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.

Tired and Cold in Mexico

We finally got a letter from Elder Hoots this week and it was accompanied by a whole host of pictures.  The Picture page is updated.  He is due home in just a couple months, so there are only a few more of these left.  Crazy how time flies.  Enjoy!!!

 

 

 

Special Experiences

In this week's letter Elder Jaramillo shares a special moment he had.  He was hesitant to share it because it was very personal and meaningful for him, but he decided that he would share it because he hopes that it will touch some of us the way it touched him.

Three's Company

This is last week's letter.  I didn't have a chance to put it up until now.  He hasn't written a lot lately, but he has been writing the family and we are happy to report that he is doing really well.  He loves his mission, the people, the area and the work.  Although he is excited to be home in a couple months, he is also sad to have to leave the area that he has grown to love so much. 

We get to talk to Elder Hoots next week and we are all very excited.  I will report on how that goes.

Letter from a tired missionary

Elder Jaramillo finally found some time to write to us this week.  Short as it may be. 

 

 

Also this week we get some new pictures.  The Picture page has been updated. 

 

Enjoy.

 

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.

Just Checking In

Letter for America,

Not much time. Just want to let you all know that I love my life and my mission. I love Mexico and the Gospel. Wouldn't trade it for the world. Not even for golf.....I think. Ok....I'm sure. I wouldn't trade it for golf.

Work is hard, but I love it. Hope you liked the photos I sent a couple weeks ago.

Love and miss you all.

Hoots

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.

Joy

Every week it seems that Haden is growing up more and more.  It is exciting to read in his letters.   One particular sentence in this letter is very comforting for us as his family to read.  I'm pretty sure once you read it, you will know which one I am talking about.

Thank you for all the support you send his way.  It helps more than you know.

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!!!!

Scorpions!

I know, I know, I know.  I am a slacker.  I have gotten behind on my posting of Haden's letters.  Hey look at it this way, you get to read 3 letters today!!!!  Wahoo!!!!

Below is his letter from May 28.  Read and enjoy....

Year 2 - Week 1

Another letter from Elder Hoots this week.  He has promised pictures for next week, so stay tuned for those.  In the meantime check out his letter to learn a little more about his new area.

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.