Ghetto Podcast

(The following is a transcription of a video Dylan sent this week.  No letter unfortunately.)

My life has changed a little bit since becoming AP.  I am no longer in my area which is a little disappointing, but it is all good.  I’ve been really tired lately - been traveling around with the president all over Nicaragua.  The President’s house is actually in the south mission though.

Two weeks ago I was in Tipi Tapa the whole week.   Monday I met with president the whole day and didn’t get a p-day because I had to go to the bank and pay a deposit for the house.  Then afterwards we went to visit a family that is going to get baptized in a few weeks.  They are freaking sweet, they make donuts… so that’s why we are teaching them.  Ha ha.  No, they are awesome!

Then Tuesday I went to Tipi Tapa (Tues Weds Thurs Friday).  Then came back to Managua on Saturday.  In Tipitapa we did divisions with almost the whole zone and got to visit my converts in Tipi Tapa.  All the weird stuff I eat in Tipi Tapa.  I ate chicken heart and cow heart and chicken intestines it was pretty gross but cool.  Cool story,  on Saturday morning I was getting ready to leave and  decided to go visit a family that I know.   I went to their house and there was this teenage girl that lives there and I asked her why she hadn’t been baptized and she said she didn’t know so I asked her if she wanted to get baptized today and she was like sure.  So sweet we went to the church and had a little family baptism.  She had already been to church with me like 10 times but had a problem with something but she got baptized that morning so that was cool. 

Elder Jake and Elder Recinos in Leon.

So last week I came back on Sat and was in my area for 6 hours then Monday I had a mtg with the Pres all day and I didn’t get to write you (well he did write....three words...."I am alive") but then Pres let me use his Iphone 6 in the car to write you on the way to Chinandega because Pres knew I hadn't had time to write.  So that was cool.  This is the note he sent -

(I now write to you from presidents iPhone 6 as we drive to Chinandega at 12 at night. I hope you all had a great week and i want you to know that i still love you. I am so freakin busy now. I will send a video home later this week. Love all you guys so much. Take it sleezy.)
    

This last week I was in Leon all day.  Leon is pretty sweet.  I got to have pday there a little bit.  Weds - Chinandega and Thursday Chinandega again.  We have been doing interviews with Pres.  We teach the elders and sisters some stuff and then Pres interviews everybody.

So then again I only worked in Managua on Saturday but Elder Boice and Elder Gonzalez are working hard here so we are going to have some baptisms here soon - a lot of them - so be ready for that.

I got sick a couple of weeks ago but that was just a cold because there was a lot of dirt in the air

The Nicas do NOT know how to play basketball.  Let’s just say that but they do like their jerserys and their basketball stuff.

We have been traveling around everywhere. Weird but cool.  I get to meet a lot of people.  I am tired all of the time.  We hare heading to Esteli and Porta Cabezas.  I never go to bed on time because I have tons of stuff to do.

We had a mtg with Pres Collado and Elder Allonzo who is in the area presidency and they put together this plan for some of the missionaries in the mission to baptize 22 people in one month so Pres Collado chose Elder Boice and Elder Gonzales and I to accept the challenge and a few other ex aps and their companions as well.   Hopefully we are going to baptize 22 this month

We are in the Ghetto….Love the ghetto…Love you guys – Take It Sleezy

The Man Who Taught Me To Be A Man

Love you guys. Been a little while since elder jake has checked in with a good email. I have been a little busy lately. I now write you from my new 14 story home here in the mission office in managua. I miss all the people my palm trees/ dirt houses/ wild dog jungles in esteli and tipitapa but have already developed a great love and appreciation for the people here in the concrete jungle of managua. 

My life has changed just a little bit over the last couple of weeks. I travel a lot with the big dog. PDays are now meetings all day in the office. And i now am officially certified and liscened to kill here in nicaragua...no i can drive now. During the next three weeks, i will only be here in my area in managua 6 days. Gonna be takin sleezy with President all over Nicaragua.  I am learning very quickly that my mission is no longer my mission. My mission now is to help others have great missions. including my companions.

This week my hands took a beating once again. First while using a welding torch for the first time and second when i chopped down several massive trees with a very rusty and dull axe blade. Sister Morales was stoked that the trees were gone and also felt bad for both of my hands which bled pretty badly for about an hour afterword and so she gave me a nice big bag of chocolate milk and massive plateful of beans.

Happy Birthday to my 46 year old father. I love you dad. This week as i was chopping and welding away I thought of you  and how much you would love to live here in this nicaraguan paradise where their power tools have no rules. 

I want to thank you for showing me, through example, how to be a man. A man who puts his head down and works hard. Who doesnt complain and serves others constantly. A man who loves his family, loves others, and loves God. I love you dad. 

I attribute the success that i have had on my mission to two people. First to God. And second to my father. 

Brent recently sent me this quote. 

“Pray as though everything depended on the Lord and work as though everything depended on you.” 
― Brigham Young

I shared this quote with the President Collado the other day and he freakin loves it. It is something that i am trying to live by as a missionary and is an idea that i will carry with me for the rest of my life. 

I have recieved a lot of letters over the course of the mission. I thank all of you guys for that and for the love that you have shown me through emails and packages and letters. However, i recieved a hand written letter from a lady that i hardly even know this week that truly is the best letter i have yet to recieve. She told me how thankful she is for my father. For all that he has done for her family over many years. She said, "if you can be one tenth the man your father is then you will bless the lives of so many people."

I love you dad. Workin hard to get to that one tenth because i hope to be something close to the man you are one day. Thank you for all that you have done for me, our family, and for countless others.

Love all of you. Stay sleezy.