Hola Familia y amigos-email#4

hola familia y amigos. how is everybody doing? i have loved receiving letters from you all and hearing how you are doing! Things are going great here. sometimes it is hard teaching in a threesome, but at the same time it is nice to have elder mcquire with us. i want to say thanks for the clothes and goodies mom ;) that helps me alot. is there a way you could send maybe some water bottles, jerky, the vitamin c chewables from costco and some vitamin d? i just don't want to keep eating tons of unhealthy stuff, but it is nice to have snacks like chips and what not. also could you send me kevin's poem that he wrote? i would really appreciate it. anyways, my spanish is coming along great, i am still worried about going to chile where they speak sooo fast! but i'm excited, i think that is where i will really learn the language. i can honestly say again that heavenly father answers our prayers. as i've said before, elder thomas has been really struggling with spanish. and i have been praying for him every night, that somehow he would comprehend it. before, we would have to write sentences using a new thing that we learned in spanish, and he would have the hardest time. but he changed in just one day! one day he was struggling, the next day he was just fine with the sentences and even answering the questions our teacher would ask. i think i have been so worried about him, that i need to study harder for myself! woops! But i'm doing fine with the spanish. It's the teaching that i'm having a problem with. you all know i am a man of many words:) just kidding. but i do fine when i'm studying the lesson and playing it out in my head. but when it comes to teaching, i just freeze.... i have been humbled to really know that i cannot do this without the help of the spirit. i just hope i can find a way to where i can be confident in my teaching and be able to say what i want to say. oh and you can put the rap on my blog. sorry randomness but i'm just saying what comes to my mind. also how is Tom Mitchell doing? i hope he is doing better... my chest is a lot better now. elder mcguire and i run a mile every day in gym, do crunches and lift, and then go play basketball. and i'm doing a lot better i just need to get more in shape. i forgot how much i like to play basketball...Other than that i am really healthy, eating good and all that. oh i never got to thank all of you, especially you mom and dad, for helping me prepare for my mission...i cannot express enough gratitude for all that you have done for me...i love you sooo much! i would not be here without you. and thank you dad for teaching me how to work. it would have been so much harder if i had not learned how to work. even though it's a completely different kind of work, it still has helped me soo much, so thank you. How are you two doing mom and dad? hows your health? Are dad and allie feeling better? how's millie? any bites on my truck? how's my dirt bike:) Dad, so elder mondragon's mom grew up in manassa, her name was stephanie trent. his dad grew up in la jara, i guess his nick name was eddy the rabbit mondragon? it is sooo funny to hear him and elder jackson (vaughns son) talk in the "manassa" accent. sounds alot like ryan holman...ha ha. I think elder jackson is going to mexico but i can't remember. apparently when he came to say hi to me my district noticed that we looked a little like each other. also do you know martin guyman? elder mondragon wanted me to ask you. how's work going? picking up? it's nice to hear that it's busy for you mom...or is that bad? how is sam doing? tell him to choose the right :) lets see, the devotionals have been great. i wish i could write about them, but i left my spiritual journal in the room. they are always so amazing! i look forward to them always. thanks for the letter about chile. i guess the recovery time could take up to 5 years! but i don't know...i am not worried at all and i look at it as a great opportunity. this is a way that heavenly father has prepared them for us! when i heard there was an earthquake, i knew that this would be such a great opportunity. i am so excited to serve them both spiritually and physically. Kim, thanks for your blog! seems like ellie is being quite a handful. just have patience! just as i am learning paciencia so are you! look at it as a learning opportunity instead of a trial per say. i love you and thank you. keep sending me more! Kelsi, how was the visit with bailey? i heard you kind of know her family? how's jon's job going? how's the baby? i hope everything is going great. tera thanks for the dear elder! i don't think i know of any hermana hawley or whatever. i hope you have fun in florida! you deserve a break. Hardy's, how's everything going? how are the kiddo's? i'm going to send some hlj rings to all the kiddos. all the kiddos ha! anyway i hope all is well. i hope everyone is working hard. i have been reading in 2 nephi lately and what a wonderful book! it is so awesome learning about the plan of salvation. it is just awesome to be able to study 24/7 in the gospel. other than that, i'll try to write some more inspirational things i get from the devotionals, i wish you could hear them, they are really amazing. well everyone hang in there! read the scriptures, they are awesome i wish i would have read them more before... oh and how is berto doing with the book of mormon? are you still pushing him? he never writes me so i don't know. you should make him write me:) les quiero mucho! Love, Elder JacksOn.