Good Week

I had a new record for emails this week, I got on and had 54 new emails that I need to read and respond to so if this one is a little weak its because of that and I'm way tired, but its been a good week, and we taught 14 lessons to investigators! 

Monday we had a good p-day where I bought me two new ties and then I bought a new watch and just some fun stuff like that! And then that night we talked to an investigator that isn't really going anywhere and its because he doesn’t want to, so that sucked but he is a way awesome guy! 

Tuesday I had my first district meeting — that was scary, i also might have stayed up late talking and making the Oreo truffles for my district, but its cool—we all had lots of fun and it was a pretty good one. I could have done better, but it was what it was! I don't think we got in to teach anyone that day! 

Wednesday we had a good day where we taught Favio in the morning and then I'm not positive… usually I have my planner that tells me what I did because it has everything, but we did stuff already today so I'm a little unarmed! We did teach the 10 commandments to my little kids Quintero and it was fun because we used signs and stuff! 

Thursday we taught Favio for sure this day with his girlfriend and it was iust really good, he teaches her really well so he like helps us teach so thats really nice and then we taught others too, but I cant remember who.

Friday we taught a little girl about the importance of the Book of Mormon, she will be baptized next transfer, so that should be awesome! Then I taught my Quitero kids the Word of wisdom—way fun ;)

Saturday we taught Favio again and then another lady who said she wants to be baptized and we are going to see what we can do to get her there. Then we went to Cristian and Laura’s and we had a way good lesson where I shared a scripture and talked about it and I felt the spirit way strong, and then the guy said, ¨Wow! What peace can these boys bring by just the words and power of God.” I felt so good, I cant even tell you, I felt like I finally had done what I was supposed to do with my mission and it was incredible! Later my comp told me that I need to change so I don't change my voice when I feel the Spirit and it made me so mad, just bad timing in the comment but we are good now because we talked it out! 

Sunday we did divisions and the guy I was with started bumping Eminem and it was awesome and we taught a family to pray! 

So I'm sorry that this week doesn't have much — it was a good week and then today I went running in the mountains with Favio and it was awesome! I’ll tell you about it next week! 

I love you mom!  

Love, Jayson

Dad, it’s been a good week for me too, way hard, you wouldn't think that the thoughts of Jes moving and all that and then Lexy’s birthday tomorrow and then a 1 year and a half with Lex the fourth of July and then its the holiday and then I'm living with a guy that is going home in 2 weeks who lives in Syracuse and its just a big burn fest but it’s cool — I'm still going hard and working hard! Here is a little spiritual thought if you need more of that crap ;) But I've been doing really good, today we went running with an investigator and it was awesome, when we got to the top of the mountain I said a really good prayer and it was just something I needed so much, I know we don't have temples in our mission and how the scriptures always talk about going to the mountains to pray and how they are like the temple, I took the opportunity to talk heart to heart with my Father in the heavens and it was just so incredible, I felt a peace and it felt good, and I realized that God asks a lot of stuff always, but he loves us and is helping us always to overcome them and it was just something I really needed and liked! 

I love you dad and I know God answers our prayers! 

LOVE, JAYSON

Missing Muddy Buddies

23 June 2015

• I know you can’t get peanut butter easily, and marshmallows…what else do you miss

I miss muddy buddies like crazy, but I think I'm going to find a way to make them with out the Chex—thats the only thing I don't have. I also miss brown sugar, I can't find it in this area which sucks, but I'm going to see what I can do to find it. It is weird ma, I don't really like marshmallows either, but I think a s’more sounds awesome! 

• 22 lessons last week?? Wow!! How did you guys do this week?

So we taught a ton last week, it was awesome! This week we taught a lot less, like 17 I think, but still it was a really good week! 

• Did Favio make it to church yesterday?

Favio didn't make it to church, but we had a family that is menos activo come that has a kid for us to baptize! 

• Do you do service? What kind of service do you usually do?

We do service when we can find it, we have helped Favio do some service when we tore out his cement, and then when we filled it in, and then we just do what we can as we go! 

• Are you making new friends in this area? Who are they?

I haven't been able to make friends like I did in Alvear…I have friends that are investigators, but just random friends no tanto... It’s a little bigger area and Alvear was just a small city. I’m just like in a suburb of the main city here so its a lot harder! 

• Uhhhhh….since when do you play the piano? Do you have an easy LDS hymns piano book?

I don't play the piano, but I can now play “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” on the right hand and it almost sounds right! I know music so if it doesn't have sharps or flats i can handle it with enough practice. Remember when you tried to teach me the piano and I gave up, i still understand enough and remember a little to kinda play! its honestly really fun! 

Lunes! We went and worked out with Favio for our p-day and it was fun, he is kinda teaching me how to box so thats fun and then we taught a lady named Maria she is nice, but I had the kids so I just helped the little kids be happy and my comp taught! 

Martes! We went and taught the family Quintero which is the family that came to church this week and it was way awesome! We taught The Gospel of Jesus Christ which is faith, repentance, baptism, spirit ,and the endure till the end. We used hard boiled eggs and a bottle to do it. If you don't know what that is ask me next week!

Wednesday we taught a lady who is a really crazy recent convert and it feels like she just wants attention, but no matter what we teach her and do our best to help her! Its hard but we do what we can! 

Thursday we played karaoke today, we went over to a house of menos activos and they were watching a TV show about karaoke and they saw me singing along, and then they brought out all the gear and we did it for real. I don't listen to music in the mission, so I don't know any Spanish songs, I just was trying to read it and sing and I was so off and it was so funny, because this gringo can sing, but I need some words. Then we taught  a lesson and had dinner with the famila Arisa, they are a lady that is menos activo who was never a member, but was baptized if you know what I mean. We taught her and her family and they are awesome, the husband is trying to quit smoking and they are just awesome! 

Viernes! We had intercombios and I got to teach the Quintero family again! It was awesome I love these kids. We taught them that they need to read and pray and go to church and they liked it! We used knives and cups in a demonstration because little kids don't really like to pay attention to anything else! But it was good! 

Saturday we taught Cristian and Laura and it was fun, we sang oldies music that he had playing and it was just a fun little game and then we taught the end of lesson two and they liked it, but they can’t have kids and they struggle with that, so we are praying to help them! 

Sunday my comp had the flu so we didn't really go out, but we threw him a birthday party, and I had my first really disobedient moment in the mission, they invited the ward mission leader, but the party was in the pension and thats not allowed and I felt bad, but it’s okay I won't let it happen again. Besides the kid loved it, he is borderline depressed and it made him feel loved, so i guess I will justify it that way! 

Dad asked if I had any spiritual stories and the answer is yes and no. My life is a big spiritual game, it is all I do is the spirit and sometimes I get confused because its almost always spiritual, but I would like you guys to talk about Joseph Smith there is something special about that story and how that man is a Prophet. I just read what happened to him and the spirit is there, I love that story and I love that Joseph had the courage to do what he did and ask the Lord for the help he needed! I know we can do the same and that God will bless us and if we have the faith he will even bless us with visions because nothing is impossible to the Lord! Now I don't like to get to preachy in my letters but there is at least a little spiritual thought! 

I love you guys and tell the ward I love them and hope all is well! 

Love, Jayson

We taught 22 lessons this week

You know what? I really miss marshmallows... its a weird thing to miss, but you don't know what you got until its gone. 

I'm honestly not okay with Mike coming home, not because I'm worried about the health or anything—he will get the treatment he needs and be fine, I'm just not okay with coming home from my mission and him not being there with me, thats whats hurting! I didn't know how I was going to do with the whole two year game with that kid and I, now I have to wait even more months.... thats just not fair, what is God thinking on this one... its okay I’ll keep praying and I’ll feel better.... 

How was this past week with Elder Kremer?

Me and Elder Kremer taught more this week then I think I taught in my entire last six weeks in General Alvear... everyones a lot more receptive here and we just have a ton of investigators... Its awesome!! We taught 22 lessons this week! 

Do you have other elders in your pens?

I live with another kid from Buenos Aries and I live with a kid from Syracuse who goes home in one month, I'm going to send him home with stuff for you guys and Lexy! Should be awesome! Elder Downs actually was friends with Lexys sister Ari so thats fun to talk about and it makes me want to come home some times, but I'm a big boy! 

When you say broken water pump to he bathroom —what do you mean?

We don't have water in the bathroom unless you turn on all forms of water in the bathroom or turn on the water down stairs—so its just kinda hard! 

When are you moving to a new pens/condo? Same building or else where?

Just some new place with better stuff! 

Tell me about your ward? Do you work with the members, less actives, or non-members?

Our ward is huge, we had 120 people this last week and it awesome, we do a lot of all those things, anything so we just don't walk around! 

8 hours on a bus?? Do they show movies on the bus like in an airplane? 

Ya they played the movie Expedibles 3 with Mel Gibson and Sylveseter Stallone and then The Fault in our Stars, and then some other one I didn't really watch! But I missed the end of Fault in our Stars when the author showed up to the funeral is when I left, what happens next? 

How did it go with Favio this week?

Favio is good, but he didn't come to church!

Monday we taught someone with a member but I don't remember who it was — a way long week and I just cant even remember! 

Tuesday we went to my favorite barrio in my area, like neighborhood I guess in English and taught the Quiroga family and it was awesome, just some little boys who are learning from us and the parent are members and we are trying to help them activate and get the boys baptized! Then to famila Vega and we taught a 14 year old girl who is 8 months pregnant by a 23 year old member who served as a mini missionary... weird but it was good! 

Wednesday we had a zone meeting and then we taught Favio in the night time just a little about mission work and stuff, it was really good and Favio is ready — he just needs to come to church! 

Thursday back to my favorite barrio for the same two families, and we had a activity with the little boys or the Quiroga family where we had a movie theater and watched a 15 minute video of the Restoration with them and then kinda taught 1 to them, it was awesome, I think we had 10 kids from other families and it was just a blast and all the kids gave me a hug and its just fun! 

Friday we taught Favio in the morning and then a guy named Cristen in the night, he is a good guy who smokes a ton, but is way awesome, he likes the States and American stuff and we taught them a little bit about the Plan of Salvation! Its way good and fun I think I also heard some serious 80’s music that night or it may have been Saturday, I don't remember! 

Saturday we had 4 lessons with members this day and 1 other lesson, 2 menos activos and 2 new investigators all on this day, those are really good weekly numbers in my opinion, and it was all in one awesome day! We taught Melisa and Enzo the girlfriend of Favio and her son with a member named Romina that lived in New York for 10 months once upon a time, and then we taught Favio with her and then we learned how to dance a little. We then taught a menos activo and a non-member and there daughter and they invited us to dinner for next week and said they would for sure read and it was way cool! Then we taught in the night time a couple of kids that were dumb… but we taught them, and then Cristian and Laura again, and we taught his sister-in-law as well and then we ended the night…way crazy!!! 

Sunday I'm trying to learn the piano and its way hard, because no one plays in our ward and I can play everything but the chorus of ‘God Be With You Til We meet Again’ on the right hand! I'm cool, and then me and my comp did divisions with members so we could get some more lessons in and I taught the famila Quiroga the Plan of Salvation and it was awesome! I loved it! We will see what else we can do with them! 

So that was my week, there was a ton of other stuff, but I don't have the time! I love you a ton and hope it’s another good week!

I love you forever and always! 

Jayson

New everything, but doing the same thing

So yes — I'm in all these new things— but its the exact same things I was doing before, so don't stress that! I'm still good and able to function easily! I'm really tired of always having to speak Spanish, but it’s cool I'm working on it and I'm happy! 

• Who is your new companion? Where is he from?

So my companion is Johnathon Luis Kremer and he is from Buenas Aires.

• How are you getting along with your new companion? How long has your companion been out? Is he a hard worker?

He is way cool, had some rough past life stuff, but he is a really good guy we get a long well we are really similar, but he is a little more hot headed and likes to play the victim a lot but he is cool and I love him a ton. Me and my comp will be going home the same day, he technically has one more transfer then me, but he didn't have MTC time so he goes home with me instead of the gringos he came with! 

• Do you live in an apartment?

We live in like a condo I would say, but it’s not nice!! We have a water pump that doesn't work to the bathroom unless its already on or you turn everything on in the room and its a pain but we are in the process of moving to a new one! 

• Do you walk, ride bikes, or use public transportation?

We walk a lot and take a lot of busses but thats just because my companion doesn't want to walk!! I don't like to pay the money when I can walk — so its like a fifty-fifty!  

• Are you in a branch, or a ward?

We have a ward that is honestly really big and its awesome! 

• Tell me everything I need to know!!!

That’s basically everything but we had some super hot days this week! 

Monday we did nothing special just a normal p-day and it was nice, and then I went out and started to talk to all my friends and say goodbye. I got a lot of tears out of people and that made me sad, but its okay I’ll live! 

Tuesday more of what I did Monday, but I went and visited Roberto and it was really hard for me— I really love that man! Belen showed me the message he sent to you and I almost cried, I love him like crazy! But it’s cool I'm a big boy, I can leave that family behind! 

Wednesday I was on a bus for 8 hours to get to my new area, but its cool I saw some awesome movies, one Expendable 3 with Mel Gibson and all the cool action people, and then I saw a Fault In Our Stars and I cried and was not okay—that show sucks, I want to read the book now so bad and it was so good, but wow did it hurt me and it made me want to be with my girlfriend so bad, but thats cool… again I'm a big boy and can leave that family behind!

Thursday we went out and did some service for an investigator for a while, well like all morning. He owns a gym and my comp and him are like best friends and it was just good to meet him and have some time with him.

Friday we went and taught the same gym guy Favio and his girlfriend, he stopped living with her due to the law of chastity and now all he needs is to come to church and that’s cool and we taught a little bit about the atonement and just all those good things! 

Saturday we taught Favio again in the morning with one of his friends Luis and his buddy is way cool, we taught the restoration and Favio helped us teach it because he knows it and understands it even though he hasn't been baptized and hasn't gone to church he still knows it all well, so it was awesome! Then we did visits with some way awesome young men and it was fun!

Sunday Favio came to church—this is the first time we have been able to get him there and he came and it was awesome and he liked it I think! He even got up and bore his testimony to the congregation because he loves missionaries and we had some guys who are leaving soon bear their testimonies and Favio wanted to too! It was really awesome! Then we had a meeting so I could learn how to be a leader and then we hung put with some young ward members, shared some scriptures and it was just awesome! 

Really a good week! I’m happy with my companion and everything is well with me, so don't you guys worry about me huh! 

I love you like crazy mama and you look skinny in your picture you sent me, just so you know! 

I love you and tell everyone they rock! 

Love, Jayson

Transfers this week

• Are transfers this week?

So yes you are right this week is transfers and president Goats doesn't like keeping anyone one anywhere for more then 4 transfers and that is what I have in this area so I'm heading out to a new area! I’m heading to a place called San Juan, its not even in the same province that I'm currently in — its called San Juan, it’s the area los pinos and its awesome, my new companion will be a porteño or he is from Buenos Aires so that should be all kinds of interesting, I will also be moving up as district leader of a district of eight people! So that’s pretty crazy! I’m now starting to move up in the mission world I guess! Its going to be really interesting! 

• Any success with the your investigators this week? How is the Romero family doing? Margarita?

The Romero family is doing good, Italo and Andrea came to church and that was awesome, we also gave a ton of blessings to other people of their family because they really like me so thats fun! 

• Why was Valle Grande your best P-Day and why and who took you there? Why don't you have more opportunities to go on more field trips like that?

It was the best p-day because I was doing stupid hiking like I love to do up in Moab on the red rocks, practically rock climbing and it was awesome! I loved it a ton! It cost us about 150 pesos a person to go, so its just a little pricy and we have to find stuff to do like that and its kind of hard! 

• Did you finally pull out your sleeping bag and start staying warm?

Nope, I still haven't had to use it, when I get to my next area I'm going to pull it out and use it. I think its starting to get cold, but we have heating forms in the pensions so its not to bad with out it! 

• Did you cook anything yummy this week?

We made bbq wings and I made cookies, but I don't think I have pictures of the cookies! This is me looking like a child from the wings, they were really good! 

Monday, we had to work because it was a big National holiday here and it was rough, but the other ward had a big old activity that we went and participated in and it was awesome and way fun and just a nice way to waste some time on a hard day when we didn't really want to have to be working, but then that night we taught Margaritia with a friend of hers and it was awesome, and she is currently praying to know if she should be baptized! 

Tuesday which was our p-day this week, we didn't really do anything special we napped and I went and bought me some stuff like drumsticks and a mate! Ya, I now have drum sticks! I love just messing with them and just letting my mind drift back to the old beats I knew, you should see if you can find me some sheet music to some songs I might know like some olders, or just some of the old stuff I had in emails so I can print them off! That would be cool! That night we had a Noche de Hogar (family night) with a way awesome family they gave us real waffles and it was just fun to be with them and enjoying some time and teaching a little! 

Wednesday we had a kinda harder day where there wasn't a ton of people home, but I finished my journal that day so I have a whole journal filled with just stuff from this area so that’s kinda cool! 

Thursday we went and taught the Abuelos. I call them that, they are this way old family that are great, great, grandparents and they are just awesome! I included a picture so you can see them now! It was awesome! I love those hats too! 

Friday we just had a normal day and I don't really think that we taught anyone, actually we were in intercombios (exchanges) for the day and it was fun to be with elder Stephen and just see a different world with him, it was way fun and nice and just relaxing because I didn't have to do anything! 

Saturday we went and had an asado or bbq with the bishop of the other ward who I'm a really good friend of and it was awesome to just be with him and his family for awhile. That night we went and taught his daughter and her husband who isn't a member and it was also good, we watched part of the Croods and it was funny to remember the date me and you went on a date to see that mamma, and it was just a cool little thing! Then that night I got food poisoning and wanted to die I'm not even kidding, it was awful! I was throwing up from 11:30 till about 1 in the morning, just completely miserable, but thats okay I lived with it and just kept going! 

Sunday I woke up and felt like death still, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go to church, I just felt like throwing up the whole time and it was way nasty, but I went and the Lord blessed me and I slept through sacrament with Andrea and Italo next to me, I felt so bad it was crazy, but it’s cool I made it! That night was nothing, I felt too horrible, but Marou brought me medicine to the pension (apartment) and it helped a ton!! I’m feeling a lot better now! 

So that was my week—I'm heading out and got to do a ton of stuff before I leave, but it should be okay I’m a big man and can get it all done I think before I leave, at least I hope! I love you parents a ton, and hope all is well this week! 

Love, Jayson