e-mail 11.29.2010

i am so tired of crappy mexico computers that dont let me attatch files. uuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRR


finally got a few from this last month to upload.

happy rhanksgiving and more importantly HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD:

the big 29

haha.

this week was an interesting one. started out normal and then oneof the other elders working here in comalcalco got pulled from his area and his companion got put with us. so now i am training in a trio and we are two gringos and a mexican. haha. its a blast because elder gutierrez is a great guy and a hard worker. i can really see progress in the area and i am a happy camper. my kid is growing up fast just like Bruin. He learns a lot and his accent makes me laugh at times but he is a dedicated missionary and he helps me focus. this week we did divisions and because i am senior comp i went with the junior comp of the district leader in their area and worked a couple days, i went to a little pueblo called Cunduacan and had a fun time. he hardly knew the area but we got a lot of exercise. hah. that tough part is that here in my area everything went down. we all lost focus and coming back we had noooo momentum. when sunday came none of our investigators came to church and all of the baptismal dates fell. i felt horrible. i feel like i didnt do my part and that they are paying the price for my kinda off week. when it comes down to it it is all their choice to go to church but we could have done more. we are gonna get ourselves back on track and get back in touch with them hopefully today so that we can continue progressing.


after a more or less work week today we ahad our Zone activity and it was as usual pretty fun. started our normal waiting and waiting for people to show up. then when the zone got together we went to the BEACH by paraiso tabasco and played volleyball and checked out some of the sites. the only thing ro see around there is sand water and oil platforms. haha. i got toooooaaaasted like always and even my feet are sunburned. haha. it was alright but we didnt have time to even wash our clothes. and we havent eaten anything.


haha.

the mission is a goood time and i am so happy to be here. sharing the one true restored gospel of Jesus Christ with a lot of lost souls.

the church has blessed me immensely and i hope to help it bless the lives of others before my time is up here.

this week i complete 10 months out of Tucson.

feels like a night of good sleep.

i love you all with a pure and true love.

Elder ELREY

IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEND PACKAGES MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME AND RETURN ADDRESS ON THE BOX.


and please send me packages.


haha.

e-mail 11.22.2010

Subject: Life with a newborn..

is tough cookies. haha. he just doenst know yet, haha

but he his a hard worker and a good kid. he is learning fast and we are gonna baptise. i think he is happy. i hope so.

his name is Elder Eberle and is from Pennsylvania. he speaks veeeeery amercian and claims to be a pirate because of they way he pronounces his RRRRRRR´s haha. we are getting along good and i think with are gonna have at least 2 changees together so i am glad that we are doing alright together. it is fun to be a teacher and to help him find the way through the first month.

its been an interesting week because we got white washed into an area and he being new had no idea what to do left it all on me. so i have almost memorized the map of Comalcalco this week. haha. they told me i would be opening an area but there were missionaries in the area part time before so i have some ancient investigators and references to work off of. we also live in the house of other elders and they are alright. two mexicans. one is super duper prideful and i have strange desires to bash his head into the wall but we get along alright and the other is fun. i really pacient mellow cat. our house is nice but now even close to being big enough for 4. our beds are just matresses placed on the floor and there is no room for more. haha. they told me i was going to Morelos and that is just the name of the ward here. we are in a city named Comalcalco, Tabasco. iiiii like it. its pretty mellow and there are a lot of nice people here. the members like to work with us and support us in almost anything we need. also like 5 miles from the center there are ancient ruins. i am pumped for that but the guy that promised to take us didnt sshow this morning so we didnt go. perhaps next week. today we havent done anything. pretty boring but most of you know how i am with boring... i dont stand for it, i feel like as i am getting close to the 10 months and then the year mark that parts of me are dying. or going into hibernation... i have found myself dreaming at night of going home after the mission and not having any idea of where to go what to do and who to see. IDENTITY CRISIS! haha. naaa. but my craziness is wearing away. i dont want it to go because life just isnt that fuun without it.. i am hoping that it will be put on pause no erased completely.

i dont know.

if any of you are thinking about sending me a package for christmas dont hesitate. i would love to hear from you all in letters and boxes of joy.

Elder Jeffree Dell Burnett Elrey
Mision Mexico Villahermosa
calle Via 2 #104 dept 302 y 303
colonia Tabasco 2000 c.p.86036
Villahermosa,Tabasco, Mexico

i need the love. so send it.

i lve you all sooooo much and i m happy things are going well over there. congrats Hans for tying the knot and stuff. also to Jonathon and Alyssa. two of my best buds. i know that the eternal covenant of marriage is one of the most important we can make in this life and i hope you will all cherish what you have.

i know the church is true and that the only way into the kingdom of God is to be born of Water and of the spirit through a true baptism and confirmation in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. the one and only true Church in all the land. i know it and if you prayer with true intentions you will know it as well.

lovlvolevlovleovloelovleovleovloelvoelvoelovlovoevooeovloveolevolvolloveloveloevloelvoeovelovoeolevolevolev,


Elder Elrey

p.s. happy thanksgiving

asdkljhfaisdhakjdhflakjsdhflkajsdhf i am gonna miss it.


FOOOOOTTTBBBBBBAAAAAAAAALLLLL

next week i will have a months worth of fotos

e-mail 11.15.2010

Subject: I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!

i am expecting a boy tomorrow.

big story...

this week we worked way hard and completed with almost all our goals. we had success and found a lot of new investigators. we had a baptism friday and it went really well my companion was freeeeaaaakkking out the whole week and running around like a maniac inviting every member he knew but it turned out ok. a lot of members went and the MISSION PRESIDENT and his assistants joined us. that made my companion sqwuiiiirm. haha. he was way nervous and ended up baptizing the kid 3 times. i got mine in one. the water level was low and we didnt check it before the service. haha. but it was a very spiritual service. a very successful week. after the baptism the assistants informed me that we were going to go on splits to get some work done and to get to know the area.. shortly after they told me that i wold be going with President... now it was my turn to be nervous. haha. we didnt have appointments or plans and i told him that. his only reply was Vamonos.... haha. so we left walking away from the church and found one of the sisters who had attended the baptism. president greeted her and asked for a reference. she gave us a few names and we decided to go with an inactive family. we went and the sister was super nervous and agitated almost the whole time but on our side of things the spirit was very strong. The president teaches like a master and i just followed his lead. it was an awesome experience to be able to have. i learned alot in just one hour with president. after the lesson we continued contacting and returned to the church. in between contacts he mentioned that the mission would be seeing some strange changes soon. i took that as a sign and asked him what kinds of changes. he told me that my birth zone Los Tuxtlas is getting placed back into the mission Veracruz because it is so far away. sadly i will not be able to return to my birthplace anytime soon. also it made me think that i was meant to be in the mission mexico Villahermosa. it is something that comforted me. he also told me that 11 americans we expected to arrive soon. and he informed me that i was getting pulled out of my area to put i new missionary with my companion...

NOOOOO i love Frontera. its an area full of prepared and chosen people.

he followed with you are going to open an area. i thought noooooo white washed. then i thought who will be my companion??? he followed with you are going to be a trainer.


sooooo. i am going to an area called Morelos Tabasco a little outside of Cardenas and i am going to get a new guy. and going to be a daddy!!!!


haha. i am excited for the oppourtunity that the Lord has given me. i feel nervous but i know that with hard work will come success.


so now i am saying goodbye to Frontera and packing my bags after just two weeks. a little sad but super excited

i know that big things are coming.


hope you enoy life.

church is true and you should aaaaalll be attending.


elder ELrey

i tried to attatch fotos but my computer wont read my momory card.

e-mail 11.08.2010

tengo 10 minutos...

muy rapido. i am super happy in my new area and my companion is great. very obedient and very hard working. we are going to find success in this change and the following. i feel that i am not exactly his perfect companion but i know that with time we will figure things out. in this first week i have learned that he enjoys correcting people. so my spanish is improving. haha. and i am focusing on the doctrine of the lessons so i dont get a stern talking to afterwards. haha. he has a month or so more than me in the mission and we are working with unity so it seems like neither is senior comp. i am really enjoying Frontera right now because right when i got here i storm came and it has been nice and fresh all week. haha. but it never ever gets cold here. it is going to be hot all winter and if i stay here longer than that it will get hotter. it starts heating up here in JANUARY!!! holy moly. aside from the weather i feel that this area is full of people who are ready to be baptised. i feel that the key is going to be references and working with members. congrats to Elder Joe for being Zone Leader. thats nuts. i know you will be able to be a leader and example to all in your zone. READ THE WHITE MISSIONARY HAND BOOK ABOUT LEADERSHIP. i am where i am supposed to be and i know the Lord is blessing me everyday. never doubt the power of prayer and faith. and never lose hope in Christ. the only downside to this area is that on mondays there is nothing to do. we are super far away from other missionaries and no one like to play. but to make up for it our house is SWEEEET. i have my own bathroom and it is CLEAN and beautiful. haha. also its just a sweet apartment. second story with just an awesome set up. much better than my shack i had last time.


i love you all

e-mail 11.1.2010

I'll have his next one up asap.

this week started pretty normal... nothing to exciting happening. i knew i had to make the best of it though because it was the end of the transfer. 6 weeks went by super quick. we just worked and worked and are having some success finally. then thursday came along and we had our Zone Conference with Presidente Castañeda and things got interesting. the conference was very powerful and talked about the importance of working with members to solidify the testimonies of the investigators and also an all around work out of how to be a successful missionary and i learned a lot from it. it really recharged my batteries and now i am pumped to get back to work here in Acayucan... OH WAIT!!!!! president pulled me aside after the conference for an interview and after a few minutes of chatting about the work he informed me that i was going to get transfered. again. 6 weeks in Acayucan and im gone. we got the transfer information saturday and i am going to Frontera, Tabasco. its right on the southern part of the Gulf Coast. it should be pretty interesting to be practically surrounded by water. i am pretty excited to go father south. iu feel a little wierd that i am leaving veracruz but i am sure everything is gonna work out fine. i feel confident in the move. i know i was only here 6 weeks but there are a few families here that i am going to miss. i always find a way to get in close with a couple and never want to leave. haha.

today for our p-day activity we went to some Waterfalls that are about 1 hour from here. they were sweeeeeeeeeeeet. really secluded and super fun. i took a few videos and a bunch of fotos but the computer is not letting me up load so i cant send any of them off. sadly you will all have to wait until next week to see them. after that we washed the clothes and hung them out to dry and then went for haircuts and played some cards with a family that loves us. there is a card game version of monopoly that is awesome. i love it. its called monopoly deal or something but it is way addicting and we play a lot when we have time. mostly before bed and mondays. haha. and now sadly i am writing you all and about to get back to work. the time flies when you are distracted by everything you see. i swear my brain has turned to mush in mexico.

i love you all a ton. keep me updated on how life is and whats happening and i will do the same. the church is true and we should all think everyday in the gifts we have from our Father in Heaven. also in the covenants that we have made with him. i think that we are blessed to be who we are and to have eachother. you are all in my prayers.

happy halloweeeeeenn/Dia De Los Muertos.

cuidense,


con todo mi corazon,

Elder Elrey



p.s. what happened to bill and why doesnt he write me anymore?

jdksadjkñflaklfjfdskjljkñsdf

E-Mail 10.18.2010

Sorry it took so long to post, no new e-mail this week. Elder Elrey loves you all!

Subject: pero SIGO SIENDO EL REY (but I'm still the KING)

hey every one. this week was an interesting one for me because i didnt get anything done in my area but i worked super hard...
haha.
Monday was P-day and so we didn't get much done and Tuesday we started normal with district calls and then bam-o zone leaders tell me i have to go to Paraiso Oaxaca on divisions because my companion had to go to a conference of leaders. paraiso is like 2 hours away. haha. so i hopped on a bus with the elders from there and started the week. we got there just in time to go to the food appointment and it was ridiculous. tiniest little town ever. haha. the good thing is that the missionaries dont live there. i stayed in the small town of Jesus Carranza, Veracruz and worked most of the time there. with a couple trips to Oaxaca. it was interesting to work there because Carranza was badly flood damaged and everything seemed disorganized. but we worked hard and got a lot done. by the end of my 4 days there i felt comfortable with the tiny branch and i didnt really want to come back to Acayucan. haha. the branch of Paraiso consists of just 30 people. and some of them are less actives. haha it was an interesting look at the small town life here in mexico. was there from tuesday all the was to saturday and then my companion went to go get me. he had to do some baptismal interviews over there so we didnt get back until like 1 o clock saturday. we showered and went to lunch and them spent the rest of the day celebrating his birthday with various families of the ward. ... ugh. a whole week workless in my area and right now we are seeing the effects of it. this week will be interesting and we will have to see what we can work up here. most of the week i think will be spent contacting.

aside form that i gave a talk on sunday about service and it wa fun. also today was the Zone activity here and the ZLs decided it would be fun to learn how to cook. which wasnt very fun. so me and elder Robinson played Canasta all day and now i am here writing. i am pretty sure today is pretty much the most unfun p-day so far in the mission. bleh. haha.

statement not a complaint. i am excited about the upcoming transfers because me and my comp and quite the dynamic duo here in acayucan. i new one would be nice to get reenergized and excited about the work. my comp is ending in january and it feels like he is starting to fade a little bit. but i will see what i can to to get things back on track.

GO CATS,

Elder Elrey

email 10.11.10

I love him bunches. :)

what a week.

started out normal with a side of stomach problems. we worked noramally bouncing back and forth from the church to lessons for bathroom necesities but when wednesday hit we couldnt leave the house. we were takning turns going from the bad to the bathroom practically all day. i cought up on some sleep but the pain hardly let me live. my companion contracted salmanila and i had an un identified stomach infection that left us crippled in the house for two whole days. i lost like 7 kilos. which is like 15 pounds. i just drank water and gatorade the whole time. haha. we almost didnt work because of it but we were blessed to have a baptism. it was monday night of last week and our Bishojp called us and told us that we had a set baptism for this saturday and were didnt even have to teach her. haha. it was a teenager that had heard everything before and had been to church a lot. all we had to do was reapass the lessons all at once and have her interview. haha. so we did that in good spirits and got her baptised on Saturday. it was a major blessing. we were suffering but the Lord like always was watching out for us and Blessed us for our patience. in the index behind the Book of Mormon it describes Patience as a calm to suffer. well in spanish it translates to that. we are grateful for the great gift that was given us. we are now preparing for another interesting week because we will not be in the area for 3 whole days. my comp is heading to a leadershi´p conference in Coatzacoalcos and i get to go be in a trio somewhere. :( another trial of patience. but i am excited for anything that comes. juust hoping to make it through this week with a normal stomach. i am not really eating much. but i think i am past the worst of it.

acayucan has really not been such a great place to me so far but i will see what i can do with the good ol Elrey Charm.

,)

i would really like it if you all coul email me or send me by snail mail pictures. i havent recieved any since before the anniversary party of Grandma and Grandpa and i would love to see how the family is. and what has been happening.

as far as p-day has gone it was nothing compared to the way p-days were in San Andres. we dont do anything here.
but i did find a buddy to play Canasta.

but i am really just trying to get back to a normal work schedule. missing the succes a lot.

i have no real connections with any investigators and i feel really out of it because of the sickness.


but i and hopping back into it.

i am happy.

i am a missionary.

The Church is true and there are no others. that is why it is called the RESTORED Gospel of Jesu Christ. its is the one He established.

i love you,


Elder Elrey

e-mail 10.4.2010

Here's last weeks. I promise I'll have this next weeks up the day of! :)

Subject: U of A is number 9???!!!! conference was rad.
conference was pure power like always and it has really inspired me to get myself back on track and get some work done. it always helps us to find areas to improve... even if it is just in our faith. it was also nice to spend the whole day in the Stake Center in the AC listening in English. :) we had our own room to enjoy ourselves. i think conference on the mission is better than all of a school summer vacation. just days of pure spiritual upliftment and instructions. i loved it. as always the Prophet conveyed very well his love for us and it confirmed in me my testimony of him as our earthly guide and pastor. he recieves the words of GOd for OUR benefit and teaches us with charity and kindess. we must always follow the prophet if we want to find happiness in this life. i know that my redeemer lives and that he works and guides us through Thomas S Monson.

THis last week was way slow because of rain, sickness, and conference. we didnt get hardly anything done. last weekend and uo to tuesday it rained 4 days straight. quite gloomy. wednesday we worked really good but thursday and friday i was sick to the stomach and we could hardlyleave the casa de oracion in Oluta. then i took a ton of Pepto Bismol and now i cant get anyhting going. haha. quite the predicament. i still dont feel good. i hardly slept those days because i was running the three steps from my bed to the bathroom. our house here is a one room apartment with the corner sectioned off for the bathroom. super small.

it was an almost miserable week but conference made it better and i am a happy camper.

sunday when i pulled my suit out of the abyss to wear to the sunday sessions it was covered in mold... and half way through the day elder Robinson my buddy in the zone from the MTC found out the i was covered in ants. haha. my suit jacket was colonized by Ants. there were probably a thousand of them in total... rediculous. i was dancing around trying to shake myself out of that thing as fast as possible. there were in every pocket nook and cranny and i didnt even notice. haha. it is now in the drycleaners.

the week was good and our Bishop called us last night and told us he put 3 baptismal dates for this saturday which was a miracle beyond miracles because we didnt have a single thing this last week going for us. so right now we are going to find these three people to see whats up.

Acayucan is not so bad after a couple of weeks and time to get to know it. what is a little tough is the fact that we are so spread out. we have the Ward and the branch and it seems we are always traveling around aimlessly but we are dialing it in now.


God loves you with a powerful and pure love.


and i am working on the same,

Elder ELrey

e-mail 9.27.2010

Sorry! Been busy.

Subject: blllaaaaaACAYUCAN

so the new area is a tuffy. its big and we have a ward and a branch to get together and organize. working in 2 areas is like starting a race without air in your lungs. my companion had 2 weeks in the area so its practically white washed. of course when i got here there are no investigators and no baptisms planned and nothing going. so we are starting fresh and we are gonna work hard this week. my ward is Centro and the branch is of a little town called Oluta we are working hard to get things going because asistance is really down right now and there are a lot of inactive members. we have some good leaders who are really ready to help us so we just have to get organized and get going. my companion is Elder Steffen and he is white. he is from kentucky and is very strange. but he knows that so its ok to say. we get along alright but he takes every little thing i say literally and laughs when it frustrates me. you all know that i am not the most literal guy. it is stange to talk in english and i am afraind to forget my spanish. Acayucan is an ugly place with big roads and a lot of Garbage. i miss San Andres a lot. haha. i feel like a new missionary all over again. aways being lost and not know what to do or say. i know that with time we will get it figured out. my comp is the district leader here so we are always here and there doing interviews and this next week he has to go to take some special training in Villahermosa so we are not going to have a lot of time to work this week. oh the challenges of missionary work. i know it is my calling to be here but there were moments this last week that i wanted to be anywhere but here. :)

i know that it will work out and with my efforts and obedience i will be blessed with success. its been raining for three days straight and it seems like everywhere except here is flooded. veracruz is getting destroyed by hurricanes.

its usually hot here but being wet all day everyday has taken the edge off.

aside from that nothing has really happened. this week felt long but it is still flying by. next sunday is 8 months. 1/3rd of the way through the adventure,. nervous am i...


be good and be faithful. represent yourselves like you know who is watching....


love you.


Elder ELrey

e-mail 09.20.10

I love my brother. :) Period, the end.

Subject: VIVA MEXICO!!!! VIVA!!!! pero ARRIBA USA!!!

so this has been a veeerry eventful last week. mainly because of the 15th and 16th of sept... Mexican Independance. rediculous how they celebrate here. this town of San Andres uses Tissue Paper to make GIANT air balloons that soar way super high. its amazing what they can do. so the 15th there was a Branch party and we invited our investigaors and got to participate. it was super fun and i am so happy to have had the opportunity to be here this area. also big news is that i got my first tranfer but it is not really too far from here in my first. its 2 hours in a bus to a town called Acayucan. i am excited for a change but i love the heck out of San Andres. it will certainly be one of the hardest things to leave this place. but i also know that i will immediately be filled with work and desires to baptize in my new area. that is the good part about the work is that there is no time to think in other things. just the people you are teaching and how to get them to understand the importance of the everlasting gospel. i am coming up on 8 months and that means in another few transfers i am hitting a year... then it is down hill and counting from there. for you all. haha. for me it is more focus, drive, and baptisms. i love the gifts that i have been given and te opportunity i have had to be here in this area. i love the mission. i love the Gospel. i hear everything went well with the funeral. i was thinking and i wish i could have been a missionary in grandpas mission. come to think of it i am. because he has given me an almost perfect example of how to be a man of righteousness and love. i am honored to be his grandson. i bet it was sweet to get to know some of his missionaries though. i wish i could have known more about him. i printed off his life history and i will be able to read it today. definitely a source of pride in my life to be able to say that i am an Elrey. as far as the work goes i am leaving this area with 4 or 5 on date for baptism this weekend and i hope that there are few waiting for me in acayucan. i know i am sent there for a reason and i have felt the power that is sending me there. its just time to be me and help the people there. our most recent convert Sergio is still awesome and is getting excited about recieving the priesthood and blessing the sacrament. i think in a couple years he will be on a mission. hes just a great kid. it has been a tough few days to think about saying goodbye the area but i know that one day soon i will be coming back to visit. these people are my family and i hop that i have been able to help them. i am out of time and full of love.

i haveto run to the church for my going away party that the relief society is throwing me.

haha.
i always have had a way with the ladies. ;)

love,

Elder Elrey(mex)

email 09.13.10

Sorry it took so long to post this one. And I'm sorry I put the wrong date in the title the first time around. Whoops! :)

hey hey hey.

this last week was a strange one... first things first. WE HAD A BAPTISM! yaaaaay and also it was just a wierd week. we taught a lot of lessons and stuff but it felt like we were getting nothing done. we went from an amazing sunday of having 12 investigators in sacrament meeting to a desolate 0 this past sunday. so strange to have so many people excited about the church and a baptism and in a matter of days everything changes and they are hiding from you. haha. it was almost depressing. i love the people here and when one of them accepts a baptismal date and gets excited it seemes to magnify the love i feel. and when they fall or drop us completely it destroys me. so yesterday was tough for that reason. but also i can feel the change coming up. transfers are in a little more than a week and i am starting to feel nervous. i am still focused on the area and the people here but i dont want to leave. i have almost 6 months here and i love this place. leaving my first area is going to be tooooooouuuuuugh. all because i feel like this is my home and the branch ismy family... they are all soo strong. it is inspiring to see the change in the lives that i have been about to be apart of. the kid we baptized this last week is 16 and was into some pretty normal rebelious teen things and through our words and the testimony of the spirit he completely changed his life in just about 2 weeks. Sergio accepted his baptismal date in the first lession and never looked back. yesterday was his confirmation and i when we got to the church i commented that we forgot to bring him a tie, and he replied to me that "the only thing that matters is that i am here" in spanish of course but he is really excited to sonn recieve the priesthood and start participating in the sacrament. also he has been invited to do some family history work and prepare to go to the temple to do baptisms. he is a great kid and in the picture i look tan. haha. just to see if you are all listening. that was a highlight and i am pretty sure he is already my strongest convert. haha. i am excited for him. i am pretty sure that my companion is going to baptize his family in the next change here. they are all super nice. also all of the people that had dates for this saturday to come have all fallen back to the 25th so i wonk get to see any of them get baptized either. bummer but i knoew that there will be success waiting for me in my next area if i continue working hard here. i know without a doubt that the Lord works through each of us as his children to prepare others to accept the gospel of Christ.The Church is true... it was restored by the power of the priesthood and it is operated by the same. we are blessed to know itand feel it. i admonish all who read this to take into account the importance and power of prayer. to pray daily with all of your might. i am absolutely sure that in time or instantly you will feel, see, and know the blessings that God has instore for you.

i love this Church. i know that some who read this are not sure of its truth but i am positive and i am willing to put my name down to bear witness that the One True God in Heaven has established this His Church for us to live Freely and happily here in the earth

may He love and bless you all,

Elder Elrey

p.s. how funny is that picture of my companion with the G.I. Joe doll... haha.

e-mail 08.23.2010

I didn't get an e-mail last week... I will try to track that down so we can fill some holes! Other than that, Enjoy!

P.S. I will try to post the pics he sent in the next couple of days. Thanks for your patience!

so i just remembered something in the Mexico city airport after you get through the costums check and all that there is a big sign that says "INCOMING FLIGTHS" haha. it made my day pretty fantastic. but then i forgot because i had to catch another filigth... hahahahaaa..

back to the present. i am doing quite well. i am enjoying my companion pretty much always except in the mornings when he wakes me up early to go "running" he played american football in highschool and absolutely loves excercise. so we go to a local park and i watch him run for 30 minutes every day. haha. i hate loathe and dispise mornings. to me there is nothing more important than my 8 hours of precious precious sleep. but i do enjoy being a good companion so i put a smile on and jog my way over to the park. most of the days this past week it was raining when we woke up so i got to take a little break from that. Today he woke me up and i told him no... i told him that we are going to play Futbol for 2 hours there is absolutely no reason to go excercise. he wasnt happy and calle me lazy and all that but i stayed in my hammock until the alarm sounded. :) it was quite niice... but we get along good and i am happy with the way things are going... it is crazy to think we have been together for 2 weeks already. time is flying and i will be in the home stretch before you know it.

i think i am getting fat... the sisters of the church here feed us sooo good. i dont eat a lot but there are always sodas and cookies and snacks in my hands because they just wait for us to come by to shower us with goodies. haha. but i am enjoying it while it lasts because not all my areas are going to be like this one. i hnestly believe that i am in the best area in the mission.

we are teaching some great people but when sunday comes around something always comes up. they arent understanding the importance of going to church and that is essential in their baptisms. i think we are going to have to drop a lot of people this week to find new investigators who are interested in keeping the commitments. i know that there are chosen people just waiting for us all we need to do is find them. havent baptized in a while and we dont have anyone for this weekend so it looks like i am not going to have anyone in august.. :( a little sad that things are going so hot in the work but i think things are turning around. we are definitely going to baptize the 4th.

GOOD NEWSSSSS.. is that this last saturday my most recent convert went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead and then sunday she got up in front of everyone to give a special testimony of the temple and the church. She is solid. happy to know her.

also one of my first converts named Cristhian is preparing for his mission and this sunday recieved the melquisedec(spanish) piesthood. :) i am so pumped for him. we are going to baptize one of his cuisins in september. he is excited about the mission and only has 9 months left to wait. i hope that the missionaries guide him after i go from here. he is a ward missionary so he has a calling and some work to do.

things are going great. progressing a lot and as always i am learning a ton. i send my love to all the family.

i got some letters this week and if you have written me be sure that in about a month you will get a reply. mexico takes its time sending things to the states. thanks a ton to all of you who love me and supprt me.

keep it coming because i will always need it.

the Church is true. Un Senor Una Fe Un bautismo.

take that literally and you find yourself knocking on the door of salvation.

the power of salvation and the KEYS were lost after the daeth of Christ. the Church that He established disappeared because the people rejected the Prophet and Savior. and if the didnt believe in the SON OF GOD how are they going to baeieve His Apostles... they were all killed or lost.

Through out time God has always ALWAYS had prophets to guide and direct His children and His church. why would that change???

i KNOW that God has chosen and elected Prophets to guide us and teach us in these latter days. starting with Joseph Smith up to today we have the Prophet Thomas S. Monson.

there is no logical doubt no spiritual doubt and no FEAR of doubt.


EVERYTHING TESTIFIES THAT IT IS REAL

i bear this testimony of the truth in the name of our living savior Jesus Chist, Amen.


with love,

Elder Jeffree D. B. Elrey


p.s. isnt San Andres a beautiful place?

e- mail 08.09.10

His grammar is definitely lacking. But he's still my favorite and I still love him!! :)) Enjoy!

hey family...

bet believe i am doin dandy in mexico. i brief overview of the last couple weeks... pretty lame. but i am alive. haha. our work has suffered and our numbers are low and i have no excuses except for the fact that my senior comp doesnt really know how to be a senior comp. so far i have had two comps that have been pretty much DUDS. everyones best friend but dont really know how to work hard. this has had an affect on me but i am ready to start fresh and get back to baptizing. that is my whole purpose here. to bring people to a happy life of truth and light. help them be clean through an ordinance of God but more importantly through the POWER and AUTHORITY that only this church has. thats pretty cool to say. a sad sad blessing is that my favorite family is moving away this week. its only a blessing because i wont be tempted to go visit them very much. haha. they are awesome people and i am so excited to be a part of there life. and they told me i am a part of there Family. peretty sweet... well since i am already out of time ai am gonna keep it breif. i am still here in San Andres and this week my comp is getting changed out and i am recieving Elder Espinoza who is coming up from the other part of the mission to be in paradise with the king. haha. i am really excited for the change and excited to get back to work with someone that hopefully wants to baptize and not slack off. i love you all and i am sitting here smiling while my companion taps his foot impatiently because we are wasting his visit time. this is his last day here and he is trying to cut my internet time short. well at least i will get to have a little more say in things this next month. i know that the church is true. any questions??? write me and ask me.

i love you all but more than that God our Father loves you with an eternal undying love. just think... He sacrificed His Son for you.

do all you can in this life. we are always going to be in debt for that.

i will lay donwn a little more next week.

but for now just know that ...

i am here thinking a little about each and everyone of you... and praying a lot.

con todo mi corazon,


Elder Elrey

08.02.2010

He's so awesome. Please enjoy!!

so this past week has been like a snap. no idea where the days go. is pretty cool to see when you apply yourself to something how you lose track of things so signifigant as TIME... it`s pretty sweet. if there is anybody out there reading this thats not writing me get off your lazy but and drop me a line. i love hearing about the life i left to come to Mexico and be happy. haha. I dont have any sweet fotos this week because i forgot my camera in the house but its all good. next week you will be getting a bunch. this week is the last week before the change so i will be either getting transfered to another area or recieving a new companion. im pretty nervous because i am still here in my first area... and i dont really want to leave... the people here are awesome and the food is even more awesome... i think i am starting to get a little fat in the tummy again because we are eating with everybody we visit. haha.

The Weather has been half way retarded this last week because it will dump rain for like 20 minutes and then be hotter than.... for the rest of the day and then just pretend to be cloudy everywhere else except for where the sun is. its pretty much retarded. but the work is great and the church is true. God loves each and every one of you. be sure to thank him for the blessings he goves this week.


i love you all with a little part of my heart because the majority of it is here in Mexico,


Elder Elrey.


p.s. Somebody fill me in on sports. the AZ teams minus hockey and the REDSOX.
i need U of A......

love

07.26.2010

I love my brother. :)

Not much to say today.....

but life is good. its been hot the last few day and it hadnt rained until we got to the internet cafe right now and now its dumping on us. i dont have much time to write this week and i never feel like i have enough time. first of all i love you all soooo much and i am praying for you all to be strengthened by the spirit everyday and to work extra hard in your callings and service. being here has made me realize the importance of activity and service in the church. the more you serve the happier you will be. so get to church and get to work.

The Companionship... is great. we are friends but we are still after 2 and a half months struggling to find a good rythm in the work. i feel its a miracle that we have anybody to teach. but as things progress we are working out the kinks. we only have two more weeks left and one of us is gonna get shipped to the other side. these next two weeks we are going to work hard to prep the area for the next change. we realy need to find a lot of people and seach to find the chosen few who are ready to accept the gospel. i am so excited to find them but it has been tough. the best is yet to come.

today for a zone activity we went back to Catemaco and played football rapido which is like indoor soccer outside i guess. but it was awesome. i would share the pictures but i left my camera. i love this area and the missionaries in this zone. we are best buds and i am a little scared to think that i might most likely be leaving in 2 weeks. its a fear but i am pushing it back to the back of my mind for now.

i dont have any fun fotos or stories this week but i do have a testimony..

its quick and simple...


i KNOW that Christ lives and loves us. i know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is his church with the same authority and organization that He estalished. i have no doubts. Thomas S. Monson is a modern day prophet. There are 12 apostles. This Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are perfect.

i love you all

con todo mi corazon,


Elder Elrey

07.19.10

Didn't have time to e-mail today. Just sent some pictures. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

e-mail 07.12.10

Subject: bueno pues... no tengo ninguna carta en mi correo ahorita, entonces voy a tener mucho tiempo a escribir..

So ... I have no letter in my mail now, then I will have plenty of time to write ..

alright so this week was a lot better. we work hard most of the days and got a lot done. we tought 15 new people and are hoping that 5 of them are going to progress. the new mission president has finally gotten around to coming to the farthest(north) zone in the mission my beloved and blessed Los Tuxtlas. we are having a zone conference tomorrow and i am have way excited to finally feel like i have a leader again. it was pretty strange for a while because President Hansen wasnt our president and we hadnt heard anything from President Castaneda but now we are gonna have the opportunity to learn and progress as a mission and more specifically a zone. its a little joke around here that i am going to meet my long lost grandpappy because his son was my trainer or Dad in the mission. so i think i am going to try out addressing him as abuelito one time just to see if he likes it. haha. i dont think it will go over well but most of you that are reading this know me enough to tell that i am going to do it anyway. :)

the work this week was better. we knocked a lot more doors and taught more lessons than usual but i still feel like not enough. we placed i think 5 baptismal dates but only 1 went to church so all of the others fell like a ton of whatever thing you want. but its all good we are going to return and foind out whatever excuse they have and try to re put a baptismal date. haha. we didnt contact nearly half as much as we should have and i know that that is going to come out in our work in the next week or 2 so i think this week i am going to focus on trying to contact everyone in our path. but to do this effectively it is neccesary to teach effectively as well. if we are teaching effectively we are going to have a lot of time to walk fast and contact everybody/knock a ton of doors. :) as far as our companionship is going i would have to say 100 % better... we are working well and i no longer have the urge to pummel his face. haha. he is a good missionary and a good friend.

we talk a lot at night about him coming to Arizona and checking things out up there in tucson and also doing a little road trip. i honestly think that it could happen. i hope it does. haha.. as i have told you he is from the same mission generation as me so we should be ending the same day down the line. it definitely has been interesting to have an equally young companion and to have to just working through the unknown. but now i feel prepared to work in almost any situation. we have had some rough patched which is to be expected but i am fairly certain that i will be able to handle whatever assignment comes next.

as far as my spanish is going i am not so sure i want to learn it. haha. JUST KIDDING. its kind of sad but language study is my favorite part of the morning. its the only 30 minutes of my day that are not focused on the work. kind of relaxing to take a little break in the day and learn what i am doing wrong. haha.

right now i am studying the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon and i am reading it in spanish so it is awesome to be able to see things in a different language. its not directly translated so there are different spiritual things to catch. i am just finished with chapter 15and it is awesome because Abinadi just layed it down on the high priests of Noah and he preached a ton about the Law of Moses and more awesome he layed it down about the first resurrection. i am so excited to one day have the chance to come forth in the first resurrection! he said that the Prophets will resurrect and then the righteous. so i plan on righteousness. i plan on working my whole life to one day go forth in the First Resurrection and stand CLEAN at the judgement bar of God. it is gonna be sweet. also ai am so grateful for the opportunity that we have been given to repent of my sins everyday and be clean everyweek through my baptism and the sacrament. the gift the we have been given by Christ is amazing. He siffered all pains and all afflictions so that we can have this opportunity to live work and die and one day if we worked righteously and with all our might we can return to live with our Father again. it is amazing to me. the Atonement has gifts without number. i encourage all of you to pick up your books of mormon again and just follow the guidance of the index to study the atonement. even if it is just reading about it it can increase your testimony of Christ and His everlasting and redeeming sacrifice.

But now i am going to come to the part where Abinadi gets burned and i dont think that i am going to like that very much. heck i might even let out a man-tear. its been a while since i had a good cry. haha. but i love the book of mormon. i love all that it has given me and the opportunity to really know what God has instore if we are praying and studying with diligence and conviction. something i wish i could do is sit down with each of you and open up the book and just read and see what you think. see with your eyes and feel with your heart how these stories affect you. they are for our learning and our progression in this life. dont let that slip away through your hands. take advantage and really learn.

enough of that.

the weather has been a little weird. it seems that clouds are always on the horizon and that a storm is always coming but directly over head we always have the sun. beaming with all its joy and hate... i mean heat. haha. its humid and i dont have time in my day to check the temperature so all i know is it is hot. one night right when we got into the house after work it opened up for a good rain and our street was filled all the way up above the side walk. i took i picture and attatched it. i also had some good animal shots with bids and a dog that ravaged my arm(notreally) but i love him and his name is Duke(duk-e) because we are in mexico here. he is the dog of a member family and always loves it when i am there to play. also i had some sweet pirate pictures with a real bird on my shoulder but they are on my other memory card so i dont have any to send. BUUUUUt we are always having fun in some way. today for our p-day activity we played full field soccer with strangers and i didnt really do anything but jog around like an idiot and the one time i had the ball i just kicked a guy in the shinn really really hard. haha. soccer sucks.

RUUUUGBY on ther other hand is amazing and i miss it. when you hear news of O.P. or any rugby for that matter i would love some updates. and emails for that matter. i got ia little one from the Dad but that was it this week. how sad. how am i supposed to motivate without emails from the fam/friends... do work people. haha


i love you all and i know that the church is true.


Elder Elrey

ps. Christ only established one church that means there is only one. he established it with a PROPHET with the AUTHORITY and with APOSTLES.

FYI we have all three.

DUH... ITS TRUE.

e-mail 07.05.2010

Subject: man I miss having a Chiropractor..

my back is killing me right now. haha. but i am survivng and looking forward to an awesome week. this week was really mas o menos. because monday and tuesday and pretty much wednesday my companion had a killer ear infection and fever and we were house bound. so i didnt do much this week. haha. sounds like things are settling nicely at home and i am happy to hear form everybody. i love you alllllaaalalalalalalalaaalaalll.

so this was the first week of Mision Mexico Villahermosa and it was quite a confusing one. we didnt know anything or here anything from the president or the asistants until wednesday and we still dont know anything except that there are going to be changes in the middle of this transfer in most of the mission. thats got me a little worried because i never want to leave Los Tuxtlas. San Andres is my home. haha. but tommorow my buddies the Zone Leaders are heading out on the 5 hour bus ride to the mission office for the Zone Leader Counsel and i gouess we will know more in a couple days. what ever happens i am super excited.

THE WORK... came to an abrupt halt in behalf of my pobrecito companero being sick and so now we have a rousing number of 1 solid investigator and she is really hesistant to get baptized. we are gonna work hard this week even if i die doing it. haha. might be nice to die in the Obra Misional. isnt that like a pass to the front of the line??? haha.
anywayyyyy...
the sisters of the branch have treated him like a princess all week and i have been reaping the benefits. food and soda and foooooood and a mountain of Mangos. ha.

Mango season here is great for about 2 weeks and then there are just hundreds of rotten mangos eveywhere and it smells horrible. haha. but i would kill for a cold mango right now... mmmm. haha. it didnt raaiiiin at all this last week and i have been roasting. but strangely the breeze has been like a kiss on the cheek and it takes the bite out of the sun. it is a whole different type of sun here though... your first step of the day you feel like you are either super fat or just dying very rapidly. haha it just presses down on you. and it is huuumid like you wouldnt believe. it is green as green can be here and every tree tries its best to ruin my day by producing all the humidity possible. :) the fun part is that this zone is the freshest climate in all of the new mission. haha. so i am going to enjoy it while i can. the best way to sleep here is in a hammock, curled up like a baby, and a fan blowing full blast. :) half way through the night i actually needed to put a sheet over myself because i was COLD!!!! ha.

i am thinking in spanish a lot now so writing this in english is getting progressively difficult. also i have been getting a lot of complements on my spanish lately. that has helped with my confidence in the streets and with knocking doors. it is just tough to have days where you are teachin 8 or 9 lessons and finding a lot of people but not a single one wants you come back. especially when it is for like 2 weeks consecutive. i think we need to have a companionship inventory this week. companionship inventory is pretty much telling eacother their faults in the most loving way you can and talking about how to change the companionship. i thinki am going to call it tonight after work. we need it bad. i am starting to lose patience with everything he does but i know we can fix things and i know we are friends and i love the death out of him. its wierd to be 21 with a senior comp who is 18 always teliing you what to do and treating you like a little kid. not the most enjoyable but it is a learning game.

anyway... today for p-day we went to a members home and did absolutely nothing while the sister did our laundry and it was.... AWESOME! never in my life has doing nothing been so amazing. just played with the kids and did nothing... i was thinking about writing but i find it pointless because i am just gonna email later. haha. i have seen the sites here and its to freaking hot to play sports so nothing was the perfect solution... i want to go back to the beach... next time i am taking my camera... it was awesome. beach and jungle. haha.

i know the church is true. and that it is only through the restored gospel that we can return to live with God the father and our families for ever in eternal life. i have no doubts that i will be there. that you all will be there. i have so much confidence that all the people i love with stay faithful and for those who are not members eventually accept the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ.

en pocos palabras yo puedo decir mucho pero yo quiero decir solo esto..

LES AMOOOOOOOOOOO

CON TODO MI CORAZON,,,

ELDER ELREY

p.s. MI PALABRA ES LA LEY

Y
SIGO SIENDO EL REY

in a few words I can say a lot but I mean only that ..

I love them

WITH ALL MY HEART,,,

ELDER ELREY

P.S. MY WORD IS THE LAW

and

I'm still the KING

e-mail 06.28.2010

Here you go! Again, I love him! :)

Subject: Tengo Hambre

[I'm hungry!]

seriously i am so hungry right now. i just bought new shoes and all i am thinking about is Memelas and a cold Orange soda...

THE END

naaaa...

life is good and we got the transfers this last weekend. I am staying here in San Andrés for my 3rd transfer and i couldnt be happier. i love this place. being white in mexico is kinda like being the one red ant that is in a jar with like 100 black ants. haha. everyone seems to think its funny to make all their comments about me being racist and they like to laugh about how the US lost in the world cup and i like to laugh at them for liking that wretched sport. they honestly get offended when i say its for girls... POR FAVOOOOOR.. anybody that would roll on the floor pretending to be hurt to get a little gain is no man in my book. they need a sport like rugby here so they can learn what its like to have fun. and be men... i am begging for someone to want to pass the ball around.... aaaa... i love mexico... haha.

As far as the work goes... still a little tough. i am still pretty new and i am not very good at taking the initiative and it just so happens that my comp is the same way. so when an appointment falls through and we are sitting there thinking about what to do we usually end up teaching a lesson with a recent convert or a less active... both are ok to do they just arent efficient for progression in the work... this week i think that i am going to start making decisions and start knocking more doors and contacting more in the street. our weekly goal for contacts is 140 persons. i want to hit 200. our weekly goal for lessons taught is 30. i want 40. i want to succeed and exceed but i need to start doing 2 things.
1. i need to rely on the Lord and the Spirit for guidance.
2. i need to take the initiative and start making decisions.
instead of these two things i have been waiting for my companion to make a choice and just following his lead because he is senior companion. but this week i am going to push for more... more work and more success. in this area in this town and in this zone we should be baptizing every saturday. this is an amazing place. all we need to do is work with diligence and faith. sheesh i have been so fristrated and impatient this last couple days. haha.

IN OTHER NEWS.

ELder Moeller my buddy ol' pal got transfered out of the house... as some of you know he is from Tucson Arizona and he saved my life in my first few weeks. he will forever be one of my best friends. he was supposed to die this change but he is extending to help open the new parts of the mission veracruz. he is going home in 4 more weeks and he is gonna come by and visit. he wants to meet everyone and especially dad(in the office)haha. so he left and i am here now with some strange characters... haha. there is a ZL in the house ELder Gumeta who is from mexico city and he is 25.. OLD for a missionary and also there is a little ZL Elder Bowen from Utah. they are special people... and they absolutely loooove living with me. haha. i make every day an exciting day and we are all always laughing. also in the house now are me and my companion Elder Rosales. we get 6 more weeks to turn our companionship around. haha. dont get me wrong we get along great and we are always having a good time but we are just not working very well together right now. i know we can change for the better.

:)

other than that i am having a great time here in San Andres. loving every minute of it and the time is flying. i cant believe that i have 2 changes done here... 3 months in the field. by the end of the next change Elder Joseph H. Elrey will be in the MTC and almost the field. haha. how sweet is that. i am so pumped for you brother. the MTC is a special place and it does wierd things to a man. and the field... its a blast. everyday in this place and all over the world people are growing and accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ.

i know that it is only through this Gospel that we can live in the presence of God our Father after this life. It is through obedience of His commandments and through the sacrifice of His Son. the Atonement of Jesus Christ in all 3 parts is something very special... Christ suffered so much so that we could have the opportunity to be clean in this life and then He marked the way and set the path of the Resurrection so that we can return to live with our Father in the form of Families.

IT IS ONLY THROUGH OBEDIENCE AND THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST WHICH WAS RESTORED THROUGH JOSEPH SMITH

i dont have any more time...

ahorita quiero decir algo a todos.
les amo mucho.
a mi familia y mis amigos tambien.
El Evangelio de Jesucristo el el unico manera a regresar a Nuestro Padre Celestial.
El nos ama mucho.

[right now I want to say something to everyone.
I love them very much.
my family and my friends too.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ the only way to return to our heavenly Father.
He loves us very much.]

con todo mi amor,

Elder Elrey

e-mail 06.21.2010

This week is good. Have I mentioned that I love him? Because I totally do. :)


alright so i am a huge fan of rain and it just so happens that there is a lot of it here. well this week it rained almost everyday. :) and the rain here is awesome.. it just dumps. but the sad part it is always happening at like 3 or 4 in the morning and there is a leak in the roof right above my hammock... haha. but i love this place. this coming saturday we are going to find out the changes and i am pretty confident that i am not going anywhere. i will get another 6 weeks in San Andres Tuxtlas. which i am happy and excited for. i love this area and dont really want to leave. but i think after another 6 weeks my time will come. Elder Rosales and i are good. we are working kinda hard and laughing really hard. haha. this last week was really out of focus because i had a cold and everytime we sat down for a lesson i would a not be able to pay attention or b fall asleep sitting up in my chair. i had nooo energy. but i am fine now and this week we are gonna work hard and set the pace for the upcoming 6 weeks. we baptized 3 this change and that matches my number from the first change. not too happy about that because i want to be able to progress. i think i know how to do it. i just need to work harder. i need to get off my lazy butt and work harder than i am now working. dont get me wrong i am working plenty but i am not working hard enough. there are people who need me and i want to be able to find them before its too late. also i ahve been having some trouble getting out of the hammock in the morning which i think is affecting every aspect of my success. i cant expect to progress or succeed without perfect obedience..next week i get a new mission president and i finally get to learn my new mission info which i now do not currently have but will be recieving/sending out soon. but yeah... i am excited because the new mission is all of Tabasco and all of the dirty south where conviently it is hot all year round and there are more historical Lamanite sites!!! YAY...

fun fact about Los Tuxtlas... Historians say that the culture here dates farthest back than any other mexicna culture and there is evidence of it. the tribe is refered to as the Olmecas but i like to refer to them as JAREDITES... yeah thats right. this is where the jaredites lived and died. i am always thinking about that. and the Olmecas carved giant stone heads that are pretty awesome and there are tons of statues and crap in the museums around here but museums are boring... everybody knows that. haha. tres zapotes is where a lot of the artifacts were discovered and we were there last week or the week before. its pretty cool to think that i am living where they lived.

but today we didnt do anything really exciting. the ZLs went to climb the hill cumorrah near here in Santiago which is stated to be the actual hill cummorah of the BoM but i didnt feel much like a hike this morning so we played some Futbol instead and i am awesome and scored 4 goals. id like to make a reservation for a Hat Trick +1 por favor. :) i hate soccer. such a garbage sport. but it is fun when we played to run through people and then fall over crying like a little frenchman holding his ankle... haha such a lady sport...

i got one picture of bill in one of the new OP threads and nearly pooped myself... i need me one of those. and i miss the pitch so bad. no one here understands a single thing about rugby and it is killing me. haha. when i get my new address out i want a package that is going to include my o.p. hat. :) and like two of everything. dress shirts18 neck, dress pants38 tall preferably pleated so i can have some room for my giant butt/thighs, costco gold toe socks more than 2 please. and if at all possible some more G's. tall please...

also something quite sad is that i have already walked the soles out of my shoes and am going to have to resole them or buy new ones. it might be best to resole them and if at all possible have a new pair of something better sent down from my loving family... haha i will make do with what i can for now because i still dont know the address to Villahermosa. i am told that packages US to Mexico using USPS are safe and secure so it shoud be alright.


also i would like to add a happy birthday to AFFEE and to SLOPPY JOSEPH happy birthday and all that. i have your birthdays written fisrt thing in my agenda and i thought about you guys alot on your days. also today is Nicholas Van Nye´s Birthday

so make it HAPPY.


haha.

love you all so much

the church is true..

i know that it is the only true church on this earth and it is only through the power of the Resurrection and the ordenaces of the church that we can live in happiness here in this life and after.

be safe my beloved friends and family.

con todo mi corazon,

Elder Elrey

Pictures!

These are from last week and this week. Sorry it took so long!