SCROLL BELOW THIS PICTURE AND THE LETTER TO SEE THE PICTURES OF HIS APARTMENT AND THE AREA :)  (Several of you keep asking me where the pics are)

Elder Dabel's first baptism!  His companion is on the left :)

Letter 7 - Week 8

So this week was pretty awesome. To start off, my companion and I just had a baptism!! We baptized an 18 year old who's name is Ever Hernandez. He asked me to do the baptism, which was an awesome experience. We are working so hard, I contact so much every day. 

The language is coming poco por poco (little by little). I know a ton, but it’s still not enough. Right now I can contact almost anyone by myself and can struggle my way through a lesson if I have to. Usually my companion doesn't make me do that though haha. I usually just pray and bear my testimony. 

Also this week I GOT TO GO TO A BIG reunion for the south mission. We had a huge arm wrestling competition, and believe it or not, I beat everyone!! So you don't need to feel bad about me beating you dad. It was pretty crazy, after I BEAT everyone they put me up against my mission president, who is freaking huge and coached football. I was like, there is no way I’m beating this guy, but I did it anyways. I don't know how, but I beat him too!! I have yet to find someone that can beat me lol... and I’m the first ever in the mission to beat the president haha.. I’m trying to get a hold of the video so you guys can see. 

The food is still the same... EVERY. FREAKING. DAY... I’m a little jealous that Gavin gets to try all those cool things, but then again I feel so blessed that I’m getting food that I know I can put down, and the language probably isn't so insane here. Luckily a lot of the words are common in english. I have a few pics. I’m going try to upload them and send more next week.

Don’t worry momma I got the pictures you sent  :) Thank you so much, they were all perfect!!! It’s sometimes really hard to look at them though. It hurts bad to think about you guys and look at the pics. I’m so jealous you guys are going on a cruise haha!! But I’m glad everything is going well and the finances are being taken care of by the Lord. Oh and I got the letters you sent! I love being able to read through them over and over again. 

I’m getting your letters dad and I love them!! I love hearing about everything, but it’s such a struggle to write everyone. I’m so glad to hear about Gavin. I pray for him every day. I’m glad to hear that you guys fixed the car, man I really miss getting my hands dirty... 

I love you all very much!

Love,

Elder Dabel

Jared's sweet kitchen!

His 1st apartment!

It's actually pretty nice!

Jared's 1st Area -  San Jose, Guatemala

Letter 6 (week 7) First week out of the MTC (Missionary Training Center)

Ahhh finally I get to write. Okay, so sorry I wasn't able to write, we weren’t allowed because we were so busy getting things done and getting to our area. My companions name is Elder Whitehead. He’s from Utah, he’s a really good trainer and I like him a lot. I guess I lucked out with a Norte (English speaking) trainer Donavon said haha... 

We’ve been working like crazy day and night because we had to open up a new area. The last missionaries didn't work very hard I guess. We are running around all day trying to find our way through our area that we don't know and which is hugggeeee. My area is called San Jose and is a total of 5 or 6 sectors. Here they divide the towns into sectors, because each sector has gangs, and they are all scared that the other gang is going to come wreak havoc in their sector. They have huge fences that go around them and guards all over.

Our apartment is perdy dope, my companion said it’s the nicest one he’s ever been in. He has 8 months in the field btw. His last area was all dirt roads and he showered with a bucket. He said it was horrible. But for being in one of the richest districts, it is still sooooo impoverished. The area is made of small concrete houses and houses made of metal sheeting and rope. I’ll try to send pictures later. I can’t figure it out right now haha.

We are up on a hill a lot like our house in Eagle Point looking down into the city. It’s so much like Oregon here, all green and lush and we’re so high up that we have pine trees. We must be super high up because it’s so cold here. I have to wear a sweatshirt everyday. It’s weird how the weather works, one day its like 50 degrees and the next like 100 degrees. In our apartment we do have a shower... it’s freezing cold though. 

We have a cook, which is really nice. She cooks us breakfast and lunch every day. We have to walk to the edge of our sector everyday so she can slide our food under the fence in a little tupperware. Everyday is the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner... frejoles, aroz, (beans, rice) and eggs. Sometimes we get frescco which is basically mushed up fruit with water. That stuff is so good. I think I’m going to end up loosing weight because I’m never really excited to eat haha.. I only eat when I’m hungry, like hungry, hungry, hungry... which is a lot, because when we do get food we don’t get much. 

Today we had dinner at the Patriarchs house and a MIRACLE happened. All week I’ve been craving and wishing for a pancake for breakfast or a pbj for lunch, or even like a a jar of peanut butter would be so nice. We showed up and I smelt the most beautiful thing in my life, and on the table was peanut butter and jelly and syrup. I wanted to cry I was so freaking happy. We had pancakes and everything I was craving. I guess that was Lord giving us a little hope. The day before or Domingo (Sunday) we had planned to eat breakfast and dinner at peoples houses and they had forgot about us I guess, so we didn't get to eat. For lunch we had a some rice and chicken at the families house that we live above. 

The language is coming poco poco (little by little). I learned so much in the MTC and I’m so glad for my teacher that pushed me. I’m able to do a lot in the lessons because I know how to begin teaching points, the first vision, the invitation to baptism, and enough spanish to work my way through every lesson. My grammar is horrible though, and it’s really hard for me to talk in anything but the present. My conjugations are a work in progress.

Anyways, tell every one I love them and miss them.

I love you,  Elder Dabel

Jared and his Mission President