Wow i cant believe its been a week already since i have been here! it has gone so fast! the good news is that i have a great comp and my animo is now back way up! we have 2 baptisms on Saturday, one next week, and one the week after! were trying to baptize every week this transfer and i think we can do it! Elder Doncel is a very funny guy! always talking about Mexico and how he is going to take me to Cancun when we are both home! haha its cool. He does not know very much English but he knows the simple phrases, like whats up man, whats your problem, and he always says, were going to party like its 1999. haha he is super funny. Being with him makes me feel like i am really good at Spanish, because he talks so clear, no mumbling like Dominicans and I'm learning so much! he tells me my Spanish is good, so ya! its all good!

On Thursday we had a lesson with a lady and we watched the Restoration video! it was super powerful and right after i bore my testimony we put a date with her! it was so awesome and the spirit was super strong! on Sunday we had 7 investigators at church! it was a good turnout. We taught about 33 lessons this week to! So me and Elder Doncel are working and on fire! I'm so bummed that I'm going home soon because it feels so close and i want to keep working, so i don't know.

Monday night and all day Tuesday and this morning we were not aloud to leave our houses because there was a huelga!! it was crazy, so Elder Frazier and Elder Nuñez come over that whole time because our house is safer, we live in a 3rd story apartment, so we like slept, ate and watched church movies all day! it was pretty relaxing and a good break. But this morning we finally left and went to play basketball with the zone. Elder Berhman and Elder Frazier were there(Arizona boys) and it was so fun! so like Elder Frazier and i have become very good friends, turns out he lived next to the Ashby's his first 10 years then moved to Higley and baseline but all the friends he has i know! its so weird so we have become close friends and plan to do lots of stuff after the mission.

Oh i forgot, during the huelga the people were like burning tires in the roads, throwing garbage everywhere, gunshots going off! it was crazy! smoke like filled the house!
Well i cant think of much more to say! i love you guys and mom and dad have fun in New York! oh and Jared, your birthday is my 15 month mark! love you!

Elder Westergard

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKELLE AND GRANDMA!! wow i hope yo guys had a great birthday, what did you get jakelle?? tell me how the Mexican food and cupcakes taste because i forgot! i would send you a present but it costs so much to send something there. so i will buy stuff at the end of my mission for everyone in the family and take them home OK??

Josh how was the reunion?? haha and the Applebee's. man I'm craving some boneless BBQ wings right about now, and potato skins, ha i know your thinking the same thing but hot wings, ya don't worry i still know what you like! going on any dates?? an Elder that finished with my last comp came back to visit for conference and he said he has not been on a date yet, haha its been 12 weeks! he was like ya man, i don't know why, i just don't ha!

That's super exciting mom your going to NEW YORK finally, remember how i went before all of you? OK sorry just wanted to throw that in, but its not a trip if you don't go to the Hill Cummorah! its amazing and the Sacred Grove, if you remember in my farewell talk that's where i for myself got my testimony, so let me know if you are going....

I can not even explain to tell you how amazing this week was! well the sad part first, i only have 1 more conference to watch in the mission, what???? ya only one more. I'm going to have to say this was the best conference i have ever watched in my life! i made a goal to take notes the whole time, i ended up with like 20 pages of notes, it was so amazing how in tune i was, i learned so much and heard so much that i needed to hear at that time. But mom you guessed it, the only thing us missionaries are talking about is Elder Hollands talk!!!!!!!! have you ever felt something more powerful, filled with love, conviction, testimony, confidence, and revelation in your life?? because i can tell you i have not. That talk brought me to tears, i could not believe the words he used, like when he said all the pathetic attempts to bring the Book of Mormon down, and its still standing! wow there is no doubt in my mind that it is the most correct book on this earth and then when he said i want you to put my testimony down right now as a witness that its true, wow!!! i also loved Elder Neil l Anderson's talk, i really needed to hear what he said, i felt like he was talking to me! especially at this time in my mission. I'm grateful for his words. I also love Richard G Scott about the evils and destructiveness of pornography, it was very strong and spiritual. ok sorry haha but i also loved Elder Bednar talking about the hypocrisy stuff...wow!! i could not believe that. and yes like you mom i loved the prophets talk about service, i think all missionaries need to hear more of that!

So all in all i loved conference, and mom if its possible, when the DVDs come out i would like you to send me them, if you could?? so then on Monday we had an intercombio and i went up to teach with Elder Robertson and do the DL stuff evaluating haha. but i want to share with you an experience i had...... we went in to a house with a man and a women seated, investigators, and the subject we were talking about with them was prophets. Robertson talked great about it, then it was me who testified. It popped into my mind that i should ask them if they knew of any church on this earth who had a prophet and 12 apostles...they said they didn't, so i got the impression to tell them that this last weekend we listened to prophets and apostles. and then i said with tears streaming down my cheeks, hermano y hermana, i testify to you that we have today a prophet called of god, his name is Thomas S. Monson and he has 12 apostles who assist him in leading this church, i testify that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church on the face of this earth and through prayer and study of the Book of Mormon you also can know! so ya i was strengthened so much spiritually by that event, and hope you guys were too!

I'm so grateful to be a missionary and serve the Lord. I know this is the true church, there is no doubt in my mind! I'm grateful that i can testify with the same power that the apostles have about the gospel. I know if we do the things god wants us to do and preach his gospel and endure to the end, we can inherit all that our father has prepared for us! in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. i love you guys so much.

Elder Jesse Westergard

Enjoying my new shirt!

Snacking and cleaning my shoes.

Elder Castillo and Me

Nearer my God to Thee.

Case for the Missionaries here in the Navarrete Zone. (I think)

Early morning study.

Elder Castillo Praying

Coloring???

Hey everyone! its great to hear you all had great week! I know my week was super! but today we didn't do anything haha, no one was doing anything foe pday! how weird! but ya other than that it was really good! We had a zone meeting on Friday with the APs and it ws very spiritual. I learned alot especially about the Atonement!

On Monday I gave my capacitation at district meeting with the zone leaders on nuestro objectivo como misionero! it was really good and we all learned so much from it, then rigth after that I went on an intercambio with Elder Castillo, the ZL who was here last transfer with Elder Powell in my district. It was so much fun, we went to naverrete and a barrio called falpo and the group that starts all the huelgas in this country is called falpo. I asked him if there was a connection to that, he told me...ya some of them live around here haha, but he told me it was a tranquilo area. We taught some amazing lessons and the spirit was very strong, I love teaching with Elder Castillo, hes a great teacher and has taught me alot, here in my district and as ZL. His companion will get a kid next transfer so Castillo is really hoping President puts me up with him as ZL. haha that would be scary but I love that kid and were great friends.

Oh when we were leaving the house that day to teach, I walked to the door to kneel down and pray and he was like no, over here! I looked and he is kneeled on the table haha I was like your joking right?? he was like hey man were closer to the heavens. It was pretty funny. I couldn't believe it today when I thought I had 14 months.......what??? weird I just started loving my mission and there making me go home in 10 months....dang. Castillo brought it up Monday and we were in the street and the grey hound bus company caribe tours passed by and he held his 10 fingers to it and was like, home! haha then I said hey look, I saw a plane and put my 10 fingers in the sky and was like, home! haha we had a good laugh.

Then we had a family night with a family that was so awesome. Familia Ruud, I think thats how you spell it, they made their little boy of 8 years old dirigir the lesson and it was so funny haha. His name is Louisito, he spent the whole night trying to say my name. and all the family could come up with was wester..... haha. they had a new bible and I was looking through it and man its so awesome, we all get one at Zone Conference on Friday, so im super excited.

So spanish is coming great. I understand about everything, here and there are words ill look up, but its all good, yesterday I watched the Joseph Smith prophet of the restoration in spanish and understood it like English, so it really feels good to know the language. I don't even read preach my gospel anymore in English, I actually dont remember the last time I did.

My good buddy Elder Friend in San Francisco called the other night and told me about how in 2 transfers my group will be the largest in the mission. I freaked and told him to not tell me that haha its just to weird. Can you believe one year ago tomorrow I was put in Puerto Plata with my dad? thats 1 year ago and look at me, im only in my second area with my 4th comp. ha ya I think I might only get about 4 areas in 10 more months.

Im glad that Chelsie and Dougs baby is great and got blessed and Beyleigh is the center of attention there huh?? haha ya we have alot in common, many times the missionaries just all end up watching me and the unusual dumb without commen sense things I do, you guys know what im talking about, and laugh there heads off. I dont know why though haha.

So dad...its that time...have you thought about what im going to say yet...are you nervous... haha ok TIGER WON!!! even when Phil wins he loses how does that work? Man he should just give up, Tiger doesn't need to win everyone already knows hes the best so they gave him the trophy anyways. Sorry but I had to brag. I cant believe ASU lost to Georgia again. ahhh they were so close. oh well next year. I hope I get invited by President Killian even though Matthew won't be there.

Wow this is a long letter, sorry everyone, but i cant think of anything else to say. oh!! the question...ok mom. :the most fun i have ever had on a pday" was when I went to play dorada with Elder Robertson and played golf, ate at Pizza Hut, then sat at the beach. It was a great day! ok i love you all. till next week aka Jakelle and Grandmas birthday!

Love Elder Westergard.

ps.... the church is true!

Hey everyone! Como Esta Odo? creo que todo esta bien jaja! well this last week was just a normal week for us. tracking down less actives and getting upset when they say they will go to church but they don't, we have to keep working and pray for them that they will come back to the right path!

I had lots of good reading sessions this past week in study and in the afternoons. I read alot in miracle of forgiveness and in the book of Mosiah! I learned alot and I'm looking forward to using it everyday in my mission work! the Spanish is great and I love talking to people here!

Friday we have our Zone meeting with the APs so that will be really fun and I will learn some new things! plus the APs are like my best friends, so we will see how that goes. Today we are in Santiago for pday, it seems like last week we were here, but that was last transfer, besides when I got my toe ripped out. Speaking of that it is healing really good, I played basketball today for like 3 hours here in Santiago with elders of my group and it was really a great time, but i jammed my toe a couple times and it hurt. but ya then we went to the plaza, aka a mall that everyone eats at and ate with missionaries at Burger King! it was really good.

It sounds like you guys are good. dad comes home and mom is really excited for that haha,

that's awesome Grandma and Grandpa are coming down for Chelsie and Doug's baby blessing. that's really neat. OK i got the packages mom and wow!! i love them so much. All the food is gone already except the candy, still lots of it left and I love the fizzy candies so good! Im pretty sure that bug zapper is the coolest toy I have ever owned in my life! me and my comp make videos of us finding and killing bugs so we can see them blow up! honestly its the best thing and very addicting. I even killed a gecko, that one zapped many times haha. so thank you oh and i loved the shirts! and the leatherman. ha well.... ya i have fun with that too!

Well I hope all is going well with you guys, it was good to hear from you all this week. I'm excited to get your letters next week which cough cough I hit 14 months!!!! wow cool huh? ok i got to run.

love you all very much, love Elder Westergard

p.s. that mission drawing pictures thing is wicked awesome mom!

Wow how is my family? that was such a fast week and now I'm writing you guys again! My toe was pretty gross! but it has healed really good and today I played some good basketball on it! and it didn't hurt! so all is good, but I wont have like all my toenail for the rest of my life, so ya! my comp and I are doing great! we have found new people to teach and they are really cool! so lets see how that works out! Sylvia didn't get baptized cause her dad said no this and no that, so were trying to get his permission! I have had tons of personal experiences this last week as I started again to read the Miracle of Forgiveness! wow what a book! I challenge each of you to read that book because honestly.... i cant describe it, it will help you so much and it gives you a chance to increase your testimony of the Atonement! I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and his sacrifice! I don't know where or what I would be doing without it! so please I challenge you all to read it and to fix the things that keep you from having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost!

We had our interviews with the President yesterday and it was amazing! even though some things he has changed no one likes, I could just tell he was a man of called and this is the true church! then we talked about what could help me have more animo, and i told him another area haha cause i have to much time here. so ya he said OK and i will be leaving on transfer day. im super excited. i want to finish these last 10 months off super strong!

OK what is this i hear about jakelle getting....ok i cant spell that so make fun of me haha, pneumonia or something like that!! that's so scary! I'm so glad your ok sis! i almost started crying believe it or not! i don't know what i would do if a family member like...died while i was in the mission, so thanks for still being alive Jakelle haha sorry about the rain and that you couldn't cheer at the Mesa game!

Something else.... MESA beat WESTWOOD???????? i thought us beating MT. VIEW 3 times my senior year was a miracle, haha well think again, wow they must be pretty good! wait!! is Kyler the QB?? its his senior year and I know he was really good on JV. that's really cool good for them.

Ok i know you cant read this dad cause your fishing in Alaska??? thanks for asking me if i wanted to go haha. I know I can't but its the thought that counts! but ya here it is....TIGER!!! so ya remember when I told you his best game was yet to come??? ya that's what you told me is happening! wow I know Tiger better than himself haha. wheres Phil at?? oh he probably choked the last 2 holes again haha. ok sorry i got it out!

Well I cant think of anything else to write at the moment! but if I do I will let you know! have a wonderful week and i love you guys so much! be safe! and talk to you soon.

Love Elder Westergard.

Jesse is doing really well, he had another trial happen, which is becoming very common for him, the poor kid. I posted some pictures of his ingrown toenail so if you have a weak stomach, you have been warned, they really aren't that bad.

Hi Everyone!!

Well family! as you can tell by the title of the letter, I have added another thing to the list of trials on this mission, which makes that like the 10th thing that has happened to me! I went in to Santiago to see Dr. Millet, he is the mission doctor, and he looked at my toe..... ya he was like were going to take that out right now! So turns out I had a really bad ingrown toenail, he said it was a hooker, I thought you might know what that meant dad since you have history with toenails. Do not worry I will be putting action packed photos and a video up on flickr so you can see what it was like haha. Everyone is calling me right now like saying, Westergard I heard man, I'm sorry haha its kind of funny! Dr. Millet stuck three big needles into my toe to numb it, it hurt so bad, but the funny thing is he did it in the mission home. He was like I think we should get that taken out, and I was like OK! I thought we would wait for a couple days and go to the hospital, but he was like OK get on the bed!! what!!!!!!! here!!! your crazy! haha I was freaking out, but it was cool. Sister Millet was there to talk to me, they are from Salt Lake and love eating at the Cheese Factory! they go home in three weeks.

Well today was very interesting!! so I was at the office visiting the Elders and other Elders from the mission, and there was an Elder Pachecho, he looked at my name and like stared at me for a while! I was like do you need help reading it haha, he was like dude do you have cousins in Virginia? I was like you mean Megan and Katie.... he was like dude!! sweet haha he knows them, he just got here in the field so it was kind of cool!

That's about it from me, the Haitian girl didn't get baptized we felt like she should wait a little longer so she is sure and knows the gospel for sure! oh ya!! Hermana Lee, Presidents wife, made me grilled pork and mashed potatoes and apple pie today!! It was amazing! and I played ping pong there to. I was in heaven! So don't know, there is a huge Huelga tomorrow and lots of people might die, (WHAT?) so i don't think we can leave the house. I'm not suppose to anyways cause i cant walk. so it will be really boring! (I looked up what Huelga was and it is some sort of Strike)

Well sounds like everything there is amazing, besides the hot weather and mosquito's! don't worry mom, you shouldn't feel bad, cause ill come home with like scars I get bit so much everyday, even with repellent. There are so many all the time, at least yours will go away soon. I got 10.5 months left of it! everyday and hotness haha. Great job on the cheering Jakelle, I'm proud of you! haha I told you at least you will do good, I know Hamilton and I know the coaches at Brimhall haha lets just leave it at that, except we were city champs in track! oh ya!! dad I'm so jealous your going fishing in Alaska! that sounds really cool! and also I'm super jealous about labor day golf I missed at my favorite course! Las Sendas! so remember Shelby? her dad lives there and I totally asked it I can get discounts for that, she was like yep! so I got hookups dad we can get on for member price! I'm really sorry Josh for your knee, that stinks man! I hope everything will be good in the MRI. I'm praying for you, and everyone pray for my toe, I got a basketball activity with the zone next week, and the Dr. said I can play if I take care of it the first 3 days! so ya haha.

Well that's about it, I should get started on the pictures and stuff. I love you all so much! have a great week!

Love Elder Westergard

(Did anybody else count how many times he said the work LIKE to explain things?? I did, I got to about 12, haha love you Jesse!!!)

Me with Elder Robertson

Elder Robertson, Me, Elder Powell

Look at that sandal tan line

Cleaning

OUCH!

The hooker, aka the toe nail

Im sure he soaking up all the attention that he is getting, I would!

Especially a nap!!!

Jesse has been sending me some video's he has down loaded, does anyone know how I get those onto his blog??? please leave me a comment if you do.

Platano Field, these Mtns. remind me of Wyoming

Well its probably really early there in Arizona, I'm sorry! but I'm in Navarrete until Elder Powell's comp gets here from Santiago. So ya me and Elder Tarver stayed the same, which is cool, but I'm really bummed I was not a trainer. I was looking forward to it for like 2 transfers but guess I'm suppose to be with my comp again ya know but its kind of getting to how I was in the plat, my animo is going down, its my 4th transfer here haha and that's to long. Think about it, this is my 9th transfer, I have 2 areas, and 4 comps, and I'm at 13 months! its crazy but I guess I got to deal with it and keep working hard! right?? Well the good news is that remember my really good friend Elder Robertson who lived with me in the plat? he is Elder Powell's new comp! and I'm his District Leader!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you don't know how good it feels to have my best friend back! it makes things so much easier, and we like eat lunch together every day with the other missionaries so it will be really fun!

The work here is pretty good! well considering the fact we work with the inactives a whole lot! so ya know, dad is probably like, ya i know! so we do alot of 1st lessons to get their memories back and how that message changed their lives! We like to talk about their baptisms and the spirit they felt and stuff like that and then we ask for references, if they have any. We have a few new people we are teaching now, they are pretty cool, but its to early to tell! so we will see how they go. Oh and if everything goes good we will have a baptism this week, a Haitian girl shes like 11. her mom in inactive, so hope it turns out!

Sounds like everything there is going great! oh and I wish I could have heard the Ashby's speak! I bet that was wonderful! mom I loved that story by Sister Ashby, its so true! the little things pile up, so we always need to be studying, praying, and being obedient! wow so Jakelle has her first cheer game huh? good luck with that sis! I'm sure you will do great! your playing Hamilton??? well at least you will do good haha ill just leave it at that! I still remember that game at Hamilton when we came back in the last minute and 6 seconds to beat them when we were down by like 13 points! man I loved Aaron Fuller that day haha and Devon's steal at half court!

So Josh how is school? is it cool, boring or awesome! when do you get out every day? so what are you studying, or majoring and whats your classes! let me know. Hey Jakelle, who are your teachers?? I know LJ is one so tell him hi for me and that I'm not a girl! and i have common sense ok? haha well then he will probably just make fun of me even more haha. love that man.

Can you believe its September already? I cant! I remember it was like 3 weeks ago I turned 20 in May.....wow! we get to talk in almost 3 months! I know moms saying... yes I know! haha and I cant believe its my 9th transfer. I only have 7 more.....weird!

Well sorry this is a short letter, cant think of anything else to write at the moment, you guys can still write me and ask stuff cause ill be on later when I'm back at esperanza aka hope! cause Elder Robertson will be using it, and all 4 of us will just be hanging out today! so take care and I love you all so much! bye!

Elder Westergard