Monday - February 28th, 2011

Hello FAMILY and ALL!!

ok first off baby Jane is SOOOOOOOOOO Cute!! ahh I wish I could be there to meet her and hold her! and that stinks your labor was a freaking day Jamie!! But I'm glad to know that she has arrived and you and Jane are doing great!! Thanks so much for the pictures and video! I loved it so much!! I've decided going to call her Janie Lou ok!! That will be my nick name for her! haha So i'm guessing you all are back in Utah? Is that right? Well you all have a blast for me ok! Wow so she was born on thursday? the 24th? Thats so close to your birthday Jamie!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE!!! I bet you got the bestest birthday present ever!! I hope your birthday was great though and you got to relax somewhat! I sending a little something off to seattle for you jason and now Janie!!

ok I guess I'll get to my week!! oh wait before that! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...Caleb, Addi, Aimee, Grace, Bryan, JAMIE, and Lauren!!! I hope your birthdays were so wonderful and Lauren I hope yours is a blast on Wednesday!! oh birthdays are just so great! haha

oh and Grandpa Tyler, Jeremy, and Mellissa thank you so much for your letters!! It so made my week! I love mail!

alrighties now i'll comment on your e-mail/answer your questions! Dad yes my companion is a Salt Lake Temple Square Missionary. And yes she will be going back to the square. I think the end of April beginning of May she will head back. So you'll have to say hello to her then! And yes things are slowly getting better with our lovely companionship. It will still take time but I'm staying positive and trying my best to do my best! Really this week was loads better. I'm thinking that now I'm getting more familiar with the mission field it won't be all that bad. And no word on my visa yet... Sad day! but there was an Elder here waiting for his visa to Spain and he left this past thursday! And he had only been here a week and a half longer than me! So it could come soon!! I'm thinking I'll get it by the end of this month though so cross your fingers! AHHH I'm an AUNT!! Craziness! I'm still so excited!! The video you sent was so good! I have to admit I almost started to cry...but I decided crying in a quiet library might not be the greatest idea.. haha could you send me some of the pictures you sent me? like through the mail? I would love to just have some to look at other than on the computer. So the weather here has been wonderful!! no more tights and jackets for me!! I'm loving it. It is a little windy so I've been really close to having a few Marilyn Monroe moments! haha oh the joys of wearing a skirt! oh hope the oscars are great! I always loved watching that only because the entire family would watch it together. I kinda miss those moments... any who!! now about my life as a missionary!

oh and dad I will tell you about the people we are teaching as I write more. oh before I forget. Mom I pulled out my violin to play with today and so far so good! It was a little tough getting it tuned because the pegs were like stuck! but its pretty much in tune! ok missionary work!

Wednesday: We had a lovely District mtg. The Elders in my District are pretty funny. They talk like the scriptures always so its a little different.. You can tell they've been on missions for a while because haha they're a little on the awkward side! haha but thats a good thing and I'm sure I will be even more awkward when I get home! haha oh good times. but yeah pretty much Wednesday was filled with a great District meeting and service! I think we did some tracking? We also started our weekly planning. But for our service we dusted the pages of old books. Yeah I know a little random and strange. But its was pretty fun! Well at least I had fun with it. We dusted with some brushes. Me and the sisters felt like we were painting or archeologist! haha we were having a great ole time! haha oh cheap thrills!

Thursday: Sister Moseng and I went Visiting Teaching with a sister Batten (a sister in the ward) She reminds me a lot of Amanda. Just thought I'd throw that in here! haha but yeah the Bishop and ward mission leader want the missionaries and the members working more together. So we as missionaries go along with the members visiting teaching and the elders Home teaching. It helps with getting into the homes and helps with getting referals and such. Also we visit alot of the inactives in the ward. Its really sad alot of the members of the ward are in-active or no one knows where they are! Its a little fustrating just because well if someone doesn't come to church for a few weeks you would think someone from the ward would visit them or something? oh well the ward is doing better and the goal for this year they have is to clean up the ward roster. also the ward Mission Leader is super awsome! him and his wife do so much with the mission work. They come with us alot to appointments, finding less actives etc. So yeah I really love this ward!! SO yeah any Who back to Sister Batten. We went visiting teaching with her and then tried to find a lady named ollie. She is pretty active but hasn't been able to go because her daughter is really sick. So we thought to stop by and let her know that we were thinking of her. Sister moseng and I made some cookies also! they were so good!! But yeah we did find ollie and she is the sweetest lady!! So strong in the church and I want to visit her more!!

Friday: Sister Moseng and i had a great visit with Pearl! She is in active but according to Sis moseng improved like dramatically!! She use to be really negative and would swear up a storm but the past two times things have changed and she really really wants to come back to church. She also is the sweetest lady!! I get a picture with her so you can see what I mean! she's about 68 and just so whats the word? Sassy? Spunky? Idk but she's great! she wrote a poem about her "Sister Elders" I'll have to get a copy and send it home. but yeah I just love Pearl!! Also on friday we went Visiting teachign with sister Mays (mission leaders wife). She brought along her little 2 year old son. He is so cute!! but yeah it was great fun! We met some great members also. hmm... ok yup thats friday!

Saturday: Pretty much planned all day! Weekly planning takes so long! And well its a little tough when I don't know what I'm doing and Sister Moseng just expects me to get it the first time. But.. I'm trying hard and staying positive!! I'm thinking next week won't take as long.

Sunday: I absolutely love sundays!! I met a lot more of the members! And sister Moseng set up a lot of appointments with the members!! They can't feed us unless an investigator is there so we just pretty much share a lesson with them and get to know them a little bit. So its great fun!! we also went great ole tracting! oh man it was hot yesterday!! I can't say we found anyone but the peopel really are so nice! We taught a couple of quick lessons and met some interesting people! you meet the most strange yet great people here! and everyone has not one but like a zoo full of dogs! But I love dogs so I don't mind! haha i guess its just getting me ready for porto ALgre! I was told that they have dogs all over the place down there. So yeah that was Sunday!

Well I've got to run.. But I did go shopping today so just take that money out of my account.. sorry bout that! I found some cute stuff! I'll take pictures!! haha oh gotta love being a girl!!

haha

well I hope your week is just wonderful!! GIve janie Lou a kiss for me!!

EU AMO VOCES MUITO!!! I love you all much!!!
-Sister Jessica Gregory