How cute is this?

And with all of the returned missionaries that I know... this MUST be true! I just had to post it as I was so thinking about Jared!!! Too much fun!

I figured it out!!!

For some reason, my posts aren't showing up. I figured it out when I updated Jenna's blog ( with my address.) I deleted it and then added it again and it worked. Please do that so that all of my updated will show up! Thanks everyone!!!

Posts not showing up

I think that there is something wrong with my blog. My new posts aren't showing up. I am writing this little post to see if it will update automatically and catch up. Sorry guys, I've been posting, promise!!! Let's see if this remedies the problem!

And the winner is..... Education

Yesterday, I was set apart as the Education Counselor in our Relief Society. I am so excited to be serving with this group of sisters! Two of them I know and love and the other one, I am excited to get to know. It will be a great adventure for sure and I am super happy about beginning this journey. I love our ward and I am so grateful for our last presidency. They were amazing! Treasa is my visiting teaching partner and she has taught me so much! And she is my next door neighbor and wonderful friend! Our sweet Michelle just moved to begin her new adventure with her family, (we will miss her so much! ) and Suzanne was the first one to congratulate me on my new position! Thanks Laurie, Sandy and LaRay! I can't wait to start working together with you in our new presidency!!!

It's Only So Long For Now

Mary, my Dad's dear wife, just passed away this last weekend. Our house has been in turmoil since we heard the news. I am so worried about my Dad. He has been widowed twice now. Not fair!

I decided to post this picture of Jared and My Dad... just to be a reminder that Families ARE Forever and that Jared is out helping others realize that. Although I have sad feelings about Mary's passing, I want to seal my Mom and Dad together for our forever family. I know that is something that I don't have to worry about.... Heavenly Father is in charge!! Thank Goodness and I am so grateful that all things will be right in Heaven.

Rest in Peace Mary: no more pain, no more sickness. God Be With You Until We Meet Again!

Jared's last letter

Hi everyone! We haven't had a letter from Jared in over 2 weeks and I was beginning to get a little worried!! You know that I would have so called the mission home for sure! But, alas, he redeemed himself with a nice long letter in my inbox this morning. It was his 20th birthday on Saturday and so we sent him a 'party in a box' and he had a good celebration anyway! Read on friends:

Dear Family
What is this??? You said that I haven't written in two weeks? I have written every week! Did you change your work email or were there some other problems with the computer?

Thank you for the package. I had Elder Williams take some pictures of me opening my presents. We made the cake, and I had him video me blowing out the candles. It was pretty fun. I bought myself a couple of gorgeous ties the other day. They are really shiny.

This week has been good. There were a few weird things that kind of happened to our ami's. Jackie, the Brazilian wife of our less active, had a huge fight with her husband and she was thinking about divorce. We went over there and prayed with them and kind of helped to calm her down. She is much more calm now, so we will see what happens. We are going to help them move into their new appartment on Wednesday.

I cant believe that you haven't got my package yet!!!! I sent that clear back at the end of September. I hope it gets there soon. If not, I suppose I can just do it again.

We found out that starting on November 4th, our preparation days will be on Wednesday. I really like that, because there will be alot more things to do on Wednesdays. More museums and businesses are open. Except for transfer weeks, they will be on Tuesday.

How is everybody doing? I hear the weather is good.

It has been getting alot cooler here. For a while, it was pretty cold and we didn't have heating in our appartment!! But they turned it on on my birthday! What a sweet present huh?!!

Transfers are next week. I will let you know what happens.

We went over to a members house for lunch on Sunday, the day after my birthday. I was a little worried that they were going to start singing to me. It was fine, until they brought out the dessert. They had made tons of brownies and had trick candles and such. After the second time of trying to blow them out, I thought ''Well, this is lame''! But it was fun anyway.

Dont worry, I am fine!
I love and miss you all!!
Love
Jared
P.S. Tell Chris Happy Birthday for me.

So there you have it folks! My son turned 20 out in the mission field and is having the time of his life. I can't wait to talk to him on Christmas. That will be my best gift ever!!!
Until next post my friends....
Colleen

90 Days And Counting!!!

So, a couple of posts ago ( actually one month exactly) my friend at work announced how long it was until Christmas! She's back at it today and I got really excited that in exactly 90 days... 3 short months ( my favorite months of the year ) we get to have our phone call from Jared. I can hardly wait. My coworker started talking about Christmas shopping and I thought about our sub for Santa family... ( No answers yet on who that should be... any suggestions????) and our phone call from Jared. Last month went so fast... I can hardly wait for these 3 to go too. Come on Christmas!!! I want to hear from my boy!!!! :)

Chambe'ry Anyone??

So, we received an email from Jared and he is being transferred to Chambe'ry France. He has been in beautiful Fribourg since he arrived in Switzerland, so we knew that this transfer was coming. While this is not as picturesque as there, it is still very beautiful there.

It is in the French countryside... we are not sure where he will be exactly, but this is what I googled . He will send me real photos soon, I'm sure, once he is settled.

You hear of the canals over in Europe, but this is so amazingly beautiful. I can't wait until we get to see it in person... of course, everything will probably be frozen then.

This photo actually reminds me of where I grew up in California. Not the beautiful old house in the background, just the grape vines. They surrounded our house. I'm sure ( not from personal experience though) that this is why the French wine is so popular. I can't wait to hear how he is and how he is liking it. His French teacher, Bill, who served in the very same mission as Jared, said that Switzerland was heaven and France was H E double hockey sticks. We'll see it he agrees!

Please Pray For Devin!

Hello all...
I have a request that I am trying to get out to as many people as I can. My friend, Cathy, who lives in Florida, had a heartbreak this past weekend. Her son, Devin, who is 26 or 27 ( I'm not sure... he's in law school ) was in a horrible car accident and he is in a coma right now. Please pray that he will recover if it be God's will. She is not a member of our church, but I've felt so helpless so far away. I am amazed at Heavenly Father's church... She is far away from their home in Tallahassee ( about 400 miles away from West Palm Beach) and knows no one there. I asked my friend at work, Lynne, who used to live in Florida where she lived. She said Orlando, and I thought that I was done. I told her that I needed to have someone in Tallahassee. She was so cute, and said, "Oh! My husband's best friend lives there. Let me give him a call!" She called him and 10 minutes later, he was on his way to the hospital with the missionaries. They gave both of them a blessing and she said that it brought her such peace. I'm praying for Devin and for their whole family. Please join me to give this family some peace and comfort. All prayers are good that lead to God. Until next post my friends...
Colleen

I can wait 4 months!

I was at work today and my friend casually mentioned that 4 months from today will be Christmas, and then she let out a big.... UGH! I, on the other hand, rejoiced! You all know how much I love the holidays but this year especially, I will be looking forward to December 25th. I get to have my phone call from Switzerland and talk to my Jared!!! I have been missing him a lot lately, and for some odd reason, 4 months didn't sound like a very long time before I get to speak with him. Also, after Christmas, another HUGE day that I will be looking forward to is January 28th, which officially makes the ONE YEAR MARK, and then we start counting down. Just for the record, as of today, Jared has been out in the mission field for a total of 210 days. I am very proud of him and get to talk to him in 4 short months! Hopefully they will fly by...... come on Christmas..... I can't wait to see you!

Happy Birthday Mom and Grandma!!

I just wanted to make a post wishing Gary's sweet mom, my mother in law and my kids' Grandma a wonderful birthday. She is 94 today and her only wish is to go back home to be with Heavenly Father and her sweet husband Jack. We miss him so much and we know that it would be her greatest wish to celebrate today with him. We love her with all of our hearts and we hope that her wish comes true that she will be able to go home soon. We love you Mom!!! Happy Birthday and May your wish come true!

More Suisse Pics

Hello Everyone!
We got a package from Jared and he sent home a photo card ( along with gifts for everyone and the world's best chocolate ) and I thought that I would post some pictures. I haven't done that in awhile, and these are just gorgeous. Enjoy !

So Long Elder Spence! It's been nice serving with you! I'll miss you~

I know that this is something of the church but I'm not sure what the sign says.

Jared standing on the edge of the castle. The drop is far down and he's so afraid of heights. But a dang good photo for sure!

Jared said this is one of his favorite places to shop... It's prounced Mee-grows.

Jared on one of his P Days touring a castle. They had gone hiking that day and his pants were really dirty!

Elder Man to the rescue!!!

One of the beautiful cathedrals in Switzerland!

Hiking up Moleson mountain. It's a real feat for Jared as he is afraid of heights like his mom. He did a great job setting up this shot!

Beautiful Garden area of Gruyere Castle.

Another garden shot.

And yet another garden shot.

I wish my yard looks like this with all of the beautiful flower gardens!

A front shot of the castle where the gardens are.

So there you have it. It's so beautiful over there. I can't wait to go and see all of this when we are able to pick him up in 2011. I will leave you with a funny picture. He's taken a bunch of photos of cows... I guess they are big over there with all of the cheese you know! I have a scrapbook page all ready in the works. I just need to find the right 'cow' paper... The title will be ... Real Switzerland Cheese... Happy Cows Come From Switzerland!!

Until next post my friends! Love to you all!

Colleen

Two Of My Favorite Guys!

Two of My Most Favorite Guys In the Whole World!!!

I just wanted to post about 2 of my all time favorite guys... It would be my husband Gary and my son Justin. I haven't posted anything about them for awhile (or ever maybe? Man... I'm a rotten wife and mom!!! ) Anyway, I just wanted to list a few of my favorite things about these two. First off, they are such good friends. They love to spend time together with each other and they will do anything for anyone ( they so have that in common!!! ) They have amazingly contagious laughs and you just can't help but be in a good mood around either of them.

I want to write a minute about my husband. He standing in front of a Veteran's memorial in Las Vegas here. He served for 6 years in the US Navy and is very proud to be a veteran. He honored his Dad by joining and serving in the same branch of the military that Jack did. He is very proud that he fought for our country. He even just got new license plates that stated that he was a Navy vet. He is also very patriotic and a wonderful Dad and a great husband. I've always said that I am so grateful to be married to my best friend and it's still so true today. I love you Gary!

Next comes my Justin. What can I say about him? He is the most unselfish person that I have ever met in my whole life. He is always there if you need him whether you are his friend, his family or even a stranger on the street. He helps everyone all of the time. He has the most kind heart... he has since he was a little guy... and cares so much about everyone. He spoils his sister just rotten and will give her anything that she asks for. He will drop everything to help out someone in need and even cancel the plans that he had for the day if need be. I am grateful that he is my son. His most recent act of selflessness is that he moved back home in order to help support Jared on his mission. Jared doesn't know that he did this for him but he will when he comes home. I am so very blessed to have him as my son. I hope that he will find the right girl for him soon. I love you very much Justin!

Random Questions

My sweet niece, Stephanie, in St. George has this tag on her blog, and I was one of the lucky recipiants to be tagged. If you know Steph, you know how awesome she is. I love her very much and am very grateful to have her as a member of our family. So... here are my random ???'s.

MY RANDOM QUESTIONS:

What is your current obsession?
I would have to say trying to stay on top of Jared's scrapbook. I've gotten almost all of the photos that he has sent us along with his letters in his book. I have only a few more to be completed, and then the last letter stated that he has 200+ more photos. I love seeing him in the pictures and seeing how he is growing and progressing. I surely know that my Jared won't be a little boy when he returns from his Switzerland Mission, but more over, a man with an even stronger testimony.

What do you hate the most that everybody else seems to love?
I would have to say seafood. I really can't stand it and everyone just loves fish and shrimp and crab, etc. Give me a good old chicken breast any day... and leave the fish in the ocean!!! :)

What are you wearing today?
White shirt, black capris and white sandals. Comfort before style is my motto!

What would you eat for your last meal?
I agree with Steph. I would wish that I could have anything made by my mom or my sweet mother in law. They added wonderful ingriedients and even though I seem to do the same thing, it never turns out the same. Also, for dessert, I would ask for Melb's cinnamon rolls. They were ... in her words.... DELISH!

What's the last thing you bought?
More scrapbook supplies for world travel for Jared's mission book.

What are you listening to right now?
Actually, me just typing. Nothing else really.

What do you think of the person who tagged you?
My niece, Steph??? I love her immensely. She was just a baby when I joined the Walch clan, and I've watched her blossom from a tiny little girl ( who was the biggest Tom Boy that you ever saw) to such a beautiful young wife and mother. I am very proud of who she has become. I know her mom is so proud of her and so are we. We LOVE YOU Stephie Ree!!!!

If you could have a house, fully paid for, and totally furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be?
So, while I might enjoy the warmth of St George or Arizona, or some exotic place like Hawaii or Tahaiti, or even some romantic place like Rome or Paris, I would still want to be close to my family... my kids. I don't think that I could be happy living far away from them. I don't know how my Dad ever survived me moving far away from home as it would kill me to be away from them. They are my life and there is no where that I would rather be than close to them. I don't even have grandbabies yet... I don't even know what I'll do then!!!! :)

What is one of your hobbies?
Of course, anyone who knows me know that I love crafts and scrapbooking. However, my Yaya Chris is an amazing photographer. I have learned from watching her some different techniques and I would like to think of myself as a budding photog. I even did a family reunion of my neighbor when all of her family was here. I took about 200 photos and got such great shots. They were so happy. I just copied things I have seen done before, and I think that I really want to learn more. I drool each time I see a nice camera with a big zoom lens. I can't wait until I can have one of those play toys to experiment with. I want a rapid speed shutter so that I can take several shots in just a couple of seconds.

What are 3 things that annoy you most?
1) Spend all day cleaning your house and then by the next morning, it's back to it's original state. It happens most often with my scrapbook room. I get it all neat and tidy and then everything that my family doesn't know where to put, ends up in there with the door closed. From Jenna's shoes to Gary's tools and everything else in between. They always leave a mess of food and garbage by my computer too. AARRGGHH !
2) Wastefulness... if there is such a word. Leaving the lights on when leaving a room, leaving the water on while brushing your teeth, the air conditioning on all day when no one is home, the car idling forever, stuff like that.
3) Annoying sounds, like nose whistles or snoring, random tapping, pen clicking, etc.. drives me absolutely crazy.

What is your favorite color?
Love green, all shades! Ditto Steph..... I concur!

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?
I would have to say my pj's and my robe for comfort... While I like to look nice, my motto as stated in Question #3 still stands!

What are you most looking forward to?
I guess I should say a Christmas phone call from Jared, but really, it is to give him a hug. In church on Sunday, we had a newly returned missionary and his mom was just beaming. I asked her if I could hug him because I couldn't hug my missionary! I know that he probably thought that I was nuts, but he complied and even hugged me back!

What is your dream job?
I would have to concur with Steph on this one too. I would love to get paid to make scrapbook pages, or cards etc for someone. That would make me so happy to be able to create some place to store their memories.

What is for dinner tonight?
Well, since Jenna is gone for girls camp, we may go out to dinner, or just have left overs. Gary grilled a bunch of chicken breasts last night and they were so yummy and we still have a bunch in the fridge. I guess I'm leaning towards the latter, with maybe a salad.

Describe your personal style...
I would say comfy and cozy. Homey... and casual. I like to decorate with items that remind me of people or memories that are close to my heart. I love to have photos of my family around me. Makes me so happy!

What are you going to do after this?
We just bought a new sectional for our family room downstairs and since our carpet has been cleaned, I'd say move the furniture down there and try it out! We've been rearranging our rooms and moving furniture from one to the other. I can't wait to have my new stuff downstairs. I'll post pics when we are done.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
My all time favorite is boring chocolate chip. I like others but if I could choose, this would be the one.

Who was the last person you kissed?
I guess since Jenna is out of town, it would have to be my best friend, my husband, Gary.

What are you currently reading?
I just got finished reading 3 books, but I am now re-reading My Sister's Keeper. I want to finish the book again before I see the movie. I am a slacker at reading my scriptures, but I try.

By what criteria do you judge a person?
Honesty. I want others to be real around me and not try to be 'what they think I'd like them to be'... that really drives me crazy when you act one way around one person and then a totally different way around another one. Just be who you are and be okay with that. I have friends from all walks of life, some church members and some not, and I respect them for the kind of people that they are.

What is on your agenda for tomorrow?
We have been taking advantage of an empty house by cleaning our carpets and rearranging furniture. I'd say, starting to put everything back in it's place. I've got to get into Jenna's closet before she comes back from camp... that girl is a pack rat and doesn't get rid of anything even if it's 2 sizes too small!

What delighted you most today?
When I told a patient at work that she no longer had a bill with us. That I had pulled in some favors and got it taken care of. She started to cry and told me that I was an angel. Made me feel so wonderful!

What inspires you?
I would truly say unconditional love. I can't express how I feel when I hear the prophet speak (or my favorite, President Hinckley). I miss how Gary's Dad used to tease me until he made me scream and then laugh and hug me so hard. I love it when I see my kids do things for other people without expecting material gain of any sort. Jared serving our Heavenly Father for 2 years of his life is truly unconditional love. Justin giving anything he can to anyone who needs it, be it money or effort or friendship. Jenna seeing that her little neighbor friends who aren't as blessed as her and sharing her clothes that she 'no longer likes or that really doesn't fit her that well'. My sweet mother in law whose only wish is to go home to be with her family again, she inspires me tremendously. I love it when I see my friends at work do things for others just because it will make them happy. That's why we are here I truly believe and that is what inspires me the most.

The rules: Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.

Tag eight other people! Ashlee, Jill, Stephanie L, Lisa G, Kami E, Deb Brown, Becky and Tyma!

HAVE FUN!!!!!

Annual Girls Camp "Do"

So, it's that time again! Girls camp for Jenna!!!!! She so looks forward to this experience and so do I as she grows so much each year. This is her 4th year and her last year to certify, and then next year, she will be able to be a Junior Leader. She leaves today and is very excited. However, there is one part of girls camp that we both dread with a passion. I thought that we were safe when she said that she just wanted me to French braid her hair... Yes! I thought.... Well, sadly I was mistaken. All of the other girls have now followed her lead and have decided to braid their hair. Doesn't sound so bad, right? Well, after 3 hours we were done!!!! First photo after one hour.First hour progress... 21 braids down. Notice the Teddy Grahams... as she needed a snack to sit there that long!

Hour 2 progress. 37 braids, and now we have moved on the Gator Aide to add to the Teddy Grahams!

And finally, the finished product. 63 braids in all! We are done after 3 hours of braiding! It's so easy for her to have her hair like this for camp . Too bad she has started a tradition that all of the other girls have followed, but I have to admit that she does look cute in them! Have a safe girls camp Jenna. I will miss my girl a ton! I love you soooo much!

Our newest addition to our family!

We have a brand new addition to our family. She is beautiful and wonderful and we are so glad that she is with us now. Our son, Josh, got married to his sweetheart, Jessica, on June 13th, 2009. Here are some photos of the happy day!

Mr and Mrs Joshua Michael Walch

Jessica and Josh sharing a sweet kiss.

Candle Lighting Ceremony

Exchanging Rings

After the ceremony... All smiles!

Our big happy family ... minus Jared our missionary!

Mom, Josh and Dad

Josh and his Best Man, Best Friend, Best Brother Justin

Jenna Finally Has a Sister!!!

Our Beautiful Bride and New Daughter In Law Jessica! Welcome to our family Sweetheart!!! We are so happy that you are officially a 'Walch" now!

Jared's Amazing Letter!

We got an incredible letter from Jared. It's amazing how the Lord is guiding him to his ami's (which is what they call their investigators ). He's having much success and is just loving serving the Lord. Read on:

Dear Family,
Ok, this week has been incredible! We had a ton of success!! Last Monday (the 11th) we only had 1 lesson, and that was at Family Home Evening. It wasn't the best day for numbers.

Tuesday, we wanted to work in this other newer area, and we did, but we didn't have a very good day. It started out so slow and it didn't get better during the day.

Wednesday, we had some success! We did some porting and got let in. We taught this girl about the B.O.M and added her as a new ami. She seemed like she was pretty interested. Then that night, we had an activity with the Young Women and Young Men, and we did a missionary activity to help them know how to talk to their friends and answer their questions. It was fun.

Thursday, we saw some huge miracles! We had district meeting up in Neuchatel, and that was fun as always. Then we had a lesson scheduled for that night with a Muslim theology student that lives with a pastor. We tried to call him and confirm our meeting, but they wouldn't answer. So we decided to head back out to Bulle, and we met with another one of our ami's. We watched the restoration dvd with them and they liked it. The wife says that she is interested and so we have an appointment to come back this week. Then we were heading towards the bus stop, and Elder Spence says, "Why dont we just port this one building?" So we did, and we got let in! He was an older guy. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he was going to read it. So we are going back tomorrow. After we did that, went to the bus stop, and got on the bus back to Fribourg. We sat in the back, and this guy in front of us says, " Hey, are you the Mormons?" So we told him yes, and we taught him a first lesson and gave him a restoration brochure. He gave us his information and he wanted to meet with us again.

On Friday, we went back to Bulle, and kept working. We ported this building and found 4 new investigators!!! Then we had a lesson with this family, the Djukic family. They are progressing really well. They are Orthodox but the Dad is like struggling against himself. He wants to find the truth, but then he is like, Well, I am Orthodox? But they are an awesome family!

On Saturday, we went back to Bulle to teach an old ami. She had 2 friends that were there and they were interested in learning more. Then as we left there, we walked by this park, and this lady from a bench which was probably 40 yards away yells, "Hey... Are you the mormons?" So we went and taught her too. Then we had a lesson in Romont, and we get there, and we get out of the train station and walk down the street, and this car stops in front of us. This lady gets out and starts talking to us. She told us she was a member from Portugal but she hadnt been able to find the church here. So we gave her the address and she said she would come.

It was so cool to see the Lord help us find people and how everything was just timed so exactly perfect! The work here is going really well. I hope that helps describe some of the things that are happening here. I know this church is true and the gospel is just amazing. It's cool to see the Lord work through us! Ok, I have to run. I love and miss you all!
Love,
Jared ( Elder Walch )

So, we loved getting this letter. It was incredible to hear how he is affecting others lives. To have people come up to them is just amazing! I love hearing him so happy and well. He's doing a fantastic job. Until next post....
Take Care
Colleen

Mother's Day Phone Call

Hello everyone! What a terrific day I had yesterday at 11:00 am Mountain Standard Time. I got to talk to Jared for a whole hour! It was an amazing phone call. He sounded so good. We were so excited to hear from him He's doing so well and he is loving it in Switzerland. He said that everything there is so beautiful but so different. We talked and lauged and had just a wonderful day. He has been out in the field for 104 days today. We sent him a 100 day box and we were so excited for him to get it. He said that he got it and is having fun seeing what surprises his sister has included for him. It was an amazing gift to be able to speak with him. I loved it! He stated that he has sent home a package for us with Switzerland tshirts for the entire family along with his photo card and some other things. I'm hoping for chocolate myself!!! I can't wait to taste some Swiss chocolate. Jared said that they have fast food places there but it's different than here. It's like Mom and Pop stands. His favorite is a Kabob. Basically, Jared said, it is a giant meat ball on a stick! He said that he always tells them no vegetables ( yep! that's my son! ) so he just eats the plain meat. He will be with this companion for another 6 weeks or so and then will get a new one. He will stay in Fribourg for approximately 12 more weeks. He told us that he has been sight seeing a ton and will have fun things to take us to when we pick him up. He also told us that he has been cooking... For example, last night they were going to make crepe tacos... with a pork roast that they had made a couple of nights ago? What??? Jared cooking? Spaghetti was a huge stretch for him and now pork roasts and crepes?Yes indeed, folks! He said that he is learning a lot of things and will be able to make us an 'incredible dinner' when we get there. I am so proud of him. He is learning so many things and will return a man instead of a little boy. I love and miss him so much. I will post new photos of him as soon as I get the card. Until next time faithful readers...

Take Care

Colleen

Tastes Like Pepperoni???

So we just got this email from Jared today. I was so worried about him yesterday since I knew that he had Mondays for his P day. I felt good though, and after we prayed, I knew he was okay. And then this nice surprise this morning. You have to know Jared. He is a very picky eater and he will never try new things. So this experience is so new for him. Keep reading and you will get the title of this post.... Tastes like pepperoni?

Dear Family,

So things here in Switzerland are way different. I am definately gaining a testimony of America. I was just thinking about how lucky we are that we have a car, and that we live in a house. Most everybody here lives in apartments. No banks will give loans to people, and lots of people are out of work here. Still, I hear that it is better than France.

Ok, lets see what has happened.....
We had our first zone conference in Yverdon (E-ver-done) and that was pretty fun. Oh, I think you and Dad will be happy to know that I have been trying lots of new food. I actually had cow tongue yesterday. I took pictures to prove it too. It actually tastes like pepperoni, only a little bit more tender. Swiss cheese like they have at home doesn't exist here. The basic staple cheese here is called Gruyere (Gwee-Air) It is some type of cow cheese. Not bad. A little bit strong at first, but it gets better after a while.

Oh, normally Mondays are my preparation days, but there will be sometimes when the email place wont be open. Like this week. They actually do Easter pretty big here. People get the Friday before and the Monday after off of work. So everything was closed.

Elder Spence and I went to this monstrous cathedral down the street from our appartment. It was pretty cool. I took a ton of pictures. I think that I have something like over 200 pictures on my camera right now. I will send it home pretty soon.

If you want to give other people my email, you can. But I only get an hour a week, so if I get a ton of emails, it will take a little while to write back to all of them.

Ok, I will keep you posted. Tell everybody hi for me.
Love,

Jared

So he sounds wonderful and he is growing by leaps and bounds. I can't wait to see the photos that he sends back. I will definitely share when I get them.

Until next post my friends....

Take Care!

Colleen

Happy Easter!

I saw this picture on a friends blog and I loved it. How very appropriate. Hope that we can all remember the real reason that we celebrate.

Our First Letter From Jared From Switzerland!

Dear Family,
I am here in Switzerland. Finally! This is one of the greenest places that I've ever seen in my life! I can't believe how beautiful this land is. It's amazing. I'm sincerely in awe of the beauty all around me. So far, I've only met the people in the mission home and my companion and other missionaries. I'm excited to get out and start spreading the good news!

My first ville is Fribourg. It is a pretty cool place of about 40,000 people. So basically the size of Tooele or maybe a little bit bigger. I will probably end up staying here until August. That will be my third transfer. President and Sister Peterson said that a strange thing happens here every 2 years. Almost 1/2 of their senior missionaries go home so that means that 7 of the 12 of us that came over at the same time will be the Senior Companion after just 2 or 3 transfers. That is crazy, huh? We'll see if it affects me! I like it here. Everything is really different though. As for our apartment, the bathroom in the apartment is small. Really small! So is the kitchen. But the main room and the bedroom are pretty big, so that is nice. I got to meet some of the members over conference. They are pretty nice. I like it here. I miss some things from home, but this is not bad either.

We went on this hike for preparation day up this canyon. I have a ton of pictures that I took. I think I've taken over 100 since I arrived. The food is definitely different. There are some good things and some bad things to eat here as well. But I am slowly learning how NOT to be a picky eater.

Elder Spence is a pretty cool guy. He is my trainer and companion. He only has 2 transfers left, so he will probably stay in Fribourg with me. I think it will be nice, because I could use the help with the language. I am actually understanding quite a bit more than I thought I would. But it is still pretty hard.

So how did you like conference? We went to Neuchatel to watch it. It was pretty cool. I learned a lot. Elder Holland is pretty much amazing. I could feel the spirit so strong. Also, we decided that Teancum from the Book of Mormon is basically the Nephite James Bond. It was cool.

We went window shopping today also. Elder Spence wanted to buy a French suit, but we just looked. We didn't actually buy anything. But everything here is good. I actually didn't have very bad jet lag. I slept great. Things here are a lot of fun. So many new experiences for me every day!

How is everyone in the ward? Pretty good? Things here are just really different. It is a little bit of a culture shock to be here, but it is still fun and I am learning a lot.

We are 8 hours ahead of you here for the time difference. I think it's strange that I am eating dinner and you are just starting the day!

I love you and miss you all,
Love,
Elder Jared Marc Walch

P.S. I thought that I would end my letter with my testimony ….in French!

Je voudrais porter mon témoignage. Je sais que c'est la véritable Eglise de Jésus-Christ. Je suis très reconnaissant d'être au service d'une mission de ses enfants en Suisse. Je sais que le Président Thomas S. Monson est un vrai prophète de Dieu. Je sais que Joseph Smith est un vrai prophète de Dieu et qu'il a vu Dieu le Père et Son fils Jésus-Christ. Je veux que mon Père céleste pour savoir combien je l'aime et je veux que ma famille de savoir à quel point je les aime. Je suis reconnaissant pour leur sacrifice pour moi d'être ici. Je m'ennuie de tout le monde et je pense à vous souvent. Au nom de Jésus Christ. Amen.

Elder Jared Marc Walch
10 Rud Des Bouchers
1700 Fribourg
Suisse

Jaredwalch@myldsmail.net

Destination: Fribourg Switzerland

Jared arrived safely.. but very tired, in Geneva. This is his first official photo with his new companion and trainer, Elder Spence. His Mission President and Mission Mom are President and Sister Peterson. I was worried about him so I emailed the Mission Mom. Here is her response.

Dear Sister Walch,

Yes, your son arrived safely on Tuesday. We kept them awake until bedtime so they could adjust to the new time, so they were very sleepy by the end of the day. You should be receiving a picture in the next day or so.

Love, Sister Peterson

So today, I received his first photo with this email:

Dear Brother and Sister Walch,

Yes, Elder Walch has indeed arrived safely. His companion and trainer is Elder Spence and they are serving in beautiful Fribourg, Switzerland. On day 2 this photo was taken of the two of them with President and Sister Peterson. He has written a letter to you which should arrive shortly.
Switzerland Geneva Mission Office

You can bet that I have a perma grin on my face because I know that he is safe and well. He looks very excited to get started. I googled Fribourg and wait until you see the beautiful place he will be serving on his mission. It's so beautiful, I can't believe it.

This looks like a little village out of a story book. It is amazingly beautiful !

This is a view of the Alps in the springtime, of course! How beautiful , huh? Another view of Fribourg. I can't believe how quaint and how amazing this is. And my Jared is here !!!
How great would it be to have your first district out in a place like this? He has been waiting so very long to serve the Lord and I think this is a huge blessing that he will get to see up close and personal the majesty of some of His creations!

I can't believe how much he has been blessed. And this is a dream come true for him. I know that our family has been blessed by his service. I look forward to posting his first letter from Switzerland and photos from him. Until next post...

Love to you all !

Colleen