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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

New Companion, New lessons

Haden got his new companion this week.  He seems to be happier with it than he expected.  Either way, he is doing the smart thing and looking at the positive and learning what he can from each new experience.

Also this week he finally sent some new pictures.  There aren't very many, but better than nothing.

Finally, I want to encourage all of you who read this blog to send Haden a handwritten note for Christmas.  He gets a lot of emails and comments every week, but I think it would be cool if he got a bunch of Christmas cards in the mail for Christmas.  It's his first away from home, so every little bit would help.  Doesn't have to be a novel, but just a short note to let him know you are thinking about him will do a lot to boost his spirits.  His address can be found on the Contact Info page.  Be sure to put enough postage and let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks again for all your support. 

Below is the letter......

More "Crazy" Experiences for Elder Hoots

Short letter this week as Elder Hoots didn't have much time.  He did have another crazy experience this week that he did want to share with everyone. 

Thank you to those who have been sending comments.  As he says in his letter he has had some ups and downs over the past couple of weeks, so every little bit of encouragement helps. 

Also, check out this video of Elder Hoots a couple months back at the MTC helping a new missionary unpack his stuff.  It is purely coincidental that he is part of the video, but kind of funny.  Thank you to Thomas Nilsen for sharing.

Finally, Elder Hoot's location has been updated on the map to the right.  Not too far from where he was, but a new place nonetheless.

Enjoy this week's letter.

It Was a Week of Miracles

It was a week full of miracles for Elder Hoots.  He has been working very hard on being the best missionary he can be and after all the positive things he had happen to him last week, the good times keep coming. 

One of the stories in this letter is in his words "intense."  Amazing experience that he'll never forget.

Read on to hear about all the good things that are happening and don't forget to send him a quick email or leave a quick comment to him.  Even though he can't reply to all of them, he really appreciates it and it helps keep him going.

Week on the DL Leads to a Stronger Testimony

We got this week's letter from Haden and it is a long one.  He's been on the DL all week so he's had some time to reflect and he spilled his guts here.  It's a pretty powerful letter.  I tried to put as many links as possible in there for things that are easy to look up.  If you have any other questions about any of it, please let me know.  Or you can always go to Mormon.org and they do a very good job of clearing things up.

Also, after a 2 week absence we finally have more pictures!  The Picture page has been updated, so check them out. 
Read the letter below.....

Frustrating Week Ends with a Baptism

Another baptism for Elder Hoots was a good way to close out a frustrating week.  He seems to still be going strong despite the fact that he is getting sick of Mexican food.  Also more pictures once again!

The Picture page has been updated.  I have also placed the pictures in decending order so the most recent photos will be on top.  That way you won't have to scroll through all the old pictures every week. 

Now for this week's letter...

First Baptism, First Commitment, First Change and More Pictures

Crazy as it may sound, Haden has been in Mexico for 6 weeks already. 

Read below to see how the end of his first change wrapped up and what other cool experiences he had this week.  Also read about some Mexico City fun facts.....as only Haden could say them.

Also,  I have heard that people are having trouble leaving comments on the blog.  If you have trouble, just email Haden at the email address posted on the Contact Info page.  He will get it even if he doesn't have time to respond.

There are new pics posted on the Pictures page as well....check them out!

His letter is below.

Funny Stories and Pictures from Mexico!!!

Below is Haden's letter from this week.  We also got some pictures (20 of them!) from him from his time in Mexico.  They will be posted on the Picture page, along with original captions from Haden. 

Here is a sneak peak:

First Day in Mexico

Make sure to check them out to get a small glimpse into his life in Mexico.  Also make sure to send him some love via mail, email or the blog.

Below is the letter...

Hard Work, Spiritual Experiences, and Rats....Just another week in the life of a Missionary in Mexico

Week 2 in Mexico has come and gone.  Haden is doing well and seems to be having a great time.  His letters are getting longer and longer and it's fun to hear about all the experiences he is having.  I'm hoping to get some pictures from him soon and I will post those. 

All the contact info and everything else on the blog is up to date.  If you need a phone number for shipping purposes, let me know and I can provide that for you. 

His letter is below....

ADIOS AMERICA!!!!

Haden leaves for Mexico on Monday!  Crazy how fast time flies. 

His contact information has been updated on the Contact Info page.  We have been informed that if you are going to send a package to make sure to use FedEx, DHL, or UPS.  The US Postal Service does not have a good track record in this section of Mexico. 

Also, one easy alternative is to use dearelder.com to send letters to him.  They will send the letters via a pouch system, so not only is delivery guaranteed, they will get there much quicker than if you mailed it yourself.  For weekly deliveries your letter must be submitted by midnight Sunday night.

Haden's first place in Mexico will be right in the center of the city, about 15 min. east of the airport.  It's going to be an amazing experience and we are all very excited for him.

Below is his last letter from the USA for the next year and 10 months....