Week 17

Well hello from way down in Mexico!

Well to start off its been a bit chilly lately. so Monday through mid-day Wednesday was pretty good warm hot and all other things dealing with living closer to the equator. But then Wednesday afternoon hit and the wind started to whip down the dirt streets and this is sometimes usual but this time it came whipping down from the ocean. Now if you know anything about a wind coming from the ocean at least in Ixhuatan Mexico you would know that HOLY COW that's a cold wind. So that came and well the temperature dropped people brought out their winter coats like winter coats for Utah's winter and didn't really come out of their houses. But two missionaries (me and my comp) put on Sweaters and took the city by storm and well I "caught" a cold in this storm and well it made Thursday night through yesterday pretty "stuffed" days haha. But now i am doing better i feel better and well i hope it completely goes away so that i can stop sneezing and stop sounding like a bass singer haha. Its hard being a bass when you want to be a tenor haha. Well anyways this week was a good week. so much was done and so many people have said no- so ya its been hard- but its been good too. Thursday I went with Jared Alvarez a 16 year old and went on splits with him and taught three young men, 21 20 and 15 year old, about the restoration and that was good. good to see them try to change their life's for what they want for the future. Saturday I was stuffed up but went on splits again and this time with Eric a 17 year old who plans to serve, like his older brother, in June. his brother got home last June, anyway a good week. 

this is my thought for today. While I have been out here I have seen people change their lives for what they believe is true and they sometimes take a total turn around. But the significance of ONE CHOICE is all that makes the decision. One Decision to except the missionaries, One Decision to follow Christ for their whole lives, One Decision to serve a mission. Our lives are full of decisions but some of them, if we make them before hand, would be a lot easier in the long run. for example, I made a decision at age 12 to serve a mission at age 19 or as soon as possible. then when that time came I didn't have to decide to serve or not I had already decided. There are many of these decisions that if made earlier are a lot better when the time comes. but for these people Like Yeseina, my first convert, I helped all the way through the process. We were talking on Tuesday (After you baptize someone you are supposed to go back through all the lessons) now this was a great opportunity last Tuesday to go through lesson one the Restoration. This was an awesome lesson probably my favorite one since entering the Mission Field. We sat down and went through the lesson and all of a sudden we started talking about how great this gospel really is and how it blesses our lives!!! it was awesome. But then we started talking about decisions and how she made one decision to come and sit down and listen to these two young men and to hear what they have to say. She made a decision that know changed her life. Elder Picuasi Joined in and said that two and a half years ago he decided to except two missionaries in and now his life has changed and he is here in Ixhuatan serving a mission for that same church that came to his door. I have made many of these decisions that have shaped my life. Decisions shape who we are. one decision comes to mind when I was playing a soccer game and decided to go for a header and ended up on the ground with a broken wrist. or a positive decision was when I decided to not fight against my dad and got up on skis and now can see why he constantly didn't give up on me in trying to make me see, what today i love to do. Sometimes decisions start off super hard but since we decided to do them lets finish them. I decided to serve a mission which in the beginning was tough but right now and forever it will bless my life. somethings are rough to start but we can do  anything if we just keep going through- there is light at the end of the tunnel. The significance of one decision is absolutely the one that makes it. The hardest step is always the first one, but after that it just gets easier. The Greatest step is the first so make the first one and everything else will fall into place. But if you make the decision you need to stick to it. If you decide to follow Christ then you follow Christ in all thing 100% of the time not 98% of the time. President Monson's talk in October 2010 the 3 R's of choice is a great talk all about choices and that just came to my head haha. Well lets make some good choices maybe if its cold you might want to but a coat on! haha or if your car needs gas maybe go fill it up. We make choices every second so What choice are you going to make next? you already chose to read this Email! haha

Anyways!!! I hope you have had a great week!!! its actually really nice here 70s and 80s are pretty nice!!! Its nice to not sweat all the time. well anyways just have a great week and make some good choices!  Well where ever you are and whatever weather you have just remember sometimes taking a break for a moment and remember the things that matter most like- if its cold wear a jacket or spending time with people you love. That's all that makes the difference. One decision Keeps you from getting "greepa" or a cold and the other keeps you close to the ones  you love.

What a great Work this is. My mom told me that If I just said in my Letters "The Church is true" then there might be a punishment. haha But I know this Church is true. The Whole reason I left and the whole reason why people like Paden Mecham, who becomes Elder Mecham on Wednesday. The whole reason we serve is because we know its true and we want to share it with the world. to Paden Welcome to the front lines of the Army of the Lord. To everyone else, Don't worry we will protect and fortify the army!!  This Church is true. God does really help and protect his own!!! I have felt and seen his hand in my life and in my Mission especially. What a great Call to serve the king of kings!!! I love this Call!!! true its hard at times but it is the best experience ever!!! 

Can you tell i can speak Spanish more and can understand it even more!!! wahoo!!! oh one more thing I  talked with a good brother last night named Christoffer and well he went to BYU for two years and knows a little bit of English so  we just talked English last night. so kind of fun. Its sort of weird how people think down here. They say You go on a mission and then straight to BYU but i just tell them I wont be joining that plan haha.

Well Love you ALL!!! Have a wonderful Week!!! by next week i will have been out four months!!! wow! it goes fast once you get fully thrown in haha. 

Well as always! Its a Great Day to be a Mormon!!!

Elder Jaymes A. Monson

Laundry Day!

Cool weather attire

lunch... enchiladas

Week 16

Hello from the place where the last three days has been hot!

Well this week was good the weeks seem to speed up just a little at a time this week went by super quick and well its already half way through January. Now that's seems weird to me cause if feels just like yesterday that 2013 started and yet we are half way through the first month of 2013 wow!!! well anyways its been quick for me and it just gets faster the days fly by sometimes and sometimes they are absolutely the slowest days of my life. I am not having too many of those thank goodness but the Fast ones are coming and they are coming quickly.

This week I read in Alma, which is my favorite book in the Book of Mormon, if you can have a favorite book in the Book of Mormon. I especially like the man in this book whose picture hangs in my room at home and I have here with me in my mission-thanks to my mom. (For just a moment I want to tell you that Moms think of everything. you might think a picture of your favorite person in the Book of Mormon is just another thing when you start but when I read about him I was thankful my mom remembered to have him tag along. Moms know everything!!!! and well they are just amazing!!) So Friday I read the big part of my Favorite person in the greatest book to ever be printed. I read about Moroni!!! Man he is awesome!!! It says in Alma 48:17 "If all men had been and were and ever would be like unto Moroni, Behold the very powers of Hell would be shaken forever ye the devil would never have control over the hearts of the children of men" Now that's a great guy!!! not to say he is almost as strong as me haha. that was a joke man i wish i could be just like him. Can we all be a little more like the figure of Moroni to shake the very powers of Hell forever!!!! well that's what Missionaries do in a way! they shake the powers of hell and loose the bands of wickedness of people and change the hearts of men to do good. Its sort of like a story i know oh wait!!! the Book of Mormon!!! the very thing I teach and the very thing I know and read daily happens everyday!!! a person becomes converted and runs to the opportunity to share the gospel. that's like my companion who two and a half years ago was Baptized and is now on his sixth month in the mission Field cause he felt so good about the gospel he couldn't keep it in. Its like the people in the Book of Mormon like Alma who heard Abinadi Testify and then He was converted and baptized many and fled the city by promptings of the holy ghost and then was straightened through prayer and came in contact with Mosiah who then let him Preach and he Baptized Thousands and then we have his sons story which we all know he preached against the church an angel came struck him like he was dead then he jumped up and taught the gospel and turned his life into a total life of service to God!!! now that's amazing!!!!

Another thing I learned this week was a lesson on the significance of an attitude. Now I am not saying that I had a trial but i learned how attitudes help you or dont help your day. I learned that if you wake up with a smile your day should be a good day or if you wake up saying "man its already 630 why!!!!?!?!?!?!?" that's probably not a good attitude, but it's all about an attitude that makes the day it is. First day back to school you may choose the length of the day!!! you can wake up say "you have got to be kidding me school seriously!!!" and your day will be -i don't like school or wake up and say i don't thin k i have ever said this out load but "I love school!!!" now that's a good day. when i am thank full for my day and the opportunity to be alive and be in a different country then i can have a good day.  now i just have to hope that I keep that mind set cause it gets easy to complain or to say "why me" when your back pack is the size of you and has plenty of things in it and your great Companion wont stop hitting your shoulder you just have to say "ya Elder we are friends" through the hurting pain in your shoulders or "ya Elder lets walk more" haha My favorite mindset is when i sing "Pioneer Children sang as they walked and walked" haha or change it to "the two sweaty Elders sang as they walked" haha that might get me down so another song pops in the good old full of Inspiring thoughts "Fly like an eagle" as i start singing in a language nobody knows it makes me feel better!!  Its all about an attitude that makes or brakes your day.

Now what brought this up was I listened to a talk from President Uchtdorf from 2010 October that says Things that matter most. It is all about what matters most in our lives. This is just a thought or two but lets make the little things like a person cutting you off on the road or someone here doesn't let you in cause you are a Mormon and well they don't want to be converted, lets not have those set us off they re little.  keep a good attitude and let your Mind only keep positive thoughts. Let us all try just a bit to be a happy people cause when we smile or have a good attitude people want to talk to us and well that's a lot better then having people not want to be in your presence. Everyone has a great smile now use it!!!!

this started because a missionary who was leaving to go home at the end of his mission woke up at 330 in the morning and him and his companion got ready for the day to leave at 530 but they weren't quiet, they sang the whole time.  now because of this Elder Picuasi and I had no sleep, at least they could sleep in the car we had to go to work!!  so ya I thought about how my attitude would be that day, I have determined to make a god attitude and make it the happiest days ever.

I'm teaching people and hope they come to church on Sunday so they can be baptized, we will see what happens this next Sunday.

Well that's this week a sample at least. Hope all is well where you are. Here its just hot and is going to get hotter!!! so yahoo!!! by the time i come home I might Look like a brown Elder.

Have a wondeful Monday and a wonderful Week!!!

Love you all!!!!
Elder Jaymes Monson

Wearing my new Christmas tie!

Picture of my Tan Line haha I wear a watch always!!! even while I am not actually wearing one!!! that's what you get for being a White boy in a hot sunny place!!!

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