Mom's Reply to Elder Garcia: Sunday, December 5, 2021

***Reply to Elder Garcia's response**

Well...Kpalime again huh? I have lots of feelings on this and I will share them here with you. :) There is a lot of good from this I can already tell. Let's start with the weather. You will be able to go back to the rainforesty type weather and out of the blazing hotter than Satan's balls weather. That is a win (although I am still jealous you are in warm especially since there is snow due this week for at least 2 days! :/). Clearly your Mission President trusts you to go back and take the next 6 weeks to really get to work and see if there is something there that you were missing with a rough companion. Your companion you will head there with you already know and have a relationship with so that too is already better than what you know Kpalime to be.

I know you don't feel like your mission is in Kpalime but maybe this is the Lords way, through your Mission President, of showing you that there is work to be done and it just got missed because of perhaps a companionship or maybe because you were suuuper green? I truly believe that there is reason in ALL things even if they just simply don't make sense to us. In the next six weeks, you will be with a companion you know and I know you will come to love him like you do Elder Kikwati. You will get to celebrate Christmas with gifts from home for both you and your companion. You will see just how quickly these next 6 weeks will fly by, all by being in familiar territory and with the Lord directing you to show you exactly what He needs you to see there.

I will, as always, keep you in my prayers. I know you will do amazing things back in Kpalime and I know that the Lord is going to use you to His best ability to do what work needs to be done there. I know that even if it is just so someone feels like they matter or that they have a familiar face that is friendly and loving, that 100% counts too. You are an incredible missionary and one that should be so proud of where you are at this moment. Don't ever forget I am here as your #1 cheerleader and I am cheering you on as loudly as I can from here at home. You make me proud every minute of every day.

Don't stress on a call. I totally understand and even though I would love to see your face, I know the Lord needs your focus there. I am so happy to hear you are loving Africa. I can almost hear your voice saying that as I read it and it brings tears to my eyes. I love you Christian. Always have, always will. More than anyone in life ever will. There is something truly special knowing you are my only son and that I get to have a special sort of friendship and relationship with you. It's truly one of my most favorite things EVER. Have the best morning. I will be up at 4ish am my time (11ish your time I believe). I love you for forever.

Mom

(I attached the cookies I made for tonight. You'll have to let me know your thoughts)