New Area, New Companion, New Baptisms

After a few week hiatus, Elder Jaramillo is back with a letter.  As of this week he only has two more months to go.  He will be home before we know it.

Check out the letter to hear about how he feels about coming home and his new area!  The map on the right of the page is updated so you can see where he is now.

Crazy Six Weeks

Elder Jaramillo finally had some time in his busy P-day schedule to write us a letter.  He has been working hard trying to make the most of a difficult area and he did well.

Now he is moving on to a new area, although it is not far from where he is now.  The map on the right hand side of the blog has been updated with his location.

He tried to send pictures today, but they wouldn't go through so he will try again next week.  Thanks for all the support as always.

Busy Busy Busy

Elder Hoots has been busy.  No letters for everyone and mostly just short little letters for his family.  He's been busy enjoying the little free time that he has in Mexico, which is a good thing.

He found some spare time to write a little letter last week and here it is for your viewing pleasure. 

Thank you to everyone that reached out to him on his birthday.  I know it meant a lot to him and it did to us his family.

Nothing cheers up a missionary like good Lakers news...

While reading this letter keep in mind that Elder Hoots only gets information on Mondays when he can read our emails to him.  Thus, this was his letter after reading all of our emails from the weekend.  You'll understand when you read his letter.

He has also sent pictures this week.  The Pictures Page is updated so you can check it out.  And yes, that skinny kid in the pics is Haden.

Everything is "Amazing"

Elder Hoots' letter from July 16 posted below. 

Read and see what he has been up to and more importantly how he has been feeling about his time in Mexico.

14 months down...10 to go

Below is our favorite missionary's letter from this week.  It is short, but always nice to hear from him.  Hope you enjoy it.

Carnegie Hall....

Below is Elder Hoots' letter from July 2.  The holiday week put me behind a little bit.

Also sent with this letter was some more pictures!  The Picture page is updated.

Read below and see what's up in the Mexico City South Mission....

Hard Work Pays Off...and Causes Leg Cramps

This is the letter from this week.  I am finally caught up.

I hope you have enjoyed Haden's letters as much as we have.  I want you all to know that everything he says in his letters are really how he feels.  He doesn't tell all of you he's doing great, and then tell us how he's really feeling.  He really is feeling great and in these letters and our personal coorespondence we can see the change and the maturity. 

We are proud. 

Enjoy.....

Good Start to Summer

This Elder Jaramillo's letter from June 11.  He also sent pictures that week and those are posted on the Pictures page.  They are all pretty funny.

Check them out and leave some comments!!!!

One Year Down....One to Go

As you all know this past weekend was Mother's Day, aside from celebrating our wonderful mothers, it holds a different significance for families with missionaries.  It is 1 of 2 days a year (Christmas is the other) in which we get to actually talk on the phone with them.  So this past Sunday we got to talk to Elder Hoots.  The time was short (50 minutes), but it was good to hear his voice. 

He sounds grown up, he sounds mature, and he can't speak English very well.  Haha.  There was more than one time when he couldn't think of how to say a sentence in English, or he would just be talking along and all of a sudden a sentence was in Spanish and he didn't even realize it.  Despite all of this though, he is still the same kid.  One little thing would set him off into a typical Hoots reaction.  As my dad put it "You don't have to dig very deep to get Hoots."  We all enjoyed the short time we had talking to him and begin the countdown to Christmas when we get to talk to him next.

Hoots also moved areas this week.  The area he is not as nice as the ones he's been in so far, and presents new challenges.  He says they hear gunshots every day, but that it's no big deal.  And because they are the two guys walking around in white shirts and ties, they are pseudo-celebrities in the area.  But nobody messes with them because they know that the missionaries are there to help.  The map on the side has been updated with his new location (Iztapalapa) and his mailing address (on the Contact Page) will remain the same.

Aside from getting to talk to him this weekend, May 11 marked his official 1 year mark in the mission field.  Which means he is half-way done.

He also wanted me to tell everyone thank you for all the support, letter, packages, etc.  They help more than you know and keep him going.  He always plans on thanking you all in every letter, but his time gets short and he just forgets.

Read his letter below.....

Adios Area #2

Haden is at it again with a new letter this week.  This is his parting shot from his second area.  Next week, he'll move to his new area and have new experiences.  He will leave behind his area better than how he found it and I think you can tell from his letter that he is proud of the work he put in.

We are proud of the work that he has put in and that he continues to work hard as his one year mark approaches. 

As soon as I get his exact new location I'll post a new map and some information about it. 

Read his letter below

Rice and Tortillas with EVERY Meal

Elder Hoots is back with a new letter and a lot of pictures.  Check them out to see what he has been up to.  He may sound different in his letter, but his pics show that he's still the same old crazy kid.  The Picture page has been updated so you can check them all out.

Also, more and more Haden is writing in "Spanglish" or he'll write a sentence in English the way it would be said in Spanish.  It's funny to read, so I'm going to start leaving those in there so you all can see them too.  I'll put the translation in parenthesis to help.

Thanks for all the support.

Easter was ridiculous and Happy Birthday Mom

This Elder Hoots' letter from the week of April 9.  I'm gonna get this week's posted today and I'll be all caught up.  And I won't lag behind again!

For those of you that have been following, there seems to be a happier tone to each letter and it's good to hear.  Imagine Haden telling the stories in his overly "Hollywood" way and the letters are much more enjoyable.

Read below....

The Letter Hiatus has ENDED!!!!!

The letter hiatus is officially over.

Hoots wrote the first letter in a month or so last week.  I didn't get a chance to post it, so here it is. 

Haden also wanted me to post a few updates on some past people that he has mentioned:

Jose Luis, Isaac and Andres all from his first ward in Granjas have received the priesthood.  He is happy that even after he has left he is having an impact on those people's lives. 

Below is last week's letter.  I will post this week's letter ASAP.

Elder Hoots Checks In

After no letter last week, we get a short letter this week.  The computer time is limited on his p-day so he tries to get us a letter whenever he can. 

Things are looking up for Elder Hoots.  He has a companion he likes and he's doing well in the area he's in.  Keep praying and sending love, it helps keep him going.

Check out his letter below....

New Companion, New Updates, New Pictures

Elder Hoots is back with a letter this week and some new stories.  He is working hard and has really made some waves in an area that is historically tough for missionaries.  We are proud of his hard work.

This week also brings us some new pictures!  The Picture Page is updated so you can check them all out.

Read his letter below...

The Letter Hiatus is OVER

After a few week hiatus, Elder Hoots is back with a letter.  His new area has presented a few challenges, one of which is internet time on his p-day, so he has missed a few weeks.  But he is working hard and making us proud.

His address has been updated on the Contact Info page and you can start sending him packages and letters again. 

Thank you to all of you for your support.

Elder Hoots - Christmas Special

Merry Christmas!

This week kind of got away, and I haven't been able to post the letter until today.  It will be some good Christmas Eve reading.  Hoots also sent some pictures this week.  Those will be posted on the Pictures page.

Hoots is having a little bit of a tough time during this Christmas season.  So any type of note you can send to him to give him some encouragement and showin some love will be much appreciated.  

We get to talk to Haden tonight on the phone and we are all very excited.  As you know we haven't been able to talk to him since he took off for Mexico in July.  It'll be fun to chat. 

Now for the letter....

Up and Up

Here is Elder Hoot's letter for this week.  Things are looking on the up and up in Mexico and he is doing well. 

His time was short this week, so the stories are a little shorter, but it is cool to see how emotionally invested he gets with each investigator. 

Please keep him in your prayers and send holiday notes to give him some encouragement.  We, his family, appreciate it.

Experiences of a Missionary in Mexico City

Only Elder Hoots could tell a story like the ones below.  Just imagine him telling them with a "dude" between every word and you will laugh.  Finally, we get some stories about the actuality of living in Mexico City.  Experiences like this will help you grow up fast.  haha.

If you haven't already, please try to send out your handwritten note to Hoots.  To get to Mexico in time for Christmas, they should probably be sent next week at the very latest. 

Thank you for all your support.