Taking pictures of things that most people think are totally normal. But when you live way out in Jalapa you really do not see much of that city stuff. Jalapa is a big area, it is one of the biggest zones in the mission with 20 missionaries. Porvenir is a massive area, because it covers much of the mountains. So one day if we want to take a hike we can walk up into the mountains to find some random town to contact. :) We really have only worked in the town of Porvenir, wich is a nice sprawling town with quite a few people. Lots of people to find and baptize. I think this area has potential to be even better than the last area.
The name of the ward is Porvenir ward, and the bishop is bishop Gonzales. Our district is called Chipilapa. The name of the last bishop is Bishop Arrecis in ward las Margaritas. And yes most people are so short here!
Some of the other investigators are named Rebecca (mom) and Britnay (daughter of 14 years). They are progressing slowly but surely. The hardest part is that the mom really likes to talk! Which can be frustrating, but also sometimes she says something that is really good to know, it is another patience game! :) They have all of the lessons and read two of the three chapters in the BOM, and currently have one attendance at church. There is also Ashley who recently turned nine. The parents are members but inactive due to work; however, she has other family that are really active so we can teach her and baptize her also.
That is so crazy the grand adventure that Kylie is having and now Erika too! That is crazy that they are in New Zealand! It sounds like they are having lots of fun. I think it is a good thing Dad that you drove down to Utah with Erika to make sure the car and everything did ok. The car did good right?
The shop looks amazing! It is so much cleaner and organized! It has to be so much nicer to work in. As for as the table saw goes... I’m not really sure what would be better then what you have. Just if there is something else online that is specifically for table saws (for dust collection). 50 sheets is a lot of wood to process into boxes! That will make a lot of boxes!
Poor air quality again! I cannot stand when the air quality is so bad. Hopefully the fires that are closer to Sandpoint calm down a little bit this week. I remember practicing in poor air quality, it is no fun at all. I am glad that the coach is not the athletic director for the Bulldogs. Hopefully they destroy PF! Let me know how it goes.
Sorry my English is getting so bad! I am always thinking in Spanish, writing in Spanish, and dreaming in Spanish! Sometimes it is hard to make the mental shift back to English. I don’t remember how to spell! {It is atrocious - I fix most of it before posting here - Michelle}
It is so weird sometimes to think about where I am in the world compared to Idaho! It is crazy how the brain can accept a new language! I am still trying to learn more because I still have a lot to learn, but I think that I am now "fluent". I love being able to see the message of the restored gospel change people’s lives!
I love you all so much! Keep doing all that you can!
Love,
Elder Marks
This week was quite good. It is kinda fun getting to know a new area and new people and everything. I have met almost all of the investigators that we have and some of the members. The one investigator that has a date for the 25th of this month is named Dennis. He is about 21, and has really come a long ways in the last four months or so. His bigger brother was LDS but was killed some years back. That was what set Dennis into some problems with the Word of Wisdom. He had problems with smoking, drinking, wiffin glue and sometimes getting high. Quite a bag of problems! He has now stopped doing it all other that occasionally smoking, but he has now gone four days without a cigarette. This last Saturday the ward had a temple trip so we took Dennis. He had a really good experience at the temple. Afterward he was a lot happier, and a lot more determined to be baptized this 25th without fail.
Afterwards we went out to eat in a big mall area, that whole scene was new for him. It was really interesting to see somebody experience all of that for the first time. Taking pictures of things that most people think are totally normal. But when you live way out in Jalapa you really do not see much of that city stuff. Jalapa is a big area, it is one of the biggest zones in the mission with 20 missionaries. Porvenir is a massive area, because it covers much of the mountains. So one day if we want to take a hike we can walk up into the mountains to find some random town to contact. :) We really have only worked in the town of Porvenir, wich is a nice sprawling town with quite a few people. Lots of people to find and baptize. I think this area has potential to be even better than the last area.
The name of the ward is Porvenir ward, and the bishop is bishop Gonzales. Our district is called Chipilapa. The name of the last bishop is Bishop Arrecis in ward las Margaritas. And yes most people are so short here!
Some of the other investigators are named Rebecca (mom) and Britnay (daughter of 14 years). They are progressing slowly but surely. The hardest part is that the mom really likes to talk! Which can be frustrating, but also sometimes she says something that is really good to know, it is another patience game! :) They have all of the lessons and read two of the three chapters in the BOM, and currently have one attendance at church. There is also Ashley who recently turned nine. The parents are members but inactive due to work; however, she has other family that are really active so we can teach her and baptize her also.
That is so crazy the grand adventure that Kylie is having and now Erika too! That is crazy that they are in New Zealand! It sounds like they are having lots of fun. I think it is a good thing Dad that you drove down to Utah with Erika to make sure the car and everything did ok. The car did good right?
The shop looks amazing! It is so much cleaner and organized! It has to be so much nicer to work in. As for as the table saw goes... I’m not really sure what would be better then what you have. Just if there is something else online that is specifically for table saws (for dust collection). 50 sheets is a lot of wood to process into boxes! That will make a lot of boxes!
Poor air quality again! I cannot stand when the air quality is so bad. Hopefully the fires that are closer to Sandpoint calm down a little bit this week. I remember practicing in poor air quality, it is no fun at all. I am glad that the coach is not the athletic director for the Bulldogs. Hopefully they destroy PF! Let me know how it goes.
Sorry my English is getting so bad! I am always thinking in Spanish, writing in Spanish, and dreaming in Spanish! Sometimes it is hard to make the mental shift back to English. I don’t remember how to spell! {It is atrocious - I fix most of it before posting here - Michelle}
It is so weird sometimes to think about where I am in the world compared to Idaho! It is crazy how the brain can accept a new language! I am still trying to learn more because I still have a lot to learn, but I think that I am now "fluent". I love being able to see the message of the restored gospel change people’s lives!
I love you all so much! Keep doing all that you can!
Love,
Elder Marks