Monty Nerd Day!

This week at Santa Rosa High is Spirit Week.
It is in anticipation of the "big game" on Friday night against Montgomery High!

Today was Montgomery Nerd Day!

Go Panthers!!!

She said......

YES!!!!
Saturday night was Santa Rosa High's Homecoming!

Hailey and friends!

Jennie, Michaella, Hailey, Becca and Leigh have been friends since Kindergarten!

Forty kids met for a pot luck dinner.

A good time was had by all.

I can't believe they are SENIORS!

Happy Birthday Dave!

Can you believe this 'HOTTIE' is 45!

First Email from Guatemala

Hey guys!

This is the first chance that I have had to email since I have been here. This week has been pretty long but it is ok. I am with a bunch of beginner spanish speakers now in class so me and my old companion Elder Ireland are really struggling with improving in our spanish when they are going over how to conjugate in the present tense. I got a new companion from Hawaii so I still have not had any comps from Utah! haha. And a few days ago The MTC president asked us to be the "APs" or "Zone Leaders" when these ones leave in a couple of weeks, so thats will be pretty fun. The food here is ok it is a lot easier on the stomach but they feed you as much. But it does feel more real and not mass produced like in Provo. We are right next to the temple and we get to go in later today for the first time. I am so excited. The gym time hear sucks because they are building a gym so we only have one basketball court for 40 elders cuz the construction is taking up the other 2 courts. Every thing else is pretty good but it definitely takes some getting used to. My new district is pretty cool, not as cool as my other district which I really miss a lot! I miss so many people. That is probably the hardest thing about a mission is leaving everyone behind. But it will be happening for the next 2 years. As soon I build a good relationship with someone you are forced to leave them. I am learning a lot about the gospel from the MTC president cuz we have firesides with him like 4 times a week and he is an amazing person. He knows so much and better yet he knows how to convey that knowledge to everyone else. He is great. Sorry this email is so random but I am writing everything I can cuz I barely have any time. Tell me how everyone is doing. Anything new? Oh ya they say if you want to send packages to put a picture of Jesus or Mary on the top and they won't touch it. That is too bad that the Titans decide to do good right when I leave. And so now it looks like the Utes are the front runners for the BCS buster this year. That is cool. Too bad I am missing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a guy who plays for BYU football here. He is a pretty cool guy. Cuz I haven't. How is everyone else doing? How is school going for Aden and Hailey? Well I love you all so much and hope all is well... I have like 30 seconds left so I better send this

-Elder Pierce Love you!

Temple Day at the MTC

Elder Pierce's MTC District
MTC Roomates

Today we received these pictures from Jonathan. He traveled to Guatemala last Tuesday so we were able to chat with him while he was in the Salt Lake Airport and while he was in Dallas. We received an email from the Guatemala MTC Mission President telling us that Jonathan arrived there safely. His P-Day's are Tuesdays so we should hear from him tomorrow.

Look Who Got Asked to HOMECOMING!

This "cuteness" was waiting for us when we got home from church today!
Balloons with question marks, a red rose, chocolate kisses spelling HOMECOMING....
and three pieces of Chocolate Cheesecake with the words Home, Coming and a ?.

I will let you know how she responds.....check back!

3rd and Final Birthday....for this year!

Hyrum, Aden, Bryan and Sam....at the bowling portion of the party!
Aden going for a STRIKE!
On Friday Aden celebrated his birthday with his friends! Our first stop was Powell's Sweet Shop, where each boy filled a bag full of the candy of their choice! Next we headed to the Bowling Alley. Each boy was able to get a strike! Next off to Round Table Pizza for dinner and video games. We topped it off with a sleep over which included football, movies, fort building, a nerf gun war and I even think a little bit of sleep! A good time was had by all!

New Address

Until November 15th

Elder Jonathan Pierce
Centro de Capacitation Misional

23-71 Boulevard Vista Hermosa
Zona 15
Guatemala Ciudad, Guatemala
or
http://www.dearelder.com
Select Guatemala MTC

The Best Field Trip.....Ever!

Today I went on a field trip with Aden's class. It was a musical called "Nightmare on Puberty Street". Imagine High School Musical...Puberty Edition! There were 4 cast members and they sang and danced to a variety of subjects from zits to abstinence and everything in between. Of course it produced lots of giggles as you can imagine with a room full of 6th graders, but I thought it was very well done.

Small World!

Look who knocked on our door Monday night!
Jonathan was in a Spanish speaking district in the Provo MTC. Most of the Elders and Sisters were going to Central America. One Elder, funny enough, was called to the Santa Rosa, California Mission Spanish speaking. When Jonathan found this out he immediately wrote us and told us to look out for Elder Howell. Jonathan said he was a really cool guy but the best thing about him was his amazing testimony. We don't have Spanish Elders in our ward but we told the Elders serving in our ward to watch for him. Well Monday night, his very first night in Santa Rosa, Elder Howell came over to visit. It was really fun to hear MTC stories and it was fun for him to see all of Elder Pierce's baby and childhood photos. Welcome Elder Howell to Santa Rosa! On a side note, Jonathan leaves for Guatemala today. I will post his new address when I get it. DearElder.com can be used as well. Just select Guatemala MTC!

Debut Concert!

Hailey and Matt sporting some concert choir flair! I especially like the Uggs!
Last night was the Debut Concert at Santa Rosa High School.

The lovely Hailey performed with the Concert Choir!

It was AMAZING!

Elder Pierce Email #2

Hey guys!

I can only read and respond to Emails on Tuesday during this half hour. The cookies were delicious and not too stale. haha. I am flying out on Tuesday from SLC at 1:10 to Dallas. I don't know how long that will take but I will either call you from Dallas or SLC depending on how much time I have at SLC, cuz I only have a one hour layover in Dallas. So be ready on Tuesday. This will be the last time I check my E-mail for a long time so don't email me back. Use dearelder.com. I can only write letters on Tuesdays and special days like conference and the first day etc. The MTC kinda feels like a prison at times, and by at times I mean always, but at least its a good spiritual prison and not the other kind. The food is ok but it gives everyone really filthy gas. And it is very fattening, my companion gained 13 pounds in a week and a half! The people are way cool. I love my district. It is overall pretty good. I am pretty nervous about leaving though. I am dying in here so separated from the outside world. I miss sports so much! We only get 50 minutes of sports a day 5 days a week. It really sucks! I might be gaining some weight, but I am sure that all those diseases that I will get in Guatemala will take it right off. I am learning so much here it is great. Everyday my testimony grows. Especially this weekend with conference. I think it was the best one yet. Or at least that I payed attention to. Please let me know whats going on in the playoffs and the NFL top stories in sports you know. What are the rankings this week? Anything else I need to know. Big trades or anyhting. Don't worry none of this distracts me from the work cuz we only are allowed to read mail at certain times. I love you lots. Any way got to go. Remember "Never give up, never surrender, never let despair overcome your spirit, always have hope and faith." Elder Uchtdorf (Saturday Conference)Love you all so much-Elder Pierce 10 seconds ahhh!!!.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is the 78th Birthday of

Martha Charlene Pitts Gover Griffen Saulsbury Hoskin Pierce!

I hope to have her energy and lack of gray hair when I am 78!

Cheers to you!

Yum.....Chocolate!

Our friend Stephanie visited us today from Switzerland and guess what she brought? Three bars are already missing from the picture. Dave is a dark chocolate guy....Hailey and I love the milk chocolate with hazel nuts and Aden went right for the plain milk chocolate! We love to have visitors, we have an extra room..... just remember the chocolate!

Elder Pierce Email #1

Hey Family!

How is everyone? The MTC is pretty cool! I love the spirit that is here but so far the days have been pretty long. Everyone says that once you get past the first few days it goes by quicker so hopefully that will be true. My companion's name is Elder Ireland and we get along pretty well. He is kind of a mess which annoys me but everything else is pretty good. My district is great we have 2 sisters and 9 elders. We all get along really well. One of the guys in my group is going to San Jose Costa Rica! I see my friends from BYU all the time! It is really cool to see them a catch up with them. The food is pretty good. Very fattening. Elder Ireland and I decided to put on as much weight as possible so that when we get tapeworm in Guatemala we won't get to devestated. haha. You're seven days of misery are almost done mom! you can do it! We got to take off the dot that first night so it wasn't too bad. I keep feeling like i have a phone vibrating in my pocket eventhough i don't have a phone. We call them phantom vibrations. They are super annoying. Thanks for the advice Dad I will never forget the advice you give. You are my idol i look up to you so much eventhough sometimes i don't act like it. I love the spirit here and i think i will be able to seperate the fun from the work. My spanish is already better than ever. I can pray and even bare my testimony in spanish. sort of. its pretty rough but I can get the message across. I love being part of this wonderful work and i know that a prophet of God called me to be here at this time. I miss you guys so much! And thank you for everything! you guys are all awesome. I can only write letters and do emails on tuesdays so those will be the days you hear from me.

I love you lots.

-Elder Jonathan Pierce

P.S. sorry dad I still need the sports updates to keep me going.Love you bye!

Worth It!

This drawing was made for me by one of the residents of the Group Home where I work! Sometimes being tired all the time is worth it!

11 Nights!

Tonight is the first night in 11 nights that I get to sleep in my bed! As you know I work the night shift 4 nights a week. Well because of our trip to Utah I had to trade some shifts and so sleeping at night has not been an option for me. I did have five hours of night sleeping while in Utah...but there is nothing like your own bed. Well tonght is the night! Sweet dreams to me! I am so EXCITED!