Jared's Mission - May 2004

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#CC6633" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c006e0ddvuzq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>              </B></FONT><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission"><U><B>Jared's Mission -  New Mexico Albuquerqu</B></U></A><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission"><U><B>e</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>  | </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.theHaslams.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.theHaslams.com"><U>theHaslams.com</U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >             <IMG SRC="05a44320.gif" border=0 width="68" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFF33" TEXT="#080000" background="03dbec00ddxazb.gif"> <div> <A HREF="photo_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission Photo Album"><U><I><B>Mission Photo Album</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="companions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission Companions"><U><I><B>Companions</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mission.net/new-mexico/albuquerque" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mission.net/new-mexico/albuqu"><U><I><B>New Mexico Albuquerque Mission Alumni </B></I></U></A><I><B>  </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>--------------</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2005.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission March 2005"><U><I><B>March 2005</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2005.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission February 2005"><U><I><B>February 2005</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2005.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission January 2005"><U><I><B>January 2005</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission December 2004"><U><I><B>December 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission November 2004"><U><I><B>November 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission October 2004"><U><I><B>October 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission September 2004"><U><I><B>September 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission August 2004"><U><I><B>August 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission July 2004"><U><I><B>July 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="june_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission June 2004"><U><I><B>June 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission May 2004"><U><I><B>May 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission April 2004"><U><I><B>April 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission March 2004"><U><I><B>March 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission February 2004"><U><I><B>February 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission MTC"><U><I><B>D</B></I></U></A><A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission MTC"><U><I><B>eparture Day</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="preparation.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission Preparation"><U><I><B>Mission Preparation</B></I></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>   </B></I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>May 2004</B></div> <div> <B>Farmington and Albuquerque New Mexico</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>May 31, 2004 -</B> Jared wrote "Things ... are frustrating right now... three members of our teaching pool moved away. In addition Elder Britton has had laryngitis and I've had to do all the talking. It has been tough doing everything. I've been a little discouraged lately but I've been trying to keep my spirits up and forcing my companion to get out and work. I know this area is ready to harvest, The next week will be a track-athon and we'll see how it goes."</div> <bR> <div> <B>May 24, 2004 -</B> Jared wrote "Things are really different here in the big city.  The bad news is "our teaching pool is a joke", the good news is "lots of people invite us into their homes to talk to us". My companion from Jamaica Elder Britton is a bit trunkey, but I'm trying to keep him on track for these final 6 weeks of his mission.</div> <bR> <div> I didn't know how much I cared for the people in Farmington until I had to leave. It was hard to say goodbye to many of them. Elder Landon and I had so many good things happening there it was hard for me to leave.</div> <bR> <div> I came to Albuquerque with Elder Miteus who is returning home on Tuesday the 18th. A member from Farmington drove us down. We went to an aquarium and to lunch at a Japanese restaurant.  Elder Miteus has become a good friend of mine. I learned a lot from him. We spent some time at the temple grounds and then one of the senior missionaries at the mission office took me to my new home on Bluewater Road. There are also a pair of sister missionaries in our area. They work the area closer to downtown and we work the suburbs.</div> <bR> <div> When Evan Woody and I went to Texas to get the 300ZX we stopped in Albuquerque at an Econolodge. Guess what?  That Econolodge is in my new area.</div> <bR> <div> <B>May 17, 2004 - </B>Jared is transferring from Farmington to Albuquerque.  He has been assigned to the Sage Ward, Los Lunas New Mexico Stake. His new senior companion who is from outside the United States returns home in 6 weeks. The Los Lunas stake was formerly the Albuquerque South stake and covers the south western part of Albuquerque and cities further south along I-25 (Los Lunas).  It has 7 wards (including a Spanish ward) and two branches (including a University branch).</div> <bR> <div> <B>May 9, 2004 - </B>Jared wrote "Dang! I can't believe I just talked to you. It feels like it was a dream. I miss you all so much but I know this is where I am supposed to be. I am learning and growing so much." </div> <bR> <div> He then gave the pen to Elder Musser (part of Jared's group in the MTC). Elder Musser wrote "Have you ever been to New Mexico? So everyone calls this mission a sacrifice? It really isn't!  It is nice to know that we are sharing a message of truth and light. Elder Haslam and I have been together since it started on February 4th. We are sad because transfers are May 18th and we think at least one of us will be leaving Farmington for sure.  I hope to visit you in 20 months when they free us."</div> <bR> <div> Jared added that he and Elder Musser have become real good friends. After the phone call on Sunday we went to visit Alice one of our investigators. She had made cream puffs and they were delicious! After desert we had a good gospel conversation and she started to cry. It was then I could see how happy she was and how much the full gospel meant to her. She said "I knew there was more (than I had known)". This renewed my spirits and helped remind me why I am here.</div> <bR> <div> <B>May 8, 2004 - </B>In his mother's day phone call Jared reported that things are just going super.  He enjoyed talking to his family, but the experience made him miss them more than he had missed them. He's just worried about being transferred on May 18th. He had a slight cold, but loving his work as a missionary and loving his Mom and new friends in Farmington New Mexico. Reed & Sherry felt they could tell from the phone call that Jared had matured in just 3 months.</div> <bR> <div> <B>May 3 - 2004 - </B>Jared writes "Farmington is starting to go our way! Many good things are starting to turn for the better. We have two people scheduled for baptism on May 15th and another on May 31st. We also have a few other's who are about to set dates. One of them is a "kool aid" Mormon (just needs water). Things are going the best they have since I got here and I'm starting to have fun here. Landon and I are starting to become better friends and we laugh more each day, and funny stuff just keeps happening.</div> <bR> <div> Mother's day is coming up fast and we will talk to you then.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>