Well family another week has gone by here in Guayaquil Ecuador.
First off, great letter, if it takes me more than 15 minutes to read it I am really happy. It sounds like you had a really nice thanksgiving. Like always I’ll write about your letter then Ill talk about my week here, but this week I have more to talk about than last week.
Dad- fist off wow, you really should get some more sleep you wrote for like 3 hours and it’s a really cool letter. I don’t understand that statistic; I see no reason for it to take longer for an older musician to learn a new instrument, if anything it should be easier because already you have the experience
Hey we have something in common, all of this week me and elder Forero have been really sick, but the thing is we can’t take off time so we have had to get better working the same amount of time that we always work. For three days we weren’t able to get medicine, because there is a new law here that you can’t buy cold medicine without a prescription so finally after 3 days without, we called the nurses and we got a mountain of medicine to take and we still feel sick but it’s getting better.
Yeah Marcie and Mike really did get a great deal on that house, so when they move in a couple of years they should actually be able to make money on it, so it’s a really good investment for them you guys just have to put a little work into it. So you are getting a lot done that is really good it sounds like you’re using your time wisely and with these 2 weeks you get off for Christmas, you should be able to get a lot done, just manage your time and you can do a heck of a lot more.
Hey thank you for telling me about thanksgiving food, you know what I ate Thursday. Practically nothing because I was sick, really I wasn’t even thinking about thanksgiving and didn’t realize until Saturday that it was Thursday last that it occurred.
I really hope that Allen will be able to get into that school. If he can he will defiantly be able to provide for his family for the rest of their lives and he will be able to progress pretty well.
I know I’m exceptional I just try and stay humble to not make the rest of the world look bad and lazy.
I’m not trying to look ahead, but I’m thinking when I get home, Ill make sure the Datsun is in really good working order, change the shocks and the bushings, then save up and buy a truck, this doesn’t mean I want to sell my baby, I just don’t want to put a bunch of miles on her, I just want to have a cool car that I can go on long calm drives with, and another truck to use as my work horse car. I you want to go ahead and repaint the bad parts I won’t complain just try and make her look good.
I’m glad you are finally realizing that good instruments are better to play and they sound better and can make a person who doesn’t sound as good, sound better, so save up and get a good guitar and you will like it more than the cheaper more affordable guitars.
Steven- How’s life going for you Allen told me about how hard he hit you in the balls the other day. So hope you’re feeling better. Yeah bro beckham is a beast, could you imagine if you were playing contact and he put the hurt on you, yeah just think about that. Well do good in school get good grades and work really really hard at what ever it is you are doing. Have a good week, be safe, read you scriptures and pray everyday, get your own testimony of the truth before you get out of high school, its way way important.
MOM- wow it really sounds like you and Ben need a break from working on the new house, How long until its going to be ready for them to move in, I really hope that it gets done soon because it sounds like everyone is ready to have a nervous breakdown about this house.
Mom life gets busier because church gets busier, I have seen that when the church things aren’t really going on the life is really relaxed and calm, and when there are a lot of church things going on that is when people get stressed so I don’t know why its that way but, I have decided that the solution is to not do church work that way we will never be stressed (kidding that’s all that I’m doing, and I’m always stressed) I don’t know why you guys always do your shopping on that night and that morning. Its always crazy, there are a million people there and you have to spend 70% of you time sitting in lines or waiting just to go into the store. It sounds like that area by Stacy will just keep getting bigger and crazier. So watch out.
ME-
This week went really well for the second week in a row we had a baptism and if we work really hard I think we can have 4 this change which will be really good.
Saturday we baptized Sister Rosa Sela. It was a good baptism, there were only about 8 people there (us included) but the spirit was really strong and she was able to make her covenant with god.
This week I had an interchange with the zone leaders and I went to their sector. For lunch I ate probably the most disgusting thing that I have ever eaten, it was a soup with a cow’s foot in it. The broth really wasn’t bad. It tasted decent but the cow’s foot was horrible, it was pure cartilage and fat and there were little pieces of black stuff in the cracks. I seriously feel nauseated in my stomach right now just thinking about it.
For the past month or so there have been a couple of circuses in our area, and its been cool to see the ads and the flyers and with one of them there is always a car that drives around with a person in a barney costume that waves to everybody. So the other day we were sitting around talking in the street and this kid of like 14 years came up to us and started to talk with us. We learned that he works with on of the circuses and he is the person in the barney costume, so it was really cool, because now we can tell people that we know the person that plays the barney in the circus show.
Like I was telling dad, we got really sick this week. I had a headache, nose problems, a sore throat and stomach problems for like a week. But seriously me and elder Forero have been able to work like normal this week, so it’s a real testament that the spirit can strengthen us because we have been able to work the exact same amount that we work every week while at the same time being sick.
We are teaching this girl that baby-sits for a member family, and one of the babies (5 months old) literally has the face of an old man, its really funny because he’ll look at you and it just looks like an old man with the body of a baby, and when he smiles its even funnier because he really doesn’t have any teeth so it looks like an old man with no teeth smiling at you.
We have been having a war in our house, a war of the cockroaches. I swear there are a million cockroaches in our house every single night. When we come home every night we have to spend time killing them with either a bug spray that we have or with our shoes, I’m going to attach a picture that we took it was on the side of the little table that we have our stove, there was a nest there and before we destroyed it I took a picture, we are to the point in this war that every night we are moving the fridge the tables and filling the sinks with water so that they cant get in, but still, every night more and more show up, I don’t know why they just do. So Ill update you on the status if it changes also we are looking for a new house and should get a new apartment next change I hope it is better than this one.
Well I love you all very much and I pray for you all every night, have a good week LOVE Elder Match
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
5 people and a dog on a motorcycle, WHAT?
Mon 11/23/2009 12:13 PM
Hey familia,
Well first off I just need to say really how much I hate matt brown and Southlake Carroll. I knew that you guys already knew this but I fell I needed to reiterate it. It seems as if he chocked once again. But seriously it sounds like the game was crazy good, in total how many people do you think were there at the game? If it was full it looks like there must have been close to 40000 people.
Well other than that depressing news hows it going at home in texas. Things are going really good here and I am still in el batallón with elder Forero,
DAD- wow ward missionary should be fun, that’s like being a member missionary, just remember to work with the elders that are in the ward right now, they will really appreciate your help, even if they don’t show it. Dad stop worring about my baby, if you want to work on it, work on it, if you don’t, move it outside buy a cover and let her stay there until I come back. And Ill be able to work on her with all my heart might mind and strength (D&C 4) J. Hey just keep on keeping on with the guitar, it will come eventually just work at it, wow it sounds like you guys are putting in a lot of man hours into Marcie and mikes house. At least does it look good? Or like all of the other match family projects, Hey I got the dear elder that you sent oct 26 this week so that should put time into perspective, you asked me in the letter about time and this is the thing, Letters are way way faster, but the thing is that letters also cost money, if you would like me to get them the same month just put 2 stamps on an envelope and Ill get it in like 2 weeks. Also the dear elders are just a piece of paper, no envelope so its easier for people to read what you wrote. Also tell Emily that she has a letter in the mail please.
MOM- First be careful its not worth it to get hurt, working on someone elses house. It really sounds like a lot of people went to the game and it sounds like you guys had a really fun time, too bad Allen lost to Southlake, as always. Like I said earlier I am still in el batallón with elder forero, so I think if you can send it this week Ill be able to get it, speaking about Christmas. I found out that here in Ecuador, we call you guys the 24 of December or Christmas eve, so Ill have more info to come but just know we call that day and not Christmas,
1. my candy is getting depleted not all of it but a giant bag of gummy bears would be really cool
2. a new tie or two would be cool
3. I would like a new picture book with new pics and 2 different pics of me actually playing rugby, to explain to the people here. If you cant find them on the computer look on my facebook or myspace there are plenty there.
4. maybe some new cds
5. ( the best two years and singles ward soundtracks)
6. Anything else you guys were thinking about, I’m fine
Just remember to send it this week and put a couple Jesus stickers on the outside, If you want me and Forero to get it before Christmas do it this week, also I don’t know the rule for international, but some fudge that has been air sealed. Also just use the us postal service ok. J thank you for your concern for my well being.
STEVEN- sorry to hear that your season is over, at least you went down fighting and lost in a really good close game. I’m not going to chastise you for what you did to that mouthpiece but to have really hit him you should have just walked up and said ¨this is how you lose with class, here is the mouthpiece you dropped¨ and should have just walked away and not said anything. Have fun being lazy and hanging out with Allen all this week, eat like 12 plates of turkey for me ok, and play call of duty for like 40 hours. and get good grades seriously oh yeah and tell you boyfriend I said hi.
ME- well life here is going really good. We are working really really hard, this Saturday we had a baptism of the mother of one of the members, right now we are working on getting all of the family. So we are really working hard, this last change me and elder Forero taught 119 lessons, so 119 lessons in 6 weeks works out to almost 20 a week so we have been working and teaching a little more.
This week we saw 5 people and a dog on a motorcycle. It was the 5 people with the dog in front of everybody, it was really funny, I know you don’t want me to talk about time but, this change went really really fast. Like it flew by, I’m sitting here thinking like really where did all the time go, the climate is ok. But this last week it has been extremely hot. Like I don’t know how but its hard to describe how bright it actually is here. It’s crazy. Well not a lot of things went on this week we just had the baptism and went to the temple with converts and investigators (I’m sending pics of both things)
Mon 11/23/2009 6:48 PM
I didnt say goodbye im really sorry.
I love you very much and I pray for you every day, stay same keep the faith pray and read the scriptures every day, LOVE Elder Jonathan Match Mission Ecuador Guayaquil Sur
Hey familia,
Well first off I just need to say really how much I hate matt brown and Southlake Carroll. I knew that you guys already knew this but I fell I needed to reiterate it. It seems as if he chocked once again. But seriously it sounds like the game was crazy good, in total how many people do you think were there at the game? If it was full it looks like there must have been close to 40000 people.
Well other than that depressing news hows it going at home in texas. Things are going really good here and I am still in el batallón with elder Forero,
DAD- wow ward missionary should be fun, that’s like being a member missionary, just remember to work with the elders that are in the ward right now, they will really appreciate your help, even if they don’t show it. Dad stop worring about my baby, if you want to work on it, work on it, if you don’t, move it outside buy a cover and let her stay there until I come back. And Ill be able to work on her with all my heart might mind and strength (D&C 4) J. Hey just keep on keeping on with the guitar, it will come eventually just work at it, wow it sounds like you guys are putting in a lot of man hours into Marcie and mikes house. At least does it look good? Or like all of the other match family projects, Hey I got the dear elder that you sent oct 26 this week so that should put time into perspective, you asked me in the letter about time and this is the thing, Letters are way way faster, but the thing is that letters also cost money, if you would like me to get them the same month just put 2 stamps on an envelope and Ill get it in like 2 weeks. Also the dear elders are just a piece of paper, no envelope so its easier for people to read what you wrote. Also tell Emily that she has a letter in the mail please.
MOM- First be careful its not worth it to get hurt, working on someone elses house. It really sounds like a lot of people went to the game and it sounds like you guys had a really fun time, too bad Allen lost to Southlake, as always. Like I said earlier I am still in el batallón with elder forero, so I think if you can send it this week Ill be able to get it, speaking about Christmas. I found out that here in Ecuador, we call you guys the 24 of December or Christmas eve, so Ill have more info to come but just know we call that day and not Christmas,
1. my candy is getting depleted not all of it but a giant bag of gummy bears would be really cool
2. a new tie or two would be cool
3. I would like a new picture book with new pics and 2 different pics of me actually playing rugby, to explain to the people here. If you cant find them on the computer look on my facebook or myspace there are plenty there.
4. maybe some new cds
5. ( the best two years and singles ward soundtracks)
6. Anything else you guys were thinking about, I’m fine
Just remember to send it this week and put a couple Jesus stickers on the outside, If you want me and Forero to get it before Christmas do it this week, also I don’t know the rule for international, but some fudge that has been air sealed. Also just use the us postal service ok. J thank you for your concern for my well being.
STEVEN- sorry to hear that your season is over, at least you went down fighting and lost in a really good close game. I’m not going to chastise you for what you did to that mouthpiece but to have really hit him you should have just walked up and said ¨this is how you lose with class, here is the mouthpiece you dropped¨ and should have just walked away and not said anything. Have fun being lazy and hanging out with Allen all this week, eat like 12 plates of turkey for me ok, and play call of duty for like 40 hours. and get good grades seriously oh yeah and tell you boyfriend I said hi.
ME- well life here is going really good. We are working really really hard, this Saturday we had a baptism of the mother of one of the members, right now we are working on getting all of the family. So we are really working hard, this last change me and elder Forero taught 119 lessons, so 119 lessons in 6 weeks works out to almost 20 a week so we have been working and teaching a little more.
This week we saw 5 people and a dog on a motorcycle. It was the 5 people with the dog in front of everybody, it was really funny, I know you don’t want me to talk about time but, this change went really really fast. Like it flew by, I’m sitting here thinking like really where did all the time go, the climate is ok. But this last week it has been extremely hot. Like I don’t know how but its hard to describe how bright it actually is here. It’s crazy. Well not a lot of things went on this week we just had the baptism and went to the temple with converts and investigators (I’m sending pics of both things)
Mon 11/23/2009 6:48 PM
I didnt say goodbye im really sorry.
I love you very much and I pray for you every day, stay same keep the faith pray and read the scriptures every day, LOVE Elder Jonathan Match Mission Ecuador Guayaquil Sur
Monday, November 16, 2009
Elder Match is heating up
11-16-09
Hey Family
Hows it going there in Texas how does it feel to be in a place where its not ridicously hot, it sounds like things are moving really fast there.
Dad- I’ve been settled in for like 4 weeks now. Im doing really good. I had another bad day for my shoulder like 3 days ago but im fine. Seriously its just pain, Im not going to die, Im doing all the exercises that bro fisher taught me and im fine, it just hurts now and then. The thing is, is that’s part of the mission life, if it was going to be easy there would have been any reason for me to come back here to Ecuador. Seriously dad just keep at it with the guitar and one of these days it will all click together and you will be able to play better and better. Im not worried about the time, so don’t think I am. Also Im not to worried about my baby because when I get back Ill have time to work on her.
Mom- it sounds like you too have a lot to do there in dallas, that book sounds really good what are you guys going to do next. I was talking to Marcie and told her that its really cool and its really weird to kinow how fast that ben is growing up. Pretty soon he is going to be speaking in sentences and I really think that he is growing up way too fast and pretty soon he is going to be going to school. I hope you are doing well and your safe.
Steven- You didn’t tell me who you guys beat, so good job. How are clinicals going I hope that the work isn’t too hard on you. What are you learing in the class right now. You know you should start saving right now for your mission that way when you go you wont have to work like crazy to earn the money necessary. Well good luck with the game Saturday. I hope that the Allen team doesn’t choke
ME-
Well like I said it has been going really good here in Ecuador. I am really adjusted and its going really well.sure Im tired and hurting but its not bad and its going really well Im working really hard here in el batallon.
On Monday we went to do a service at the temple and then we went to a buffet called gran chef, I put two pics of it with the email it was seriously one of the nicest buffets I have ever been to. It was also really good food.
I think you will be happy to know that when I left I was a t 240 lbs and now Im at 220 its really coming off fast and Im starting to get back to what I was at when I came home.
On Sunday we have changes its really crazy, I am positive that im staying in my sector, but if you don’t get an email its because I went outside of the city and didn’t have time to write you, but like I said Im almost positive Im staying in el batallon.
To give you an Idea of the names that I have to deal with, every Saturday we eat lunch in the house of family Quijije (pronounced (key-he-hey) so that should really give you a good idea about how crazy the names are here, and to try and here them and write them all down is really hard.
In that Christmas box, if you going to send me one. Wait a week because if your going to do a stocking I would like you to do one for my companion as well. And if I get changed I´ll have a new comp. right now my comp is Elder Forero but it might change so wait a week and then send it quickly.
We have 4 girls named andrea in our ward, it gets really hard to keep them straight sometimes, so just thought tell you.
Now for a sad-funny story, the other elders in our apartment told us this, they were walking and they saw a pastor preaching to his group and he had them in a frenzy with the offering plate, he was saying ´´ its all for god, all your coins and cash , its all for god all for god,¨ and this went on for a while, until this woman had a check and the pastor was all like wait you have a check, you have to put my name on it but its all for god, just screaming and everyone was cheering.
So you can kinda see how the verses in 2md nephi are literally being fulfilled when he is talking about how the churches are literally going to steal from the poor. So that’s a little sad. Well Im going to let you go I have to finish becase the power is supposed to go off at 6pm to8 pm, and if that happens we have to go home for the rest of the night because its too dangerous to be outside without power.
Well I love you lots and everynight I pray for you, stay safe, keep the faith.
Love Always
Elder Jonathan Match
Ecuador Guayaquil South
Hey Family
Hows it going there in Texas how does it feel to be in a place where its not ridicously hot, it sounds like things are moving really fast there.
Dad- I’ve been settled in for like 4 weeks now. Im doing really good. I had another bad day for my shoulder like 3 days ago but im fine. Seriously its just pain, Im not going to die, Im doing all the exercises that bro fisher taught me and im fine, it just hurts now and then. The thing is, is that’s part of the mission life, if it was going to be easy there would have been any reason for me to come back here to Ecuador. Seriously dad just keep at it with the guitar and one of these days it will all click together and you will be able to play better and better. Im not worried about the time, so don’t think I am. Also Im not to worried about my baby because when I get back Ill have time to work on her.
Mom- it sounds like you too have a lot to do there in dallas, that book sounds really good what are you guys going to do next. I was talking to Marcie and told her that its really cool and its really weird to kinow how fast that ben is growing up. Pretty soon he is going to be speaking in sentences and I really think that he is growing up way too fast and pretty soon he is going to be going to school. I hope you are doing well and your safe.
Steven- You didn’t tell me who you guys beat, so good job. How are clinicals going I hope that the work isn’t too hard on you. What are you learing in the class right now. You know you should start saving right now for your mission that way when you go you wont have to work like crazy to earn the money necessary. Well good luck with the game Saturday. I hope that the Allen team doesn’t choke
ME-
Well like I said it has been going really good here in Ecuador. I am really adjusted and its going really well.sure Im tired and hurting but its not bad and its going really well Im working really hard here in el batallon.
On Monday we went to do a service at the temple and then we went to a buffet called gran chef, I put two pics of it with the email it was seriously one of the nicest buffets I have ever been to. It was also really good food.
I think you will be happy to know that when I left I was a t 240 lbs and now Im at 220 its really coming off fast and Im starting to get back to what I was at when I came home.
On Sunday we have changes its really crazy, I am positive that im staying in my sector, but if you don’t get an email its because I went outside of the city and didn’t have time to write you, but like I said Im almost positive Im staying in el batallon.
To give you an Idea of the names that I have to deal with, every Saturday we eat lunch in the house of family Quijije (pronounced (key-he-hey) so that should really give you a good idea about how crazy the names are here, and to try and here them and write them all down is really hard.
In that Christmas box, if you going to send me one. Wait a week because if your going to do a stocking I would like you to do one for my companion as well. And if I get changed I´ll have a new comp. right now my comp is Elder Forero but it might change so wait a week and then send it quickly.
We have 4 girls named andrea in our ward, it gets really hard to keep them straight sometimes, so just thought tell you.
Now for a sad-funny story, the other elders in our apartment told us this, they were walking and they saw a pastor preaching to his group and he had them in a frenzy with the offering plate, he was saying ´´ its all for god, all your coins and cash , its all for god all for god,¨ and this went on for a while, until this woman had a check and the pastor was all like wait you have a check, you have to put my name on it but its all for god, just screaming and everyone was cheering.
So you can kinda see how the verses in 2md nephi are literally being fulfilled when he is talking about how the churches are literally going to steal from the poor. So that’s a little sad. Well Im going to let you go I have to finish becase the power is supposed to go off at 6pm to8 pm, and if that happens we have to go home for the rest of the night because its too dangerous to be outside without power.
Well I love you lots and everynight I pray for you, stay safe, keep the faith.
Love Always
Elder Jonathan Match
Ecuador Guayaquil South
Monday, November 9, 2009
No More Hard Service (until the shoulder heals)
11-09-09
Hey Family,
How does it feel to be almost 3000 miles away from me, and seperated by 2 different oceans. The gulf of mexico and the Pacific ocean.
Its been a pretty decent week, sure my shoulder hurts but the mission isnt supposed to be easy, I could complain that it hurts and whine, but Ill have plenty of time to rest when I get home.
This Thursday we had interviews with president Johns and he officially prohibited me from doing any service without his strict permission, so hpefully that will help me to let my shoulder heal. Sounds like you had a really nice service project this weekend. It was obviously alot of work, and you didnt get paid, but you will recieve blessings for it, also it was good for the community to see that we( the church) were devoting so many man hours in helping. Its amazing what a church can do when its not spending its time trying to bash and lie about the other churches of the world.
Dad if you really want to learn to play the guitar just keep practicing, I dont care how much you have to just keep on keeping on. Also you could in one of you personal prayes ask for help. Some people might think its mundane to ask god for help with something as trivial as playing a guitar, but its a part of the learing expierence and if we learn we grow and basically follow directly into gods plan. So theres my prechy mormon missionary side coming out. Ive realized that im changing and a part of me is really fighting the change. I can basically feel it creeping up on me and its scary, but whatever its just part of the life. I still want to watch simpsons though.
About the boots if you could send new insoles in like 4 monthes that would be realy cool. Do you guys realize I have already been here 1 month, 1 MONTH. The time is really flying by, I hope I am in my sector for christmas and new years because the members here are awesome. They all help me alot with my spanish and are really nice, when I got sick the other day, they were all trying to get me to do their remedys, 2 of which actually worked realy well!
I got your first dear elder on Tuesday it was really good to actually get something physicall in the mail, so I dont care if its really short I would like you guys to try and do one each week.
Steven did you know that I am still going to get home before you graduate, I should get home like 2 weeks before your graduation. Sucks to hear about your ap history class but if it is really hurting your GPA that bad drop it. Hows the life going, hows brock, when are you guys going to lose to southlake carrol in the playoffs.Well talk to you later.
Hey mom sounds like life is moving pretty fast for you guys there in texas. Sorry I left my room in such disarray, I really am a pig and a slob. Like I told dad, keep the dear elders coming, it was great to get it, just to have someting physical in my hands to read was great. It sounds like you have a really good institute teacher, listen to what he says because what you told me tells me he is a really good teacher. Pics would be really cool just to see how the kids and people are changing. Also mom tell my slacker brother and sister to write me. Im the missionary in the family right now and I deserve letters. J
Life here in the mission is going really good. It really was like just trying to jump back into a fast moving current, but its going really good and fast. My spanish is coming along really well. I know enough to go on splits with the members of the ward and actually teach without my dictionary( elder forero) there with me. It is also really different from when I started the mission because now I am able to communicate my thoughts and feelings, when I first started the mission I wasnt able to do that and it was really frusterating but now I can, now i have the vocabulary, also my spelling in english is slowly going down the tube.
The city has begun to ration the power, so for like 7 hours everyday we have no electricity, which is really bad in the morning because without power we have no water. So to shower this past week we have have to use our 5 gallon bottles of drinking wster, and a bucket, so oyou guys can tell its a little difficult to shower using a cup and a pot of water, but all in the mission expierence.
I dont know why but the people here in this sector are just like people in the states. There is a brother in the ward that speaks just like bro stephan, same voice and all, there is a guy of 19 years that looks just like my friend hank. The bishop of another ward that I was dong and interchand in, talks and looks like uncle gary. Like seriously its scary how close these people actually are, because I am so far away from texas
When my address gets put in the ward newsletter will you save one of them for my mission scrapbook.
Also this week one of the members gave us 3 crabs to take home, and we cooked them and ate them, it was a ctually really good I have some pictures and will send you one one of these days.
Today we did service at the temple, because Im not allowed to do physical labor I worked in the hotel that the church has for the people traveling to the temple, just making sure the rooms were tidy and there wasnt dust on the molding in the hallway. If I serve when Im older I definatly want to be a temple worker missionary.
There are 2 things I wanr from you guys,
1. My line of authority, I really need it to study and memorize it because there are people who want to know and I cant tell them
2. A christmas tree, Yes I know I said I didnt want one, but I changed my mind I do want one. Also I was talking with the other elders and they said you can actually send a box box, , but seriously just use the postal service to send it. Put some jesus stickers on the outside, and dont use ups or fedex because its harder to get it, just use the post office and it will take 3-4 weeks to get here so if your going to send me a christmas box you need to do it in like 2 ½ weeks.
Well as always I love you all very much and I pray for you every day, Ill talk to you later, LOVE
Elder Jonathan Match
Hey Family,
How does it feel to be almost 3000 miles away from me, and seperated by 2 different oceans. The gulf of mexico and the Pacific ocean.
Its been a pretty decent week, sure my shoulder hurts but the mission isnt supposed to be easy, I could complain that it hurts and whine, but Ill have plenty of time to rest when I get home.
This Thursday we had interviews with president Johns and he officially prohibited me from doing any service without his strict permission, so hpefully that will help me to let my shoulder heal. Sounds like you had a really nice service project this weekend. It was obviously alot of work, and you didnt get paid, but you will recieve blessings for it, also it was good for the community to see that we( the church) were devoting so many man hours in helping. Its amazing what a church can do when its not spending its time trying to bash and lie about the other churches of the world.
Dad if you really want to learn to play the guitar just keep practicing, I dont care how much you have to just keep on keeping on. Also you could in one of you personal prayes ask for help. Some people might think its mundane to ask god for help with something as trivial as playing a guitar, but its a part of the learing expierence and if we learn we grow and basically follow directly into gods plan. So theres my prechy mormon missionary side coming out. Ive realized that im changing and a part of me is really fighting the change. I can basically feel it creeping up on me and its scary, but whatever its just part of the life. I still want to watch simpsons though.
About the boots if you could send new insoles in like 4 monthes that would be realy cool. Do you guys realize I have already been here 1 month, 1 MONTH. The time is really flying by, I hope I am in my sector for christmas and new years because the members here are awesome. They all help me alot with my spanish and are really nice, when I got sick the other day, they were all trying to get me to do their remedys, 2 of which actually worked realy well!
I got your first dear elder on Tuesday it was really good to actually get something physicall in the mail, so I dont care if its really short I would like you guys to try and do one each week.
Steven did you know that I am still going to get home before you graduate, I should get home like 2 weeks before your graduation. Sucks to hear about your ap history class but if it is really hurting your GPA that bad drop it. Hows the life going, hows brock, when are you guys going to lose to southlake carrol in the playoffs.Well talk to you later.
Hey mom sounds like life is moving pretty fast for you guys there in texas. Sorry I left my room in such disarray, I really am a pig and a slob. Like I told dad, keep the dear elders coming, it was great to get it, just to have someting physical in my hands to read was great. It sounds like you have a really good institute teacher, listen to what he says because what you told me tells me he is a really good teacher. Pics would be really cool just to see how the kids and people are changing. Also mom tell my slacker brother and sister to write me. Im the missionary in the family right now and I deserve letters. J
Life here in the mission is going really good. It really was like just trying to jump back into a fast moving current, but its going really good and fast. My spanish is coming along really well. I know enough to go on splits with the members of the ward and actually teach without my dictionary( elder forero) there with me. It is also really different from when I started the mission because now I am able to communicate my thoughts and feelings, when I first started the mission I wasnt able to do that and it was really frusterating but now I can, now i have the vocabulary, also my spelling in english is slowly going down the tube.
The city has begun to ration the power, so for like 7 hours everyday we have no electricity, which is really bad in the morning because without power we have no water. So to shower this past week we have have to use our 5 gallon bottles of drinking wster, and a bucket, so oyou guys can tell its a little difficult to shower using a cup and a pot of water, but all in the mission expierence.
I dont know why but the people here in this sector are just like people in the states. There is a brother in the ward that speaks just like bro stephan, same voice and all, there is a guy of 19 years that looks just like my friend hank. The bishop of another ward that I was dong and interchand in, talks and looks like uncle gary. Like seriously its scary how close these people actually are, because I am so far away from texas
When my address gets put in the ward newsletter will you save one of them for my mission scrapbook.
Also this week one of the members gave us 3 crabs to take home, and we cooked them and ate them, it was a ctually really good I have some pictures and will send you one one of these days.
Today we did service at the temple, because Im not allowed to do physical labor I worked in the hotel that the church has for the people traveling to the temple, just making sure the rooms were tidy and there wasnt dust on the molding in the hallway. If I serve when Im older I definatly want to be a temple worker missionary.
There are 2 things I wanr from you guys,
1. My line of authority, I really need it to study and memorize it because there are people who want to know and I cant tell them
2. A christmas tree, Yes I know I said I didnt want one, but I changed my mind I do want one. Also I was talking with the other elders and they said you can actually send a box box, , but seriously just use the postal service to send it. Put some jesus stickers on the outside, and dont use ups or fedex because its harder to get it, just use the post office and it will take 3-4 weeks to get here so if your going to send me a christmas box you need to do it in like 2 ½ weeks.
Well as always I love you all very much and I pray for you every day, Ill talk to you later, LOVE
Elder Jonathan Match
Monday, November 2, 2009
Letter from Jon
11-02-09
Dear Family.
Well another week has gone by here in Guayaquil. The time is really starting to speed up and I can’t slow it down. We are already in week four of the change, and its going by really fast. Like normal Ill talk about the things of your email and then Ill talk about what’s goin on here.
DAD- 1st the boots are great they are really comfortable and all the people here know I am from Texas and obviously that’s why I wear boots J , because everyone that is from Texas are cowboys.
Actually I want to kill of my old florsheims so I am wearing those every day, not because the boots are uncomfortable but because I want to get those shoes done with.
I can’t believe those lug nuts were wrong. He had my rims in his hands when he was ordering them and was describing them just like you were. So I don’t know. I really would not pay 10 bucks a pop for them so I guess you just need to keep looking.
I think that my Spanish is coming along. It gets better every day of the life here I just need to keep working on it if I want to speak well. I can communicate with the people here. I forgot how fast and how thick some of the accents are here, but it’s getting easier everyday to understand and speak the language.
Oh and something that will make you happy dad, I have finally decided to stop chewing my nails and fingers, I’ve had a few relapses but I am going on a week without really chewing my nails or fingers. Actually on Sunday I actually used nail clippers it was the first time In years and years, it was really weird.
MOM- No I haven’t received a letter from anybody yet, only emails. Hopefully tomorrow when I am at district meeting I´ll get the first dearelder you guys sent me. So that will be good ill get them eventually so we just need to be patient, with Spencer especially I bet we will only be able to do 1 letter every 1 1/2 to 2 months, So I’m not holding my breath. I would like it if you guys could email me a pic of bens costume, it sounds awesome. I cant believe its already been like 6 weeks since your surgery. It seems like yesterday I was visiting you in the hospital. Its very weird.
Now on to the what’s happening to elder match front.
On the shoulder front, and before you read this I want you to know that I am fine and am working just like normal. On Sunday I had a really really bad day. I woke up and my shoulder just absolutely killed. I went to church and bore my testimony and after sat down and just started to cry. Yes I know like a girl. So I left the sacrament meeting and went downstairs then another member of the church and elder forero gave me a blessing, it helped, but t still hurt and elder forero went with a member and got my immobilizer and I wore that for the rest of the day. It still hurts right now but not even close to what it was yesterday. Now to the reason and it’s a story in and of itself.
We have two investigators that want to get baptized but first the husband needs a divorce from his previous marriage and to do that here requires 300 dollars, which is a lot. So to help them we decided to do a guatita. A guatita is a dish that is served here its made with penuts, onion, tomato, potato, and tripe( cow stomach) and you eat it with rice ( like always) its actually really good. So at 630 in the morning we got up and started walking carrying things and selling the guatitas, and I kid you not, we walked for 8 ½ hours without taking a single break. In the space of these 8 ½ hours we serioulsly walked over 30 miles. It was one of the times ive been most tired in my life. Oh yeah and after that we did missionary work for another 5 hours. I am still feeling the effects of it. We are going to try and get to the house 2 or 3 hours early to sleep before we need leave. I think this is the reason my shoulder hurt so bad, I literally overdid it. But the thing is im in Ecuador and that’s what we do here, so I don’t know, but It didn’t slow me down it just really hurt, and when I say really hurt I mean it, it hadn’t hurt that bad since I had the surgery. So I don’t know I just need to rest I guess.
Last night I realized that the moon is different here in Ecuador. We are having a full moon here and I realized the craters are different from home in texas, so I sat there staring at it for 5 minutes because I was seeing a different part of the moon. Im serious Ive looked at the moon enough to recognize that it wasn’t the same.
This week I counted the number of transvestites and cross dressers we saw. In one week alone I counted 10 different persons and one of them is the son of a member family. Now when I say crossdressers I don’t just mean clothes I mean like all out, makeup plucked eyebrows and all. So theres your weird Ecuador fact for the week. In el batallon there are a lot of cross dressers.
Cool food story on Friday I got to eat a little bit of manta ray. It was a really cool meat, because it had a light fishy taste and the texture and feel of pork, so it was really cool. If you don’t remember what they look like, manta rays, google it.
Well that was my week here, the language is going really good and the work as well. I hope you’re all doing well and are staying safe, love yall lots Elder Match
Dear Family.
Well another week has gone by here in Guayaquil. The time is really starting to speed up and I can’t slow it down. We are already in week four of the change, and its going by really fast. Like normal Ill talk about the things of your email and then Ill talk about what’s goin on here.
DAD- 1st the boots are great they are really comfortable and all the people here know I am from Texas and obviously that’s why I wear boots J , because everyone that is from Texas are cowboys.
Actually I want to kill of my old florsheims so I am wearing those every day, not because the boots are uncomfortable but because I want to get those shoes done with.
I can’t believe those lug nuts were wrong. He had my rims in his hands when he was ordering them and was describing them just like you were. So I don’t know. I really would not pay 10 bucks a pop for them so I guess you just need to keep looking.
I think that my Spanish is coming along. It gets better every day of the life here I just need to keep working on it if I want to speak well. I can communicate with the people here. I forgot how fast and how thick some of the accents are here, but it’s getting easier everyday to understand and speak the language.
Oh and something that will make you happy dad, I have finally decided to stop chewing my nails and fingers, I’ve had a few relapses but I am going on a week without really chewing my nails or fingers. Actually on Sunday I actually used nail clippers it was the first time In years and years, it was really weird.
MOM- No I haven’t received a letter from anybody yet, only emails. Hopefully tomorrow when I am at district meeting I´ll get the first dearelder you guys sent me. So that will be good ill get them eventually so we just need to be patient, with Spencer especially I bet we will only be able to do 1 letter every 1 1/2 to 2 months, So I’m not holding my breath. I would like it if you guys could email me a pic of bens costume, it sounds awesome. I cant believe its already been like 6 weeks since your surgery. It seems like yesterday I was visiting you in the hospital. Its very weird.
Now on to the what’s happening to elder match front.
On the shoulder front, and before you read this I want you to know that I am fine and am working just like normal. On Sunday I had a really really bad day. I woke up and my shoulder just absolutely killed. I went to church and bore my testimony and after sat down and just started to cry. Yes I know like a girl. So I left the sacrament meeting and went downstairs then another member of the church and elder forero gave me a blessing, it helped, but t still hurt and elder forero went with a member and got my immobilizer and I wore that for the rest of the day. It still hurts right now but not even close to what it was yesterday. Now to the reason and it’s a story in and of itself.
We have two investigators that want to get baptized but first the husband needs a divorce from his previous marriage and to do that here requires 300 dollars, which is a lot. So to help them we decided to do a guatita. A guatita is a dish that is served here its made with penuts, onion, tomato, potato, and tripe( cow stomach) and you eat it with rice ( like always) its actually really good. So at 630 in the morning we got up and started walking carrying things and selling the guatitas, and I kid you not, we walked for 8 ½ hours without taking a single break. In the space of these 8 ½ hours we serioulsly walked over 30 miles. It was one of the times ive been most tired in my life. Oh yeah and after that we did missionary work for another 5 hours. I am still feeling the effects of it. We are going to try and get to the house 2 or 3 hours early to sleep before we need leave. I think this is the reason my shoulder hurt so bad, I literally overdid it. But the thing is im in Ecuador and that’s what we do here, so I don’t know, but It didn’t slow me down it just really hurt, and when I say really hurt I mean it, it hadn’t hurt that bad since I had the surgery. So I don’t know I just need to rest I guess.
Last night I realized that the moon is different here in Ecuador. We are having a full moon here and I realized the craters are different from home in texas, so I sat there staring at it for 5 minutes because I was seeing a different part of the moon. Im serious Ive looked at the moon enough to recognize that it wasn’t the same.
This week I counted the number of transvestites and cross dressers we saw. In one week alone I counted 10 different persons and one of them is the son of a member family. Now when I say crossdressers I don’t just mean clothes I mean like all out, makeup plucked eyebrows and all. So theres your weird Ecuador fact for the week. In el batallon there are a lot of cross dressers.
Cool food story on Friday I got to eat a little bit of manta ray. It was a really cool meat, because it had a light fishy taste and the texture and feel of pork, so it was really cool. If you don’t remember what they look like, manta rays, google it.
Well that was my week here, the language is going really good and the work as well. I hope you’re all doing well and are staying safe, love yall lots Elder Match
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