Elder Jordan Saunooke ~ Email 3/28/16

Ok so pday always goes by so fast compared to every other day and I am pretty sure I sweat harder and work more. The whole walk 3 miles for groceries life is a lil hard sometimes not gonna lie.... I am rocking the Yucateco haircut which is basically the soccer kid haircut. Or in other words short on the sides and long on top. The last pday we went to Ticul and the next day we had divisiones with the zone leaders. Elder Bahr cooked us some delicious banana pancakes and I had syrup, pancakes, and...a HOT SHOWER!!! My first one since I arrived in Yucatan! The next day I was with Elder Ceballos (Ceballitos) and we worked on using La Pascua initiative. There are two videos we are working on using this week and I think it is a really good idea to use videos with the people in my mission. I think the majority of them learn visually. We taught a young women investigator and we just happened to run into a member who was driving her motorcycle. We asked her if she could accompany us and what do you know.. instant yes. Maaarrreee la obra esta diferente en Ticul. He taught me so much and we talked about the reason why we obey commandments. The reason is always because we love God and when we obey like this we are our own agents and have every promise and blessing that God has in store for us.

 I have been suffering slight insomnia this last month and can honestly say I havent slept past 5 since the first of February... so I am now taking sleeping pills but I just started last night so We will see what happens.

Wednesday we taught Manuel Diaz again (weed is awesome guy) and he is such an interesting character.... he just says the weirdest stuff hahah I think the drugs have already affected his brain a bit... but he felt the spirit really strong in the hymn we sung and asked if we could sing it again. He understands and feels the spirit and it is so cool to see when he gets it. I also may or may not have contacted in Mayan that day... #Itswhatever

We traveled to Mèrida the next day for an easter conference and it was honestly kind of a planch... We got told how we need to focus serving with the scripture found in D y C 4 in mind. Presidente Garcìa is so awesome and always teaches with such power. We contacted the driver of the van who brought us to Merida and he works for Hno. Canul who feeds us on Sundays. He has a dreamcatcher in front of the van and I learned that in Spanish its called Atrapasueños...makes sense. 

The next day we taught an Hno. Jose Rivero Cab who lives like two doors down from us and he is really good friends with an elder who served here before. He is still reading the BOM and we taught him with the videos and the yolk of Christ laminate that we have. He still remembered one of the songs (We are all enlisted) and wanted to sing it with us. His younger brother who was the kid holding the fighting rooster in last weeks pic is 17 years old and size and personality is a lot like Jake Kozlowski actually.. except for the fact he was drinking and offered me a swig... hahaha but he is a really good kid and I always like talking with him.

Easter was good but honestly most days all feel the same so I didnt realize it was Easter sunday until today... whoops. We went to Ticul for a district conference with Presidente Garcìa and we were the only companionship without any support from their area... so I spoke on behalf of our Branch President... honestly I dont know what I am doing but hey I try hahaah... Ihave loved reading the 2 chapter of Ether this week especially the last three verses. I love you all and invite you to read them. I hope you had a wonderful Easter!!! 

Love,

Elder Jordan Saunooke

...Because Cock Fights are a Thing Here Still... 3/21/16

Elder Jordan Saunooke ~ 3/21/16 Email & Pics

Tuesday we had our district meeting in Ticul and after we stayed with Elder Gomez y Elder Quinto en su area because I had to interview one of their investigators for baptism. This investigator happens to be Julio who I taught about two weeks ago la trinidad about 50 times in english, spanish, and mayan, but poor guy just doesnt get it....but he does have a broken heart and contrite spirit so he is ready:) he also doesnt understand completely what a prophet is... he told me im a prophet... thanks;) Elder Bahr who was our AP got changed and is now my zone leader!! De hecho vamos a tener divisiones esta noche con èl y estoy bien animado :))) He is always so happy and I just love to be around him! He reminds me of Warren actually:) The bad thing about this change is that Elder Gutierrez who was my ZL is now the AP and he didnt have a chance to put the song im trying to be like jesus on my usb... i had divisiones with elder Quinto and it was so fun!! i really love my district. I drove a tricy taxi because one of the members in Oxz has one and his name is Jose Tigre and so of course there are tiger prints all over his taxi. i bought an ipod for 59 pesos aka like 4 bucks and so i will defs be putting some really good hymns on there. 

We woke up at 4 that morning to go to Mèrida for an 8 principles meeting and it was amazing. i learned so much. I got to teach with one of the APs Elder Mariscal who is fluent in English too because he grew up for like 4 years in Colorado and he taught me so much. He really teaches with power and without fear. I would love to master the language so I can teach like that. We stayed that night in Altabrisas aka the nicest place in the mission and there were 6 other elders with us. i was with Elder Moreno in one room that on the door has the picture of Christ knocking at the door and Elder Ocampo kept knocking and quoting the I stand at the door and knock quote hahaha;) 

We had one practice where I was in the demonstration in front of everyone and its crazy to be put on the spot like that hahaahh.... but I think it went well. It was about sabbath day observance and I wanted to be so difficult because thats how it is here in my area but I was nice;) Everyone works in la milpa here and so usually they cant come to our casa de oracion... But i really do love my members. Roberto had a baptism date pero se cayo esta semana because he drinks... we are gonna help him if it is the last thing I do. He always goes to church with us even ift its in his weed shirt....

We had a practice where elder Lambert and I taught a sister from Brasil Hna Silva who speaks fluent english and had a practice in english!! She learned from video games hahah... who knew. She pretended to have a problem going to church and then working after and said she had a 6 month contract that she had to work after church but the whole thing was a big joke because she was pretending to be a sister missionaryXDD How hilarious was that!?

La Hna Garcìa bought me an air mattress and yes that is so much better for my back... We had transfers but everything is the same except for one hna in my district that went to Campeche.

Love you all!

Elder jordan Saunooke

Our Giant Among Men! Elder Jordan Saunooke - March Pics

The title of this picture was "no she isnt touching me and yes it looks worse than it is;) We had to laugh!

Random Snipits Worth Mentioning ~ Elder Jordan Saunooke

YEah my back is killing so I have a regular backpack now and I really am the Count of Monte Cristo because I bought a blanket and sleep on the tiled floor... but Hna Garcìa bought me an air mattress:)) and also Alma 40-42 is probably the most perfect thing ever written


 i have loved studying moses and alma 40-42 this week.. they are powerful.

I miss the days of no shirt... its so stinking hot haha.. 


Who is ready to watch my fair lady in tminus 20 months?;) 


i am so buying a bike and you cant say anything to change my mind;))) crotch rocket baby;) everyone has them!!! 

I decided this week that Elder Gomez is sherlock holmes.... he remembered the name of a person and their house that he visited one day 17 months ago to go visit... and he realized that a guy smoked because he shook his hand and saw his fingertips... yeah crazy.

whos debbie?;)) 

ps temecula sounds like a pueblo in my area or soemthing hahahh;)

Elder Jordan Saunooke's Email 3/14/16 - Last week of Transfers!

In the morning on wednesday we went to teach a less active who was baptized about three years ago and is like 21 or 22. He was waiting for his mom to get back so that he could go and buy something to smoke week hahaha. My comp didnt understand what he meant by una chaba and neither did I but i used context clues lets just say;) He actually showed us the marijuana he is growing in front of his house in a styrophoam container hahah. When we told him that marijuana is bad for the body and mind he responded, "No es excelente!" and I cant lie I definitely laughed. He told us he feels like life is more tranquilo and chido con la mota, but I showed him the scripture found in 2 Nefi 2:27which shows us how true liberty lies in keeping the commandments. He seemed to understand better that way. He brought his really old waterstained book of mormon out and an old tithing slip fell on the floor. I asked him if he knew what it was and he replied,"No y la verdad no me interesa" hahahaha i once again laughed. 

We taught an Hermana named Valente and he is awesome!!! He is probably mid to late 20s and lives with his wife and 3 kids. He understands Mayan perfectly but is also of our generation so he speaks spanish. He said the closing prayer in straight maya.

Friday in Tzucacab I found out that hma Adela has 2 hijos in the field! i never knew that before but she was bragging about them and said "son guapisimos!" hahahha she said that probably every mom is like that. We also happened to meet a straight Gringo from Cali. He is down here on vacation for his bday cuz he is Irish and his bday is the 17th of this month. It was cool to see that life is still normal for where i come from even if my life is completely different and it was honestly way hard to have a conversation and I forgot how to ask someone their name....He was driving with his friend who lives in Tzucacab but used to work with him in california so he speaks both languages, but it was really a cool opportunity. This whole week has been pretty great actually. My comp has improved a lot and we can get along now. We have transfers the next week so we will see what happens, but quien sabe? 

Saturday we got drenched. Im talking like flume ride drenched. We had to come back to the house and change clothes, we were so soaked. We went to eat at the hermana Yupit`s house and she has 2 hijas in the mission and she always worries about them. She was talking about how she misses them, and i showed them the photo I have of you and I mom in the back of my libro de Mormòn. I told her I was sure they prayed for her everyday because that is what I do. Her husband is one of my fav people because he always sleeps through everything even though he is a councilor and when you ask him a question he responds with this high look on his face, "bashkawa?" which is like what? HAHAH it is hilarious

We woke up at 5:30 am on sunday because its what we always do to go to Tzucacab for members but no one is ever there so it just makes me more tired. We had an RM who served in Perù in la casa de oracion and he lives in another pueblo named Texax. It was really cool to have someone like that with us. Roberto was in sacrament meeting again and he has a fecha for this saturday... idk if he is completely ready though. We ate with the Canul family and they have a son in the mission even if they arent members. We have to switch houses because presidente cab told us that his bro is sometimes in our property area and drinks and is problematic sometimes but Hno Clemente has a really awesome house that we went to go see and it is in el centro! Lots less walking. Being the son of my parents I absolutely loved looking at houses hahah;) 

We taught Roberto and like 5 mins into the lesson someone rode past selling corn and he went up and bought corn. He bought corn for us too even though we told him it was the sabbath day. He speaks a lil english and was like "dont worry about it, its ok" and then said "no pasa nada" his favorite phrase hahah I love him. He told us that God knows he needs to eat and that his sabbath day ends with the sun hahhah I remember Bro Mauià saying that once;) I asked to take a pic in front of his american flag and he was like " ok so remember how I used to have porn posters....well..." Yes I know Roberto and thats part of the reason I asked. 

We are going to wake up at 3:30 tomorrow like always on tuesday, and head for ticul. This weeek we are gonna be in merida casi toda la semana because we have our 8 principios meeting and I am stoked. I love you all and cant wait to talk to you on Mother`s Day!

Elder Jordan Saunooke

Elder Saunooke's Pictures from February - March 2016

Always Smiling! (At least on the outside! ;) )