dec 20 9:36 am

"Dear  MOM,

Elder Ashton just got Emergancy transfered to be a zone leader on the other side of the island, he is way happy about it. This now leaves me in quite an intresting spot. I now live in Ocho Rios, but I still go to High Gate. It is so awesome because I work in 2 areas I am a fill in first consler at high gate, I am learning from the zone leaders here in ochi and from the senior couple. But is is also really sucky because I pretty much lose 2 hours driving everyday and I don't really have my full attention on High Gate.

 

High Gate is amazing the members there are the best. There were three that spoke this sunday and one of the three was Maria the twelve yeard girl I baptized all the speakers did so well. I love High Gate!

 

Well there wasn't to many way cool spiritual experiances that happend this week, but in the mits of this transfering thing. I have seen parts of jamaica that not many people have. It was amazing!

 

My new companions are Elders Tracy and Gardner they are super amazing elders. They work so hard I love it so much. We are always teaching and on the move it is great! They are also super funny!

 

well that is it thats all for the week. Other than a shout out to all my girls there are 2 lovely Elder here that are about to head home that you could write! Probably the coolest Jamaican Missionaries I know so............. there Emails are

 

- justin.gardner@myldsmail.com

- conner.tracy@myldsmail.com

 

mom tell lexi She should Write elder tracy and jade to write elder gardner 

but give the shout out to all haha

 

Love your son,

 

Elder Conder 

 

P.s. you are the best mom thanks for doing all of this for me. p.s. I did really under stand the christmas present? what am I to do?

 

Love you Dad!"

Q&A Email

James tends not to answer any questions you ask him. SO, mom made a "fill-in-the-blank" question and answer email in hopes of getting some answers from him! Here is what we got. . .

 

"How is the girl you baptized?

she is doing so amazing. I am trying to get her mom to do Family night with her.

 - suggestion start having family night with dad and kyle toni and allyssa and the crew please that would be so cool!

    

What does your apartment look like?

well walk down stairs look in my bathroom that is the size of the kitchen, and add cuboards. living quarters are the size of the up stairs spare bed room, and the bath room is the size of the half bath up stairs + a shower.  now you have the dementions strip  everything out of the rooms and make them concrete. there is our place in a nut shell. The view is to die for I wake up to the sunrise every morning OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. BEautiful is defined here

Are you sleeping at night, and are you adjusting to the heat?

haha yes and yes I get a little cold even!

Did you open your christmas cheer?

what? haha

How do you like Elder Ashton, and what is his first name?

Michael

What is Elder Ashtons address?

Canterbury DR. highland Utah 84003

What have you been eating?

Mac and CheeeeEEEeSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEE with hamburger in it. everything I eat here is pretty dang good!

Jerk- best style of Chicken ever(the jerk shack is nothing like it here maybe go there and see if they have jerk)

Do you have a bike?

I do and I haven't ridden it. The roads in our area is like driving up Tibble fork with a 100 more pot wholes per mile

Did you get your beef jerky, was it good?

No I still haven't got it I am crossing my fingers it will make it!

Do you need anything?

Just your love

How are your shoes and socks treating your feet?

amazing

Are your pants nice and cool?

Duh 

Have you used your umbrella?

DUH Dewy( literally its DEwy consistently here) 

Do you feel safe?

Yes

Have you been doing a lot of assignments at church, if so what???

Elder Ashton is the first councilor! but the members are Improving and really stepping up to the plate! 

Have you been receiving a lot of mail from friends and family?

not to much but i love when i get it!

Has your 400 dollars been enough?

yesss most definitely

Did you get to watch the First Presidency Christmas message, it last night?  Yes"

Monday November 29, 2010 9:00 am 'ish'

"Yesterday and the day before were the two best days of my mission and of most of my life! I will start with Saturday; I had the opportunity to step in to the waters of baptism with Maria Nadina-Nacola Hetey! I love this girl and she has now entered the gate to the straight and narrow path, at the end of her journey in life is no longer bleak she knows that she has the opportunity to live with her heavenly father now. and she is on her way. she is going to try to read the book of Mormon all the way through in six weeks!

Sunday, we were on our way to meet with a man named Donavon we found him here on the main road of high gate! a couple of days ago. We were walking on the road asking were he lived and his neighbors lead us to his house, in the bush(aka the jungle) so as we walked by this house, we saw his house. His house and majority of the houses remind me of the shanty towns in the book cry the beloved country. there were about 15 people inside this house watching t.v., when we walked up. then we yelled for Donavon( you yell into houses here rather then knock. its a lot like the savio's in that respect) Well we we did this tons of kids from the age of 1- 18 were pushed out side there house and the parents locked themselves inside. So I am sitting here like okay what heck they must have really not wanted to talk to us! Well as i am thinking this about five little kids are all standing around me and my comp is up teaching the older ones, so what are you to do when tons of little kids are surrounding you, with tattered cloths and giant smiles. duh ask them what there names are and what they like to do. I did just that. turns out they love singing and reading. so I told them to sing me a song! they promptly got in formation and sure enough I was being sung Jesus take the wheel by 6 of the cutest little Jamaicans on earth in there tattered cloths, in the jungle! It was awesome I still can't wipe the smile off my face! So I appointed the oldest girl (she was about 10-12) to be the leader and we sang I am a child of god together. You know how awesome and heart wrenching the primary program is? times it by the movie notebook and any other cute thing like that and it still wont compare to these kids singing I am a child of god with me and having them all sit in am semi circle reading scripture in the mud and dirt on the jungles floor! I wish you all could see this! Oh wait  you Can i videoed it haha! You just have to wait two years before you get to see it! I looooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Jamaica and every one here they are so awesome!
i only have five mins please read MOSIAH 3:19" 

Don't worry, I looked it up for you! 

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

First word from Jamaica. . .

"Dear Utah residents and People that are not in Jamaica,

Forgive me for having pride in my new country, but I must say that this is one of the most beautiful place ever! I am in the area of High gate right now! it is a mountainous community with as small town. I would say that this is the best area in Jamaica. We have been given a special responsibility here to save the branch. As one could easily see from the reputation of smoking MJ all the time it is hard to find worthy Priesthood holders here and as of right now we don't have a branch presidency. This Sunday we had a very big turn out at church it was so amazing to see all of the people we have visited this week come to renew there covenants. I have a great love for the people here they are so nice and willing to serve others! so when I see them doing these things that are going to bless there lives I can't help but to smile! I Have never felt so happy. I love these people so much!

My companion is Elder Ashton he is so awesome he is training me! His family lives right down the road from our house, and is also friends with some of my friends including; Elder Noah Newburt, Baily Martin (the sister of Jordan martin) and he knows Rory( surprising no everyone knows Rory haha). It is a small world

 
We have been helping Maria, a 12 year old girl, make her way to baptism. She is going to be baptized on the 26th of this month! I am so excited for her. This is going to bless her life so much! Maria is the smartest, nicest, best, hardest working twelve year old in the world. I wish that you could all meet her. We are helping about 7 of gods children come unto Christ each with there own story and challenges, I love each and everyone of them. I now couldn't image my life with out these people and these experiences.
  
I would tell you more about what the area looks like but I don't need to because you can just google earth it. once again it is called high gate. 
 
WERE would I be with out my mom, dad, sisters, brother in laws(soon to be ragu), friends and there families, the man sitting next to me, and the father above? I might aswell be no were thank you for being in my life I love you write me, dear elder is free and you can now email me. love you

love
elder conder"

November 17, 2010- James arrives in Jamaica!

"Dear Brother and Sister Conder,

We are happy to let you know your son arrived safely in Kingston, Jamaica.  He is in good spirits and arrived anxious to become involved in the great work being done here.  When he arrived we met him at the airport and brought him to the mission home where he spent his first night.  We helped him with banking and immigration matters and then provided training and orientation.

He was interviewed and met his trainer, Elder Ashton.  They then went to their area where they began the work he came here to do.  Your son will be serving in Highgate.  As parents we can appreciate your concern for him and his welfare and felt you would like to know he is safe and doing fine.

We want to thank you for raising such a fine son and for your support for him while he is here.  Your support for the next few weeks while he may experience some homesickness will be very important.  The work is really beginning to blossom here in Jamaica and the people are warm and friendly.  We are confident he will have a special experience.  We can assure you we will do everything we can to help him grow and develop and are confident his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ will increase.  Through his mission experiences he will draw closer to our Savior.  We are so grateful to have him here.

We will appreciate your continued support.  Please feel free to contact us if we can be of assistance.  We will be sending another email soon with a picture of him at the mission home.  The assistants were busy with transfers today and will be off-island for a few days and they have the picture.

Gratefully,

President and Sister Hendricks"

Second MTC Email

"Wow here his another race with time.

Dear friends and family, 

I would first like to thank you for all the letters and packages!!!!!!!! iiiiiii love getting letters and hearing how you're life is going! I am sending a package home right after i am done on the computer!  be ready bbbbbeeee readyyy uhhhhh huh oh ya      its really not going to be that cool.

Well in the past week I have given two blessings. it is amazing the power of them! it has strengthened my testimony so much.

I got my flight plans, I leave on nov. 16th so fam have you're phones ready! because they told me to call you at the airport. Its so crazy how short of time I have here I need to learn so much more! I am how ever so excited to get out and teach. I bought three books of mormon to give out on my flight! i hope there are those there willing to receive them! I am also very excited to get out of the cold! I am so thank full I am going so were warm.

I got the halloween pictures! they are so awesome! elora you're pumpkin looks sweet! i miss mally mal

misssssyyyyyyysssss fammmmillllly

thank you soooo much! !!! for the letters treats and gooodddddddddiess I love you so much! I can't even tell you how happy that made me and everyone in my district they loved the cookies! and I loved the letters. You're family is so amazing! daxton. I told my district (group of 8 boys i spend  almost all my time with allll about how awesome you are, and about all you're talents, and how you are going to be such a goood missionary! bradon thats sweet you beat my dad keep it up and maybe you could beat me in two years at rainbow road. jada you are sweet thanks for the letter. I still can't wipe the smile off my face from the dozens of letters! You are all so awesome!

love elder conder!"

First MTC Email

"Here it is the final count down. I feel like i am in the world minis again racing! this clock is scaring me so bad. they could have at least not made the 30 minute cout down clock red and flashing!

Mom, dad, Jess, Elora, Taylor, Ragu, everyone one in the real world,

Wow the mtc here I am. I have been here a week now! It is so awesome thespirit and angels really do hang out here. It is awesome all the emotionsyou feel when you are here! love for you're family and love for you comp.love for you're friends love for every single person that you meet. I guessyou could say that I love it here! My companion elder toutai (said toe tie)is one of the nicest people in this hole mtc. he got here on the same day asme, and the next day he was made distirict leader! he leads us an army of 8 men tranning for battle agianst the adversary. He says high to everyone hemeets always has a smile on his face. he has brought are district togetherin a way un seen by many of the leaders here at the mtc. It is funny thatthey would call me as his senior companion. because I am in no way ready?,you could say to be a senior comp. I am pretty sure they just did that togive me some experience.

Look back to the first paragraph. you remember how I said there were angels here? My knee is feeling good but it is very weak. I was playing some volleyball or basketball durning gym time. Sorry I can't remember which Iwas playing. I jumped up to get the ball and as I came down I knew this wasthe end of my mtc experience because my knee was about to fold in half thewrong way. as I was thinking this my knee was pushed up! and kept in place.I was saved from having severe knee problems! here at the mtc which wouldhave resulted in me being sent home on medical leave! Maricals are real! as
glenn beck said "live you're life so that when the time comes you can demand them." for i the lord am bound when ye do what Say. D&C 82:10.

MOM,
I have decided to devote this week to being more diligent, as we choose christ like attributes to work on. You're dillegence in preparing me forthis mission has prepared me to be one of the temprolly preparedmissionaries here. I Have EVERYTHING I NEED THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH AND IFYOU SEND ANYTHINING ELSE MAKE IT ENOUGH FOR EIGHT. You know have 8 childrenbecause we have 8 members in our district and they are alll my brotherss!!!

LOve you allll lllllll soooooo muuch,

elder Conder"

Merry Christmas Mom!

This blog is in honor of Elder Conder and is dedicated to Mom, who misses precious terribly. . . may this blog get you through the next two years! ;) Even though we miss James, there is no other place in the world we would rather have him be right now. He is so happy and there is no where he would rather be either!

We love you Mom! Merry Christmas!

Love,
Elora and Taylor