Sorry I wasn't able to write in last night but, I had a companionship inventory with Elder Spencer that lasted for just about all of the free time that I had last night, but anyhow - it looks like we are heading off to Mission Conference now because Elder Spencer is getting up, so I suppose that I will return after the conference and Sacrament Meeting... Right after... Goodbye

Okay, I am back again - just finished off with Sacrament Meeting, and boy do I enjoy it, in fact, I have been looking forward to that meeting for most of the week because it is a fast and Testimony meeting and I have been so excited to be able to get up and share my testimony, I can't even describe it, and yes this is coming from a person who was shy to bear his testimony in seminary, goodness gracious! I had no idea what I was missing, none what-so-ever, I enjoy doing it so much I can't even describe it, I am just so happy. But anyway, I just wanted to let you know what I was up to and I wanted to let you know that I am going to write a big letter home now, so that I have time to say all that I want to say to them and not be rushed. I love everyone and I am so excited to get out in the mission field and start serving! I can't wait! Jake

Hola! Well, I only have a few minutes but I wanted to say howdy and I wanted to let you know that I went to my mission's culture night... It was a meeting where they teach the missionaries how to interact with the people of their prospective mission fields, and they also give advice on interaction with the people and some key words to that area. Anyhow it was really interesting to hear about the missionary stories from that area of the world... And the good news is that I have the best of both worlds, the spanish culture, and the health and living arrangements of the United States. Oh well though, I suppose that is about enough of that!

In other news for the day, we have the following: I got a letter from T~ and a second letter that was huge (typed) from him also. No word as yet about the Book of Mormon that I sent him... Hopefully he has at least gotten it by now. I am sure that I will hear from him about it soon. Well time for me to be getting ready for bed now, so I shall return tomorrow - I hope! - :) Jake

It may sound silly, but I just don't know what to say. So very much has happened the last few days... and now I feel completely lost, I know that it sounds silly but I feel completely lost... Not... Anyhow, let's see, where to begin? Elder Warner and I got called to President R~ office yesterday, and though I am not at liberty to say for what reason, we stayed there for a short while and then returned to class. Which brings me to the regrettable part of the day. When we got back to class we led them to believe that we had gotten into trouble and we told them that we were going to get called back to his office when he decided what to do with us. Then, at lunch time, Elder Warner and I pretended that we had gotten paged to the office and waited to go to lunch for a few minutes, then, when we got through the line and into the cafeteria, I made myself cry, like I do so nicely, and then proceded to walk over to my district's table. Once I got to the table I told them that I was being sent home in two hours, and that Elder Warren was being sent home the next day. I held out for a long time but, when one of the sisters in our district looked up at me and with a tear in her eye said "tell me it's not true, tell me it's a joke" I had to comply... I am a missionary after all... They were so mad at me... But when we asked for forgiveness, they did forgive us... and now we all laugh about it. Ha!

I don't quite know how or where to start today. Actually, I am somewhat in shock and my eyes are pretty watery right now, you see, just a few minutes ago Sister L~ and Sister F~ came into the classroom and with tears in their eyes warned us about what was going to be happening in a few minutes. But before I tell you the news, please let me give you the background of the situation.

Last Sunday President G~ asked the Elders in my district to please give Hermana B~ a priesthood blessing - we all said that we would love to, so after lunch, we met in an unoccupied room and Elder S~ was asked to give the blessing. However, right before the blessing, Hermana B~ got up in front of the district and told us what she was going through to need the blessing. She told us the history that all of the children in her family have served missions and that the day that she turned in her papers, she did so because she wanted to and because she felt that it was the right thing to do. Yet, after she turned in the papers, she went to the mountains and cried for hours - alone. She then commenced to tell us that she wanted to have the blessing to help her decide wether or not she should continue on her mission or go home. She told us that she had not felt at peace with herself since she had arrived at the MTC and that she needed to know if this was the right thing for her to do. Then Elder S~ gave the blessing and we parted. Well, I suppose that she got an answer to her prayers because today she decided that she was supposed to go home. That is the message that Sisters L~ and F~ brought to the class that made my heart sink, but the interesting thing is that I know that she is doing what she is supposed to be doing and what is best for her, I can feel it. I am going to miss that silly girl. She has been the cement holding all of us together, and now she is leaving.

Well, Hermana B~ just left - but before she did, Elder W~ offered the last complete district 9A prayer and then we sang "God be with you till we meet again" and then, after giving us a handshake goodbye and then a picture of Christ and a little plastic card with a saying about teamwork, she left us! However, I will see her at least once more because she is going to the airport to see all of us off. I am going to miss her, I was crying through the whole goodbye and then she was gone. Yet I am happy for her because I know that she is at peace with herself again. Well, I need to get back to class, they have all started on without me. Oh well, I shall return - fear not. And this time I shall try to continue every single day. Goodbye, Jake

Life is so depressing sometimes. Arrgh, I feel trapped her in this MTC. My companion won't even share his feelings with me - and I can tell that something is bothering him. Even after I sat there and cried for 45 minutes and then told him my concerns and feelings about not being talked to for a month, he still won't share his feelings with me. I am so frustrated. This really isn't fair of him to be doing this to me. It's just not fair, and don't you even think to tell me that life isn't fair - because I don't want to hear it! I don't! I shouldn't have to put up with a companion that is so hard on himself that when he forgets how to say a word in spanish, or can't decide which verb tense to use, he goes into seclusion, and then doesn't speak for hours. And then he tells me that I am just going to have to deal with it. ARRRGH! I have gone through an entire month of this and it is driving me loco. Chowsita! Jake

Well, I just needed to write in our journal or rather - my journal, of which you are reading, for the only purpose of writing in it. That is the companionship goal Elder S~ and I made for this week. Even if he won't do it, I will. At least I will try. Anyhow, tomorrow is Preparation Day, so I will fill you in on the last three days tomorrow! Buen Noche. Jake

Yet another Preparation Day has come and gone. But for today, I just wanted to share a quick experience with you. (hopefully I will have time!) While in class today two reporters from the New Jersey Star-Ledger newspaper came into our class to observe... they took tons of pictures and notes, how embarrasing! Now, I say embarrasing because most of the pictures were of me and Elder N~. And that was because we had to give and example of a "Find Out" lesson for the reporters. Oh well, I won't let my fame get to me, at least not yet, but I just might, if I see a newspaper that has that article in it in two years and discover that I am in it, after the editing, of course I did tell my parents (or will) and everyone else so that they can write in and get copies... Ooops, once again, I am out of space - manana amigo, Jake

Once again, I jsut wanted to say hello and to let you know what was up... Nothing! So there! I'll get back again later, Jake

Greetings Earther - I just thought that I should stop in and let you know about my frustration with my latest project. So here we go -

I have been working on a goodbye project for my district for sometime now, You see, I wanted to give them something to show them how much I liked them, so I wrote a short letter to them, as a whole. Anyway, I wrote it so that it could be bound into book form (stapled in the middle and folded over) and that is where my troubles began. The paper that I used is slightly larger than 8 1/2" X 11" so the copies need to be made a little smaller than normal size, and to make a long, long, long story short - the guy at the copy center just didn't understand, and thus messed up the entire project! So I went back today with the whole thing re-done and what could be saved, saved, and yet again the person didn't understand my SIMPLE instructions (I mean back-to-back copies, how hard is that to understand?) So I went back to explain to the night girl and that is when she told me that she would not even try! Arrgh! I couldn't even believe it! I am sooooo frustrated that I can't even describe it.... I will try the thing one more time tomorrow, say a prayer for me! (That is if prayers work in reverse?) Oh well, I will be back tomorrow! Chow! Jake

Yes, I know that I am writing in gold ink... suits me well don't you think? But alas, moving on, I just wanted to say hello and that it finally hit me this evening that I would be leaving the MTC in less than a week and that I was really going to miss my district! But I will have to write more later on that subject, maybe on Sunday, so have a great day, and I will get back soon, I promise (There, now I have gone and done it!) Love, Jake