Email from Mom: Sunday, September 25, 2022

From: Mom
To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Sunday, September 25, 2022
Subject: 15 months

Hey kiddo!

Happy 15 months! You have 9 left. Can you even believe this? I woke up today and have had you on my mind more than ever and have thoughts I wanted to drop in an email and share with you.

Back in March I was worried about your focus and your reasoning as to the "why" you chose to serve a mission, why you chose to accept the call that had been given, and then why you continued to stay in Africa when things weren't coming across as an 'all in missionary'. I asked you to think about it and then to let me know some of your thoughts if you would. You sent me an email and in it, the line I guess that strikes me the most, even as I read it today is " I just want to help others even if it's nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I just want to help these people and serve them in the way that Christ served others". This was 9 months ago. So, as you hit a marker on your mission of 9 again, I wanted to pose this same question to you, to have you reflect on what the last 15 months have looked like, and your reasonings 'why' you chose to serve a mission.

This week at home has been a good week. Tyler and I have spent each morning taking Teeter down to the dog park and letting her get comfortable there. It has been an experience to say the least. There are some weird dog owners but it was fun to watch as Teeter got a little more daring by the end of the week to go and almost play with some other dogs. We took her yesterday and decided we will stick to the weekdays to go. The weekend dogs are clearly all cooped up all week and not very nice and that isn't fair to Teeter. I spent a lot of my week taking Brooklyn to high school stuff. She goes and watches volleyball each week and if the football game is home she always goes to that too.

Kaitlyn has been busy working and getting school done. She spent most of yesterday working on her room getting things ready to move out. She is moving to Provo on the 8th. She has a lot going with that as well as finding a new job down in that area too. She is excited about this but it doesn't just happen you know? She has some mission friends she is going to go to Texas with in October to see Post Malone as well which she is super stoked about. She has a homecoming today that I think she was going to plan on attending but maybe not? Last I heard maybe she was going to come to church with us. I guess we will find out here in a couple of hours. I am excited for Kaitlyn and all of these changes in her life. I am proud of her for realizing that she doesn't need to be home and that she is totally capable of being on her own outside of a mission.

Brooklyn continues to make the most of the weeks. She doesn't care for school much these days and is always glad when we find out that it is a 4 day week like this week will be. :) She crushes school but she would rather just be doing her own thing. She had a math and Spanish test this last week and said they were both fine. She walks home with Kynlee, Addie Stephens, Grayson Riddle, and if Damon makes it to school he walks home too. Anyways, a funny this week was Brooklyn saw Damon and asked if he was going to go to Seminary and he said he wasn't because he was going to go home and work on some other school and get on his computer. He only comes to school like 2 hours each day. Brooklyn is so great and basically just called him a loser and went to class.

Addie and Damon are 'dating'. Like full on. They hold hands and walk home, they get caught with Addie giving Damon hickies but then Uncle Rich decides to tell Addie that next time just put it lower so you don't get caught. :/ They are going to get into trouble. It is sad. The relationship is encouraged by Addie's parents to maintain the free ride on all things. It is encouraged on Damon's end because he has nothing else. Brooklyn is hilarious to listen to as she talks about them and it gives me hope that she will continue to see through all the ugly that that group offers.

This week is church today. I have decided to commit to the end of the year of giving it my all to see if any difference can be made on our ward. I have a temple recommend due in January and if things are still bad, the same, or worse I will ask what options I have with the Stake when I meet with them. I would be happy to stay in our Stake but is it an option to go to another ward? If not, I think we will move records to Oakley and make more of an effort to attend up there. We can always have your homecoming here since it is your home ward but things have to change. I feel awful for the youth experience B is not getting and when you have a Bishop tell you that he just simply doesn't care? That is hard. A couple appointments are scheduled for Monday, I meet with a new dog trainer on Tuesday, Tyler will go hunting Tuesday (muzzle loader open), dog training on Wednesday and if I can pull it off with Tyler being gone I will go to the temple with Kaitlyn. Thursday will be running B to volleyball and Friday there is no school but she will be at the football game. Tyler and I leave Saturday morning early to meet up with Randy and Kristina for a motorcycle ride to Jackson Hole. It will be a long day of driving on the motorcycle since we are home on Sunday but it will be fun. It's what she wants to do for her birthday. Other than that, I will spend more time with Teeter at the dog park and working on the training we have been doing and getting the yard cleaned up for Fall/Winter. Always busy that is for sure.

I love you and hope you have found yourself happy this last week. I hope that as you enter into your final 9 months you have reason and joy to be there. I hope transfer news is happy and something you can find good in. I can't wait to hear what the next 6 weeks will look like for you. I love you. I am grateful you chose to serve a mission and hope that you can recognize some growth that has taken place and still see growth in other areas to focus on as well. Keep working hard and serving those around you. Happy Sunday.

I love you,

Mom