Email from Mom: January 22, 2022

To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org
From: Mom!
Date: Saturday, January 22, 2022
Subject: 7 months...

Holy crap! 7 months! Where has this time gone already? I couldn't believe it as I looked at my calendar just now to see what we had in store for us this next week. Can you believe it? Do you feel like time is flying by?

Now...talk to me about a new companion? I saw on the mission Facebook page it looks like 7 new Elders arrived? All Americans it looks like too? And you are training right? How are things going? I know they just arrived and you met up on Friday so not a ton of time to catch up on but still wondering how you are doing and what your days look like for now. :)

This week was low key. Home school all week for Brooklyn. She crushed it. I never doubted her. She does miss the social part of being at school pretty bad so Monday will be good for her to be back to her normal. She had a dermatology appointment and we are now doing 2 accutane pills a day instead of 1. She is pretty happy with how things are progressing. I am too. Grateful for the ability to get the intervention we need when we need it.

The big news of the week really is that the mask mandate has been terminated and the power to put them in place has been removed from city mayors. Thank goodness! Needless to say, I feel like we can go shopping again and I feel like for the most part, everyone including political parties are tired of all things Covid. It is interesting to see how many people still wear them while they are out and about. I could care less what others do. I just don't want to be told what I have to do. I want to make the choice I want for my own person you know?

I attended the most bizzare 'training' meeting this last week. It was for RS Presidents and EQ Presidents. It was at the Bishops Storehouse and was supposed to be, I thought, a training on all things storehouse related. But it wasn't. At all. It was an opportunity for the gentleman who runs the storehouse to talk about how passionate he is when it comes to this part of what the church has to offer. There was no training but he did say a few things about experiences he has had that made my time there maybe worth it. :) Basically the church welfare program, specifically the storehouse is that our #1 goal is to take care of those around us. Members or not. Heard of the church or not. If we know there is a need it is our calling to step in. Even if it is solely as a neighbor. When people are struggling to make ends meet and food becomes something they have to sacrifice in...no good decisions can come from that. You have to have a nourished mind in order to make sound decisions for your betterment and that of your family as well. Once we get a full stomach, that person or that family or whoever can then start to progress into better choices being made. A better outlook can be had. Food at the storehouse is there until it is 30 days away from being expired. At that point it is boxed up and shipped to the local Food Bank. I didn't know this.

I thought it was incredibly touching to hear him say that no matter if they have heard of the church or not, member or not, it is still our CALLING. I think I get so hung up on who I am serving in my calling that sometimes I forget to look around and see those who may need help even more. Some may not even have any kind of support you know? As draining as that hour was, I am grateful for that small snippet of advice to open my eyes a little more to those ALL around me and not just in my bubble as I know it.

I wonder as a missionary if your bubble can be expanded too? Are there things you can be doing to reach those who don't know anything of the church and/or missionaries and clearly need the love and support of just someone? And then in the end, to be loved and supported by none other than the Lord's representatives? This week I hope you are able to open your eyes a little differently too and maybe together we can touch even just 1 person we didn't know that maybe we could.

I love you. I feel like this has been the longest week. I am excited to hear from you on Monday and I hope you have a great Sunday. I hope things are going well with a new companion and that you can see the Lord's hand in all things of your life. Keep working hard and keep that smile on your face. I love you oodles.

To the moon and back,

Mom