hello everyone...
we had our mission Christmas party yesterday.. our bus left jalapa at 3 in the morning.. haha. and we had to do a huge loop to get to the cap. we got to the cap. at 8.. we got back to our house Monday night at 7ish... crazy long day.. but the thing is it doesn't even feel like Christmas.... we found a couple new families this week that are just amazing.. this week i will also be able to talk to my mom and dad.. i got my Christmas tree from dad yesterday!, and i also got the package from the Allen fam.. and also bro dimille!!! thanks alot!! ill have to wait for my moms package till the next time i go to the cap.. or we have changes in a few weeks and ill get it their...but yup.. a really nice fam invited us to the 24th night at their house.. here in guate.. they do everything on the 24th night.. like opening presents and stuff like that.. they think it is weird that we wait for the 25th morning to open presents...well i hope everyone has a very wonderful Christmas... and during all the madness, lets take a moment to really to stop and remember what we are really celebrating for..
bye bye now..

mormon bus



suprise one year dinner

nice leamons

flippin toast

so it happend....
i hit the big one year.. i didnt really do anything.. it just kinda happened... we worked super super hard this week and it was amazing to see the fruits of our labor!!we also went on divisions 2 times.. the first time was on tuesday with elder taquiej and i stayed in my area..and on friday i went with elder stenquist the ZL to his area!! it was a blast.. and we got alot done.. a family in the ward surprised me and made me a one year dinner.. the members with missionary's on missions are so loving.. haha they give us so much of everything... so ya i got a hair cut... Ron Allen was my inspiration!! thanks ron.. its my first flat top in my life.. and i think i rock it pretty good... we also got our toilet seat.. its so nice to have one.. you dont know how amazing one is untill you dont have one for a few months... so another area was having problems with filling up their baptismal fount.. they started to fill it at 12 and at 4 its was up to the first step.. so we came to the baptism and they were not close to being ready.. so we said we should just go down to the river.. all the authorities said it was fine.. but the girl didnt want to... so a long story short. we ran to our church and filled up our pilla.. we also got help from a hose from outside through the window to help it fill up in a record time of 40 min.. then we ran back to the other church to tell everyone.. then they all came down to our church. and we had a successful baptism!!! cell phones and cars would have saved us about 2 hours in this whole process.. get er done...!!

The filling of the pilla

Kinda like my Truck

It Came

Divisions

Cold

a stud one armed mt.biker

.....................

happy bithday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday dear Mark and Zachhhhhhhhhhh happy birthday to you..
SOCKS!!!!


hey..we had changes.. i got elder Udall from Arizona... he was in my first district, and we went on alot of divisions.. so i already knew him.. Udall has 16 months.. i love the letter i got from heather a few weeks ago.. it said, gee little brother you dont even have a year yet.. haha.. thanks for the reminder big sister.. hey jen jen.. i found your store here in guate.. i hope you like it.. after changes we all ended up going out to eat at applebees!! it was super good.. i even took a picture!! can you believe that?? the Christmas devo last night was amazing.. thats what that pic is with the 4 of us just chillin in a class room.. we get to see it in english if we want.. its alot better when you actually get to hear the prophets voice and not just a translator guy... i just realized that im really bad at writing about my spiritual experiences... dont get me wrong.. i have a whole bunch... but to put them on to paper.. ya, thats something i have to work on.. so im sorry for the lack of spiritual experiences.. and im sure i can improve in that department.. so if any of you are wondering what you should get me for christmas, dont worry about it.. im good.. well maybe you could give a kiss to my mom or something, or write me a letter.. but other than that.. im perfectly fine..
cool beans..
Elder Oakey

hello..
so thanksgiving huh...
so we headed to the market to buy some mac and cheese for the big feast, and we ran into a huge group of gringos!!! they were all from the states, they are here for some business stuff.. but they were on their way to pino dulce for the big day.. thats the cool place we went to a couple weeks ago with the turkeys.. people always ask them if they are tourists.. and when they say no.. they ask if they are Mormon's.. haha, they said they see missionary's everywhere... this was the day i wore my super sweet part in my hair, the first time i used gel in my hair since the 6th grade... we had a super sweet mac and cheese and smore session for thanksgiving.. good times! so elder briones and i made a new way to contact people.. we pretty much make people laugh but... we call it free walking.. we walk around and do sweet stunts, after someone is laughing we go up and talk to them.. its been working!! president is always telling us to find different creative ways to find new people to teach.. so thats what we have been doing!! haha........fun fact- the stop lights here dont have the 3 sec wait in between red an green... on tuesday we went to the capital for a leaders meeting.. cuz my comp is district leader.. i really didnt need to be at the meeting so like last leadership meeting, justin or elder goldsberry and i left together and did some good.. haha.. i forgot my agenda, so i cant think of everything i did this week...but the pics tell a big story..!! my mind was writing checks, but i couldnt cash in... roses are red!!
elder oakey


free walking, a new tracting special

our house buddy

thanksgiving smore session

gringos

The Part!!

Justin

district pyramid

Hey family and friends,
thats me and pres at zone conference a couple weeks ago...
well.. last week i forgot to tell you about another crazy thing that happened to us.. we were waiting at a gas station to switch back from divisions.. and out of nowhere a swarm of bees attacked us.. dont you worry grandma i did not get one bee sting.. our plan A was to run.. and plan B was to be a man and fight the swarm.. well, plan A worked just great. so.... happy bday my little cousin Brandon!!
o yes, i was just informed that it is this week is thanksgiving... ya, here in guat they dont really celebrate it.. i didnt even realize it was coming up.. but i can be grateful whenever i want... every morning we have been going to the church at 6 to play ball with the elders in the area next to ours!! its super fun, and it helps us get up and really take the word of wisdom to the extreme.. exercises is key to fulfilling the word of wisdom... are you obeying the word of wisdom... huh?? well get to it...we had a with member lesson and we took bikes... it was alot faster... and rock out with your nametag out..
Elder Oakey

so yup.. i went on divisions with elder goodman this week for a few days.. i learned some new super sweet skills... i found a big mouth billy bass when i was on divisions!! it just made my day to see that cute little bass do its singin and bust some moves!!! classy!! so we got invited to a bday party, so we went.. it was a less active member fam.. but a long story short.. the clown made me go infront of a bajillion people.. and do some STUFF.. dont worry i had the thumbs up ok from the stake pres and bishop that were present.. i must have done good cuz the whole bajiliion people were crackin up.. wait.. i did good or i just looked like a fool... well anyway i took first place and got a prize.. i ended up giving my prize to one of our investigators kids who are super poor, to Lester and Johnathon Guzman... they are a super sweet fam that we contacted my first night here in jalapa.. they even came to church with us.. they are all preped, they dont assist a church, they believe in God, they dont work on sunday, they are married, their awesome and they can read and understand!!! perfect!!! im super stoked for the Guzman fam!! after the clown bday party we took the back road to the next lesson in a little pueblo in the mountains.. it was an adventure.. the question elder briones asked me was.. hey oakey, do you want to take the long lighted paved road way to the next lesson, or do you want to take the dirt short cut in the dark jalapa forest with nun ghosts and quick mud... what kind of question is that?? nun ghost and quick mud!! hollar!! but, and its a big BUT, i did not read the fine text that noted elder briones has never really been on the trail.... but.. ya.. thats all i can tell you.. i dont want you to worry.. im missing a shoe but alive, and i was able to attend the choior practice for ward conference next Sunday.. the bishop asked us to help out... that just kinda tells you of the attendance and talent of the minerva jalapa ward.. sorry i cant send my clown act video to you.. its too big... and im not a super high tec computer dude.. so im thinkin you can just see it when i get home..
happy bday my nephews, jaxton and daxton!!
ok love ya byebye now..

hello fam..
well on monday night we had E changes.. and on tuesday night i arrived in minerva jalapa... with elder briones.. this area is outside of the capital.. its super sweet.. its amazing their is clean air and cows and monkeys and a whole bunch of people waiting this message.. its more of a chill area, its not so fast paced, then on Wednesday we had zone conference in zacapa.. we already did alot of service.. we cleaned a whole house.. then we painted a different dudes house!! i love giving hands on service.. hands on, cuz we are always giving spiritual service.. the ward is pretty big for out side the cap.. its a ward of like 80 persons... today was pday.. so we went to a mountain called pino dulce.. we played soccer, threw the football around, Frisbee, cooked a bar bq, jumped on a tramp.. did a little hike, got some turkey feathers for my cowboy hat.... i got attacked by a goose, it bit me several times in the shorts.. but dont worry it didnt do much..... haha... also we got a ride back into jalapa.. its like a hr and 30 min ride through the mountainous mountains... we have a member boy helping us everyday..he is about to leave on his mission.. he is going to Peru.. so we have alot of lessons with member.. he is super prepared.. his mom has been feeding the missonarys for like 10 years.. so he has grown up with missonarys everyday.. his name is jimi.. he is a stud.. elder briones is from utah.. he has 15 months.. his parents are from Ecuador.. so he grew up knowing spanish and engligh... we were automatically friends!!

hello fam.. a new week huh!!
on Wednesday we went to the temple as a zone.. super sweet.. I love the temple.. one area close to the temple is the old area of elder baquiax. so we went to visit for a sec.. we had a lunch appt.. it was his bday also this day.. big 21.. we did some service also this week.. we did some gardening... haha ya and the picture of the lady changing the tire.. thats a good story.. we walked out of a lesson and i saw the chicks changin the tire. i thought that would be a classy pic.. so of course i snapped a pic.. then from deep down in the core of my heart, came a wonderful idea to help the poor little sisters of God.... and their you have it.. ya and the cool part was she told us to come back the next week.. now thats missionary's in action!!!! haha, thats right.. service= the number one cure for anything.. o yes it was halloween last night.. its sad around these parts.. its too dangerous to have the little kids run around and trick or treat.. i didnt see one little pumpkin kid.. super sad day.. i was lookin forward to takin pics with the little rascles... bummer.. and as the sign says below.. people love Jesus, so no halloween.. i really dont know what the two have in common, but im thinkin they think they have a good reason.. haha wow barry write me back, hey you too jared... little punks. and happy birthday mama hanson, have a good one, i hope you chickens are doin just dandy...!! and also Aunt Barbara, have a super great day......emily good luck on the first one.. i heard it hurts really really really bad..... but once its out i heard it dosent hurt as bad.. haha love you take care.. really really..
for my mom, ´´I want to watch the "Sound of music"...what a great movie that is´´..dont watch it too many times mommy... hey mom please send me a video of you singing one of the songs.. that would be the best christmas present ever!!! the hills are alive, with the sound of music, ahhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhh....
have a jazzy week,
love elder paul richard oakey!!!