AJ's email from 6/19/12

AJ notes that he had a member post some pictures for him on Facebook. I don't have time to download them from Facebook and then upload them to the blog right now. So I will post again later this week after I have time to transfer the pictures - so check back. ALSO, our family is going to San Diego this week to visit with Elder Leavitt (there are pictures of him in previous posts) and his family, as he returns today and reports in his ward this Sunday. I am extremely excited to meet my good friend - and Elder Leavitt's mom - Lisa for the first time. We will bask is the warmth of Elder Leavitt's missionary spirit ...and I will get a vicarious hug from my son! We'll take some pictures to post as well. For now here is his email...

       there is a saying that we use a lot in english. "when it rains, it pours". normally we just use it figuratively speaking. but ive decided that that phrase works very well for chile but more in a literal kind of way. because thats how i feel about this week after all the rain that we`ve gotten. it rained SO MUCH this week. tuesday it rained all day, wednesday into the afternoon. then it started again friday morning and didnt stop til last night. but the good thing thing like always is how clear the air is today. the mountains here continue to amaze me, especially now when they are covered in snow. we were on our way to talagante this morning and i looked out the window of the car and could see the mountains perfectly. it was just stunning.

        this week was so action packed with so many things that i would be here writing for hours if i told everything. and i did predict that it would be busy but i didnt know that i would be SO busy. but i enjoyed every second of it, mostly.

       first of all i have changes for sure this week. i dont know where im going til tomorrow when we have the change meeting but i hope that i go somewhere good. although nothing will be as good as el monte has been to me. the other thing is that i will become district leader too. so im looking forward to that and having a little more responsibility. tuesday we had our interviews with pres king and everything went well. and thats when he really told me that i was leaving. so i knew like 99 percent sure that i was gone.

        the only other thing from this week that i want to talk about is sunday. it really was almost the perfect day here. we had the baptism and that went almost perfect so i was really happy. and then all day saying bye to people around el monte. and then finishing with the birthday party at the end of the night was so much fun. i havent laughed so much in a really long time. there were times where i had to take a deep breath or get some air cuz i was so red and couldn't breathe from laughing so hard. but it was good. im going to miss all the people here so much and ive really gotten close to them. but change is something necessary in the mission and in life to get progressing. so ill get through it. there are a ton of pictures from yesterday and i didnt feel like sending them all so i just had cynthia put them on facebook for me. it was just easier.

         sorry this is so short but i dont have a lot of time today cuz i still have to say bye to a few more people and then put my stuff together to go tomorrow. i hope that everyone is doing well. take care and have a good week