Hola/holl-a

hey hey heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!! happy p-day! ahhhhhhh this is like the best day. it's a holiday.......for me and no one else in the world. and i just got done eating a SPICY BURGER. yes......i want you to know that it was glorious. all the elders gave me their jalepenios.....and it was just the best thing ever. so that's why i attached a picture of it for you. you're welcome, you're welcome. and yes....the gross thing in the corner of my plate is indeed a glob of tater tots doused in tabasco. life is good, let me tell ya'.

this week was another great one. like, so great. i always feel like i don't even know what to tell you, because i forget everything that happens, and i don't have time to sit and read my journal hahah. BUT. let's start off by saying, YOU'RE GETTING A NEW CAR?! of course. of course. excuse me while i cry. feel free to double up on those, so one can be waiting for me upon my arrival back into the united states. have i mentioned i'll be living in ukraine this month? adkljd;klfjd;fklajdfalsdjk let's just freak out together, shall we? we're taking our FAREWELL pictures as a zone THIS SUNDAY. fja;kdlfja;kdlfjads;fklajsd;kalf. hahahah i'm just freaking out. it's so exciting. and i get my travel plans this week, or next. word on the street is that we fly to new york, then amsterdam, then ukraine. how great is that?! and mom, to answer your question.....no i will not be calling you on mothers day. i just started laughing that you thought that was even an option. do you not remember how many sister missionaries i said were here?! PLUS elders. like hahahahaha where would they even find phones for us all hahahaha. but, fear not, i get to call you from the airport(s). so you'll be hearing from me super soon!!!!!!! i'm so excited to talk to you!!!!!! i'll keep you updated on the day and stuff. pretty much plan on staying hostage at home until i call you. i will be so mad if you aren't there.

i've been speaking ukrainian all day for like.......5/7 days this week. it's great.  all my thoughts are ukrainian thoughts....and today i'm speaking english and it's been so great. i'm thinking in english again!!!!!

on sunday, chad lewis came to talk to us for our MTC devotional. (if you don't know who that is, you're not alone. i was like, "who the heck is chad lewis...") but i'm sure bradley and dad know. he was a football player for byu and then the packers, or steelers, or some NFL team. he was great. and i thought of david, and bradley, and brandon.....it will be them here soon! he was really cool, and said some great stuff. he talked all about his career, and some funny stories, and how he is able to be the NFL representative for china because he spoke chinese on his mission. pretty neat stuff.

annnnnnnnnnd my weekly spiritual thought: i love my savior. like LOVE. on sunday we had a mission conference with the whole MTC and as all the speakers talked to us, i was just so full of gratitude for Christ. we went back and talked as a district about our favorite speakers, thoughts, etc. normally i'm the first one to start those conversations and get the conversation flowing. everyone was just staring at me waiting for me to go hahahahhaah and i just literally couldn't speak. i said one word and tears were just streaming down my face. i can't explain to you the gratitude and love that i have for my savior. i can't begin to explain to you how much i love Him. it is only through Him that we can be happy. the atonement is available to all. we can give our heartache, trials, disappointments, inadequacies, sorrow, sin, and all other negative things TO HIM. He has already paid the price. It's done. and now he just wants us to accept His great sacrifice. i need it every hour. i am a new person every day, because of the love my savior has for me. i hope you all realize how wonderful it is. i hope you know how much i love Him. i love Jesus Christ. all i want for my life is to be like Him. i want to love as he loves. serve, as he serves. teach, as He teaches. walk, as he walked. i want to turn out, instead of in....just like Him. i want to be selfless, instead of selfish. i know that through Him, and His strength, that can happen. i can be that. and he wants me to be that. he knows that i can.

my favorite song since being here, is "come thou fount." ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i love it. i love all the words. i love the tune. i love the power. it's all about how i have been rescued. i have been saved. every, single day. and i'll always remember and praise Him for it.

okayyyyyyyyyyy i know you're all interested in my IS THAT REALLY NECESSARY section ;)

1. this elder literally stopped me (he grabbed my arm) as i was walking down the stairs of the auditorium for a devotional. he was sitting down. and he goes, "i have seen you before." (i'll put his comments in CAPS, and mine in regular font).

really, oh, i'm sure i've seen you too.....?

YEAH LIKE I SEE YOU ALL THE TIME. IN THE CAFETERIA, STUDYING OUTSIDE, I EVEN SAW YOU THE DAY YOU CAME HERE, MARCH 27TH RIGHT?......

(i'm dying. my district was dying). ohhhhhhhhhh wow, yeah, you really have seen me around.....

YOU'RE GOING TO UKRAINE, RIGHT?

...........................um....

THAT IS SO COOL! I'M SO JEALOUS. I'M GOING TO NEW HAMPSHIRE.

......yeah, i'm excited.......

I LEAVE TOMORROW......

oh.....good luck!

YEAH....I'LL PROBABLY NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN......WHAT SCHOOL ARE YOU GOING TO WHEN YOU GET HOME?

....no clue. my plans always change.

WELL, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA? I REALLY WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH.....

okay IS THAT REALLY NECESSARY?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!? so help me. so help me. help the world.

 like............we never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER do that.

#2. this girl in line next to me when i was getting dinner a couple nights ago, was like asking me all about my life, and just talking up a storm, which was great...until she's like, "what kind of music do you like?" so i told her my great taste in tunes ahhahaah and how i LOVE music, and just like all music. i'm naming bands, blah blah blah. and then i ask her. and she's like, "oh i only listen to disney music, josh groban, and the mormon tabernacle choir." AWKWARD. and i wanted to say, "really..... but really..... is that REALLY necessary?" but i didn't.

i'm going to be writing my weekly letter home to you guys, and i'll address everything that you talked about in your letters, but let me just tell you, bradley, how proud i am that you are a workin' boy! it's about time!!!!!! i'm sure freddy is sure proud of you. good ole' car washing jobs. and mom and dad are volunteering at the graduation party hahahaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahhahahahaahahah i'm for reals laughing right out loud as i type this. i laughed so hard when mom said, "bradley isn't too thrilled about it, but i think it will be really fun." OF COURSE YOU THINK IT WILL BE FUN hahahahahahahaha ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh high school. and i can totally picture bradley's enthusiasm. congrats mom, on getting your eagle. i'm sure proud. and congrats bradley, on getting her to do it for you ;)

in case you weren't aware....it is my birthday......next week.....on monday. so, i will be expecting letters from all of you. call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me.....or send me a dear elder...next best thing. that's what i want for ma birffday. thanks for everyone listening to my guilt trip this last week!!! i was so happy to get an overflow of love and letters!!! i knew you were all alive ;)

and now for my weekly "want" list:

-let me just talk about how much i LOVE my yummy-smelling things. i mean, everyone gives me so much grief for how much i love to smell things, but it makes me happy. sooooooooo i would love some more of those laundry pod things that you sent me for my laundry! they smell DELISH. and they are so easy and convenient. and i want to wash all my sheets, blankets, whites, darks, reds....and i'lll need some more pods for that hahahaha. also. mommy, remember when we bought that yummy body wash for me?!?!?! i think about you every time i smell it. i LOVE it. and i'd love some more. it's "burnt brown sugar somethin' somethin' somethin' and karite butter or somethin'" by caress. it's DIVINE. and a life-saver. ohhhhhhhh if you knew how much i love it. and maybe some yummy lotion. i would LOVE yummy lotion. and no, japanese cherry blossom does not smell yummy.

thanks for all your love. i hope you know how much i love you right back. so much. i think about you, pray for you, and send my love to you every day. thanks for being the best ever. thanks for keeping me in the loop....i love it more than you will ever know. send me pictures!!!!!! lots of pictures!!! of everything and everyone!!!

speaking of pictures.....have sean lowe and catherine been married yet??!?!?!?! i mean, i know they were anxious to tie the knot before i left! i realized i never told anyone to keep me updated on that?!?!!?!?!? so....as soon as it happens, or if it already has.....send me quotes from magazines. pictures. etc. because YOU KOW I'M INVESTED. email me pictures of her dress and hair. ahhhhhhhhhhhh i love them and i'm so envious that she'll probably be on an elephant for her wedding. lucky, lucky girl.

lots of love. can't wait to hear from you again. xoxoxoxoxoox jas

 

this week we learned all about how to teach the word of wisdom. so of course, we had to learn all the words to teach it. i am pointing to "drugs" on the board in the picture. after i took this, all the sisters took pictures next to  it, and pointed to "healthy." AWKWARD. but, on the bright side, i know how to say all the drugs in ukrainian. so useful.

a picture of brooklin and me today. she was just coming back from service. we see each other a million times a day, and haven't even taken a picture, so of course we had to

my burger today