I GOT ATTACKED BY A FREAKING DOG!!!

Hey Mom!
Ok so this past week was painful in a lot of ways, the work went well, and...I GOT ATTACKED BY A FREAKING DOG!!! so i got a nice bruise on my arm from where he bit me and a nice gash in my leg from where he got me and the infection that came after... i got bit on wednesday...and...i gots pics of it! lol anyway. about the emailing thing, i am allowed to recieve emails from others, but i just cant email back to them, only through family who can forward that letter, its what president said awhile back. and i am getting pretty dark lol, the good ol' Miami sun is taking its toll lol. half way up the neck and from just about the elbows down lol. legs are SUPER white! lol. i got a nice bracelet tan and a watch tan even a ring tan lol... we met a lot of really cool people this past week and only had 1 gator at church.. but she is super solid... so from getting in super close bike wrecks with the comp. and getting bit by the dog and after punching it in the face, its been an interesting week. 

Teiler is tall! so what kind of car did he get???? And that would be a great idea for me getting a car 8 months from now :S that is a scary thought. .... when i entered the MTC, the Letters MTC meant missionary torture...training Center lol, now they mean Make Time Count. it leaves me only 8 months to do all i can to bring as many souls unto Christ as i can. i also have been reading a really special song that David and I sang for a baptism. ask him to translate it for you but i will write the lyrics at the end of the letter... I didn't get an email from T-Rod either btw, para que sepan. (so that you know), last letter from David was pretty cool actually, so i guess it is definitely in the plans that him and i are living together after the mission, and i want to be a physical therapist now and he wants to be a chiropractor, i love that guy! . how is james doing on his mission???????  what is his maling address?????? and whats the dealio with Ryan?????? so here is the song but thank you for the booster letter, i love you all. have fun on vacation! i bet i am warmer than you still!

Te Hallare Mi Querido Amigo

Antes que vinieramos al mundo
Vivimos con amigos amados
El concilio se junto, el plan resulto
El libre albedrio se nos dio

Dijo el Senor encuentra mis ovejas
Que en el mundo perdidos estan
Le prometi que yo si lo haria
Por mi la verdad obtendran

Te Hallare mi querido amigo
El plan te ensenare
Aceptame cuando te encuentre
Y la verdad te mostrare

Recuerda que el valor de las almas
Es grande en la vista de Dios
Es hermoso encontrar
Las ovejas del Senor

Hay que ensenar a sus hijos
Pues listas almas habran
se sabe que la obra del Senor
por el mundo marcha con fervor

y si tu gozo es grande con un alma
Ensenada y traida a mi
Que feliz el corazon se exalta
al traerlos hacia mi

Te Hallare mi querido amigo
El plan te ensenare
Aceptame cuando te encuentre
Y la verdad te mostrare

Recuerda que el valor de las almas
Es grande en la vista de Dios
Es hermoso encontrar
Las ovejas del Senor

Es Hermoso encontrar
Las ovejas del Senor.

FLAT!!!

Hey Mom!
Wow i miss my mountains! Here it si flat, so flat in fact, you can see for miles here in homestead, so as the transfer draws to a close in 2 weeks, we are worrid about our gators, they are not progressing.

I think my career idea changed... i really want to go into phisical therapy and improvement through movement studies... i think i would really enjoy it, and David, wants to be a Chiropractor. Maybe even we will work together! Oh Teiler!!! that is awesome that you got a good job like that!  that is super coool! you'll be able to save up for your mission! and get ready for the best time of your life!! im glad i did..! oh...dont die i still need a brother to pick on when i get home. ahhaha jkjk... Oh and this past month so far we have broken ground in the mission! we baptized 102 in 4 weeks as a mission! NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE! and just a few weeks ago president asked us what we were wiling to do to be able to do something we have never done before, and we said anything.. unfortunately my companionship hasnt baptized yet but we will in a the coming weeks, btw pray for me to stay in this area... i love it here... not as much as sunset but i need to stay here for a little longer..so we are going to the mall a little later on and i will probably buy a hat and sunglasses. my other sunglasses broke. but mom....next time pictures are taken, GET IN THE PICTURE! lol.. i miss your face!lol So how is the fat little runt Tiibo doing? how much does he weigh? like 50 lbs? So i am done with Polestar Pilates for now, it takes too much time for me to do the class, but every couple weeks or so (depends on if i stay or go) i might go for a one-on-one with Kathleen. but my abbs are getting pretty tight. it is nice...but i need to go now to send you something for David. I love you all! Take care and until next week, Hasta La Vista

Yours Always

Elder Maki

RAINY!!!!!

Dear Mommy!

Wow this past week was on the wetter side, first monday we had a big ol' nasty storm

and then it has been raining every day since, luckily it stops while we proselyte, lucky eh?  the temperature has been in the high 80s with of course 100 % humidity which makes it about 105-110 degrees.. and of course you sweat your brains out... 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!! Feliz cumpleanos a ti, feliz cumpleanos a ti, feliz cumpleanos a mami, feliz cumpleanos a ti! LOVE YOU MOM! 29 AGAIN!!! (BTW that was the happy birthday song in spanish lol) 

Well i still haven't sent the receipts home cuz its hard for me to get to a post office, but when i can i will, and i have physio on fridays still, Kathleen will be telling me about pilates class on this friday.  So Elder Smith and I are getting along well and he is funny! Elder Dowdle and him like to luchar! which means fight. they wrestle and it is hilarious cuz they just tickle each other and Elder Dowdle is SUPER ticklish lol. And i do have to say, that was a huge letter mom lol. and the computer i am using is wonky so i have to scroll right  not up and down... 

about the trip to honduras, YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! after hearing David telling me about it, and his dad saying if we ever wanted to go we could stay there, i want to go so badly.!!! David is awesome! he and i will be life long friends/brothers. and he is right, moms are the best! I think he and i are even going to live together at some point, I was one of the only (out of 2) companions that he got along with, and i was the one that he got along with most... i miss that guy! so this next week, please pray for Roberto, who should be getting baptized on sunday... also for Mariela, and Monterio. thanks! My mission means alot to me, dad knows what i mean, it has taught me a lot and I'm sure when i share the journals with you that you will see why. and the pics i have... all in all this past week was not very successful when looking at the key indicators, we blessed a lot of people but they were not super elect cuz they buffed us on our return apts, but the work of God continues, and worlds and lives abound right? (if you could high to Kolob) but i have nothing else to write except that I love you all and take care!

Yours Always

Elder Maki

READY TO HARVEST

Hey Mommy!

Well this past week was awesome! losts of harvesting! left 20 blessings!!! crazy eh? 

thanks mommy! I seriously started crying while reading your email mom, it was seriously an eye opener, it made me reflect back on my mission, especially the picture of dad in the Miami Beach Florida shirt! Where the heck did you get that!?!?!?! lol at least its not a south beach shirt, you get that i will smack you so hard through the computer even it will get dizzy! lol no just that south beach is the closest thing you will get to the devil's layer (you know what i am referancing) also it is totally true, 

i always did want a sister didnt i? well i found one, and you didnt even have to buy her! lol. it was wierd cuz she has had such an astounding impact on me and I on her.  If you want her side of the story of the night i gave her that blessing, ask her. truly amazing!  teiler didnt write me again...well one year ago saturday i left the MTC into the Salt Lake City Mission...On and with the picture you sent, i think i am beating you all with the tan! muahahaha, i am super dark! ill send you a pic next week i forgot my camera. But this past week, we met so many people! biked a total of 170 miles in one week... ya the area is HUGELY HUGE! sorry i had crystalite juice mix this morning, feeling kinda crazy... lol and its P_DAY who can complainn right? i know exactly how Elder Krogue feels, when one is in a very special area and he gets to love the members, its hard to leave, like me and Sister Nava and Maria. , how long has he been out? 

 oh and the harvest approach is...."Hi! we are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ! and He has sent us here to leave is peace and blessing upon your home and family! can we come in to leave that blessing?" then you go in and kneel down and you start the blessing with..'In the name of Jesus Christ and by his authority, we leave the savior's peace and His blessing upon your home and your family...' and then you bless each one as if you are giving them a priesthood blessing. and at the end you bless them with the desires and abilities to recognize the truth and to act upon the witness of the Holy Ghost. and then close in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. Works every time! its awesome! i hope it works for them.. we are the first mission to do it. so we have had all the successs but i hope it works for them it would be good for the Canada Calgary Mission. 

Dad it looks like you have lost some weight? or are you sucking it in? lol. tell Elder Krogue that i feel bad for them cuz they have to wear their long sleevs, i dont!!!lol it just means i have more area to get sunburnt, ALL YEAR ROUND!! lol uhoh now i am making fun of them, now thats not very Christlike. ;D Well i got to go find a talk online. I love you all and thank you for everything! P.S: Tiibo is HUGE! how heavy is he? and mom its a miracle you let them take a picture of you!

Yours Always 
Elder Maki

AWESOME WEEK!

Hello Mommy!

So this past week was pretty freakin awesome! we had transfers, and Elder Hardman is up in Wellington now, that is about a drive from stirling to Calgary, and Elder Smith came from Jupiter, right next to Wellington down to me in homestead. He is from...of course Utah, the factory as we call it, he is the 10th of 11 kids, and he reminds me alot of elder bishop! he is awesome! we tore this place apart the last half of the week, and we had 3 gators at church and they all now have dates for the 22nd of July, please pray for Brittany and Riley, that they will get married, and baptized, and pray for Fidel Delatore that he will accept our msg and have the desires to come closer to Christ.. those are the three gators that came to church, Brittany has 3 absolutely adorable kids, Marshante who is almost 5 and is deaf, she is soooo cute, everytime we are there she says to me in sign, I love you. and Rekayla is 2 and she is just a little fireball! lol she runs around but when they are at church she is the cutest girl! and Riley junior is 1 and he just looooooves to laugh! he looks at me and i smile and then he just laughs and laughs lol... ill send a pic next week of them.. i havent sent the reciepts yet but i am filling the last pages of my one journal and then i will send them home.. we biked 23 miles the other day and then 19 yesterday. our area is huge!!! but i love it! i love being back on two wheels! :I) it sucks in the wind tho. The new car is sick! it is so cool! looks nice! cant wait to drive it, in 9.5 months :S scary thought.. 

yes i got all three pkgs and i have given some stuff away, the big turk bites and the smarties are all gone now lol, i just wish i could find some of that stuff here! so time is going by way too quick its kinda scaring me. and sorry about the cool your jets thing, i wasnt having a very good week.. and on top of that i was sick, and achy but i am doing ok now, i woke up this morning a little under the weather again.. i want some pictures of my mountains! good ol' Alberta Rockies! i miss mountains, in case you didnt know, you wont find anywhere flatter than here! lol... so we had a tropical storm come through here but luckily it didnt hit us but hit orlando-ish area.. we are deffinately gonna get something fun this year, cuz its been sooooo hot and humid lately, but we will all be warned even before the news crews find out anything...so no worries.... 

yesterday was the spiritual experience for the week.. after church we went by Brittany and Riley's and they had asked that we dedicate the home. someone apparently cursed it and we deffinately felt it once we walked in the home. we dedicated it as a place for gosple living, as a place of worship, where an eternal family relationship can build, protection, and it was amazing! they all felt the spirit, and they opened up even more! 

so i stil havent found another mission mom in this area yet but they are out there, Sister Tellez is getting pretty close lol.. or maybe sister Mckee.  more likely sister Mckee but anywho I have nothing else to write, but Teiler, what happened? no news on said road trip! lol. take care everybody! i love you all!!!!!!

Yours Always
Elder Maki

COOL YOUR JETS EH!

So last week we didn't get a letter from Elder Maki.  He did send one for us to forward to his former companion Elder Flores though.  So we kinda asked why he didn't write us.  This was his response.

hi mom!

First of all cool your jets ok? lol the system crashed while i was in  the process of writing you so the 3 page letter and the 7 pics didnt make it. sorry. but the jist of the last letter was just telling you about the PPI's with pres. and all the cool stuff and people that we met that week... but this week was better. we finally met with brittany, a super cool black lady and we invitedd her to church, she said yes and we got her a ride, she came with her two daughters, one of them is deaf, so we were able to find someone in the ward to speaks sign, so it meant alot to her. also We past by her place lastnight, and she told us, "i belong in your church! i felt at home there, the people the environment, thats for me, i loved it!" is was amazing!!! btw this week is transfers, and i am staying here, and Elder Hardman is leaving. Elder Benitez was Emergency Transferred out during PPI's something happened i guess, no matter it aint my bidness. (sorry i have been spending alot of time around black people lol) so you never even told me where Nathan Bullock is going and when he leaves, so could you fill me in on that please? thx lol... oki doki, i got the packages on wednesday, and i was like holy crap when i opened them! The CD's are great they look so cool!!! deffinately better than the first batch eh? and the salsa and the jam made it fine and it is delicious.. Elder Hardman had a hard time leaving the salsa alone lol... tomorrow we find out who my new compi is and if i am senior or junior, i dont really want to be DL again tho, it was alot of work, but i will accept if it is required of me... so its Elder Rugg and I staying in the Homestead areas, and my area is the size of some zones. President texted us yesterday and told us that the Tropical Storm shouldnt affect us, it is turning north east, we will just get alot of wind and rain he said.. but he always keeps us updated.. He never lets us down.. 

that Hyundai Elantra look really nice. Hey dad, i saw what looked like collin Mcrae yesterday in the parking lot with his rally car, it looked pretty sicky gnar!

 so sorry  about last week, I will always write but i had no idea this would happen.  the entire homestead area went black.  Time sucks! 9.5 months left. it is going way to fast!!! I am so excited for James!! and Ryan, btw how is he doing with the visa junk? The story with David, is a long one, ask him if he would tell it to you cuz its not really my place to say. i amsure he would tell you.  he is coming back to the states on July 30th i am so excited to see him! so i am starting transfer 10 out of 16,crazy eh? i bet you remember eh dad? almost at the end of this transfer i hit my six-months-to-sexy lol, is what we call it in the mission. its like "oh crap i have six months left, time to work out" kinda thing lol.. thinking back to the beginning of my mission, in Salt Lake City Mission and all the scary experiences that i had there, (not to be mentioned till after the mission) and thinking to now, playing around in florida city and the time that has gone past and everything is nuts to even think about. goes way way way to fast...its scary sometimes... so how is everything back home? so my last physical therapy is on Friday and then after she is putting me into the Pilates Class,..i will be sending the reciepts and one of my journals home this week or next but they will get to you... I love you all and again im sorry about last week.. but it happens eh?

Yours Always
Elder Maki

A LITTLE BREEZY?

Hey Mommy!

Your welcome for the letter mom, you know, i felt you needed a hand written letter from your missionary. So i wrote that letter and there was so much more i wanted to tell you haha but there wasn't enough time in the P-day lol, i am doing great! i am feeling good. I am now working on ab workouts at physical therapy and it kills! oh well,whoever my future wife is will have a husband with washboard abbs lol, jk jk. 

So this past week was pretty good, the Harvest was great but the lessons were few. i just cant wait to get baptisms flowing down here in the ghetto lol. Homestead East had a baptism yesterday. 

If you could mom, send this to Noria, word forword, or copy and paste cuz i am doing it in spanish lol.. Hola Noria,como esta? hace mucho tiempo que no la veia, desculpeme por no envier una carta pero la obra del Senor esta continuando muy bien y yo les extrano! ahora yo estoy en Homestead Florida, la zona mas bajo en la peninsula. pero como esta todo? su mama como le va? Y Kashmil y atermino la escuela hasta el proximo ano verdad? wow el tiempo pass rapido, ya estoy en mi ultimo ano de la mision y me encanta. No puedo esperar hasta que les veo, una gran reunion sera! Cuidense mucho y recuerdanse que el Elder Maki les ama!

thanks mom lol how is everything at home? whats up with Ryan and his mission? i havent heard anything since the skype home,... i am actually kinda worried about him,  but James enters the Mtc in a montheh? how sick! i am so excited for him! just tell him to make sure he excersized well so all that food he with get doesnt make him fat. Also tell him to keep a journal and to embrace every second of the mission! I will be sending my cane with the sword home at some point i just need to find out everything first with how...we had a tornado warning this past week and we had winds around 70 miles an hour, gusting of course, they would go from about 20 miles an hour to 70 in less than a second, there were trees in the streets and windows broken and junk. we are all fine tho... Teiler those clubs are sick! i think Elder Benson would get trunky if he saw those right now cuz he goes home at the end of the transfer.

Dad what is going on with the building Saunas and stuff that would be so cool! you could potentially make a killing doing what you finns do best. lol I had another dream about Teiler serving a mission! it was cool! so its been in the high 90's down here, and it is only the begining of June, that means a nasty storm or hurricane with most likely hit us this year.. it was only in the 70's last year at this time, there was already 2 tropical storms that hit Northern Florida this year and its only June. Oh and with it being rainy season, and in a place where there is the everglades, there are literally billions of mosquitos, would you mind sending lots of the body butter that repells mosquitos? thanks! your the best! well i better end the letter until next week. but i love you all and thank you so much for everything!

thanks!
Yours Always!
Elder Maki

FLORIDA CITY!

Hello Mommy!

(mom have you gotten my letter?) oki doki thats awesome that Kathleen talked to you guys! thats awesome!, no she is not a member but i think she will be soon.  I love working with her she is really good! she is down to my level and its really nice.  haha i have to agree to what her lds boss says, she has got good hands. after all the excersizes she does soft tissue work, so it is a heavenly massage and then off to working in the field. i have been on bike all week and i feel better than ever (well, at least better than i was) jaja pues what else can i tell you. (haha i used pues, funnyword) so now i am only going to physical therapy once a week now,which is good, cuz now i have more time to call people to repentance... lol have you ever heard of Florida City? if not it is basically like the northside of lethy,. here it is gangsta town. lol there are alot of spanish people because it is the ghetto and a lot cheaper, but more than nothing alot of blacks. who are super cool people, I look back and i was super racist towards them, but a lot of them want a better life, which is perfect because that is what Christ is offering them! through ME! This has been a miracle week. we have met every single key indicator goal! but Anthony, in Florida City, is getting baptized hopefully the 17th, we have to get him married to his girl and then teach him a little more, and then Tamika, in homestead, wow, we blessed her my second day in the area, and gave her a book of mormon pass-along card, and the next day we got the referal saying she wants the book of mormon, so a couple days ago we gave her one, she is reading it and last night we passed by to teach her and she read it, prayed about it and feels it  is true and accepted to be baptized on the 17th!!! the lessong took maybe 5 minutes and we were out, we have to get her married too. but during the closing prayer which elder Benitez offered, her little 2 year old daughter came up to me, i was folding my arms, and she grabbed my hands and held them, lol it was so adorable! cute baby! and then we left, and some hispani-trash guy asked us to smoke weed with him and we said no and he started cussing us out and bad mouthing us. and when a latino cusses and curses you out, the words they say, mean something about 50 times worse than they do in english, Ryan will see that. Well maybe not cuz he's I'm spain not in the devil's hide-out haha. In this area, you really have to have alot of patience when it comes to people on the streets. cuz you dont know who is gang and who isnt. but its all cool. we put 90 miles on the car this past week, it was awesome! i feel so good now that i have more energy!.

The other day, when i was studying, i had a daydream, it was Teiler... i saw him in a poorer country (almost third world) with a white shirt, a tie and name-tag...He was a missionary! if i could describe the country i would say it looked like either Tonga or Samoa but idk. lol anyway. in the daydream, he was helping this man out, and the man ended up asking to be baptized, and after aweek or so, Teiler batpized him. it was super cool and i almost started crying, I want him to serve a mission so bad! its the best decision i ever made and there are NO REGRETS! Just thinking about the missionaries that would come to our house in the past, to think that i am one of them is amazing! i am a member of the Defendors of  Zion. one of 56 or so thousand. that is quite the army of heleman eh? (muahahaha still Canadian) I spent a little money off the card a couple days ago on bike parts because my tire blew, and i needed a new tube and tire.,i think it was almost 30 bucks or so. oh with the package don't forget to send some Starlight CD's for the peeps down here. thanks! 


I never thought missionary work would be this fun! you know after you graduate you get bored, then all you are doing is working, and you feel you should still be at school but then you head on the mish and you feel outta place for a while but then it becomes who you are and you are right at home. I cant wait to help my cousins, and my Brother prepare for their missions. but i am excited to continue the work here. 


Something now for maria and her mom, they came to visit me yesterday but i had to ignore them. Tell them that it was me that told the other missionaries to tell them that i couldnt have contact with them, and that it was me who said that cannot visit me anymore. tell them i am sorry and then tell them it is because president just wants me to stay focussed on my purpose. Tell them i love them and i am praying for them always! and now something for Teiler... Dude you are graduated!!!!!! or close to it.. but dont get caught up in graduated life, sometimes it sucks! lol, but at the same time you dont have to worry about high school drama lol.. so you gonna just work or go to school? Well i think thats all for this week, I love you all and thenk you for everything! 


Yours Always


Elder Maki

A WEEK WITH THE ZL's

Dearest Mommy!!

Dad, your eyes are getting heavy eh? (YES still Canadian!!!) I haven't slept for 2 nights, at all... as you know i spent the week with the ZL's and what an amazing experience!!! but Sister Lavoie, also from Canada, got sick, we had to go and pick them up and take them home, and then at, about 9:30 we got a call to come and give her a blessing, so we go and we stayed there till about 12:30 to make sure she was ok, and we went home, we all knew we were going to get another call to get her to the hospital, so we stayed up to wait for it, it came at 4:30, so once again we go to their apartment, rushed them to the hospital.  So she had to stay the night, so we left to get sister Mata'u some food, and get some other stuff, so we go back at about 6, and we stayed the night in the hospital, neither of us slept, especially me.. but yesterday I came back down to homestead, and i was head-bobbin' it the entire rest of the day. last night i knocked out at about 10 and woke up sick... just from lack of sleep, or maybe the hospital food, idk but it was gross!!! so i went back to bed at 7:30 and was woken up at about 11 to go and email, and shop and junk. and finally here i am, feeling a lot better... 

Elder Maki's condo complex

so with the health and junk, my back is feeling soooooo much better, Kathleen told me to start walking around the appt without the cane, so i have been, and i feel so much better, i go twice this week, and twice next week. so i will be spending over 500$ in the next week to let you know. i bought a exercise ball with the card today. but i also have been getting all invoices and receipts and i have an envelope here i am putting them in... but yes send the package with the usual Canadian candies and stuff. Ya so i got a little taste of what it is like to be a Zone Leader and it is actually pretty fun, i wouldn't mind it. and the leg is good too. but also the exchange with the ZL's helped so much, because Elder Ho Ching (from samoa) just lost his mother a couple weeks ago :( so he helped me out so much!!! I hope you have been talking to Maria, she is awesome.  i just got a email from David also, (Francisco Flores) i call him David, which was really nice. . So please continue to talk to Maria for me, she means alot to me, her and her mom, Maria is like my sister, especially after what we went through with her family. I miss them. So we had Zone Conference this past week and i realized, "Holy Junk i only have 7 transfers left!" crazy eh? i am at transfer number 9 right now, for a Spanish missionary there are 16 transfers in a mission and 18 for an English missionary... Tropical Storm "Beryl" swept through Jacksonville FL a couple days ago and they are watching out for southern Florida because of the heat Float right now... We have been having "Flash Storms" lately, which are cool, because they look like a giant tornado shaped cloud, and it just dumps the rain and then its done, with lightning and thunder of course! but they just "Flash" up and it is cool! Well i am finishing the hardest most difficult chapter in my life and i am starting a new one soon.  as in i am getting better lol.. 


Teiler!!! whatsup bro? dude time flies! you are graduating! that is nutso how fast time goes by. when i started my mission you were in grade 11, now you are graduating! crazazy! how did you like Home Teaching with dad?  its fun eh? i know what you are thinking right now Is Kodi Nuts? right? lol Missionary work is so much fun! especially here cuz you gots tons of cool people to talk to, especially in Spanish! how is the Finnish coming? that would be awesome if you served your mission in Finland eh? well write me a long letter next week lol. Love you Buddy! 


So i got 3 mins left on the computer so i have to close.  I love you all so much and thank you for everything!


Yours Always
Elder Maki

KEY LARGO

Hey Mami!!

Oki doki! so about the transfer, ya i got transferred to homestead west and guess what...Key Largo is in my area!! my area is freakin HUGE! but hey oh well lol... the steroids are doing really well for me.  i am out harvesting and working like before, not bikes yet tho. but ya the roids are helping me a lot! 

 It has been raining almost everyday here and here in homestead the mosquitos are everywhere!!! but funny thing is, American mosquitos dont like my canadian blood! lol, i havent had one bite... 

my new companions are Elder Hardman, who is from West Valley Utah, who is at 20 months in his mission, me, at 13 months, and elder Benitez, from Paraguay/Utah who we are green breaking, (3 months) they are super coooooooool!!!!!!!!!!! Elder Hardman scared me the first time i saw him lol, but he is just a giant teddy bear.. he is awesome... and Elder Benitez is super cool! With the physio therapist thing, each visit costs $140 and i see them about 2 times a week... so just make sure that there is enough in there if you please... I love you guys a lot! 

Teiler, que paso chicomalo!? no recibi tu carta!!! jk jk jaja whats up Teiler,? hope everythin is well with you, i hope you know i pray alot about you every night.. 

 So Kathleen (my physiotherapist) is putting me on the bike this week so hopefully next week i will be back out on bike.. and President is taking good care of me, i think a little too much lol, he is sending me out with the Zone Leaders from tuesday till friday... idk if it is to see how i am doing with the work or he looking for something else in me or what but we will see jaja.. oki doki. where can i look for that electrical pads things for my back? are you guys still looking? that would help me outsoooo much.  Oh ya and our apartment is NICE!! it is a townhouse!! 4 man apt, 2 floors, 3 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, big kitchen it is nice .

 until next week, i love you all and thank you for all your prayers!!!

Yours Always

Elder Maki

SOLDIERING ON!!

Again let me begin by giving some back ground info of the past week and the goings on.  We conducted a special fast for Elder Maki on the 29th of April with family and a few friends.  Then our entire ward fasted for him on fast sunday.  The opening prayer in Sacrament meeting was amazing as pleas were given from the pulpit that Edler Maki would be granted strength to overcome his infirmities.  Very touching, and everyone we talked to said that they were and are praying for his recovery and adding their faith to ours that he will get better.

Dearest Mommy!

Well this past week was a "what the heck" week, first, we are a trio now, Elder Gutierrez was emergency transferred and Elder Dean, Elder Shepherd and I were put into a trio to tackle both areas.. its hard let me tell ya! especially because my pain is getting worse......they gave me tramodol, the closest thing to a narcotic without being one, and cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant... knocks me right out, therefore it is difficult to work cuz i am so weak, and i am loopy and groggy... i got a couple pictures to show you..haha it is really whacked out... un poco extra~o. 

btw dad, when you said Alex hasn't found Henrice yet i busted a gut laughing cuz it is spelled, Enrique... the way you spelled it would be pronounced herise. lol anyway, dad that is a way cool idea with the saunas, hey i could even design them for you, with my architecture skizizles.. this last week was easier for me to get out cuz now i am in a car and i can actually get out there, i can't harvest...so president is mad at me because of that, but i told him that i am unable to walk until i can get some treatments,,, so you said don't worry about money? it is going to cost upwards of about 4000-6000 dollars but ok lol.  I have done the complete opposite of give up hope, I have asked for those blessings, i got a blessing last night about the situation i am in and the words that came from the Lord through Elder Shepherds mouth said these words "you have worried about leaving early because of the pain, i say to you, Have i not spoken peace to your heart? have i not comforted you? stand still and know that you are being watched very carefully, and being taken care of.." i was wowed.  There was my wow moment dad lol...so ya don't worry i will serve my heart out.  I told president i am not giving up.  I passed out this past week which scared the crap out of president and everybody.  but i am back on my feet now...and i will carry on... Onward Christian Soldiers! 

This mission is being watched by the General Authorities and they love what we are doing and are taking "the harvest" around the world... President told them, , this is not a surprise to this mission, but it comes because we have the best missionaries the world that the church has ever seen... i want to be apart of what happens next! don't worry mom, i wont come home by my free will and choice. 




Its starting to get humid here again...ay ay ay... oh ya and i will be skyping at 7:00 sunday night my time, 5:00 your time. i look forward  to it...i want to speak Spanish so badly but you only speak English lol... How are Ryans Visa stuff going? Oh and i am teaching a CANADIAN!!!!!!!!!!! he is super cool and he is as good as baptized!!! I bought another CTR ring on deseretbooks.com because my other one i gave to Maria, haha she wanted a spinny CTR ring so yesterday i gave it to her. but the CTR ring i bought broke :( so i am going to buy another one. i will use the MSF card tho, (missionary support fund) But i love you and thank you for all the prayers and fasting! it may not have cured me, but it has given me the strength to carry on.. until sunday, nos vemos!

Elder Dean and Elder Shephard

Yours Always,


Elder Maki (Gimpy)

THE ORTHOPOD DIARIES

Again I feel I need to precursor Elder Maki's letter with some explanation.  He met with an Orthopod (Orhtopedic Surgeon) and had an MRI and consult with him.  This particular Doctor is not a member of the church and is known to be very blunt and direct with his patients.  We can tell that Elder Maki is still discouraged at his physical limitations and discomfort.  However we have talked to his doctors as well as his Mission President and we know that he will be able to recover in the mission field.  Dr Staheli is confident that with steroids and other treatments as well as physio therapy he will get better.  So, on to the letter.....

Dearest Mommy,

Thank you for your letter, I saw the Dr. on friday and today, had an MRI and stuff and let me just say a few words...and sorry if these are hurtful in anyway.  I know President doesn't want to send me home, i don't want to go home, but get this, my pain is getting worse. I can hardly walk, i am getting ZERO sleep. i am running on empty. About your experience in the celestial room mom, at that moment, i felt i needed to do the reaching up, and grabbing the robe. I did, i reached up, but he didn't heal me, (now this was a dream btw) He helped me up, and told me, whatever happens, is for your benefit, and you are in my hands.. i then asked him, "if i leave, wilt thou accept my very best effort?" he replied with a gentle "I love you, how could i not?" Mom, Dad and Teiler, your prayers and fasts mean everything to me.  I know it is according to my faith, i have the faith to be healed, and please understand that i want to finish my mission. But this isn't a matter of wants, it is a matter of needs. i spoke with the Dr, today, and the first words he said as he walked into the room, "so you staying or going?" I told him "I think i am going" and he told me, "that is what you need, your MRI is fine, nevertheless, your pain is getting worse, you cant walk, twist, bend, allergy to anti-inflammatories, sleep...the best thing for you right now is swimming and rest.  i know you don't want to go, but i cannot treat you, if i do, it will cost you upwards of 4-6000 dollars."  I am trying to talk to president but he won't answer.  Please understand, i have prayed and fasted to know what is best, every scripture i read, every feeling i feel, which is a peaceful feeling, directs me home... your prayers mean everything and understand and know that they are not wasted, for your prayers have kept me going. there is only one want that gets fulfilled, that is what the Lord wants... If the Lord needs me home then he needs me home.. 

Yesterday was my spiritual boost for the week, we were at a noche de hogar (FHE) and it was really good, and then the girl, Michelle, afterward told us something that has been happening to her for a long time, (this came after giving sis. rodriguez a blessing for her back, and elizabeth a blessing of comfort,) and she asked us to give her a blessing of protection, an evil presence has been following her around and was looking for something... so we asked her where it happened most, she said in her room. i go in and imediately feel the presence.  I look at her, and i tell her it was there... we did the same thing we did with sister Nava and Maria, we dedicated the home and we cast out the Devils, i was literally talking to him, and he was talking back, but my faith surpassed my fear. and I commanded him to leave. after the blessing and dedication, we gave Michelle the blessing of protection and I passed out...dont worry, it was because of the spirit... like Ammon and his brethren.. It was amazing.. very powerful. 

Elder Maki's apartment in Sunset

Mom, Dad, Teiler. If i come home, know that i did my best, that the Lord is pleased with what i have done, because i asked him as i would ask dad. And i heard is voice saying "all is well my son. Return with Honor" Mom, Dad, and Teiler, i cannot express my love to you, but know that i am fighting with all my strength, mom you know all too well what it is like working on 0 sleep and with severe pain..Mosiah 3:7..... whatever happens, its in the Lord's hands, and i would ask you, as my family, to accept that... I know i will need to return home, i do not know when, but it is soon... Dr. Staheli is talking to president right now, and then i will talk to president myself, and we will figure something out... I KNOW that i need to return home, accept that fact, Dad, i have prayed for the strength, I am receiving it as i need it... But not only I, but the elders, and the Dr,s know that if i continue, i will end up in the hospital... we don't want that...on a scale on 1-10 my pain level is 9, no joke, if you could see me you would know...I am sorry if this letter was hurtful, but i needed you to understand my side...But not my will, but the will of my father in heaven, be done.  I love you all so much...Talk to you soon.


Yours Always, well...whats left of me anyway haha,


Elder Maki

DISCOURAGED, NEED PRAYERS

Well this is one of those letters that I had a difficult time trying to decide if I should post it or not.  But after much consideration and prayer I feel that I should share it with you all.  Sometimes health issues, sickness, and other things can cause a missionary to become discouraged.  Discouragement is one of the ways which Lucifer can thwart the work.  So with that in mind, feel free to read this letter.  


UPDATE: We have since spoken with President Anderson, and received a letter from Dr. Stahli, who has already met with and examined Elder Maki.  Things are not as gloomy as this letter may make them seem.  We are confident that Elder Maki will be able to stay out on his mission and finish the work that he has been called to do.  He will be having an MRI soon and meeting with the Orthopedic Surgeon to discuss the findings.  


Mission calls are so inspired.  We really feel that Elder Maki was called to his mission, not only to find those who are waiting for him specifically, but because there is someone there who will be able to help him medically, and either diagnose his condition or be able to prescribe a solution to his issues.  The pain is his leg and lower back are completely unrelated to his back issues he had before he left.  So this is something new, and could be as simple as a spider bite or some type of reaction to something; or it could be more complicated.  We are hopeful though and know that his care is in the hands of the Lord.  We hope and pray that you will add your faith, fasting and prayers to ours for him.  Thank You for your love and support to Elder Maki.


Now on to the letter...

Dear Mom

Once again, i need you all to sit down. What i am going to tell you all is very sad and upsetting.  first of all, all i want you to do right now, at exactly this moment, is turn to page 22 in this months ensign and read the title.................................................................did you read it? if so, you know the title of this letter..... i am very disheartened, depressed, scared lo que sea. Mom, Dad, Teiler, this might be my last transfer in my mission..... I as district leader, had an exchange with elder Hanson, an A.P, and the purpose of the exchange was to see if my back is ok to work, Elder Hanson, expressed concern, and I was not able to work very hard. He talked to Pres. and he came to our apartment on Saturday, and asked me to see an orthopaedic surgeon, so hopefully this week i will get it to see Dr. Stringham, a member who understands very well missionary work and how difficult it already is let alone having a very bad back... The other 3 elders in the apartment, along with our ward mission leader and 2 of our ward missionaries, gave me a blessing yesterday morning, and it was when Elder Dean was saying, "If it be God's will, Be thou Healed" that everybody in that room, knew i would get better, but it might not be here in the mission field.. Sister Rodriguez, was crying not because it was a powerful blessing, but because she knew i would have to leave my mission to recover. If i do return home, i would beg of all of you, to not think less of me because i didn't serve my full time, but that i served my best.. I did the Lord's will, i fought the good fight.  But i am not done yet. I feel very strongly that maybe the reason why i may need to return home is to take care of Teiler, He is losing his anchors. I may not be strong physically enough for him, but i can be that spiritual anchor he needs... I fear not of going home, but i fear of what people may think, the missionaries here, the ward back home, so on and so forth.. When i met with pres. on saturday, he told me, "i don't want to send you home, i cant lose you.  Mom, Dad, Teiler, i do not want to come home, but it might be necessary.  but my mission wont end when the name tag comes off.  i will be the best member missionary anyone has ever seen.. the last thing i want to do is to say when talking to mom by skype, is "see you in a few days". i am not ready yet. i need to hit my goal of 40 baptisms, i have 18 right now. ok enough crying Elder Maki, lol.. I promise i will do my best, if my mission is done, then that is the lord's will. As soon as the lord permits i will go to the temple, whether at the end of my mission or at home, and i will ask him "I did my best, wilt thou accept my very best effort?" i just hope that answer will be yes.  Mom i am sorry for this letter, i can just imagine  you right now, i  hate seeing women cry, especially women i love.. Everybody knows i will be coming back here. i know that! who knows maybe i will even live here! i fear your response letter jaja. President Anderson may be talking to you soon about the situation..But just know that i love you and i am doing my best. President saw me walking and was very concerned. he told me to stay off the bike and don't walk alot.. i have lost 20 pounds and i am very weak.. i am not sleeping and i am very tired jaja... i hate to say it, but its gonna happen sooner or later, or by skype jaja , see you soon... i hope its the skype option... I love you all, so much! 


Yours Always,
Elder Maki


Oh and Sister Snyder Got Baptized
Yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!