Zambia

The People:

Missionaries:

Food:

2012

I need some LETTERS!! I have not gotten any letters for about 4 weeks!! However, it may be that in Zambia most of the people take the WHOLE month off, including the mail services (a little different than the US).   However, I do appreciate all the letters I get and my family and friends who take the time to write to me.  It really means a lot!  However, I have been really busy and I have not written as much as I should.  I am going to write to everyone this week.  To my family and friends; letters are coming, just be patient.

Anyways, the New Year’s holiday was good.  On Saturday, we had our zone activity.  We went to Kafue. Kafue is a long way out in the bush; we got to see the villages. The villages are really cool to see.  In Kafue there were lots of grass huts, a big lake, and just some awesome scenery.  Zambia is green and mountainous.  However, the mountains here are nothing like the mountains in Utah.  They are more like hills compared to the Utah mountains.  We played some volleyball and soccer.  In addition, we had a bri, we cooked some steak and chicken, we had rolls and salad, it was really nice.  It cool because, we plan all of our zone activities ourselves, we just have to let the mission president know what we are doing, and when we would be back. After, our activity we went back to the mission office. President Padovich didn’t want people to be out after 5. At the mission office we watched national treasure (it was nice to watch a movie for once).  At the mission office Elder Cecil and I were talking with President Padovich.  We were asking him about his career at Warner Brothers.    He helped out a lot with Harry Potter! In addition, he is good friends with Jeff Bridges.  He wanted President Padovich to work for his company.  President Padovich was on the set when they filmed Tron and True Grit.  He said that Jeff Bridges is a pretty cool guy.

Yesterday we went to the Chanza’s house for dinner.  Th Chanza’s is on the far end of our area. They fed us tons of food; rice, nshema,   chicken casserole, potato salad, and ice cream cake. It was nice and the food was really good.  In addition, we watched the best two years with them, we played bop-it, and a game which it gives you a word and you have to explain to your team what it is without saying the word before the time goes out.  It was really fun.   After all that we watched some soccer.  Its actually an okay sport to watch (not a fun as other sports), but after the soccer game he turned it to ESPN because, he thought Elder Murdoch and I would like that. It was cool because, we saw some basketball highlights of the Bulls beating the Lakers!  I miss watching sports.

Even more exciting than sport, we will have eight baptisms on Saturday!!  I am really excited!!  Hopefully, all goes well. However, filling out the paper work for eight baptisms is a little time consuming.  One is okay, but when you have a lot its a little time consuming.

 On Tuesday we are going to have a zone conference.  Elder Cook from the Seventies is coming and the missionaries from Copper belt are coming down. It should be a great zone conference.  My mission is going by fast! I can’t believe that it is already the 4 week of my 2^nd transfer.  My mission is going well, I love it here, I love the people here, and it is just so incredible.  

I love you all. God Bless.

Elder Jasper!

Happy Holidays!

12/26/2011

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas!!  I was so happy that I got to talk to my family on Christmas!!  I miss Christmas at home.  I miss going being with my family at Christmas, going over to grandma’s, visiting with family, the food, and just being able to relax! I wish that we could have talked a little longer.  I miss all of you and think of you often.   I miss Riley and Jaden.  I miss hearing their stories about school, playing video games with them, watching sports with dad, and just talking with my mom.   

I really miss playing my guitar! Last Wednesday we were walking to our appointment and I passed by a guy playing his guitar.  I could not help it, I walked up to him, made friends with him, and he let me play his guitar!!  Now, every time I pass that way I stop by and play his guitar. I hope that I don’t forget how to play.

 After I spoke with you, I just hung out for a bit at the mission office.   We watched a movie starring Bill Cosby titled: The Ultimate Gift.  I thought it was a great movie.  I give it 5 stars (ha ha).   We took the big project from the mission home with us. When we got home we watched 17 Miracles.  It was a good movie as well; however I did like the first movie better.

The weather is nice today.  It’s not hot, it’s cloudy and cool, which is nice.  Today we are planning our zone/new year’s activity for Saturday.  We will be moved into our new apartment, we got permission to stay up until midnight, watch a movie, and some of the Elder’s from the other district are coming over.  So, it should be fun.

I love you all; I miss you, God Bless.

Elder Jasper

Amazing Skies

This week we found out about our transfers.  I will not be transferring.  I am staying in the same area for a while and will keep the same companion.   This week we have been busy.  However, the rain does slow us down sometimes.  You have not seen rain until you come to Africa during the rainy season.  When it rain here…..it pours!!  We got caught in the rain and we were totally soaked.   Speaking of rain reminds me of the thunder.  Wow! The thunder is so loud.  During the thunder storm we were running to make it back to our flat.  By the time we made it back to our flat and came inside the thunder was so loud it literally shook the windows! I thought the windows were going to break.

I also wanted to tell you about the amazing sky here in Africa.  The sunsets are so AMAZING!  Every night I have seen a different colored sunset; purple, yellow, blue, and even a black sunset.  In addition, the night skies are amazing. The stars are so bright, the moon looks bigger here, and sometimes you can see even see the planets. 

I am doing well and I have lost about 45 pounds.  That is crazy (huh).  I am eating well but the food here is much more health than in America and it is very basic.  We usually eat breakfast and dinner.  We have to make our money stretch and usually we don’t eat lunch.  We walk or ride our bikes for about 10 or miles a day.  However, I do splurge on Mondays and usually buy some pizza.

I have a lot of pictures.  I just sent them off to you today.  So, when you get them you can post some of them or share them with family and friends.

I am excited for Christmas.  I am excited that I will be able to talk with my family.  I hope that everyone is doing well and everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Devin

12/5/2011

I got the letters from Rachel, Bronte, Grandma Herron, and Kathy.  I hope that they are doing well.  Rachel reports she is going to Utah State and that dad demands that she make him cookies (ha ha).  Cookies sound GOOD! I couldn’t even make cookies here if I wanted too you wouldn’t be able to buy the ingredients for them.  The letter from grandma Herron was nice.  I will make sure to send her a card for her birthday on the 19th.   I am also planning on sending a card to Grandpa Jasper on his birthday. Have you talked to Russell?  Tell Russell hello and to write to me!! I wrote everyone letters last week.  Everyone should be getting their letters next week.

This week we had some dinner appointments and that was nice not to have to cook for once.  Our allotment comes later and later every week now which makes it hard to buy food.  Anyways, the week has been good. However, it’s been extremely hot this past week but it is raining today (yeah).  The rain is good and it feels like it is a bit cooler today!!  We just started our second transfer today. We have new missionaries coming in on Tuesday. So, we will see what happens and what transfers are going to be like. I will find out if I will be staying in this area or going to a new area. However, I’m pretty sure i will be staying in this area for a while. We are planning our Christmas party on the 24th.   As missionaries we have a lot of responsibilities in our branch.  We are helping to get things planned and all that sort of stuff to ensure that everyone can come and enjoy themselves at the party.

The handbags for my mom turn out great! I can’t wait to give them to her.  I think that she will really like them.

Well, that is all for now. Take care, Love Devin

12/12/2011 Email from Elder Santana

How are you doing the mom of my companion? Well, I just thought of writing to you and pass my greetings to you.  My name is Elder Santana, and I am your son’s companion.  I enjoy working with him.  He is a great missionary.  From him I am learning tons of things that are also helping me a lot in my life. I am so thankful to you for the great job you did to help him so that he could help me. I love the gospel and the work that I am doing with Elder Jasper here in Zambia. I know that families are important.  I also know that Jesus Christ is the son of God, I love Him, and I know he died for our sins.  While on my mission I have learned some powerful stories.  I have one story that I want to share with you.  I know when you read the story you will learn something.

 "There was a man who was rich.  He wanted someone who could build a house for him. Fortunately, he found a person who could build it. So, the rich man gave the builder the money. He gave him enough money so that he could buy the best construction materials that were durable.  However, after the builder was given money to buy strong building material, he went and bought the cheapest material.  He constructed a house with cheap material and he kept the extra money.  After he finished the task he went to the rich man and gave him the keys for the house.  You know what the interesting part is…. the rich man gave the keys of the house back to the builder and told him that the house he was building was a present for him. "  Do you think that is fair?  So, from that story I have learned that God is the rich man and we his children are the builders.  I know God is going to give all of us the keys of the houses we are building through our deed, actions and thoughts.  So, if we don’t build our houses with strong material, such as the gospel of Jesus Christ I know at that we won’t be happy.  I hope you have enjoyed this small story of mine 

12/12/2011

I got the letters from Rachel, Bronte, Grandma Herron, and Kathy.  I hope that they are doing well.  Rachel reports she is going to Utah State and that dad demands that she make him cookies (ha ha).  Cookies sound GOOD! I couldn’t even make cookies here if I wanted too you wouldn’t be able to buy the ingredients for them.  The letter from grandma Herron was nice.  I will make sure to send her a card for her birthday on the 19^th.   I am also planning on sending a card to Grandpa Jasper on his birthday. Have you talked to Russell?  Tell Russell hello and to write to me!! I wrote everyone letters last week.  Everyone should be getting their letters next week.

This week we had some dinner appointments and that was nice not to have to cook for once.  Our allotment comes later and later every week now which makes it hard to buy food.  Anyways, the week has been good. However, it’s been extremely hot this past week but it is raining today (yeah).  The rain is good and it feels like it is a bit cooler today!!  We just started our second transfer today. We have new missionaries coming in on Tuesday. So, we will see what happens and what transfers are going to be like. I will find out if I will be staying in this area or going to a new area. However, I’m pretty sure i will be staying in this area for a while. We are planning our Christmas party on the 24^th.   As missionaries we have a lot of responsibilities in our branch.  We are helping to get things planned and all that sort of stuff to ensure that everyone can come and enjoy themselves at the party.

The handbags for my mom turn out great! I can’t wait to give them to her.  I think that she will really like them.

Well, that is all for now. Take care, 
Devin