June 25th, 2014.

Hola!

Pa.

I know.. It's crazy! I am definitely trying to do things in such a way that I won't regret too much once I go home.. I know that regardless of what I do, there will probably always be something that I feel like I could've done better, but don't worry. We are working hard! I got the pictures of the dog! I'm so excited! at first when you told me we were getting a German shepherd I was pretty indifferent.. But now that I see the pictures and know that it's ours I'm pretty excited to have it! 

I've actually seen those dogs you are talking about. They are massive! Hopefully we can have better control of this dog than we did with Kiara.. She was crazy! Haha so you finish summer school tomorrow? Or you already finished last Thursday? Either way, that's exciting, I'm sure you're happy you get to relax! Como te va en el trabajo de AT&T? 

Ma..

I'm doing good! How are you ? Statue of Liberty was awesome haha it was a good opportunity! I haven't gone to wicked yet! I go to the broadway play on July 9th.. So it's in two weeks! Next week we are going to the Yankee game! That's cool that Joey brought me up in his talk! I love that kid. The jump drive you sent me is perfect, it's definitely useful! Thank you (: that's a good idea tho, it'd be good to have actually photos to put into an album as well as digital copies! Yeah, I'm not too worried about getting a baptism. We are definitely working for it, but if it doesn't happen then I won't be too disappointed. I know our efforts will be worth it in the long run! Aww man haha I'm so excited for a new bed! I'm gonna be sleeping a lot more than I had originally planned haha

Yeah I think I'll still be down when I get home! I figure it won't be too hard to make time to walk the dog. It'll be enjoyable! YESSS I'm always down for some Mexican candy! I don't need anything else.. Don't worry about sending me things, I'm covered pretty good (: 

Today we've been at Rucker park all day. I've been here since ten in the morning and right now it's 1:30.. I'm writing this email on the train headed downtown.. I think we're gonna go check out a spot that was in the movie I am legend! If we can find it.. 

The work has been pretty good. We aren't having too much luck with finding new investigators, but we are having more success finding less active members and getting io their homes. Things are still a little slow since both elder Durham and I are still trying to get to know all of the members.. But it's good. We are confident the area will be ready for some harvesting once I go home! I've been having a lot of fun. I don't feel like I'm that close to going home, nothing has really changed . Idk if that makes sense? Anyway, just know that I'm doing good, and we are working hard. I hope you all have the best week (: 

June 18th, 2014.

Guys! I'm really sorry! I don't have too much more time, it's been a long day. We left our apartment at 8:45 and we are still in lower manhattan.. At the temple/chapel right now. We went to the statue! It was pretty fun! We had a big group of missionaries with us, it was a party! 

Things have been crazy in our area. We had another emergency transfer in our apartment. A companionship in the Bronx wasn't getting along so one of the guys there switched with one of our guys here. 

I love my companion! He is legit. I couldn't have asked for a better person. I didn't get elder Kerr, but he's still in my same zone so we kick it all the time. It's been really good. Me and Durham have been trying to find like crazy.. We haven't taught anyone new, but we have some people who said that we could come back this week. We are hoping it can turn into something good! It would be cool to have a baptism my last cycle, but right now I'm thinking I will only be planting seeds here haha but I'm okay with that. We are trying to do work!

You guys talk about my bed.. Did I get a new bed? Or is it the same one I had before? I'm fine with either one! Haha it's weird to think about that. That's sweet that the dog is official! I'm pumped to have a German shepherd (: that will be sweet! I hope I won't regret saying this, but I volunteer to take it on daily walks. People walk their dogs ALL the time here. I see at least 20-30 dogs a day. 

I'm sorry I don't have any cool stories, or too much to say. I also don't have too much time. But here are some pictures we took today (: 

June 10th, 2014

Dad. So the dog is official! That's crazy! Cuanto costo? Are you planning on taking it to a school? Or just training it at home? Hopefully you guys can go pick it up soon so it doesn't get to used to your parents.. What class are you teaching for summer school? Fathers and sons! Wow I don't remember the last time I went to one of those.. It sounds like it's gonna be a lot of fun! Don't drown haha i think what we do on the last day is we go to the mission home and we just hang out and watch a movie and talk and idk what else.. I have my itinerary.. It's super weird that I'm flying to salt lake and then to Arizona. Idk why it ended up that way? 
Mom.Time is definitely passing by really fast! I haven't been able to see the mission blog, our iPads don't allow it and we hardly ever get on the computers.. 
I can't believe Tim comes home! Tell him I say hello please! Elder Cruz is awesome. I love that kid. We had a lot of fun together. I was on Facebook and saw that elder benson got married here. Like 90 blocks away from where I'm at!  It's super weird hearing you guys are getting my room ready. It's weird to think I'll have my own room.. Without a bunk bed. Elder Critchfield will probly have to spend more time at home than originally expected but I've been in contact with him and I think he's still planning on coming back out! 
Other things!So, I'm getting a new companion! Sorry that this email is so scatter brained.. It's been a crazy week for me! Elder Cruz got transferred up to Danbury Connecticut. I'm getting Elder Durham. I know him, he's served in two of my zones before and he is actually really cool. I'm excited! We are basically white washing here. The work is basically absent because nothing was done when Critchfield was sick..so we have nothing. Starting from scratch! It will be hard, but it will be good. Today was weird, a lot of my friends are going home. It's definitely a weird feeling! Right now I'm just waiting for my companion to get her from upstate. It'll probly be another couple hours. That stinks that the car already has problems! I hope it doesn't give you guys any more trouble, at least not for a while! Also, I sent two boxes home! One should be getting there today, and the other one on Monday! Pleaseeee don't open them. I'd like to open them and organize everything once I get home. I would really appreciate that (: Also, what time is our church back home? Do we know if I'll be able to speak the first Sunday I get back?

Here is a picture of me.. I just got hit in the eye.

June 4th, 2014

Hey guys!

Dad.

Being Zone is Leader is Good. Not too much has changed. Our zone is tiny tho. We have a total of 14 missionaries, including the AP's- they're not around very much so we basically have 12 missionaries in the zone. It's kinda weird Haha but it's good. We don't drive tho! All city missionaries just ride the trains and buses, zone leader or not! I am planning on sending a bunch of stuff home pretty soon! Our apartment is small and I have nowhere to put my stuff.. 

Mom.

I'm doing good, as usual!  I got the package yesterday! Thank you so much (: it came at a good time..  

When are you going in for the X ray for your knee? If it's the same thing as before, shouldn't they be doing an MRI instead ? That's a bummer that dad couldn't get contacts.. Has he considered laser...? 

Did you get Kevin's face in the cake ? 

Karla is going to chile!!! What!! That's crazy.. I assume they're going to visit Aaron's mission? That's so cool. When are they going? I hope to be able to come back to my mission soon.. And frequently. New York is amazing. 

Life.

Life is good. This week was actually a little bit stressful for me trying to adjust to everything. I'm trying to learn everything about the area as fast as I can because there's a chance elder Cruz could leave even though I'll only be here for two weeks! Transfers are next week.. My next email could be from somewhere else haha my first Sunday here was good. Lots and lots of Dominicans in the ward. I love it! I hope to be talking like them by the time I go home so I can give my homecoming talk in Dominican. This past Thursday we had a mission conference with Elder Snow from the first quorum of the 70. 

The apartment I live in here is really small. And really old, and missionaries haven't been very nice to it in the past. So it's in bad shape. We have a few cockroaches here and there and my roommates say every once in a while we have a mouse that runs from one side of our tiny kitchen to the other.  I live with elder Hurst and Elder Hofheins. I already know both of them because I was their zone leader back when I was in New Rochelle. They're good guys! Our apartment is really small though. The smallest one I've lived in so far.. I think our address is 

599 w 176th st

New York, NY.. I don't know the zip code haha 

Just in case you guys wanna look it up. It's right on the corner of 176 and St. Nicholas

Random but that's cool that you guys bought a car! So mom and dad just drive the van or what? What year is the car we just got? And color? I hope you guys don't judge the way I drive when I get home.. I drive like a New Yorker. 

Today a lot of my friends in the mission are going through the temple for the last time because they will be going home next week.. Crazy! I got my travel plans yesterday in the mail telling me about my flight and all that. It's super weird that I have a lay over in salt lake. Do you remember elder Berryman? The elder that we saw in the airport the day I left that also came to New York? Well he goes home the same day as me, but his flight goes straight from NY to AZ and he gets there a little bit before 1 pm.. And I have to fly on two different planes and won't get back to AZ until a little before 4.. I called the mission office and they said there's no way to change it. It's just a little weird. But whatever haha as long as I get there, right? Today we are gonna just hang out at the chapel and hang out with the zone.  It should be good (: thanks for the emails this week! And the package. I love you guys, have a good week!!

May 28, 2014.

Hey!!

So I'm gonna write it all together this week.
First of all, you guys went to Disneyland!! I haven't been there in
sooooo long.. Like 6 years. That's awesome that you guys were able to
go how you did (: I'm glad you enjoyed your weekend!!!
So, last Saturday we had a baptism. It was awesome! We baptized
Manuel, and another set of missionaries baptized a family, so we had 4
baptisms as a district. It was awesome! The baptism went really well,
Manuel's kids came and his little 8 year old son told us he wants to
be baptized now.. So he'll probly be baptized in 2 or 3 weeks! Cool
right? Sunday we had a fireside with our mission president. He is
awesome, I always learn so much from him! I also sang a duet with
another missionary for the musical number.. I think it went well?
Since Sunday things have Been a little crazy.. Before we started the
fireside President Morgan Pulled me aside and told me that another
missionary was sick in the city and was most likely gonna have to go
home on Tuesday (yesterday) and he asked me if I would be willing to
go take his place if he ended up going home.. I said yes. So I got a
call around noon yesterday from the assistants telling me I had like
three hours to pack and then I had to meet them at the mission home..
I only had time to say bye to one family /:  Do you remember Elder
Critchfield? My "son" .. Well, he has a bad case of mononucleosis and
was bed-ridden for the last two weeks. He went home yesterday, and I
came to north Manhattan to take his place. I'm really sad he is home
/: the assistants brought me here yesterday and I got to see elder
Critchfield before they took him to the airport.. That was really
nice- he is supposed to come back to the mission field within two or
three months- I really hope that's true!
I'm pretty sad I had to leave Stamford. I love that place! But I know
I'm needed elsewhere! My zona right now is north manhattan. Otherwise
known as Inwood. Or Washington Heights aka Dominican Heights. EVERYONE
is Dominican here haha my specific area is from 155th st. to 170th st.
From river to river. Remember Rucker park, the place I played ball at
last week? Well, that's in my area haha pretty cool right (: my
companion's name is Elder Cruz! From Tijuana!! Holla haha team bean! I
actually lived with him a year ago when I was in the Bronx, so we
already know each other which is good! Another weird thing is that I'm
Zone Leader again. Definitely did not expect for that to happen! So
yeah. Things are really crazy right now. Transfers are two weeks from
tomorrow, so who knows, I might just be here for two weeks to fill the
gap and then get transferred again. It wouldn't surprise me, I've been
all over the place! Or I could just finish my mission here. We will
just have to wait and see.
I'm not sure what we are doing today. We might go play basketball, but
the assistants invited me to go to the natural history museum with
them. And elder Cruz knows somebody who works there so we could go
into the extra exhibits for free, so we might go do that, I'm not
sure! I still feel pretty weird, I didn't expect to be where I am haha
I am trying to just stay positive and enjoy the journey. I know The
Lord Has a plan and he wouldn't put me here if there wasn't a purpose
for it. I love you guys, thank you for your prayers and your support!
Cuídense!

May 21, 2014.

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Pops.

What's up! What did President Burnham tell you we had to do? Aww man, today was your last day of school! That's awesome (: and weird.. School out here doesn't get out until the middle of June.. How do you feel about teaching summer school? It's crazy how events mark check points like that.. It makes time pass a little bit faster! Haha that's so awesome that you are getting perfect scores for your "grades" at AT&T.. It doesn't surprise me at all! 

I'm doing great! Transfer are June 11th.. So three weeks from today? In regards to travel, we like to take the bikes as much as we can, but sometimes we are so packed that if we take the bikes we won't make it to all of our appointments on time, so we need to take the car just to save travel time. It's nice having the option of either bike or car.. Especially when it rains, we never have to get wet! Dile a abeto y Maricruz que también los extraño y les mando mucho amor! 

Madre.

Estoy muy bien!! Y tu? Have you been to the doctor to have your knee checked? Or are you just assuming that you will have to get surgery? That's rough :/ is it the same knee? I'm sure you've told me but I can't remember if it is.. Wait so is dad's work gonna provide the tablets for them? That's really cool! Haha tablets are taking over.. 

Jason is graduating?! That's crazy to me too! Everyone is so grown up.. Also, yes, I've seen pictures of Karla's graduation! And the dinner! Or at least I'll try not to haha! 

Stuff!

We were crazy busy last week. We taught 31 lessons again. Things are going really well for us! We are actually going to have a baptism on Saturday (: I'm pretty excited, it's been almost a year since I've been a part of one.. The guy getting baptized is named Manuel Contreras. He is soooo ready! He is really committed and willing to live the gospel.. When we were at his house on Saturday he told us he was originally planning on getting baptized in September, but when he thought about it he realized he doesn't need to wait that long. So he asked us if he could be baptized on the 24th. We had already taught him everything, so in Sunday he had his baptismal interview and he is good to go (: we have a few other investigators who are sooo close! We may or may not be having another baptism on the 31st.. Una dominicana! We are definitely seeing the fruits of our labors here and I'm so glad. Being in this area/ward and having awesome companions is really helping me stay more focused than I think I would be if I were to be serving anywhere else. 

This weekend we are having a fireside with our mission president, and I think I might be singing a solo for a musical number. It's not for sure, but if I do me and Alexia will be doing the same thing haha kinda cool. 

Today we are going down to Harlem! Gonna go meet some other missionaries at Rucker park to play some basketball (: I'm excited! It should be fun. Then later today we are going to a members home because her son is coming home from his mission and arrives today! And he needs companions until tomorrow when he gets released. But yeah. It's crazy. Life is good, I'm enjoying the work, I'm happy. We aren't hungry, the people here are amazing, we have people to teach.. I really have no complaints! I hope all is well with all of you. One love!! 

Look what I learned how to do! 

May 14, 2014.

I'm doing good! I can't believe Karla is graduated from college....... That's insane! I'm glad you and dad were able to take the day off so that you could go and be with Karla. He is a busy man.. Mom you are awesome, don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Thanks for everything you do!

Aww man, spring sing! I wish I could've been there. It sounds like Beto is just getting better and better at singing.. Alexia too!  I hope high school is everything she expects it to be.. I miss high school haha those were the days..

I don't think I need too much help with school.. I'm not really sure how to go about doing things, I might even need to wait until I get home to figure all of that out even though it will be really rushed! I don't think I need scholarships yet because it's community college.. Those will come in handy when I transfer to a university in a year.. I think I'm gonna start looking into all that soon. 

Things are going well with our area. We are still really busy and teaching a lot. There's a few people we think can be baptized before the end of the cycle.. We just have to help them realize it! The past couple of weeks have been awesome because with the combining of the areas I now get to meet and interact with all of the members I didn't get to be with before and it's been so fun! The members here are awesome and love us so much, and getting to know them means more trust ... Which is what we need with everyone! I don't have much else to say since we talked on Sunday.  But I love you guys! I hope you have a good week (: