Jesse has always loved the spirit days at school or any type of excuse to get all decked out in head bands, socks colorful clothes, and as you will see in some of these p-day pictures, he still does. You look awesome Elder Jesse!

Me and my Zone Leader Marte

Sweet Sword I bought for 145 pesos (5 bucks)

Jesse always loved the outfits, especially long socks!

Ouch, sliding into 3rd base!

Esperanza 4 numero 2

On the way to the field!

Hey family! I don't know how time always flies by so fast, and here I am again writing you guys! The only thing that was really eventful was Zone Conference, cause we had tons of meetings and stuff. Elder Coleman came to speak and I have never seen anyone so flecha! (strict) but it was good the mission needs it! We talked about the structure of the church and then the mission, so we learned why we have missionaries and stuff. There are three main points, to find, to teach, and to baptize, that's why we have missionaries and that's why I am here. I love the work, its so awesome! it was really fun to talk with all my friends and hang out after and eat food! There was alot of catching up to do with the kids in my group! We all had a great time and shared some laughs together, but other than that it was a really slow week for me to mom! haha. I'm trying to think of what I did but I just cant think of it, time goes by so fast. We had a really good family night at a members house, me and my comp talked about the importance of the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon! so it was great!

Today in the morning we played softball again and man I couldn't do anything except run down balls in center field like always but I was like 4-9 today at batting. It was ugly haha but we had a really good time. Later I think I'm going to take a nice shower and sleep cause i dont feel very good, so i got to lay down, maybe eat some comida china (chinese food), pechurina con papas fritas! (fries, I think) YUMMY!

Enough about me, it sounds like you guys are really good. School is in session, I love the beginning of school and the end, haha but not the middle, actually I loved school cause I was actually doing something, ya know! like the mission, a set schedule with stuff, it feels good. Sounds like the ward camp out was a success after the storm flew by. I miss all the people of the ward, how are they doing? I hope really good. it would be cool to get letters from them and stuff. ya your right Dad, i wouldn't fish in the lake either, not my style, but only if Matt was there with me I would do it, wow I miss him so much. I still remember Brother Postert would see me without Matt and would be like, hey wheres your boyfriend, or friends meaning Landon and Malcom. haha cant wait for the group to be back together.

Wow Jared and Lexi, congrats on the 3 years again, sounds like you had an amazing time. I will have to look at the pics of New York. I love it there! not more than here though, but its awesome.

Well I should probably tell you that transfers are next week, not this week sorry for confusion. I thought I said next week. I'm pretty sure I'm getting a kid and Elder Castillo, in my group in the other area, is getting a kid, so we will see. If i do, President will call me Friday night, it might be Brody Bearhman you never know but we will see. I kind of want to leave this area though, like whitewash an area with a kid or something cause since Elder Spragg and his group of 37 missionaries went home, there are still like 8 areas closed but now there are 16 Americans coming in next week. so ya....

OK family i got to go! I love you so much! you guys are the best, we get to talk in four months from today, so woo hoo. Oh and Dad, I loved your football things, they were so awesome and it made me laugh cause its so true! OK bye family.

Love Elder Westergard.

OK so your probably reading this thinking, hey its not Wednesday! its Tuesday haha but yeah it was changed just for today because tomorrow we have zone conference and the 1st counselor of the area presidency is coming to speak! Tomorrow will be a very spiritual and amazing day for us missionaries! so what you can do is write your letters today and we can come back tomorrow and read them cause you guys didn't know! so write me a little something.

This last week has gone by so fast I don't even know what to say! it felt like yesterday I was writing you guys. Well with the work, were working with tons of in-actives, its like you find a new one here every day! but the thing is they are really hard to get to go to church, ha I'm sure you know that Dad, Jared and Josh, but were doing a really good job, we teach like 15-20 inactive lessons every week, so its awesome. The girl Naomi we baptized, her family has lots of problems, her dad does not help out the family and the mom gets mad and the kids never do anything the parents say so they like beat them and stuff, and its just all messed up. Us and the branch pres. are working really hard focusing on the proclamation to the family! I don't know its difficult, cause she also wants to move out, but we will see what happens. If you have any ideas please share, lets hope things get better everyone but the husband went to church on Sunday.

Other than that its really hot when were teaching and stuff, cause it has not rained forever. I know dad said that there is a hurricane, but here in Esperanza nothing ever gets here, maybe sprinkles, but sometimes it pours like I never have seen, so I'm praying for water haha! but yeah the work is going great. We have a baptism planned for the 29th. oh and dad thanks for those tips on the work! they made me feel really good, I will put those into practice.

Well I cant believe I only have 1 more real pday left, then the next one is transfers! what!! already! I just got a new comp! and I think he is leaving cause I'm pretty sure I'm getting a kid. I asked Pres. Lee about Elder Bearhman so lets hope I'm his pops in the mission. Speaking of that, ill have 1 year and 1 month. wow!! it goes fast!

This morning we played basketball as a zone again on the nice wood court here in Esperanza! it was super fun! we played 9 games to 21 and my team won 8 of them! haha still got that old shot of mine, i know you guys here that like every week, but i don't want to brag on all the shots I made, so I just say still got that shot haha! Sounds like everything in Arizona is nice and hot! kind of like here all year round. I hope it goes down for you guys, I remember those days, school almost starting, burning heat, pool parties, well with just guys mom haha! yup good ole days.

Sounds like Jared and Lexi are amazing in new york! sorry mom that you have never been, just remember that i was the 1st one to go haha sorry that didn't help I know. One day you will go, its awesome! Happy Anniversary Jared and Lexi!! and Jakelle, do great in cheer, I cant watch you but I want pics ok!!!

Well I love you all, sorry you guys didn't get the chance to write me, but do it tonight or something and ill read it tomorrow. I love you all so much! remember that the church is true! til next week, love Elder Westergard

Wow I cant believe its been a week already! it just felt like 2 days ago I was playing softball and telling you guys everything! now its Wednesday! crazy how time goes by! its true, once you hit a year time really does go by alot faster! Today was pretty cool, we started doing stuff early today so we could play basketball why it was still cool and not really hot, it was super fun, I still got my shot haha i can tell you that.

Well this last week was very busy! yesterday we had interviews with Pres. Lee and it was really awesome! we talked how if you don't have the spirit you CANT TEACH EVER!!! so its really important that we keep the commandments and follow mission rules so we can feel the spirit. c If we don't feel it, the people were teaching wont feel it, and if we don't have it, Pres. Lee said we should testify, then it will come and then we should teach!

On Monday I gave my first capacitation as District Leader and the ZLs came! i was nervous but I did really good. then that same day I had a intercombio with one of the ZLs and we did really good! we taught lots of people. Right now were focusing 85 percent on inactive and the other on investigators, its hard but hey, we need to do it!

So there is like special transfers next week cause people are going home for school and stuff, so we will be having transfers and 5 Mexicans are coming to the mission and the ZL I had intercombio is leaving! lots of people are saying the reason we had intercom bio was to see if i would get one of them or go to be ZL. I really want to stay here as DL haha, besides I want to be Brody Bearhmans trainer next transfer. I don't know what will happen, we will let you know next week i guess.

That's about it from here I'm pretty sure, sounds like everyone back home is having lots of fun, well Dad and Josh that is, moms melting in the sun haha that's what she told me, but I hope you had a wonderful time at the cabin. Next time you go I will be with you guys, weird huh! yes thanks mom I'm excited about the candy! I love Jackson Hole candy, its the best. I love Alpine slides too, very fun. YES!! glad to hear Tiger Woods won AGAIN dad and where was Phil, wait I know!! probably choked again on the last hole like always cough cough sorry hes not like Tiger or me! haha just kidding, no but seriously! he always wins the Buick open, and wow, 36 to 1 on Sunday! that's insane.

I cant believe school starts, last time people told me school started was when i was in the MTC! wow 1 year already! time is going to fast. Well everyone I love you so much! I'm glad your all having a wonderful time so stay safe and have a great week! oh and mom, can you send me some contact solution, the optical stuff in big bottles, what Jakelle uses, like 5 bottles. that would be great! ok i love you guys!

Love Elder Westergard

Yeah that title of the letter is not a miss print! last inning, other team is up 8-6, 2 outs and I'm on deck! They walk my ZL and now bases are loaded! I get up and so far batting 1.000 this game, now its full count, fast ball down the middle and I cranked it over the left field wall, game over! (He really should be a sports announcer)

Yes that was a real story and like I couldn't believe it happened, it went so far. So ya that's my p-day story for you guys. So my new companion is from Pocatello, but he's not weird cause he grew up in Texas! (I'm sure he didn't mean people from Pocatello are weird, right?) So yeah, but if I could think of one person who is like him...it would have to be Benson Cotter! hahaha so you can probably guess what he's like, and it took like a matter of 1 hour to get comfortable, not a week! so things are really good. He's like my body guard, ill send you a picture and of my hit I got a grand slam on, yes I got a pic on that one, didn't know Elder Powell took one secretly.

Well being a DL is pretty cool I guess, I'm trying to do my best so we will see how it goes! I'm still not convinced that tomorrow is July 30th and that it will never come! in my mind I'm still a greeny and I'm never going home! but.....ya I'm not. You know how it goes, time flies and I'm not ready for it yet you guys, so pray for me please.

Sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun at the cabin. I totally wish I could go! only one more year. Sorry Mom I already invited Clayton to go with us next summer as my present for his baptism haha, so hes going! Sounds like the golf experience on one of my favorite courses AKA Eaglewood was not very good Josh and Dad! that stinks so bad. You know me, I would have hit the ball into them, I have no paciencia (that would mean no patience) when slow people are in front of me, wow and 4 holes! that stinks.

Well mom if I were to tell you what I liked from the candy store it would probably be those sour ropes things that you can tear piece by piece, mini jaw breakers, those lego candy things, those fizz candy's and LOTS of them!!!!! and lastly hey stacks but that's hard to send haha. so ya that's about it, maybe a Jackson Hole shirt too.

I read a quote yesterday that was really amazing! it said.... "to the world you are just one person...but to one person you could be the world" it was really cool, thought I might share that with you. I'm going to try and put some photos and videos on flickr now! so i hope you like them. Oh, there are 4 people in my district Dad, all of us here in Esperanza, same branch!
Well I love you all, I want good updates on next weeks activities and so forth, Dad and Josh that means scores and good shots you made! oh and you guy always get mad at me for not sending pics, I want you to send me some via email!!! like of fishing, golfing, views, Jackson Hole, the works! Thanks. I love you,

Love Elder Westergard

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)