Elder Guthrie's Emails today!!!

I thought everyone might like to hear (or see) what Jordy had to say today. He sounds better today than last week, when I detected a little bit of 'stir-crazy' in him.

Here they are, and remember, spelling has never been Jordy's strong suit.

Hope you enjoy, I know I did.
Lisa


Jordy's Emails Today!!!!!!

The new district is all going stateside, we are getting another one today, we are going to have a really big zone. Only my district and 6 more from another are going to Leon. Probably wont be another bunch for some time because they are sending soo many of us to Leon. Its actually kind of wierd to have a whole district going to the same place, and even wierder for more than a district to go to the same place.


All in all this week has been going by really fast, i was talking with Elder mouritsen today and thinking that 2 p-days from now will be a mexican p-day!!!! Time is really going by really fast, there are not enough hours in a day to get all the things done we need to get done. Spanish is coming, albeit slowly. I really never though about the "Direct Objects" Reflexives, Preterite...... I just thought i would have to learn vocab but NOOOO, the structure is even more important than the vocab to a degree. But yes its coming along, 6 months from now i will be able to pretty much understand and say anything i want to. Just keeping on Keeping on.... 15 mins left.


By the way, yo neccesito nuevos zapidos (i need new shoes) 10 & 1/2 wide would be best

Katie has a letter on the way, i think she will like it:) Tell dad not to tear up my boat. Tell tanner to do.........something. Oh yeah, send me a cheaper digital watch before i go, i might want to wear that instead of the 100+ watch im wearing now, i really dont want to have to fight some little mexican over this watch (which i will). 12 mins left!!!! also, did you send me my memory card back, if so which box was it in? Im getting a little worried about it. I received a box just a few minutes ago from you, i dont know whats in it yet because i havent had a chance to open it. Give Jake a hug from me please. (and jessie too if you can pick her up) Send me a Whole news paper once just soo i can get some normal looking stuff. Tell katie to pick it up on the Braves news, im anxiously anticipating every letter i get abour the ole' bravos.8 mins left.



Still no response as of yet, looks like is more "dear elder" responses. We'll be able to talk on the phone in about 1 and a half weeks. We're hoping to get our visas any day now. When we do we go all the way to Salt Lake to the Mexican embasy to sign them. We'll all just be looking in awe at the world and all its fancy lights. 6 mins left. Im not as sick of this place as i was last week, i can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just laugh at the elders who have been here a week and act like theyve been here forever, i walk up to them and say "iv been here 8 weeks!!!!" That shuts em up, then they just look in awe.


2 mins left, by the way i neen mas zapidos!!! We cant do baptisms in the temple, that would to be done for the person before we could do our stuff by the way. 1 min. I love you very much ma, i talk with you before too long. i think about you every day, give jake a kiss for me. I love you, I love you......................................................................................... 10 secs bye


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Mexico Mission Re-opens!

During Jordy's 30 minute computer time this week he told me that all Mexican missions were again opened. He assured me that Church leadership are staying on top of all the flu news and will be cautious, but he did say that they (MTC leaders?) say that the whole swine flu has been overexaggerated.
I also got a mother's day card from my missionary boy today. Here it is...remember, this was written on Sunday, so the news about the mission reopening apparently wasn't available yet.

Hola Madre!
Well, its Sunday afternoon and I just got back from a Temple walk. It's been fairly good weather here for this week. I'm not sure if I told you but tie-trading is caput. MTC presidency doesn't want anything that becomes a tradition. This week has been my first week with our new district teachers, we all really miss Hermano Williams and Hermana Rivera, but we have learned alot so far from Hermano Swenson and Hermano Del Torro (whose name means "of the bull") I have to say I'm getting really sick of this place. Two Elders from the district that got here 3 weeks before us are leaving for Texas tomorrow morning, the rest of the district is being delayed until this Mexico swine flu thing passes over (because they're going to Mexico City). Also, I've only got 94 pages left to go in el libro de Mormon. I read 42 pages this morning! (I bet nobody in my Sunday School class is beating me now!) Thanks for the pictures you sent. I taped them up on the wall beside my desk.
I taught the first lesson of "Preach My Gospel" entirely en Espanol on Friday. I'm still not comfortable saying alot but I can understand most of what our teachers are saying in class. We're getting a new district this Wednesday, (8 Elders and 2 Sisters) we're all pretty excited for that, no longer the newbies and all.
We're hoping for another Apostle to talk with us in the next 2 weeks, we're almost certain to get one before we leave.
On the next page I'll be bearing my testimony en Espanol, see if you and Deena can translate without help!


Dios es nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial, Dios nos ama mucho, JesaCristo es el hijo de Dios y nuestro Hermano. Dios Tiene up plan por nosotros Mediante el plan de Dios Podemos ser con nuestros familias para sempre. El evangelio de JesuCristo es resturado en la tierra. El libro de Mormon y la Biblia es las Palabras de Dios. Jose Smith fue y es un Profeta de Dios al Tomas S Monson es un Profeta hoy En el nombre de JesuChristo, Amen

Hope you do well,
Elder Jordan L Guthrie

NOTE: I don't know if all the Spanish is spelled right or not. Jordy is terrific at a lot of things, but spelling has never been one of them. I can correct his English, but now we are charting new waters, so I've done the best I can!

News About Mexican Missions

I am the member of an e-mail group of moms with missionaries either going to Mexican missions, in Mexican missions, or RMs from Mexico. During all this Swine Flu stuff we've been really busy talking back and forth, as you can imagine. What follows is a note from a mother I thought you'd be interested in.
Lisa

I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT...

I have just set a new record for bursting into tears faster than anyone ever has. I got a phone call at work today. When I said "hello", I heard a man say "hi". I had no idea who it was until the voice said, "This is your son". I was not expecting to hear from Josh and so it was such a shock that I burst into tears. Everyone here at work agrees that I have indeed set a record for the fastest tears. He could only talk for about 5 minutes, so I tried to get as much out of him as I could. You would not believe the "Spanish" accent he does when he speaks spanish. He sounded like the same old Josh, yet a few notches higher. Does that make any sense? So spiritual, so mature - with Joshie mixed in. Oh my gosh. Okay here's the scoop. The missionaries from Mexico just a little while ago were told to go to the travel office. It was there that they were told to go call their families (some of you will already know all of this!) because they are being delayed. The brethren are making th!
eir decision this next Wednesday as to what to do. They told them to expect ten days to a couple months delay. If it ends up being months, they will be sent to spanish speaking state side missions until things clear up. He sounded so good - oh, how I miss him! Now I need to go call Guiness! :)

Kristi Myers-Daynes
MM of Joshua Myers, Mexico, Puebla,
3/4/2009-3/4/2011

A Typical Day in the life of an MTC Elder

I thought some of you might enjoy seeing what Jordy's days consist of...and all you RMs can be reminded of what life used to be "back in the day".

Here's his Thursday's schedule (They are all different in little ways, but he gets the same things in during the day.

6:20-6:45 Arise and Prepare
7-8:15 Classroom instruction (personal)
8:15 Breakfast
8:45-1:00 Classroom Instruction
1:00 Lunch
1:45-4:30 Classroom Instruction/ Language
4:40-5:30 Gym
5:30-6:00 Prepare for next activity
6:00 Dinner
6:45-9:00 Classroom Instruction
9:00-9:30 Daily Planning Session
9:30-10:00 Review day's activ/Companionship Prayer
10:15 Quiet Time

I told you he was too busy to be too homesick. It sounds like a schedule that would definately get the best of me, but they're young and on a mission for the Lord.


BTW...The picture on this post is not Jordy, as you can see. I think it is his companion. The first time he sent home his camera card it was full of pictures of everybody but Jordy. He was promptly told to cut that out!

Hola Grandmazah....4/1/09

Heres a letter to Grandma...Jordy calls her Grandmazah. I have tried to put all of his letters on here, but unfortunately they are not in the proper order. From here on out I will try to do better with that. All of Jordy's letters sound like he is doing really good and actually enjoying the MTC experience, though it is hard work. Jordy can do hard things though...right Aunt Susan?

Hola Grandmazah,
I might have made it past the hard part, but it is still hard being away from home. I just received your letter yesterday, along with one from Ma, Dad, and Katie. Right now I'm leading the letter count with 11, so keep 'em coming. I've been thinking about you and the rest of the family alot, I just wish I could call and tell you everything that's been going on. I hope your received my first letter, I really haven't had time to write alot, every second of every day is planned out for us. We have to get up every morning at 6:30, so not like me, eh? I writing on Wednesday (P-day) and in about an hour we have to go wash clothes! We spend most of our day in class, talking, reading, talking....
We went on a walk around the temple Sunday, later today we will go through the Temple. I'll try to send pictures and a copy of my schedule along with one of the letters. As you can see writing a letter is not one of my strong points either, but I do what I can. I love you very much, I've been thinking alot about you, nighttime is the hardest time, laying in bed thinking about home. But I know that I am where I need to be. I only have 103 weeks to go to be back home. I love you, I miss you, and I'll try to write again soon,
Love,
Jordan

Letter to Gma

Hi herGrandmazah, (that's what he calls her)

I know I haven't been writing as much as either of us would like, but I really haven't had a lot of time. The MTC is very busy, if you're not in class you're eating, if you're not eating you're getting stopped by a companionship looking to practice their skills.
I want you to know that I think about you just about every single day. What I wouldn't give to be sitting at Chick-fil-et with you and ma about now. As much as I would love to be home, I know I am where I need to be. My testimony has grown alot just in these 2 short weeks. I love you very much, I miss you, and I can't wait until the cookies get here.
Love,
Your Grandson,
Jordan

Hola Ma!....A Letter from my Boy!!!

4/11/09
Hola Ma!
I'm glad to hear that Dad recovered his sunglasses. I received a return-to-sender letter I sent dated on the first, so sorry about that. The letter contained my schedule that I will send with this letter. Send my memory card back after you look at and erase alot of pictures. I'm way up in the letter count, averaging 4 per day. So far I've received 60 letters! I'll try to send a picture of the District later. I guess by your "Dear Elder" letter you received last Wednesday's email so, no problems there. I also received the cookies and the "Dear Elder" Easter Basket.
I've been writing in my journal every night, so someday you'll get to read about life at the MTC. By the way, those were the dullest fingernail clippers you sent me. I wasn't kidding about sending me on of those electronic yahtsee games, and maybe a bouncy ball to toss around every once in a while. All in all the MTC isn't too bad, it just gets really boring once in a while. It's a lot like prison, but in prison you already speak the language and you get visits. I'd be ready for another two weeks if I could walk around the block once.
We got to the temple every week as you will see in the schedule, so if anyone has names to do I can do them, plus I can get others in my district to help out so send 'em on. We have gym once a day, it's pretty fun. I play 4-square alot. We eat 3 times a day, obviously, but most of the day is spent in our little room learning Doctrine and Espanol. One thing that's not so good is that I haven't been getting alot of sleep, I don't know why. The bed is actually quite comfortable, I might go to the Health Cntr and get some sleeping pills. I get along great with all the members of my district, the teachers Hermano Williams and Hermana Rivera are great also. They are both students at BYU. I think I lost Mike's address so send it to me. We forgot to get my PSP out of my carry-on bag so I'll send that home in a package. I put Katie's quote about shooting stars up on the board and everyone thought it was funny. I received Tanner's recap of the game, much anticipated by the way. I'll be taking more pictures while I wait for my old memory card to return. Tell Dad I always figured that was going to happen to the boat eventually, that's why I always walked to the front when they were pulling me up.
There isn't anything I like doing but shining shoes! I've got my old ones looking good!
Our zone leader looks just like Joey Beneviedes. I'm 30-40% certain that it is him insome sort of witness protection program or something. So far Spanish is coming, but slow. I'm able to make basic introductions and understand somewhat of what people are saying.
Send me some ties that are trade-worthy (not important ones) so I can participate in some Saturday night tie trading. There are some pictures of the action on the memory card, it's actually pretty amazing. By the way, the easiest way to get the pictures of the card is to put it on Deena's camera and use the chord. Also, remember I'm in "prison" here, so some CNN style world news would be good once in a while. Tell Katie that I want Braves news, the season has got to be started by now! Elder Roberts (one of my District comrods) is the spitting image of Barack Obama. We have more Democrats in our District than Republicans, 3 Dems, 2 Repub, and the Canadian doesn't count. Once a week we go to the computer lab and answer calls, the number you see on the screen to get a free BofM or.....that's us for an hour per week. I talked to a man from Tennessee last week, it didn't go so well. I love the NC razor, how on earth did you find that!
Ma, I don't know how you could have lived here for so long, I am so sick of that mountain at our window I've had dreams of blowing it up!
We get to teack fake investigators once a week, they have this building here that looks like apartments on the inside, we actually knock on the door, introduce, and teach the lesson to them. I was so nervous my first time, but I feel I know enough now to actually teach the lesson, its still kind of strange. It's also a little strange wearing a suit all day long, but I'm getting used to it. I would kill for a Dr Pepper righ now, but luckily they have milk so I'm not going completely crazy. All in all things aren't too bad here, it's not home, but it could be alot worse. I've tried to jot down everything you'd find interesting. I want you to know that I think about you every day. Tell Dad, Katie, Jake, Gma, Deena....... that I love them very much. I love you very much Ma. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'll try to write again soon so be ready. I love you, Your son, Elder Jordan Guthrie
PS I'm not joking about that Yahtzee game! Peek into my Sunday School class and say hello. Leave a washclothe in our shower and don't tell Katie how it got there, just for kicks. Tell Michael "Hola Meeechelle"
Peace Out