Elder Robertson the day he went home.

Herculese

Service Project.

We picked up all the trash out of a dry river.

Elder Grigg from my group.

My Comp Elder Delafrance, at conference.

We had to lift all of this trash out of the river, and it was super heavy.

Shoveling Garbage.

Me and Elder Leonardo

klk mi familia como ta to pa ya en Arizona, trankilo..... espero k si. did you understand my dominican tigeraje....haha thats how they talk here, its really como esta todo para ya haha they like cut out words to make sentences shorter haha. and trust me im really good at it. (I have no idea what any of that said). Everyone new i meet here in Santiago say i talk way good and sound Dominican, so that's a good thing. Well this week was a fun one! I find myself talking more in lessons now cause my comp does not teach alot with the lack of Spanish speaking, but its alright. Its new for me to have an American again, its been 6 months since the last one but were getting along really good and what seems to bring us together the most is....YOU GUESSED IT....quoting Brian Regen and movies, especially Jim Carry hahaha!

This week was filled with working, teaching, looking for houses, and MORE chores to do for the sister missionaries. trust me mom, i also love when guys are here to in my same city so they can come over for lunch or something and pday. but its ok and this is for Jakelle because i said it last night and i remember how she hated when i said it....I KNOW RIGHT haha. miss you Kell. We had interviews this week and i realized that i only have 1 more real one left, then my dying one about going home and life and girls and stuff....that's weird. but he straight up told me like it blew me away....Elder Westergard your going to train your last 2 transfers and be District Leader. i was like.....sweet! haha it was like weird, but sounds good, end the mission with some new blood and animo to work. i had some profound doctrinal questions for him to and we talked and read the scriptures for like 20 minutes. it was really cool and inspiring.

So i decided that i want to get back to the house like ripped and huge so i work out now when i wake up at 630. haha im seeing some big results, even though i have been doing push ups almost my whole mission, I'm not fat which is good and I'm alot stronger than when i left the house haha. I honestly concure with what Ryan said in his email for the letter about teaching people who know its true but deny it because they are lazy and don't want to keep covenants. we talked to a lady who understands everything, reads the Book of Mormon, and everything but she was like i prayed..and i said ok what happened...the Lord told me to stay in my church!!!!!! wow i was like about to frwak out on her and be like then he is a liar and he didnt tell you that.....but i kept it in my head and was like what do i say to that or do or teach....i just said ok keep reading and saying your prayers, then we ended with a prayer and left, i don't think we will go back. its a bummer i hate dropping people its the worst. but on the bright side i have my first baptism here in Santiago on Saturday! on in like all the Republican but noe in the city, haha his name is Luis and he is a really cool kid, he loves the church and even goes to our English class.

Well sounds like everything in Arizona is going good, I'm so sad about Eddie passing away and i feel bad for Grandma, tell her im sorry for her mom or dad next time you talk to her. Well sounds like dad is busy but its almost over, sorry mom what you said about dad not going to Hilton head is wrong...remember the family golf trip you guys promised me when i get home....well i haven't and i hope you remember it to haha.

Today we had our zone activity and we went to the steak (that would be Stake, can't correct that one for memories) center to play basketball and games aka risk!! love that game. but i will tell you something, my game has never been better, my shot is more money than in school, i can dribble alot better and with the left hand, I'm faster, i drive alot more and you might as well just call me the WONDER of the mission haha sorry the is like really egoistic but today like 5 Elders were like how do you do that stuff! and say like one day i will be as good as you haha. well that's my brag story for the week for you guys. (a little humble huh?)

well ok i love you guys so much, i will put some pics up for you guys on flickr, so check them out later!

Elder Jesse Westergard

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! sounds like you are doing really good! so does that mean you will just give me your computer you had....haha sounds like the Ipad is sweet, i got really hungry when you told me you ate at The Keg, i love that place. Sounds like everything is going good there, except that earthquake! scary stuff, now you know how i feel, but the one here was worse and i was close to it. So Josh is walking again huh...great for you bro, soon enough we can go golfing or something when i get home. That's good Dad about your thumb, maybe next week you can go golfing! you need to tell me how it goes. ok I'm so bummed that I'm going to miss the Masters with Tiger woods, you guys know me and what i do when one of the 4 majors is on....NOTHING!! i just sit down stairs with coke and watch the rounds over and over haha. then cry when Tiger doesn't win, but ill be home for the next major i think, or not....

I cant believe DUKE won! that's awesome, i love Duke, Schayer was a senior this year right...good for him, i loved watching him play, hes super good. I have heard of Butler, but that's weird that they got to the championship...but came up short. Wow so Melissa moved to Chandler...that's awesome, I will have to go visit her when i get back. Landon wrote me a loooooong email! it honestly made my week. He told me whats all going down and that he misses me so much. If there is anyone i miss so much from back home its Landon, he was always there for me, he told me how in 4 months we will continue to hit up In and Out, shoot hoops out in the garage, go to QT, play video games, and all that fun stuff, hes so anxious for me to get home its so funny haha.

Well this past week was super amazing and went by very fast!! i love my companion Elder Delafrance. He is super humble and ready to work. I'm working just as hard , maybe harder here. Our area is awesome but VERY small! so its good i like it. My house is really bad haha were trying to move, there is never light and hardly ever water. Things are broken and its on the main noisy street but its whatever, we will be looking for another apartment this week. We have a ward where we are at and we share it with the sister missionaries. ok!! Dad remember when we went to Las Sendas with Uncle Richard from my last round of golf, and you told me it stinks being with sisters because they ask you for everything....ITS FINALLY HAPPENING haha. My first full day there...Elder Westergard come bless my house, second day....calls me in a lesson, we don't have any Tylenol can you go to your house and bring me one, all the farmacies are closed...day 4...can you help us with a lesson, he speaks English and is only learning Spanish! and still to go haha but they are cool so its whatever.

General Conference was so amazing!! wow i cant even tell you how much i loved it! the talks were amazing, and uplifting! and once again, he never fails...Elder Holland blew all us missionaries away!!!! i loved his talk..and when he said pornography will blow a crater in your mind forever, wow! it was so much fun being here in the city! you guys were right, after the first session on Saturday we went to the mall and ate food, i got Kentucky Fried Chicken! yes that's here in the city, its like im in a completely different mission now, i love it. Then we just hung out between sessions the whole weekend, i have alot of friends here in Santiago, on Sunday we had a member make us food, it was super good, rice and chicken and juice.

Wow this was a long letter haha well i better end and get going. i love you guys so much. mom and dad let me know if you have figured out anything on the plans to come get me ok.... have a great week and ill take pics of my comp and i and stuff and send them next week. love you all!

Elder Westergard

Wow i cant believe what happened! i got transferred to SANTIAGO!!!!!!!!! oh my gosh you have no idea how i feel. I'm so excited right now. I just had lunch at Price Mart, aka Costco, with all the Santiago missionaries. It was so awesome! my area is called Hato Mayor, my comps name is Elder Delafrance, he is American haha ya i know sweet name. He has 5 months in the mission so I'm his step dad, that's my 3rd step kid!!!! in 4 transfers. He's really awesome and from Nevada. I'm pretty sure this is my last area here, but i have so much animo to work because the city is so much different than the campos, aka my whole mission. So were going to have some great times together.

This week is Semana Santa its really dangerous starting Friday till Sunday, but the good thing is that everyone eats abichuelas con dulce! oh man its so good! but many people are talking about Christ and stuff and have a desire to talk to us, so it will be really cool.

Well on Saturday Miguelina got baptized, so that was a record breaker for me, 11 in one area. but i know numbers don't matter, but you can see the fruits of our labors. On Monday and Tuesday i had to go around saying goodbye to all my friends and families and baptisms. it was sad and i really miss Dajabon. I think it grew to my favorite area, over Puerto Plata, we will have to go visit there when you guys come. Its awesome! this morning i woke up at 5:30 and get everything ready, catch a bus at 6:30 and travel for about two and a half hours. So I'm pretty tired right now. but really I'm really sad right now. my best friend in the mission went home today, remember Elder Robertson? he was in my house in Puerto Plata and he is like Samoan. He left today and now i know like no one, I'm almost one of the oldest missionaries here and all the people i know are home. so ya its me my comp and the elders of my group pretty much.

I'm so excited for general conference on Saturday and Sunday! it will be so awesome. I'm super excited for elder hollands talk....its always powerful, well i better go, love you all!!

love elder westergard