August 27, 2012

Hopefully Blaine stops having problems with his health. There always seems to be issues or complications lately and that is bad for everyone and stresses him out because he doesn't understand it all.

It is really weird with the weather here being the coldest in August because that is not normal. I am just glad that I didn't have to go to Calama in the winter because the temperature drops below zero during the night time and I don't want to have to deal with that. I actually kind of like the winter here, but I'm glad that it will be warming up because I won't ever have to wear a jacket and bother carrying it around. I can't believe that I am already coming up on a year here in the mission and that the season is starting to come full circle.

I don't often do it, but I started thinking about the time here in the mission and how fast it seems to be going based on a couple of milestones that I have coming up. The first week in October will be general conference, then in November, 1 year in the mission. Following that Christmas and then one year in Chile. That is all within 4 months. WOW.

It's interesting that dad wants to do a duathalon - it seems a little random, but it will probably be a good thing to motivate him. I am finding an absolute lack of motivation to do a workout because I know that at the end of my mission I will just lose any weight I've gained. There is no way that I am going to eat as much as here. However, I do need to get on that workout thing though, because I just need to.

I am actually going through a time of real frustration here in the sector right now as I don't know what to do. Elder Santos is doing good, but we aren't really having the success we want. I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I need to change about the way that I am working personally. I think if can focus and have more success personally, that will extend into our companionship and the sector. In the month's newsletter, President Bruce wrote a thing called finders, minders and closers, Camina Conmigo (walk with me), that really helped me out a lot. We also had a conference that got me thinking about what I need to do to change here. If you want to read that newsletter it is probably on the mission website.

love Jord

August 20, 2012

It's unfortunate to hear that Blaine is having such a tough time and having to stay in the hospital this long, but at least things seem to be getting a little bit better and relieving a little stress from you.

That is great that the baptism for Stan went through this week and that he was able to have a good turn out for it. I think I might try and start utilizing my members better to get the people more into the church here. I will have to think about that a little more this week and figure out the things I can change in order to get the ball rolling faster here in the sector.

That's cool that Theo got a good turn out for his coming home talk and that he was able to do a good job (why wouldn't he). I have kin ofa resigned myself to the fact that the return missionaries are not going to be writing their talks down. I doubt that I will either.

On P-days here we aren't allowed to dress down unless we are doing something that we can't do in dress clothes, so I mostly just wear dress clothes and my shorts, shirt and hoodie. As far as hair cuts...there are hair dressers everywhere. The other day I walked by 4 that were all right next to one another, so that is really not an issue. In Antofagasta there was a member who was a hair dresser. In Tocopilla I went wherever, and here, I haven't cut my hair yet.

The music player that I got was one that has built in speakers and takes pretty much all kinds of memory. I bought a thumb drive in the Zofri to play the music off of. I have got the one memory stick and I have been downloading some of the music off of the church website to play, but if you wanted to get me some of the music that I can't get off the site and send me that on another USB drive that would be great. Then I could flop the music over and load the other one up with conference talks to listen to. As far as an MP3 player, I don't really need it anymore.

I keep forgetting to tell you guys there are two websites for the mission and they are as follows:

chileantofagastamission.com

chileantofagastamission.blogspot.com

The official website and the Blog

Oh, one more thing...You know how you always told me to try mushrooms again to see if I like them. Well I have had them twice now in the last two weeks and I gotta say....still no.

Chao

Love Jord

August 13, 2012

This one might be kind of short because I don't have a lot of time for all of the things that I have to do today and because this computer is super user-unfriendly.

It is good to see that the Canadians are stepping it up in the Summer Olympics, but the Winter Olympics are still better. We saw a little bit of the highlights for women's speed walking...that was boring. Too bad about the women's soccer - it always sucks when the game is decided more on how the ref calls it than on how the game is actually played. The ref really can make a substantial difference.

I don't have time to read your talk this week, but I will try and get it read next week. I have not had to speak since my first transfer in Gabriela Mistral, but it is not as big a deal as before my mission because everything I do here is like preparation for a talk. 

I really wish I could listen to all of these coming home talks, but at least I will get to hear the ones that are coming after me like Spencer Hoy and Austin Oviatt.

I was given another chirimoya by a member here and I still loved it. I think tomorrow we are going to try and leave early to our meeting and see if there are some at a local market that we pass on the way - it was fantastic.

I am not really worried about having jeans because I never wear them anyway. This was the first time I had tried them on since my first transfer in the mission. What I really need to look at getting is new shoes which I can buy here. It really is amazing how fast you go through shoes here. I think these ones I am wearing now should last at least 3 months, but I might buy some while I am in a bigger city as they'll be easier to find. 

We haven't got into see the family that I mentioned last time yet because they weren't around and then he started working. We will have to go sometime this week. We also recieved a reference that is really good and we have family home evening with them today - it should be pretty good. His wife is a less active member that is self-reactivating and he is being pulled along for the ride.

Today we went to the Zofri, which is like a big duty free market here in Iquique. I bought a memory card and a music player that has its own speakers...they are really popular in Chile. I think that it will be nice to have down the road in the mission.

Sorry for the short message, but I am flying through my internet time and I still have things to do.

Love,

Jord

August 6, 2012

That really sucks about Blaine still being in the hospital, but hopefully Robin Hood can help relieve some of the strain as going to the hospital every day for weeks is rough. At least he can eat though.

You said you were taking Blaine different fresh fruits as treats. I ate the weirdest fruit. It's called a Chirimoya and apparently it's the most expensive type of fruit here. It doesn't look or taste like anything that I have ever seen before, but it kind of feels like a banana when you are eating it. It was really good.

I have to agree with Spencer about learning the language in the passage you sent out of his letter. (Sometimes understanding, sometimes being totally lost.) I still have some similar experiences here even after 9 months in the mission. There are times when people are talking to you and you have no idea what they are saying, or now it's more that I understand all the words, but they say it in a really weird way. But... people keep telling me that I am speaking really well, so I am more motivated to keep working harder on my language. I found that you have that time in the MTC when you're not understanding anybody, and then you start feeling pretty good about yourself. Then you get to the field and you have it all over again. However, for me, I am positive that being slowed down by having to learn a new language has made me a better missionary.

I would love to tell you that I get really emotional when I think about home, but I don't really have the time to think about it much.

I heard that Canada did pretty good in synchronized diving, but I could be mistaken. At least they seem to be improving in the Summer Olympics. Some missionaries here are saying that it's a drag to have to miss the Olympics, but I would way rather miss the summer Olympics than the winter ones.

I am indeed that heavy (175 lbs) and it is just as weird for me. The zone here plays soccer everyday, but I like to stay back with one of the 4 elders in the pension and do a workout sometimes. I think that will help. My jeans no longer fit me. They were a little snug to begin with, but now they are tight and uncomfortable. 

The new area is good. It is nice being able to knock doors that I have never knocked before. There are a couple of people here that they were teaching that are good and one that I think has really good potential to get baptized. We also found a family this week that we haven't taught, but they seem really nice so we will see. I am gradually getting to know the area here. I think it will be a bit more work than I thought because it seems like that my companion was left out of the loop a little bit last transfer. He doesn't know where a lot of the families are, but we are working on it. The hardest families were the less active ones this week. Being a trainer is a lot different when you start from day one, but it looks as though there isn't a whole lot of difference from being senior companion when you are finishing training - they already know a lot of stuff. However, I am trying to do things like we are supposed to and it should be good. I have to pull a little bit of the lazy out of Elder Santos though that I think he picked up from his old companion.

I don't know if the baptism in Gabriela went through. Perhaps I'll hear at some point.

I was pretty happy with my packing skills too, but I will be happy when I get home and you can just do it for me again. (smiley Face) (spanish keyboard messing up my Emotes).

Strange cultural fact of the week. The people here put jackets on wild dogs  during the winter.

Love Jord

July 30, 2012

That sucks that Blaine (Jordan's uncle/mom's brother) is having such problems and has been in the hospital recently. At least from what you have told me it sounds like they are trying to do the best that they can in order to help him heal. It's unfortunate that he might have to go back to the hospital for another surgery, but I'm not a doctor, so I am not going to say anything about that.

It is good that you were able to have a chat with Garret for a little bit because I haven't really heard much about anyone since I've been gone. I don't want to be totally cut off from my friends and family. I don't want to be thinking about them all the time either, but a little news is nice. I have indeed worked in the Windermere area and there are some really nice houses so I have an idea of where they're moving. I am surprised that his parents are selling their business, but maybe they are just ready for a change of pace. 

I had known that Andrew was planning on going into the police training, but it is good to see that he went through with it. He really seemed to enjoy that stuff before. 

From what I understand the weather here is a little colder this year than it has been previously, but otherwise nothing is really weird.

I have not really been keeping up with my workouts, but Elder Rodriguez made me run three days a week. He wanted to go more, but I wasn't that loving. I still look good, but I am about 175 pounds now, which is a little more than before (A little?? Jordan was 152 when he left). I am not fat by any means, but I do need to work out to gain a little muscle and shape up a bit more.

The baptism from this Friday did not go through because she came down with a fever. She was sick and in bed until the end of Saturday. We have the baptism changed to next Saturday and as long as nothing happens again, it should go through.

That being said though, I will not be here is Gabriela anymore as I was transfered to Alto Hospicio. I don't remember my sector's name so I will have to get back to you on that. I will be there with Elder Santos who is going into his second transfer in the mission. I will be completing his training and will be senior companion. I am actually going there with two other Elders from my zone here in La Portada. Elder Pope, who was my district leader here and will be zone leader in Alto Hospicio. Elder Hong will be travelling there too (Elder Hong and me get along very well). Alto Hospicio is a city that is really close to another city called Iquique which is quite large. Iquique is on the coast and runs along until it hits the bottom of the hill.  At the top of the hill is a plateau and Alto Hospicio is there. It's not really a hill... more like a foot hill. 

I am pretty excited to go and try and use the things that I learned here in the new sector with new people. I am also excited to see doors to knock that I have never knocked before.

Oh, and mom... I think I am getting the hang of this packing thing now. I think you would be proud of me.

Anyways, I should go.

Love,

Jord