OCTOBER 31, 2013

Hola FAMILIA!!!

So this week has been really good!  Monday we had a normal dia we had a family home evening with a couple older missionaries.  They are soo awsome. They help us learn the language and we pretty much give them a lesson in Spanish. Last Friday we went to the university and we were enseñiendo las personas y las personas estan bueno por que queren escuchar nuestro mensaje. We were teaching this one guy named John Roberts, and this was our primero visita with him and he seemed really interested about the church. Entoncecs we were teaching him for like viente momentos y muy chevere por que El quiere a libro de mormon. Yo dijo la primera vision, yo pienso que El piensa esta el verdadero. well it was good we gave out s few folletos out and it was sweet. Monday was good and I'm glad because we have 2 fake investigadors ahora and it is pretty hard. The spanish is ok so when i have to teach 2 lessons it gets kind of hard. Tuesday was good but you know Tuesdays for some reason i think about you guys more then anything. well we got both of our fake investigadors to commit to baptism so that's pretty cool. We are learning more and more everyday and it is hard to remember everything so its fine though I'm doing just fine.

 I'm starting to get used to the food and I'm not sick so tha'ts good.The heat is absolutely terrible because i sweat like non stop. We have gym everyday at 3 45 and it is no fun. So anyway yo pienso you guys should pick me up in two becuase it really is a beautiful place. we wont drive anywhere because they don't use signals or lanes really. I love it here so much and know that this is the place for me. Wendesday was even better. We taught the investigadors again pero we also met some new missionaries that came from Quatemala. Their mission is in Honduras. They leave today though and they are pretty sweet. I guess they have been there before so they know how awesome it will be. I talked with them for a bit in all Spanish ellos no hablan en ingles. It has been a great three weeks here and I only have about 100 more to go and its  cool. Just kidding mom. I cant wait until puedo trabajo en el campo. Today has been alright pero i really miss you guys. Yo oro sobre mi famila cada dia. so anyway i got my first hair cut today and it looks pretty good. I'm really tired and I might take a quick nap despues yo tengo que enseñar uno investigador en la noche. El nomber es Freddy. He is pretty tough to teach pero, me compenero y yo podemos encontrar que Freddy needs.

 Tomorrow we get to go back to the university again and go talk to more people. You know I thought I was an out going guy but I get pretty nervioso a veces. It will be great though I cant wait to make a difference in their lives.  I don't have very much more time, but its getting better now and I think in three weeks I will be able to be confident to go out to the field.

 Mom I love you soo much and miss you like crazy! I know that I will be safe out here and I know that if I stay obedient the lord will bless you and the family more than we know. Dad I miss and love you soo much and I hope that I can be as good of a dad when I have kids. I miss watching games with you, and I'm glad that the Packers are playing good. They better not win a championship without me there!! Emilee I love you soooo much and i miss you. I hope that you and the baby will be safe and I pray about it every time. I want you to send more pictures of Mylee and of you and Jordan. Ryan I wish you could be here with me. It is so beautiful and I wish I could teach people with you. Spanish is fast down here so I'm wondering if you could keep up with them. bBoma I bet you could. Alyssa I love you so much and miss you a ton. I hope that you will send more pictures to me with Ryker and Gentry. Gentry, Mylee, Ryker I love you guys so much and want you to know that I miss you guys more then you know. I want to see pictures of you in you Halloween costumes. I love you family so much and I cant wait to see you all again. One more thing Grandma and Grandpa I love you guys and I get your letters every Wednesday's  and it makes me feel great. Tell Matt and the family I say hi. Grandma you won't have to worry about me because the people down here are amazing I know I will be safe.

 Love you guys soo much!

Love Elder Westenskow

He's doing so well!  Working so hard!!  So grateful!!! 

Entonces....  This week has been really good. I have had a lot of spiritual things happen this week. Sundays are absolutly the best thing here por que of all the different lessons that we learn! every Sunday we get to listen to one of the 12 apostles!! They really bring out the best spirit and make the week soo much mejor.  

I got to go to the temple a few times now and its soo beautiful and awesome. The spirit in this country is soo amazing. every person that I have met here has changed my life one way or another. I really believe that I am here for a reason, just feeling the spirit of all the people here just makes me grow as a person and a saint, even when teaching fake investigadors sometimes the Spanish words just come out and after the lesson I have no idea what i just said!! 

Monday was awsome!! we got to teach a family home evening lesson to some older missionaries. I recited the first vision to them in Spanish and I now have that memorized and it really does bring the spirit in any language we speak. Everything we do here is in Spanish now and sometimes it gets pretty tough but I know I can handle it. Monday was even better, when I was kind of missing you guys a lot and I just felt comforted after saying a prayer that night, I know I'm out here for a reason and no matter what happens you guys will be alright. Entonces on Martes the elders that came before us went out to the field and it got pretty quiet in here. But that's more than ok... it was easier to study. Tuesday was pretty good. I had a little trouble with my Spanish and was struggling but I got it. I'm getting used to the food pretty much now and I'm  not losing any weight!!. martes fue when i weighed myself and it was still the same, but that will change soon. entonces later en Martes we went to la tienda and it was good! I got to buy stuff that i can eat besides rice and beans!! haha I actually don't mind them as much now because they are way better here!! Sorry mom!! haha. 

Miercoles was great por que i was able to teach good lessons in Spanish and didn't really have any problems. well today has been very good!! I went to the temple this morning and was able to do an endowment session and a sealing session in English!!! The temple workers are the best thing ever. I really do love it here and I already don't want to leave. 

The weather down here es no muy bueno pero yo pienso I will get used to it. My district is awesome we get along so well. the teachers are muy chevere. yo se que Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial y muy amoroso.

Today was really hard to read your letters today because I really miss you guys a ton. I cried a little when I saw Gentry y Mylee y Ryker. It was pretty tough. Entonces will you tell Logan to write me!!!! I havent heard from him. 

We are just waiting to find out now who will be the new AP but everyone thinks its going to be me and my companero. I don't know if I want it to be but whatever happens. I will be happy about it. So tomorrow is going to be the hardest day por que we get to go to the universidad and actually teach someone. We get to teach them a short lesson and give them el libro de mormon. The otros missionaries loved it so it should be a great opportunity. 

Mom i love you soo much!!! I miss you like crazy but I know your ok! Mom I want you to know that this church is true and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! Dad i love you soo much and I want you to know that the mission is the best thing in the world. i cant wait until we go to the packer game whenIi get back because i wish that sometimes I would have spent more time together. Emilee I love you soo much and I want you to be happy. This gospel is the happiness that you need. When I go to the temple and I think of the familia, I think about you and how much I know you love this gospel. I hope you had the best birthday in the world. I want you to live with me and the family forever. Ryan I love you soo much! I miss you a ton and wish that you were here with me. yo no puede espera cuando podemos hablar en español. Alyssa I love you sooo much! There was this little girl here this week and she was just like Gentry and im soo proud of you because of how great a mother you really are. Jordan, Landon, and Amanda please take care of my sisters and brother. you guys are the best! I want you guys to be with me and my family forever. For Mylee tell her I love her soooooooo much. She is amazing and I want more pictures of her every letter. I will be home soon to play with her and take her to the store. For Gentry I love you soooo much. I hope that you will be safe and that Lundon will take care of you and I want you to know how great of an example your mom is. Ryker my little buddy that picture was amazing. He is getting so big and I miss him!! I think about them all the time and try to imagine what they are doing all the time. I pray for my family all the time to be safe and I love you guys so much and I want you to know that the gospel is true. Yo se que Jesucristo es mi salvador y mi redentor. Yo se que el libro de mormon es verdadero y palabras de Dios. Yo se que Jesucristo muerta por mi pecados. Please be safe family and I cant wait to see you but my work isn't even closed to being finished.

 

 

LOVE ELDER WESTENSKOW

 

 

P.S. Tell grandma Westenskow that I feel grandpas love everyday. He is watching over me at all times and he cant wait to see all of us again!

SOME FUN PICTURES FROM THE MTC

PICTURES FROM THE MTC

Hey family!!!! 

Its been a week since i have been in the MTC and its soo cool. I miss you guys so much you have no idea. I just got those Dear Elders from you guys yesterday it was good for me to read them. So yes mom my bags got here fine and everything is in them. The first couple days here I was throwing up because my stomach wasn't use to the food yet. Some of the food here is really gross and some of it isn't bad. My P-days are on Thursdays and it was hard to wait this long, but oh well i get a while to write today. 

     So the time is hard to get used to down here because it seems like every day I don't get any sleep. My companions name is Elder Peterson and he is from Arizona. I have a small district of 8 people down here. One is from Jamaica, one is from Las Vegas. and the rest are from Utah. We are already having to teach our first investigator named Cleira. She is one of the teachers here, whenever we speak any English to her she says no entiendo!! So the past days we have been teaching her in Spanish. It's crazy how much i have learned in just a week. I can give her the entire Atonement lesson in Spanish already . Everyday around 3:45 we get gym time and its really hot outside!! I have lost a lot a wait already, we get to play basketball and ultimate frizbee, and soccer. The rooms are pretty small and sometimes I get tired of having someone right at my side at all times. It's really tough but I know that I can do this because I feel the Lord pushing me forward every time. I was teaching Cleira last night and our plan that we had just went out the window,  and i had to think of Spanish right off the bat and I felt the help of the spirit. I have felt like Grandpa Westenskow has been here every step of the way it has been something real and makes me feel ready to take on any challenge they give me.

    I  get to go to the Temple today at nine and its going to be the best thing. Their Temple here is beyond what I thought it was going to be. There are flowers everywhere around it. The MTC  is right next to the Temple. The teachers here are so cool. My favorite one here is Hermano Nunez he is so funny. He just laughs at us and is just plain wierd.

      Family i love you so much and i miss you guys so much. Mom i love you so much you are one of my greatest examples in life. I would not be where i am today without your help. iI know it will be hard for me to be away from you today but I know I can do it. Dad I miss and love you so much! I was really down because i wasn't able to watch T>V  with you and just laugh and have fun. I' m glad the packers won the game!! I heard the Utes one toooo thats soo sweet. Dad your example to me has made me want to be just like you as a father when i have childrne. Ryan it was hard to read your letter I miss you more then you know. I wish I could have spent more time with you but tha'ts ok I still only have 51 one weeks left. Alyssa i love you so much and I will be fine and safe. You are a great example to me. When people ask about my family you are the first one I talk about because I know that you are a great mother and sister. Emilee I love you so much and I want you to be happy. Emilee  I want you to feel the blessings that feel everyday while I'm here please pray every night to find out truth. I know that you love the Lord and I want you to show how much you love him by being an example to Mylee and Yordan and the new one coming. The temple is a place of strengthening. MY Buddies I love you guys so much!!! I want to see pictures of you every week. I look at my pictures on mi camera to see you. love everyone soo much. Abuelos y Abuelas I love you guys soo much and I want to give you hugs all the time. I'm doing great and I was only sick for a few days and now I'm perfectly fine.. Well.... I have no more time now so love you guys sooo much and I can't wait to here from you next Thursday.

Love Elder Westenskow

FIRST DAYS AT THE DOMINICAN MTC

Finally made it to the Dominican Republic MTC

Hey mom and family I made it to the MTC and it is soo sweet. The flight was very long but its okay, I made it alright.  I met some really cool people,(started teaching already). Its really hot down here! I'm doing great! I have to get up really early tomorrow so i have to go, but I love you soo much!! Talk to you next week!