Monday, November 3, 2014

November 3rd

Hey Dad, Mom, Lo, Annie, Jesse and Leah,

That is cool to hear that you helped that lady out, I can say that it is those kinds of things, people just showing that they care that really helps people come closer to Christ! It's good to hear that everyone is doing well, everything here in Yakima is going well. We had to say goodbye to an awesome investigator who has to go home to Mexico, but she is awesome!! Then another interesting story, there was one night where all our appointments dropped and Elder Wright and I did not know what to do. So we were looking at our potential list and we just decided to randomly pick one.  So we picked these people who Elder Wright and his previous companion had visited earlier. So we went and we found one of them, and he told us that he had been wanting to come to church!! So for the next few days, we tried by the house, and we were able to talk with each person who lived there and they are all super interested!!  One of them told us that he had been reading the Book of Mormon and that he  had felt that the teachings in the Book of Mormon were important and good!! So, it was so cool to see how the Lord helped us randomly pick a potential!!! It is so crazy how the spirit works, and being out here on a mission has helped me realize how the Spirit tells you pretty much everything you should do, even if you don't realize it is the Spirit telling you! So that has been my week and thanks for all the birthday goodies!!!  It has been so awesome to have Halloween Oreo's! How are things, hopefully everything is good!!! Well have an awesome week!!!

Love,
Jacob

P.S. I will send you some pictures of the investigator who had to leave for Mexico.
P.P.S. Alma 38, it is really awesome and I find Shiblon to be one really cool guy!


Elder Wright and Walimaa had to send some car information.  The missionaries that sent it in the most creative envelope would win.  They won!

The investigator (Ester) that Elder Walimaa LOVED but she had to go back to Mexico.

Celebrating Jake's 19th Birthday

Third Week in Washington- 10/27/14

Hi Family,

So we do live in an apartment right now with another pair of elders, and one of the other elders is actually Elder Wilson's best friend!!!  So yeah, it is a blast! As for the dog, it was more a nibble and all it left was a bruise so nothing crazy!! It doesn't like people and I took one step too close! I have not seen Grandpa Shea :( I have come to realize how important FHE/spending time with family is!  There is one family we are teaching who all have a great personal desire for the Gospel, but they need the family desire and they would be set!! So yeah, the people are great and it is awesome out here!! Also funny story, so this week some English elders gave us a referral and we had to return a fork that the referral gave them.  However, instead of just giving it to us, they left it in front of an obelisk in a cemetery and we had to go find it. So, with our branch mission leader, we spent an hour searching for a fork in the dark, and luckily we found it!!  So that was my week, and we also had two investigators come to church and they loved it.  One of the investigators that came lives in Mexico and is the friend of the other investigator and she has such a huge desire! The first time we met her, we left her with a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and she has not put it down since!!! The only hard part is that she goes back to Mexico on the 20th and she wants to learn everything!!!  So yeah, but how is your life, how is everything?

Love you so much, 
Jakey

P.S. I forgot to tell you, but I also bought a corn dog to help someone win employee of the month. Here are some pictures of the fork, the corn dog, and an elder who lives in the same apartment!!!!



Elder Wright and Elder Walimaa with "the fork"


Another Elder :)

Week 2!

Dear Dad, Mom, Lo, Annie, Jesse and Leah,

Things are going well!  We are teaching a lot of people, but a lot of the time we have to pass them off to English elders!!!  This week was pretty crazy, so we had a referral and we went over and talked with his wife and we were talking with her for two hours!!  She is really interested to learn more and has a super strong testimony of the Bible and that God answers our prayers!!  It was awesome!!  Then on Sunday, we had an investigator come to church!  We were super excited, but we were caught by surprise, because her daughter-in-law came too and is interested to learn more!  Sadly though, we have to pass off that family to English elders, because the daughter-in-law only speaks English!!!  Then to end the Sunday, we had the coolest street contact.  We were walking down this dark, connector street and there was this guy walking the other way!!  All of a sudden, he asks us if we have a book we can give him.  So we say yes and I give him a Book of Mormon and then Elder Wright talked about it a little bit!  Then he asked us for the address to the church building, but we did not have it on us, so we gave him our number to call us!  It was insane!  Oh yeah, and I got nibbled by a dog!!!!  So how are you??  How are things??  And as for mailing stuff, I sent you a letter that has all the info with that, so hopefully you will get it!!! Well keep me posted on your life and everything that goes on in it and remember to stay awesome, because EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

Love,


Jacob

P.S. I found a cool scripture, I think it is Jacob 7:25; sorry I am not sure, because I marked it in my English scriptures and I only have a Spanish copy right now, but look it up it's really cool!

First Week in Washington

Dear Mom, Dad, Lo, Annie, Jesse and Leah,

Things are going good, still tired, but things are good!!  Right now I am serving in Yakima and it is a ton of fun!!  We have a good amount of investigators and a lot of people are interested!  My companion's name is Elder Wright and he is amazing, he is training me really well and I feel like I am starting to get the hang of things!  There was a baptism on Saturday that was really good and we invited some of our investigators to come, but unfortunately they were not able to make it!  A lot of people have crazy schedules right now if they work picking apples and things like that, so it is hard to get a hold of people sometimes!!  Thanks for the package by the way, I love it!!!!!!  I have already finished off one box of fruit snacks!  I hope things are going well in AZ, keep me posted on everything and tell everyone  I say hello!!!!   Oh and do you think you could send me a pillow and some more non-wrinkle long sleeve shirts?????  If you could that would be awesome!

Love you more than I could count on my fingers,


Jacob

And He is Off to Washington!!!



Elder Walimaa Loves Cher


 Well now that you go to church with Cher, could you ask if she believes in life after love?????  This week has been pretty cool, so on Saturday we had TRC, which is like where we teach investigators or less active members who volunteer, and so our first TRC lesson was a skype lesson!!!!! It was with some guy from Costa Rica, which was really cool!!  Its getting easier to understand spanish, but still difficult to speak... On a random note, there was two days where it rained and after both, there were double rainbows!!!!!! It was really cool!!  Then today,we had a special devotional where we had someone in the First Quorum of the Seventy and someone who works in the Missionary department come and talk to us!!! It was an awesome experience. I also got my haircut today, you would be so proud, because I chose to do it myself, no one had to tell me to do it!!!!!!  How are things with you, how is Arizona, and how is Ella enjoying my room?????


Super bien!!!!!
Jacob
Elder Walimaa's District

Morning Teacher, Hermano Matías

September 18th

Hey All,

Things here are going good, my Spanish is coming along and the rainy season is pretty good, when it rains it RAINS!!!!  Yes that is my umbrella in the picture, but I let someone borrow it and I have not seen it in a while so...........  How are things with you? To answer your questions, the food is very different, it's good, just different. No crazy stories yet but I will let you know when I have some. Nothing really exciting here, we are playing in a volleyball tournament later today so that will be fun! Also there are these really good Mexican cookies named Chokis, they are like Chips Ahoy, but they taste a little better I think!  How are the dogs, are they still really fat?  Monday was Mexican Independence Day, it was really cool, we got to see some native dances and stuff and we got to sing the Mexican National Anthem.  We could also hear fireworks all night long, and some the next day!!!!!  I am trying to write a lot, but nothing really crazy happens here!!! Well I hope you have a good day and tell everyone I say hi!!!!!!!!!

Love love love love love!
Peace out girl scout!


Jacob, Jacobi

P.S. "To achieve goals never yet attained, one must do things never before done" -Richard G. Scott

September 11, 2014

Hey guys things are going well!! Nothing new to report,except that I got the letters that Annie and Lauren had sent me and I got a new scripture case!  That's crazy to hear about all the rain, it would of been so cool to see though! My companion is from California to answer your question. I will attach some pictures and send them but other than that nothing really that exciting has happened. Let me know how things are going in your lives!!!!!

Love, 
Jacob

P.S. Oh yeah and somehow my new nickname here is Wild Walimaa



Elder Wilson and Elder Walimaa

Thursday, September 4, 2014

First Week Down in the MTC- 9/4/14

Hey Family,

I failed to mention on my first day that my P-Day is on Thursday so that is why its been forever!

The first week has been pretty good so far, I am already speaking more Spanish than I ever thought I would and my companion Elder Wilson is pretty great!  We also taught our first practice investigator on the first Friday, which was pretty terrifying because Elder Wilson and I knew no Spanish, but as the lessons continued it became so much easier to communicate with the practice investigator.  The food here is pretty good and you guys would be amazed at me, because over half the meals I have had, I did not even know what it was!!  My district is a really great group and almost all of us are going to the Kennewick, Washington mission.  We also got to go the Mexico City Temple Visitor´s center today, which was really cool!  I ran into Hermana Crone the first day and I have seen her plenty of times since!  I got here right in the middle of the rainy season, so there have been some pretty serious rainstorms while I have been here.  I have to say thank you for the watch, because it is like my best friend.  I am using it so much, that one day i forgot to put it on and I kept looking down at my bare wrist trying to figure out what time it was!  I am kept pretty busy here which is good, but there is a lot more time of just sitting around than I thought there would be.  How are things with you all? Its still weird to think that life still goes on while I am in the MTC!  I am having a really good time here and I am learning so much and I also am staying in a cool pink house!!  I am sitting here at the computer trying to say more than just one word responses!!!  Well i can't think of much more to say, but I will write next Thursday and I hope all of you guys and gals are doing swell!!

Love,
Jacob Walimaa
P.S. I am trying to take as many pictures as possible!!!!!!!
P.P.S.  Oh and something completely unimportant, but in my room we have a flyswatter named Juan Pedro de la Mar!!!!! 
 

Mexico City, Mexico MTC
 
 
Elder Walimaa and Elder Wilson
 

Arived at the Mexico City MTC- 8/27/14

Hey Family,

 
Just wanted to let you know that I made it to the MTC all right and here is some info I am supposed to give you and I got to drink some really cool peach juice!

 
Love,
Jacob

 
Your Missionary's mailing addres is:
Elder Walimaa
Departure date-10/7/2014 Branch: 10 - District:B
Carretera Tenayuca-Chalmita #828
Colonia Zona Escolar, Gustavo A. Madero
07230 Mexico, Distrito Federal
Mexico

 
The estimated departure date for your missionary is October 7, 2014. The use of the
above address on all correspondence will greatly faciliate delivery to your missionary
at the MTC. Please don't send packages.