Week of May 29, 2011

Corban's email: "Hello everyone and Happy Memorial Day from Bolivia Santa Cruz.!
Yes I know Bolivia does not have Memorial Day, but at least I can celebrate with a cheerful smile and a happy face to all those Bolivianos who do not know the joy of the holiday! Well, everything here has been just swell this past week, I am in my final days of this companion exchange and am ready for a new refreshed companion. I even had my 5th baptism this week. Her name is Antonia Suarez and she was baptized en dia de madre here in Bolivia, which was really special for her to do. I'm doing well here in Bolivia and shedding away the time, weird to think at the start of this month I will be in my 6th month here in my mission. Time is passing by really quick. I attached two photos and hope that they get to you guys. I hope that you all have a wonder day and wonder holiday as well. Keep sending me those letters which I love to read so much and I will talk to you all next week, maybe from a different part of Bolivia.

love, Elder Schafer

Does anyone else notice what is happening to our Corban....he is slowly disappearing, oh not really but it is more and more evident that he is continuing to lose weight. Now no one worry he has assured me that he is eating well, but I think it might be the 20 mile walks he takes each day. He does not travel by car...only on foot. Once again I encourage each of your to write him when you can! Until next week take care!!

Sandy

Week of May 22, 2011

Corban's email this week was rather brief. In his personal email to me he was asking about everyone writing him...I got the feeling that he is missing everyone and would like to hear more from everyone. I do know that the one package that I sent him took about 2 weeks to get to the address and another couple of weeks for the district leaders to bring him his package, but he was happy about it! So please write him when you can!

Corban's email: "Brief email this week. Just letting everyone know that I am alive and still kicking. I'm doing good and have another baptism this week. It will have been my 5th person to baptize. Sorry if the English is bad, getting worse and worse every week. I love you all and pray for you often and hope that you are all doing well. miss you guys.
love,
corban

Week of May 15th, 2011

Corban's email: "Well almost done with my second companion exchange. Have two more weeks left and these weeks are going to fly by faster than the ones before. Just think we are almost to June. Had my second baptism this week was nice to see the smiling face of a person who has just been baptized especially when you get the up and close shot. Just wanted to see how you are all doing and hope that everyone is doing well. From the letters I got seems like everyone is enjoying thereselves. Glad to hear that the people who are out of school are doing good as well. I'll attache some pictures of me and my baptism family. Hope you enjoy my ravaging pictures. So how is everyone? It got down to 62 the other night and I felt like putting on gloves. Goes to show how accustomed I am to the weather here. Usually gets up to 88 during the day here, but the people keep saying that the cold is coming and is usually here from mayo to junio. Yeah I have not seen the ¨cold¨ yet, but I am waiting. hope it does not get too cold. Don't know that I will be able to survive xD. Hope that everyone is doing well, and I hope to get letters from you next week seeing how you are all doing.
love, corban
(elder schafer)

Mother's Day phone call !!

Happy Mother's Day to all!!

Well the family and I had the chance to talk with Corban today. He only had an hour to talk and he splint the time between those of us here in Brown County and his Dad in Evansville. Casey started off the conversation with Corban and of course it was almost all in Spanish. To quote Casey in English of course Corban's Spanish was incredible. He spoke with each of his siblings, brother in-law, Ben and my self. Even Miss Lilly, Corban's niece, spoke with Corban telling him that she loved him.

I can report that he is well. He says that he has lost another 25 lbs. Of course as a mom I had to ask if he was going hungry and he said that no he was not. He said that the culture there has 2 main meals a day that the evening meal is usually just a snack if anything at all. We asked if he had received any of the letters or packages that we have sent in the past month and he said no he had not, which was very discouraging, but lets me know not to send anything too important in the mail. So I plan on doing a bit more research into a reliable means of getting things to him and will let you all know what I find out.

I asked if he needed anything and he said that he did not. He sounded good, but I could swear that I heard a slight Spanish accent in his voice..... lol !! So we will wait until Christmas to hear from him again. So everyone please continue to write Corban when you can! So take care everyone!

Week of May 1, 2011

Corban's email: "!buenos dias de bolivia santa cruz¡
I hope that you are all doing well, this week will be my 4th completed month in the mission field, and glad to say that I am enjoying myself. The people here are growing on me and I am happy to say that so is the weather. It is mas o menos 60 degrees here in santa cruz and I'm dying, its cold. Hard to go from 92 to 60 in a week. But its all good. I hope that you are all enjoying the rain there xD. But other than that I'm fine. Happy to hear from you all, and hopefully you are all doing well and pushing forward. I'm preparing two more people for baptisms this week, and hopefully May 14th and 28th I will have two more people baptized, great people here. Well, I'm going to make this short this week. but you all know that I love and miss everyone of you. Talk to you soon, write you sooner... lol.
love,
Elder Schafer

On a side note this Sunday May 8th, Mother's Day we will have the opportunity to talk to Corban one of the 2 times a year that we will be able to talk to him. Will give you an update on that call!! Hope that everyone is well!!

Week of April 24, 2011

Corban's email: "Hey everyone!
Just thought that I would send my weekly email to the fam. I am doing well here in Bolivia, had my first Latino companero. His name is Elder Dan Coca. He is from here in Bolivia, but a different part that our mission does not cover. Yeah, its a little tough because I have to use more Spanish now that I have a Latino companero. But other than that things are great. I am having a wonderful time here, I committed a person to baptism yesterday and another is thinking of a date. I think it will be May 7th and the other May 14th. It is better when I have baptisms, the week goes by quicker. The work here is great and I am teaching and working hard, and sleeping well. I have to say that I might need someone to send me a belt or I need to start making new holes in the ones I have. Even the small pants that I bought that were tight on me are now a little loose.Ii guess walking more than 20 miles a day kinda helps a little. xD. Not to mention the farmers tan that I got goin on. Its great ca´t wait to show everyone in two years. Well, how is everyone doing today, it is about 70 degrees here and the temperatura es perfecto! yo levanto en the mañana and fue un poco frio. si yo se, un otro dia hace calor otra vez pero, ahora está bien. you espero que ustedes conozcan que yo les amo. It is my privilege to be here and I love you all, I hope to see you all in the next 20 months. Time will go by quicker than you know it, I think... I love you all and hope that yo are all doing well.
love,
Elder Corban Schafer