Email from Mom: Saturday, November 6, 2021

To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org
From: Mom
Date: Saturday, November 6, 2021
Subject: Hey!

How are you? How was your week? How are things going with your new companion? I assume through the photos on your drive and the smile that I see that things are going well but I want to know for real...how are you feeling with all of it?

How are your lessons going with you leading? Is the language coming a little more fluently and are you feeling good about what it is you are learning? How are your ami's? Anything on the horizon as far as extensions of baptism or scheduled baptisms?

Things here this week were weird. I think flying home on Monday threw me way off!!! I was a day b behind on pretty much everything. :/ I went to Pilates Tuesday morning and 43 minutes into my 50 minute class I was in a plank and the instructor wanted us to bend our knees like we would kneel while maintaining the plank. I was good for the first two but then as I folded in on my third one...holy crap dude! I felt my hamstring pop and the entire class HEARD it pop!!! It was horrible. The instructor came over and asked if I was okay and I thought I was but as we stretched to call it a day I was dying so I hurried and sanitized my stuff and came home. The next couple of days were brutal but thankfully today is a better day and I can go up and down the stairs without wincing. Getting old is the worst! Ha. I have never had any trouble with my hamstrings but this week proved that issues can arise anytime.

B has been busy with friends and Cutler this week. Just chilling really. It's like that weird interim time with school where you know that Thanksgiving break is just around the corner and then the anticipation of Christmas and an even longer break plus it's end of quarter too so just all around that weird spot on the calendar. She seems to be doing well and is pretty happy most days. She is off to the Millers today. She had 2 bags of clothes that she was taking down to Jurni and I am sure Jurni was elated. She LOVES hand me downs from Brooklyn.

I visited with Kaden Whites Mom, Heather, yesterday for a little bit. I think I told you but Kaden is home and is not planning on a service mission or anything further. I can imagine the pull on her heart knowing that he would have been an incredible missionary. Heck, his emails he sent when he was in the Home MTC touched me like nothing I have ever read! But she seems good with his choice, he seems good with it, and it looks like overall all is well there. She asked about you and how you are doing just so you are aware.

Tyler got up this am at 4:45 to go pheasant hunting with Jason so I have been up for that long as well. I took full advantage of a quiet house and took down the Fall decorations (it will be nice to not have anything up for a while before we do Christmas) and then I went through my closet. Tyler has been on a kick with little comments all week of things like "we have way too much stuff", "we need to go through and minimize the amount of things we have", "do we really need ALL the stuff we are storing?" So....that spurred my closet. And 13 bags later (not even kidding) I loaded them up and hauled them to the DI. He would DIE if he knew that so thankfully he was gone but it does feel good to know that I downsized like I did and I will be honest...it is pretty embarrassing how much stuff I had that I just didn't use in there.

Now that baseball is over (still on a huge high that the Braves freaking won!!!) I don't really know what to do with my evenings. It is pretty chilly at night so a walk even is out of the question. I am going to have to start a new hobby or find a new friend to hang out with! :) Next week is a little more 'full' but not really. B has a dentist appointment on Tuesday and then we are going to get her passport application sent in on Tuesday as well. On Friday Charli turn 9 and Tyler and I will be at the cabin overnight with the Relief Society Presidency and their spouses. We are just doing an overnight to hopefully get a little more meshed together and feel like a cohesive group. That is important to me. I took the full week off of Pilates to give my leg a break and see if I can hopefully get back to it the following week. Fingers crossed anyways. :)

I have been wondering a few things so I thought I would ask. Does it rain in Lome like it did in Kpalime? Is there still lots of trash all over like there was in Kpalime? What is the biggest difference in this area vs your last that you both like and dislike? Do you miss things in Kpalime and if so, what? What is something you are looking forward to this week? When do you do transfers again? Are you every  weeks or are you 8? Anyways, just some thoughts I had this last week and thought I would ask.

I love you and am proud of you. I am grateful for your example of getting outside of our comfort zones and doing new things. I have you in my thoughts and prayers always. I love you to the moon and back.

Mom