Zac's Facebook page

Zac's mission president gave them permission to open a Facebook page to connect with people in Uruguay 

and to share spiritual messages.

What the heck is up Kyle?

Howdy

Some quick birthday shoutouts

To my older sister Kayleigh. This Saturday, about to be 24. Happy birthday and I love you. Technically she's turning 6 because of leap year haha bruh moment, L. 

To my main village man Isaac. This Friday, boy about to be 18. Drink responsibly. Wait don't drink at all. Don't forget to utilize your voting rights. I love you.

Tuesday

There was a parade this day. One of the 2 this week. As we walked home we just threw out a couple "Eyes down Elder." Ceremonial clothing you know how it goes, out here staying consecrated. When we got home, the other elders had bought this foam spray can thing and it only lasted for like 5 minutes but that was brutal, foamy war at its finest.

Thursday

Okay now folks this is just an observation, that hadn't really dawned on me until I made it, but I saw a person of Asian descent for the first time since I've been at home. Yoko and her Japanese family. Super sweet lady, she said she would make us Sushi. Honestly that deserves eternal life. A fair trade.

Friday

We threw a surprise party at the church as a branch for the Yañez family, as they were officially married earlier that day. It was a lot of fun!

Bullet Beans

- We was just rannin around and we look over to see a dog trotting down the street with a diaper in its mouth. All we could say was "Oh no, please don't do this dog." We could only watch as it sat down and tore into it. Baby poop is not in your diet young man... Boy I've heard that one before.

- We chat with this retired jewelry selling traveling man. Very smart, very wealthy. I always thought he was super intelligent, until he sat down at his PC and pulled up Facebook. He showed us the videos he took of a UFO he saw at the beach, then continued to explain how Jesus Christ is actually an alien, and when he was resurrected, his alien people beamed him up to their ship. Didn't know that. Thanks Ulises, very cool.

- I just want to say how much I love hearing "Hola chiquilines" from the Hermanas in the ward. It's so cute and it makes my day.

- We were just chilling in the room okay, and Elder Llerena takes my football, and rifles it at me. I'm talking Patrick Mahomes splitting the safeties on a slant route type of velocity. Before I could react, it careens into the blanket that hangs over the window. *shattering noises*. President please, I was just trying to drink my terere (cold mate). That window is right above my bed, so let's just say it's quite lively at night. Especially because that night (Sunday night) there was another enormous parade all night.

- Going along with that parade, we were walking home from Elder Godoy's bday celebration at the Stake President's house close to curfew time. We were on the north side of the big Avenue, our house is on the south side, literally on the corner of the Avenue. But there was no way to get there. Literally all of South America was there or something. It was just a brick wall of people, and not only did we have to break through them, but also the parade itself. So we finally find a sliver of space in the crowd, and we just take our chances. That night everybody witnessed 4 missionaries dart across the parade path through dancing ladies, honestly I just closed my eyes and cried the whole time so I wouldn't get sent home. We then had to break through the crowd on the other side, but we finally made it home.

1. Happy Birthday Elder Godoy!

2. Honestly who did this

3. Yañez Wedding!

4.Parade

5. Saturday the water didn't work for the baptism, so we resorted to filling it with buckets, with the help of Juan Carlos, savage move. Huge example. Eventually, we gave up and luckily the next day the water worked. God gave us enough water to fill the font, prepare the sacrament, and then cut it again.

We baptized Juan Carlos after church, and it actually worked out better because we had investigators and more members.

6. Ending Racism: Feet Edition

7. Other Shenanigans

8. The Mom pose

Juan Carlos' baptism

Finding Elder Hanks who first contacted Yubi Bernardo Hermoso in 1996

Elder Hanks served in Uruguay in 1996 and wrote his name and address in this Book of Mormon he gave Yubi Bernardo Hermoso.

Yubi Bernardo Hermoso is now the Ward Mission Leader in the ward Zac serves in San Jose, Uruguay.  

 Yubi Bernardo Hermoso.

February 10, 2020 -  Zac wrote, "I believe Hanks is the missionary who found him, gave him a book of mormon, and wrote his name in it. It was before emailing time, hence the house address. I don't know too much more of the story, I just thought it would be awesome if the two of them could reconnect. Here are some pictures though!"

February 22, 2020 -  I drove up to 9394 N. 4000 W. Pleasant Grove.  There is no such address anymore, but I didn't really know that.  My phone took me to a street and I got out and asked at a house, but the lady told me that addresses had been changed and that Cedar Hills was right across the street.  I could see conflicting addresses on the street signs and the mailboxes.  I drove around for half an hour trying to get inside neighborhoods to find a house but couldn't find anything and had to leave.

February 23, 2020 - I did a bit more research online to google Cory Hanks and found one living in Burley Idaho who had lived in Pleasant Grove and was now 43 which makes him 19 back in 1996.

February 25, 2020 - I called the phone number I found for the Cory Hanks in Idaho and a young boy answered.  I asked for Cory Hanks and he called his dad.  I introduced myself as Sister Jerman who has a son serving in Uruguay and asked if he had served there.  I went on to tell him that my son was currently serving in San Jose and the ward mission leader, Yubi Bernardo Hermoso, showed him a Book of Mormon with the name of the missionary who gave it to him.
I don't even really know how he reacted because the phone went silent and I wondered if he was shocked or crying or what.  So I waited and then the phone went dead.  Oh, maybe he didn't want to talk about it but oh well, I called back.  He said his home phone battery was dying and he would call me on his cell phone.  Then we talked about how he had met "Bernardo" and tried to teach him.  He gave him a Book of Mormon and would go out on jogs with him and they would talk but he didn't get baptized at that time. In fact, Cory Hanks never heard that he got baptized as he lost track of him after he left.  So today, he now knows, and I was able to send him the pictures. I had hoped to find him in Pleasant Grove but he told me his parents still live in the house but it has a totally different address.  I can picture in my mind which house it is and of course wish I had gone to a couple more houses on that main road and asked for the Hanks' home and could have found his parents. Apparently Cory had traveled from Arizona yesterday and had stopped in to see his parents.  Too bad I couldn't have made all the right connections to meet him and take a picture but at least we did what was most important and got ahold of him.  He sent me his phone number and email address to share with Zac to pass on to Yubi Bernardo Hermoso.  Isn't that all so great!?!  

Racial Slurs

First of all, happy 16th to my lil sis Amy! Love you Ames, and remember you can't date until I get back.

Tuesday

District Council, we killed Hna Ridenhower because she's ending her mission (pictures below) Then that night we slept at the ZL's house, they were doing divisions so there were 2 more elders and we all snuggled on a couple mattresses, Elder Granados played with my hair as I fell asleep, best I've slept in months to be honest.

Wednesday

We were in Montevideo for Elder Llerena's Uruguayan ID. 

Friday

Twas the national holiday of Mate, best day of my life.

Saturday

We had an "Asado" with the Elders Quorum. Imagine a cookout but instead it's just enormous slabs of meat and sausage. 

Bullet Beans

- The yerba I drink is Baldo, it's my love. It looks like Balto. So I've been thinking a lot about Balto. Good movie, good boy. Never forget the hero himself. We love you Balto.

- This week I got pranked by some cereal I bought, I'm still not entirely sure they didn't accidentally put dog food in the cereal aisle. Usually I go for some frosted flake looking stuff, this week I thought I'd try the cheerio looking stuff. It smells like poop. Bruh moment.

- Speaking of which, our English speaking friend Gualberto was telling us about his daily routine. After talking about the differences between toilets around the world he goes "Every day in the morning I poop, I flush after and it all goes away. It's all healthy and good. Before it was not all healthy and good, but now it is, it is important to poop everyday." Honestly I thought he was reciting scripture, or Shakespeare or something. Truly beautiful stuff.

- More Gualberto: It's difficult to stay on topic, he likes to ask about our opinions on many irrelevant things, such as the Pope, the fact that apparently the entire continent of Africa doesn't have food, I did not know that thanks for letting me know man, and Burger King. This week he got on the topic of race, and black people. I'm sure it was just the language barrier confusion but the only way he referred to them was just hard R n-word, just tossing it around like nothing, savage move Gualy. So after throwing around racial slurs for a few minutes he tells us the story of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat on the bus because she was... paralyzed? Must've been asleep during that history lesson. Cool guy.

- There's this guy here, who literally rides on an actual horse pulled chariot. Like downtown too. He just stands there in all his glory with his hair blowing in the wind being pulled by his steed on a chariot. He has a weapons rack of straight javelins which he throws at people as he rides past. This week I had the honor of being impaled through the sternum with one. I'm in critical condition. Salute the man.

- Here is a "Don't" for Uruguay. Don't touch a woman's dishes. Her husband will tease you and she will get offended. Now I'm not saying these folks are sexist, but man some of these folk are sexist. I tried to help clean up after lunch once and I nearly got stoned to death.

- I was reading my buddy Sam's letter from Botswana and he was talking about having to scare off a Hyena. I mean sometimes a cow starts following us but no Hyenas :/

- During a charla, this guy fell asleep during a video we showed his family. After it ended his wife woke him up, but for the remainder of the charla he talked to us with his eyes closed and mumbling. Perhaps just a sign of respect.

- Alright so first people were thinking I was in my 20's, and now this week some kid thought I was Russian what in the world.

- MATE: 2 Things. First, I literally have a problem. I drink hot mate in the morning and then because that wasn't enough I drink an iced mate with lemonade in the night. Sometimes one of the 2 during afternoon studies as well. At least now I can relate to the drug addicts. Second, it happened again, I can't trust a ball around my open thermos. It all happened in slow mo, I just watch the ball leave the foot of Elder Llerena and just rocket towards my thermos, smacking it and sending water all over the wall. President please I was just trying to write in my journal.

2 Quick SPIRITUAL Beans

- Sometimes in life, we are Buzz Lightyear. And Woody is Satan. (No you're not I love you Woody it's just an example) Sometimes Satan will say, "You are a toy, you can't fly!" And yeah maybe we can't, we can't be perfect. But we can "fall with style" We can be good enough. Worthiness isn't perfection. Just remember, sometimes in life, we are Buzz Lightyear.

- So this week I extended my first baptismal invitation. We were with our flirtatious senior Beatriz. It was a very spiritual lesson about baptism, we watched the video of Jesus Christ's baptism. When it finished I followed the spirit and asked her to follow His example and be baptized. The spirit was very strong, very present. She looked me in the eyes, paused, then said very firmly... "No." So that was cool, can't wait to extend my next invitation. Then we asked her to close with a prayer and we bowed our heads and waited for about 10 seconds, then looked back up to see her just crossing up her chest in silence mouthing some words to the Virgin Mary catholic style and we realized we have some work to do haha cool stuff.

Love, Elder Jerman

Toy Story enthusiast

Waiting for my chipotle to warm up

Stoned in a pit for helping with dishes

100% Conversion rate on bapt. invitations

Russian

Not addicted to Mate

Email the bean himself at 

zachary.jerman@missionary.org

1. The Death of Hna Ridenhower

2. Our District and the ZLs

3. After a long day of being called fat

4. The Boys

5. My eyes are still readjusting from this

6. Scenery

 peep the lil bird on the horse at the forefront

Some German Chap

WAIT last week I made a fatal mistake, when I said Pablo I wrote Peter instead of Paul, its Paul. Forgive my transgressions. 

So anyway, 

Tuesday

We rolled up to a charla with a man named Gualberto, who speaks some english. He called me "man" the whole thing and said "same" to everything. Maybe next time I can just hit him with "I know the Book of Mormon is true and I want to be baptized" then he can just go "Same, man" Easy. So anyways we didn't have a ton of time with him but we will probably end up doing all the charlas in english because he doesn't want to speak spanish haha so now it's my turn to lead and for my comp to add on. Yeehaw.

Wednesday

Zone conference and activity, we played minute to win it and mummified Elder Nerdin's head.

Friday

A conference for new missionaries, all the Hermanas cried when the saw each other again and the Elders just nodded. Nah I'm playing we kissed. After that we did exchanges in Montevideo because (see below)

Saturday

This day we woke up and went to a big chapel, the other mission in Uruguay was there, and some German fella as well. We took a large group photo with him and then sat down to hear him talk. He spoke many strong and motivating words. His name was Elder Uchtdorf or something German like that. Shook his hand, and his wife's hand. Nice folks. 

- If you're a fan of the one and only Ferrel Dean #31, he's serving in the West mission and we were able to snag a photo together! Get you somebody who looks at you the way he looks at me.

Sunday

Church went well again, A less active came and brought her 4 kids, and like 6 other kids I don't even know where they came from or where she found them.

Bullet Beans

- A houseful of Latinos means calling everybody fat apparently, I have been called fat in Spanish at least 150 times and it's just the loveliest. I'm pretty sure we could get an anorexic kid up in here and they would still just call him fat all day long. It's pretty cool.

- People fear our power and our truth. At one yard this lady literally picked up a lawn chair and hid behind it until we left haha. Super nice lady.

- So remember how I just kiss dudes all the time? Well we can't kiss women obviously but like 3 times this week a woman or girl has made an attempt to greet me with a kiss and I have hard swerved 3 each time, so savage haha get missionary handbooked.

- Okay wait how old do I look I thought I looked 17 years old. In a conversation with this 13 girl on a bus she thought I was 32 and her friend said 26, then in a different conversation with a 15 year old girl, she thought I was also 26. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm 6'8 250 pounds and my voice is deeper than Smaug's. 

- So with 4 Elders in the house... it is very fun. It mainly just comes down to running around in our G's and throwing soccer balls at each other, or water, or kunai blades honestly we just try and kill each other. No but one day, I was just studying, drinking my afternoon mate, and Elder Lopez fires my lil baby basketball at me. It ricochets off the wall and smacks my mate, sending all the yerba inside flying, splattering the wall. If the mission president wants to know why there are green stains on the wall just tell him I'm dead.

- Let's just say it is a miracle that I have not gained at least 50 pounds here, because after each member lunch I literally walk home with 50 pounds of food in my stomach each day. Nevertheless I must keep exercising or else I will literally pass away. 

- We spent a lot of time in Montevideo this week, we hoteled 2 nights (because of the new bean conf and the other conf) we spent a bunch of time with the AP's which was savage, let's just say that I kissed both AP's, I'm climbing the ladder. 

- I saw the saddest thing this week. No I am not kidding. Here is the back story the me and Elder Llerena have calculated. Dog, owner, dog get injury in leg in hip, big hole very bad, owner no want dog, owner throw dog in dumpster, dog no have power to get out, dog just sit in trash with bugs inside his leg, dog eventually will die while people walk past and do nothing. I am sad. This is like throwing poop at a dead cat sad. He is helpless and will slowly die. I love you dog. Say hi to my dead dog Tucker in heaven for me. 

Love, Elder Jerman

1. Ending Racism

2. Zone Bean

3. Your Boy

Okay the rest of the photos are being unepic so just enjoy them below, cheers.

Elder Ferrell Dean from American Fork, serving in the Montevideo West Mission

"Get you somebody who looks at you the way he looks at me."

Pizza!

Mate

Let's get right into the bean

Monday

In the evening we talked with a less active family, a very nice lady Nieneska who was a lot of fun to talk to. Basically a latina version of Marilyn Moss, even looked a lil similar, just with darker features and curlier hair. Love you Marilyn. Then that night we met with a member named Reina. She told us her conversion story which was awesome, but long. 15 minutes before our curfew, Elder Llerena tried to end with a prayer, but then right before he said anything, she started on again about something else. 5 minutes later he tries again, but then she cuts him off once more, savage move. 2 minutes before curfew he pulls a huge power move and just interrupts her, saying, "We're going to close with a prayer, I will do it" He prays and then we stand up and force our way out, the whole time she's still just firing words from her mouth like a WW1 Lewis Gun. Truly a battle of titans those two.

Tuesday

We had district council which went well, afterwards we did splits with the DL, I went over to his area, 18 of Mayo. It was great, we taught some cool folks. During one lesson, across the street a couple dogs kind of start fighting, then this 13 year old girl comes in and starts smacking the dogs with a stick to get them to stop, this only aggravates them. By this time she is screaming and crying just wildly smacking the dogs with a stick, and at this point they're at each other's necks. I thought I was about to witness cold blooded murder, eventually they stopped and everything just went back to normal. 

Wednesday

That morning we got ourselves back to our own areas, then back to work. For mutual that night we played some sports with the few youth we have.

Saturday

During morning studies, the AP's called telling us they're sending two more Elders to live with us and to be in San José, must be because we're so savage. So we speed cleaned. They arrived all in one piece. Elder Godoy of Argentina, and Elder Lopez of Peru. 

Sunday

We got 6 people in church this week, it was great! Beatriz (our flirtatious senior friend) made sure to tell everybody that two angels "Juan and Pablo" brought her to church, thank you Beatriz. Very cool. After we had a meal with Cristian, asado and chorizo for big boys only. Then we staggered home. A nice day.

Bullet Beans

-  During a meeting with a recent convert, and like 10 kids just chilling around the house as well, this 7 year old gordito that was literally a combination of that monster in Monsters Inc that says "Mike Wazowski" and bites his hand, and Mike Wazowski himself. The whole time, he's just touching everything he can on Elder Llerena, his hand, his hat, his tie, his ring. Luckily he's a patient man. The whole time he's doing this, there is just a patch of wetness spreading on his shorts. The man is just chilling, gradually peeing his pants, real casual like. I've never had so much respect for someone.

-  I have seen that the Gift of Tongues works slowly. Stuff like understanding language concepts, or being able to remember things you've studied. It's basically just a study tool to become a fluent fella quicker. 

- SO, I went to school with a gentleman named Ryan Tetro alright? Well he is serving in Ecuador. My companion is from Ecuador. His parents feed the missionaries. His parents feed Ryan Tetro. We made that neat connection.

- Beatriz had us over again, she played the piano for us, she is incredible. A renowned teacher apparently. She calls us Juan and Pablo because that's a bit easier to remember. Sure you can call me after the apostle Peter, I love that guy. 

- We walked past something that smelled like Cafe Rio. It flooded my senses, all over my body and broke me down to my knees. It took all my energy to not fall into unconsciousness. I got back onto my feet and just had to run away from the smell. Barely made it out alive.

- We met with a less active family / incomplete family. For the first 30 minutes we just finished watching The Longest Yard with them in Spanish of course. An interesting thing to behold. 

- I finally got a mate and a bombilla and bought some yerba and now I drink a ton of mate. It's the greatest.

Cheerio

Love, Elder Jerman

AP

Loved by older women

Drinker of Mate

1. The Zone (a few weeks ago)

2. San José The Sequel: Más Latinos

3. Gamers Gaming

4. The Legend Herself 

5. A Pleasant Sunset