February

Excerpts...

From Feb 7 2011

Hey everyone! It's been another wonderful week here in Balancán. Time is so strange. On the one hand, I've only been here two weeks, but it feels like months of experience. On the other hand, my entire mission seems to have been compressed into a few short weeks or even days - it doesn't seem like I've been gone very long at all.

This past week has been really special.  I felt the wonderfully peaceful presence of the Spirit throughout the week, received and followed many promptings, and was immensely blessed personally (meaning my happiness, my understanding of the gospel, ability to teach others, alertness, patience, kindness, charity, and inspiration as to how I might improve). That alone was more than enough, but the far great share of blessings came for the work we did this past week here in the Lord's vineyard. We were able to find new people to teach, teach inspired and spiritual lessons, resolve doubts and questions, help less actives and recent converts, contribute to the spirituality of the ward, and have plenty of investigators in church yesterday. This past week went really well for us, and the blessings haven't stopped.

I just want to use that personal example to illustrate how even a slight increase in our efforts to be obedient brings innumerable blessings. This is most easily seen in the mission field, I think, but of course applies to every daily situation in which we find ourselves. And I also think it's a lesson more readily learned here than when engulfed in the hectic pace of "normal" life - school, work, family, social life, responsibilities, etc. But hopefully we can all put into practice this message in this coming week. I know that each one of us can put forth just a little more effort, and I promise that said increase, though slight to our vision, will bring down the blessings of Heaven. Sometimes it seems like being just "a little bit better" isn't worth it, but I testify that it is, because I have experienced it. (I really wish I'd have understood all of the things I've been learning as a missionary before coming out, but oh well.) Hence, the invitation for everyone this week is to be just a little bit better - to stretch a little further, be more patient and kind, learn just a bit more about our Savior Jesus Christ. And then, of course, follow the impressions received, and record the experience so that it can be of future benefit as well. Does that sound good? ¿Están de acuerdo? Good. :)

This past week was my first chance to go out to el Triunfo. Dad, you were right; it's pretty much a glorified train station. :) (To any English-speaking Eltriunfonians who may be reading this: Your town is very beautiful. It's just also very deserted. :) I hope you're not offended.) It's about the same size as Balancán, but is much more rural and there aren't nearly as many people who live there. There's no chapel, just a... hmmm... prayer house? I'm guessing on that one, since I never heard the term before the mission. It's really pretty, though, and it seems like we'll be able to have success there (Florencio and his family live there, for example). I'm excited to go back again this week; we'll be there Wednesday, Saturday, and probably Sunday as well. Hopefully we can help the branch grow and have better attendance.

The branch here in Balancán is doing great. We had 88 people in sacrament yesterday; that's a jump of about 20 people from last week. The members are strong, the branch president is awesome, and we're working hard. Life is good.

A couple cool things happened this past week. We (meaning I) started some Saturday English and piano classes. The first try went over pretty well; we had a bunch of youth come out, and afterward they played games and had a mini-FHE with some branch members. We'll see how things go this weekend. I liked it, although I realized it's kind of hard to teach the piano - there's so much to learn and I don't really know where to start teaching them. But it's been fun, and I enjoyed it.

Some other things... Oh! I saw crocodiles this week!  Basically, this little crocodile was sunning himself in the pond/lake thing by the chapel, and we snapped a couple good photos. It was cool. :) We didn't make it out to the ruins this week as we had planned, but I think we're going to try to go this Friday. I hope so, because they sound pretty cool. I'll let you all know next week.

Let's do some personal responses now, shall we? :)

... Heya Gabs! Here are the answers to your questions: 1: Did you eat anything weird this week? Well, today we had fried fish. It's not really weird, except it's the entire fish, head and all. But oh so tasty with tortillas, onions, tomatoes, habanero salsa, and lettuce! :) 2: Did you go exploring or see any monkeys this week or any wildlife? We didn't really go exploring, but the wildlife came to us. We saw frogs, cows, dogs, bats, snakes, and lizards, but those are commonplace. :) And, of course, we saw crocodiles (see above). That was very awesome. :) As for your request to shake hands with a monkey, I'll shake all four! Hah...

Miranda: Hey hey! Sounds like things are going well. You mentioned talking to some people from down here on facebook - I don't recognize all those names but it's cool that you're able communicate with them.  and stuff. That's neat. Some people from Mina have emailed me a bit, and it's nice for me to keep in touch with them as well... As for college applications, I don't think I ever finished my application for Harvard, although I wish I would have, just to say I got accepted there (but I could say that without doing it! haha). . You asked last week for a quote on decision making - there's a CES fireside talk by P. Monson called "Decisions Determine Destiny" that I really like. You should read it - it's online at http://lds.org/library/display/0,4945,538-1-3310-1,00.html (there are several talks by the same name, so be sure to find the one from 2005).  I hope you have a great week! :) PS - congrats on the Miss T nomination. :)
Con mucho amor,
Elder Greer

From February 14

Buenas tardes, everyone! :) I hope the day finds you well, happy and healthy and excited about life. There are so many wonderful things to experience and be a part of in this life, and we should do all we can to take advantage of them and live them to their fullest. At times, I reflect on the memories I have from before the mission (so very long ago.... haha), and I don't remember a single worry, preoccupation, or bit of stress that felt during those 19 years; rather, the first things that come to my mind are wonderful moments spent with family and friends, including vacations, church activites, and the normal, day-to-day events that sometimes seem routine but in fact build the foundations for our future happiness. A thousand great memories flood my mind and make me smile as I recall those precious moments of my past. The thing is, when I think about what I miss the most from home, nothing huge or climactic comes to mind; rather, I remember the small things, like taking a drive at night, or having a FHE with my own family :), or playing basketball with my friends, or going to family reunions and hanging out with everyone. (Also: carpet, and a hot shower. Hah.) The point is, life is wonderful and I'm enjoying it to the fullest here in Mexico. I hope that everyone back at home is able to do the same, and that all of us can look above our troubles and daily concerns and can see the beauty of life. Because, truly, life is beautiful.

(I think the sermon was a success...) :)

It's been another full week, and another relaxing P-Day, and here I am again, in the air-conditioned cybercafé, listening to teenage kids playing Guitar Hero in the next room. Feels like home. :) This past week has been a really good one, and the work is starting to pick up here in Balancán. Let's get down to some details.

... a very awesome thing happened this last week. It's something I've been hoping would happen for a long time, and finally it did - and was a complete surprise. It's also something that I can sort of brag about for the rest of my life to practically anyone I'll come in contact with. It doesn't have much to do with missionary work, but it's cool anyway.

I ate iguana.

Okay, so maybe it's only a cool thing for me, but I'm really happy. There are so many iguanas everywhere that I was bound to eat one before long. Here's the scoop: on Saturday we went to lunch with the branch president of Triunfo (he lives here in Balancán though). He served us up some sort of meat in a red sauce with rice and black beans. We were kind of suspicious, but he said it was chicken, and acted like nothing was up. After we finished, he told us he had killed an orange iguana the week before, and decided to cook it up for us. My comp and I both agreed that, although it tasted nothing like chicken (many people had told us that it does), it was delicious. Add that to the list of awesome Mexican mission experiences. :) (Someone is keeping a list like that, right?)

... I was reminded of something that Dad said last week in the email; he mentioned that people here probably see me like a rockstar. While that may be exaggerated, it has some truth - especially here in Balancán, because we visit some smaller towns and less-populated, more rural areas. Lots of people stare at me as I walk by, and even point and comment from a ways off. Little kids especially - they run up and gather around me to talk in English. People always ask if I speak English, and seem surprised/amazed when I say yes, or when I say that all my family speaks English. I'm not sure what they expect, but they always seem a bit taken aback to be talking to a real-life gringo. :) Kinda funny for me.
From February 21 2011

... I've got a few surprises to relate. :)

First, we had some special transfers. Around 4 pm last Tuesday, I received a call from the zone leaders; they told me that my companion needed to pack up his things, because he would be heading out to an unknown destination ... Later that night, the AP called to let me know a few more details. He said Elder Rojas was going to Coatzacoalcos to be district leader (pretty quick jump), and that I was to be given a new companion, Elder Grimaldo ... We took the bus to Villahermosa, Elder Rojas caught another for Coatza, and Elder Grimaldo and I had to wait five hours at the bus station for the next one available heading back to Balancán ... and let me say that five hours in a bus station with nothing to do is very boring. :)

... Elder Rojas was pretty surprised too, and I was sad not to have spent more time with him, but I'm sure he's having a good time in Coatza. He's been able to escape the Tabasco heat wave, for one thing. :)

The next big thing that happened this past week: interviews with P. Castañeda. He shared a lot of advice and wisdom relating to missionary work, patience, and love for the people, and I was able to learn a lot from what he said. He also highlighted the fact that a Priesthood interview is a chance to give an accounting of our stewardship unto the Lord. That gives the normal interviews that I had back at home with the Bishopric a new meaning - and makes me miss the PPIs we used to have, Dad. Hopefully we'll be able to start them back up in just a few months. :) I liked the way the President said it - "The Lord wasn't able to come interview you, so He sent me instead, an authorized servant. Therefore, this is your chance to counsel with the Lord about your mission." Powerful words, and it set the interview in a different tone.

... Also, during the interview and training we were given mail, and I raked in. :) Here's what I received: a letter from Lisa, a letter from Laura, the ward newsletter and a note from the Windleys (all of those almost expected hah), the Christmas card Mom sent out, a mystery letter, a letter I had sent that was returned, and two packages, both from Mom (or the whole family, I guess). :) As always, a big thanks to Lisa, Laura, and the Windleys; I always appreciate your words of advice, counsel, and inspiration, as well as hearing a bit about home. Mom, the Christmas card turned out really nice; I especially liked the pictures of the Sherlock Holmes party, as I hadn't seen them before. :) And thank you very, very much for the packages ...

... The returned letter was one that I sent to Ms. Holmes, my government teacher from high school, about three months ago. Turns out she moved since then. Rats. I'd like to try again (I feel bad that it's been so long) - perhaps you could shoot her an email again? Her address is ...

And now for the cool mystery letter. The return address said "R. Johnston" from somewhere in Nevada. Since I don't know anyone there, I thought it might have been a mistake, but since it had my name and info on it... I decided to stop guessing and actually open the letter. :) Turns out to be very interesting. It was from one Brother Johnston; his son is in this mission, currently serving in Coatza, and has the same amount of time in the field that my old companion Elder Harrison has. It seems that since for several months now B. Johnston has been following my blog, and wrote to thank me for my example and hard work and praise me for the good I am doing (his words, not mine - hah). It was a very nice letter, and a real surprise. So, Dad, your comments about the blog being public and the stats showing hits from all over the world (Netherlands, Russia, etc) seems to turn out for the best.  Assuming that he may read this at some point: Thank you for your letter; I really appreciate it, and will deliver the message to your son. :) I definitely thought it was cool to get a letter like that.

Now for some updates on missionary work. :) We have a baptism set up for Saturday ... and the others are doing well and will hopefully have dates set for next week or the following.

... well, I hit the 18-month mark on Saturday. Pretty exciting, and very hard to believe for me. I'm three-fourths of the way done, but it feels like I'm just starting. I guess that's a good thing, though. It's exciting to be in the mission and to be able to work here in Mexico for another six months. Oh, and it looks like we'll be going to some ruins this week in a place called Reforma (there's a Reforma, Chiapas, but it's not there; I think it's about 90 minutes from Balancán, if you want to look it up). Sounds like a cool place, and I'll be sure to take lots of pictures (and maybe some with me in them - haha).

Well, everyone, that's it for this week. I love you all very much and wish you all a great week. Draw near unto the Lord, and He will draw near unto you, and we will all be blessed by that association. I love you all very much! :)
Con mucho amor,
Elder Greer

A Surprise Transfer

I been a slacker in posting Justin's letters to this blog. My apologies and thanks to those who have sent me emails of encouragement to get on the ball  ;)

Here are a few highlights from Jan 10, 17, 24, followed my his most recent letter Jan 31 which describes his transfer and new area.  Mark


From January 10, 2010 (excerpt)

Today for p-day we had our normal zone activity (the one from a couple weeks ago was a special Christmas one). We rented an astro-turf soccer field and went to play for a couple hours with the other zone here in Mina. It was pretty awesome; we were there for about three hours.  For the last hour we played football, which was a little better for me since everyone down here has played soccer since birth.  I must have been getting a little cocky after my third touchdown, because when I intercepted what would have been a game-winner, instead of letting the play end, I sprinted down the sideline for another score.  After some jigging and jagging, in all the commotion and hubbub I tumbled to the ground when they tagged me, and because it was astro-turf I went down pretty hard and skidded a good five feet, followed by a few rolls.  Aside from a few bruises, the only damage was a nice raspberry/carpet burn type wound that scraped me from forearm to elbow. Not a big deal, but boy, did it sting - and more so when I washed it out and cleaned it with alcohol later on (antiseptic is for sissies - ha).  But the point of this long-winded story, is that later a nice member would not accept that I'd done enough to clean it.  Her suggestion? "Pour lime juice on it".  I'd never heard of such a thing, and it didn't sound like a very fun thing to do.  But she wouldn't let it go. She can be very persistent. So finally, after a dozen "no, really, I'm okay"'s, I relented.  Wow!  Stung twice as much as the alcohol did, if you can believe it.  Last time I listen to someone giving obscure mexican treatment ideas!  (It did scab over rather quickly, though).

The work has picked up quite a bit since I last wrote. This is in part to the hard work we put in last week (we hit the 140 contacts goal, for one, and were exhausted at the end of every day, which is a good sign), but mostly because the Lord was blessing us a lot. As of right now, we have one investigator with a baptismal date, and three or four who are progressing, and that's all due to our work this week. The lady with the date is María del Carmen. We're planning the baptism for the 29th. We met her contacting, and she accepted everything right from the beginning....we also met and taught several others. Your prayers in their behalf are appreciated...
...A question for Miranda and Gabbie - do you know what a tangerine is? (I'm sure this sparked discussion or memory of Tangerine Road, too.) Mom, I'm sure you do; Dad, a little less sure, but I have faith. :) Well, apparently I never knew what a tangerine was, or somehow forgot. When I arrived in Mexico, they gave me this orange-looking thing and told me it was a mandarina. I tried it, and it basically tastes like an orange, but a little more acidic, and it's a little darker in color. I thought, well, this must be a mandarin orange - you know, those little orange slices they sometimes put in salads. I had never liked them, really, but the mandarina tasted good, and I soon started eating them often (they grow everywhere down here). I just sort of assumed they were big mandarin oranges. Well, last week in the grocery store, I was looking through the juices, and found a brand that said the names in Spanish and English. And, to my great surprise, "mandarina" actually translates as "tangerine"! :) It turns out that I really like tangerines. Who knew? :)

Mom - you asked about my new companion.  His from Bountiful and is the third of six children. His older brother served in Mexico City a couple years back. He's pretty fun to be around and has a good sense of humor. I know that if you vote for Elder Harrison for President, you will... haha. Just kidding. It just seemed like a bit of a testimonial. He's a good guy though. I laughed at the thought of how new the idea of an iTouch must seem to Grandpa... the world sure has changed a lot ... funny about Reagan and his shenanigans. Little autistic boys will be themselves, you know. :) 

 

One quick favor. There's a talk my MTC teacher read us called "The Fourth Missionary" by Elder Lawrence Corbridge. I'm almost positive you can find it online, but can't search for it myself, of course. I was wondering if you could look for it, and send it as an attachment or something for next week? It's a really neat talk and has a lot of cool ideas about missionary work.

 

Exerpt from Jan 17, 2010

 

This past week, although fun, has actually been pretty tough. It rained really hard from Wednesday through Friday, and it seems like that just killed missionary work in our area. Nobody was in the streets, no one wanted to open their doors, our investigators weren't home, we got drenched, etc. It was kind of discouraging for a day or two there, and again last night as we totaled our numbers for the week and realized how little we had been able to accomplish. A little disheartening. But, let me say that I'm not discouraged or upset, but rather I'm feeling very happy and excited. My spirits were dampened (no pun intended - hah) a bit this week, and there were a few moments when I wasn't too happy, but I bounced back rather quickly, and I realize that this is just part of life. How fitting that yesterday we talked about sacrifice in church, and that Dad commented on that today. The trials come and go (and come back again), but we can do all things with a cheerful countenance if we understand God's plan and have the right attitude.....

...... Last week we also had Zone Conference, which was very awesome. The President spoke a lot about diligence and about doing lots of little things every day to follow the Savior. I thought it was good advice, not just for the mission, but for everyone. We aren't judged solely on the big things, but on all the little things too, and in the end they might have more say in our eternal happiness. Let that be motivation for all of us this week; let's all try to be just a little bit better.....

..... Another good part of the conference was the mail! I received a letter from Lisa, a letter from the Windleys, and, as a big surprise to me, a package from Greg's family! :) It included notes from everyone and a ton of goodies - Pop-Tarts, beef jerkey, peanut butter, hot chocolate, candy bars, cookies, Nutter Butters, and other tasty treats. It was awesome to receive it. This is for Greg, Suzette, Casey, Mikey (que onda primo! haha - do they speak in vos in Guatemala?), Spencer, Sam, Sadie, Ali, and Wil - thank you all so very much. I really appreciated the package, and loved reading your letters. Thank you for everything - I really appreciate it, and it truly brightened up my day.......

What else, what else... :) Yesterday we spoke in church. I based my talk on D&C 58:26-28, and talked about a couple different things there. It went over well. My companion spoke on faith - he wrote his talk in English, then translated it, and I made some corrections (he's new from the US). He spoke really well, and did a good job. On Friday we made no-bake cookies with a sister here in the ward. They turned out just like I remembered them. :) Thanks again, Mom, for the recipe......

 

Excerpt from Jan 24, 2010

 

Hello everyone! It's early Monday afternoon and I feel a little overwhelmed as I sit down to write this email. Overwhelmed maybe isn't the right word... desubicado. There we go. It translates more as "disoriented," but is slightly different in Spanish. Sort of taken aback, or not sure what to think or do. The reason? Transfer calls... and not what I had expected.

 

First, they didn't come in until Sunday night (usually Saturday morning), so I figured I was in the clear. Second, I've only had two transfers here in Palmar, and expected to stay another transfer at least. Also, I've only been with my last three companions one transfer apiece, and thought that I would stay here longer with Elder Harrison to continue training him and all that. I was about 95% sure that I'd be staying here. (Shows how much I know!) Yes, I'm being transferred. Here are the details: I'll be going to Balancán y Triunfo, in the Zapata zone, Tabasco. My new companion will be Elder Rojas. I leave tomorrow at 9 am. Elder Harrison is staying and receives a new companion, Elder Luna (don't know him either)........

 

Letter from January 31, 2010

 

Hey hey everyone! It's another great Monday afternoon after a surprisingly great week, and I'm excited both to have received the family's email and to have the chance to write a bit about my past week here in Balancán. There's a lot to say and, as usual, little time, so let's get down to it.

First off, I absolutely love Balancán. Yes, I was a bit sad to have to leave Palmar, and still miss some of the people there and everything, but wouldn't really want to go back now that I've been here for a couple days. And I loved being there, too, so that says a lot. Why, you may ask, do I love this new area so much? Well, it could be for the beautiful scenery, the great members, the imminent success, the nearby ruins, the baptisms, the monkeys, or a host of other cool things. Basically everything is summed up in the definition of "Balancán" in some Mayan language: "land of tigers and snakes." Pretty easy to understand why I like it so much, huh? :)

I spent almost all of Tuesday on buses - first from Mina to Villahermosa, then down to Zapata, and then over here to Balancán. I had to wait a couple hours in between each bus ride, so I didn't arrive here until around 7:30 pm. I settled it, unpacked, and all that, and then the next day got to work in the area, got to know some members, recent converts, etc. My companion is Elder Rojas. He's from México, DF (the capital), is 26 years old, has been a member for just over two years, and has been in the field almost 5 months. He's extremely nice, compassionate, good-hearted, and an all-around good friend; so far, I've really enjoyed being with him.

Our area includes the Balancán branch, which covers all of Balancán (it's not really that big), plus a bunch of outlying towns and communities, and also the Triunfo branch, which I guess is about an hour from here. I haven't been yet, but we'll be going this week. My companion says that not very many people live there; branch attendance is rarely higher than 15, although the members who do attend are very faithful. Balancán has attendance of around 65-80, so it's actually doing really well. So far, all the members I've met are extremely nice and supportive, and they seem really focused on helping us out - referrals, food, rides, et al. I've really enjoyed being here so far.

The weather hasn't been too bad, though the past two days have been very toasty and things are heating up. They say it gets hotter here than in Villahermosa, so I guess we'll see on that. :) But regardless it's a beautiful area. We are surrounded by foliage and wildlife. In fact, we had a pretty special treat last week. We have an investigator who lives about a five minute walk outside of town, in a little forest thing. As we are walking over, I hear a bone-rattling death shriek from about a quarter-mile away, and start looking for a scrap of paper upon which I can write a final message to my family before being devoured by some scary Mexican monster. My companion notices my fear and laughs, telling me not to worry and that it's only the monkeys. :) (google a monkey scream, then multiply that by 1000 monkeys and you'll know what it was like!)

 

Anyway, at that, I perked up a bit, and he explained that although he had never seen them, lots of monkeys live in those woods. Well, being senior companion and all, I took things into my own hands, and the next day we went exploring. :) Yes, we saw monkeys. Lots of monkeys. :) They were little guys - half my size, if that - and stayed up in the trees, but made a bit of a ruckus and shouted at us a lot. One tried to urinate on us. (Where is this story going?) We were with a ranch guy who was on a horse, and he told us that these monkeys are completely harmless. We took pictures and videos. I'm going to send a picture or two this week, and next week I might send a video. It was one of the coolest non-teaching experiences thus far in my mission. :)

As far as the work goes, things are great here. We have a lot of investigators in our teaching pool, and should be having lots of baptisms this coming month. In fact, we already had three - Lupita, José Luis, and María del Carmen (ages 13, 12, and 10). They're really awesome kids and I've become good friends with them in this short week I've been here. Her mom just needs to get married and then she's going to get baptized as well (and that's in the works too). Elder Rojas baptized them and I had the chance to confirm Lupita (the branch president confirmed José and another member confirmed María). Their baptismal service was awesome and very peaceful, and they're going to make great members and examples to their friends and family. I'm really excited to be able to continue working with them.

This coming week we have some cool things planned. On Thursday we're going to have interviews with President Castañeda, which is always inspiring, and we'll be doing a little traveling to Zapata for that. Then on Friday we're going with an investigator (who will soon be baptized, her name is Coral) to some ruins about an hour south (I think). I'm really looking forward to that. On that topic, yes, Palenque is in my zone (the mission does cover just a little part of Chiapas still), as well as a bunch of other ruins, waterfalls, and awesome historical sites, and so I'll get the chance to go pretty soon here. :) Then on Saturday we're probably going to have another baptismal service - we just need to get things nailed down, but I'm confident we'll have success. :) Things are looking really good in the future here. :)

Hmmm... what else, what else. Well, I spoke on Sunday, a quick improvised talk when the assigned speaker didn't show up. ("Welcome to Balancán," my companion said. Hah.) It went well. The members seem to be taking to me well. I'm the first American here in about a year, which is neat. Oh, and I've been suffering neck pain this past week because I started sleeping on a pillow again. In my last three areas I haven't had one, but now I do, and on day three my neck just seized up and I couldn't move it. It was kind of funny in the baptismal service, when people behind me wanted to get my attention and I couldn't turn around to look at them. Haha. Anyway, another elder told me that a similar thing had happened to him, and that I should keep sleeping on the pillow and the pain would go away. And it has. (Sweet story, Greer.) I'm almost completely back to normal now. Just another interesting anecdote from my missionary life. :)

Well, I don't know what else to write about. I feel a bit scatterbrained. I always prepare for my email by writing some notes, but didn't do so this time, and with a lack of time to write I can't really say too much more. I'm going to respond a bit to this week's email, something short, and send off a few photos, and then next week I'll fill in the gaps and give more info and all that. Sound good? :)

Dad (cue wild cheering at the privilege of being first): Hey! Sounds like there's been a lot of missionary goings-on in the past week. Give my congrats to everyone. I'm especially jealous of Tim's mission, but oh well - I'm pretty sure there are no wild monkeys in Manchester. :) Mom didn't mention that the Bowns got my letter - cool stuff. And I really liked your mini sermon. I was a bit sad leaving Mina, but quickly cheered up; however, it is very interesting what you said about free agency, and why things happen. I have many thoughts on that, but will save them for next week. Thanks for everything - I love you very much, and look to you as a strong example in my life. Have a great week!

Mom (might as well go in descending order): Hey! Thanks for the email. It was great to hear about what's been going on this week. No, nobody had told me about Lori getting married; as far as I knew, she was already in the mission field. :) Cool about the wedding plans though. New Beginnings sounds like it was a success (let's celebrate... hah), and sounds like the girls and Reagan are behaving. How strange. :) haha. Thank you for writing - I'm sorry it's so short this week, but I'll write more next week. I love you very much, and hope that you have a great week! :)

Gabbie: Gabber-dabbers! Hey! I don't have much time, but thank you so much for writing. Sounds like you did well last term in school and that you had a good week last week. It was cool to hear your story about the trolls; Dad had mentioned it to me before, but I hadn't heard it from your point of view. :) I'm not so sure about your 11th commandment, but horse riding sounds like it's going well. :) I love you very much, hope you have a great week, and will write more next week! Te amo! :)

Miranda (so much for descending order, huh?): como te va en su español? Me parece que si puedes escribir un poco, pero puedes entender lo que digo? :) Haha. Sounds like you too have had a good week and did well in school. Congratulations! :) Any decisions yet on the college issue? I love you very much, hope you have a great week, will write more next week, and will look for a scripture like you asked. Until then - chow for now! :)

Well, everyone, that's about it for me. Kinda rushed, but oh well. I love you very much, and hope you all have a great week. See you next week! :)

Con mucho amor,

Elder Greer