in all honesty you probably would look a lot less like a baboon if you didn't eat so much orange chicken

Dear those of you who eat breakfast regularly,

what a week what a week. the rain has returned and the brolleys are loose, and a long with it a whole shower of miracles and blessing and amazing experiences have been poured out from heaven much like custard over a nice after dinner pudding (side note: pudding doesn't actually have to mean pudding. . . . think about it) one might even compare it to a strawberry avalanche.

i can honestly say that this time of my life has easily been the most fun and most rewarding time that i have ever experienced. i really think i'm starting to annoy my companion with how many times i will randomly vocalize just how much fun i'm having.

one of the most remarkable miracles we've experienced this last week happened when we met with an investigator named yolanda for the first time. she told us some of her story about her history with the church. apparently she met missionaries for the first time in columbia when she was sixteen and she really enjoyed meeting with them and had a lot of questions. but because of a series of circumstances she was not able to continue with the discussions at that time but ever since then she has always wanted to read the book of mormon and learn more about the church. lo and behold about forty years later we meet her on the street with a book of mormon in hand. (when she told us about this i basically was excited and happy in multiple ways that cannot be described in my language so instead i resorted to reformed egyptian. . . . ) she's super exited to learn more about the church and has enthusiastically started reading the book of mormon (although in her case it's el libro de mormon) and has marked up the words and phrases that she feel are particularly interesting to her. (i actually don't have a point to this parenthetical statement but i decided to insert it here anyways because i realized that i've had an unusual amount so far in this weekly epistle).

another experience that i want to relate was during the zone training that we had yesterday. i had my last interview with president shamo due to the fact that he will be finishing his mission in just a few weeks. we spoke a lot about how he's enjoyed his mission and about the changes he's seen while he's been here. what we actually said during the interview was immaterial though. president shamo is a person that will make you feel better about yourself just by being in his presence. it's an attribute i have only found in maybe one or two people that i've met in my life. i don't know how he does it but every single person who spends time around him is instantly lifted and blessed by the spirit that he brings. i thought about it a lot and about how much this man has helped me in the short time that i know him and i realized something. i want to be that kind of person as well. the kind of person who lifts those around him. i want to be the kind of person that helps others see the good in themselves and helps them find more strength and faith. now that i think about it more i realize that this is an attribute that the savior exemplified in his earthly ministry (as he did with basically any good attribute ever), he lifted those around him. every person that he came into contact with was lifted in some way. some people rejected the help he brought it is true but all those that were willing to be helped received help from him. his gospel is a gospel of love and service, as followers of christ we are to diligently try to follow his example, especially those of us who have taken his name upon us. he has lifted us all and blessed us all with his selfless example of service and love and especially with his incredible gift of the atonement. i love him and i'm so so so grateful for all that he has done for me. this is why i'm here in england. this is why i'm on a mission. because i love my savior. if i can do anything to help anyone draw even slightly closer to the love of the savior i will do everything within my power to help them along that path.

i know i've said this a thousand times before but the church is true and this gospel is the answer to all the questions that we and those we love face in life. we have the gospel and we have the gift to be able to, with the savior help, lift those around us.

love you all and i'm grateful for the support i have and still receive from each of you.

with love

Elder Jarman

ps. for all whom it concerns: summer turns you upside down, summer summer summer is like a merry go round. . . think about that.

pps. i may or may not have been able to fit the word swagger in this e-mail but i think that it's kind of a weird word anyways so you can be the judge . .