Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Solid Week

Dear Dad,

I wish I were able to see mountains go through the color change. I do miss mountains, it'll be so weird to have them again. The weather here lately has been really good, 80's to 70's all the time and clear skies with occasional Texas downpours out of nowhere. The rain really just makes it more muggy. I think we're going to go this hurricane season without a one.

My week was really quite good. The zone meeting was amazing. I talked about obedience and hard work and growing up, while Elder Clove talked about being steadfast and immovable. This zone has seen a lot of trials lately and it feels and looks like we are all back on track and working hard.

Chase and James are so frustrating. Chase actually popped up at church with his less active girlfriend so that's good. I so badly want to kick their butts haha. We are keeping very busy though. We've been having study sessions with a member who is struggling with the word of wisdom and wants to go to the temple which has been really good. The weekly visits to Bro. Hawkins are going so good ha, that guy is a trooper. When he walks it's like a Chameleon he kind of goes forward then back then forward. He is always telling us great stories about when he was young and going through the depression or the war. I will be sure to tell him hi for y'all. We have a big missionary fireside coming up on Sunday that I am looking forward to attending, also this saturday we have a tri mission conference with Elder Costa of the Seventy that should be amazing. So a big weekend ahead. Also UT plays Texas Tech! ha. I have been getting great updates on the Cougars from the members in the ward. 54-3 that ain't bad. They better roll over FSU. So I guess that's at home then? You going or just going to plop down in front of 65'' of entertainment? So did Provo end up beating Stansbury?! you gotta fill me in on that.

I agree that if we follow Grandpa's example that we'll be better off in this world. I have been so blessed to have righteous examples all around me throughout my life.

I love you Dad
Elder Jarman

I Love My Mission

Mother Dearest,

This morning has been so great. I got to start it off by giving Sister Stephens a blessing. She's serving here in our district in our ward with her husband, they're from AF and as sweet as can be. She is going in for an eye surgery this morning and wanted a blessing. It was nice.

Seriously I can't believe it's been 18 months but then again I can, it's hard to explain I guess. You are very welcome for the pictures, sorry I haven't done better about sending those over the course of my mission I just haven't been a great photographer. Our missing investigators are still mia but that's ok the Lord has blessed us elsewhere. We have a new family we are teaching, the Cantu's, and we have appointments every friday at 7 so friday is still a day to look forward to for me ha. Also lately we have been having studies with a member in the ward who is struggling with the word of wisdom, I admire his honesty and his sincere desire to overcome his addictions. He is also working with the Bishop and we are so excited about his sincerity. We will hopefully be able to prepare him to go to the temple and be sealed to his family. Also this past weekend I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Plater and it was just what I needed. We had a great appointment with his investigator Ryan and were able to set a baptismal date for October 24th, he is golden. This past week we have been able to conduct two baptismal interviews. Those are so incredible to experience. I was able to interview a 10 yr old named Ashton who has had a very hard life. His father is in prison for murdering his mother and he lives with his grandparents but just recently his grandfather had an affair and so he's had to go through that whole mess and what it did for me was remind me of how blessed I am. I have goodly parents who love each other and love me. What a treasure. Ashton is a very well prepared young man who should be a great missionary some day.

I love you and I love my mission.

Elder Jarman

Monday, September 14, 2009

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

"Those Mormons Can Play Ball"

Dad,

My week was good. It was a little crazy but it was good. We had to deal with another missionary going home so Elder Christiansen has taken his place down with his companion. It's sad that people make the decisions they do but what's more is the attitudes of people toward the consequence that follows. I'm not perfect and make mistakes daily but I do try to do my best and serve the Lord in a way that would please him.

We still cannot get a hold of Katrina, we don't know what happened she just disappeared. Chase and James are ridiculous. They dip dive and dodge away from us and have fallen back into a lot of their old ways which is sad. The Porales family is doing good and we are actually going by there tonight. It's been a great week as far as building relationships with members is concerned. We also have had a lot of meetings. Zone Conference was wonderful as usual and we got to have a visiting General Authority Elder Villareal. He was the Colombia Bogota Mission President from 01-03. I told him my father served in that mission and we had a good chat. Elder Clove and I have also been focusing a lot on visiting the elderly people in the ward. It's been such a rewarding thing. We visit Bro. Hawkins at least once a week. He's 91 and loves to talk ha. He is all bent over when he walks and has a hump on his back.

Oh boy did I hear about the BYU OU game. The Longhorn fans were on cloud 9! "Those Mormons can play ball" one guy told us ha.

Life on the mission is giong good. Elder Clove and I are planning our zone meeting that will be this friday also. It should be a good time.

I love you

Elder Jarman

The Work is What it is, Work.

Mama,

Things down here are going really good. The work is what it is, work. Elder Christiansen has been assigned elsewhere so now it's just Elder Clove and I here in Deer Park so that is nice. Being in a trio is just not the best.

Sounds like the Labor Day weekend kept y'all occupied. We had zone conference with a visiting GA named Elder Villareal, he was the Colombia Bogota Mission President from 2001-2003 so I talked to him about Dad a little bit. Also we had a ZL council yesterday that was really good. So a lot of meetings have been where my time has been lately.

Isaac Robison is home and Brennen gets home next week?! Goodness gracious. I really can't believe it, and that I am in the 4th quarter of my mission. It truly goes by way too fast.
I love you Mom!

Elder Jarman

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

There is a Lot of Good Stuff Going On

Hey Dad,

Well the latest and greatest is that if anything can go wrong with a scheduled appointment it will. We had our investigator Katrina committed and ready to come to church this past week but her dog broke it's leg and then just last night she had to cancel as well. She has a special needs son who was acting up is the way she put it, so we rescheduled for another day. Also James and Chase are nowhere to be found and won’t return our phone calls, which is a little disheartening but hopefully they come around. We met a great less active family last night, the Porales, who I am really excited to start working with. It's Brother and Sister Porales and their three sons ages 21 19 and 18. I feel a good connection with them so we'll see how it goes. Really there is a lot of good stuff going on. I am getting along great with my companions and our zone is working hard. I had heard Favre was now a Viking, that still blows my mind he's not a Packer.

I'll bet the cannery is a good experience. They have a big peanut butter factory down here that the Saints serve at, I would love to volunteer but it's out of our mission.

I can't believe all those guys are playing for the Y these days, it makes me feel old ha.

Love Elder Jarman

It's a Great Time in my Life

Mom!

I have learned sooo much since coming on my mission. I love serving and being able to interact with so many different people with so many different backgrounds. It's a very worth while experience and I will never forget it. I feel like I have grown up a lot but at the same time am still very immature ha. I really have learned so much though. Every Tuesday we visit with Brother Hawkins, he's 91 and just lost his wife to cancer in December. He teaches me so much without much effort. I love listening to him tell us his stories. A few things I have learned from him are to be responsible, be charitable, stand up for yourself, obey the law, and have faith. He is just a good man. Another person I have learned so much from is Brother Febbo. He is a Spiritual giant. He talks so often about sending up righteous desires and then waiting on the Lord. It's just a great time in my life to observe people in every situation and to sort out what to do and what not to do. I have so much left to learn though and am excited to do so.

That is no fun Emma has been sickly, tell her I say to get better. I can't believe how old my sisters are getting. Lou turns 15 tomorrow! Crazy...

The work is going really well. James and Chase have gone MIA but hopefully they'll turn up soon. We have a lot of good stuff going on here that's for sure.

What are your relatives names in New Harmony? What other relatives do we have in Southern Utah? Elder Clove is from Enterprise so I figure I would ask him if he knows some folks.

I love you!

Elder Jarman