Ben 3/11/13

Family,

 

I am so blessed!  I can't complain about a thing!  I'm happy and just lovin' every second of my mission!  This week was so great! I am just dreading the day I have to leave this place!  I am being honest when I say I would be happy to spend my whole mission here!  I receive so many blessings I am undeserving of! You guys must be living right, because I sure didn't earn what I'm getting.  The work is going forth, the ward is great, this place is beautiful.  Thursday really capped it off for me.  Just the blessings from home were awesome!  I got the Red dirt(THANKS MATT) and all of your ties and they are awesome! Matt I love the green and Blue tie! Elder Patten wanted to trade for it and I was like heck no this is from my BRO!  Mom I can't say I'm surprised about the red one! Its sharp! Thanks I love it! And dad, I can't say I'm surprised, but I already traded one of them and maybe what I'll do is send you back one that I trade from wheeling and dealing!  Just loved the package! I put the dirt in a jar and could use some more when you send another package. It's beautiful though. Then I got that net from Nate!!! Thanks man! The net is on the jar! my two most prized possessions!  I LOVED reading those other letters from my bros!!! Just loved it! That's sweet Truman is headed to Tallahassee! I hope with all my heart Tru and Trevor are companions! I mean think about it! How funny would that be?! Trevor: "ELDER TRUMAN WHAT THE HECK BRO?!" "TRUMAN I'm the Senior companion" "Have some respect bro"  "Will you TRY to teach by the spirit"  hahaha classic! Trevor's letter cracks me up!  How much will it cost for me to write Tavish? Like what do I do?  I hope someone from SC gets called out here! I also loved getting the pictures and Brady's announcement! Our district leader reminds me of Brady a little bit, except not my best bro, but I know Brady will be an awesome missionary!   That day I also found out our ward had half the baptisms and conformations of the zone for February. (Ricky and his mom and then Aida's kids) It was just a really rewarding day.

 

Before I forget. I need the GPS!!! ASAP.  thanks ha ha.  also I'll need the music. Maybe like the spirit soundtrack, some Josh Groban, Jack Johnson and Norah Jones according to your discretion. Johnny cash religious. When I get where I'm going. You guys have good judgement but hook me up! Some hymns that won't put me to sleep. Nate and Matt,  I put you over deciding whether I like it or not and mom and dad you decide if its appropriate.  Mostly though I need the GPS.  We only have so long because did I mention this is only a five week transfer to get on track with the MTC?! So that's even shorter I get to spend with Elder Patten!  Sad.  It's a lot of pressure to take over the area..

 

1. Send everything to the mission home. It's best that way.

2. Ties for sure! Tie's are Gold out here! At least in this mission.  I'll try to send ties home for Ben and Todd and Kallan when they leave but For Coop (and Brady if he's not gone already) just buy something nice and write my number and their number (5 and 1, respectively) On Coops write "shut up and rep D state" or just "rep d state" and on Brady's write "I got your blind side"

3. Weather is perfect! I wish it would stay like this forever. Everywhere. It's gonna get nasty in the summer though you can just tell.  I mostly just use the jacket when I'm too lazy to put anything else over my garments. (P-days and nights))

4.  Everyday is new gators and experiences!  One good one is quite a project but we found a whole family who is ready except for word of wisdom. Bubba, basically John H., just imagine preaching him the gospel.  Its a blast!!! I'm really glad I can relate with him! So we're working with his entire extended family because he them the OK, basically that they can trust what we say.  His daughter Kim had us over to her house because her kids are really disrespectful and she wants them to have Jesus in their lives.  Its hard to teach kids especially when their not all as smart as Matt! And they hadn't been exposed to anything about Jesus Christ.

 

Everything is going great!!! One thing I am most excited about is Nate's playing football!!! Dang man! That's awesome! I was mad when I couldn't email long enough last week.  I hope its for you and not for anyone else!!! You will love it!!!  I'm a firm believer that God made football to teach boys to be men and missions to teach men to be men of God.  Gotta start flipping tires man!!! I know you're workin hard that's awesome! Sacking the quarterback and scoring touchdowns that's what we're lookin at next year!  You can join in mine and Matt's 54 brotherhood! (if you want) It's all about legs in the weight room!  You gotta recruit and get lots of kids to play with you man!  Soak up every second you have on that field.  It's beautiful! Blue sky's and red rock and sweat in that field!  Just have some fun man! I'm loving the scruff I'm seein in the pictures!  Enjoy it all man just love every second!

 

Thanks again!!! Gotta go):

 

Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Elder G

 

***This weeks Questions ***

 

1. Did you get the box with the ties or the envelope with the letters yet?  Are you getting transferred soon? When? or Do you know you are staying at your house for a while?  If so, do you want me to mail the next box right to you instead of to the mission home?  What is your address?

2. What could we give your friends who are leaving?  We can't afford $400 but we want to do something? any ideas? A tie with your number 20 or 54 written on it? other ideas?

3.Matt wants to know how the weather is (does it rain or is it humid) and Nate was curious if you have used his black jacket and how that is working out?

4.New gators or experiences????

5. Let us know when you want music and Judy the GPS. Give us at least two weeks to get it sent though.  Do you think an MP3 player or ipod shuffle and some tiny speakers is best for music? Let me know and I will start gathering songs to put on it.