Well as you know, today is transfers and I'm writing you early which means i didn't get transferred, which isn a surprise! My new comp is coming from Cotui and his name is Elder Tarver, he is American and really big! I have not met him yet but he was Elder Powell's comp who is here in Esperanza, he said he is cool and loves basketball and stuff. I will write back later when he needs to use Internet to tell you a little about them.

Well on Monday morning I got the call from President Lee and he called me to be DISTRICT LEADER!! wow I'm like freaking out its not even funny, I don't know how I'm going to do it, like I pray every night that I will receive help from above, cause I'm Senior Comp and DL, so please pray for me and stuff, thanks!

This last week was amazing, you will never guess what happened! well that family we reactivated has a 10 year old daughter and we have been trying to tell them Spragg was leaving and they wanted us to be comps when she got baptized, but at the same time didn't want to baptize her yet. We spent 2 months trying to get them and the last Saturday past and we knew it then, 2 transfers without a baptism.....bummer. We went to there house on Monday to have dinner for Spragg and they were like, wow your actually leaving, but Naomi didn't get baptized. We were like we told you! then the dad was like lets do it tomorrow! we told him we couldn't cause they are on Saturdays, and he was like whatever call the President for permission, so we called him knowing he would say no. HE SAID YES! wow it was amazing, the ZLs came Monday morning to the interview and we baptized her yesterday at 5 at night! I know we were blessed for working the hardest we could for 3 months! it was an amazing experience I will never forget!

Well I cant believe next week at this time a year ago we were flying to Utah to drop me off at the MTC! its just a dream, I have not been here for a year, its just to fast. They cant do this to people, send them on a mission where they make so many friends and when you don't know it they kick you out! I don't want this year to go by fast, id rather stay here! but what can you do right?

It was sad saying goodbye to Elder Spragg, he really was my best friend! we had the best time together and it was my favorite time in the mission with him. He was the first person I ever saw getting off that bus in my first area October 1 2008 and he was my ZL, then we were comps, now hes going home tomorrow. I honestly learned alot from him! ill miss him a ton! he is going back home to Dixie state to study in St. George, represent mom!!!

Well that's about it from here all is good and im doing very well. So it sound like it is super hot in Arizona! I cant believe it, that's so nuts! its a good thing that you are going to the cabin, just think, we can probably go for a week next summer together! wow time flies. Dad and Josh, do lots of golfing and fishing for me! and do a little more golfing on the side after that, I miss it so bad! my swing is still alright though. Oh drink lots of dr. pepper for me and sugar cookies Josh from Maverick!

I miss you all but I have to go! my comp is at the house! woo hoo ill write back soon, like in 30 minutes haha! so have a great day and I love you!

love, Elder Westergard

Jesse finally fixed the camera situation and sent me alot of pictures this time, Im still trying to figure out how to get the little video clips put on here, any ideas???

Wow what a great week! I don't know where it went! but it was great. We had our zone conference Friday with Pres. Lee and wow what a man! he is so called of god! he is so smart and so spiritual. He was a area 70 and all that! I think this will be a last great year!!! I have actually come o the conclusion I'm fine if i go up! it will be a great experience for me. I'm ready and my Spanish is really good....well that's what other Elders tell me! so we will see, ill find out Monday!
Well Elder Estevez talked to me at zone conf. and said Rosangel and Ismael, the family I was teaching before I left the plat, were having lots of problems! and told me I should go visit them ASAP! so after the conference I asked President Lee for permission and he was like ok! I was super happy! So yesterday morning I left bright and early to Puerto Plata! i like cried on the way up there cause its such a beautiful drive up! We spent the whole day talking to my baptisms and members! it was the best thing ever! then we went to ismaels house at 7 to teach him! I had like a boche planned and stuff but as we got there I was told by the spirit to read D& C 24 where it says I will be with you through your trials and gave a wonderful caring lesson, I got choked up but DIDNT cry! I think I made a great impact on them so we will see how it goes.
After that at 8 we had a dinner appointment with, GUESS WHO! the Martinez family, aka you know who im talking about! I love them so much. It was great to see Anthony again! its official his papers are in Salt Lake! he is so excited and his brother has 3 months in the mission. Then we went and stayed at the missionaries house and it was super cool! Today as you know I'm in Santiago and I got a CAMERA! woo hoo I'm so excited. thanks, I will take tons of pics now for you and movies!
Well I have to go! OH HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD! I love you guys so much, eat a steak for me! well I better go! talk to you next week.

love Elder Westergard

Jesse now has a new mission President, he was very sad to see President Thomas leave, he is the only one of my boys who has had a change in Presidents while on their missions. I'm sure President Lee will be full of energy for a while and will get things in ship shape.

OK I'm so sorry this is so late! its not my fault so don't worry and Mom you can stop worrying nothing happened to me haha! The Internet control like crashed here, in Mao, and Navarrette, there was no way to write you guys, so we went to a lesson at six, and after people were saying it was back, so we are skipping the activity at the church to write, which means this will be short cause we don't have a lot of time.
Well today we went to play softball and we played a actual team who were not members, so missionaries vs. the world. ya we won 18-5!!!! The new President is a great guy, but sooooooo FLECHA!! mom ask Josh or Jared what that means (that would mean strict). His first day here he sent a Elder back to his house cause his shirt was a LITTLE dirty, and another kid had a LITTLE hair on his chin and he asked him if he was rebelling!! WHAT! its crazy....but all in all we had interviews with him and hes nice and wants to work. So lets work!
Well rumors are going around that I'm going to move up which is not cool. I really don't want to. DK (don't know??) its district leader or i get a kid (could be trainer?). I'm hoping for neither but we will see in 2 weeks. pray for me ok haha.

That's nuts its always above 110 in Arizona. I miss the pool, its super hot here and has not rained in 2 weeks. Were dying out here! but its alright. There is so many mosquito's here like i cant even describe how nasty it is. In the morning i get my towel to shower and like 50 fly off it, that's not an exaggerated number either!! I get eaten alive and you cant find good spray here, its all like 10 percent deet. i need like 2 million percent.
I love my new pants I had made, so i will send pics next week probably. I had 2 pair made.
We have zone conference with President on Friday and it should be interesting! Ill let y'all know next week.
Well I better go I have no time left, sorry if I missed anything cause I was rushed, oh and when is anyone BESIDES mom and dad going to write me!!!!!

Love Elder Westergard.......

oh and dad! Phil would have got his bottom handed to him!!!!!! GO TIGER (more golf talk)

Well, Jesse's camera broke so we have not gotten any pictures, we are in the process of getting him a new one, but I found a picture I don't think I have posted yet.

Hi family, what is going on? I just started the mission July 2008 and now its July 2009!!! No this cant be happening to me! I just started and its been like a year. I hate this I love it here I don't want to go home! like I'm not joking I don't want to leave! Well it ain't nothing I guess, just got to get used to it huh.... (does he really realize how long 1 more year is???)

Well President Lee is here! its super weird knowing that President Thomas is almost at his house! I heard he is super strict, but that's good for the mission. Lets work hard and get lost in this wonderful work. Today was a great day, it started off yesterday by going to the PLAT, yes my old area, and it was so amazing, I forgot how much I actually loved it there. Even though I wasn't in my area I saw people I knew and it made me so area trunky. We had like 13 visits last night and got home at 11. then we stayed the night at the zone leaders house. We woke up today and went to play basketball in my area at my old chapel. MY BISHOP was there and I gave him the biggest hug, I almost cried! yes dad your right, once a shooter always a shooter, I did awesome today! (It's good to hear he still doesn't lack any self confidence, I love that boy) I hope its like that in golf too haha I have not played forever, its killing me. Then we came to Santiago for our pday and ate at pricesmart, aka Costco, it was super good. were about to go pick up my new pants that i got made here, I'm so excited.

This week was a surprise..... well the doctors were wrong about the kidney infection....Monday night i passed two stones in my house.....i will say its painful and I am done with soda. (WHAT???)

Ok so!!!! haha well we had a really great experience this week with a family we reactivated! We watched a movie, called by small and simple things, its amazing just to let you know, but when it was done Norbel, the dad, started talking about his babtism and how he went inactive. then he said that for years the members have been trying to get them to go to church, but never go and he didnt know why me and Elder Spragg showed up at his door one night to share our message, but they felt something! all in all in 1.5 weeks teaching them we got them to go to church, and they now have 5 weeks in a row going and said we know we made a mistake before, we will not go inactive ever again and were working on getting sealed in the temple!! and we put a date with there daughter to get babtized! I love missionary work and the feelings you get. I dont know why it happened, but looks like me and Elder Spragg were the only ones who could touch their hearts, it was amazing!

So ya, Jakelle!! how was EFY?? you know what that means, you have the new EFY cd and I want it! put it on your ipod and send me the cd please! and i want to know about your experiences.
What are the Suns thinking... they need Amare! whatever and if your going to trade Shaqu get something good for it!
Well I better go family! I love you so much and will talk to you next week. HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!

Love Elder Westergard