I'm Going to Miss Them All

Hey There Mamita! Como estas?? :) So I am doing just grand! Finally starting to feel just a tad bit nervous. Weird to think about it all... I did start writing my mission experience or death letter, yesterday... That was really hard.. .I love it here mom. I love what I am doing more than anything else I have ever done. I am going to miss it. These past 2 years have been amazing.. Sometimes it seems really long, but they have been way too short. I love the people here, and the hardest part is I don't know when I will see many of them again... A couple weeks ago Sister Munoz from Harlem sent me a letter, and a box of candy. That meant the world to me. People like her, and many others I have fallen in love with. When I left Harlem I thought it would be impossible to love other people the way I loved everyone there. Elder Hellberg told me I would have to divide my heart and leave a little bit with everyone, and I did not think that was possible... But it was.. I love everyone here so much.. From Members like Sister Munoz, to ward and stake leaders, to investigators, or to crazy people that yelled at me on the streets... I'm going to miss them all... I love my mission more than anything else... The City of New York is AMAZING! Its the Greatest, but the people are much greater than that. I'm going to miss everything about this place, I don't want to leave to be completely honest.. I love sharing the gospel and helping others feel the love that I feel each and every single day. There is nothing greater, and it really stinks that I'm not going to get to do this again... I thought leaving home was hard, leaving you all, friends, Melissa.. knowing that I would see you again.. it will be so much harder leaving here not knowing if I will see everyone again. Today we are going down to the city and I am going to go say bye to Nelson,.. I am crying just thinking about it.. Mom I would really like to come back here.. I know you told me back when I was in Harlem that you would not mind taking a vacation here.. I hope that is still the case. Y'all would love it!  You should not be surprised if I end up back here later on in life... But I don't know if that will ever happen... uh :(

 But on a good note.. I am very excited to see you all again! Home is like a mystery right now, kind of like the mission was before I left. I have no idea what I will do when I get there. One thing is for sure though, I will be helping Todd out a ton! And I am excited to do that! I love that little turd! I really just want to hear back from BYU so I can really start figuring things out. Hopefully by next Wednesday! So Jackson got accepted to Utah State and BYU-I? That is cool! Did he apply to BYU or has he just not heard back yet?  Well I am excited! I can't even imagine what it is going to be like coming home... But right now I am trying to block it out of my mind. But each day that becomes more and more impossible. I am really excited to see Greg again! It has been so long! We are going to have to completely start a new relationshiop.. 4 years is a long time. Too long of a time! So I am excited to do that again.

 We are staying busy! Things are great with Elder Heywood! We are working hard! We are working with Fernando and Lourdes and their family, they are having some troubles. But we are going to go find out more later this week! And also we are going to the college tonight.  Yesterday Elder McCullam and I went on a split! We had a good time, he got a little sick, but apart from that nothing to complain about!  Oh last Thursday we had an awesome training! Some people who work in the Missionary Department in Salt Lake came and gave us some awesome trainings! I felt just like a greeny again! It was seriously amazing! The 2 guys who came were awesome! Brother Watson (I think he is the head of the missionary department.) and Brother Donaldson (who was the mission president on the movie the District 2) Greg will probably know what I am talking about and Lindsay will know very soon as well! :) But it was amazing! They taught us how to be bold, and we talked a ton about the Doctrine of Christ, in other words the Gospel. And how we really need to call people to repentance.. ah.. I could talk about it forever! But let's just say it was amazing, and it changed me!  Apart from that nothing to report! We are working hard, and going to the city today and I am going to go play some Basketball down at the Temple.. Well the Church Building that is connected to the temple lol! I love you all... See you very very soon! :) Love you! Love Elder Mattei! :)