Gavidia Ward, Rescue Trio & Metallica

Hello Mom and Dad,

I am not sure what email addresses you are currently using since you changed the company one, so I am sending this to all of them, hopefully you get this. 

I have been getting your letters, even though they were sent to the other mission office, I know the guys there and they are nice enough to send the stuff back to my mission office. Just so we are clear I am in the El Salv San Salv EAST mission, but I am sure you have that figured out by now!

The last letter I got from you was the one mentioning that you were expecting a container from China with product. I hope that all went well with that, and that you will be able to continue that in the future. I am kind of curious as to how the warehouse has changed since I have been gone! Could you maybe send me some pictures of it? I would be interested to see that.

So as of me I am still here in San Miguel, the place that is as hot as hell, right. Still with Elder Wyatt from Logan Utah. We are pretty much kicking butt here. When I got here the area was for the most part dead, in terms of investigators, none were progressing, and in terms of members, they did nothing. The ward we are in is called Gavidia. It has the lowest church attendance in pretty much the whole oriental part of the country, for a ward that is. On average 80 people attend a week on Sunday.

We share this ward with a trio of sister missionaries who are specifically assigned to the "rescue" of the inactive members. Although the sisters are still missionaries and teach the investigators they have along with the references people give them, their main focus is on teaching and reactivating the inactive members. So Elder Wyatt and I can now focus our all on investigators!

Lately we have found some really great investigators here by our own efforts (since members don't help too much). The other day we were teaching William, an 18 year old kid who in super big and buff, and loves  Metallica and what not. His mom was there asking us if Metallica was bad and the two of them pretty much broke out in argument between each other about it. We settled it for them by suggesting that he buy some head phones so that she doesn't have to put up with his music. On Friday, William introduced us to a friend of his who we started talking to and has obviously been prepared by God to receive the gospel. He was pretty much quoting the Book of Mormon even though he has never read it before. He's a cool guy.

We also know another friend of William, who's name is Bani, he used to be a crack dealer in LA and got deported for it, he is actually a really cool guy because he gives us more referrals than the members in this ward do. He's a cool dude.

So... I think that is all I had to say for now... yeah. I am probably forgetting something here... oh well... there's always another pday! I am pretty close to the end of the mission now, this is my 12th change, only 4 more to go after this!

Well I hope that you all have a great week, I love you!

Love Elder Vaughan

Flor de Jamaica, Logan Preemie & Thrift Shop

Dear Vaughan Family,

How are you all doing? I'm sure it's the usual answers such as "great" or "busy", those are great attributes for a family! I imagine that business is good. I really like the new company name, it makes you all sound like such sirs.

So P-Day was awesome. The Zone Leaders surprised us with a Disney movie, "Tangled" because we are an awesome zone, seriously. It was cool to see a movie besides all the church ones. We then played soccer for a bit.

After those fun activities we went to "Burrito Mexican Grill," the only Ameri-Mexi restaurant I have experienced in this country. I also ordered a strawberry lemonade, also the only straw-lemon I have had in a long time, seriously. It's been too long. Mom, please make me a straw-Lemon, I would appreciate it, I love you! I'll have to make you all some juices that we drink here, my personal favorite is called "Flor de Jamaica" which means flower of Jamaica. It's a red flower that you boil in water, add sugar and serve cold. It's awesome, you don't even know!

You want to know something cool? When Chris was sending me those blog entries last year around the start of the school year, he sad, "I met a lot of awesome freshmen, mostly 'premies'," and later said, "I went to 'The Taste of Logan' with a carload of buddies." Well, the cool thing is that my companion, Elder Geoffry Lincoln Wyatt was one of those preemies that was in the carload of buddies. Crazy right? Do you remember that guy, Chris? Tall, short hair, slight receding hairline? Ring any bells? Well, even if you don't remember him he kinda remembers you. Flippin nuts. Small world bro.

Well, things are going well here, the work keeps moving on. I really feel like I have learned a ton of new skills and stuff. Things that'll for sure increase the awesomeness of my life! I am so ready to kick butt when I get home.

Oh random. So there's supposedly a new song called "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore, some vulgar singer. And the song came on in the Mexican restaurant and we coulding stop laughing at the fact that the song swears a ton and was being played in a public place with children and stuff. Hilarious because only us Gringos understood it. You would never hear music like that in a family restaurant in the U.S. I still have that song stuck in my head, it's so dang catchy with the funky-sounding sax part.

Well, that's life. Imma hit the hay! I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Joshua Vaughan

P.S.: I bought a machete today to cut our grass. It's awesome!

Challenge Met, Kick-Butt Spanish & Independence Day

Dear Mom and Dad,

Another week in San Miguel is done! The sun is blazing and time sure is flying by! This week was great! Our zone leaders challenged us to place five new baptismal dates with investigators, we got nine new ones, making 10 total potential baptisms within the next 2 months! We're excited for these next few months. We have some investigators who are really having to repent of big things, it is cool being a part of that. I like where I am at in my mission, I can teach with the spirit in the lessons, I kick butt at Spanish and we're kicking butt in missionary work. Not trying to brag, but my Spanish is better than most of the other Gringos here. Okay, I'm bragging, so deal with it ;). Don't worry, I'm usually humble, I just thought you'd be proud of my progress.

So yesterday was Independence Day here again. It's always Sept. 15th in most of Central America. People hardly went to church since there were a bunch of parades and stuff to celebrate the day's festivities.

I like this area, the people are so nice and give us a ton of good food to eat. We get well treated here! One of the things I need to improve on as a missionary is working out, exercising. Don't worry, I'm not fat. But my Papusa-Pack has grown a bit. I'll work on that one, okay? Well, I hope all is well in Gringolandia. I love you a ton, let me know how you are all doing, okay? Until next time.

Love,

Elder Vaughan

Transferred to San Miguel, Comp From Logan & Fire and Brimstone

Hello Family,

How have you been? So right now I am in a new area! On the fourth of this month I was transferred from La Palma to San Miguel. San Miguel is the second biggest city in El Salv, it is really ghetto and all. Oh, and it's hot as hell, literally. That way it's not a swear word because it is a literal comparison to the place called Hell. But really, people say it's the hottest city in Central America, tied with Panama City. In the first couple few days in San Miguel I drank 2 liters of water a day, no joke, my pee still would come out like applesausce. That is how much we sweat here! Another hellish feature is the dirt/rock roads, most of our area is dirty, rocky roads. The funny thing is most of the roads consist of black volcanic rock/sand that is so hot you can feel it through the shoes. So with the fiery sun and the black lava rock gives San Miguel that hellish "Fire and Brimstone" feel.

By the way, I am with Elder Wyatt from Logan, Utah. He is fresh out of his traning. Actually, he is the D.L. now, so I have the honor of teaching him how to be a good District Leader, when I have zero experience doing that. It's hard also because his Spanish isn't too good. It is so hard working with a comp whose Spanish isn't too great. Fun.

So, right now in my mission I feel like I am at the best part, where I am more than halfway done and I have many experiences that make everything easier. I feel like I have really gotten way better at teaching lessons with the Spirit. That has been hard, but I realized now that it is way more natural to teach with the Spirit. It's great!

It may be a while until I get your mail since San Miguel is really far from the mission office. Thanks for all of your help! :) I love you.

Love, Elder Vaughan

8.5 Months Left, Missing Carpet & Crazy Stories to Tell

Hello Family,

Hey, how's it going? Can you really believe that it's September...again?? At this rate I'll be back soon, only like 8.5 months left! Crazy how fast time is going! My companion, Elder Webster, is going back home in about six weeks, so if I don't have changes he will be the first missionary that I get to "kill". I am kinda jealous that he's going home because it would be so cool NOT to be in this country! I miss carpet. I haven't seen any carpet in a very, very long time, never thought I would miss that stuff! There are so many things I wish I didn't have to deal with or see. Like annouying drunks in the streets, or random dead guys in the streets.  Things like that make me not feel at home, even though I've been here a while! Honestly, I have seen at least one dead guy with almost every companion.

Even though I sometimes wish I wasn't in this country, I am more than glad to be helping in His marvelous work! All the crazy things about this place will just make crazy stories when I get back.

This country really is a dark and sinful place but I love seeing how the Gospel can be a light to the good people in this country!

Well, I hope that all is going great back at home with everything, I love you all. Have a great week!

Love, Elder Vaughan

Marriage, Baptism & WalMart

Hello Mom, Dad and whoever else,

Well another week has happened here in La Palma! It has almost been a month since I left the office, and things are pretty cool not being there! It was great and all, but being normal is nice. Right now we are spending a ton of time working to find new investigators and all.

This last Saturday, Jaime, one of our investigators got married to his wife and then baptized, that's the best part of being out of the office, the baptisms. I had some in my office time just not many. Now I have about 9 months to focus and get stuff done and all! I don't know the guy much, but it is always a happy occasion anyways! I hope that I don't have too many more changes in these last months so that I can really know and appreciate the people in the ward.

Oh, random thing, but we totally have a WalMart in our zone, which is the best thing ever for buying groceries on P-Day. I never thought that I would treat WalMart as a blessing in life, I guess I really have hit rock bottom here, huh?

That's life right now! It sounds like Vaughan Premier, Ltd. is going great! The new name is great and makes more sense too! I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Elder Vaughan

La Palma Ilopango, Morgan Comp & Normal Missionary Work

Dear Family,

It's really crazy to think that it is already August again, time sure is passing fast. I feel like the mission is already almost over! My estimated return date is May 15, 2013, so plan accordingly. It is a couple weeks early because of the divide in the mission and stuff.

So yes, I am in La Palma Ilopango, and I have been here for almost 2 weeks now. I forgot if I told you already, but my companion is Elder Webster from Morgan, Utah, actually from Mountain Green, close enough. It's cool because he knows Jessica Little just a little and some of my college roomates. Small world, huh?

I don't have too much to report now, this area is cool, and yeah, I miss the office, but it feels great to move on and be a normal missionary now! It's great to have a ton of time for missionary work! This month we should have a couple of baptisms...we will see.

I will try and send a couple pics of  "Lago Ilopango", a gorgeous lake in our area. The pictures don't quite do it justice.

I hope that you have a great week! I love you all.

Love Elder Vaughan