I got the package, thanks! I got Kaylee's letter, so sweet! I'm writing back to them. That family is doing really well! They all love the gospel and it just makes sense to them. Easy converts, haha. They really are blessed to be able to accept the gospel. We introduced them to LDS.org and mormon.org the other day. I don't know how much time you spend on both those websites, but there is a lot more on those than I thought. You should look around, there's a lot of really cool videos! Also with that family, she really wants it to be June 3, which is fine. She's really good friends with some members that live around the corner from her, and they're all making invites and special preparations for the baptism! So we'll let them do whatever they want with it! The time does seem to go by fast when you look back. For me, the weeks aren't too long, but the days seems to fly by. During the day, the day seems long, but really the days do go by pretty fast. I'm really glad that Kyle is getting into baseball so much. I kind of wish I would have gotten into a sport and stuck with it. I'm really happy though that Kyle is really enjoying it. I might be able to skype with you guys on Mother's Day. I don't know if Skype costs anything, but let me know if you get it or not. If not, I'll just give you a phone call. As Mother's Day comes closer, we'll plan it out more and I'll let you know what we plan on. There's a Peruvian lady in our ward, she's less active. We are teaching her grand daughter who is 11 years old. She loves what we're teaching her. Her mom, who is also less active, told us that she loves when we come over and that she wants to be baptized and go on a mission! Awesome! Her name is Nahomi and she is really smart. 1. Is there a big grocery store in Dover? or just little markets? Just wondering where you do your food shopping.. There is a Wal-Mart. We don't shop there. It's a little more expensive. We shop at this place called Aldi's. It's really cheap there. They take everything name brand, and make it their own. Every week, I get a box of Reese's Puffs and mixed grain cheerios for like a $1.50 each. It's awesome. We also get 32oz. gatorade for like 50 cents each or something. 2. How often do you guys get your haircuts? and where? and I guess you have to pay for it? I guess haircuts here are super expensive, like $20. So we just learn to cut each other's hair, haha! The other missionaries do alright. I think later on, I might see if there's a member who does hair or something. 3. Do you and your companion speak spanish to eachother when you are just talking? No. Always english, unless in the middle of a lesson. Not very many spanish missionaries where I'm at. I think other areas, there will be more spanish.

So another normal week has gone by. Yesterday, I confirmed Jeremy a member of the church in Sacrament meeting. It was a little nerve-racking, but I think I did just fine. We have a few really good investigators that are progressing really well and I think they'll have a baptism date really soon. We're also teaching this mom and her two kids (Natalia - mom from Uruguay, Ariana - 9, and Alberto - 16). The mom and daughter have a date for June 9, which we're trying to move up, and Alberto is praying about it. I really think they all will be baptized in May. They're all great and super willing to follow all the commandments. Both Ariana and Alberto have read For the Strength of Youth and love it. They'll be awesome members. There are some other investigators who aren't progressing as fast. We are teaching this guy named Juan Diaz. He drinks coffee and beer, but the other day we set a goal to help him stop. He's following it so far. He was asking about what things we would have to suffer for in the Telestial and Terrestial Kingdoms and the limitations in them last Saturday. We were having troubles trying to explain who goes to which one. Then it just hit me, I told him that we teach you how to get to the Celestial Kingdom, not the others. We always teach to do the best you can to get the best you can. I told him that I don't care what or who is in the other kingdoms because I don't plan to go there. I think he gets it now. It was a really good lesson. I'm sorry, I forgot my camera again. I'll make sure I bring it next week so I can mail some pics home. Tell Kaylee I miss her a lot too. The way I get through missing family so much is I just read the letters I get. It usually helps a lot. It's great to hear everyone is doing really well! Staying busy. Julia and Maddie did awesome. It's always good to really get into stuff like that. What is really sad around here and what I see more often than I would like, is people just work work work. They don't do any pass times. They work, eat, and the members go to church on Sunday. More people need to do what Julia and Maddie are doing. Serve, then enjoy sports, read, and do well in school. A lot of people don't go to college or anything, but you have to keep in mind there's like 8 million people in NJ and not very many colleges. But still, I see more importance for furthering education. Remind Kaylee and Julia that I pray for them too. Love you all!

Answers to the Questions of the Week:

 

1. I haven't been drinking very much Dr. Pepper. For some reason, I can't find Dr. Pepper out here very much. I did have it the other day though. I think Dr. Pepper is way more common in Utah, sad. I'm not suffering on pop though. Every once in a while we'll go get a refill. I guess a lot of Mexicans love Coca-Cola, and I saw that when one member fed us one day. She bought two 2-liters of Coke. Good thing I like Coke.

 

2. We just take turns every day between companionships on who does the dishes. I get a little frustrated because no one really cares if the kitchen is clean except for me.

 

3. I think I did alright speaking in spanish. I didn't look up from my paper very much though, haha.

 

So, there's a couple interesting things about the spanish program out here. In church, there aren't very many people who are really good members. You have those really good people like the Abreu family (the Bishop's family), the Arriola family (The husband is in the bishopric), the Rodriguez (who are a faithful Elderly couple who work in the temple every week), and the Sarmiento family as well. They are all great people who really are good working members. Then there's a lot of other "Sunday Mormons". It bugs me. They could be such great members if they would just step it up. They just put other things in their lives before God. Then again, I've heard that the Church in New Jersey isn't as strong as a lot of the rest of the country. But, there are a few people that are investigators that I think are going to be some of the best members.

 

We are teaching a lady named Natalia, her daughter Ariana (9 yrs old), and her son Alberto (16 yrs old). They've been investigating before I got here, but we set them up with a baptism date. They all love church and are completely willing to change their lives to live the standards of the Gospel. One lesson we gave the Word of Wisdom. Natalia drinks coffee and tea. We asked her if she will live the Word of Wisdom at the end of the lesson and she said 'yes' without hesitation. That is what we call a 'Golden Investigator'. Another cool thing that is going on is the reactivation of Jesus and Alfredo Nunez. I think that Jesus was born in the church and was endowed and everything, but he went less active later in life. We got him to go to General Conference and he's been to the full 3 hour meetings of church the last two weeks. It's great! Alfredo isn't as responsive. They're living with a guy named Juan. We've been teaching him as well, and he came to church yesterday and really liked it. It'll be great to see them start to come back! It's great, Jesus is this tall, built Mexican guy who looks like he could totally fit in a gang. No tattos or anything, but he does look like you wouldn't want to mess with him. He's so nice though. There's a couple of other people I like, but other than that, I just get frustrated when people tell us their Catholic, but they don't know anything about God or the Bible, but think they do. That's what a lot of hispanics do.

 

Here's something random. I went to Quiznos this week. That's where I had a Dr. Pepper! It was really good. I just created something that I would always make when I worked there. The one I went to seemed to be doing pretty good. I remember asking the cashier something about how long they had a certain something (I can't remember exactly), but he said that they hadn't had it a while and he's been working there for over a year, like that was some sort of accomplishment. Ha! I told him that I worked at a Quiznos in Utah for 3 years. It brought back some good memories of Quiznos times in PG.

 

Also, could you list birthdays for me, like grandparents and stuff. I know the family's birthdays, but I want to know when other ones are too. Also, in the next package you send, could you send me my sunglasses? I could use them when driving and stuff. It'd be nice. Thanks!

 

Love you mom! I can't wait to get your letter soon! Thanks.

-Justin

We've met quite of few less active members trying to get them active again and every single one of them started out with not going to church. Do you remember that scriptue "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." Alma 37:6. You can easily turn that around and say 'by small and simple things, are terrible things brought to pass.'

It's good to hear that Kelsie's working so hard in school. I love to hear that Kyle's turning around. I did get that old letter today and I remember what Miss Ugaki said. That's definately dumb. I would talk to the school pretty soon. But I'm glad Kyle's doing so well. Everything else sounds pretty fun and normal. That's great!

 

Something cool. Grandma told me that Josh is going to speak in Sacrament on the 15th, or this Sunday I guess. I will also be speaking in Sacrament! The Spanish wards really depend on the missionaries alot. Sometimes it's fun, and sometimes I really wish they could function on their own. We have had a missionary speak almost every week
so far. I'm this week and my topic is on temples and covenants. And yes, it's in Spanish. I'm a little worried, haha.

 

By the way, you could probably share this scripture whenever the little girls are fighting: "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." 3 Nephi 11:29. Then explain it a little, and see how they handle that. See if it scares them, haha.

 

So here's a little about my schedule. We get up at 6:30 am every morning. We will either run or go play some basketball down the street and around the corner; depends on our mood. We will make this decision in the morning with the other Elders in our apartment. We have an hour to get ready and I just have cereal in the morning. Personal study starts at 8:00 am, and we study for an hour. Then companionship study starts at 9:00 am. We usually just talk about what we learned, read out of Preach My Gospel, or practice teaching. Language Study starts at 10:00 am. Sometimes I'll read aloud from the Book of Mormon in Spanish or study some grammar. Since I'm in training, we have an additional hour of companionship study. Four hours of study does get a little long and repetitive. I'm looking forward to when I'm done training and we can get out sooner. After that, we'll have lunch for an hour. Our first appointment is usually 1:30 or 2:00 pm. Every appointment is different. Sometimes it's an investigator, less active member. It really depends on what we teach. It varies with every person. Sometimes we'll tract (or go door to door). Sometimes someone will feed us. Sometimes we'll bring something to snack on. A lot of the time, I don't get hungry until about 8:00 pm. We like to get back to the apartment at 9:00 pm. We'll plan who we will see the next day and then we have like an hour before lights out at 10:30 pm. That's a typical day. Sunday's are a little different since church starts at 10:00 am. On Sunday's we won't get out to proselyting until 4:00 or 5:00 pm because we still have to get in that studying. On Monday's, we only do personal and companionship study, then language study for 30 minutes. So we're out by 10:30 am washing our clothes and grocery shopping.

 

1. So we get $141 a month to spend on groceries and other supplies and stuff. I can't really buy personal stuff with that money like a new tie or something. And this kind of goes into number 2, but we use it to go out to eat as well. I've been out to eat a few times. Maybe once a week. We tried this awesome bagel place the other day. They make a bagel sandwich that was really good.

 

2. We don't eat at other people's houses very often. I would say maybe twice a week. It's fine though, I don't really trust other people's kitchens that much. People here just don't really take care of their houses very well. At least the Hispanic's don't. I haven't been to too many American houses.

 

3. I guess I already answered this one.

 

Side note, I can't see the NYC skyline. I've heard the only time you can is when you serve in north-east New Jersey. There's a lot of hills here, and trees, and houses, and people.

 

I got the package, so you can activate that card. Maybe for the next package you send me, include some pictures of the family and the mountains. When it comes to scenary and that sort of thing, I miss the mountains the most. So does everyone else who is from Utah. Oh and the two Elders we're rooming with, are the zone leaders, and one of them is from Pleasant Grove! He graduated a year before me, and I sort of know him, but not really. Cool though. One thing I really like about all the missionaries here, is how obedient they are. Everyone is always exactly obedient. It's great! Love you mom! I hope I wrote enough!

 

-Justin

Elder Gajewsky's address:

Elder Justin Gajewsky
309 Washington Ave #N-3
Dover, NJ 07801



Elder Gajewsky and President & Sister Jeppson


We have tracted a little bit. We usually don't plan on tracting though. If an appointment falls through, sometimes we'll just knock on a few houses in the surrounding area. We've actually gotten a few investigators that way. I really don't like knocking on doors though. It's a pain and in NJ, sometimes they just don't answer the door. They'll look outside at you. You know you saw them, and you know that they know that they saw you, but if it's not someone they know, they don't answer. That's a little frustrating.

Anyways, I'll try and work on a better email next week. I forgot to bring my planner with me, so I forget kind of what happened this week. So much happens in one week, it's crazy. General Conference was awesome. I think I'll gain that same extra appreciation for General Conference out here. I learned a lot for myself, and also more on what I can do to try and help some of our investigators. It's weird out here, I didn't watch it at home. Some people have some nice cable companies, so they get BYU channel all the way out here. But we just watched it in the chapel, in English. We got it in Spanish for the ward members, but hardly any members showed up at the church.

So thanks! Love you lots. Talk to you next week!

-Justin