Christmas and a wedding

Up to?

This week was way cool.  It was nice to be able to spend so much time with families and friends in the area. Christmas was great.

We spent Christmas Eve with the Gonzales family from Chile. They are really cool. They have a four year old named Vicente. He is the funniest kid ever. He was spending all the time trying to act out the church Christmas videos. He was all hung up on wise men too. First, he was going through the cupboard and grabbed some walnuts and yelled, "IS THIS MYRRH?!?" It was super funny. Then, he had us play the shepherds and wise men visiting baby Jesus. My all time favorite, though, was him being the angel that came to Mary to tell her she would be Jesus' mother. He quoted the scripture almost word for word. Then, halfway through, realized he didn't have an actor for Joseph and yelled, "HHHUUUU!!!! WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO BE JOSEPH!!!" I love that kid. They had some non-members from Peru and Chile there too. We are playing soccer with one of them today.

We spent Christmas with the Perry family. They are one of my favorite families. They are super cool. The son likes Pokemon too! He is a return missionary who went to New Zealand and got married about a year ago.... there is hope for me yet! He has like all the original cards and a Nintendo 64 with Super Smash Bros (supes jelly). We had a sweet jam sesh at the end. It made me want to learn how to play guitar better.

Then, on Friday, we took the train down to Mandurah to go to Elder Elkington's buddy's wedding. He taught him for a bit and grew up with him so we got permission to go. It was really cool. We ate this thing called a hāngi. It is a New Zealand thing where they bury the food and slow roast it overnight up to a few days. It was really good there. We had a jam sesh there too.

At dinner last night, the brother was hating on America during the whole meal. It was all good though. People here think all the same things about America that we think about them. Stereotypes are everywhere and unfair. My companion told me about a time when he was in an airport and some Asian people were pushing their eyes together and laughing about it. It's like what Americans do to make our eyes look Asian, but the other way around.

Yesterday, in church, I got all trunkie. I saw all these little babies and families together and I was all, "Dang, I wish I were a dad." I can't wait to come home so I can start a family. I am grateful for my mission for that. It is helping prepare me for a great future.

We've had heaps more drunk people yelling at us recently. People can be pretty dumb when they are drunk.

I heard The Amazing Spiderman 2 comes out May 2nd - pretty close huh? I heard the trailer was boss too. I hear a lot of stuff.

A kid in my ward got called to Fiji today. That's pretty exotic, no? I'm at 30 weeks. That's crazy. I feel like this is my life now. I've spent my whole life waiting to be a missionary. Now that it is here, I don't know what to feel. I love it though. Being a missionary is the best decision I have ever made. A missionary went home early last week. He had only been out for 10 weeks. It was pretty sad. I made a commitment a long time ago that I would never come home early. I'm gonna do all I can to stay worthy and love the work. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. My understanding of it has grown so much on my mission. I still can't put it into words yet, but I understand now. I am eternally grateful to my Father in Heaven, my Savior, Jesus Christ, and to my family for teaching me so much and giving me so many opportunities to grow.

I love you all,
Elder Jamison

Joy

Hey everybody!

This week was way cool. We found a lot of new investigators and had tons of fun. I have finally broken myself. I have been trying my whole mission to subdue myself but I have realized, both in my studies and in my life, that if I am not happy, I will not do well as a missionary. If the gospel brings me such great happiness, then why was I so down? 'Cause I was doing it wrong! God desires us to have joy and do His work.

Elder Elkington and I have had so much fun together and at the same time we have tried as hard as we can to help people.  We went caroling the other day with the sister missionaries in our district and there was this drunk as guy that cussed us out, yelling about how we are Pagans for celebrating Christmas. We just laughed about it. The other day we were walking down the street and some other drunk guys in a taxi yelled at us to come over. We went over and they yelled at us about how God doesn't love anyone and how we have been brainwashed and have had Christianity forced down our throats.  Six months ago, that would have shaken me for the rest of the transfer, but I see now the true joy of missionary service. I love being a missionary and I love my life more than I ever have. I love you all more than ever. I feel myself filled with the love of Christ.

Have a good Christmas! I love you all!
Elder Jamison

Service, sunburn, scorpion

Hey err body!

Week 28 has been pretty good. We have been struggling a bit with teaching.  DJ is out of town, so we haven't taught Taylor. Natalie is never home and the one thing we managed to get a hold of her for she canceled on. Neither Matt nor Alisha came to the ward Christmas party or to church because their kids got sick from the heat. I guess we need to do some finding huh? You can't dampen these spirits. We will never be beaten!!

This week has been pretty good, but first, one last depressing story. My camera uses AA batteries and kills them really quick, so I bought some rechargeable batteries. Yes, they can be recharged, but they last like half as long as normal batteries. It is super annoying, and because of it, I don't have a ton of pictures this week. I will resolve the problem... AND SOON!!

We had a really cool P day. We went to the beach and played at a park there. I have a really cool district. On Friday, we did a ton of service. I got super burned and came home and crashed. I slept for like three hours and woke up super sore. I will either return super tan or with severe skin cancer.

The ward Christmas party was on Saturday and it was really cool. We invited a ton of nonmembers but none of them came. But the members invited some people who did. We probably had close to 20 people there who were less active or non members!! It was so cool! The DJ was a non member. His name was Paul. I talked to him about DJ stuff and he showed me how his sound system worked. It was really cool. He played We Wish You a Merry Christmas by Weezer. At the end, it was so cool.

Hey could you send me some more pictures? I was going through mine the other day and realized I don't have any with Nate or Colton. It really helps to get over discouragement when I have something to lift me back up. Thanks so much for the pics you did send though! They are so good! That is pretty cool about all the snow there! Most people here have never seen snow.

We found a scorpion in our flat the other day. It was so crazy! I got a picture with someone elses camera. It was just a little guy but I guess they are the most poisonous. I'm stoked for Christmas! I get to talk to you and everything! We need to set that up somehow. I am allowed to Skype, but I don't think our computer is set up for that. I might just need to call you. Let me know and we will figue it out. It was my companion's birthday yesterday - 21. Cool, huh? My third companion with a birthday with me - and mine is next month! Life moves too quick.

We taught a lesson to a part member family yesterday. They are only part member because the dad's first wife won't let the kids get baptized. Anyway... they are so cool. He is our assistant ward mission leader. He will be sealed to his new wife in a few weeks in Denmark where she is from! It is gonna be sweet. They met on the Lord of the Rings online game. It is like WoW but LOTR.

I've heard some stuff about the new X-men movie. It sounds so cool. Don't ask me where I heard it though... I have my sources. Ha ha! Anyway, it looks sick so I recommend it. Guess what? I'm going to a wedding on the 28th!! Cool, huh?! Yeah, my companion taught someone who is getting married and we got permission to go that day. I'm pretty pumped. I'm gonna be the only white guy there... ~Awesome~!

I love you all and am excited to talk to you soon!

Love,
Elder Jamison

A new companion

Hey err body,

Transfer happened this week. My new comp is a boss. His name is Elder Elkington. He is from New Zealand and is about a year into his mission. He knows pretty much all the people from New Zealand. All the families there are related, so odds are you know someone they know. It's pretty cool. He actually grew up with DJ so teaching Taylor might be easier now. We are gonna tear it up though - baptize for sure.

Last night, I was reflecting on my mission and thinking of all the people I taught. Manuel and Moses, Nichole, Jesus and Guadalupe, Bro Brown. I am staring to be frustrated with missionary work. We come to love the people we teach so much, then we leave them. I wont see Manuel and Moses for another 18 months. It is kinda hard, but it is worth it. My capacity to love has grown so much from my mission.

There were these two drunk as guys we tracted into a few days ago. They were totally wasted, but they offered us a drink and had us sit down with them. They had a lot of questions about missionaries, God, and other things. I can't really explain it, but I felt like I knew these guys. It happens every so often. You are talking to them and you feel like they need your message. I hope they listened to what I said and will come to accept the gospel. I hope everyone I talk to does.

We taught Matt and Alisha again this week. This was probably the best lesson we have had with them. Alisha was there and was asking all sorts of questions. She asked how she could gain faith from having no faith. We shared Alma 32 and taught her that if she had at least a desire to believe, that was enough. I hope she can start progressing and decide she wants and needs the Priesthood in her home.

I had a pretty cool dream this week. I was sitting in my room and dad was asleep on the bed. I was just sitting there listening to headphones. I heard like three or four songs all the way through that I had almost forgotten. That was a cool dream. I guess I have been losing a lot of weight again. My comp saw a picture of me giving myself a haircut and pointed out my stomach has abs now. Not that they have gotten bigger, but the fat around them is gone. I am all skin and bones now. All the fat I built from my first area is gone. It is also partly because the people here eat way healthier than Americans.

I love you all so much!
Elder Jamison

Has it been six months?

Wow, the time is going so fast, I'm hitting my six month mark in three days.  Elder Bunda is getting transferred.  He is going to be a Zone Leader.  I'm staying here and getting a companion named Elder Elkington.  I think that is his name.  I may be killing him this transfer so that will be pretty cool.
**editors note - "killing him" may refer to this being Elder Elkington's final area or it may mean that Elder Jamison will be pushing Elder Elkington to work very diligently.  I have asked for clarification.

I had a dream last night that I was in a fancy Chinese restaurant and the Millirons were there.  I was in my missionary clothes and I started freaking out.  I saw Noah first.  Then, he took me over to the booth where Sam and his parents were.  It was pretty cool.

I gave myself a haircut this morning... I messed up a bit on the sides.  I cut too high up on my side burns, but it looks good and even and my glasses cover most of it.  Actually, I'm looking pretty studly.

We have been trying really hard to find new people to teach but it is not going too well.  The other Elders in our flat are doing great though - new investigators every day.  That is okay though.  I know that if I am obedient and do all I can, I will do the work God needs me to.  I'm starting to get sick of all the millipedes.  They are super annoying.  We found a half eaten dead rat in our yard yesterday.  It was super gross.  My new study spot is our roof.  It is really cool because I get a great view of the city on one side and a national park on the other.

Our zone has set some amazing goals for this transfer.  We just set a goal to teach and baptize 26 people, which is the sum of each companionship's baptismal goal.  We have decided, as a whole, to give all we can this transfer.  It is our Christmas gift to the Lord.  Our companionship goal is one baptism.  We have four weeks to find, teach, and baptize this person.  Please pray for me.  I need all the help I can get, as does Elder Elkington.

I love you all so much.  Keep strong in the faith and know that Jesus is the Christ.  He lives and, through him, all things are possible.  Never ever give up the knowledge you have for what the world has to offer - like in President Uchtdorf's talk in conference.  "Don't exchange the priceless pearls of true happiness and eternal values for a fake plastic trinket that is merely an illusion and counterfeit of happiness and joy."

I love you all so much and I love Jesus Christ and my Father in Heaven.

Love,
Elder Jamison

Scripture Study and Navid's Bunnies

 Scripture Study

Navid's Bunnies