SEP_13_17_MOM_LEW

 Hey Mom!

I don't know how much time I'm actually going to get to write you today, since I'm going to the temple with Carolina. It's going to be a BUSY day, and I don't anticipate getting back to my apartment until right around 6pm, and that's when P-day will be over. So this may be the only letter you get this week. I'm sorry about that. If I have more time later today, I'll be sure and write you a much more detailed letter.

It was great being able to talk to you and dad this last Thursday!! It was crazy weird hearing your voice. I didn't think I would hear it again until Christmas time, but as fate would have it, we got to talk a little bit sooner. I started the medication on Saturday morning and... to be completely honest with you, it hasn't seemed to help yet. In fact, my anxiety/physical symptoms seem to have gotten worse. Which is encouraging, I guess?? The doctor said that that might happen, and that that's an indication that the drug is working. He said that i should start feeling improvements after the first week. Which is great, but I still have to get through this first week, which is easier said than done. And it's not like missionary work can just stop for a week as I rest or whatever. So yeah. It's been kinda hard. Really hard, actually. Today especially. But I'll get through it. I cant wait until this "Be patient" stage is over, and then I can move into the "Getting Better" stage. That's where all the fun is at.

So I had my interview with President Bednar on Friday, the morning after we talked. Obviously the first part of the interview was all about my conversation with you, how we came to the decision, how I felt about it, etc. But then he started to talk to me about the fact that transfers are coming up (September 26th), and he's 99 percent sure that Elder Marcum will be leaving Lewisberry, and I'll be staying. He recognizes that being with Elder Marcum, while rewarding and educational, has been very difficult for me. Elder Marcum is very fast paced, and doesn't like wasting time at all. And he's very opinionated and stubborn and just... not very relatable at all. But he's like SUPER dedicated and obedient. Anyways, President Bednar said that while the assigned area is very important, the companionship is FAR more important. He told me that even though it was difficult and stressful,  Elder Marcum is the companion that I needed right now. But he told me that he already has another companion picked out for me, and that he is a lot more relaxed. Apparently he comes from a small town, and is a hard worker, but is not quite as GO GO GO as Elder Marcum, if that makes sense. Obviously he didn't tell me who it was, and I know very few Elders in this mission, so I have no idea. So I guess we'll see in a couple of weeks??

Anyways, those are the two things that I really needed to tell you. I'll try to email you again later in the day, but I really don't know if I'll have time. If I don't, you can expect a super long and detailed email about my temple trip next Monday. I'm like SO EXCITED :) I'm gonna be in PHILADELPHIA. We're gonna do Baptisms with Carolina and then an endowment session with the Kauffmans (the couple that's taking us there). I don't know if/when I'll get another chance to go to the temple on my mission, so I'm gonna take advantage of it!!  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and send them to you!! Gosh I love the temple SO MUCH. Totally stoked.

Love you mom!! I miss you!! Hopefully I'll be able to email later today!!

Elder Gonzales 

Hey Buddy Boy!

I decided that I better sit down and write you this letter.  I always debate as to whether or not I should write it earlier or later in the day.  I somehow have this idea that if I wait until later in the day that your letter might be more interesting.  Yeah, that’s not going to happen and so I guess that I should just suck it up and do it now!

It was so good to talk to you on Thursday.  It does a mother’s heart good to hear their child’s voice.  I know after speaking to you I felt so much better than the previous night.  I’m assuming that you have started the medication by now.  Please keep us posted as to your progress.  I put your name on the temple prayer roll the other day so I hope that you feel the love and support that are coming your way.

Things here at home remain much the same. Nothing really new to speak of.  Our neighbor is FINALLY mowing his grass which is literally about 2 feet tall in both back and front yard.  I know we have no room to complain as the backyard now looks atrocious but at least we mow the front.

As I’m sure you’ve probably heard by now, the BYU losing streak to Utah continues.  I am seriously worried for our offense.  They just can’t seem to get it together.  They finally started coming alive late in the third quarter but by then it was too little, too late.  We lost 19-13!  The rivalry week antics continued and some of Utah’s fans painted letter U’s on the cougar outside the stadium at about 4:30 in the morning.  Needless to say, someone saw them and called the police.  They had taken off in their car but the police stopped them and it was pretty obvious that they were the culprits as they had the red paint all over their hands.  Literally caught red handed!  Will the stupidity ever end?

The finals of the US Open are today for the men.  Nadal and Anderson (from South Africa) are playing.  Federer apparently lost to someone (although I can’t tell you who) and so he’s out.

We had the missionaries over today for lunch.  Elder Grange is still here but he has a new companion, Elder Matthews from Herriman, Utah.  Elder Grange was saying that he finishes his mission in about 3 weeks.  He also mentioned that he is going to go home and have surgery because he tore his ACL and has to have it repaired.  After his recovery he plans on attending BYU.  He wants to play rugby for them.  They have been working really hard and have had some success so that’s always good to see.

If I remember correctly, you have a baptism coming up this next Saturday. You’ll have to tell us all about that.

Has the weather started cooling off at all there?  Are the leaves starting to turn?  That will be a new experience for you.  Actually seeing leaves that are a different color other than green or brown.  I remember when Dad and I went to Pennsylvania.  It was October and the leaves were beautiful.  Pretty soon you’’ll have to worry about buying a coat and the other things that you will need for the winter weather.  Let us know what you need with regard to money for that.  I haven’t checked your bank account for a while and so you’ll have to let us know when it starts getting low.

As Dad told you on the phone, we always enjoy seeing your pictures and videos.  Keep them coming!

I hope you know that I love you sooooo much and that I and your Dad have your back.  If there is anything that we can do that is within our power to help you, we’ll do everything we can to make that happen.

Here’s hoping that those pesky headaches go away and that you start feeling a million times better.

Love you to the moon and back,

Mom