New News

Adjustments to Missionary Service: United States and Canada

March 31, 2020

Missionaries returning to the U.S. and Canada from international assignments
Temporarily released and choose by April 30, 2020 to be: Reinstated either to original or temporary assignment* as soon as conditions allow (with original end date); OR Returned to service within 12–18 months (with new end date)	WOW - we can hardly believe this announcement that Zac could possibly go back to Uruguay!

Zac's souvenirs

Zac finally decided to unpack his carry on bag to show us the souvenirs he bought (mostly at the airport) but he was so happy to have some things.

Jason and Tay Face Timed in to see his treasures. 

He was especially excited to find a Nativity!

 

Wait a minute this isn't Uruguay

Monday

Quarantine was bad enough, but then also knowing we were getting sent home made it a bit more unenjoyable haha. We made crepes though which was fun! Just cheffing it up, trying to eat all the food we bought before we leave. The 120 eggs was pretty intimidating not gonna lie haha.

Tuesday

We did a video call for District Council, later I passed on all the info I could about the NBA to my companion so he's prepared when he comes to the US haha. I'm talking whiteboard laid on the ground with explanation of all 30 teams, good players, rules, stats, court set up. Everything haha. Then we made tortas fritas which are basically just scones. We made them from scratch though so I mean it was pretty impressive. I'm talking rats on our heads type of cooking skills.

Wednesday

We played some soccer which was fun, my companion biffed it twice, almost killed himself with a soccer ball, scored the game winning goal though. Then we had a video call as a zone and learned some more info about how we'd be going home and such. I was told I was leaving Friday, and we were all told to pack our stuff. I did just that, and it felt pretty weird. Then we had to block an old investigator for being a gay predator, the usual. 

Thursday

A trip to the hospital was made this day, an inconvenient time haha. So basically, I won't state names, only that I was uninvolved (honestly guys trust me). So Elder 1, pushes other Elder 2, Elder 2 hits door, window covered by blanket breaks. Trying to clean up glass, Elder 2 bends down next to the door, and a piece of glass hanging out from the door catches his shoulder. At first we thought his shirt was ripped, but then I see blood just spreading on his shirt. Alright alright let's get this off of you we say and we see the big boy gash a couple layers deep. We try to shower it off but bloods still just tryna see the outside world so we taxi to the hospital for stitches. Nice one.

Friday

An ultimate cleaning and degarbagifying of the house. We filled like 5 or 6 b bags with unwanted things. Then the mission sent a bus, us 4 all hopped on and left the house for good. We dropped my beloved Latino comps off with the other Latinos, then us gringos went to the mission hostel (both missions from Uruguay) We had some dinner, and I chilled with a bunch of gringos for the first time in a long time which was fun. I didn't break a bed frame, I'll explain how I did not do that farther down. Then we slept till 3.

Saturday

Woke up at 3, bus away at 4, get to the airport at about 4:40, waited for like 3 hours to check in bags, but there was a beautiful sunrise to watch as we waited. Said a final goodbye and hug to my mission president and wife. Then finally got on the plane and flew out at 9 towards Chile. I sat with Elder Dickson who is now old enough in the mission to be released, and Elder Castleton, we kept ourselves entertained. We got to fly over the Andes which was absolutely incredible, then in Santiago we switched planes, took a bathroom break, and while waiting at the terminal I heard my name called and turned to see 3 Hermanas from my CCM district! Their mission from Paraguay was joining the 2 Uruguay missions on this Behemoth of an airplane. Elder Castleton and I sat together on the very last row of this thing. When we were boarding we witness Elder Dickson, one of the lucky ones who got first class, just chilling on his throne. Elder Castleton and I listened to TED Talks for a while, nice soft music and then we realized we were only like halfway through our 12 hour flight to SLC, so we started some disney music sing alongs (mouth alongs) and then into Frozen 2 and Wall-E haha. Better than the 2 Elders that were watching R rated movies, just saying. We landed closer to 11 PM, then my bags were not present so they told me to go find my parents, we got home at like 1 AM. 

Sunday

Sacrament with the fam, it was pretty special. I was able to do it in spanish for them. Then had an absolute feast of pancakes. After we had a cute lil drive by homecoming for me, thanks to those who came. Then my boy Jake back from Jamaica came through that was awesome to see him. Afterwards just some dinner and a nice Joseph King of Dreams watch party, my boy Isaac swung through as well.

Bullet Beans

- Okay so let's see here. It's the night we're staying in the hostel, there's 4 Elders in our room. We're about ready to go to bed, and somebody has to turn off the light right? Well I'm closest to the light so I get to, jokingly I was saying I'm gonna be in bed before the lights actually go off. I made a runway from the lightswitch to bed then I decided a practice round was necessary. So I pretend to turn off the lights so that I can practice the leap to my bed. I sprint towards my bed, leap over the head board, clear it with my feet, then turn my body completely horizontal, and if you took a picture of me it would just look like I was levitating 5 feet above my bed. Well then gravity said "Yo dude whatchu doing up there" and I come down on my bed with all the swiftness of a coursing river, all the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire. I hit the bed and just flatten the wooden frame, splinters fly everywhere, shredding apart my companions. It was so loud, I fled over to Elder Dicksons bed and hid there in case anybody from other rooms came to investigate. That night I slept on the floor next to him, and in the morning, we very gently propped up the bed frame, then lightly placed the mattress on it. It'll go unnoticed for years. 

- Oh right, I didn't finish explaining my luggage. So like 200 pieces of luggage weren't able to fit on the plane so some people were selected to sacrafrice their bags haha. So all my stuff is just chilling in a warehouse in Uruguay until they're able to get it over here, we'll see how long it takes. Until then I'll just have to routinely wash what I wear... every day haha.

Love, Elder Jerman

Unable to speak English

Does not have clothes

Okay look I couldn't get all the pictures to bend to my will so i gave up but they're at the bottom if you don't like them weird

Yo is that my mom?

2. Peebo Poop

3. The Feast

5. The Weefish 

4. Dude Jake you're here too?

6. The Boys

Flight Plans

Sent at 8:34 pm Friday March 27th.  That's a late night of 11:34 pm at the Montevideo Mission Office.

Dear Parents, here I am putting the informacion of the flight of your missionaries.

• Saturday, March 28 your son/daughter will leave from Montevideo to Chile in the charter flight Latam LA 1263 at 7:30am. Flight will arrive in Santiago at 9:32am.

In Santiago Chile there will be 4 charter flights from Delta for all the missionaries returning to the United States.

• Your son/daughter will be in charter #4. It is a Delta flight DL 8875 leave from Santiago Chile at 1pm and arrive in Salt Lake at 9:35pm.

We will send internal flight connections to your stake president as soon as we receive them.

With love

President Francisco Escobar

Misión Uruguay Montevideo

Zac is heading home

This morning Zac was able to call to tell us he will be heading home this weekend.  He said he has already packed his bag.  They have eaten 30 of the 120 eggs they had, plus a lot of other food before they all leave.  The other 3 missionaries will remain there until they can secure flights home to their countries in Ecuador, Peru and Argentina.
Zac will leave tomorrow morning, Friday March 27th in a van to Montevideo where he will stay in housing by the temple.  (All temples were closed down as of last night, March 25th.) He needs to be awake Saturday morning at 3:00 to leave at 4:00 to go to the airport!  We anticipate he will arrive here late Saturday night or perhaps early Sunday morning.

Not his usual happy self. 

My heart goes out to him.  I cry for him.

When is somebody going to tell me this whole virus thing is a prank

Incoming Bruh Moment 

Monday 

We visited a family and sang a bunch of hymns and fixed their technology problems, the usual. Crackers and cow tongue, the usual. Oh yo um what in the world honestly, our power went out. We had nothing so that was fun

Tuesday

Day two without power. We showered icey, darky scary. Bussed over to our DL's area for district council. Cooked chicken alfredo and everything! Then we waited at a bus stop for like 3 hours because the bus schedules are messed up and then there's like 2 other people on the bus, haha. We went to a member's house to charge our phone, and they happened to be warming up leftovers wow would you look at that, allow us to eat them thank you. 

Wednesday

Day 3 without power, scary shower part 2. We went to the church to make brownies and definitely didn't burn them. Oh also bought a shower head so we don't have to shower with a hose anymore, it's bad enough that it's dark and cold but we have just been hosing ourselves down like farm animals.

Thursday

We find out we're getting quarantined. This means war. There shall no longer be peace in the house. No Man's Land has been declared, mines have been planted, snipers posted. Prepare. So anyways some brothers who work for the mission came and got us a new sink water faucet thing. A new toilet so that everything goes down in 1 try instead of 2 days. We played uno with them for a bit too which was fun haha. We got permission to leave for one last day so we just visited all the people that we could. 

Friday

We do some final shopping, now we ready ready. Bring on the quarantine. We also grabbed a sustainable amount of ice cream. Then those same brothers from the mission brought us a new washing machine, finally. We finally can clean our clothes in one try hooray. Day 2 of quarantine. Government systems have been established. War has been officially declared. 

Saturday

Day 3 of the quarantine. No Man's Land is scattered with shrapnel, fallen soldiers, blood and tears, shattered dreams and the remains of what once was a house that lived in unity. War is ugly, war is real. Mattresses are used as shields, bombillas (metal mate straw) are used as daggers, my Colt Python is only used as a threat for now, soccer balls as cannonballs, local kids from the street have been pulled in as foot soldiers. War does not care. The main point of attack is the bathroom, for he who rules over the bathroom wins the war. We have a platoon flanking the east wing now, attempting to get through the window. There are many details I've selected to leave out. They are not something the general public should be exposed to. War does not concern itself with the sensitivity of the people. War does not concern itself with anything other than the fall of mankind itself. I'll try to send another letter next week... if I last that long.

Sunday

The Sabbath Day arrived just in time, peace has been declared for the day. Shades of The Christmas Truce, 1914. We too, sang hymns and enjoyed each other's company. It was quiet, the wind blew, carrying the laughs of the men across the battlefield. It was nice, but not one man was truly at ease, the constant worry of betrayal gnawing at the back of the mind. Nevertheless, peace for the day. Peace however, cannot survive on the grounds of which the blood of ones brethren has been shed. There will be war tomorrow. It will return with twice the ferocity. It will be as if this cute little truce never came to pass.

Bullet Beans

- So I wake up okay and as usual you've got some stuff to take care of in the morning, just the daily business. Well problem is we can't use the new toilet till the end of the night and oh boy. Forget about the quarantine. Run. Run. Hide. Cry. Do something. Anything. I tear my companion from his morning routine and we stumble out the door and begin our sprint to the church in rags, without shoes, nothing. Okay not nothing. My companion stumbles and falls. I turn back to help him up, he begs me to leave him. "Go on without me" he gasps, "save yourself."

"Absolutely not Elder, if I learned anything from Sarge in Toy Story 1, it's that you never leave a man behind" I help him to his feet and we press forward. We reach the church and I clear the 10 foot fence in a single leap. I round the corner of the church and crash through the bathroom window, spiraling through the glass pane, landing in the stall. I survived. Barely. Then we played some soccer on the court outside.

- So I think there must have been some sort of Woodstock for dogs here in Uruguay like 10 years ago because I tell you I have never seen such diversely breeded dogs ladies and gentlemen. You could draw up any sort of dog from the deepest darkest parts of your imagination and I have probably said "Hola" to that same dog. 

- So we visited our friend, he is like 20 or so, and he just starts going through his phone showing us a bunch of random stuff, I'm talking like dark and twisted My Little Pony, 50 Cent songs, memes from 2009, just the works. Then he reaches under his bed and pulls out this beetle, and I'm like woah a dead beetle. But then he starts playing with it and is just like "He's still sleeping" and I'm thinking, He? Sleeping? What in the world is going on? Well after it finished it's nap our man played with his pet beetle for the rest of the lesson. Cool guy.

Official Bruh Moment Declaration

We're all getting sent home and I don't have the motivation to explain why, ask my lovely mother :)

Love Elder Jerman

Lieutenant General of San José A

Kill Count: Confidential

Awarded with

- Purple Heart

- Medal of Honor

1. The Final Feast

2. Fattening up for the Famine

3. Keeping our space as to not anger the all powerful COVID-19

4. Your boys blending in (in instances where we need to leave the house, we're not allowed to dress as a missionary, nor wear our name tags)

5. I bet you'd like some wouldn't you? Venmo me 20,000 uruguayo pesos and we'll see

Email from Pres. Escobar to me!

After his email to everyone, our, RM Melisa (Hermana Johnston) read it in Spanish and noticed it said "dias" in the Spanish version whereas in the English version it said "weeks".  I just made that note so all those just reading the English version would have a heads up about the timing.  Later I discovered that Zac's mission president wrote directly back to me.  WOW - it made me cry to read such nice words written from a very busy man.  I hadn't meant to direct a question to him, but he responded to try to help clarify the information and to write to me about our missionary.

"Dear Sister, thank you very much for the question. The area's goal is to send all missionaries in two weeks. Latino missionaries are expected to return this week and all US missionaries next week. Your son is a wonderful missionary, obedient, dedicated, and humble. I love him and in this short time his faith and testimony has grown. He has more vision now and I am sure that where the Lord calls him will be a great influence for the work.

Best regards"

Pdte. Francisco Escobar 

Misión Uruguay Montevideo 

Email from Pres. Escobar about the return of missionaries

Estimados Padres y Madres

Por medio de esta carta, queremos entregarles una actualización sobre la situación de la obra misional en esta parte de la viña.

Luego de consultas con los hermanos de Lago Salado y el departamento misional, y teniendo siempre presente la seguridad y bienestar de cada misionero, la Presidencia de Área ha determinado el regreso de todos los misioneros extranjeros sirviendo en el área Sudamérica Sur a sus países de residencia para ser reasignados a una misión en el país.

Esta decisión implica que su misionero/misionera estará regresando en los próximos días y los detalles de su viaje los compartiremos una vez que los tengamos. Queremos también enfatizar que debido a los desafíos actuales respecto a viajes internacionales, este retorno se hará de acuerdo a la factibilidad y disponibilidad de vuelos.

Estamos muy agradecidos por haber tenido la oportunidad de contar con tan especiales jóvenes sirviendo en la obra del Señor y ha sido un privilegio para nosotros gozar de su presencia en la Misión Uruguay Montevideo. Amamos a sus hijos, y sabemos que Dios esta guiando esta gran obra. Tenemos total confianza en El, y en su hijo Jesucristo. No será fácil para nosotros dejar salir a todos nuestros buenos misioneros. Tampoco es fácil para ellos. Son dedicados y obedientes. ¡Los amamos! Gracias por sus oraciones, ayunos, y pensamientos hacia nuestros misioneros y nuestra misión. Ustedes los padres son una parte clave y vital del éxito de los misioneros. ¡Que el Señor les bendiga siempre!

Con amor,

Presidente Francisco Escobar y Hermana Marcela Escobar 

March 22, 2020

Dear Parents

By way of this letter, we want to bring you up-to-date related to the missionary work in this part of the Lord’s vineyard.

After extensive consultation with Brethren in Salt Lake and the Missionary Department , and keeping uppermost in their minds the safety and well-being of each missionary, the Area Presidency has determined to return all foreign missionaries serving in the South America South Area to their home countries to be reassigned to a mission in that country.

This means that your missionary will be returning home in the following weeks and their travel itineraries will be shared with you once they have been finalized.  We want to also stress that given the current challenges related to international travel, the return will be completed as soon as feasible based on the availability of flights.

We are deeply grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to serve with such special young men and women in this, the Lord’s work.  It has been a privilege to be in their presence in the Uruguay Montevideo Mission.  We love your children, and know that our Heavenly Father is guiding this work. We have complete trust in Him, and in His Son Jesus Christ. It will not be easy for us to let all our wonderful missionaries leave us, and we understand that it will not be easy for them either. They are dedicated and obedient. We love them! Thank you for your prayers, fasts, and thoughts on behalf of our missionaries and our mission. You parents are a key part in the success of the missionaries. May the Lord continue to bless them always!

With love,

President Francisco Escobar and Hermana Marcela Escobar

Melisa Johnston read the letter in Spanish and recognized that it said in the following "dias" instead of weeks. 

Email from Pres. Escobar about the coronavirus

Dear Mothers and Fathers

To all of you, our love and gratitude. You sons and daughters are amazing. All of them have been very obedient these days facing a worldwide contingency. The Area Presidency has asked us that all area missionaries must remain in their mission houses or apartment and implement the following measures:

• If it were necessary to leave their residency (to do emergency shopping or picking up lunch), they will leave their apartments in casual clothes without their name tags. They could be permitted to leave in groups of 4, with the ideal situation being just them and their companion.
• The Missionaries are also to maintain the same hygiene guidelines and standards of prevention that we have received.
• The marvelous work of proclaiming the gospel to gather the lost tribes of Israel will continue taking place in their homes. We are very grateful for the blessing of having smartphones.
• Every missionary will have the opportunity to communicate with their families two times throughout the week. (Mondays and Fridays)
• We have received instructions and guidelines that we are to keep ministering and being a light to the wonderful people of Uruguay.
• We need and ask your valiant help to continue to motivate and inspire your missionaries to be obedient, wise, and cautious. Your advices of hope and faith will be of great worth for your amazing missionaries.

We reiterate our love and appreciation for all of you and we will continue to do absolutely everything within our control to take care of and watch over our courageous missionaries.

With Love,

President Francisco Escobar and Sister Marcela Escobar

Who the freak is Corona and what is a Virus?

Alright let's see, no time, time to enter light speed.

Monday

We had a family night which was a lot of fun! I have never been so forcefully kissed by a Brother in the ward, I'm talking grabbing the back of my head with his hand and everything. Not to mention he's on his 3rd wife as a 70 year old man, also with a 10 year old son, savage. My companion almost choked on pizza too, cool stuff. 

Tuesday

Had District Council, feasted on food and the Spirit, the uzh. Went to another city that night and slept at our ZL's house. Ate ice cream and the fattest burger I've seen here.

Wednesday

Multi Zone conference, was a ton of fun! 

Saturday

Got peed on by the rain, super fat drops. Had a fun charla with our favorite Japanese family.

Sunday

We went over to the Relief Society President's house to administer the sacrament, then had a huge lunch and almost died walking home.

Bullet Beans

- Somehow we forgot about a container of rice... for a couple of weeks. I opened it up and it was like a bunny, just a white ball of fur that threw a stench at my face. Almost died.

- My house is in an apocalyptic state, the other 3 elders have been stricken with the virus. I've locked myself in my room and all I have is a Colt revolver with 2 bullets, one of them is for me if I get the virus, so I'll have to use the other one wisely.

Sorry for the dry letter folks, today we bought a 3 week supply of emergency food and other hygiene products, as well as downloading as many church appropriate movies and music onto our flash drive so we can keep ourselves entertained.

Love, Elder Jerman

1. The District Feast

2. Multi Zone Conference

4. Some fun fams... Yoko from Japan, escaped the CV with 20 years to spare by hiding in Uruguay

5. Not sure if this ever got sent out, but this is the selfie I took with Elder Uchtdorf, unfortunately some other missionaries joined, but still a legendary photo

Honestly what in the world

"It's your boy, ______ _____."

Tuesday

We had district council, then splits after. I beaned over to 18 de Mayo with Elder Santos from Brasil. He is awesome and super crazy haha. We had lunch with a nice member family who loved learning english and gringo stuff.

Wednesday

Finished up in 18, had a lunch that almost killed me (see below) then bussed back home.

Thursday

We took our boy Juan Carlos to the Temple in Montevideo, about a 2 hour travel by bus. It was fun to travel with him and of course be on temple grounds! Next time he'll go he will be able to take a recommend and enter! Then after he took a bus home, Elder Llerena and I ran an errand... to pick up his Christmas package that got swiped by customs... at the airport. So we bus over there, realize it's in a separate building like 400 meters down the road, we finally find it but the place was a maze. The whole time I'm carrying a package the Secretaries gave us for Elder Godoy that weighed like 305 pounds. It was a fun little change of events for a day.

Saturday

1 year on the mish for our very own Elder Llerena! It was a perfect day too how lovely. We had the branch bbq at the huge San Jose' park which was way fun. We visited our man Emmanuel in the hospital (had a baptismal date until he got hit by a car) and we also found this guy in drug rehab who was way funny, and his friend that visits him everyday. You can find people who are ready for the gospel just about anywhere it seems! That night we had a lil 12 month photo shoot with our name tags, all cute like. That night a lil pizza party and some cake. Cheers.

Bullet Beans

- I have apparently forgotten how to get into a car. The Elders Quorum Pres was helping us pick up his grandson for church and I went to get into the backseat right side. I put my left leg in, then just let gravity pull everything else in right? Well as I'm falling into the seat, I absolutely smack the left side of my head on the roof of his car which pinballs me the other way smacking my head on the car door as I'm pulling it closed, then I land smoothly into my seat totally fine, I couldn't feel my ear for like 2 hours haha

- Alright ready for something crazy? Remember how the family of my companion feeds my buddy Ryan Tetro who is serving in Ecuador? Well now he is training Austin Donadel who I also knew in HS! So now the family of my companion is feeding 2 of my classmates! 

- When I was in 18 de Mayo for splits we had lunch with a member. She was a very nice lady, who didn't have a whole lot but was generous with the lunch. The food wasn't bad, your classic rice, boiled eggs, hot dog, mayo mush meal, but I wasn't even hungry to begin with. She loads me up a towering plate. I stare right at it and eat every last rice grain, I felt sick and almost died. Then she asks if I would like more and I politely declined, saying I was very full. She then graciously understood by emptying the rest of the bowl onto my plate, just as big as before if not bigger. It took me like 40 minutes to eat it, everytime I wanted to stop, or took a break to breath she looked really offended so I just powered through and suffered the rest of the day. I did it though. I did it.

- This morning, we were just getting ready for the day, and I went to stand behind my comp as he was spraying some cologne, as to say  "hey give me some", he understood the gesture and turned to spray my neck, but missed and instead sniped my pupil. Just straight infused my eyeball with cologne. I don't remember exactly how the eyeball works but I'm pretty sure the vitreous humor is just filled with cologne nothing else.

Love, Elder Jerman

40 pounds overweight

1. Gordito, Juan Carlos, and Freaking Steve

2. Airport Adventure

3. After hundreds of requests saying "Zac send flattering photos with your emails we want to see them" I'm giving in

4. You know how we be, just praying for our investigators 

5. Park Activity

6. Cute lil photoshoot, happy 12 months (sunset ones are below, too big to paste, worth the look though)

7. How problems are solved in this house

Also too big to paste because I drew a shirt over the G's, but also worth the look

I No Longer Require Eyes John

Jacob 1: 19

19 And we did ^amagnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the ^bresponsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not ^cteach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their ^dblood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.  

Monday

We surprised Elder Godoy for his birthday at the home of the Yañez family. He wasn't very surprised because we live together and it is hard to keep secrets. Likewise we had some cake and some coke and some cocaine (caffeine?) and some chips. The 4 C's. Reminds me of "Candy, candy cane, candy corn, and syrup." But that is for something different, food groups or something.

Tuesday

Zone Council, there are some new beans here so I'm finally not the newest. That night we did a service project, some well needed manual labor, felt great!

Thursday

We beaned over to Montevideo so I can begin my 6 month progress of attaining my Uruguayo license. This means I'm never coming back. Y'all can come visit in 2 years though. 

Friday

Let's see, a big boy spider was just chilling on me while I studied, I couldn't decide if it was a bruh moment or a savage moment. 

Saturday

We had our interviews with Presidente! My companion went after me, and talked for a long time. When they finished, I somehow had accidentally sat down in a comfortable chair, dropped my chin into my chest and had fallen asleep, the craziest thing. So of course Presidente took a picture and all haha. The Yañez family did it again with lunch. It was delicious, and actually the first time I have had beans here. Later we visited an investigator who had a baptismal date, but got hit by a car. Oh also our visit was in the hospital.

Sunday

Fast Sunday, one of our friends that came to church bore his testimony. Meanwhile a cockroach climbed onto my shoe. I didn't want to spill his blood in the house of the Lord, but it would have been a lot of work to take it outside, so I just shook it off my shoe and it landed on its back. I took the chair in front of me and put the leg on the tail end of the lil guy and he just chilled there. Cool dude. That day we had lunch with the Silva family. She made a roast beef that reminded me of my mom's cooking, as well as rice and veggies. One of my top favorite meals I've had.

Bullet Beans

- This week a man called out to us and we were walking past his yard, him and his lil brother were boxing. He offered us the gloves and said that if me and my companion fought each other he would listen to all of our lessons haha! All we had to do was box each other. Of course we passed but we got to talking and this guys name is Carlos, but better known as Rickoo. "Better known" because he is actually a local legend, all the kids know him because he's a rapper haha. He showed us his music videos on YouTube, some of them had over 50,000 views! They sounded pretty good but the lyrics weren't the cleanest haha. He was a really good guy, had a wife and kid too.

- Our friend Ulises continues to impress us. This week he told us how he was able to awaken his 3rd eye, and with it he can see our soul, our aura, so that was interesting. We planned an asado (BBQ) for this week, and boy did he really want to do it at our place... at 3 in the morning... and sleep over too... but we ended up agreeing on his house so no worries. Oh just a heads up, if you don't hear from me next week, I'm probably being tortured.

- Y'all know the whole pineapple on pizza debate, well how about hard boiled eggs? Because that's what I had this week and it was pretty dang good.

- Hey is Oaker Mountain really spelt "Oquirrh Mountain" or is that just a funny prank?

- Our branch president was teasing me about what Americans eat, and this time I got hit with the "All you guys eat, is peanut butter and cranberries." Not gonna lie it caught me off guard, had no idea how to respond to that one. The freak is a cranberry? I can't picture it or imagine the flavor.

- This week in our house, we have been playing a game every night where we basically just juggle a soccer ball around and whoever messes up does push ups. Our pectorals have suffered.

- During a charla, their 9 year old kid spent the whole time doing various Fortnite dances in silence in the corner. Like the whole time. Just silently dancing by himself. It was honestly an out of body experience to witness.

Love, Elder Jerman

1. Updated District Roster

2. Updated Zone Roster: Now your boy ain't the youngest fella out here.

3. Zone Activity This Morning