California - November 26, 2012

Dear Family!!!!

Hey How are you? So I talked to the mission office, and had them arrange for me to fly into Farmington, NM, so plan on that. Does Jordan need anything for Christmas? If not I will just have to figure something out.  Crazy that Christmas is here again, it seems like it was just a little bit ago, the time is flying so fast!! We have a zone conference this week with Elder Porter of the 70, so that is pretty exciting, it should be a lot of fun!!! Other than that nothing is too different, we just keep on keeping on with the work of the Lord.

Thanksgiving was okay, it was not a regular one, that's for sure.  We ate dinner with a recent convert and it was pretty sad to see him pull out a beer and drink it. It was really sad, kinda heart breaking, he was baptized 6 months ago, about 2 months before I got here. It was a really short dinner, but the food was pretty good. So after we went to visit a family that's awesome and we talked with them. Their son is on his mission, they are from Poland, they are awesome! So we spent a couple hours with them, and then we had it approved to watch 17 Miracles, which is an awesome movie. So all in all it was pretty good, really quiet, but good. I also got to play football that morning, so it was a ton of fun!!! Every time I play again it just reminds me how much I love it! I didn't break any bones or anything like that. I love you all and am grateful for all you do!! 

Love Elder Grover

California - November 22, 2012

First off, sorry I forgot to tell you that our P-Day this week is today due to the holiday, so we are taking a full-day p-day, which should be fun.

Second off, I received bad news the other day....... I will not be returning home on the 7 of March anymore:( yeah, I will not be a 2 year, 24 month missionary:( Due to the new missionary program, they will start going out just when I am leaving. So for some reason that I do not know, I fly home a week early, yeah, the 28th of February. I feel kinda jipped, but I am sure that it is all part of the plan.

Thirdly, what the freak....... some dummies burned down the school? What idiots (sorry for the language)! That is insane, what were they thinking? Were they thinking? Drugs?  That is so crazy, what does the school district plan on doing? Are they going to just rebuild the library or just tear everything down and make it all new? I honestly am shocked :(

Well all is going well her,e we have had a good week, which is nice. Last week was a really tough week for us, but this week is going really well. We had an awesome miracle, Sunday we were told by some other Elders that there was this guy who had contacted the ward clerk over there and had some questions about church history, but he lived in our area. So we called him and set up an appointment to visit with him and his family. They are so solid!!!!!! He had been researching his family, and his great-great-grandfather was a member of the church, being ordained a high priest, and he was just wanting to know more about the church and its history. He said that it was something he wants to get more involved in.  Him, his wife, and 5 kids - 5 boys - and they are super well-behaved! They all sat down with us and listened to the lesson and asked questions. And guess what street they live on? Jessie, yeah, haha, spelled a little wrong, but how sweet is that, haha? 5 boys, just like me and the 4 brothers I have, it is so awesome! I have only met them once, but I already love them so much. Love missionary work, you just never know what's going to happen. We also had a 12 year old girl request missionaries on mormon.org. She said she is catholic, but doesn't learn anything, and her mom said she learned a lot as a child in her church and told her she could request the Mormons to come over, haha! So she did, and wants to learn more. People are prepared to learn about the gospel.

I love you all, I am grateful for all of you. Very thankful for the gospel in my life and the opportunity to serve a mission.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!

Elder Jesse Grover

California - November 12, 2012

Dear Family,

Sorry to hear about the loss, it is one of the roughest things in the world lose a game like that. But Jens, you are lucky that you have another year to experience it. Take the way you feel now and use that to motivate you to do all you can next year to be the best that you can be.

By the way, I did get the package, I forgot to tell you that. I should have told you that they wanted to know about which airport by the 15th, so this week, haha! That's my bad, sorry! So if you could let me know ASAP which airport you would like me to fly into so I can let the Mission office know, that would be great, thanks! 

Things are going well here, we are just trying to do our best, and we are seeing many blessings and have hopes for a very white Christmas, we are excited!!!!

I love you all so much!!!
Love Elder Grover

California - November 5, 2012

Dear Family!

I love you so much! That is so cool that Amber had her baby, a new little niece in the family. It is always a cool thing to add a new family member; and I won't even get to meet her until March. Which brings me to the next topic, I received a letter from the mission office requesting to know  the preferred airport for when I will fly home on March 7, 2013. So if you could let me know where you would prefer that I fly into on that date, that would be great, so I can let the mission office know.

Things are going good here, so far so good with my new companion. He is from Heber City, Utah, so he is one of those Wasach Wasps, or Hornets, or whatever they are.

Awesome that the football team is doing so well and headed off to the championship. Best of luck! Remember to stay humble and to trust in God, and no matter how it ends, keep your head lifted high. Do your best, if the best effort is put into it, you will be proud of the end result.

Love Elder Grover

California - October 30, 2012

Hey Family!!!!

Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday Jade - this Wednesday!!! I will spend Halloween with my new companion, his name is Elder Muir. I have only briefly met him several times, but this is the first time serving around him. Another great new elder, Elder Reid who I trained, is coming into my zone, so that will be cool, haha. Elder George is flying home on Thursday; it has been interesting being his companion while he has prepared to leave, it only makes me fear it more, it has been sad. He has been here for 6 months, so he knows lots of people and has seen quite a few people get baptized, so they were all really sad. The kids were like trying to give him things so that he would remember them, like shoes anything else they have, it was really sad. It makes me not want to leave the mission, you grow to love the people here.

On Sunday I gave my first talk in sacrament meeting, the first time on my mission, how crazy is that? But at least I got to do it in English, haha! But it was good, I based it on 3 talks from general conference, and I think it went well, at least that is what I was told, but everyone loves the missionaries right, haha?

Crazy that PUD is back, and skinny - that's awesome! Hopefully that is how it will be with me, I have lost almost 20 lbs this past 2 weeks, but I still look bigger. Hopefully before I skype on Christmas you will be able to tell the difference.

Love you all,

Elder Grover