WHITE CHRISTMAS IN MIAMI BEACH

Running away with the food

Hello Beautiful Mommy!!!

We do get a pday today, and i dont have much to write nor do i have senic pics yet but I love you guys alot!!! it was so nice to see you guys! I got a letter from Caileigh the other day with a christmas card it was nice to see that another person cares enough to write a handwritten letter lol. I have actually been writing her alot, i am still waiting on a letter from  EVERYONE ELSE!!!!! QUE PASO CHICOS:? oh well.

 well not much to write about, but that last night when i was working out i put on the yoda shirt the one that says, strong i am with the force, and did pull ups lol i took a picture of it too, so you will get it soon. but i am going to let my companion go at it with his family, but i love you guys soooo much, and until next week. Chow Pescado!

Yours Always!

WHITE CHRISTMAS IN MIAMI BEACH
Christmas Day baptism

Elder Maki


Elder Maki and Elder Bishop were privileged to have a baptism on Christmas Day!  

CHRISTMAS DAY

So today we had the awesome experience of a FaceTime conversation with Elder Maki.  I love technology!  Not only could we hear him but we were able to see him at the same time.  He has definitely gained some weight.  You can really see it in his face.  He and his companion Elder Bishop were at a recent convert's house for dinner and to talk to parents.  We were able to meet him and his fiancé while we were talking to Elder Maki.  We were able to spend quite some time with him.  It's nice to see that he is doing well.  We all gathered in front of the computer and chatted.  Tanner, a friend of Elder Maki's, who recently returned from Chile came over to talk to Elder Maki in Spanish.  It was fun to see him converse in another language.  He seems to get along well in Spanish.  He says he's not fluent yet, but that he can say whatever he needs to, just not fast like a native.  He really loves it in Miami Beach and doesn't want to leave.  I mentioned that he has been there for six months already and that there is a good likelihood that he will be transferred during the next set of transfers.  He said, "Dad, that's in the Lord's hands.  If he needs me somewhere else, then I'll go, but if not, I will gladly stay".  He has such a positive outlook on what the Lord requires of him.  He has grown leaps and bounds spiritually and relies on the Lord to guide his every step.  His service has been, is, and will continue to be such a blessing in our lives.

He said that Christmas this year felt 'weird'.  It is such a change from the Christmas we experience here.  He is concerned more for his investigators than he is of presents.  He also mentioned that it is weird to have Christmas when its 28 degrees outside and no snow.  We told him that we had no snow for Christmas and he felt a little better.

I will add some pictures of his Christmas experience as he sends them to us.

To be cont'd

FELIZ NAVIDAD

Hello mommy!

Well another week gone by as if it were a day. I have been so busy this past week trying to get investigators ready for Christmas, a White Christmas. but i guess they didn't want to because absolutely none of them came to church! ARARRGRH its so frustrating when they don't keep commitments, but at least we have one baptism next Sunday. So I believe I will be calling facetime at about 6 or 7 my time so 4 or 5 your time.  and i only have 30-35 minutes to call, so make sure that whoever wants to talk is there or they will miss me till next Christmas. i was so happy that i got those pics in the email. it has been forever since i have seen a happy picture of mom haha, where she smiling the beautiful smile and is just all round happy.  it is a little weird not being there for Christmas, oh and do not worry about the pkgs, if i don't get them time, i will still get them and all will be well. this next week is going to be hectic just will all the Christmas commotion.  I nearly got beat up the other day, but the Lord saved me from that, I LOVE SPANISH! you can say so many things in spanish that you cant say in English. it is so much fun.  Eduardo speaks very good English but is scared to talk to people on the phone, Giovanna however, speaks perfect English so i will give you her number, but Eduardo will probably talk on facetime too lol.  he is super awesome.  They will be home all day Christmas, so we will be there for a while on Christmas day, to eat and to talk with you.  Teiler whatsup broseph? it was nice to see the pic of you and i on the truck, it was also nice to see that you had a nice smile and not a faked smile lol.. just stay happy, i know you miss me and it is weird not having me there, but i only have just over a year left lol... dang that was quick.  but it is so weird not having snow here right now,  i am used to being surrounded by a lot of snow, but oh well,  i will still have a white Christmas, so how close is James to being done his papers, ?  That would be so awesome if one of my friends or family members came to this mission and I trained them, that would be AWESOME! Elder Bishop and I are getting along Great and we are tearing Miami Beach UP!!! again,  So with the call home, like i said, i will only have 35 minutes to call, which i am sad about but oh well, The whole snowboarding thing made me a little trunky lol, i miss the snow.  i miss the cold, it is still around 65-70 here which is nice but it is going to get colder, down to about 45 ish, anyway, the wind has been crazy lately, strong, and cold, and it sucks riding the bikes in it, we now have over 400 miles in a month on our bikes. lol we ride alot,,but oh well, 

An old one of me and Elder Stubbs.

 I cant wait to speak to Ryan after the missions in Spanish. it will be so much fun, and T.J too, whats up with that man?lol well i don't have pics this week, but oh well you will see my chubbifized face on Sunday lol... i am getting stronger Teiler,

Add caption

 hurry up bro! are you taller than me yet? you should be.  btw dad, i have a gift i will show you on Sunday, i am just waiting to send it because the post office is now out of boxes lol... go figure. Christmas in Miami Baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! btw Teiler i have seen a couple celebrities here lately,  I have seen, Flo Rida (whatever his name is) Karl Wolf, 
Pittbul, Unfortunately Brittany Spears, i have seen. M Shadows, and Slash, i have seen 50 Cent, and a bunch of others. oh and Jim Carrey!! cool eh? ( YES STILL CANADIAN) anyway i need to go, necesito hacer mis compras.  I love you all, and i will talk to you in 6 days. and 4 or 5 your time, call Gigi first, to ask if we are there, and right after i will facetime you..

Yours ALways: All the faterness too

ElDeR mAki

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE

Hola mami!

OK so this week was a miracle in itself, the harvest was very well.. usually per month we get 5-6 blessings, this week we got 18!  What a great Christmas gift eh?  Btw i call / facetime home on Christmas Day at about 6 or 7 idk i will have to talk to Eduardo about it and see when they will be home. but it will be on Christmas day, just have everybody come to your house for Christmas ;) haha, jk jk, . oki doki this Christmas is going to be great! you guys freezing up there, and me tanning down here haha, suckers! lol jk. whats with all the letters i have been waiting for? i haven't gotten one yet, I want some letters! i am starting to think, that the rest of the Atwood clan just wanted to kick my butt into the mission field and then that is that, and then they wont talk to me until i get home.  I have been waiting for 8 months!  too long.  so there has been a lot of humidity this past week.  i don't like it!  it sucks haha. btw my companion elder bishop is the new district leader, so as a companionship we are very busy helping the other elders out.  to boost the numbers that are struggling.. 

Elder Eyring's "The Fellowship of the Unashamed"

so teiler whats up? Hows school doing?  dude go do the mission prep! it is soooooo awesome!!! like James said, you're never too young to prepare to serve a mission.   i need to end my letter. I love you all a lot, until next time. 

 

Yours Always, hahaha buffing up!

 

Elder Maki 

Improv Christmas Tree

SNOW?

Dear Mommy!

Oki Doki where to begin. well, I am sorry to hear about April but she is in a better place as we all know.  Yesterday was the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, and we were about to go if we had an investigator, so we talked to Eduardo and Gigi (Giovanna,) and they wanted to go to hear the prophets voice, they loved it. they speak English too so maybe on Christmas when we are at their house we will do some chatting and have them say something... yesterday Eduardo bore his testimony in sacrament meeting, I started crying as he told his conversion story.  it is such a special story.... i remember the "5 minutes" btw i will tell you that story.... ok so Elder sStubbs and i walked up to his door during the harvest.  and we knocked on his door, he opened it and i did the usual, "Hola somos representantes de Jesucristo, y el nos ha enviado aqui para dejar su paz y bendicion en su casa, podemos entrar consigo y dejar esta bendicion? (hello we are representatives of Jesus Christ and he has sent us here to leave his peace and blessing in your house, can we come in and leave this blessing with you?) and he replied, "cuanto tiempo" (how long) and i said, "cinco minutos" (five minutes) he allowed us to come in and leave the blessing which took exactily five minutes.  he told this story yesterday. he was crying and everyone else was crying aswell.. it was so special... that was the highlght of my week.  and seeing tiibo for the fist time in almost a year! dang it has almost been a year!!!! and I AM ALMOST 20 STINKING YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i wont be a teenager anymore.. dang, christmas is almost here, and every day goes faster and faster.  ok so today in studdies, we were going through the names of people from different contries for example canadians are canadiense in spanish. and for guatamalans, it is guatamal, and we were talking how mal means bad, and peor means worse, so we were saying, "never call a guatamal a guatapeor, hahah," it was funny, you may not get it but spanish humouis strange anyway. So Teiler watzup broseph? this week was awesome for me, it sucks that  the ridge is burned to a "extracrispi satisfaction" rather than just crispy, anyway, how is everything? got a date yet? you should go on facebook, look for Kashmil Lopez, she wants to meet you, she is 15 and she is one of the people i baptized. tell her i said hi and tell her you are my brother and she will have a lot to say... haha, anyway, yesterday we had lunch with Cecilia, and she is officially crazy. i have decided,... but she is awesomly crazy.. saturday we had a sports activity, and we were playing basquetbol and i tried to get the ball before it went out of bounds, and elder bishop did too, we crashed and he landed on my hand and it hurts really bad now, it is swullen and bruised but the work continues haha, but mom, how dare you not send a picture of you to your son who hasnt seen your face in almost a year! (Pun intended) I ask for pictures of the FAMILY, there is a funny thing about the word FAMILY, it is spelled F.A.M.I.L.Y, which means, Full, Active, Members, In,,,something something something, sorry couldnt think of anything to come after members haha, but it means FAMILY (picture it said in a low deep slow motion kinda voice) , that means you too haha.ok i am gonna go but i will attach some pics of me holding SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

and of the sierra family before they moved to Utah, we were helping them move...

Yours Always, only if you send me pics of the FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!! haha

Elder Maki

FIRE ON THE RIDGE

Dear Mommy!

oki doki so it is transfers this week, and....drum roll pleas!....................................I am spending Christmas in MIAMI BEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Elder Bishop and I are staying together for another Transfer at least!!! I am so happy, when we got the conference call last night, we were with Eduardo and Giovanna, and they were nervous as can be, she was shaking and had to sit down, he was crying cause he didn't want us to go, and we heard that every single companionship in the Miami Beach Zone is transferring but us! we were jumping for joy, and we all started crying we were so happy, I love the people here! I LOVE this branch, I Love the members they are all sooooooo awesome. para que sepan! (so that you know) Elder Bishop and I added 30 investigators this past transfer, in six weeks 30 investigators, not bad!

 Anyway, that fire looks insane, any idea how the fire started? hope everything is fine over there.  we had a fire here in Miami beach that destroyed 7 apartment buildings, nuts! no body was hurt or killed luckily all the buildings were evacuated and foreclosed anyway, and the arsonist that started the fire died in it. what a crazy guy.  It isn't even on the news because the fire burned so fast that the news crews couldn't get here in time, and the fire trucks had it put out in no time. a thing about the buildings here, being built out of concrete makes it easy to put fires out haha. Ok so for Christmas, I could either Skype home, or call, I would rather Skype so i could see everybody, and you could see me! I could skype from Eduardo's house, he has the same computer as you guys. so it would be lightning fast. Plus i would rather not have elder bishop laughing at me while i talk on the phone cause i pace while talking. The salsa is delicious and the jam also! so my body is kinda crazy, so when i first got here, Elder stubbs told me "just watch, you'll blink and your abs become insulation, and you blink, you become a trainer, you blink and you are in leadership" haha now, i blinked and i weigh 160 pounds, i don't really want to blink anymore right now haha, jk i would love to train.  now that we have been committed to do 30 mins of extreme exercise in the mornings like running stairs, and then weight training, I feel healthier and i am getting buff haha.  i actually do have a six pack, but little by little the flab is disappearing and the pecs and abs are appearing haha, on to some more spiritual things haha, thanksgiving (el dia de accion de gracias) was great, we had three meal apts!!! oye that was a TON (literally) of food! turkey, sweet potato, potato, veggies, soda, salad, sweets, people, the whole sha-bang! it was there, got kinda trunky tho cause it was everything that we would have at home, but i got a pic with the family we ate with, haha and i dont have my mouth closed sorry mom, haha, its funny tho,,, so what happened with my request for the family picture? haha, i forgot a little what Teiler and Tiibo look like. So much to say so little time, tell Ryan to send me a letter, and i will send him one in Spanish. he needs to practice after all.  its hard to believe that he will enter the MTC when i am nearly at my year mark! WHERE IS TIME GOING!!!!!!!!!!!!! ill tell you where its going, it reminds me of Kipp, the "Blink-you-miss-it" town,  you blink it is the next day, week, month etc, it is nutso! btw para que sepas mami, si yo recibi los paquetes. (so that you know mami, yes i received the packages). this past week, i got really sick, we couldn't go out or anything, i was confined to my bed all day.  i got the flu really bad. oh well, the work of God continues .  I am so excited for this next transfer! we are going to exceed the number of total lessons that we got this last transfer (93) and get at least 100.  well. i need to go and do the picture thing, but i look forward for next weeks letter, les quiero muchisimo!

Yours Always, biceps and all hhaha

Elder Maki

p.s: Teiler, Que paso? no has escrito una carta para mi esta semana, pero bueno, te espero proxima semana. chow pescado!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Hi Mommy!!! ok so with the "fecha" thing, ya i realized what i said when i got home and changed into some workout cloths, haha but oh well, unfortunately I have to email President Anderson first thing when i get on the computer so sorry I am no longer able to tell him about Elder Estupinan. You can even ask my companion what i just did when i read that Ryan is going to Barcilona Espana, i literally jumped for joy, i didnt care what anyone else in the library thought, he is speaking spanish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! someone now to help me keep up the language when i get home and to help me make fun of people without them knowing what we are saying hahaha lol.  Now just waiting on James right? just so you know,  when you send packages and they say it will be here in three days, they really mean three weeks haha, the package goes throught like 60 post depots and then goes through a bunch of scanners down here, but oh well, hopefully i get it before transfers, which is next week already!!! oh with the 6 month mark, the memory card is corrupt, so it didnt save the picture, but oh well,  in a couple months i will hit my year mark and that will be cooler.  It is awesome that dad got a blessing in spanish, I am still learning but getting better and better, not to brag or anything, Ya dad when you say it is -17 and -25 i think to myself, Holy cow that is cold,, I am on the verge of freezing here and it is still above 70, yikes haha.. oh well,,, oh for Christmas, i want some pictures of the whole family, WITH TIIBO!!!! i miss that mutt!!! some letters from the family (aunts and uncles) and cousins, and.........some other stuff i cant think of what i would like for christmas, I have everything I could ever want right now I guess, A testimony, a family who loves me, knowledge of the Gospel, Friends.  haha i guess you can realize that Christmas isnt all about toys and fun and games, it is a time when we celebrate all that God has given us, and we give a little back. haha dad your son has been humbled eh? (oh still canadian) BTW there is a senior couple serving here from Cardston, so it always great when i see them and they always say "well hello our Fellow Albertan" and it is just like another piece of home.  the other day they did our apt, inspections, and i got a phone call from a member, and i was speaking spanish, and sister sommerfelt turnned to me and said once i hung up, "that is soooo cool that our fellow Albertan can speak spanish like a spanish person!" It was funny, they will get home a few months before I do, and there is no doubt that I will be visiting them often.  So how is the house doing, so it is funny that with all the pics you have sent me, there is none with the family or TIIBO!!!!! haha, what about those pics that Shanna Bikman took?  That is what i want for christmas.  Wow i am exhausted right now haha, Every morning at 6:30 we go across the street to the church and run the stairs for five minutes, than laps around the gym for 5 minutes then stretching excersizes for 10 minutes and then strengthening excersizes for the rest, i am geting pretty buff haha. I am sitting happily around 167 pounds right now, alot different than the 130 that i weighed when i entered the mtc.   but anyway. oh Teiler, whats up bro? I dont know if you got it yet but i sent off a b-day card, sorry i forgot about it haha, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!!!!! the card is cool too, btw it is in spanish, the thing with the hispanic people is their humour doesn't make sense to us. haha that card was under the section "chistoso" which basically means hilarious. its not very hilarious if you ask me but is is funnier that all the other ones. Dang you got 17 years now, sheesh, getting old.  when we come back down here, there is a girl i think you would like haha ;) and i think she would like you. haha. dont blush now, dont do it! Shut up I am better than you!!! haha remember that? haha long time. ok ok pixie stick is kicking in haha SUGAR! haha jk.  ok everybody, i look forward for next weeks letter and PICS!! and more of where James is going and all the other people!

yours always, sugar high and all!

Elder Maki

I'M FREEZING!

Hello Mommy!!!

So I am currently sitting in the Library writing this email while looking off into the ocean haha, jealous yet? anyway, This week was great! we got 18 total lessons in this week, Eduardo and Giovanna WANT TO SERVE A MISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was so happy when they started asking us what things you have to do on a mission how much it costs how early you have to wake up and everything! it was sooooo awesome! and last night was Pedro's farewell, I cried like a baby, not because i was gonna miss him which i am but because it brought back so many memories of my farewell and all that. Not trunky by any means but still made me think of all the faces at home.. does no one at home (other family) not love me anymore or something because the people i have gotten letters from are a few of my friends and grandma and grandpa, no one else, uncles and aunts i mean.  haha I want more letters!!! that will be the best christmas present ever. oh with the paquete! (Package) I would like some more jam, salsa, that blanket, (because it is getting colder, it is sitting right now at about 78, im freezing!!!) Hemp hand cream (my hands hurt and are dry from my handle bars, btw the other day we road a distance of 16 miles, we are sitting at 128 miles in two weeks) Stamps if you can, ALOT of stamps, cause they are so expensive down here, They have to be american tho. and some face wash stuff. and of course canadian snacks haha.  oh and what is happening with Ryan's call, has he gotten it yet, James, Nathan, anybody else? well I have not much else to say, but I love you all, and The other night, Elder Bishop and I were taking pictures of ourselves with a slow shutter speed in the dark with our bike lights making the baptismal symbol, i did one with the white and red one symbolizing baptism by water and fire. it was cool, and now a letter to my dear brother!

Teiler, whats up bro? wheres the pics man? its hard to believe that i have been on my mission for 7 months already and each week goes faster and faster, especially every transfer. this transfer is almost over already, I have been 3 transfers in this area and it is amazing.. Dude i miss you like crazy, and you are just starting to miss me?lol jk jk,,, anyway,,, i know it must be wierd not having me there all the time, no one to talk to you besides your friends, no one to annihilate on COD lol, no one to fight with to scream at or whatever, but know that I love you man, alot.  Call me a nerd or whatever you want, but this gospel means everything to me, especially my mission, Living the mission life is very difficult sometimes, but es vale la pena (it is worth the shame, or worth the effort) Sometimes you get rocks thrown at you, or mud thrown into your face or even jumped in the streets, beaten, or even threatened, but it is all worth it,  knowing that the savior suffered all for all, so i press on. know that visions and revelations, are real, trust me, i am a witness of it.  I have written it in my journal, and i will share it with you after i get home.  It is amazing the things that can come to you mind when your mind is opened and clear.  And also know that satan is also real, if you have it read Jeffery R. Hollands talk that he gave this past conference to the priesthood body,.. I promise you Teiler that as you continue to have faith, and work according to that faith, your eyes will be opened to new paths you never thought were real.  you will see things that you never thought you could see in this life time, you will feel things you never thought you could feel, you will hear things you never thought you could hear. and as a servant of the Lord i promise you this, and i wasn't planning on telling you my testimony haha but i leave it for you to ponder, In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Yours Always, every step of the Way

Elder Maki

GARGANTUAN IGUANA

Just a note from US first.  If you read back all of Elder Maki's letters you will see how his English is getting worse and worse.  Hopefully in a year we can still make sense of his letters.

Dear Mommy!

      Hey everyone!!! So all in all everything is well. hey that rhymed haha, anyway, oh the Three baptism thing ok, so , Eduardo, he has 45 years, was baptized on top of his amazing conversion story, quit drugs, smoking, drinking, coffee, tea. Then he got his daughter who has 11 years into it, Niki, she got baptized by the testimony of her dad, and then Felipe who has 17 years, who is a different kid with a lot of stories wanted to change his life, so he got baptized.  Now Eduardo is engaged, to his ex girlfriend from Peru who has 38-ish anos and her name is Giovanna, they will be married and then after that, she will be baptized by Eduardo.  They are very excited to go through the temple together. 

I cant even explain, how much my mission has significance in my life.  it has changed who I am, as you have witnessed.  but i am still a little crazy haha. i am still a teenager for a couple more months. haha.  anyway, Elder Bishop and I have been getting along great. we understand each others humour, and we make up stories in Spanish, by saying a sentence each and sometimes the stories end up talking about a horse that ate a man and died but was resurrected and had a perfect body and turned into a man, and became someone who said everything perfectly so he could say it was straight from the horses mouth. ya it gets funny sometimes.  but i have some pics to send..

The pic of the iguana is cool, i took the picture from about 10 feet away WITHOUT zoom, the thing was about 6-ish feet long and its big green eyes were the size of a quarter. there is your lizard Teiler. haha... well.  the wind has picked up down here and it reminds me of home haha, except my wind comes from the ocean. I bought myself a bike computer and in a week we have travelled a total of 65 miles, and a top speed of 34.5 miles/hour, with the wind of course.  Hermana Cecilia is crazy eh? (AHAA still Canadian!!) she loves us lol.. she takes pics of us when we are just standing there. its hilarious.  Dad I am glad the encouragement of your slightly inexperienced and overly excited, and slightly better looking son helped you realize your potential.  haha, just remember what president Uchdorf said, DONT LIVE BELOW YOUR POTENTIAL.  You have provided you family with probably the best life we could ask for.  You have given us what we need.  Mom too, your contribution to our family welfare is a sacrifice that I will never be fully grateful for because you continue to impress me with your faith.  The other day i was studying about Eternal Marriage to teach to Eduardo and Giovanna, and a thought came into my mind, I wonder what kind of person I will marry, and who would marry me? so i pondered on that for a while, while reading, when I received personal revelation which came to my mind and said "take no thought of it now, but your eternal companion will be one of your dearest friends who has and will stand by you in all that you do." so now I know what kind of girl to look for when I get home but not a moment sooner right? haha  It was really nice to know that. but oh I received the letter from Caileigh so i no longer need your help in trying to get her address.  oh in your next package down here, make sure you send it by the United States Postal Service, but you know that brown fuzzy blanket we have at home, I would like that, and whatever you would like to send me, oh more jam please lol,,, my companion likes it.  lol.. the temperature is dropping here and it gets really cold now that the time has been changed, so the sun is down at 6:30 pm so at least we don't sweat as much at night lol.. but I need to leave myself, but until next week, I love you all, Teiler send me a letter next week lol,,

keep me updated

p.s. the picture of me on the bike, the guy in the car was screaming at me haha

yours always,, yup yup yup

Elder Maki

SPIRITUAL HIGHS

Hi Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and everybody else!!!

Wow what a week.  emotional week, spiritually draining and everything! I was so happy to get a letter from James!  It has been too long dude!  That is awesome that your papers are almost done!   You too Ryan!  Just so you two know, a mission is the most fun you will have.  I don't remember a time on my mission that wasn't fun so far, well besides surgery.  But that is a different story, I was having fun when it happened haha.. My mission means everything to me, I am glad I made this disicion, it changed my life.. I have been here in Miami for 3 1/2 months now and i have had 6 baptisms... the last three were yesterday (Sunday) it was a very emotional and spiritual day...

Now a letter to dad really quick.  All I can really say, is beware of Pride.  haha your son is telling you to beware of pride lol.  Just like in the Joseph Smith movie, sometimes the Lord brings you low, before he can bring you higher. Remember that dad, maybe the Lord is preparing you for something bigger .  The Lord is bringing you lower, to prepare you, teaching you a lesson so to speak, so he can lift you higher...Sorry if i have offended you, but you have to understand, the Lord may have great things planned for you, you don't know what they are but you will find out.. So don't react to something you don't know the result to right?  Good haha that was weird. oki Guilleremo is all good now, he over came his illness.  Everything is nuts here right now.   Oh just send me a bunch of sweets, doesn't matter which ones.  The jam is amazing, send me more! lol oh and Eduardo, our new recent convert, is engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is going to baptize her on the 12 of November!!!!!! and they are already planning for the temple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... anyway I believe that is all for today, but I love you all and thank you for everything!!! 

Yours Always, even when the pounds are gaining!

Elder Maki

HALLOWEEN ON YOUR MISSION

Not sure what's goin on here but at least he's having fun.

A little halloween spookiness for everyone to enjoy.

I'm not sure what Elders Maki and Bishop are dressed up as, maybe Wendy.

Well this post isn't from a letter of Elder Maki's, but an update on life and stuff.  We just attended a mission farewell of one of Elder Maki's best friends growing up.  It really made us reflect on the kind of boys they were and the kind of men that they have become.  It is so amazing to see how these young turkeys can actually grow up and become such an influence for good in the world.  It is hard to imagine where or what all these 19 year old young men would be doing if it weren't for the preparation and subsequent missionary service.  It really does mould who they are becoming.  As we returned home from the dinner I saw we had a Facebook notification that Cecilia Gonzalez had tagged Elder Maki in some pictures.  After looking at them I new I had to share them.  So here they are in no particular order.

Elder Maki's mother is wondering if he will ever take a serious picture

GOOD-BYE TO ELDER STUBBS

Hola muchachos!!! finalmente hoy es el dia de preperacion! yo lo he esperado por eso! oh sorry you probably dont understand spanish yet huh? ok well,  anyway, my companion is Elder Bishop, from Arizona, transferred from West Palm Beach, and no I am not the leader, he is senior companion still but I lead him around the area.  So this week after the transfer, we doubled our total lessons taught!!! oh mom Kashmil speaks perfect english and Noria knows and understands it, but struggles speaking it.  I miss them dang! ok pues, all is well here, I AM FREEZING!!!! the humidity is gone and it is about 70-ish!! its soooooo cold, hard to think that in a couple months, it will be 60-70 below zero where you are at hahahahahahaha, but I guess it feels refreshing here here right now,,,, dang 6 and a half months out ya! crazy how fast time goes, 

My old companion and trainer Elder Stubbs

Tell James I DO NOT want to see him at my homecoming, but I WILL be at his! Tell him that time goes so quickly.  So i haven't heard about Nathan Sparks call yet, where is he going?  anyway, Our friend Guillermo (Papito-malo) is sick and is on the edge of life right now... we both fear that this may be his last week...but we gave him a blessing so God knows what needs to happen with him...I love the kitchen It is soooooo different.. it looks like a kitchen you would find in a penthouse here! mind you even the penthouses here are about half the size of our family house.,... I love the backpack and the braces are helping me to sleep so i have alot more energy during the day.  what else can i tell you guys... oh we are having tremors here, just teeny weeny ones but alot of them is because of the ships and large carriers go really close to the coast so the waves crash and break on the rocks and the beach and shakes the ground.. I have put over 6000 miles on my bike now and it will keep going up and up.   Oh ya i have a cool picture I am going to send you at some point, it is of my 6 month mark.  it is cool.  Well today we are going fishing, it is the barracuda migration season so we are going to see if we can catch a barracuda, but anyway, there are many fish in the bay today... Oh dad, finally you have gotten your head out of the gutter and gotten a Mac, haha, do some sweet garage band stuff, if i can I am going to send you the songs i have written on the piano that i have on my camera and send them home, they are cool... 

Chowin down on some grubb

Teiler, Que tal jefe? tienes novia? haha tienes una fecha con una mujer o mujeres, tienes animo para servir una mision? bueno, tu eres un buen ejemplo para mi.  Antes de mi mision, no gustiste la iglesia, ahora bien, tienes un gran testimonio de la divinidad del arrepenimiento y el perdon, pues, espero que todo esta bien contigo, y que vaya bien pues.  haha tanslate!

I love you all soooo much,

les amo muchisisisisimo

soy suyos para siempre

Elder Maki

PAPITO-MALO

PICS YAYYYAYAYAY!!!!

This is Guillermo Almeida, a member, Cuban 73 yer old man and he is awesome!

Majesty of the Seas

This cruise ship, is tiny, even though it looks big, the Oasis of the Seas is 7 times bigger.

GOT THE PACKAGE!

Hey everyone!!! I got the package and i am sleeping like a baby with the braces!! the backpack is awesome and the "How-to-use" guide was hilarious!!! so in answer to your questions, transfers is tomorrow (Wednesday) and Elder Stubbs is transferring and I am staying in Miami Beach.  It has been an amazing transfer.  and no I do not get trunky when I say how long i have been out, I left the MTC thinking about the MTC, Missionary Training Center, Now it stands for Make Time Count.  Do not count time, make time count is what my mind set is... 

Almost complete!

the Kitchen looks absolutely amazing!!! i don't even recognize it!!! well mom, you got your dream kitchen now eh?  I am so glad I chose to come on a mission.  It has blessed my life and your lives too.  my work is not finished, i am excited to stay another transfer and find those who are still waiting for me.. the Salsa fue muy muy muy delicioso!! it was very very delicious but, the chips were all smashed up haha.  but oh well.. Everything is well here. it has been raining for the past three days, and when i say cooled off a bit, it is about 75 but it feels really cold right now.  so the other day we went harvesting, and we found a fresh Cuban family, (10 months they have been here) and they are super prepared! they let us in without hesitation and we left the blessing, returned last night, and they were very touched by the blessing.  By the way next transfer is on the 30th of November, every transfer week, P-day is on the Tuesday... so I have some pictures of Papito (guillermo almeida is his real name but we call him Papito-Malo haha) .  Well I love my mission, I love my new life, I love everything!! except the other day... we were helping a member move, and there was a shooting... only 2 streets away.  A Colombian youth was killed in the drive-by and the murderers are still out there, so we are staying careful.  walking with determination and quickly.  don't worry tho, the Lord protects his missionaries.  It is still pretty difficult to find new investigators, but we added three yesterday.  but still,  the people we meet don't want to change, or they are happy, or just threaten to kill us when we talk to them.. scary sometimes but oh well...  It is really an interesting place but we are pressing forward with steadfastness in Christ.... So teiler hows everything? that's awesome how you are getting into bow-hunting, that cool.  hows the hair treating you? lol  oh btw teiler, when we come back here after my mission, you are going to love it here.. you know how warm it is in the sauna at home? ya it gets that warm here.. oh and Dad, loved the how-to-use guide haha it was hilarious, and when we come back here, you are going to loose some weight but sweating it off lol,.. it is nice and cool here now but i still sweat haha..  I am excited to meet my new companion tomorrow, who knows maybe it will be one of the Elders from my MTC district. I am so excited for everything now haha.. .my bike is all good, i have alot more energy during the day because i am sleeping better with the braces... my shoulder isn't as sore, from the backpack... everything is all groovy! but I have some lds.org shopping to do quick, i need some DVD's for teaching , only about 10$ for both of them,,, these are the things I use my card for. but for now, I love you all So much and  i thank you for your prayers and the PICS haha,

Yours always, hmmhmm

Elder Maki

COOLIN DOWN

Hello everyone!! Well the temperature is going down, FINALLY!!! ok so I have not yet received the package :( but I am still waiting, Elder Stubbs has received three packages in the time that i have been waiting for mine haha.  Oh and all is well with my bike, i just took it in to get fixed cost me 8 dollars. Spanish is great, weather is great (with the exception of Saturday it rained all day and i got sick from it }:(    so ya it was a sad week. Our recent converts Noria, Kashmil, and Luz moved back to Massachusetts and it was a sad sad sad goodbye, tears and and more tears.  it was sad... anyway,  my back has been bugging me and my shoulder too but the work goes on.  Our finding hasn't been very well this week, we only had one blessing. but quite a few come-bakcs.  oki doki but other than that... so Grandma and Grandpa sent me a dear Elder this week OH and i got a letter from Elder Cooper!!!!!! it was awesome to read and to see how he is.  so Oh tell people in the family, cousins and all to write me, give them my address.   oh and i gots pictures for you all. ok bueno que mas que mas, there is not much to write about, oh que paso con los fotos de la cocina?! estoy esperando!! ok i will translate, what happened with the pictures of the kitchen, i am waiting. haha ... Hey Teiler whats up? hows school and that stuff? how's the hair? haha, do you have any dates lined up with a girl? or girls lined up for dates or however you do it, haha.  Mom I hope you get better soon,  I too am thankful for my family, and everything I have, I am thankful to be on my mission and to have had the opportunities and experiences that i have had, I am lacking in the snack department haha, i miss Canadian munchies. all this American snacks are weird haha.but the Latino food is amazing, we continue to get food every night from members, and we have found a few less actives and long lost investigators.  So the revelations still come and the language is great! today we had to go to the hospital to visit our crazy Cuban member who tripped and fell in his house he is 73 years old and he completely messed up his face! ouch!!!! broke his nose and gashed his forehead and has two black eyes.  anyway, how is everything on the house, I want some more pictures, the transfer is almost over and it feels like it has been seriously a month that i have been here , but time goes by so quickly, I only have a year and a half left, it is crazy!!!   oh please continue to pray for the success, and pray that i will stay here in Miami Beach haha, i love it here and there are many still waiting for me. I love you all, thank you so much for all that you do for me.

Yours always, dark dark dark!!! wait is it possible to be called dark white chocolate?haha lol

Elder Maki

EL PORTAL

We have been renovating our kitchen the past three weeks and sent Elder Maki some pictures of the tear out and rebuild.  This is his response.

Wow Everything looks different in the house!!! looks like pretty much you are building a new house! oh well. I cant wait to see more pics... ok so this week was a little disappointing besides our 4 baptismal date commitments for October. Its a pretty interesting story what happened to us this week... ok so first Monday was P-Day, Tuesday we saw an investigator and set a baptism date, Wednesday we had no success in finding, Thursday we were sick, cuz on Tuesday we had 4 meal appointments, Friday Elder Stubbs had a trainers meeting and I went to El Portal with Elder Beer and Elder Hanna, while there our very first lesson, we get there, lock up our bikes, (btw el portal is the ghetto of Miami) we get into our lesson and perform the lesson extend a baptismal date, leave, talk to a guy standing in his yard, and go to get on our bikes, and all the tires were slashed!!!!!!!!! Every single stinking tire!!!!!!!!! And everything that was on our bikes, (Lights and mud-flaps, PEDALS) were all gone, they tried to steal my front tire and my seat, I put my seat on really good but the tire they almost got besides the fact they couldn't get past the brakes muahahaha. But we spent 2 hours fixing everything and we found our pedals in the middle of the next street over because they were just plastic.  They cant get drugs for something that cheep.  But anyway, that's my interesting story for this week. But everything happens for a reason, right? so I had to go and get new lights and stuff, and get a tune up on my bike, all my spokes were kicked in and about 10-50 holes per tire, it was a fun day. haha. But anyway everythings all good now... There is a bike shop and the guy that owns it is not a member but has a history of about 30 years helping the missionaries out with bike stuff.  So that was fun.   Ok so Noria and Kashmil are strong and Kashmil was confirmed yesterday and I performed that and it was great. She felt the "baptism of fire" she said. Sister Gonsalez called me about 2 minutes after she hung up with you on what was it Thursday something like that, and she told me everything lol... I am glad to here everything is ok there. Everything is great here and the temperature has been around 90-110 the last couple days, and of course 100% humidity haha.  I am getting pretty dark too! especially spending two hours in the sun at 2 in the afternoon fixing bikes! Last night we added another 3 investigators and 2 baptismal dates!!!  Can't complain really.   So we have been spit upon, mud thrown in our faces, tires slashed, robbed, beaten (not really, just hit but beaten sounds cooler HAHA), burnt, screamed at, loved, honored, remembered, worshipped (haha that was a funny story) chased down to find out more, but mostly.......rejected haha, oh well we are to plant the seed right.   So ya I have pics of the bikes but I forgot my camera so I will send them next week. So Teiler, how is everything??? How's school? Tiene una novia todavia? hehe, que tal una feche con una mujer? hahaha, hay muchas mujeres aqui quien te amaria, hahahahaha. entonces, translate that.  Oh and we ran into a tranny that looked like Bronco (Brutus) this week!!!!!!!  Tell dad that!!   I nearly peed my pants laughing before  I even started talking to him hahahahaha sooooooooo funny.   So other than that I dont think there is anymore to talk about.

So from the first family missionary (immediate and grandchild) Pues adios!

Suya para siempre, hahahah yup

Elder Maki

DAD'S SPANISH LESSON

Hola mi querida familia! Dad, not to be rude or anything, but your spanish is terrible lol.  Dad you should say, "Hola mi misionero, que pasO?" Okidoki, where do I begin, the baptisms were amazing, and they are so strong, yesterday only one of the girls was confirmed which was sad.  About the back pack thing, I want the camelback, not a shoulder bag, I have a shoulder back already, and its worse, so a camelback, cuz I can put water in it and books of mormon, ok? thx!  The thing with sending it is it can ONLY go to the mission office. Its against the rules to send it anywhere else, even to a members house.  From the mission office, then they send it to me, we are in our apt. till 1:00 in the afternoon anyway and posts come at about 11:00 so I should be able to get it.  If not the post office is only a block from our house.  Oh can you send me my back braces too!  My back becomes really sore when I sleep from the day, so that with help me to sleep much better.  Um the other thing with the pics, I sent some last week but I guess you didnt get it so I will send them again, and I did get a universal charger for like 40 bucks, and at Ross I bought a white tie, and at Staples I bought a prayer journal so I can write down all my "revelations"... :D which there are alot... I am doing great, here it's been rainy, and 2 weeks ago today we kinda got a hurricane lol... the wind was sooo strong.  Reminded me of home, and you couldnt see 6 feet ahead of you cuz of the rain.  Its fun tho... all the interesting storms everyday, and riding the bikes in them and all that.  With the cruise subject, only book carribean cuises, and they are expensive and the bahamas cruise takes 7 days, really for the money you spend, i have heard from people it isnt really worth it unless you are on the bahamas for a week, you are only there for maybe 2 days. so you spend a five days on a boat, and than 2 days on one of the most beautiful collection of islands, not really worth it lol... but I have lots and lots of people we can visit instead lol.  The cool thing is I will be able to translate.

Last night at the Sierra's house me and Agustin, their little 14 month old had a crawling race, (he crawls with his butt lol) so he and I had a race and I got pics...hopefully they work this time. 

This place is absolutely gorgeous and I love it, we are getting some flooding from the rain, but oh well, at least there are no basements, I am excited to see the kitchen pics! but I only have so much time to write so until next time, remember, CAMElBACK lol not shoulder bag, and back braces, both of them plXDse! thx. I love you all so much and I miss Tiibo too! lol

yours always five months out!

Elder Maki
p.s has time gone that fast already???

WHITE NIGHT!

Hey family!!!!!! OK imagine this, Elder Maki, Elder Stubbs, Noria Gomez, and Kashmil Lopez all in WHITE TONIGHT! yup that's right they are being baptized tonight, and wow its been a journey!!! Last night we received a call about transfer info, and ..... we are both staying together and for at least  6 more weeks. I love it here in Miami Beach. Ok so hurricane watch has slowed down a little, and storms are still an every day thing. Oh ya you think it rains a lot when it does where you are at, well here, about the same amount falls in about 10 mins. haha lol... its crazzy.  Ok I need some stuff, my backback is now bothering my shoulder, if at all possible I need one of the camelbacks from home, nice light, enough room for a couple books of Mormon and WATER!! , Its been in the 90's and 100's here lately and its crazazy.  Oh and tonight I will get more pics and hopefully also today we are going to Best Buy and getting a charger if they have one.   Well, what else oh I need some CD's for my investigators lol.   What ever happened to those pics that were taken by Shanna Bickman?  I am waiting lol... I cant even contain my excitement I have for tonight!!! I am finally in the water. I will be baptizing Kashmil because she is lighter than her mom and that will be good for my shoulder. My shoulder (besides being sore from the backpack) is great, the scar is awesome and healed great... it is permanently damaged tho and will never be the same, my arm itself is twisted from the Capsul Shift they did. But all is well and I am pressing forward... We found a man from Peru the other day, really receptive and spiritual, also received a referral from Elder Edwards. Lately daily I have been biking anywhere from 3-16 miles a day.  Depends on where our investigators are at.  So I assume that you have seen my apt. now and we got our inspection the other day.  We passed.  I am now 166 pounds and holding...   The strangest thing I have eaten now, but was extremely delicious (Elder Stubbs didn't really like it) is called Ros de Marino, (rice of a mariner) it has full shrimp (head legs everything) clams, (muscles, and with the shells) and all that oh-so-delicious stuff, for me, Dad and Teiler anyway lol...  When we come back we are having some at Hermano Venagas' house lol... its SOOOOO GOOOD.   Anyway... yesterday, because it was a holiday was spent it prosiliting so thats why I didn't write yesterday.  Oh and tell T.J that I am still writing his letter in spanish lol. Hold Tight... So Jorge is awesome and is so strong in the gospel, and Noria and Kashmil are now preparing for the temple... its amazazing,,, But with the tracting thing, we do not tract, in the FFLM it is called harvesting lol.  Basically the same as tracting, door-to-door but instead of saying we have a msg that will bless your family, we say the Lord sent us here to leave his peace and blessing in your home...and we have had in the last week about 300 door slams lol... so yes we get door slams all the time...any way I need to go so I can write my mission President.   But a quick thing to Teiler, Dude whats up? 12th grade eh? (go Canada) I still have no clue who it is who you are going to date lol... But if I can tell you anything that means everything to me, is to have your mind set on serving a mission, it is the best decision I have ever made, and that you will ever make.


I have seen miracles here in the 6 weeks I have been here.  Especially Noria, Kashmil, Luz, and Jorge.  In all honesty, the Lord has spoken to me, telling me where I should go, what door I should knock, and who needs me, and especially what to say in the blessings of the homes we enter... Let me tell you that the Spirit of God really does feel like a fire is burning and the Lord is leading me with it, to knock not only the doors of houses (or billions of apts) but the doors of the hearts of the children of men. How exquisite is the work of the Lord in my eyes. especially now that I have "locked my heart" and sent the key back home (locked out girls) and now that I have learned how to exercise my faith and how to teach by the spirit.  Because I have done this, I have seen 4 magnificent miracles, one of them is waiting for baptism but the other three are amazing people and I am so grateful I came here to teach them,... when you are tempted, remember this,

I say to my feet "keep still"

I say to my hands "just stay"

I say to my all-over-everywhere self

"I am in charge of you today"

I am the King of ME.

I love you all so very much and I am missing some pics!!! lol send some in that pkg lol

yours always, eternally

Elder Maki