Monday, November 29, 2010

Weekly Letter-11/29/10

HEYO!!! HOWZIT GOING?! Hey everybody :-D How`re things? How`s life on the other side I hope that everything is going well.
So things here in Los Angeles are basically the same. The work is pretty slow, we`re not finding anyone, not very fun. I always have enough time to study so thats not a problem Still not very fun Some good news We just barely got ok´d to do english classes on fridays You`d be surprised about how many people would come to these classes. People here really do want to learn english. The things is in Chile it`s mandatory that you take english in school. Its not like in the states where you need to take a language class only to get into universities, here its like reading writing arithmatic and then english :-D So hopefully we`ll have people who are interested in that and then eventually in their salvation and stuff :-D
Spanish is coming along great still Its amazing to me that I can speak another language. I`m pretty legit Advice to people that are learning another language, don`t try to force what you want to say into another language, if that makes sense. At this point, I don`t translate english to spanish in my head, it`s all just spanish. For example, the word cabeza means head in spanish. When someone says cabeza to me I don`t think the word head and then the thing where people have their faces, I immediately think of the thing. Languages are really just codes and as soon as you figure out the trick you can speak it :-D
For the phone call. I don`t know how that works I believe that we go to a members house, we`ll ``pinch`` you and then you`ll call us back :-D That way you pay and we don`t Chileans do this all the time I think thats how it works
The package that you guys sent me is in my general location. I don`t have it yet but I believe that E` Saucedo is going to bring it home today when he comes back from a conference I hope that you guys have gotten the package I sent you the other week :-P I didn`t move the pictures on THAT card :-P Ojala que sì hopefully yes
E` Saucedo is doing alright :-) We still don`t do very much :-P The thing is that if we had people to visit then ìt`d be easier to get him out of the house but the only thing that I got is ``Lets go do contacts Elder. Lickitysplit!`` . . . I`m sure you`re convinced.
Something pretty funny in a twisted sort of way is that someone tried to burn our church down the other day :-D I`m sure you`re all laughing at this point. These (I`m assuming) kids, sawed off a bar off of the 10 foot high fence, sawed off the bars off a window, Broke the window and then tried to light the carpet on fire inside. They only left a few scorch marks, thankfully, before they made a break for it. The really funny part is that the day before Elder Saucedo was telling me that the people hated us here and I said ``Naw, they`re only really annoyed with us cuz if they really hated us they`d try to burn the church down``. . . . speaking of cosmic irony. You win this time universe. Next time I`ll be sure to use different words.
ANyWho :-) Enough about that :-D I was wondering if you guys (Eventually cuz the years almost gone) could send me a REALLY cool calender for next year We found one in the house the other day with amazing pictures of beaches Very cool. As well, if you guys could send that badger bug repellant that`d be cool too :-) Darn fleas.
Thursday I made a little video for you all but I didn`t know what to say really :-P If you guys could send me a Dear Elder with questions that I could answer, that`d be cool too :-)

ANyways :-) thats it for me :-) So until the next, Mom, Dad, Sam, Meri, Grace, and Sophie, I love you all, and Be Happy!!
Sincerely
Elder Jamie McConnell

Monday, November 22, 2010

Weekly Letter

HEY EVERYBODY :-D
Howzit Going?! :-D Things are going alright here on the other side of the world
Hey just so I don`t forget, I got the package :-D the one from October anyway :-D Sing ho for Candy :-D The thing is that they do have snickers and mnms here but they`re . . . different :-P I don`t know why but they are :-) I also liked the pictures and the ensigns :-) We have them in Spanish but its better for me to read in English :-)
I sent some letters to you guys today but they`re kind of boring so don`t expect much :-P :-) I hope that Meri`s present and the camera cards made it to you guys :-P That would suck if they didn`t :-P
Oh yeah, Dad. I gave my copy of However long and hard the road to my old branch president in my last sector so I was wondering if you could send me the other one or another one cuz I don`t want anything to happen to the one you have.
I was going to say that if you guys wanted the package to arrive before Christmas, you would have needed to have sent it early but you guys already did that :-) Smart :-D
I`m just kind of stalling for time cuz there`s not much to type about this week :-P One thing that was cool was that we were taking our clothes to be cleaned yesterday when this random guy out of nowhere said ``Elders, I want a blessing``. We were like ``. . . ok`` :-D Turns out the guy`s a member that hasn`t gone to church in awhile cuz he works a lot and sometimes on Sundays (which really meant ``Sometimes I work and other times I just don`t want to go`` but you have to read between the lines to see that). Anyways he said that he was going through a rough time and wanted a blessing. So we gave him a blessing and started talking with him for sec and we learned that his mom and girlfriend weren`t members so we asked if we could come by another time to ``meet`` them (We really did want to meet them . . . and help them with their salvation. :-D ) He said that`d be totally fine. :-) Its cool how things just happen sometimes.
So thats me :-) So I got a call the other day and yeah, not happy. I hope that everyone is alright :-( I wrote a little more about how Pres Swenson called me in the letter so that`ll come soon :-) Its sad. :-P nuff said. I`m alright, cuz I`m glad that Mom is alright :-) Little things :-D
Regrettably that is all that I have :-P I promise that I`m doing alright :-) Still, studying, still working a little at least, still me :-) Things can only get better :-D
Anyways until the next, Mom, Dad, Sam, Meri, Grace, and Sophie, I love you all and Be Happy :-)
Sincerely
Elder McConnell

p.s. If you guys could put in that pink cd player (or some cd player) some christmas music cds, photos, the November Ensign, and whatever else you want, that`d be awesome :-) Thanks for everything.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Weekly Letter- 11/15/10

HeYO :-D
HOWZIT GOING?! :-D Things are doing alright here on the other side. :-)
SOOoooo . . . Yeah . . . I guess this is the part where I talk about me :-) Oh yeah, I forgot you guys don`t know anything about my new sector :-D Lets get started :-D
So I am now in the Los Angeles Norte Zona, O`Higgins sector. Don`t laugh, O`Higgins is merciless :-D My new comp calls himself Elder Saucedo and he`s from Argentina. If you look down a street in our sector you can see the Andes and he`s always joking ``If you hop over that, your at my house`` :-) He literally says that cuz he speaks perfect english :-) When I had 6 months on my mission he had 6 months left and he doesn`t stop to let me know that whenever he can :-P He`s a really cool guy. Our roomates are Elders Barajas and Walker. Barajas is the father (Trainer) of Elder Merrell, my old comp in the MTC. Elder Walker just got into Chile last Saturday so he`s still figuring out the language but they both are really cool :-) Our zone is pretty tight as well. I`m not going to bother naming them all but don`t worry, they`re cool too :-) Now about the sector
O`higgins is kind of the roughest part of the mission . . . Or so I`ve been told. It`s not THE worst but its up there unfortunately. There hasn`t been a baptism in more than 9 months :-P The worst part though is that its just plain hard to contact people here. The problem (well ONE problem is) that the sector is so tiny. I`m pretty we could knock every house in our sector in two weeks maybe a one day more. Elder Saucedo says that he`s probably contacted everyone that lives here in O`higgins. He`s been here for two cambios before :-P Poor guy. At first when I heard this I wasn`t worried cuz come on :-D I`m Elder Jamie McConnell :-D Unfortunately, I can`t do anything without Elder Saucedo and he really doesn`t want to. The worst thing about this is that its not because he`s lazy. He doesn`t like to go out because he doesn`t want to go out and do contacts just to get a number because the people here are pretty rude most of the time and for him it hasn`t led to anything for more than two months. If we do leave then its usually two or three hours after we`re supposed to. The other day we left in the morning just in time to make it to lunch :-P He`s really discouraged. I`ve tried to get him to get up and go but he`s just not up for it :-P Not fun.
Anyways :-) enough about that :-) Guess what. . . We have two baptism dates! :-D One just from yesterday :-D We went to church ( cuz missionaries do that sometimes) and after priest quorum we went to go to our gospel principles class and there was only three people there, two members and the boyfriend of one of them (non member). So we go to teach the Restoration and we get to the end with the Book of Mormon and this guy says that he`s been reading it so we asked him if he believed it was true and he said yes and we asked if he wanted to get baptized and he was like yeah and we were like ``SWEET!!`` but with more reverence cuz we were still in the church, and then we set up dates for the lessons and his baptism. :-D Happy day. Two baptisms in this sector is like crazy :-D Whats funny is that our zone is one of the best baptizing zones in the mission and people always ask why and we say ``Steroids`` :-D
Honestly, I think that if every person read the book of mormon, the lessons from PMG, and maybe (but not necessarily) a May or November issue of the ensign, then common sense would be like ``Hey this kind of seems important. Maybe I should get baptized``. This is even without prayer. I have this belief that if any person lets us inside their house then we`ve already won. We just don`t know how long it`ll take for everyone to find out that we`ve won. There`s a movie called The District that the missions use to teach sometimes and there`s a part where an investigator says that she got an answer and that the church isn`t for her and the first time that I heard that I was like ``. . .Uh . . . No. Moroni said if you pray, you get yes.`` I think that Moroni`s promise is something that is the heart of the mission of the LDS church. Moroni`s promise to me is the same as if you listen, you will hear. Its a good promise to have and its even better to share.
ANYWHOO. I`m tired :-) I`m sending a letter today to you guys but only one for everyone :-P I haven`t gotten your mail yet so i don`t have anything to respond to but I promise one for everyone next week :-D Also I`m putting in a memory card and Meri`s Birthday present :-D Hope you like it :-D
The Christmas Package . . . If the box could BE m&ms that`d be tight, if not i understand :-D Sam for rillzz I want Fiji in the box. That muscle rub will always be useful. btw depending on the sector, you`ll walk a lot or a little. In Camilo it was quite a lot :-D As well whatever cool surprise you want to put in would be highly appreciated :-D
Anyways, thats it for me :-) until monday Mom, Dad, Sam, Meri, Grace, Sophie, Baby, I love you all and Be Happy! :-D
Sincerely
Elder Jamie McConnell

Monday, November 8, 2010

New Area!!

Jamie sent this EMAIL kind of early today. He's been transferred to Los Angeles (further south than our LA). Kind of a neat twist, his old companion, Elder Valdivia, is training Elder Bowman from Grantsville, and elder that Jamie went to high school with. Small world. We should have pictures by next week!


HEY! :-D HOWZIT GOING?! :-D
Things are going great on the other side of the world :-) Just to start, they transfered me :-D Surprise! I`m now in the Las Angeles Norte Zone. It was pretty weird leaving from camilo cuz that so far has been Chile for me :-P I don`t know anything else :-D But its aight. No offense to camilo but I was living in the ghetto of chile when I got here :-D Our house is great, it even has a backyard (not with grass or dirt, some other third thing, but its still a yard :-D). When I say great, that does not mean sparkling fantastic. Elder Saucedo (my new comp from argentina) has a funny saying about the missionaries ``just cuz we`re on a mission, doesn`t mean we have to be nasty`` :-D For real, missionary houses kind of bite the dust when we`re living in them :-P It`s mostly cuz we`re usually not in the house to clean it, and kind of because we don`t care :-) Regardless, its a cool house. I`ll be sending pictures next week :-)
I don`t have much to say about the area that I`m in yet cuz I don`t have that much time here still, so next week there`ll be more info :-) Elder Saucedo (sow say dough) is really really cool :-D AND he speaks perfect english :-D I didn`t know that until he starting going off with gringo words :-D He`s missing in his mission the amount of time that I have on my mission :-P Math here is never very fun. I think that he`s our district leader here as well, so thats also a plus :-D
Elder Saucedo was telling me the other day that our sector hasn`t had baptisms for almost 9 months :-P It was funny when he told me cuz before he hadn`t spoken in english yet. He was like ``I`m going to be honest right from the start. This is a tough sector`` :-) Another funny thing is that he doesn`t have a spanish accent but his voice makes him sound like an old time new york gangster :-D I think of a much cooler Al Capone whenever he talks english :-D But yeah, he said that its tough here, but he told me that he still wants to work so thats what we`re going to do :-) So thats good :-D
Yesterday was fun :-) The vast majority of the members of our ward are quite old. They are also MAYBE 50 people at most, so i was wondering how it was even a branch. Regardless it is a branch and all the people are really cool :-) and wrinkly :-D
My other comps in the house are called Barajas and Walker. Barajas is from califonia and Walker is from colorado and he got here on saturday :-D I have the same amount of time in chile that he has in his mission :-D Its crazy :-D They are both really cool people as well :-) We`re going to have a lot of fun.
Spanish is still coming along great :-) I`m starting to understand more than I can speak which I think is cool :-) Since Elder Saucedo can speak english he`s killing my spanish :-D If I know that somene can speak english here, its so hard for me to talk to them in spanish :-P Darn talented latinos! :-) It`s aight though :-D
That`s basically it for me :-) Hey Sam, you gotta send me some more fiji spray and deoderant in the next package. They don`t have that in stores here. I didn`t send any letters today but I promise that I`ll write them next monday :-) I´m also going to send pictures and mer`s present too :-) So heads up.
I promise that my next email will be longer next week :-P I haven`t really done anything yet here to right about :-P So until monday
Anyways, until the next, Mom, Dad, Sam, Meri, Grace, and Sophie, I love you and Be Happy :-D
Sincerely
Elder Jamie McConnell

Monday, November 1, 2010

Weekly Letter



Hey Everybody!! :-D Howzit going?!
Things are still going fine on the other side of the world :-) Things are actually starting to heat up a little bit here, and I do mean literally :-P HOly roasted cow :-P I was lucky cuz I didn´t have sunscreen when it started to to get warmer but my comps gave me a bottle to use so I´m aight for that :-D My skin started getting darker almost instantly :-D
So the work is going a lot better now mas o menos. We`ve been teaching a bunch of really cool people and they`re starting to actually do things :-D Sing ho for Eternal Salvation! :-D We`ve been teaching a JuanCarlos and Evelin and their two kids for a little while now and they are both really interested in the church. The problem is that they are almost always working so it`s almost impossible to set up teaching appointments with both if them attending. But we do what we can and that seems to be working :-D We asked them the last lesson if they could prepare themselves so that they could be baptized the 20th of Nov and they said yes :-D This would be great but they haven`t come to chuch enough now to meet that goal but at least they want to get baptized right?
We`ve also just barely began teaching another JuanCarlos who`s interested as well. He`s been to a sacrament meeting and a baptism and when we were teaching the other day we asked if he`d also like to be baptized on the 20th and he said yes as well :-D Happy day :-D We still have to teach him a lot but I think he can do it :-D
We`ve also got two inactive families with unbaptized children that we`re working with and they are both really great families and I think they like it when we come over but they need to come to church still :-P One family (Gisel Sebastian and Flor) needed to go to a birthday party or something and the other family (Victoria Daniel Fernanda and angry husband) just won`t show up. Throughout the week they`re always like ``Yeah we`ll come`` and then they don`t :-P Psych. This would be a funny game if it was funny.
All things considered things are still very good :-) We`ve begun to teach a lot more than last week which is great :-D Its never too hot and it hasn`t rained for very long yet. The other day my pants got soaked but it was aight cuz we were done for the day. Another day we had to bunker done at a members house but that was like for only thirty minutes and then it stopped :-) The sun`s never too bad with sunscreen AND I get to have an amazing missionary tan :-D Sing ho for not looking gringo :-D
Nothing much interesting :-P Sorry for that. I haven`t gotten the package yet but we`re going to the mission office right after this so maybe it`ll be there :-) I son`t need anything that I can think of right now so no worries :-) Meri, I found a present for you the other day but I haven`t sent it yet :-P I`ll let you know when I do :-)
Oh yeah, Transfers are going to be this saturday so you won`t know where I`m at til next monday :-P Hopefully we`ll stay :-)
Thats it for me :-) Until next time Mom Dad Sam Meri Grace and Sophie I love you and Be Happy :-D
Sincerely Elder Jamie McConnell