2014 January

I (Elder Jastal's mom) am giving myself a goal to update this blog at least once a month so I don't get so far behind.

6th

Hey Mom!

 

It is great to hear about Toledo. It is also great to hear about the negative weather kinda. It means I can relate better to all the people who talk about how they recently experienced negative weather while they were at school up north or other things like that. I can't remember it getting that low for a long time though. -25 is down there quite a ways. 6-10 inches added to what you've already got... I am so glad I won't be having to shovel that this year. Or next year for that matter. Like I said over the google hangout, The one thing I don't really miss about Ohio is the part where I was shoveling the snow.

 

As far as different technology that is being implemented throughout the world, our mission hasn't yet  hooked us up with all of it. The missionaries out here are all expecting that within the next 3-6 months, we all will have iPad minis and access to facebook and other things like that. Speaking of Facebook, Do you still remember all of my account info for logging on? I may need it somewhere down the road. Also, about facebook, have you ever tried logging on to my account to give out updates to others for me? I don't remember if I had asked you to do that before I left, or not. If I hadn't asked, would you be able to do that from time to time? I would like it if you could do that.

 

As for Packages, I may not be getting them until Tuesday, because I am getting Transferred again. I will be moving to a new area, this will be my third, and I will have a new companion again. It kinda has bummed me out just a little bit, because the companion I have right now is awesome, and he has helped me learn so much, but at the same time, I am kinda excited to see who my new companion is, and what my new area is going to be like.

 

As for people that have helped me learn a lot, there is this man named Elder Chocco (Cho-ko) who has helped me and my companion both learn a lot. My companion knew him from his last area and was able to keep in touch with him after the last transfer, and so I was able to meet Elder Chocco and learn so much from him. Elder Chocco is super in tune with the spirit and has helped me learn a lot by answering some of the questions I have had and even some of the ones I didn't know I had had.

 

It is Great that you were all able to see Grandma.  If there are letters you are all waiting to receive from me, I hope that I can get them out to you all soon enough. I don't know what I will be able to do though.

 

I hope that you all have been enjoying the weather, even though it is frozen outside. I have been wondering where all the snow is for the past few months now, and I haven't seen any signs of it. We have had a couple of rainy day, surprisingly. But other than that, it has mostly been warm.

 

I hope that you all are excited for the new year. I love you all and hope that you all are able to enjoy this upcoming week. 

 

Love,

 

Elder Jastal

 

13th

 

Hey Mom!

 

My new area is down in San Clemente California and it's probably the most perfect seeming place in the whole mission, if not in the whole of the United States. It is a very nice area, and I am now with two new companions. I have been transfered in to what we call the service district and one of my new companions is the District leader of the Service District. The biggest difference between the Service district and other Districts in the mission is that we spend most day from 10-5 looking for opportunities to serve in the community in whatever ways we can. We basically have the whole mission as the area that we are able to find service opportunities in, and don't do our typical proselyting until after dinner. I have been able to meet some of the members so far, and the members I have met are all super nice.

 

As for what I used my Christmas money for, I was able to get a new pair of tennis shoes to replace the pair I came out with. I have a feeling that these shoes will last a little bit longer than six months before the bottom of the sole starts becoming super smooth and flat. The soles on these shoes seem quite a bit more durable. I also was able to find an mp3 player to replace the one that you sent out.  I traded the older  mp3 player to one of the other elders in my last district for a super nice tie that probably cost about the same as the mp3 player I traded to him. I also got a pair of super comfy nice socks from Kohl's.

 

I love you all, and hope that you all have been enjoying the New Year as best as you can. January seems like it hasn't been merciful with it's weather like it was last year.

Love,

Elder Jastal

 

           With his last companion, Elder Younger . . .

                With some of the missionaries in his first zone . . .

 

21st

I did get the cookies and the Fudge and they were both still super delicious!

 

I think I have to go get a few birthday cards and send them home. Also,I got the Ties that you sent.

 

So far in this area I have been able to experience a lot of clean air. I don't know what they did down here to get the air feeling this clean, but I am of the opinion that even though I am only about 15-20 miles away from my last area It is still way better down here. As far  as different service opportunities that we have found down here, all of the places we volunteer at are in some way shape or form organized as Charities. We have been able to volunteer at a place called F.A.M. which stands for Family Assisted Ministries, that is dedicated to assisting all of the homeless or otherwise less fortunate people in the area. We also have been able to volunteer at a place called Second Harvest which does pretty much the same kinda thing, only on a somewhat larger scale. We also have been volunteering at a local thrift shop that donates all of the money it raises to a particular school group. I don't remember exactly where though.

 

It is awesome down here. Lots of great people and awesome members in our ward.

 

I love you all! I hope that you are all able to have a wonderful week.

 

Love,

 

Elder Jastal


28th
Hey mom, sorry it is so late in responding to your e-mail. Yesterday we got caught up in helping our Ward mission leader move into our apartment complex so we didn't have enough time to e-mail or shop. Thankfully, we are able to do our e-mailing today, so you don't have to wait too long to hear from me. 

As for the weather out there, everybody who I tell I am from Ohio says that it is really cold over there. So I have been slightly updated. I didn't know if it was actually still snowing or not, though. I am not surprised that everything is closing and cancelling. That is basically what I remember winters being like every year. Maybe not to the degree that everything shuts down, but I seem to remember that there were always some places that would end up closing down due to the weather.

If the small card is the one with the miniature-ized copy of my Patriarchal Blessing, then yes I got it just last night and I was super excited about it. I think that that one will be kind of handy to have around with me, that way whenever I am in need of something to do, or if I just want to look through it and I don't have the larger copy, I can just check through the small one.

I wanted to remember to ask you - Were you ever able to get a hold of Elder Beckstead, and ask him about the audio talks that he had? If not, that is okay, I am just curious. 

I hope that you all are able to have a fantastic week this week. I am going to close this e-mail so that I can write a happy birthday e-mail to dad because I won't be able to tomorrow, which reminds me that I forgot to get birthday cards to send home...

Anyway, I love you all!

Love,

Elder Jastal

2013 December

2nd

This was a great week. I lost my last companion and found a new one to replace him. It was an awesiome time being able to go through transfers. I am just starting my 7th. My new companion has been out for 3 transfers less than I have but he is already a great missionary.
As for Thanksgiving Day, it was awesome. We got to eat with the bishop of one of the two wards that we cover and he has an Awesome Family. Their youngest son is a crazy little guy. He hardly ate any of his Thanksgiving dinner, but ironically wouldn't play with any of his toys that didn't in some way relate to food.

As for the rest of our week, we have been going around trying to talk people, but we have been getting the same old responses from everyone about how they are not interested, so my companion and I are going to do all we can to hekp them change their minds. We both came up with the goal that we are going to have met and gotten to know, if not all, then most of the people in our areas. We are going to try to talk to 1,000 people this month, about the gospel and how it can bless their lives. we are hoping that we will get a lot out of it as well.

It is great to hear that you were able to go to the temple again. I love the temple so much. It is such a blessing to be able to have the temple on the earth today. The sacred convenants we make in the temple have been a great blessing as well. I am so grateful for all that our Heavenly Father gives us.
Outside of that, How is everyone at home doing? How is Zach doing, especially.  I have been trying to keep him in my prayers, and I am hoping that he has been feeling like there are angels around him.

 I am grateful that you were able to send the pictures of Aubrey, Matt and their kids. They are looking pretty happy, and once again, Aubrey has decided upon a new hair color.

I hope things have been going especially great this week, and continue to do so. I love you all and hope you all have a great week.

Love,

Elder Jastal

9th

I have been seeing Christmas lights all over the place and not a flake of snow. I never thought I would say this, but I Miss the Snow!!! It looks so weird here having nothing on the ground but the ground itself. I know that it is December and I know that it is winter, but that is not what my eyes are telling me from the way things look around here.

Speaking of December and Christmas, I had a thought of what I might want for Christmas aside from the shoes that you already sent. If it is still there on your computer somewhere, I had gotten some talks from Elder Beckstead that were put onto your computer. They were audio talks and they were the kind of talks that it is very hard to get. They were by a bunch of authorities and one of the speakers that he had Talks from was a man named Cleon W. Skousen. If you could get me all of the talks on a flash drive or thumbdrive of some sort, that would be awesome.

Also, I have been think about this as well. Christmas is the only other time during the year that I can skype, and it has been a while since I have been able to "see" some of my friends. If you could find some way to invite some of the people I know over to the House for Christmas, that would be awesome.

One more thing, if you could add some money to my personal account. . . I have been trying for sometime now to remember to take a couple of my suits and a few of my ties to the Dry Cleaner's out here by my Apartment and I realized that I don't have enough money to do that. If I remember right, one of the last times I stopped in, the Employee that I asked, told me that it was something like 14-17 dollars per suit that I would want dry cleaned, and about 7 dollars a tie. I have one suit that I need to dry clean and 3 ties that I have accidently gotten less than friendly substances on (food and such).

Aside from that, there wasn't anything that I could think of that I might want for Christmas.

As for the Lesson that you "taught" It sounds like it was a great one. The story at the end was a good one too. It isn't something that I am going to have to worry about out here, because I am never alone. I always have a companion who is supporting the things that I tell others that we meet. But at school It was somewhat of a challenge. I am grateful that I had friends there who accepted me for who I was. That made it all the better when others tried to shoot me down for my beliefs and standards.

I love you mom, and I hope that you have a great week this week.

Love,

Elder Jastal

16th (regarding Skyping on Christmas)

As of right now, I have no Idea what time I will be able to skype home. My companion and I are pretty sure we will be skyping  from one of our Bishops' homes, but we haven't been able to ask around yet. I am pretty sure that I will be able to find some way to let you know before Christmas (probably won't be e-mail), but other than that, I don't know exactly how it will be working out.

                              Elder Jastal with their choir "helper",  Brother Huntington

                                Some of those Christmas lights they see all over.

                                    

25th -  Christmas day Skyping

Gabby asked Elder Jastal what his favorite part of his mission.  His response was . . .

So far (he'd have to say) it has probably been  his increased understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  It is amazing to see the change in himself and those who come unto Christ.  It's amazing to see how it has affected him, personally.  Missionary life isn't easy.  Because of how the work needs to be done and with all his imperfections, the Lord has been able to use him to help others overcome.  He said he was sure we all know the song "Amazing Grace", then said that it's very true.

He wants all in the ward to know that he says "Hi", he misses you; he's so happy he can be out serving; thanks for all you all did to help him become a missionary.
 
30th
http://goo.gl/ozJTjK

http://goo.gl/wlmTv5

These are a couple of sites that one of the members of the mission presidency drew up for us to send home so that family members and friends could see pictures of all the missionaries and here the choir that we have. As far as the choir goes, I think it is fantastic. My personal favorite is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

For better sound quality, don't listen to it from google. Instead, click the download/open file button at the bottom and listen to it through Windows Media Player.

It was great to be able to see everybody again on Christmas. I don't really have too much to update in between then and now. So I will just say that I love you all.

  Also, to update you on the Dry cleaning, Sister Webber said not to worry about taking care of the cleaning costs and that she would handle it. That is another thing, for me at least, to be extremely grateful for. Sister Webber is super awesome!

 Anyway, I love you all and Hope that you are all able to enjoy the rest of the Holiday season.

Love,

Elder Jastal

2013 November

November 4th - (to dad)
The members have been doing great about feeding us so we are pretty happy missionaries most of the time.

When we don't have the car, we usually tend to walk. I haven't been on a bike for a whole transfer and a half almost.  There are more hills in this area than there were in my last area and I am not certain how much I would like to try biking up and down all of the hills. When we don't have the car, we tend to have more appointments filed in with members and other closer activities, so we usually get rides from one place to another from whatever member we just happen to have met with before the next appointment. Or we ask them to come pick us up if we are too far away to get there on time walking and they are usually able to work it out for us.

 

It sounds like Sensei is pushing the kids pretty hard for nationals, including Grant.  I think Grant can handle it. He seemed to be pretty adept at getting things down when I left, and that is something that only gets easier to do with time. With an MMA fight to prepare for on top of Nationals, it might be a stretch, but I still think he will do well with all of it.

 I am going to need to find a way to start up being able to practice my stuff again. Usually we are fairly busy so I don't know how I will be able to pull it off. I am sure I can think of something.

Everybody out here was getting sick for some reason. I didn't but everyone else did. My companion had a few days a couple of weeks ago where he got hit pretty hard with some sort of monstrous cold. 
 

As far as singing in sacrament meeting, no one has asked me to yet and I am not sure if they actually will. Unless I have already told you all about the Missionary Choir that our mission started, and that is what you are referring to. If so, the idea of duets has been postulated and the works are in progress to get some things underway, but at the present time, we are still just practicing for any future events that may be done. We will be able to have the opportunity to do more than just sacraments and ward programs as well. the idea is for us to be able to do public venues of some sort to inspire the hearts of the people of California with the Spirit through the hymns that we will sing.

 I hope that you are able to have a great week and that work is going well. I love you.

 Love,

Elder Jastal

(to mom)

Hello mom,

Just to let you know, this week has gone by fairly smoothly and all is going well. The only downside I might throw in there is the fact that I came to a slight probalem with my right shoe and cannot find my shoe goo to fix it.  I would be delighted to hear if you had been able to order from missionary mall for me. I am not certain how much longer this pair of shoes has left to live, but I ope they can last long enough.

It was great to be able to read about Vara and the Zoo, and also to hear about everything else that has been happening at home. My big question is has anything new or exciting transpired between last week and this week that I was unable to hear about?

Not too much exciting has been happening over on my end, other than the fact that the missionary choir keeps getting more songs to be able to practice for any scheduled upcoming events. Every week has new and exciting events with the choir simply because Brother Huntington (Rigoletto, played the character Hans) is the person that they have asked to help with the vocal instructions and he is a very fun and energetic and inspiring person.

Aside from the missionary choir, I have been working with my companion to help the work in our area pick up, and I think that either one of us might be missing something or the people here are opposed to hearing us out. I would prefer to think that it is the latter, but nobody is perfect, not even missionaries.

Anyway, I hope that the week has gone well at home and that everyone has been having fun. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Jastal

12th

Hey Mom, the shoes did arrive and I should be getting them (from the Mission Home) on Wednesday at the latest.

This past week has gone well. My companion and I have been keeping very busy with all the work that we have been finding for ourselves and also the work that our wards have asked us to help with.

We had something super exciting happen this past Sunday. Our Choir Had Its First Performance! We were able to help out with a Stake Youth Fireside down in San Clemente. It was the most fantastic thing ever.

Outside of politics, what else has been going on at home? Dad is still teaching in Elder's quorum I presume. what else is happening? How are Grant and Tyler doing? If I remember correctly, Josh and Sammi are getting ready to go through the temple this month. Are you all planning on heading out there for that?

I love you al and hope that you all can have a wonderful week. Tell everyone I said hi.

Love,

Elder Jastal

18th -

To update you on the week, things have been fantastic. I am learning so much about this gospel and myself that I feel very much as though no one will know me anymore when I get home.

As for spiritual thoughts or experiences, I have been learning more and more what I feel when the Spirit is present. That is something that I have been somewhat unsure about for a long time, and I am finally learning how the Spirit works through me. We recently had a training in our mission on a new way of finding people to teach called "Opening the Windows of Heaven", or just "Windows of Heaven" for short. This past Saturday my companion and I had the opportunity to apply this training in a significant way. The experience was such that it strengthened both of our testimonies about following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. We were put in a situation where we could do nothing but rely on the Spirit to guide us. It ended up leading us to a man who actually lives outside of our proselyting area but who we are absolutely certain Heavenly Father wanted to be taught. We were able to get in his house for just a few short moments. We asked a couple questions to learn a little bit about him, and then we wrote down his name and address and gave it to the missionaries who cover the area he lives in.

I love you all and hope that you all are able to have a great week.

Love,

Elder Jastal

25th -

It sounds  like everything at home is going fairly well.

I hope that brinya is able to stay strong. By this time she has probably already begun the treatment, but hopefully she is able to hold up well while going through it. It is really sad that she has to go through this all, but I know that through our prayers and faith, she will be able to come out on top.

As for Grant and his tournament participation, I am not surprised that he won 1st place but it is still really good to hear about. He has a lot of talent for martial arts and I am positive that this is merely going to be the beginning of a long career of successful martial arts activities.

I hope that everything is able to go very well for everyone this week. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Jastal

2013 October

7th
A happy birthday to Aunt Deanna!

 

Also, congratulations to Aubrey and Matt. I am happy to say that I am excited for them and my new nephew!

 

To answer your question about General Conference, I did not have a favorite talk this year. Typically I have always gone with the talk from Elder Holland, but this year I don't have any preferences.This time around was particularly inspired, and inspiring. I don't think there has ever been a better General Conference, at least that I have experienced.

This was a very good week. Last Tuesday, I once again was able to go to the Temple. I love being able to do that. The temple is absolutely my favorite place to be and I can't wait for the next time.

I did receive letters as well, if the letters were one from all three of you contained in one envelope. I don't remember if I have said this already yet, But I love the ties and am very thankful for them.

 

I would love to be able to write more, but for some odd reason, we have a lot of stuff going on today. Who would have figured for a P-Day?

 

I love you all. I love the photos. I hope you all have a great week.

21st

I am remiss for not e-mailing last Monday. I usually respond first to those who have e-mailed and then if I think of it, I will write e-mails to those I did not see an e-mail from. I ran out of time and was unable to e-mail because of it. However, I am able to e-mail today. E-mailing days are still Mondays.

 

This week has been fantastic! I have had several experiences in my studies that have helped me to understand better the things that I teach. I have come to love studying about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is quite probably the only point of doctrine so immense, encompassing so many other parts of the doctrines that we, as missionaries, teach our investigators. I have been blessed to come to understand it more fully, so that I may teach others about it.

 

It is probably exciting to be around Vara. She is quite the energetic and spastic little girl. I hope that she did a good job of helping with the no-bake cookies. I hope, also, that regardless of how runny the no-bake cookies were, they tasted as amazing as they typically do. I remember how fun it can be to spend time with family making treats and goodies for all to share.

  

I would like to thank you for the quotes (from General Conference). They are always good things to have.

 

One more piece of news that I have to share is that I have finally found a way to start sending some pictures home again! So I will be sure to include some in what I send home today.

 

As always, it is wonderful to be able to hear from home each week, and I am grateful for each e-mail.

 

I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week.

 

 

 

28th October

It is good to hear from you again this week.

 

As for Brinya. I am glad to hear that she is in such High Spirits. It is also good to hear that she has started making up jokes again. That is something that every little person does at one time or another. It is also good to know that her hair is growing back. My question, however, is whether or not it will stay with the next few rounds of chemo.

 

Zach told me a little bit about the opportunity for the water in his e-mail from 18th. If I understand correctly, it already happened and probably went well, but I haven't heard anything about the aftermath. He also told me that the Katana he got didn't turn out so well and that he wants to send it back.

 

That would be especially cool to see Grandma on Skype. I will have to make sure with the members around that time if I will be able to skype from their homes and how to set it up.  I am sure that my companion and I will be able to figure it out.  Members are usually great with that. 

 

As far as budgeting is going, I have been doing fairly well. I probably could be doing a little better, but I am not worried about anything turning out poorly for me. We are supplied with just enough at the beginning of every month to last until the next month. So basically we have to be smart about what we get. I am learning all over again, the difference between wants and needs, that dad liked to tell us all about and that it applies to everything.

 

I don't remember what I had asked for in preparation for Christmas, but I am thinking a lot about that, because I want to make sure I only ask for things that I will be using regularly. I think I had asked about shoes last time.  (If ever you want to send gifts, though, I will not reject them.)

 

I have come to the conclusion, that because of all the experiences I have had in the time that I have been out, I am not quite the same young man that you all watched leave. I think, however, that that is a good thing and that I will be pleasantly surprised with who I grow to be by the end of my mission.

 

If ever there is anything you want to know about, maybe things that I have learned through my studies or things that I have learned from others, I would be pleased to be able to share that with others.

 

I love you too and I hope that you all will be able to feel that love, despite the distance.

 

Love,

 

Elder Jastal

 

2013 September 23rd

Hey Mom! It is Great to hear from you again.

 

I did get the package with the razors and the skin on my face has been much appreciative of that fact. As far as packages and envelopes to be received in the future, I usually tend to be pretty careful with them.  I am somewhat curious as to what would make one of the envelopes "poofy", but I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Speaking of Zachary, could you remind him to look at his e-mails from time to time? I am not sure how often he is able to do that, but I had finally gotten a response to my first e-mail from him and had written a response of my own, but I don't know if he has read it yet.

I wish I could have been at Stake Conference to hear from President Smith. He is a great man and I am so happy that he was my Stake President for the time leading up to departing for my mission.

I hope everyone is still thinking about me, and I hope none of them miss me too much.

I love you all, and I hope you all have a great week.

 

Love.

Elder Jastal

2013 September 16th

I don't know if I already mentioned this in one of my previous e-mails, but I have been placed in an area with a car and I am the one who gets to drive the 2013 ford fusion that we get around in. The only part that isn't too fun is that we have to switch out the car with another set of elders in our district. otherwise they would be on foot in their area the whole time. So rather than having them walk everywhere 24/7 they get the car Friday morning to Monday evening just after our P-day activities of the day. We get it for the rest of the time not included.

I was able to see President Ellis last week because he is in charge of helping us missionaries set up the Mission Choir. I am in it! The really cool thing is that the guy who plays the butler in Rigoletto is the guy they asked to be the voice coach for all of the missionaries that wanted to be in the Choir and so he is helping us get off to a good start. It was really funny because when we were first starting I thought he looked really familiar and I couldn't figure out why, but then I thought of the movie and I thought he might have been in it. I asked him at the end when he opened up the floor for anyone who might have questions, "Are you Familiar with the movie Rigoletto" and his reaction was something along the lines of, "Um, Yes... Who do we have to volunteer for the closing prayer. I Thought it was funny. I was able to talk to him a little bit about it after the closing prayer though. I never knew he was LDS.

Anyway, I just thought you might have liked to hear about that. It was great to hear from you and I hope that you all are able to have a wonderful week. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Jastal

I will just go ahead and say thank you for all the little "Spark notes" form conference right now instead of waiting till next week to do that, cause I am able to. Those are all good little tips and pointers for living a good, Christ-like life and they will help everyone who is struggling, and even those who aren't, to improve the Quality of their lives. It is also good stuff to hear as a missionary, because it will definitely some in handy to know all of it so that we can more effectively teach our investigators.

I love you too.

Thank you for helping me grow up to be like this. To be the kind of person that can share my testimony in such a way.

 

I love you mom,

Love,

Elder Jastal

2013 September 09th

So the Family that fed me and my companion were the Lokboj family. Tj Lokboj is the member who had let Elder Lund and I skype from their home on Mother's Day. He had gone to D.C. over the Summer and had just gotten back the Tuesday before Elder Hancock and I had dinner at their home. His Sister-in-law was also there. Her name is Jackie Waldron and she is shortly going to be leaving to go on a mission.

I look forward to being able to hear from people at home. It is always good to hear how people are doing and cool interesting things that happen for or to them.

As far as spiritual experiences I have had lately, I would say that the last good one I can think of is having been able to be Elder Hancock's trainer for his first transfer. He has such great potential and I know that he will do well as a missionary. I really was able to get to know him very well, and I was able to help him through all of the chaos of the first transfer because of that. I was able to have such great talks with him and every time we had a conversation, I know that the spirit was helping both of us to overcome trials as we were able to talk to each other about them.

I love you mom. I love all of you and I hope you are all able to have a great week.

Love,

 

Elder Jastal

 

P.S. I forgot to talk about my new companion in the other e-mail . . .His name is Elder Van Quakebeke and he just told me that his dad stalked me on Facebook and has found out who I am. Elder Van Quakebeke has been out for about 4 1/2 months and has some very interesting interpretations of life. He has somehow concluded that the answer to life, The universe and everything is 42, just as stated in "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I think however, after talking to him about it, that he did that more as a joke than for any real intent to prove the theory correct. He is a cool guy and It will be great to serve with him.

2013 September 03rd

The week has gone well. Yesterday, for Labor Day, we just had our usual P-day activities at our stake center building. We played a weird mix of football, basketball and ultimate frisbee. Essentially we were playing in a basketball court with a football, trying to get the football in the hoop on the other teams side of the court. It was really fun! I played for about 5 out of the 7 games that were played, and my reward was not being able to move this morning without something to hold me up. It was good though. I was just really sore.

It sounds like your Labor Day was a bit more relaxed than mine.

I hadn't known that Sammi and Spencer were able to visit. It sounds like spencer is learning very quickly though. I can kinda picture him running around all over the place. Josh and Sammi are in for a whole new world of "Fun" now. I wonder how Jeb is reacting to Spencer.

I don't know if you all know yet, but Today I am going to be transferred to a new area. The only thing weird about that is the fact that I didn't get to finish training my companion Elder Hancock so I will have to leave that job to his new companion. Typically, they don't transfer trainers until they are done with the 3 month training period for the new missionary, but I guess that my case is a little different. I am kind of excited to see where I am going to be sent. I know that it is going to be good no matter what though, because I am going to make it a good experience.

I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week. I am looking forward to being able to tell you what the new area and the new companion are like.

Love,

Elder Jastal

2013 Sep 03rd - 6 Month Tie Burning