Christmas emotions!

Emotions have been running high lately...the other day I put 6 dinner plates out, I haven't done that in a very long time...a little under nine months:)
I have been trying to put together a package for Jordan for Christmas and trying to think of things he might enjoy from home. I have tried to put all of our traditional things in for his stocking and of course we got him the few things that he requested. I had no idea how difficult this was going to be...I know that anything we send him cannot compare with the experiences he is having serving his Heavenly Father and strengthening his testimony. We certainly miss him around our house! One of the items he asked for for Christmas was a family picture, it was very different doing this because we are not all here to take a family photo, anyways no one at our house gets very excited about taking pictures except for Jax! Needless to say, we got a picture taken, just before the wind picked up and the dog had had enough...notice there is no snow-Yea!

Thanks to my very wonderful visiting teacher, Carol Hoopes, for this very appropriate Christmas stocking-she knew I was getting his package ready and within a matter of a few days she brought this over! I know Jordan will love it!

Can't wait to talk to him next month-have a very Happy Holidays!

Can't believe I'm missing snow!

"they that be with us are more than they that be with them"

2 Kings 6:16

He sure looks thin in the face...and his hair looks lighter

Hola mi familia,
How is everyone doing? I am doing good, a little sick with diarrhea, I hurt and just don't want to leave the house today, but we have to wash our clothes and just do stuff that we need to do.
My comp is doing better, we didn't go to the Dr. because they were busy. He is staying here. So all is good.
I can't believe I am missing the snow, it must be great to have that wintery home looking back, are there alot of Christmas lights up or are people lazy this year? No I haven't gotten a letter from Landon yet, but I will be sure to send him one thanks for his address.
I am resending the poster photo and also a new photo because I got my haircut. It was fun, but it's a lot better when you cut my hair mom.
Jax, Justin and Jace, I hope that you are all being good for Mom and Dad and doing your best in school. I sure do love and miss you guys. What have you guys asked for for Christmas. And we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Mexico.
We had a baptism on Saturday but it's because her name isn't in the records from years before. So we baptized her Saturday. We took a picture in front of the temple, because the whole zone was going to be baptizing. My first photo in front of the temple and I didn't have my camera with me, I was really upset.
A young man got his call this week and he leaves for the MTC on the 23 of December, two days before Christmas, I felt really bad for him.
Today a bunch of students blocked a busy street because the bus tickets for them went up from 4 to 6 pesos so they blocked off a street as a protest of the buses. It was interesting but boring because they blocked off the biggest and most busy street, which caused traffic 5 blocks away near our house.
Mom I am going to ask you to hold off with the packages for a while until I need something okay. I have everything I need as a missionary, and I don't have much room to keep all the stuff that you all send me. (don't think I have gone crazy with packages, I have sent his Christmas and a birthday, silly boy)
I love you all and hope that the Lord will always protect you in his hands,
Con mucho amor, tu hijo y hermano
Elder Jordan Ross Weaver

Dad did you ever really investigate the church to know if these things are true or were you blessed with your testimony because you grew up in the church?
Tu hijo Jordan
Love you Dad

"they that be with us are more then they that be with them" 2Kings6:16

winnings from scripture chase!

(I can't believe how tall Jordan looks compared to his companion)

Hola mi familia,
Como estan? Estoy bien, mis hermanos, Como estan en escuela? Papa, como estas con la trabajo? Mama, Como estas con los jovenes mujeres? Estoy bien con mi obra, mi companero esta muy enfermo desde martes. Tal vez manana vamos a ver un Dr. para que pasa con mi companero.
Hello my family, how are you? I am fine, how are my brothers in school? Dad how are the jobs? Mama, how are the young women? I'm fine with my work, my companion is very sick since Tuesday. Maybe tomorrow we'll see a Dr. to see what happens with my companion?
Yes, I have been getting Dad's phone emails. And I am sorry about Grandpa Hillyard. Can you guys send me some baby clams and oysters for my birthday I am near the sea but haven't been eating much seafood. I will let you know when I get the card and tell Grandma and Grandpa thanks for the $100.
The first picture is of a poster I have, it's the second coming picture and the 2000 stripling warriors Picture put together to make one cool poster. There is a scripture at the bottom found in 2 Kings 6 verse 16. "They that be with us are more then they that be with them."
Yes, I have a Spanish hymnbook because we buy them in the MTC. I am doing good with all the things I have so I don't really need anything for my birthday..
Tuesday I had an interesting experience because my companion passed out and had some convulsions. They last five seconds then he look up at me because he was falling off the arm of a chair when I caught him from behind. He is still sick with a bad headache so someday this week we are going to see a head Dr.
Yes I do have my back up memory card.
Things here are good, it's hot in the day and cold at night. I haven't used my umbrella since we have gotten here. The preaching is going good and no we are not in the same area as the temple, we are 15 minutes away, but President Hansen lives in our area, we haven't seen his house yet so we aren't sure exactly where he lives.
The church sessions are the same here as over there, only that sacrament is first, then combined activity, and then the different classes.
Mom and Dad can you guys write me your conversion stories, like how you know that this is the true church and when you found these things out?
I sure do love all of you guys and really miss you the closer we get to Christmas, six more weeks and I get to talk with you all. love you
Elder Jordan Ross Weaver


Note from Mom,
The poster he speaks about must not have come through from the computer, I will ask him about it next week, sounds like a great picture.
Grandpa Hillyard died Sunday night, it was a blessing, he had stage 4 lung cancer and has been ill with other various things, he was 89, and so ready to go. Jordan is the oldest great-grandchild and probably one of the few that knew him very well. We will miss him, but are so grateful for the plan of salvation and know that he is with other loved ones and that we will see him again.

Weather report via Presidente Hansen

Another "borrowed" section from the Hansen's Blog, isn't the tree amazing! Just a pretty flowering tree near Piedras Negras. The rain starts in June. Floods start in September and October, and end in November. Hurricane session starts in October and runs through January. Snow? Not a snow shovel to be found. That's the weather.
Thanks again President Hansen, the tree is beautiful!

Thanks Hansens!

The following are pictures "borrowed" from Presidente y Hermana Hansen's mission blog...I am sure they will not mind me using the extra shots of Jordan-Thanks Hansen's for being such wonderful mission Mom and Dad to all of our kids...God bless you!

Jordan is about in the middle...

I miss singing with him during sacrament meeting...

At a multi-zone conference in Minatitlan we are doing the traditional pesquize, inquiry, which is a scripture chase. The clue giver provides some obscure few words from the Book of Mormon and then when he say "Vamonos!" the missionaries hurry to find the scripture. The winner wins a food prize. Chocolate always goes first. In that conference, the Los Tuxtlas Zone provided a special number. Elder Lopez is playing the piano, Elder Perez the violin, and Elder Taylor is directing. I don't remember what they did, but it was great!

Missionaries staged for a photo on the front steps of the temple.

Can you find Jordan?

I think I have, but Ross thinks it's a Mexican...

While at the Campos home with Elders Gil and Weaver, they offered us a taste of baina which translates, "baina." You peel off and eat the soft, spongy, styrofoamy covering of the large bean which is about to sprout a little, baby tree. Pretty tasty if you like sweet, soft, spongy, styrofoamy tree seeds. Click on the foto and you can see the sproutling.

Elder Weaver arrived from North Ogden, via the MTC, on Monday, 12 May 2009, as planned. On Tuesday he was in his area. Wednesday, Elder Gil called. He had a family scheduled for baptism but the man still smoked one a day. He asked what to do. I told him to give the man a blessing. He did that. Ten minutes later he called back said that after the blessing the man exclaimed, "I am done! I have no desire to smoke. It is gone!" On Friday, we went to Lerdo where this happened and I interviewed the man the wife for baptism. They passed with flying colors. They are pictured in front of their home. On Saturday Elder Weaver and Elder Gil baptized this family along with three other people. Nice start for Elder Weaver, no?
Our Mexican missionaries come in at 11:00 on Monday mornings. The Americans come in at 5:50 Monday afternoon, if there are not delays with the airlines. In the morning we begin training with the Mexicans. In the afternoon we take them back to the airport, along with the office Elders, to greet the gringos. It is really a joyful and exciting time--lots of new missionary energy. Then we return to the offices and walk together to a parilla, a grill, where the Americans eat food they have never heard of: tacos al pastor, arrachera, etc. It is all meat, not particularly healthy, and they love it. We try to arrange seating so that the Americans are flanked by Mexicans. The next day we continue training. The trainers come in and sit in the final session of training with their new charges. The fotos are of the restaurant and the chapel across of the offices where we host the training if the group is large.


Four missionaries were replaced later the same day by 18 new missionaries. They are Elders DeGroff, Deal, Kraft, Hna. Frausto, Gardner, Decker, Hna. Lopez, Elders Weaver, Brown, Hna. Pech, Tyron, Zarate, Goodworth, Gates, LeDosquet, Sereno, Santamaria, and Lopez. Click on it for bigger view.


Thanks for the extra fotos!

Hi

Hellow my familia
I am doing good, and I am glad that everyone is okay over there. Is there any snow yet or is it just cold?
Here are the answers to your questions...
(Are you getting the emails Dad sends from his phone?)
Yes I have been receiving your dad's emails.
(Do you tract door to door?)
So far all of our investigators we have are from references so we haven't knocked on any doors yet. So far no experiences that you guys are looking for. Okay there is one, Thursday we went to eat with a member family and there is a 15 year old girl who is going to go to school after lunch, well, custom here in Mexico is to greet somebody and say goodbye to somebody with a kiss on the cheek, and she almost got me but I flinched when I realized what she was doing. She apologized and left. My companion was dieing of laughter and the aunt of the girl said she never knew that gringos were red.
(Do you have FHE?)
We teach in the house of the investigators, sometimes in the chapel of the church. Tonight I am giving the family home evening class on the family, with a family of 30 people.
The church is strong but there is the inactive because they were insulted or just don't want to come anymore.
(What do you do between curfew and lights out?)
I write in my journal and my companion practices the piano, we have a chess board but he doesn't want to learn to play, but that's okay we always have stuff to do.
We only speak or give classes on Sunday when people would like us to.
(What is your favorite part of the mission?)
My favorite part of the mission is baptizing people.
Every Friday night we have and English class from 7-9:00 we have 6 investigators in this class so it's a lot of fun
Well I sure love you guys and hope that all is well with you and will stay that way
tu hermano y hijo
Elder Jordan Ross Weaver

150 succors

Hola mi familia,
Estoy bien como siempre, con la ayda de Dios podemos bautizar este sabado, dos personas, un mama y su hijo, tenemos un grande area, y vamos a trabajar bien duros para tener exito en este lugar.
Mi vida es bien por que es en los manos de Dios, la semana fue bien y no, no estamos celebrating El dia de los Muertos para dias de preperacion, primero limpiamos la casa, y despues nosostros somos las personas quien lavar nuestro ropa. Tenemos una lavadora (washing machine). Despues vamos a comer y comprar cosas que nesecitamos.
(Hello family, I'm fine as always, with God ayda can name this Saturday, two people, a mother and son, we have a large area, and we will work hard to succeed right here. My life is good because it's in God's hands, the week went well and no, we are not celebrating the day of the Dead. Days of preparation-first clean the house, and afterwards us're the people who wash our clothes. We have a washing machine. After we eat and buy things that nesacitamos.)
Yes I did get my package and everything was in it, Thank you for the comics and for the sweets. I didn't know how bad I missed airheads or laffy taffys. The conference was a lot of fun. I won a can of 150 succors. What we do is that the assistants of President Hansen get up in front of everyone and they read a scripture from the Book of Mormon, and if you can find it, be the first one to stand up and say the reference, you can go pick a prize. My comp won a big box of Oreos and Chips Ahoy.
My Spanish is coming and I am waiting on learning the piano because we have a book here but it's in Spanish. They sell it in the temple and I don't know the name but if you guys find a book to help me learn the piano I would like that for Christmas, also two boxes of Life Cereal, a bag of pistachios, a family photo and that's all I need.
The food here is the same as every where else and there is not that much fruit to pick because almost all of the trees are palm trees and they have lots of coconuts, which are huge and you need a machete to open them up.
We do our own laundry, the landlady has a washing machine so we wash them then hang up our clothes to dry.
The people here are normal, whether they want to accept or not its all up to them.
I have found a place where I can get my shoes resoled I just don't know how much it will cost, I used my card again in the temple store to buy a new Spanish Bible and some church hymns, so I am not sure how much I have on the card so can you let me know next week. I am sorry, I hate having to ask so much of you guys.
The program doesn't let me send more then three or four pictures at a time and we are always in a cafe, because we aren't supposed to use the members computers
We get 1,000 pesos a month for food and yes it does last so don't worry. We go to Costco or a place called Soriana.
Well Jace I am really excited for you, be sure to enjoy this and take lots of notes in your journal, and also remember to focus on your schooling and take someone to homecoming...
(side note from Mom, Jace is a sophomore on special teams for Bonneville High's Varsity football team, they are going to Dixie this weekend for the quarterfinals, we hope they win, it means he would play is first football game at the "U" on the "turf", so go Lakers!)
Justin be good, have fun, enjoy being a leader in school and an example to Jax.
Jax hug Mom and Dad and be careful with the girls, I don't want to come home and find that you have twenty girlfriends.
All three of you, do your best in school, learn Spanish, enjoy being young and learn how to manage your money and get along with people, because trust me it's not easy:)
Mom and Dad I will always have you in my prayers and I am sorry that there aren't any photos this week, it's because I can't find the port on the computer, but I love you all so
Dios te bendigas, con amor tu hijo y hermano
(God bless you, with love your son and brother)
Elder Jordan Ross Weaver

I love that he starts in Spanish, it makes me happy that the language is still coming, I had to smile that he typed washing machine in English in the middle of the Spanish, but did not translate all of it. I looked it up on the translate Spanish to English website, yes I cheated a little!
Can't wait to talk to him next month:)
I asked lots of questions and got lots of answers, if there is anything you want me to ask him, please email me at RosWv@msn.com this way if you have a question you won't have to wait 5 weeks for hime to get it and 3 weeks for an answer:)
God bless and keep you safe Jordan!
Keep up the good work and always have faith!