Jarlis

Hey what's up family!

Guess what! Yesterday we had a baptism. We baptized Jarlis, the young guy that we have been teaching. It was so awesome! I got to baptize him. My first baptism!!!!! I really can't explain how I felt it was so cool. After he came out of the water he was letting the water drip off his face and then he wiped his face and then looked at me with the BIGGEST smile that i have ever seen! Oh wow it was so cool! Its so awesome to be a part of a change in someones life. He is 21 and so if he is active he can serve a mission in a year that would be soo cool. I was thinking when we were teaching him that he could be a missionary and he could help people and share this awesome message. He is an awesome guy!!! But the funny thing is when we were going to take pics.... my camera died! Talk about opposition in all things right! haha. But i'll get the pics from my comp and from the family that we live with and I'll send them to you.

That's so awesome that Kevin got his call and that's funny that he leaves before everyone else. haha. Trevor! Chile? Thats sick too! Tell them congrats for me!!!!I have videos that i need to send you i hope i can do it today. I'll try to figure it out.

We have cambios tomorrow and im staying in Faucett and Elder Pop is going to another area and my companion will be Elder Ochoa. I've met him before he is a cool guy! We have a lot of potential in this next cambio there is a possibility that we could have 6 baptisms, and hopefully the 2 couples will be married this cambio and they can be baptized. But please continue to pray for Elder Pop he is still sick, he has taught me so much! I'm going to miss him!

I cant believe that schools out for you guys! I hope everything turned out well! Pretty soon the next school year will be starting haha, enjoy the summer. I'll try to send some more letters this week. and you should get some from me soon. I sent some like a week ago.

Meagan wrote:
Your camera died? Do you need a new one or do you just need nuevo batteries?

P.S. This is Meagan. I wrote. I am off the naughty list! :) Love you!

Jacob wrote:
You cant get off that easy meagan!!! I'm trying to get more fotos to send to you guys and I dont know how to send the videos.! No i just need to charge the battery, I charged it a couple days ago I dont know what happened.

Meagan when i get your next letter I will take you of the list!! haha
exacto!!! walking on sunshine!!! i love that feeling! well i got to go and be expecting more fotos next week I love you and the thing that i have learned about goals is they need action! that is the key! I know that you can do it i love you and i will keep you informed on the my progress aswell

Mom wrote:

I am excited for the people you are teaching!!! Definitely, Walking on Sunshine kind of day!

Jacob wrote:
Exacto!!! walking on sunshine!!! I love that feeling! Well I got to go. And be expecting more fotos next week I love you and the thing that I have learned about goals is they need action! That is the key! I know that you can do it! I love you and I will keep you informed on the my progress as well.

Ironman, Baptisms on the horizon.

Dear Family,
How are you guys doing. I hope all is going well. I cant believe that Sarah is graduating! This year has gone by fast! Tell her Congratulations for me!! What is she going to do after graduation, go to EA. haha
There isn't a fund that you guys can donate to for the marriage, and I'm not supposed to ask for you guys to donate I don't think you can. Its in the white bible. haha

This week has been an up and down week. My companion has been in the clinic for some check ups and exams and the president told him that he has 2 weeks to get better and if not he has to go back to Guatemala. Which is really sad i really hope hope he gets better!!! He was really depressed that day but he has cheered up since, he talked with some other missionaries and it cheered him up. We are just trying to work as hard as we can and put our trust in God, its really all we can do. The members are so nice they all want to help him! I now understand why they like him so much. he has been here his whole mission, 5months, so when he got here he didnt have any support from the members and he had to work really hard with his comp and then slowly the members starting helping them and they love the missionaries now. We had a Noche de Talentos in one of the wards this last week and that was really fun! In one of the skits we did as a zone I was Iron Man! I have some videos I'll try to send next week. But we had to make some kind of costume and we had no idea how to do it so this one family helped us out a lot! It reminded me of when i had to do something creative for school I always asked you or Meagan to help me haha. But this family is hilarious the shereibers, idk how to spell it, but there are 2 sisters and they are hilarious they remind me of you and your sisters when they get together.

I've been reading trying to read the book of mormon in spanish and I'm in the part where Nephi has to build the ship and i think that it is crazy (Crazy in Jacob language means really cool Like saying "Totally Awesome!") that anything the Lord wants us to do he will prepare the way for us to do it. and we really cant do anything without him!!!

Thank you so much for sending the fotos and the mp3! i cant wait to recieve them. I got a letter from Abi and from the Mia Maids from out ward today. I thought that was really cool! there was a little note from Sis Sellers in there and that was awesome it reminded of the good times i had in her class! tell her thank you for me!!!! Hopefully youll get my letters in a couple weeks.

We've been teaching this guy, Jarlis. He's 20 years old and he had a baptism date a long time ago but we knew nothing about him because he wasn't in the binder but somebody told us about him and we stared visiting him again and he wants to get baptized. He had some troubles with some friends and that's why he didnt go through with baptism before. But now he understands when we have desires to come closer to Jesus there isn't anything that can impede us. He has a job that doesn't allow him to go to church on Sundays and he wants to go to church and he doest know what to do. We told him to pray and he can find his answer and that the Lord understands. i told him the story of when dad had to work sundays and we prayed all the time that he could come to church with us and we fasted and finally he awas able to change his schedule and he could come to church with us! I love that! We set a date for him to get baptized the 5 of June. We haven't had many baptisms but there are a lot of people that are being prepared for baptism and the next cambio they will be baptized. this cambio ends on 31 of May. And every Cambio is 6 weeks I can't belive my first one is almost over!

Well I'll be on for about 20 more min so if you want to talk. but I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!
I hope that Meagan and Jared have a great last week of school!! Have fun this summer! It's so weird that it is winter here haha

LOVE
Elder sawyer

PS. Tell Meagan that she doesn't have to move out anymore I changed my mind. haha





We are at a place where they have computers that we can use for internet. I don't know how to explain it but we pay to use the internet. I'm excited for Meagan and Jared to finish school.

And I dont think I will ever live that down, putting the sugar in the flour. haha I miss you all a lot. but the homesickness I think has worn off and I'm starting to just love the work.


I can't wait to get the dear elders! Oh can you put my address up on facebook. the one that says to los olivos that's to the office and that is the fastest way if you arent going to use dear elder.
if you feel inspired to but some disney songs on there dont be afraid haha

A Slitherin' Stroll and teaching a nice family

A letter to Jacob from Mom-Please see his response after my letter.
Good Morning!!!!

How are you today? The weather is nice and cool this morning. It is in the 60s but will warm up to the 80s later today. It is odd for this time of year but we will take it!

Well you'll never guess what happened the other day! It was 4 am and I heard Miss Hope stirring around in her cage and doing a slight whine. I thought "Hope settle down." But she just kept going. So I got up in a drowsy stupor and went to let her out. Hope had her feet about 3-4 inches out of the cage and her tray that her blanket sits on was pushed out of her kennel. I thought odd but oh well. Hope darted for the door. I let her out. I went to get a drink and thought I need to push her tray back in. As I was about to the cage, something caught my eye. It was this long reddish thing. I thought "Hope doesn't have a toy that looks like that. Does she?" I looked a little closer and I saw IT!!!! It was the SNAKE!! My guts and my heart hit the floor. I looked again. YEP! It was a snake! I went to get dad. I whispered really LOUD-"KENT, I think the snake is out. It is in Hope's bed." At that moment I thought, "Was that really the snake or am I dreaming?" I went back and looked and sure enought it was trying to get under the pad where it is warm from Hope laying there.

A little bit later, Hope scratched to come in. I went to the door and she came in. She went to her kennel very cautiously. She sniffed around and backed out and said "Nope! I'm not going in there right now!" So I think I will write a letter to President Monson requesting that all boys with slithering creatures be allowed to take them on their missions if they don't get nice homes for them before they leave. hahahaha Just kidding! Dad confessed that he thinks he didn't put the pin in right! hahahaha


Yesterday, was Steele's farewell. It was awesome! You have amazing friends ya' know! He talked about throwing a golf ball at his sister. He said he got in trouble. He realized that he learned that his deciscion to become angry affected more than himself and he could have hurt his baby sister really bad. He carries the golf ball with him to remember that his decisions affect others. He talked about being in the Easter Pageant when he was a senior. He was in the multitude and in the mob. He said how hard it was when he was in the mob to yell "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" He decided right then that he would always be a disciple of Christ! He never wanted to be on the other side.

Jacob, I hear your growth in your letters. We are so thankful that you are making decisions for yourself. You are learning for yourself so many things. I loved when you said "I know if I open my mouth the Lord will fill it!" Thank you for sharing the gospel! It is hard but it is so necessary!!! I learn so much from your example. I know that it is not easy to leave your family but it will be well worth it. You will have us forever but this opportunity to serve the people of Peru is only for now. You will plant seeds and reap rewards that are eternal! Stay the course! Continue to seek the Lord in all you do! I know you are!

How did your skit go? Any lessons coming up? Any baptisms on the horizon?

I LOVE you sooo SOOOO much!!!!
Mom

PS How old is Elder POP? How is Hermana Gabi? When is her baby due? How is Hermano Pedro? Please send our love and gratitude to them from us. Also send our love to the Hermana who does your Laundry and her husband too.

Jacob's Response:
Dear Mom and Fam,

I want you to know that i was laughing so hard when i read this letter. i cant believe the snake got out! was it sampson or sasha? thats so hilarious! im sorry i didnt find a home for them before i left and that my room is a mess!!!! im suprised that you havent taken them to the pet store yet! whats the deal? hahajk oh and i cant believe that hope is such a pansy! haha

I hope all is well at home. i got your letters that you sent on the 1st of may that was an awesome suprise!!! thank you for you encouragement i will " hustle to the very end" haha. its turning into winter here its not that cold but its chilly, and some days its cloudy all day and foggy, and it doesnt rain hardly at all but its weird sometimes i can feel little drops of water hit my face but its not raining. it has to be really humid, and its probabaly the fog.

Im so happy that steel is starting his journey im so glad that i had such good friends and that we are all going to serve missions. tell him hi for me and good luck, oh and ask him if he ever got my letter? i sent him one while i was in the provo mtc thanking him for picking me up and stuff but i dont know if it got to him.

Hmna Gabi is due in August, and the family that we live with is the best! and i sent letters to you and its kinda expensive to send stuff so i sent a buch of letters in one envelope, can you distribute them? just give them all to Harry except the one to Brylee can you give that to her? i dont think that harry hangs out with her so it wouldnt get to her. and i was thinking and it might be better if i just buy an mp3 here and i can get music from the other misionaries, i think that it is a lot cheaper here, but if you already sent it thats fine. just let me know, but i deffinatley still need a bunch of pics of you guys!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

this week was an amazing week we taught this family that really wants to get baptized but they have to get married or seperate. and they were having problems so they were going to seperate for good. so we watched this movie about families and how if we look for our answers in the world we arent going to find our answers and the world tells us that divorce is the answer but if we look for our answers in the gospel we will find our answer and our relationships will be strengthened and when we put our confidence in God we will be blessed. we watched the movie and we had to leave right after for the baptism of the bishops son in another ward. bit we went back the next day to talk more and everything changed. the day before the father was mad that they had to seperate inorder to be baptized and he didnt really understand and he really didnt have anywhere to go that is his only family. but everything changed they understood everything and the movie was exactly what they needed to hear they had been looking for their answers in the world and not in the gospel. and they want to get married and then baptized but they dont have much money so we are trying to work that out. But mom, and family, I felt so happy when they said that they were going to work things out and be a family, i really dont know how to explain it. but this is the reason why im here to teach the importance of families and the way they can be eternal. it was so awesome! at that moment it just hit me that this is why im here and i just feel really good!

LOVE YOU LOTS!
Elder Sawyer

PS tell meagan to write me!!! whats her deal? haha jk she probably wrote and it just hasnt come yet. and im looking forward to the essays that they wrote for seminarY!!

Mother's Day Phone call-Best Mother's Day Present

We actually got to CALL Jacob yesterday on Mother's Day! Best Mother's Day!!! We called him at 4 p.m. and we got the answering machine. I was worried for a second but Kent interpretted the message. Then we called again. The circuts were busy-of all the nerve!! Finally we got through to Jacob!!! It was so awesome to hear his voice!! He sounds really good. They had two baptisms on Saturday. Which is way cool!


We talked and talked. The time went really fast. If he couldn't understand us he said "Como?" Meagan and Jared got the giggles when he did that. Then we told him about the Highland Volleyball teams bleak season. He said "Enserio?" So it sounds like he is doing better and better with his Espanol!

The rest of the story on May 9

On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 11:48 AM, Mary Ann Sawyer wrote:

You thoughts are my thoughts. Check out alma 17. I was thinking of Hannah and the boy Samuel. She totally gave her son at age 3. I see your growth. It is priceless.
Please let your comp know we are praying for his health. We are praying for your success. I love you!!!

Mom
I gave hime a big hug and said it was from you guys! haha thanks mom i love you. and i hope that you have an awesome day!!!


welll i have to get back to work an i think you do too. say hi to the girls at work for me haha!!!
LOVE mucho

Jacob

May 9th Part dos

It should be really fun! its for the members and the wards have to do a skitt too. and the members are going to invite friends and we are inviting our investigators and it is going to be a lot of fun.

it is right before transfers. transfers are on the next tuesday the begginging of june. I was talking with elder thurman and i told him that i told you about when i had to jump into the window and i for got to tell you that when i was walking on that really thin part against the wall and i was sure i was going to fall and so elder thurman had a broom and he was pushing it up against me so i wouldnt fall. it was so funny and i hope i explained it well enough its harder when im not talking to you in person. but looking back it was hilarious!

I hope that you all are having a great day! this week we are focusing on finding new investigators to teach and hopefully be baptized. yesterday we talked with this one guy who had been talking the discussions a long time ago and had a date to be baptized but didnt get baptized. but he wasnt in our area binder. and there had been some time where there had been no missionaries in our area so somehow he got lost. so we talked to him yesterday and he wants to change and he knows that this is right but he still has fear and we invited him to pray abour making the decision to be baptized so we will see what happens. my companion has to go to the clinic again today on pday that really stinks. but i think that he is getting better. i think a lot of it has to do with stress. but he keeps on saying that all we have to do is put our confidence in the lord and hope for the best. and that is exactly what we have to do in everything and that is what im trying to do too. and i know that everything will work out.

One thing that i was thinking about after out call was that i really missed you guys but one thing that really gives me comfort is that families are eternal and this is just a short time that we are apart, and no matter what happens we will be together! I love you guys i know this church is true!

May 9, 2011

Dear Family,

I loved calling you guys yesterday and hearing your voices it really lifted my spirits. I love you guys! Wow i love the pictures that you sent me.



i actually thought that jared was that tall for a second you got me haha!



I cant wait to have the fotos and the music that you are going to send me. and i think i can buy speakers hear so dont worry about that. and i dont know if you want to send that mattress cover i think that it is kinda expensive to send stuff here. i have that huge coat that i was required to bring but i dont think that ill ever use it, so i was thinking about sending it home but one of the elders said it is REALLY expensive to send stuff back, so ill keep it for a while.

I cant believe that meagan will be a senior and jared a junior next year! that hour yesterday went by so fast i wanted to talk to you guys a lot more!

im sending you some pictures today. we got to eat at mcdonalds on our last pday and that was sooo good i missed mcdonalds.







and i sent you the pic of me with a beard haha.



on the 28th of may we are doing a mission night as a stake and a zone and it is a talent night. so we have to do something like a sketch so today we are going to practice and put something together.

Emails between Jacob and his Papa

Kent:
Hi Jacob, I love you!
Good to hear from you. How exciting into the mission field. I hope you enjoy it like it sounds like you are. I feed your snakes and when I put the mouse in, Sampson's cage, he struck for it and got the tail. The mouse started biting him and I tried to get him to let go but he wouldn't. I pulled him out of the hide so he could get a better wrap around the mouse but the mouse kept on biting him. But finally he was able to get a good wrap and get the mouse. He's okay. The mouse didn't break the scales, just interesting to watch the struggle. I love you and will write more later.

Tu Papa
Kent

Jacob: I'm glad that the snakes are doing good. I'm surprised that you guys haven't gotten rid of them yet. Thanks for taking care of them. I'm sorry I left my room a mess.

Kent:
Jocab (That is really what Kent wrote. haha love ya'! Kent)
Just heard from Mom that you called, that was exciting. Hope you're having a great time talking and teaching the people in Peru. Father and sons is coming up on May 13th and 14th and I was thinking about the good times we've had at them. This year, Jared and I have invited Uncle Eric and Arlon Smith, Eric can be Arlon's son. :) I hope you are doing great and enjoying you mission and talking and teaching the people in Peru. Take care of your self and be aware of your surroundings.

I love you,
Your Dad

Jacob:
That sounds like a lot of fun!!! I remember Fathers and Sons. Those were some of the best times!!! In a couple of years, I'll be able to go with you. haha.

We are in a city called Callao. And the part that I'm in is kinda dangerous at night and something that my companion has taught me is to watch and listen to everything that is going on. Nothing bad has happened but we just have to watch out and the Lord will help us.

More pictures from the Peruvian MTC and heading to the field

May 2, 2011

I read in the Liahona the other day an article about the NICU in Arizona by Barbara Winters or something like that. It reminded me of you and the work that you do.

Ok. So I have a story. During the the week we had an exchange of work. And I had to go with a different campanion for the night and work with him the next day. We made the exchange at 8pm and we went to Elder Thurman's house. And we got there and we got in the house because someone let us in be found out we did not have a key to get into the room. So we ate dinner and we were going to figure it out later. So our plan was to climb through the window on the second floor, about 12 feet above the ground floor because it was open. There is a little court yard separating the window from the 8 foot wall. After everything else failed that we tried, I finally had to jump from the wall to the window and pull my self up. Which was a lot easier than we thought. I can explain more when you call because that probably doesn't make sense haha.

Oh and this Saturday, we are going to have a baptism. Possibly 3 people will be baptized, Chrisofer age 16, Aron age 15 and Eustauqia 58. We'll see how thing go but I'm soooo excited.

My companion has been sick. I've been stressing out over that and I still can't understand everything but I know I will be alright. And poco a poco, I'll learn. And reading the scriptures really helps.

Oh, and yesterday, I ate cow heart. I didn't know till I was already eating it, but it was pretty good. I liked it!

A letter to Meagan and a knife wielding woman

Dear Meagan
I hope all is going well for you in school and in live in general. I realized you only have a month left of school and then you'll be a senior. WOW! That's crazy! I'm bummed I'm going to miss it but you'll have to write me and tell me what is going on. We went proselyting yesterday. And one of the houses we knocked on, this little old lady answered. She was in the process of cooking and she had a knife in her her hand. When she opened the door and she was waving it around and it kinda freaked me out because I wasn't sure if she was threatening us or something but she ended up being and inactive member. And we went in and talked to her and her son a little bit. They were a cool family. (I hope you found the knife part funny. Haha) But one of the things that son said to us that I thought was really cool. He said that when we came he said satan left. I thought that was really cool and it testified to me the power the Holy Ghost has and it's an even more important reason for us to strive continually to have it's company with us. Meagan, I love and I'm glad you're my sister. I gave Jared a list of movies that I miss. Watch them with him. You have to watch them because I can't.
-Your Bro.
-Elder Sawyer

Before he left the CCM

Dear Family,
I'm loving it here at the MTC and I had an amazing day proselyting yesterday. I went with 2 other Elders because my companion, Elder Donis went to his mission early. So it was a little difficult because I haven't taught with them very much before. But it went pretty good. The area that we went to was so different than the area that we went to last time. I guess what I mean is that it was a lot more humble. It was on a mountain side and the farther that we went up the mountain side and the father that we went up the mountain the humbler the houses were. We were invited to six houses, three in the morning and three in the afternoon. Really, it was kinda' cultural shock. And it humbled me and made me realize that we were so blessed growing up where we lived. One of the houses we went in had two rooms and had a little tiny stove and fridge and it was pretty dark inside. But they did have a T.V. There were a couple chickens running around inside and a kitten. And they were all running around while we were teaching. The lesson went pretty well, I think that she let us in just to be nice, but I hope the Spirit touched her and I hope the missionaries in that area are able to teach her more. One of the Elders in that area was named Elder McNeil and he is from Mesa, Arizona. I thought that was pretty cool. His cousin is Eric McNeil. And I went to Franklin South with Eric. His Spanish was so good. He'd been out a year and when we first saw him we thought he was from Argentina or Chile because his Spanish was so good. Another one of the houses we went to, we knocked on the door and this guy answered and said, "Hi Elders." I guess he's never had the lessons but he's seen the missionaries before and we taught him and his girlfriend. It went really well! We talked about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration. And they were paying really close attention to everything we were saying and they committed to pray and read. It was really cool to see how people are prepared to hear this message. I leave for the field on Tuesday so I hope I get to e-mail then.
-Love
Elder Sawyer