July 6, 2009 Barro de Navidad

This has been a fun adventure. I was typing on a different computer and first there was a virus and i got about ten minutes into my letter and it changed pages on me, to some website telling me not to take drugs. Well I started over and then the computer froze, I waited a little bit but then I just asked to switch computers. I didin´t get your letter if you wrote one, so Ill just ramble on about a few things that have happened I guess. The week went by pretty fast. First week here in Christmas Bar. Barra de Navidad, a unique little area, but come to the Grand Bay Hotel , a nice private island resort just on the other side of the lagoon here.
Monday as you know we were traveling around all day and Tuesday went to Distrct CLass then got to the area and had a mini pday. Wednesday we worked and then Thursday we went into Colima to meet the new president. I could complain for hours and hours and hours, but to no avail. So, instead I'll just give you a run down, actually a censored one so they sound nicer actually, and you can decide. It started with thier daughter's 20 testimony. I know .. I know I kno I know I know I know.... etc. 15 later. I know I know I know amen. Then their son who got home from the mission about a month ago got up and started talking about the missionaries they had met the day before and how he wanted to send them home and would have but he doesn´t have that authority. He talked about more, but whether it was selective hearing or I just forgot, I don´t know. Then the mom, Hermana Saucedo. First off might I point out that their last name is Saucedo. Or at least has it in their name. How do i even describe what she said. Apparently they got their call, when I got in the mission field. 10 months before they got here, she said, and started preparing. She took the time to remind us of the rules we had apparently forgotten and had no idea existed... ,´= \ All she talked about was rules. Then he got up, He gave us his life story told us why he´s a quiet guy, that he doesn´t care if anyone wants to go home, no remorse, he´ll feel bad later, and yeah. We had a 30 second interview with him and then his wife again, gave us ´advice´ on how to use our agenda. i....I don´t even know what to reply to that. Well Friday we planned and changed houses. New house is cool, I explained it in the email I wrote and got erased. So I´ll tell you soemtime. Right now we´re goign to buy hammocks. I hope; I went to exchange money, but they´re not exchanging right now. I got Starbucks, hot chocolate, in the morning and we just went to Dairy Queen, so today´s been cool. It´s hard to stay positive and not comlain. The last 2 days, yesterday and today have been... better. I want to work but it´s just difficult, I don´t know how to describe it. It´s always like this, though. I get better Sunday, Monday´s ok then I get sad Everything I see, I see a game hear a song, see the beach, whatever, a car, taking the bus now makes me just ready... I want to work I want to be here. But ... how do I describe it. I only have 9 months out. I have a 1 year and 90 days, 450 days before I get home ish. I again feel bad for recounting that, like guilty, I´m working to get over it. And I need too. Forget myself and go to work. Thanks for all of your support! I really appreciate it, and I got my two b-day packages! Thanks! Lol, Gotto go, I love you more than ever before, can´t wait to hear from you! -Jake

June 30, 2009 Ahhhhh the weather is nice here by the coast!!!!

Hey Mom and Dad! This week was another hell in a hand basket. Actually the week was quite enjoyable. This area has a alot of blessings. First off it´s nothing but beach, and a hint of humidity weather. Sometimes it´s hot hot hot as dead cat on a frying pan over dad´s christmas tree bondfire. But at times, it´s REALLY enjoyable. Cool breeze, cool night, with a light hint of water in the air. Yeah, It´s pretty unfortunate I got sent to this area... My new companion is Elder Harding, he´s from Elder Oakes´generation. Utah, Southern Fork. My MTC companion is from Spanish Fork too, Elder Porter. Well the events of this week. I´m not going to remember it all, but first. Yes it is Guadalajara and Guadalajara East. And two get me the address of Noe´s mom! I want to visit her. I think she lives in Melaque or Jaluco. Something along those lines. The members here really like the missionaries. If we have a food problem, there´s a chunk of people we could call and ask if we can eat with them. If we have a ´personal´ issue, like wash clothes, eat, something like that. It´s done, elders seriously bring your clothes here to wash, hey come here to eat. But when it comes to missionary work, or church work. YEAH ILL DO IT! Meet you at 7! ...7... 7:15...8...yeah he´s coming. That´s how Elder Esparza explained it to me. I was with Elder Esparza for this last week, he´s from the state of Mexico, just outside of Mexico City. He´s from the formerly South mission and just headed out to Michoacan. He was really cool. Had his bits and pieces, but I just enjoyed being around him. I got to this area so tired. I was so tired. I told this to ELder Harding here, that on the bus ride over, the first time, we´re passing snow covered volcanos in the distance, a scenic ocean view bus ride, groves and groves of coconut fillled palm trees and mountains and rivers and its gorgeous! But i just looked out the window, completely dead as to feeling. I was like that until Thursday, then i started to calm down again. Then it was good. We met, well I met he showed me, the investigators and the members and the less active families. We walked around for those days and got to know everything. We have Jazaida, a 15 year old girl that´s going to get baptized with ther two little brothers. Her moms´not getting baptized yet cause she´s a hooker. Lol, seriously. Well she works in ... like a bar, cantina, sort of thing, and shes´not really a ´prostitute´ persay, but to keep it short, she can´t get baptized. Lol, going to drop it there. There´s a recent convert named Francisca with her 2 daughters and niece, and I finally started to get along with them, Sunday she was asking me, hey when are you going to come back what day are you coming. Her son Jose Luis and her exhusband Jesus are now listening and at least the son wants to get baptized. Karla another 9, or 10 year old girl was just bapatized by the other mission and has a little brother who turns 8 this week. Mom isn´t a member so he´s not written in. We´re talking to her too, the mom, but she livse with this 23 year old guy. She´s in her late thirties. Not sure why he´s around, but they need to be separated. Our goal is to activate the members here a little more. They need to help us, organization is one thing we REALLY need to do. We´re going to switch houses here today too, a slightly smaller house, less expensive, maybe tomorrow. We just got here to our area at 2. We left for Guadalajara at 6 am yesterday, we left here Sunday night at 10ish and spent the night in Manzanillo, left for Guadalajara, got Harding and the other missionares an headed back, got to Manzanillo at 8ish, ate and slept there, woke up, district class. And got here, went to the lunch appointment and actuallly went with a different family than planned. Afterwards went looking for the branch president who never showed so we took a cab to the city center here, 20 pesos, and then got a call, 30 after entering the door. I forgot the other missions assistants were coming down to give us our ´new´ furniture. SO we walked straight back out and to the house 25 pesos. Got our stove tables and chairs. Got a ride back here, here you go! It´s been really tough these last 3 days. That got better to a point and now I´m not upset, I´m well, persay, but it´s tough, I feel out of place, for lack of being able to describe it. I just don´t feel right. Can´t think, can´t react, can´t act. It´s getting better, I´m learning to trust and confide in the Lord, to have faith. Also to have hope. That does not give my conflicts any justice at all, it´s just tough right now. Focusing on the work and what needs to be done is all I can do right now to keep my head on. We need to change houses today, but I need 2800 pesos for deposit and first months rent. I need help, I need that help from my companion, but it´s not something I can ask for. However speaking of something else momentarily. All of the money I pulled from my account, and the dollars I exchanged? Yeah, that´s gone. LOl All on taxis and buses. I had to use the 500 of my own. I got almost 200 back in reimbursments, I actually checked my money yesterday and there was 2000 pesos. I dont´know where it came from, or why it was there. I thank our Father in Heaven for that money, I needed it. I still haven´t gotten the boxes yet. I believe I´ll get them Thursday though, we´re going to have a Zone Conference and meet the new President Sausedo, the assistents will be there. and Hopefully! They´ll bring my packages! Lol. It´s going to be a big birthday surprise! Tehe. Well I´m approaching 50 minutes here and 13 pesos already, so I´m out of here. If you could do me the favor of telling Ben thank you I got your email, and I´ll maybe write an email to you for them next week. Well, once I get that camera cable i´ll maybe send you some photos! Lol, I have plenty!Nos vemos! I love you both so much, cuidense y aprendanse español, no manchis! Ya les dijé que no voy a traducir nada, ningun cosita, si no hablen, buen suerte, porque hay está van a estar in México sin idea, ¿Mande? ¿Que dijo? ¿Come se dice? NO me venga...Lol, have that translated! LOVE YOU!-Jake-

June 23, 2009 (An e-mail two days in a row.)

HeY!!!!! I did have another chance to write! These last few days have been a little wierd. I just got brutally reminded why we don't watch tv, stupid commercial where this animated chick threw off her dress. ARGH! Now Im focused intently on the computer. Continuing these last few days have been a miniature hell for me. Sunday was fun, slow and ... uneffective but fun. Here's the lowdown. Our first week between Elder Oakes and I in Rio Verde we met a family of like 15 whose house was rundown and ... rather ghetto. Well we started talking and about 7 listened to us. This last Saturday 2 were baptized, the mom Rosio and her son Marcinillo. The rest are yet to come, lol. She wants to invite her husband/boyfriend when he comes around again to go to the church, that was awesome. Her daughter Luz was going to be baptized too, but backed down the day of/night before when we didn't know about it. SO it was a bitter sweet baptism, I felt great and I know they each felt it too. They're so funny cause if you ask them about it, like "How'd you feel?" Shell just say, "Mm...Good" with a little cheeky smile. you know she felt great and knows its true. All honesty theyre just a little lazy, their problem was just having to do stuff, have to go to church, get baptized and read ... pray. Her story was good though, we invited her to pray everyday for 3 weeks and never did it. Luz did though, and received her answer. However she did one night when we asked her to ask God if it was necessary to be baptized, she replied to me as follows "I asked God if it was something he wanted me to do or not, and well... now you see, here i am" Sitting in white baptismal clothes by the font. They{ll keep going, but I will say I{m anxious that they do. Lol. Sunday we went and visited them after church for... like 3 hours. Then we went with Gaby and Brenda, Dulce and their mom Maria. I felt good after that visit, I don{t really feel like I did a whole lot for that family, I got there and they were all ready to be baptized, I just got the date 3 weeks later and did it, but when we all went to shake their hand good bye that day (all women, no hugs there) she stopped me for a minute and commented on the blessings ive brought to their family. Dont really remember exactly how it went either. Like 2 seconds, but ... it made all the world's difference. Went home and chilled. Its been raining lately, and honestly if it wasn't I'd probably be miserable, explain later. It rained Sunday night and a few days last week, really light like a sprinkle, which is my favorite, just a little falling water and all dark, lazily rolling, sky. I just sat. Elder Moreno and I climbed onto the roof after that and looked at the city and at the sky, talking, complaining, giving advice. Monday we woke up and packed and then went to an amazing breakfast with the bishops wife, gorditas - two tortillas combined with beans or chorizo or cheese or something sealed in between - and then she made us pancakes, unfortunately I had like 6 gorditas and then could only pop 2 pancakes with that Eagle Brand Milk stuff and Syrup on top. Lol, they use that milk cream stuff for alot here. Elder Oakes continued conplaining throughout the duration of all events aforementioned. We then went and I wrote you that little pedaso, then grabbing our things signaled a taxi and headed to the Stake Center in Talaquepaque. We got there an early thanks to our Zone Leaders, but we had a quick simple conference on what{s going down and who we'll be with, and then had a quick pizza party and left on the 5 hour bus ride for Manzanillo, we all got on one elder from Guadalajara for one elder from Guadalajara Sur. Elder Garcia and I are here, Elder LeSueur from the MTC with me, and a few others youve probably heard of, my old companion Martinez came down too. He's in Colima, Colima. We got to Colima and dropped off the first half, in front of the church. Headed down again to Manzanillo for another 2 hours. We never even made it to Barra de Navidad, it was 10 when we got to the zone leaders house, so just stayed there, cause we were going to come back for district class anyway the next day. Slept on a foam sheet on the floor with Elder Pierce the old assistant and Elder Ruiz my old district leader. Woke up and played soccer at 6:30 or 7 in the morning and then, back at the house, sat for 2 and a half hours. Got ready preparing for District Class then we got a call from the South Mission President, with an advisory that we're going inland to Colima becuse of the coming hurricane. So we packed 2 days worth of clothes and headed to Colima, 80 pesos for a bus ticket. Woo-hoo....now we{re here. I feel sick to my stomach my head hurts and I'm mildly upset still from everything. I'm walking dead right now. I cant think straight I cant make decisions... Im just tired and sore. On the bus ride though I had chance to hear a little news. I was talking to Elder LeSueur whose first companion was ELder Oakes last companion. Elder LeSueur told me Natera would get home and say, man Im going to kill him. Everyday, then Elder Thornock asked me from a few rows back, Hey Taylor, how do you get along with Oakes? Well, were struggling a little, i respond. Why? Whats he do, he asks again, so I tell him the brief portion, "He's always demanding what to do...." etc. etc. THornock replied to me, yeah thats exactly what [Elder] Nateras problem was. He'd say lets go visit this person, and Elder Oakes would contest, no I dont want to we're going with this person. So... now I know I{m not the only one, I dont feel so bad anymore. Lol a little bad, but not as much. Im not NOT NOOOOOT looking forward to being with him again in a week. Anyway were all wrapping it up already, so Im outa here. I wish again a VERY HAPPPY FATHERS DAY AND I LOVE YOU DAD, YOU REALLY ARE AMAZING AND I WANT TO FOLLOW YOUR example when I get back, but first I want to follow it here, keep up the awesome work in every category, the church, the missionary work, and at home. I LOVE YOU DADDY! I love you too mom, I let you know when i get he packages, I think they're in the office.... ugh....Im off now, tell you about Barra later! -Jake----- <jacob.d.taylor.MG@myldsmail.net>

June 22, 2009 - Moving to Barro de Navidad near Manzanillo, a 5 hour bus ride!!!

Dad! I´m so greatful you emailed me! I was going to send you a special father´s day email anyway! Thanks for everything you said I like hearing about everything. Rocky and the schools. Keep it up so you can afford mom a shiny birthday present! Lol, or just afford to have her, ; P Tehe, I like the advice too, I´m going to stick in the works. I´ve thought recently now, I´ve probably learned so much humility and patience that I ant to apply. Just a quick note, if I spell something wrong, this keyboard gets stuck and the keys are a little ... weird. Anyway, Im going to do my best to apply your advice, going to compliment and all that jazz. I'd better inform you to on what´s going down! Today in an hour I´m going to a place called Barro de Navidad, in Colima Mexico. It´s a little pueblo outside of Manzanilla about an hour, offshore there´s a resort I´m told, but it sounds exciting. Well I´m going to see if i can squeeze something in tonight, if not, i really apologize, we are leaving now for the stake center. we talked to pres. and i´m going to be with oakes again in a week, for at least a week, but we need a change. Maybe the week break will help me out a little, I don´t know. The funny part is, sometimes it´s totally fine and we get along, but then it switches instantly. I just need a break, but now i feel bad for saying why I don´t get along with him, haha, I don´t know, we´ll be fine as soon as we´re apart but right now I´m battling. I have a lot more to say, but i´m going to go. However i want to wish you the most fabulous Father´s Day ... yesterday. I hope you enjoyed it thoroughly! And got some cool stuff. lol Until tonight or next week! Love Elder Taylor, Jake Daniel, Giant

June 15, 2009

To start off, if I don´t include something, I apologize, you mailed me over a space of 4 emails. Lol. To start off, the good news, why I took out 40 bucks, and why I took 40 more American dollars to get converted, lol. I found a store that sells American goods, lol. I knew about it, but it´s just kind of far. However we´re going to the hospital tomorrow and it´s on the opposite corner. It´s really expensive though, a can of MOUNTAIN DEW!!!!!!!!!!! is 11 pesos, but ... hey, it´s MOUNTAIN DEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! worth it. They have Honey Maid graham crackers all the candy bars, pop tarts nutter butters, they have symphony chocolate they have all the candy, nerds, mrs fields cookies ... it´s there.. It´s ALL there... oh yeah. $80 going strait to hell. Lol However, you´re probably wondering why I´m going to the hospital, to start off, I´m fine. EVERYTHINGS BETTER NOW! OK. Lol, but here´s the story anyway so you freakout. Wednesday was fine, we started fasting that afternon and arrived at the house really tired. And thirsty... and tired with thirst. That night it rained too! But while I was lying there, just windy I heard something fall, I had been a little short of breath there for a bit and found it a good excuse to get out of bed. I got up, it was a shampoo bottle and then I took a puff on my inhaler. Quick note... I got up took the puff and then got up to get a drink, but felt short of breath again, really short. Rested against the counter breathing deeply and sharply and then started back towards the inhaler and fell over. I just laid there for a bit, obviously confusd at what was happening. I sat up broke the fast. I felt better...ish of the asthma but had a gross headache. I rested for a bit and then set off for bed. I didn´t sleep at all. I woke up and felt horrible, and then felt sick in the stomach and had a gross headache all that day, the next was better at first then worse, by night I wasn´t feeling better still, but asked for a blessing with oil. They gave it to me and by morning I was fine. Went to the hospital anyway, and gave the verdict of gastritis. From eating bad chicken most likely. Erg... Tomorrow´s just a check up and then to La Casita to buy stuff! Woo-Woo! as my roommate elder Garcia always says, quite cheerfully. This week was bad though, minus the sickness, all of our baptismal dates fell through, from 9 ish to 1. And that´s not sure. Marcinillo is his name, he comes from the big family who we were teaching, the others aren´t super animated to be baptiezd, but he says yes, so we´ll see how well that goes through! This week was better with Elder Oakes, its just hard because everything I say one thing and he contests it. I´ve become very defensive I learned today because of it. I believe that´s what it´s from, I know i was rediculously defensive before the mission too. But we went with Chonis today ( YAY!!!) Elder Garcia and I, and she said I was very ´conteston´ or our definition of a defensive person. I feel that´s what it´s from. It´s just tough, I mean everthing you say is challenged. There´s other little things too but, not really important. I´m going to roll. A few things, I just got the photos, THANK YOU!!!!! Lol, that was a sweet sweet surprise, dad´s card and dd´s b-day card with 20 amazing bucks! That´ll buy straight Mountain Dew. Lol. Tell her that. I got the Dear Elder Package you sent me over 2 months ago! Lol. and I heard I had like... 3 packages in the offices, but nobody gets them to me... grr... lol, we´ll see! The changes in the mission are going down here soon too. Next Monday, so next Monday when I write, hopefully, Oakes or I will be in a different place. Learning the area! I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD, stay cool and keep praying for me, I know you want me to waste money so be assured you´ll get your wish tomorrow. LolThank Jon for me and send him my regards as I´m not allowed to write, lol. Tell the guys what´s up and I´ll write them something someday, lolBYE now!-Jake