January 21, 2011

FAMILY AND EVERYONE!!
How are you all?? Happy birthday Grandpa on monday!! I hope its the bestest one ever!! Have a blast in Arizona!! Have you and grandma gotten my letter yet? I'm working on another one and i'll get it sent soon!

Thanks everyone again for the amazing letter, e-mails and packages! I always love hearing from you all! Thanks for the love and support! And I'm so sorry about responding always so late! I'm kinda behind on my letter writing! But i promise if you write me I will write you!!

ok so about this week! So we have a new MTC presidency!! they are so amazing!! oh before I forget. I just sent a package home today! You'll finally get to see some pictures! I sent the packages home through MTC delivery. So you should get a call from them today or tomorrow. And mom they will be calling you. So just a warning you! and kenna I'm excited your going to play with Alyssa soon! AHH that makes me so excited! You will have to tell me all about that k!

ok back to my life. SO the MTC presidency is amazing! they spoke at the fireside. The main things that was talked about was knowing the doctrine for yourself as a missionary. Because the like ELder holland talked about they are worried about losing missionaries after their missions. So its so important to really understand and form a testimony of the doctrines in the gospel. THis make so so much sense! Because thats what your foundation needs to be formed from! But it was wonderful like always! The church is still so so true!

ok then on thursday sister kemp and I taught our first lesson at the TRC in portuguese! and yes it was 100% in portuguese! And guess what! It actually went really well! Its crazy how even if you don't know much portuguese you can still teach. It was pretty amazing! I loved that experience. So the language isn't the greatest but I'm learnging hwo to be more patient with myself and I keep telling myself that despite how much portuguese I know the Lord called me to Brazil for some reason. And becuase he called me to brazil I will find those I am suppose to teach and beable to touch them in some way with the gospel. Even if I am saying a few words and pointing to random things! But yes I'm loving learning portugues!

SO guess what! I tried out for the devotionals and I made it! Sis Scheewe ( a sister in my district) and elder Barr ( an elder in my zone) and I tried out. We played I know that my redeemer lives. I played the violin, sister Scheewe played the cello and Elder Barr played the piano. It was really good! We don't know yet when were playing but at least we made it! oh mom did you by chance figure out what I could use to help my violin not get destroyed in brazil? I'm starting to have second thoughts about even bringing it... I am nervous the humidity will ruin it or it will get stollen. What are your thoughts mom and dad? I would love to bring it but.. I dont' want it to get ruined either.

So a week from the this sunday all fourteen sister in my zone are doing a musical number in sacrament mtg! Yes I did say 14 sisters! and we are all goign to brazil! over the past few week we have gotten ten sisters! Crazy huh! none of them are goign to my mission though... oh well I'll probably be with alot native sisters and be speaking portuguese in no time!! It will be just so great! Oh I can't wait to get to brazil!! ahh and guess what.. still no word on visas... But oh well! I guess some member of the first presidency or some apostle has been talking with the brazilian government and trying to get things moving faster soo maybe Visas will come in soon! Cross your fingers!! And time is flying by! I might get my re-assignment in the next two weeks! Crazy! Everyone in my district thinks I'll be going south. that would be amazing! I'lll let you know what ends up happening!

mom It sounds like things with student teaching is going great! I'm sure your the best teacher ever! It sounds like the kids love you!! to bad I couldn't be there to watch ya teach! good luck with the rest of teaching!!

Jason and Jamie your looking a houses?? Your going to get your very own house? AHHH so fun and exciting! Send me pictures!!

Dad have fun on your trip! Thanks for the e-mail also! Hope you don't get to bored in all your meetings! Love you daddy!!

Kim thank you so much for the e-mail! I love it! I will write you soon and goodluck in New york! tell niki and grahm and grace hi for me! Send them hugs for me!!

Thanks for the recipe books and that lovely package! it was amazing!!

Well I better run. Love you all and hope school and life it wonderful for you all!

EU AMO VOCE!! Hope this next week is amazing!! Hey look I finally found time to sign my name at the end!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!
-Sister Gregory

January 14th, 2011

OI Familia and EVERYONE!!

So first off HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA!! I hope its the bestest yet!! Love you!!

Thanks for all the wonderful e-mails, letters, and packages! I always love them and how much they brighten up my day!! Thankyou everyone!

Ok mom so the recipe book that I want is i guess both? I don't know. They both have really great recipes. So maybe just send them both and when I get the chance i'll go through them and send home what I don't want. Thanks so much mom! And I don't need another watch. The one you sent for christmas is perfect!

SO like always i am running out of time so I am going to narrow my week down into the best and funniest moment of the week so here I go!

The funniest moment was so funny! ahh ok so since I am in a room full of 8 elders all day long something stinky is bound to happen. Expecially the food they serve us isn't the best for ya. So yeah it bound to happen with a room full of elders. ok so the other day sister kemp and I were getting really to leave the room so we could get away from the district for some quite study time. Well it just so happened that right as we were grabbing our stuff some lovely elder decided to rip one. And boy was it stinky! I couldn't breath! So told sister kemp to hurry cause was dying!! And the second i got in the hall a bursted out laughing! Yeah I know I'm immature. But ugh it was gross! The elders i guess are getting more comfortable around us sisters or something. So any who Sister kemp and I decided it was getting a little out of control with all the smells in class so we decided to talk to the district leader. Yeah I little strange I know. But it was gross! so yeah as we get ready to talk to the district leader sister kemp turned to me and said You talk to him! Your better with words! and I was like what! I'm better with words? I'm the one freezing in the lessons! haha so yeah I ended up tell the district leader that he should tell the elders if they need to release themselves that they need to do it in the hall or the bathroom. I bursted out laughing as i told all of this. The district leader was also. It was pretty funny! I don't know if you found that funny if now I guess you had to be there! But good news our classroom isn't stinky anymore!! YAY!!

So we got a new district leaders and Zone leaders! Elder melendez is the District leader. and the Zone leader is Elder Killpack and Arnow. Elder Killpack was the previous District leader. SO yeah things are just great!

ok the best moment of the week was Tuesday night! SO amazing because ELDER HOLLAND came and spoke! It was seriously the best talk of my life! Deffinately my favorite! If there is a way for you to read it or listen to it I hightly reccomend it! ahh it was so great! He talked about how as missionaries we must be converted first before we can even expect to convert our investigators. He was so bold about this. Pretty much everyone in the audience were crying or on the verge of tears! He then at the end quoted and read the scripture where Christ is talking to Peter. He says "do you love me?" over and over and then at the end Christ says " then feed my sheep" Elder holland emphasized this line over and over. He said that we must not go back to who we were before the mission. If we love christ then we must feed his sheep. And our missions aren't just for these next 2 year or 18 months. We are missionaries for life! It was so powerful! I promised myself in that moment that would never go back and always move forward with missionary work. AHH it was so amazing! The church is so true! I definately have a lot of work to do as far as being a more effective missionary. But I know I am out here for the right reasons. I can't wait to meet those people in brazil. I know that christ is my savior and I love that he atoned for me that I could return and live with my father in heaven. I am so greatful that I know and believe what this gospel offers to us and I can't wait to share all of this with the lovly brazilian people! It was amazing becuase after holland spoke he blew a kiss to the audience and right at that second I felt grandmom was right next to me. the feeling was so overwhelming and I started to cry! It rememinded me of when I would leave grandmom and grandad house and how we would blow kisses to eachother from the car. Oh I am so greatful for the knowledge of the plan of salvation and the opportunity i have to be with our families forever!

oh what a great week! Sorry that I am all over the place or don't make since!

Thats great things are going well with kim. Best of luck kim as you go to New York! Your in my thoughts and prayers daily! I love you!

Thanks kenna for the letter from travis! It great to know that the best dog in the world is being taken care of! I miss that puppy! give him a hug for me! and take him on a run or something soon! and kenna Sis kemp has a sister your age! You should look her up on facebook and become friends! her name is Alyssa Kemp. I think you too would be great friends!

Thats so exciting that karch Gajdos got his visa! YAY! now lets pray that mine comes in soon! Some other missionaries have slowly been getting there so who knows maybe mine will come soon!!

Glad you got the birthday package kristina! and glad your birthday turned out wonderful!

Thanks for the winter hat!

love you all

-

January 7, 2011

OI Familia and everyone!!

How are you all doing? How was New years eve and all the fun stuff?? Happy Birthday to Kristina, Jamie Brown, and Braxton! I hope all your birthdays are the bestest yet! Love you all! And Kristina I mailed off a little something for you for your birthday today so hopefully you'll get that soon!

Thanks mom and dad for the packages! I sure loved them! And everyone that wrote letters and e-mails you all are so amazing! Eu amo voce!!

ok so for the run down of the week!

For New years eve my district was told that we were having a fireside. But nope! Our teachers totally tricked us! We were so sad! But after class the bubbles, blowers and rice krispy treats totally made up for it! Thanks so much mom! You made everyones new year! Then that night the sisters in my district and I played around with the glow sticks and the fun stuff you brought. We took some fun pictures! I'll send some pictures home as soon as I get them printed off. Sister kemp and I are going to do that later today I think?! We'll see if we have time!

This past Sunday was Fast Sunday! It was so wonderful! The going 24 for hours without food not so much but I loved sacrament meeting! And guess what! I bore my testimony all in portuguese! Go me!! The language is still a little struggle but I'm trying my hardest to not stress because I know theres a reason I'm going to brazil so if I do my part the lord will do the rest! Just gotta keep faith and pressing forward! Then later that day we had a mission conference! So amazing! I honestly can't remember much since it seems like for ever ago but I know it was amazing and all of the mtc presidency spoke. Oh and guess what! The MTC presidency is getting released! Crazy huh? So there should probably be a new one in the next week or so.

So this past week as I've been practicing giving the 2nd lesson I've noticed I have a hard time simplifying! I know by the time this mission thing is over I'll have it down but man its a little tough sometimes! This past Thursday we had our second TRC. my comp, and the other sisters and I taught the same investigator together. She was the sweetest girl. The portuguese part went alright. I ask a few questions and stuff but the other sisters had to take over a bit because Sister Kemp and I arn't quite at their level when it comes the language. But no worries we'll get it down! Our goal this next week is to get the first vision and my purpose down! But yeah the TRC went great and I found out that the investigator we taught went on a mission to Porto Alegre south! I havn't meet anyone till this past thursday that has served there so I got super excited! She told me a bit about the mission and I got super excited! Can't wait to finally get there! ahhh!

Tues we had a fireside. It was amazing like always! The spirit was super strong and I just loved it! ahhh! The speaker was from the 70 I think? And him and his wife were from scotland. They had the sweetest accent! His wife told about how her mom was a convert. The story was almost identical to Grandma and Grandpa gregorys conversion story. So it was pretty cool and easy to relate to. They talked a lot about what romans 1:16 says. "Be not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ" I feel like thats been the focus of this week. And making sure you have a firm testimony of the gospel and when you teach to always always testify and testify. Expecially of the prophet Joseph Smith. The speakers wife (forgot their names at the moment!) Said that if you ever are having a bad day to bare your testimony of Joseph Smith and your day will turn around. I found that so amazing. Because its so true!! I know that joseph Smith was a prophet and that he did see god the father and the sun. That he restored the fullness of the gospel so we could have it today. I know the book of mormon to be the word of god. This gospel is so amazing isn't it!! I just love it and can't wait to share it with the brazilian people!

Well I have about 5 min so I will do my best to answer all you questions!! Thanks for all the quote mom! I loved it! and I'm glad the girls got my letters! Oh and dad there is still no word on visas yet. The older brazilian districts have their reasignments. So thinking there is still no word about visas! But hopefully soon things will change! Grandma and Grandpa Tyler! I loved your e-mails! I'm going to try my best to get a letter out for you this week! Thanks so much and I love you so so so much! Have fun in arizona! Hope school is going great and your not sick of it yet! ANd what exactly is this leadership thing your talking about mom? Is it a class? Well I'm glad you like it! Sounds like life is goign great for you jeremy! I'll try to reply to your letter today. Yay for selling your contract!! WEll I can't remember what else you all said. but just keep asking quesitons!

love you all! talk you soon~!
Love

Happy New Years!

OI Familia and EVERYONE!!

So first off thanks so much for the amazing packages, letters, and e-mails! I feel so loved!! And mom the new years package was amazing! When I saw the bubbles I got so excited! Sister kemp and I are so excited to play with them! Really we about died! haha And thanks so much for the christmas presents! I love the scarf and every thing that I got! I wore the scarf on christmas! I took some pictures so one day I'll get them to you! oh and perfect timing with the watch! I really needed one so Obirgada!

So before I get started with the week could you by chance send me my picture of the manti temple? and also the picture of christ and the boy talking on the bench? It called lost and found. Its in a frame in my room. But could you send it without the frame? Thanks so so so much! Love you!

So it sounds like christmas was amazing! Glad you had fun! But I can't believe you didn't do light the way?!! Thats like one of my favorite traditions oh well if it made things more relazing thats all good! And Stephanie and Patrick joined in on our families talent thingy? I bet that just added the perfect touch! that would have been super funny! Christmas was amazing here at the MTC! Really it was! I'm so glad I got to experience it here! Elder Russell m nelson came and spoke to us Saturday for the devotional. It was so good! the spirit was strong! He read the christmas story and talked about missionary work. It was so cool! And his wife spoke as well. She is the cutest lady ever! On sunday she spoke in relief society and she is so funny! the spirit was super strong also and I just loved it! She talked about prayer and how amazing our missions will be. Also obedience and all the great stuff. Sorry I'm kinda brushing over everything! I really am pressed for time and hate that I am! But yes christmas was so AMAZING!! maybe I'll get some more time and I'll tell you about it in detail. But yeah gotta love Christmas in the MTC! oh yeah the talent show was like a year and a half long! So glad I didn't play in it!

Oh so about my district leader getting his apendex out. So he got it out on thursday and then he was back Christmas eve night! Crazy huh! He was up and walking and everything! Crazy! Miracles do happen! And the other elder is already back as well. crazy crazy! Seriously was a miracle!

So tonight for New years we have another Devotional. I'm pretty excited about it! I'm not sure who it will be but I'm sure it will be great! I'll keep ya posted about that one when I get the chance. But yeah thats really all thats planned for tonight. Except after the sisters in my district, comp and I are going to celebrate with the new years package you sent! Also one of the sisters in my district got sent some Martinelies. Hahe can't spell! But yes we'll be having a party for sure! I hope your all have blast tonight! Tell Jason and Jamie I say hi! Well I guess they will read this so HI!!

Thats excited Kelley and keiths family are in Disneyland! Hope the lines arn't forever long! But have a blast and tell me all about it when you get back for sure! Also Lindsey I sent off a letter for you last week so you should get it by the time you get back! hopefully!

Sorry kenna you got two teeth pulled! not fun! but glad your feeling better!

ahh time is running short. k one more thing about my week. So my teacher Irmao allred started talking about one of the members in his mission in Brazil. It reminded me a lot about Grandad gregory and during the story I started to get teary eyed! he kept looking over at my like "what's wrong with this sister!" haha but yeah after he told the story he kept saying " I don't know why I just told that story but ever since I woke up this morning I couldn't get it out of my head." Well after he said that I shared the story of why I chose to go on a mission and the miracle I saw in our family after Grandmom passed away. It was so tough holding back the tears! the spirit was so strong. It was like grandmom was there with me! Crazy! But yeah after that it made me realize more and more why I am here. I get to share this message with so many families in brazil! I get to tell them the greatest news! Families can be together forever!! ahh best day ever! Sorry if i don't make much sense! But yes the spirit is continually strong everyday! I love it here at the MTC! So glad I chose to come when I did! I met the new missionaries in my district the other day. They were super cool and everything but I am so glad I came when I did because I just absolutely love my companiion and the elders and sisters in my district! They are all so amazing! I wish I had more time! I'll work on a letter soon and if you have any questions about what I had said just let me know! I'd love to tell you more!

ok well the church is true! SO true! And I can't wait to see what the next 17 and half months bring! Crazy I"ve been here already for two weeks! Time is a flyin by!

I love you all!

Amor,

Sister Gregory!!

Letter Christmas Eve - Dec. 24, 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

ok so I have so much to say but so little time! I couldn't get the e-mails you sent to print so I will try my best to remember everything you all said! and I absolutly LOVED the video!! OBRIGADA!! ahhh really hate this timer thing. Also if i don't answer many of your questions just keep asking me them k!

so first off my distict leader is super amazing. He about a year older than the sisters. From idaho and just a funny Elder. Its so crazy but he's in the hospital right now! I think it was thursday morning around 5 am he decided it would be best to go to the hospital because of some major stomach pain. So he had to get his apendex out!! CRAZY HUH! yeah my district was super said and it was so wierd not having him around! So sister kemp and I made a really cute card and had the rest of the district sign it. His companion I think will give it to him later. But yeah super crazy huh? Also another Elder in my Zone got sent to the hospital yesterday also! what up with that? He had a blood clot in his next or somethin. So yeah you will have to keep those two elders in your prayers for sure. As well with my district and Zone so that way now one else ends up in the hospital!

Christmas so far in the MTC isnt bad at all. They deffinately keep us super busy! Today is P-day till about 6 and then after dinner we have a fireside. We have another fireside tomorrow as well as a devotional. I really don't know the difference between the two! But hey they both are super amazing and love them!

hmmm what else. Oh I tried out for the talent show this past week. TOmorrow we have a talent show. So I played the swan and the lady judging the tryouts loved it! But thought I was to good for a talent show! haha yeah didn't make too much sense to me! But she wants me to tryout for the devotional musical numbers so I'll see how that one goes! I'll keep ya posted.

The language is coming along! Yeah not super good but I bore my testimony this past week from memory! Yay go me! also we had our first TRC. its the teaching resourch center. Its were we teach the first lesson. Practice contacting etc. Well the lesson went really well. The spirit was super strong! It was nice cause we could do it all in english! But the contacting had to all be in portuguese. I tried my hardest to memories questions and such but it was tough so I had to bring some notes with me. For the most part I did alright it was just hard cause I would turn to my companion and she wouldn't know what i was saying so she couldn't help me out much! haha it was kinda funny! I mixed up a few words and the people were like what is this sister saying! I caught myself so they eventually figured it out!

hmm... ok so what else?!! my district is amazing pretty much! the other night we had testimony meeting and all the elders started crying. Mostly becuase they were homesick but the spirit was really strong. we had this testimony mtg after the tuesday night devotional. Elder Bowen and his wife spoke. They talk on Christmas and obedience.But obedience is key and thats one of my comp and I's goals. Being on time to everyting etc. But something I really like that sister Bowen said was writing done what your going to do and not do as a missionary. This reminded me of what Bishop patterson told us. You know write down your does and and don't. And I thought about this I realized that I've been preparing for this mission for the longest time! It was pretty comforting to me! Yeah there are pretty tough days and days like yesterday that I thought I was going to fall over and go to sleep but then there are moments where the spirit is so strong and the language just comes! and moments where I just know without a doubt that as long as I stay obedient and keep the faith that I will make it though this and love every second of this mission! ahh it really is amazing so far. Yeah again its not easy but its been great!

ahh ok I have six min. I just wanted to thank everyone for the amazing letters, packages, and e-mails. Thanks Kelley and keith for the doughnuts! My district and elders down the hall loved them! And Bradley for the letter! your the best cuz! Thanks mom for the x-mas tree! it was perfect for reading the x-mas story by a flashlight and christmas tree! my district loved it! we did it for FHE on monday. As a district we decided to have FHE everyweek.

ok I really am out of time. But Thanks for all the prayers and for everything! I'll work on writing back everyone today and i'll probably send another letter home today as well. Have fun tonight at the christmas program! tell every one I love them and Thanks Stephanie for the e-mail! I LOVE YOU ALL!! FELIZ NATAL! By the way you guy said that totally wrong!

Love you!

-Jess (SIster Gregory)

So hi. I'm Jessica's mom updating her blog. Here is Jessica's first email from the MTC!! We were so excited to get an email from her.

Oi Familia!!

So guess what I get to e-mail!! I only have like 23min and the time is ticking away! So this might be a quick one!

ok so my p-day from now on is going to be fridays. And thats probably when i'll be going to the temple. Today we got to have a mini p-day so we got to do laundry. So yeah everything is going pretty great! I have gotten a little homesick but I'm trying to say busy so its not to bad. oh before I forget I've loved every package you've sent! obrigado!! but just something to keep in mind I might not be able to pick up the packages till the following day so just make sure whatever you send doesn't get old over night. the prezel bits looked so good but I couldn't eat them! dang it! but thanks so so so much for them! They smelt good!! ahh ok my thoughts are a little scattered since i can see the time in the corner of my eye! ok so back to what i've been up to! my companion is great! her name is sister kemp. She's from Salt lake. we get along really well so far! I've been really blessed! and my district is really great also! We all get along really well! They are from all over the states. And everyone is going to different parts of Brazil! Me and one other elder are going to porto Alegre south. My companion is goign to Sao Palo and the others I honestly don't remember! But really everything is going great! oh so the 22nd is the last day we get mail until after christmas. Just thought you'd like to know! hmmm... the spirit is really strong here and I know that this where I'm suppose to be! Thanks again everyone for all your love and support! Its helped me so much getting to this point and helped me to stay positive! SO keep up the great work! so I would say more but sister kemp need to get on really quick to write her family. Next week i'll try to gather my thoughts sooner! oh and anyone can e-mail me but I can only e-mail my family. So go for it and send me some letters! I'd love to hear from you all! also I will probably print off your letters and then reply the following week since I don't want to use up my thirty min readin everything! oh and I have six sisters in my room. and four counting my companion and I are in the same district. I explained more of that in my letter so I hope you get it soon!! well I better go but i hope all is wonderful!! I'm glad kenna is feelin better and that finals went well for jeremy! I hope every one elses finals went great!! LOVE YOU ALL!!
Talk to you soon!

-Jessica (Sister Gregory)

Here are some pictures of Jessica before she went into the MTC

Jessica with Lindsey, Bradley & Bronson

Jessica with McKenna

Dad & Mom with Jessica

Jessica with Kristina

Jess & Lindsey!

Last meal before the MTC at Jason's Deli with the family.

Cute Christmas stocking Keith & Kelley gave Jess.

Jessica with Grandma & Grandpa Tyler

Saying goodbye to Granddad Gregory

Last night home!

Farewell luncheon

Sister Gregory!

Alrighties everyone in just a few hours I will be offically Sister Gregory! Crazy!! Well before I hand over my blog to my mom I thought I'd write one more post!

Life is flying by! I've already given my farewell talk (It went really well! I was super nervous the night before but with a little bit of faith and a lot of prayer things turned out perfectly! Thanks all that came!) and I leave for the MTC tomorrow! ahh! So much to do so little time! But I couldn't be more excited and loved by everyone! I just want to thank everyone for the support they've given me! I couldn't have asked for better friends and family! And remember if you write me I promise I'll write you back! I'd love to hear updates from you

all! Well I don't have much time, but here are some pictures of my farewell and those last goodbyes! (I don't have many picture from my farewell since my dad took a lot of them on his phone. I'll try to get those up here before I take off thats for sure!)

Cocoa and Ice Skating with the cousins! This was such a fun night! I'll for sure look back at these memories! Thanks Tera for putting it all together! We'll have to repeat this night two years from now. I love all of you!!

Love these girls! I ran over to there house earlier today to say goodbye. I really hate goodbyes! I'm going to miss them so much! I love you girls! (P.S. I cut my hair today! I thought it would be easier to take care of but I miss my long hair so much!)

Kailee and I with the cutest quilt ever! I love it so much! Thanks for being the bestest friend ever! Love ya girl!

Jason and Jamie! Because of work they had to leave Monday morning. It was super sad! I'm going to miss them so much! Thanks for being the best brother and sister ever! And don't forget to send me pictures of Jamie Junior!

Me with pretty much my second family. I'm going to miss these guys so much!! Love you Rob, Sabrina, Sydney, Ben, and Nathan! I'm looking forward to pictures of mario from Ben (jk), the cutest letters and updates of how much things change over the next 18 months! Thanks for letting me be apart of your family for so long!

Ok well I better get back to cleaning my room and packing! Thanks again for everything everyone! You'll continually be in my thoughts and prayers!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!