September 6

mama thanks so much for all your work in getting me a package going. the pouch mail service through the church is only for letters and you cant send boxes through it so im sorry to say that we are gonna have to work the good old postal service. here is a trick that elder moffitts mom has been using when she has sent me packages... dont know if its legal. but she will put stuff in like empty rice a roni boxes and other food boxes and then tape them up and put them in the box and when she makes the list at the post office of what is in the package she just puts rice a roni, missionary supplies, mac and cheese... etc... so that no one is tempted to steal them. oh and my comp said that a good idea is to put a picture of Jesus on the box or a cross and i guess its less likely to be stolen then too.... dunno, just throwing out some suggestions... dont put anything too expensive in. one last request. if you can find an umbrella that is sturdy. i have already killed three in the fierce uruguay rain/wind... its intense. one that is short that i can stick in my backpack in the water holder. if not i can look around here but uruguay does not make things well so ya, just if you can. and then send it to the mission home. you are the best!! thank you so much!!!
poppy so sorry i get going sometimes and dont explain lingo so you all just need to tell me if i use words you dont understand so i can get ya in the mormon lingo loop haha. but comp stands for companion or the girl that is with me all the time. right now my little red head friend hermana thompson. to answer your questions we dont really get to see the seashore, saw it today because we had to go to montevideo again... story to come.... but it is really beautiful when we do get to see it, we drove right along it today on the way there and it looks like my comp and i are going to try to go to punta del este on our next prep day... look up some pics online, it is supposably beautiful. here there really isnt much vegatation but on our drive to monte its always really beautiful and green with lots of trees, but overall its a mix of tropical and desert. haha i dont really know how to describe it, not much vegetation in maldonado. thats funny that you ask about the sea food because my comp and i were just talking about that today how we really havent had any seafood here. the most seafood i have had was in a dish the members served us that was mayonaise, rice, tuna, and canned peas.... yum.... haha not, thats the worst i have had and everything else is good. the food here is really bland though. we eat alot of what is called gizo, its a soup and its usually really good, but they just throw in a whole animal, cow, chicken, whatever, and you usually end up eating some interesting animal parts. but ya they feed us well.... well a ton, and they tend to just plow more food on your plate and think you dont like their cooking if you dont want more so its interesting, we leave lunch everyday feeling like we are going to puke but its all good haha.
so this was quite the week but i am so greatful for my companion, we can always find something to laugh about even when we want to cry. it rained all week night and day and was freezing cold but today was our first day of beautiful sun!!!! well first off last monday my companion and i were just chattin and i was eating a piece of what they call miel candy, its like a hard piece of honey. and i know you are going to say i told you so, but i bit down on the candy and broke my molar so ya.... we called the mission home and the presidents wife had us set up an appt with the dentist for today in montevideo so thats why we were there today. my tooth is fixed no worries and i am on a strict no more hard candy phase of my life, my poor teeth cant take it anymore. oh and the dentist said that it looks like i am doing some intense tooth grinding.... if you can find a plastic night guard that would be great too.... sorry so many requests!!! but my tooth is good, just took a chunk off the side but she filled it in and i am doing good now. i paid for it and all so no you will not be sent a bill or anything haha. okay so we had a crazy intense week of tracting, or knocking houses in the rain. we were soaked to the bone every night we came in but the sun is a coming!!!! my companion was sick one day with stomache trouble and a few days later i was sick with a 24 hour flu type thing so we had to spend a few extra hours in the house this week getting better but we are both in great health now!!! my companion celebrated her one year mark on the mission on friday and we bought her a nice big chocolate postre and celebrated with our zone leaders.
we had some really funny experiences finding new people to teach this week and found some really amazing people that we are excited to share the gospel with. on i think tuesday when we were clapping houses we came to a two story house and when we clapped a man appeared at the top story window and motioned that he was coming down, as he came down and opened the door..... he was pantless.... no worries he was sportin his tidy whities but still.... awkward. he excused himself for a minute to put some pants on and just as we started walking away thinking he wasnt coming back he opened the door and yelled "pasan!" meaning come in, which is really rare in the first place, and secondly ya.... i dont know we were both really confused. but all in all we had an amazing lesson with him and are going back this week. he was really interested in knowing where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going after death and that is just what we are here for so wa-lah!!! perfect. Richard and Paula´s little family is doing amazing, they are really progressing and are working on implementing daily family prayer and scripture. they are set to be baptized as a family on the 25th and i cant tell you how excited i am for them and how amazing it has been to watch the gospel change their lives. i want to send you pictures of them soon!!! by the way did you get my pics last week???
okay my last story for the day. my companion and i were in a lesson yesterday with a family that is going through alot of hard times right now. the father is really struggling to raise his two children who are still living at home right now who are 11 and 9 and we were talking about the importance of prayer as a family and how powerful it is for children to see their parents have a relationship with Heavenly Father. I was able to share with their father the amazing effect having you mama in my life and how my faith with my Savior and Heavenly Father was able to develop through your great faith and example. I was able to share how amazing it has been at times throughout my life to pray with you and how much your example has made me want to gain my own testimony and relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.Thank you for your love and support and i hope you know that your emails keep me truckin along. I LOVE YOU MILLIONS AND ZILLIONS!!!!! -JESS