Jeremy has been on his mission for a few weeks now and we finally have created a blog.  Here are a few pictures and then the letters that we have received.  Scroll all the way to the bottom for the earliest letter.

May 18, 2012

First I'm guessing you want to hear about my visit with President Jackson. Well, the doctors said that it was probably a degeneration of the cartilage or something like that in my shoulder which basically means my shoulder will not stay in my socket. With that said, he gave me a shot of cortizone (I fainted like a man) then told me to see him in a week. I still feel a little pain but not nearly as bad as before. I think I just need to give it more time to heal.

The language and teaching are coming along. I have been trying to use spanish as much as possible and I can usually speak pretty well to the teachers and other missionaries. I still need to get some things down like the different conjigations (or however you spell that) down and also the difference between Saber and Conzco. Teaching the investigators is also getting better. I just need to learn to lecture less and make it more of a conversation.

We have also lost another missionary. Elder Hartley had to be put on medical leave so that he could go to a doctor and they could do aggressive physical therapy. He will be back in about a month with a different mission call and a different language (That language has to be English though and the place has to be First world.....so America, Canada, England, or Syndey, Australia)

If you didn''t hear, Seth Cannon got his mission call to Berlin, Germany and I heard the Nelson got his call to Manous, Brazil. So that''s cool. I also saw the Tidwells neighbors from Germany (Lizzys Friends family) at my temple walk. They told me that Nathan gave a talk on mothers day and said something to the effect of ""Without mothers there would be no little blankets for babies....actually come to think of it.....without mothers we wouldn''t have babies."" that made me laugh. I also heard of some catastrophy involving Kevin and breaking the sink in the girls bathroom.

I hope Mummy got her mothers day card. The MTC does not have any so I had to improvise. Sorry it''s late. I have suprisingly little time to write letters during my personal time at night. Most of the letters to my friends have to be written between two days.

Also, when you sent me that letter saying that you had recieved a call about an appointment. Guess what? I already knew. I was in the room when they called. I could have yelled and you would have heard me, but I don''t think the nice nurse lady would have liked that too much....so I refrained.

I don''t know if I told you already, but I have found Ciro. We were in the same building and we have the same temple walk time. He''s doing really well and he says that the language is really hard. In the past week I have also seen Corban Kafusi and Colby Jorgensen. I see them all the time funny enough. We have the same meal schedule and they are so tall that I don''t need to look too hard. I told my companions that I had really tall friends and they didn''t really believe me until they saw those two.

How is everyone doing at home? I wish I could have been at the groundbreaking but I was probably studying. It''s wierd to be so close to home but not able to see anyone. I have seen our car drive past a couple times while I''m exercising. I'm not outside, I''m up in that window on the running machine. I''ve also been running a lot recently and doing crunches and stuff and I am happy to say that I have lost about 5 pounds. I came in here at around 160 and now I''m going back down to 155. So the food hasn''t gotten to me. In all reality I haven''t really been tempted by the food because it is all nasty. Every once in a while they have something good but when I say once it a while I mean....almost never.....

I got Seths picture and it is now hanging up next to the picture of you guys and the picture of Steph and Bronwen (they sent me a picture in their package along with a box of twinkies, an Iron Man Pez dispencer, Some candy that has awesome pictures of the Avengers and a band aid...)

Well, that is all that has happened this week. I''m still learning and being humbled everyday but I am really excited to go out into the mission field. I think I told you but I have about 4 more weeks. I''m leaving earlier than usual which is really nice.

I love you all. I''ll try and send pictures and stuff soon.

Love you,

Elder Jeremy Sherman

May 11, 2012

We had to teach a fake investigator for the past couple days. Since me and my companion can't speak spanish very well it was fairly difficult. Fortunetly one of the nice Hermanas in the district next to us helped us with teaching and told us to just simplify everything as if you were explaining it to a child. That was really usful. Wish I could have known that before yesterday.

Our class is really good. Our teacher is really good at helping us understand everything. The other day he did a practice on how to teach someone and helped us learn the prases that we needed to know. Funny story though: you know how every missionary has that moment when they say something wrong but it's really funny. That happened to my companion. He was talking about how Christ came down to earth to die for us, but instead of saying Murió he said Muerte so that instead of saying "Christ died for us" he said "Christ killed for us". Our teacher couldn't speak for about five minutes because he was laughing so hard.

I did get a package from Steph and Bronwen. It made me laugh a lot. They had given me a box of twinkies but then crossed out all the ingredients and then said the only ingredient was 'Love' The also crossed out all of the nutritional information. The also sent me an Iron Man Pez thing and some suckers that have the pictures of the avengers on them. I am not going to eat them because I don't want to ruin the picture.

I probably should have told you, I have two teachers. Hermano Staples is the only teacher that we have met and the only one who has taught us so far. The other teacher is Hermano Boaz. We thought that we hadn't met him yet but it turned out that he was our pretend investigator....which blew my mind after I found out....

Everything is really good here. The food is still nasty but they sometimes have some good stuff. Like yesterday they had pork Gyros that were really good. Otherwise I just try not to eat that much and for gym I usually run about 2 miles, lift weights, then do physical therapy.

Speaking of that I have some semi bad news. My shoulder is acting up again but this time worse than before. Me and Elder Hartly (an elder that is in the same situation as me except instead of his shoulder it's his back) are conviced that it is either a trial of our faith or the advesary trying to stop us. Either way, if it continues to bother me next week I am going to the clinic to check it out. But please pray for my shoulder and Elder Hartlys back. He has found out that his mission will have to change because he needs to go somewhere with proper medical stuff.

Really quick. In my district there are only 4 elders. Me, My companion Elder Stephenson, Elder Gibson, and his companion Elder Heartly. They are all musicans to some extent and Elder Hartley is also a Hipster kid like me. We all get along great. Also, the other district that came in the same day as us is really cool. I just happened to be walking past their classroom at one point and heard them talking about Star Wars and how Qui-Gon is the best. We get along great with them.

That is all the time I have to write. Really quick, I know that this is the true gospel and that God is looking out for his missionaries. I can say beyond the shadow of a doubt that it is true.

I love you all.

Love

-Elder Sherman

P.S. I will respond to all your letters through this email. I don't have time to respond through the others.

P.P.S. Tell dad that his letters are really helpful and that eventually I will be able to repond in spanish

P.P.P.S. I found out I am only here 7 weeks. I leave on June 25 as opposed to July 10.

May 5, 2012

Dear Family

I am only allowed to emal once a week so don't keep asking me questions. but feel free to send as many emals as you want. As you can see, the i button doesn't work all the time and I only have 30 minutes to write so excuse any spelling errors.

I don't know if you have gotten my first letter that I sent the first day. If you have then here is the update. Elder Lund, my second companion in the trio had to go home because of medical reasons. so you can say that I have lost my first companion....

Otherwise everything is go ing well. The food has made me a little sick but I'm pullng through. I'm doing laundry right now. The other two companions in my district are really cool also. Elder Gibson and Elder Heartly, both gong to Peru. They are also bo th soccer players with is good.

Other than what is going on in my first letter not much has happened.

It's been crazy already. I've seen most of my friends from Timpview. Ulysses did find me and I also saw Jacob a couple times. they are both doing well. I was able to venture out past the front gates the other day to take my companion to the student health cen ter. Fortunetly i didn't see very many people I know thought i think I saw Ryans car. It is also strange to think how close I still am to home. I keep looking at the mountains and thinkiong that I was on top of thoes just last week. Learning spanish is going well. I kind of wish that I had been put in the beginning class so that I could re learn everything but i'm ok where I am. I had to teach an "investigator" the other day all in spanish and well......I'm studing more so I can improve.

Couple of funny stories before i leave. I accidentally hugged my Branch presidencies second couselor and I also ate something that I wasn't sure if it was potato or fish...so that's probably why i'm sick.

I miss you guys and love you. I'll wrte more from a better computer next week.

Love,

Elder Jeremy Sherman