December 12, 2011

Transfer news came and I am staying here (Payson) for 6 more weeks.

Favorite paragraph from the letter:


''At one of the Christmas parties last week a lady got up to give her testimony or something maybe she just got loose and grabbed the microphone but she was telling a story and said "... this happened when I was about 11, but I already knew by this time that Santa wasnt real. I was a very smart kid and my parents just let me know the truth." Ha ha those poor primary children and my companion, had to find out the hard way. Let down at such a young age.''


''Well family I love you all and miss you. But more than that I love being a missionary! Lets not forget at this special time of year that LOVE is spelled M-A-I-L.'' 


Hermana Jessica Alvarez
6265 N 82nd Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85250

November 29, 2011

editors note: I have no idea what this is. she says nothing about it in her email, so go ahead and interpret as you will. Sometimes Jess is a little weird.  -Emily

November 21, 2011

November 14, 2011

November 07, 2011

Payson, Arizona

October 31, 2011

October 18, 2011

 Today we are up in Snowflake again. We went to the temple this morning and after this we are going laser tagging again.

October 10, 2011

 Ok pictures. SO we finally saw Javalina. I think thats how its spelled. We hiked some natural bridge and I made carmel popcorn for the first time in my life. Also we ate at a restaraunt where you watch planes land like where Grandpa Reed used to take us in NY. All of that didnt happen in one day, dont worry we do missonary work up here. Also we went to Snowflake for interviews with the mission president and it snowed! Its getting cold up here! They make me stay in Mesa on bikes in the summer to thin my blood and then throw me to the wolves. We cut all those sticks you see in the back of the truck and then we built a fence to keep cows in. This is a fun town.

September 26, 2011

These two pictures are of Pine. Its pretty much population nothing except one little lady we just started teaching. Our area is just so wide and spacious that it still surprises me.  

Service projecting it up with the other sisters before the Relief Society broadcast. We had to miss President Utchdorfs talk because we had an appointment and of course that is the one everyone talks about. 

September 19, 2011

Us with the puffed wheat snacks we make almost everyday. We made all those for district meeting but the Elders were strongly against eating them because they were "not healthy at all" and "pure grease". Clearly the reason none of them got called spanish. 

What we think the name of our mission should be

September 12, 2011

Lazor tagging with the zone, waaaaaaay fun. Im going to miss the free stuff members let us missionaries do. 

The carne asada party we had. It was such a good turnout! We didnt end up playing volleyball like we promised everyone but we made the most amazing invitations that I will send a picture of next week. 

September 6, 2011

Us with the 'Puffed Wheat Lady.' We do service every Friday for her and help her make a bunch of Mexican food to sell at the park including these delicious puffed wheat things, hence her name. Then, as payment, although we don't need it because its service, she gives us corn with mayonnaise, cheese, and hot sauce on it. 

Then, we go and ride the elk. 

In the morning at the Snowflake Temple. It is a tiny temple but of course just as amazing as the others.

August 29, 2011

with my old branch president and the people who own the cabin 

making salsa on our Pday! 

August 22, 2011

 In case you thought I was kidding about the trantulas or just meant giant spiders here is a picture to prove I dont joke about things of a serious nature like that. 

And of course a picture of Hildas cutest baby ever, Cathy!

Just swinging out over the lake. It took all I had not to let go and have to swim on accident.

Also a picture of us with the Ayon family inside the cabin next to that giant tree that was hand carved by a man and brought in a ship and then some semi's to put in the middle of the house. Not to hold it up I will have you know, just to decorate

August 08, 2011

Transfers!!

August 01, 2011

We taught a primary lesson on preparing to enter the temple (in 10+ years for most of them) on Sunday. This is in the primary room. I am never having kids or at least not being their teacher. Except it was a little funny to hear some of their answers.

I found a scenic view in Mesa! Its in the middle of a senior retirement community of 200+ trailors without a single hispanic person. 

July 25, 2011

 Me and my companion at our only investigator on the indian reservations house. Looks like Idaho right?   

 A really good breakfast we had last week. Yes, beans are a breakfast food, I didnt know either. Almost every meal I eat I wish I could just save and give to Dad because he would love it. And other times I just want to save it and give it to anyone but myself. 

Some of my zone played water balloon volleyball this morning. Great missionary fun.

July 19, 2011

Before the wedding! I wish my backpack wasnt on in eighty percent of my pictures. Either that 

or I am holding my camera case.

We have lunch every Friday with this lady. My companion told her that her birthday would be on a Friday this year and what Hermana Abreu heard was that her birthday was the next
Friday we ate with her. So she got a cake and we celebrated three months early.

Before the baptism! With their current missionarys, which I was a little sad I wasnt one of them. In my interview with president I almost begged him to send me back to my first area, but I will just keep praying and let God tell him. 

Right before they confirmed Juan! There where a ton of people there!

July 11, 2011

 Two of the kids of a recent convert family from Honduras! They are really great! They just took Elders out of this area and replaced them with Sisters the transfer before I got here and people aren't very happy about it. But this family is really nice and they love us! They are really eager to learn and every time we come over they sit the whole family down and want to learn! Its very different from everyone else who would like us to just come over and "hang out" and eat again.

My companion loves cooking. She said her first companion (who was from Bolivia) told her all Americans don't cook and are always on diets and wouldn't like it if she cooks. So I wanted her to know that's not true so I eat a ton and I made pancakes and pasta so far, which I call cooking.

July 05, 2011

Seeing the Ayons! I know I look like a homeless man, but it is super hot here. Like I didnt understand what being hot meant until being here. I wasted all my "ding, ding, ding"s because now is when I really need help getting cooled down. And you will be happy to know I am learning to be a nicer person when I am hot and also when I am hungry. And sometimes both.

This is the only picture I have with my companion so far. She is the one on my right.

June 27, 2011

 I am second from left and I am proud of my tan.

Welcome to Mesa. Where if the scorpions dont kill you the temperature will.

We hiked to the top of a mountain this morning at 5. Its ugly here and not worth the view. Not all of our zone went either because they are chickens.

Going away party because we are both moving out. This was my room. My new zone is the same as the senior missionaries I used to live with. Small world.