Some pics!

These pictures were taken last Wed. during and after the NCAA games at the Madison Square Garden. FUN!!

New investigators!

Dime a ver!

Pops

our week was pretty decent! our numbers didn't really show an excellent week but we had a few really good experiences that made up for all of it. We've found two new investigators, and i have some news about patricio and teresa but i'll tell you about it at the end of the email. i cant believe Brisa got her mission call! where am i gonna guess? uh.... i'm gonna guess Milwaukee, Wisconsin, spanish speaking! haha i don't know.. speaking of guesses, mi 'ama todavia le deve unas tortillas al Tim Sharp hahaha desde hace mucho.. There's no way i could've waited a few days to open my mission call. remember how we planned on it, but we ended up opening it on that same day? Brisa's more patient than i am.. yes, i got the package this morning! thank you so much! i'm going to be studying the scriptures you sent me and i'll probly read the book as well, as soon as i finish the one i'm reading now. man i wanna know what's up with your interview.. i'm still crossin' my fingers for you! give them my number so i can put in good word for you. as for the email, we technically have as long as we want to email, it just depends on where/how you access the computer. but the rule change that has been made in regards to email is that we can email whoever we want! crazy right? parents, cousins, siblings, friends, other missionaries. whoever we want to contact, we can do it now. isn't that crazy? we all think so.. haha we're all wondering why the missionary department made a huge change like that.. who knows, but i'm not complaining! uhhh i think we'll be able to walk around in just a white shirt after conference? that's what i heard.. and we had zone conference yesterday and president mentioned it, so i think it's coming soon. at least i hope so. i'm tired of wearing a suit every day haha that's crazy that beto is gonna be a priest.. so cool tho. i just wish i could be there for all that ya know? i don't see why they wouldn't let you bless the sacrament with him, i know i felt a lot more comfortable with you up there when i first did it, i think it'll be fine! oh, also, yes we had to wear our suits to the game! i'll send you guys a picture..

Mom

yessss i am doing great!

la calle? no habla mucho. de hecho, no he escuchado que la calle ha dicho nada. pero voy a poner mas atencion desde ahora! haha i bet you guys are so tired! i can't believe school is starting the 4th quarter.. i've been gone for almost an entire school year! crazy.. 8 months. it really has flown by unbelievably fast.. but i love that it's that way. i wish i coulda been there to celebrate all the march birthdays haha karla turns 21 tomorrow. she's so old! and i'm 20. that's weird to say. i still feel like i'm 16. i'm glad the cards got there safely, i hope they both liked them! what does sammy do? does he not hang out with people from school? is he still running track?  i'm jealous you guys get to go to the easter pageant.. i was actually talking about it with my roommates because one of the members in the english ward out here has been to it and they were telling the elders about it. cool right? i'm always down to brag about mesa.  Man, we've played volleyball twice out here recently and i just wanna go back to high school and play again.. don't worry about the package mom, the one you guys sent me was perfect, that's all i need! i'm super grateful for you guys and everything you do, you don't need to do more, trust me! as for my card. i took care of it! i went to the bank, they gave me a temporary card and i changed the address on it because it was the 3rd place address.. so i changed it to the Elm St address and they said they'll send it there, to you guys! so it should be there within a few days and then you guys can send it out here to me! i hope you don't mind. uhmm, my shoes are starting to tear, but i think i can wear them out a little bit more, so we're good for now. i think i'm good with everything, but in like a month or so it'd be nice if i could get a few short sleeved shirts.. everyone says summer out here is brutal and that short sleeves would be a good idea.  so yeah. in the future i'll let you know what i need. oh by the way, the name of our ward is "concourse" ... el barrio Concourse! ya tu sabe!

Other things.

Yobanna is still active! we've been working with her trying to get her to go to seminary but it's too hard because her school is too far, and if she goes to seminary she'll be late to school and that's not an option.. you wanna know what she said to me tho? we were talking to her about having good friends and surrounding herself with people who will help her stay on track and stuff like that, and we got to talking about temple marriage.

Patricio and Teresa. last you guys knew, they broke up. well, we only expected patricio to come to church on sunday, but after we sang the opening hymn in sacrament we looked back and they both walked in together. i'm sure you could imagine how happy and excited we were. so we talked to them after and they said that they're gonna try to work things out after all. we're visiting them tonight so i'll be sure to let you guys know how it goes! but this is super good news :)

new investigators. we knocked into this lady named maria. i told her we were there to bless her and her family and she started crying and let us in. we just got to know her a little bit and found out she's very catholic and her husband is too. but she's willing to talk about God so we're going back on saturday to see how we can help her and her husband.. we also Have Jaime and Gladis. they are columbian and they were a referral from another set of missionaries in harlem. we've been over there twice and we love them they are awesome! Jaime is really open to everything we have to say and asks really good questions, but his wife Gladis is suuuuppppperrrr catholic and the only questions she asks are questions to try and disprove the things we believe in.. so it's going to be a little bit of a challenge with her, but i can definitely see Jaime getting in the water if you know what i mean! so we're excited to be teaching them. 

Me and my companion still get along really good and we're both trying really hard to always be in sync and i think thats helped our companionship a lot! we never argue or anything, we always seem to be on the same page, whether we're teaching or planning or whatever. and i'm grateful because it's the first time i've had a companion where we both think the same and share our ideas and really we just have no problems with deciding what to do or where to go or anything. so it's going great! 

other than that, i don't really have any more news. so let me know if there's anything you would like me to do for you guys, okay? Los quiero mucho, cuidense por favor!

-Zazzy

Having some fun with the NCAA

Hi guys how's it going ? Dad, don't worry about not writing a long email! as long as i know your safe and doing good that's good enough for me. but i'll just be writing this whole email together. sooo first i'll talk about the game. it was SICK. we went down to madison square garden. the first game was Cincinatti vs Providence. it was pretty cool! but we were seated WAAYYY up at the top.. so at half time a few of us walked down to the bottom level and found an entrance where there wasn't any guards.. so we snuck in and found a row that fit all of us! so for the second half of the game we were actually pretty close to the floor! the 2nd game was Syracuse vs Seton Hall.. syracuse is a big basketball school so it started to get pretty packed and all of the people around us who had snuck down all got kicked out of their seats and so we thought that we were gonna get kicked out too, but we decided to stay there until someone kicked us out. and we got super lucky haha nobody came any said anything! so for the whole second game we had seats on the bottom level, it was dope!!!! and i bought a hat. i had to do it. SYRACUSE! haha so yeah. the games were awesome, thank you for giving me the money to go :) uhmm not a whole lot else happened this week. the weather has been stupid. we got a few inches of snow the other day. i don't like it down here in the city . but it's all melted by now! my companion has been feeling better. we ran on monday morning, but then monday night was when it snowed so we couldn't run on tuesday morning because there was snow everywhere. and this morning we didn't run because i don't even know why! lazies. don't judge! i am getting fat haha i need to be able to play ball every day. i've really been thinking about whether or not i wanna play basketball when i get back.. don't know. but i wanna play more basketball, once a week aint enough! 

so for the update on our investigators.. we got some bad news. we went back to teach patricio and teresa on monday and they told us their final decision.. they decided to get seperated! and teresa said she doesn't want to continue the lessons for now.. patricio said that he's still gonna take the lessons and that we'll talk at church on sunday.. he doesn't know where he's gonna live.. so there's a chance he could move out of our area.. so that means we could have just lost both of our investigators :/ it was rough.. it really honestly hurt! kinda ruined the whole day.. but whatever. we still pray for them and we hope that whatever happens they'll be able to progress.. so yeah. right now we don't really know what's going on, but we are pressing forward! so yeah.don't worry, i'm treating elder critchfield very nicely! we get along better than any of my other companions because we work more as a team than i have with other companions.. so we're good! i actually haven't done anything about the card yet. i'm probly gonna go today or tomorrow to get this card situation figured out. tell beto i'm sorry i didn't send him something earlier, i actually sent him a card today so it should get there soon! and i sent one to the house for karla.. i lost her address so i had to send it to your house.. so they should get there the same day! as for other things.. nothing has really happened haha life is good though, we are super happy even though we've been having this struggle with our main investigators. 

i've been reading this book called the continous atonement.. it's really good, i suggest you guys look into it!! cuz i want it haha I love you guys so much, i cant wait to talk to you guys in like a month and a half! i hope everything is going well, be safe! los quiero mucho! 

-Elder Zazueta

My new companion

HI!

okay, so i'm gonna type as fast as I can today! i'm not sure how much time I have. everything has been so good this past week! my new companions name is elder Critchfield! he's awesome! he's from murray Utah. he played soccer but he loves sports. we played a lot of basketball last Wednesday. good sign of things to come haha uhm he is such a hard worker. he just does what I say without question and when I ask him for input he isn't afraid to suggest things which is really good because we really get to working as a team, and I couldn't really do that with my last companion.. so we are working hard. I've been so tired tho! I don't know why, but this past week I've felt more tired and it's been harder for me to get out of bed than it has been in the past. the only struggle elder critchfield has is that he doesn't speak a lot of Spanish. they cut the time for missionaries in the mtc, so he only got 6 weeks in there as opposed to the usual 9.. but it's fine, he's super confident and that's gonna help him a lot! we've been teaching a lot of lessons, and I kinda feel pressured because since he doesn't speak Spanish, I basically have to teach everything.. unless we practice what he's gonna say before hand. but he's learning fast. i'm so excited for this game! it's gonna be the first college basketball game I go to ! it's the big east tournament, if you watch the game on tv you might see me on the big screen haha tell Julie's mom I say HIIIII! i'm so glad beto made allstate, and it makes me happy that alexia is taking an interest in sports. she'll have so much fun! I wish I could just go to the church whenever I want to play ball.. i'm losing my touch. the past couple of times we've played I've actually felt pretty good and I think i'm getting a little bit of my bounce back.. I still dunk pretty much whenever I want, I just gotta keep working out so that I don't lose too much! elder critchfield hasn't been feeling too good this past week, so we haven't been able to go down to the track. I feel gross :/ I actually don't know what else I want for my birthday... so just put whatever you want! also, I got the contacts, and I got tia macry's package. tell her and tio chico I said thank you! please..

dad, that job sounds like it's super legit! is that something you have a lot of interest in ? or is that kind of whatever..? I can't wait to hear about how it went! sorry, I don't have too much time, we have to be somewhere soon so that we can pick up our tickets and if we're late they won't give them too us! and sorry about the pictures, I haven't even sent the new ones to Haley.. I didn't take a lot this past cycle so I think i'm gonna send this one in a few weeks so that there can be more pictures for you guys to see. don't you guys have one of my memory cards? i'm missing one.. I love you guys so much, sorry I will answer all of the rest of the questions in next weeks email I promise, we just have like no time today! but thanks again for giving me the money to go to the game. i'm super grateful for everything you guys do for me. los quiero mucho :)

i'm out!

I'm a Dad now!! (Trainer)

Dad

thank you. my birthday has been really good :) no me cantaron las 
mananitas.. pero ahorita les explico como celebramos mi cumpleanos.. 
i'm so excited to go to that game! so yes, i just got my new companion 
earlier today. his name is elder Critchfield, he's from utah (of course)  
he plays soccer, and he likes to play basketball too. we already played 
today for like 3 hours haha legit.  and yes, i'm staying in the same area! 
i'll have to talk to hi about the gym membership tho.. we'll see what 
happens! and yes, the basketball games are at madison square garden- 
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!! that's awesome that Elder Rasband went and 
spoke to you guys! he actually came to the mission like 4 or 5 months 
before i got here.. not fair! it really is crazy how the church is 
progressing.. we received 40 new missionaries today. thats the record 
for missionaries arriving in a single transfer in the north eastern united 
state.. per transfer we usually get anywhere from 12 to 18.. and this time 
we got 40 . insane. that would be awesome if you could send me the 
paper and the book! i would really appreciate that! i'm not sure i 
understood the job offer that isagenix gave you.. what's a gerente? 
sorry, my spanish is slackin!

Mom 

thank you too :) i guess i gotta thank you and dad for creating me. 
and you for birthing me haha without that i'd have no birthdays to 
honor. so many packages.. so much candy,, haha i'm gonna get fat. 
you can send me tata's watch if you want. tio chico sent me a watch, 
a hat, some cards from him and tia maye, a shirt.. and some mexican 
candy.. legit! as for the game, no, it's not just me and my companion. 
there are quite a few of us going.. it's gonna be so legit! that's next week :) 
cant wait! i pass by yankee stadium all the time! i haven't been in, but 
i'm almost positive i'll be in the area when season starts so i'll be able 
to go to a couple games soon ! that's gonna be awesome too! i'm on 
foot thank goodness. and the weather is actually getting a lot nicer! 
either that or i'm just getting used to the cold. either way i'm happy 
haha as for haley's letters, i finally got them like 3 days ago.. the post 
office is not being nice. but i got their package too! so yeah. no worries, 
the mail is just slow. i'm so excited for Brisa! i wonder where she's 
gonna go! that's crazy.. and i'm excited for you guys to have spring break.. 
i wish i had one ..

okay so sorry this email is super short. people keep calling me and i 
have to answer and it's taking time away from my email. but i'll type 
as fast as i can. 

things are super awesome right now. Yobanna got confirmed on sunday. 
one of our less actives is excited about going to church and her mom isn't 
a member, so this is a sign of good things to come.. patricio and teresa 
just met with the bishop last sunday and they're trying to figure out their 
situation. we're going to their house on friday and i'm hoping they'll tell 
us they want to get married.. that would be the best thing to ever happen.. 
hope for the best! sooo last night we stayed up late because we had to 
move a bunch of stuff around since two of the people in our apartment 
were moving out. at midnight i opened haley and karlas package and it 
had some cool stuff in it. so we threw a party at like 2 in the morning 
with just 3 of us. it was fun. haha i'm super excited to have this new 
missionary with me. he has an awesome attitude and from the sounds 
of it his spanish is already pretty decent! so things are going good! i'm 
sorry this is the worst email ever. but i have to go. i love you guys so 
much and i miss you and i wish i could spend this day with you. i want 
you to all know i'm so grateful for all the things you do for me. i really 
don't deserve it. please be safe and love each other haha it is the greatest 
law! one love :) talk to you next week :)

Yobanna's baptism!

sooo this one i'm gonna write it all together since everyone had the same questions haha 

but first things first.. i don't know if you guys already got me something for my birthday.. but 

last night i figured out what i wanted, i just don't know if it'll be possible for you guys.. soooo 

as you guys know, the NCAA men's basketball season is soon going to be in the playoff 

tournament.. and part of the tournament is here in new york. last night the assistant to the 

president texted me and told me that we have permission to go.. it will be on the 13th of march.. 

we will get to watch 2 games, which he said it'll be 60 dollars or more... and i really really 

wanna go. soooo that's what i'm asking for! si no se puede, pues no se puede.. but if you 

guys can give me any part of the money i would love it! so yeahh.. that's it about my birthday 

present. if there's nothing that can be done, don't worry about it!

also, no. my companion doesn't play basketball.. at all haha he's not really an athlete.. 

but he's willing to play, and when he does it's hilarious. so we have a good time. also, 

we didn't end up getting the gym membership because Vazquez didn't want to.. i couldn't force 

him. so i didn't do exercise for a while... but then i made him start running with me.. and then 

we find out that there is a track right across the street from yankee stadium! soo for the past 

week we've been waking up at 6, we run to the track ( which takes like 3 minutes) and then 

we do exercise there. it's so nice to have a track that close! so even though i won't really be 

lifting weights, i'll at least be running and keeping off TOO much fat. so yeah. but yeah, my 

companion is fine now.. he's not sick! speaking of companions, i know next week is my 

birthday, but next week is also transfers, so i don't know how long i will have to email. and 

also, yesterday we had surprise interviews with president.. and in mine he told me i am for 

sure training!! i'm gonna be a dad!! haha meaning i'm a trainer. therefore, he will be my son. 

so yeah, as of next wednesday i'll be training a new missionary.. i'm super excited! but a little 

nervous.. but more excited than nervous. as you can imagine. i just hope he likes basketball haha. 

the weather right now isn't my favorite.. it's raining. and it's super windy. sooo the wind moves

 the rain and all the water on the roads so you can see the wind coming at you . kinda cool. but 

kinda sucks. i can't even use an umbrella because the wind will break it, no joke! i'm jealous of 

that 70 degree weather.. thats not fair! i can't wait until it warms up so that we won't have to wear 

our suits everyday. also, don't worry about my back!! it definitely feels a lot better! it started hurting 

after we played basketball like 2 weeks ago.. but now that we've been running i stretch before and 

after and sometimes before i go to bed, and that has really helped a lot. so it hasn't bothered me at

 all for the past few days! oh, and i'll be sure to be on the look out for those packages! and speaking

 of mail.. can you have karla or beto ask haley if she's gotten my letters? because i've been dropping 

mail off into a drop box by our house, i just don't know if they actually get sent out.. and if she did get

 it, there's no rush to write back, i just want to make sure it actually all sent ! 

investigators:

things have been a little crazy! 

as you can see by the pictures, yobanna DID get baptized!! her mom let her thank goodness. it was 

actually super cool. her mom told us she wasn't going because of work.. and then we went to pick 

yobanna up and she told us we should've done it a different day.. and then she let us go, but she 

looked pretty mad. about 10 minutes later she calls us and tells us she's coming and to give her 

the address to the church. so we delay the baptism about an hour waiting for yobanna's mom to 

get there and she didn't show up.. and we had people waiting so my companion made us start

 the service. we sang, prayed, and heard the talks. and right when it was time to go over to the 

font, her mom showed up.. so i baptized her and her mom got to see. and then she left for work. 

but it made us so happy! and then afterwards yobanna asked us if she could share her testimony 

which is super rare because she gets embarrassed to even say it in front of us.. but she just went 

up there and told us she was grateful for what we have done for her and that she loves the church 

and that she wants to stay forever. it was really short but super awesome! so then come sunday 

she was supposed to get confirmed.. and guess what, she didn't show up -__-    nonsense! so we

 were super frustrated.. after church she called us and told us she was super sorry and that she had 

fallen asleep.. and then she told us that she still went to church and went to the other spanish ward 

so that she could take the sacrament. and that made us sooo happy because even though she slept

 in, she showed us that she truly knows the importance of her baptism . it was awesome!!

now for patricio and teresa.. we had a lesson with them last night. it didn't go exactly how we expected.. 

they always ask awesome questions so they started asking away like usual and then it was our turn.. 

and we asked what they thought about marriage and stuff.. and they told us that they decided they 

were gonna seperate.. what the heck! we didn't really know how to react at first, but when they told 

us that, i thanked them because they really showed us that they are serious about keeping the 

commandments and that they are willing to seperate to be able to progress in the gospel.. so we t

alked about it a little bit more and then we decided it would be best for them to meet with the bishop 

before they made any major decisions.. and they agreed. so hopefully this saturday they will meet 

with him and they can get everything figured out! we are praying for them.. we love them . 

haha other than that i don't really have any news.. it was vazquez's birthday on monday so we 

partied a little bit, and ate wayyyy too much haha but that was that. i gotta go cuz i'm running out 

of time and i'm in the library.. so it's time to wrap this up! i love you guys so much, and i just wanna 

let you know i'm doing super good! hopefully things keep going up :) i miss you all, please take care!!