Life in the Office

Hello Family!

Well our P-days got changed from Mondays to Saturdays because we are in Villahermosa right now and they have there Pdays on Saturdays because they have to be in the office from Monday until Friday! So expect emails to come on Saturdays now.

But anyways, Not much has happened since I last wrote. Elder Hausmann, who is my compañero afligido ahorita (sick companion right now), and I are doing pretty well I guess. We are helping out in the office with whatever needs to be done and other than that we are confined to the apartment to study and rest and what not. I am still nursing my knee and doing things to try and make it better.

I actually was able to go out with Elder Cruz, one elder who we are staying with, and teach a less active this morning. And that was real good..Hermano Julio is his name and he is a great guy. He has been inactive for 14 years but is now wanting to come back in to the church and attend every week! So we taught today about the importance of church attendance and then reading the scriptures. I shared the classic D&C 50 9-10 verse with him that says we can be unspotted from the world and my Spanish was pretty good. We talked about how attending church is an opportunity to get away from the world, to get away from the things of the world and to be able to partake of the sacrament and start new every week. It was real good.

Other than that I got a haircut today, and everyday we are able to eat with families here in Villahermosa and its been wonderful to get to know them and eat the food which always includes tortillas and apple juice soda haha ...Lunch is the main meal here, there isn't really any other meals so lunch is it and you cant have it without tortillas and apple juice soda. But its great!

I hope you had a great day on Tuesday Meg! :) Hopefully you had a wonderful B-day and that your game went well! I was thinking about you and was hoping you put up big numbers ! Haha or even just a sweet assist for me would've been great :) But I really hope it went well not too long before you'll be driving! That's so crazy I remember when you were 6 and would follow me and my friends around in Texas and school all of us. But now your 16! Wow! Hopefully you had a good day and are tearing it up on the court, I would do anything to see you play! You and Kenzer! I love you both! And Jeffrey and Marina! And the whole family! :) Thank you for all your love and support!

Anyways I hope all is well wherever you are and hope you have a great week! I am sorry I don't have photos for you I am still waiting on my battery charger from Elder Alvarez!

Love you all so much,

Elder Jordan Eliason

Short note... Helping in the Office!

Hi everyone !

Don't have much time to write but I made it to Villahermosa yesterday and I'll be here for a while to find out more about my knee and what not but meanwhile I'm helping around the office! Right now I'm putting together a PowerPoint for President! But I will update you next week how things are and yeah, was AWESOME to talk to you Saturday and i delivered the gifts to the families and it was awesome! I'll write more about it next week when I have more time! 

I love you all so much!

Love, 

Elder Eliason

Merry Christmas from Mexico!

Villahermosa Temple - Nativity 

2nd Baptism - Elder Alvarez Baptized, Elder Eliason Confirmed Hna Luz

Luz's Family

Elder Eliason hangin' with the kids!

Elder Eliason fighting off the 'bugs & parasites' with the magical elixir... Coca Cola!

Elder Eliason's 3 friends waiting for him on the wall and on the roof!

Hello Family!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Mexico!
 

How are you all ? I hope you are all well!

This past week was good! We had another baptism ! She is 18 and her name is Luz! She is a friend of the family of the Branch President and she was baptized by Elder Alvarez on Saturday, then I was asked to perform the blessing for her confirmation and it was great! I don't know how I did it but I did! haha It was all in Spanish and it was like three minutes long! I cant remember all that I said but the words just came to me and that was a huge blessing because I was worried, but I said a prayer and asked for help and the Lord came through.

But I will attach pictures from the baptism on this email! and yeah other than that we have another baptism this Saturday for Christmas for another 9 year old and I will be baptizing her!

And we are working with two families that are awaiting some things before they can be baptized then they too will be baptized! but yeah ! Its been exciting to see the progress of all these investigators and families that we have been teaching!

Other than that, not much has been going on..but yeah its been amazing weather down here! Haha Christmas in the sun! But yeah we don't have much time to write today so I will end there but I cant wait to talk to you on Saturday family! I will be calling between 2-4 your time! Ok? I love you all so much and am so grateful for you love and support and this opportunity to serve!

Love you all!

Love, Elder Jordan Eliason

First Baptism in Mexico!

Elder Eliason's 1st Baptism in Mexico, 9 yr old Andrea Rodriguez

Andrea Rodriguez Friends and Family at her baptism with Elder Eliason, and Elder Alvarez!

 

 

Hello all!

 

Hope you are all doing well! I have had a good week...despite the knee problems we were able to get things done! but yeah we had a good weekend as we attended the temple on Thursday and then we had a baptism on Saturday and i baptized Andrea Rodriguez! My first baptism ! Ill send pictures but it was awesome! She is a 9 year old ! But yeah it was a great first experience!

 

It has been raining a lot this week ! And the members here are wonderful! We get lunch everyday from a member and the food is pretty good! I like it ! but yeah my companion has been a great trainer! My Spanish is coming along so so haha i wish i could understand more what everyone is saying but yeah, i know that will all come!

 

I love the people here.. there is this one family we are working with that has practically nothing and every time we are over there they give us pretty much EVERYTHING they have! it makes me want to cry ..they are so humble and loving and I have been humbled so much already by being here and seeing and meeting these people and working with them! 

 

But yeah the baptism was good ! I limped down into the font with Andrea and it was a great experience! I was worried i was going to get the words wrong cause of my Spanish but i said a little prayer and was fine when all was said and done but yeah ! Everything is good and I'm trying my hardest to work through everything ! I will send pictures next week as I'm running out of time but i hope all is well!

 

Hopefully all is well and things are coming together for Christmas ! Megan and Kenzie hopefully all is well with ball and keep it up!  

 

Love ya!

 

Elder Eliason

PS Sad to hear about Grandma Smith but i hope all is well!

Finally Made it to Mexico!

Elder Eliason Shootin' a 3 at the Capilla (Chapel) Court!

Elder getting his laundry done...

Hello all! 


Wow what a week it has been as I was in Idaho getting my visa all ready and signed so that I could be here and what not but I am finally here! FINALMENTE! haha this first week has been loco! ha I got here to Mexico on Wednesday night and we got in late at like 11pm and President CASTAÑEDA and his wife picked us up from the airport in Villahermosa and when we got outside a huge cloud of hot, humid air hit us! haha and it was 11pm ! haha but its alright I love it!  


Then we slept at the Assistant´s house and man, when we got in the house it was hot and humid too! I forgot no air conditioning! haha and we slept on the floor with these pads! ha but yeah, that night, knowing that Thanksgiving was the next day, I was humbled in that moment and was thinking of all the things that we have at home and how grateful and humbled i have been this past 4 or 5 days as i have been here. We have soo much! It´s awesome here though I love it! 


My companion´s name is Elder Alvarez!  He is from Cuidad Juarez and has been out for 10 months! i will attach photos from this past week so you can see us and our area but yeah ! He is awesome! My first area is Nanchital! Its about 2 and a half hours northwest of Villahermosa...and about 20 minutes from the gulf coast! Its actually in the state of Veracruz! But it is great! I love it! 

After I found out Elder Alvarez was my trainer and companion, we got on a bus and headed out to Nanchital and on the way over I tried my hardest to speak the best spanish that I knew in order to get to know Elder Alvarez better, and we are the same person pretty much! haha he loves basketball and played point guard for the Jr. National Mexican team and he loves Vans too! He has a black pair! haha so we rock the vans on P-day but we have a great relationship already! He is a great missionary and trainer! 


As far as the language for me, I am learning, slow but surely haha the people talk soo fast! but I just shake my head and smile and then say or teach what i know how to say or teach. I know in those moments, it doesn't matter what I say or if they understand me completely because the Holy Ghost is who will really teach them and let them know whatever we are saying is true ! But I am learning the language slowly but surely haha. At least 20 times a day Elder Alvarez says, "Me entiende" and that means do you understand me? ...and I look at him for 3 seconds then say "No" and he laughs and laughs...and I have also learned to just laugh and not to get frustrated. I know that it wont all come at once and that I need to work at it and it will come line upon line, precept upon precept!

But yeah I saw pictures of this past week! MARINA AND JEFFREY CONGRATS! that is so awesome! I love it!  I hope your thanksgiving and that the sealing and everything went all well! I hope work and school are all going well! I pray and think about you everyday and I know that this gospel is true ! At times I tell our investigators that I may not know the language very well, but I DO know that this gospel is true. and I love all the people we teach and run into. 


The people are so nice and receptive and we have a baptism this Saturday! And then 3 other baptismal dates right now! Our goal is to baptize every single week! We can definitely do it ! We also have a beautiful church! I'll send pics of it next week ! but I love you all and hope all is well! All is well here and we are doing great! It is a nice, tranquil little city and I love it!

I know this church is true and yo se si hacemos estas cosas sabemos son correcto, Dios bendicira nuestras vidas! I love you all and hope all is well, again! I love you!!!

love, Elder Jordan Eliason

P.S.  The mailing address is : 


Mision Mexico Villahermosa
Calle Via 2 (number sign) 104 Departamentos 302 y 303
Col. Tabasco 2000
Villahermosa, Tabasco
C.P. 86035

P.S.S.  Do you think you could send the latest Andrea Bocelli CD for Christmas maybe? haha not his Christmas one but his latest one. I love you!

Sunset in Nanchital

Headed to Mexico!

Update:

Elder Eliason sent us a note to let us know that he'd be leaving the day before Thanksgiving for Mexico!  He mentioned that he would be calling us from the airport to let us know the particulars of his travel.  

He called us from Mexico City, where he and his companion were by themselves, having missed their connecting flight to Tobasco, as they'd been delayed because of weather in Salt Lake.  Elder Eliason sounded tired, but hopeful that he'd soon be in Villahermosa!  He spoke of how fast everyone spoke, that he found someone who spoke English to help him find the phone and get a call out... and that the airport was huge! 

Not knowing if they'd be able to get on any flights, he said that the Lord blessed them with a 'tender mercy' by having two seats come available late that night, as earlier they had been told that everything was sold out!  So... we assume that he and his companion boarded that flight and arrived very late that night in Tobasco, Villahermosa. 

He is now in Mexico, we haven't heard from him since he arrived in Villahermosa, and are patiently awaiting his first e-mail from there.  He's so excited to be there, but loved his experience and all the people he got to meet and work with in the Pocatello, Idaho Mission!  We'll post his first e-mail, as soon as we receive it!

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, e-mail, letters and packages in Elder Eliason's behalf!

Update:  We got a few pictures sent to the family in an e-mail... looks as if he too much to do for p-day today, so he just sent us all pictures!  That'll work!... see the pics below!

Elder Eliason at the Boise, ID Temple, while awaiting his Visa to leave for Mexico

Elder Eliason's new apartment... nice colors??? 

Elder Alvarez, Elder Eliason's first companion in Mexico!

The view out the front door of Elder Eliason's Apartment!  Palm Trees?  Come on!

Cemetery in Mexico

Elder Eliason calling for the ball... on the futbol field... not as easy as getting a pass on the bb floor!

Landscape view from inside the bus on the way to play futbol for P-Day!

Elder Eliason standing outside his apartment pointing to the Ford Ranger, that he hopes doesn't resemble the one he drives at home in two more years!  Elder, you look like a giant!  Lookin' good!

Visa is here!!

Hello all! Hows the week been!? Hope all is well and that you're doing great!

This past week has been quite the week! First news first, I got my visa!!! So I will be leaving some time this week ! President Colton came up to me and Elder Asay at church yesterday and told us that all of us visa waiters that came out the same time except one got our visas, and that we would be leaving this week to Boise on a plane to go and sign for our visa and then wait in Boise until things or flight plans are arranged, and then head off to MEJICO! Vamos a Villahermosa bebe! haha but yeah I don't know the exact day this week that we will be heading out, but this week for sure is what President said. So I'm heading down south for winter! ha for 20 months actually. It will be a whole new mission and a whole new wardrobe haha because of the hot, humid weather in Villahermosa. So yeah! Mom, I don't need anything i don't think so no worries! I'm going to be sending things i do not need for Mexico home today. So be expecting that. And I am glad the Lillig's called you ! They are THE nicest people i have ever met! They are Lutheran, but they are so nice and so welcoming to us. We have discussions with them often about the church, and we talked to the Bishop across the street who is great friends with them and we decided if they don't join the church here on earth, they'll definitely do it in the next life haha. But anyways!

Other news, we had our baptism this past Saturday for Paige Finley! It was great! She is sharper than a tack! She's 11 and she is very smart..but it was awesome to be able to see her be baptized by her uncle! And I am so grateful for the opportunity i had to teach her from the very get-go and see her progress and enter the waters of baptism! Ill attach pictures at the bottom of this email of us at the baptism. So it was awesome! She was then confirmed yesterday! What a great experience! It gets better too! As we woke up Saturday morning, the day of the baptism, we were filling up the baptismal font and we got a call from a older lady who we tracted into, and she said that her granddaughter wanted to be baptized! So we went over last night and taught Karlyn, who is 11 as well, we taught her the first lesson of the Restoration and invited her to be baptized and she said yes! So we set a date with her for the 18th of December! Elder Asay and I have been pumped! And so yeah! We're looking to set some more this week, as long as I'm here.

Elder Asay has been awesome and I'll miss him a bunch! But it'll be Awesome to be able to go down to Mexico now and be able to start the next phase of my mission! I know it will be tough, learning the language and getting used to the culture and whatever else, but I'm so ready for it. I am ready for the experiences that await. I am ready to take these things head on and help the people of Villahermosa come unto Christ! We're getting Elder Asay's new companion today, who is another visa-waiter headed to Brazil. So Elder Asay will be training and he has only been out a transfer and a half! haha he can handle it though..he is a stud!

Other than that, everything else is good! Just getting ready to head out of good ol' Pocatella! ha I hope all of you are well! I know this church is true and that it is the true church of Jesus Christ, the same church that He organized when he came to earth. I'm so grateful for the Atonement. Through it, we can all become clean and return with our families to live with our Father in Heaven again! It's such a wonderful message, the most important message that will/can ever be shared in the world! I love it! and I love you all and thank you so much for all your prayers and support! I wouldn't be able to do this without you and I'm so grateful!

Jeffrey and Marina, as the date gets closer for you guys to go to the temple, I cant help but get more and more excited knowing that! I miss and love you guys so much! Give the boys hugs for me and Megan and Kenzie, tear it up this season! Shoot the ball! I regret not shooting more! You've got the shot so take it ! I love you so much family! Mom and Dad you're the best and I pray for you and the family everyday! I look forward to talking to you in the airport as i head to Mexico!

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

love, Elder Jordan Eliason

p.s. The other picture is with Tom Curro aka the next Danny DeVito, and the other is with Brother Vawdrey, our Stake High Councilman over Missionary work! He's a stud! Love you!!