Saturday, May 7, 2011

May 7, 2011

Family! Wow, what a crazy week. Just nuts. Not sure if I will be able to explain it all in this email, but I am definitely going to try. First and foremost, just want to say, I love you. All of you! Yes, I have totally become that guy in the family who always insists on saying I love you to everybody. Coming from a family of mostly dudes, I am very proud of that. No doubt I was going through a really rough point of my mission lately, but all the letters and everything from all of you guys really made a difference. I know why I am out here, and I know how important it is. To quote what is now writen in my agenda, "I know I am going to live, I know I am going to die, what's inbetween is mine.'' I don't know why, but I love that quote. Probably because it reminds me of my brothers more than anything, thanks for sending me that Uncle Bert. Hmm...I am not really sure where to start with everything, so like all of my emails, this is going to be super random. I guess I've just got some good insights on life in general, I am seeing more the big picture of everything. When you take a step back and just look at life as a whole, you start to focus on the things that are really important. And for me, I also realized how short life really is. Grasping the idea of eternal life is not something easy, but man is it important. I have taught all these people about how they can live forever with their families, and it kinda finally hit me what in the world I am actually say. I can hangout with my brothers and play wiffleball forever? I can talk to Mom or Dad whenever I want for forever? I can hangout with my wife and my kids forever? It finally hit me that yes! Holy crap! I definitely hope they have wiffleball up there. So in other words everybody, I think my testimony finally became real recently. I always thought I had one, but I was moreso just borrowing other peoples for my whole life. Glad to say my testimony is finally becomming mine and meaning something specifically to me. I still have a ton to grow and figure out, but I feel like I am going in the right direction. Life is something we need to appreciate too. Tons of people don't realize what a gift life is. Alright, so I totally sound like a Hallmark card, but stay with me here. We are given a body and a huge open world, and we are free to just run with it and do the best we can. There really is so much we can accomplish in life if we really want to, and the most important things are things that will stay with us forever! I want to make the most of everything, so taking a super small part of my life to serve the person who gave me everything I have is pretty cool. Plus I get to play hoops once every week, can't complain. If only the Lakers would just start winning....then I could finally be at peace.
So let's see, what has been going on lately. I am still in the offices and it's been a super cool experience. I am totally in the inner circle of whats going on in the mission. Changes are coming up, and we are getting a new assistent to the President, and I totally know who he is! In fact, he is sitting right next to me. Stuff like this may seem pretty boring to you guys, but information like this in the mission is pretty valuable. Plus with Elder Beltran coming in (he is going to be the new assistant...don't tell anybody, it's a secret) that means I get to work with Elder Guiterrez who was assistent before! Love that man. Hopefully the pictures I am sending work out, so you can see that he is the guy holding up the sign that says ''pero, en las oficinas.'' He is like 27 years old and is one of the coolest cats I know. It feels just like working with an older brother or something, he is just laid back and cool and we have good times. How crazy is it that he decided to go on a mission when he was 26 years old! He could have totally lived his life like normal not having gone on a mission, but he told me he felt like something was missing. Something hit me right there. I guess I always thought the mission is something you just kinda check off the ol' list of stuff you gotta do, but it's a little more than that. Also, we get to drive a car! Thanks to Elder Guti (nickname) and his seniority, we landed the mission car this week and we are driving! That is an unbelievably cool blessing, believe me. But I also had the opportunity to work with the other Elders who are working here in the offices too before Beltran came in, and those have been some good times as well. Want to know something pretty amazing? It rained 3 days ago! Sure, it rained for maybe 15 seconds, but man was it great. Torreon is the straight up desert of Mexico, and things like this just don't happen that much. Did you guys see the movie Holes before? Remember that part in the end, where it starts raining randomly and everyone starts dancing? Kinda like that. This is moreso for me to remember in the future than for you guys to know, but the guys here in the offices are Elders' Welch, Guiterrez, Young, Juarez, Burgin, and Payzant. I get along great with all of them. Elder Welch is an assistent and is definitely a go getter, but he is easy to tease and mess around with when he needs to be reminded not to take himself to seriously. Elder Juarez is a Mexican Mr. GQ, so classy, and he thinks he knows more English than he actually does, so thats always really funny. Elder Burgin does a tons of weird voices, and is kinda like the Dwight of the offices, but not as annoying. Elder Young is awesome, he loves the band Rush and we have tons of the same interests. We do top 5 movies and stuff like that all the time, Marvelous, the man has seen Memento before! Elder Payzant is from Rancho Cucamanga or however you spell that, like 20 minutes away from home! He is a great guy, and I he just walked up to me 5 seconds ago and said, "disregard women, aquire currency," and walked away. The mission does weird things to a guy, but thankfully there always really funny.
So yes, I am still very much so enjoying my warm showers and air condition. Air condition! Gosh, I forgot that existed before. Such an amazing, amazing invention. I am eating way better as well, I haven't eaten anything weird all week! Sorry Jackson and Baby Fish, got nothing for you guys this week. Also word on the street is that we are going to eat some Carne Asada tacos later today, gotta love the offices. We have changes this Monday, and I have no idea where I am going to be. I am little nervous about it, but I get the feeling this is going to be a big transfer for me. I definitely would like to work here in the offices officially, but who knows whats going to happen. Just like what is going to happen with the Lakers. What in the world is going on! A Mexican guy told me this morning when I was playing basketball at the Bosque that Lakers are down 3-0 to the Mavs. What a bummer. Well I mean, if Lakers have to lose, It's better they do it when I am in a foreign country and can't watch Laker games. I have no room to complain, I watched every game of two back to back championship seasons before my mission. And besides if the Mavs go on to win it, I would like to see Dirk win a ring. Just not the Heat or the Celtics. IF Lakers go down, and that is still a big if, I vote for Mavs out of the West and Bulls out of the East. Two teams who haven't been in the finals in forever, it'll be entertaining. And I hope this will convince the Lakers to sign CP3 as soon as they can, easily my favorite non-Laker in the league. I will continue to work hard on my mission so not only the people I love will be blessed, but the team I love as well.
So how is everyone doing at home? Kev and Rach are living it up in Hawaii as we speak I think. Gosh that sounds so nice, I really hope I go to Hawaii at some point in my life. But we all know Kev totally deserves it, he has been in school for longer than I have been alive, geeze that is so much school. Oh yeah! I am calling you guys tomorrow! Totally forgot about that. And Happy Mothers Day Mom! You are the greatest Mom ever and I love you a ton. Hopefully the family took you out somewhere nice to eat, like delicious Mimi's Cafe. Just kidding. Hopefully they took you somewhere better than that. But yeah, about that call I will be making tomorrow. I think I am going to give you a number, and a time to call. We will be at a members house and be using their phone to talk to you guys. Once I get the details about it, I will let you know. But just so you know, it should happen sometime in the afternoon, maybe around 4, 5, or 6. I think I am two hours ahead of you guys out here. I am super pumped to talk to everybody, or atleast as much people as I can, it'll be good to hear everyone's voice again. Are we going to do some kind of conference call or something? More people the better! Any chance we can get Uncle Clay on there or something?
Okay well I think thats actually all I have got for you guys this week considering I will be talking to you tomorrow. Have a good day, and a good week, and remember the important things in life!
Love,
Elder Abbott

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