Weekly Letter February 28, 2012

Que tal?

Well, another weeks ends and the time is just flying by. Sorry for the late letter, but we had a last minute meeting in Buenos Aires and we had to travel. To make a long story short, I got three hours of sleep on Sunday night because I can seem to sleep on the bus.

Sounds like you all had a big week. I´m glad that fun stuff is happening at home. Although not much is happening here lately. Its weird, the more time I have in the mission, the harder it is to write home, because now all those things that we amazing and out of the ordinary, are now normal and ordinary. But, we´ll see what I can tell this week...

The repairman came to our apartment the other day to do a ton of repairs that were badly needed. He spent like two days in town, the whole time in our apartment doing repairs. Now, our apartment is like new.

While he was repairing our house, I was sitting outside because my companion was sick and asleep. I noticed a red like bee that was flying around. The repair guy told me that it was an "abispa" or "wasp". He told me that it´s speciality was killing spiders. Then out of nowhere, a fairly large spider made its way out of the weeds and the wasp saw it. It climbed on top of him and starting wrestling with the spider. The repair guy was filming the whole thing. Then, the wasp stabbed it with its stinger and flew off. The spider, in a matter of 5 seconds, shrivelled up and died. No joke, five seconds. The wasp came back and started dragging it across the ground. Then it climbed up the wall, with the dead spider carcass hanging from it jaws. Note: the spider carcass was a good two times bigger than the wasp, but it carried it like it was nothing. Then, it went up into the plant and that was it for that spider. Amazing.

I have been thinking heavily about school lately (on my free time ), and I am still a little indecisive about joining the military. Yeah, that´s awesome that they would accept a music major, but what would I do as an officer? Would I still be able to pursue a PhD or would the army not allow me to do that? I don´t know if I would want to major in anything else, because I think it would be burying my talent. If I majored in science or something like that, I would have no time at all to play the piano. I think it would be my dream job to teach music on a professional level in a university, to students who are there for serious business, unlike a high school teacher. Or to publish as a professional artist, or both. But, I don´t know. I guess I need to pray about it. I did get permission from my mission president to research the army website to find out more. So, we´ll see what happens.

Training is going good. I love training, don´t get me wrong. But I do hope that this is my last time training. It really tough sometimes and I miss working with an experienced missionary. There are some trainers in the mission that are training for the third time. Please no... But luckily, my greenie is fairly cool. He likes to work hard, and I make sure that he can hardly walk at the end of everyday. Its good for him...haha

Gavin, thats heavy bro about your prom situation. What I would do is two things: 1) You don´t know if she accepted from this other guy or if she accepted your invite. You can´t make a mistake by asking if she had made a decision or not. What is she going to say? No? or 2) ask somebody else. Maybe Camille would be willing to go with you who knows? Good luck in your quest. Que la fuerza esté contigo (May the force be with you).

Unfortunately, I don´t have a lot of time to write today, given that it´s tuesday and we need to get back to work. I love you guys and I congratulate Paige on acquiring a job. I knew she would, it was just a matter of time. I pray for you guys nightly for your welfare, both spiritual and physical. I look forward to your letters every week, so keep them coming! Have a good week and I think about you guys always.

Con amor,

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

Mision Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste

"La mejor mision de todo el mundo"

Weekly Letter February 20, 2012

Saludos,

Another week passes in Argentina, and I´m still living the dream. Thanks for writing me, as always. I love hearing from you every week, its the highlight of my week to receive letters from you.

Unfortunately, like you, my week was somewhat uneventful. Its been raining a ton lately, which is really making it hard to work. Nobody is outside when it rains, except for us. People tell us we´re crazy when they see us out on the street walking around in a big rain storm. Yeah, who says this church isn´t true? If they doubt that this church is true, just look at us on the street, walkin´ around in the rain.

To answer your question Mom about my headaches. I´m still having them. Not more or less than before. The other night, at about 12:00am, I woke up suddenly to probably one of the worst migraines I have ever had. The pain was so bad, that it woke me up. I started to cry and then I ran to the bathroom to throw up. After that, I laid in bed for about another two hours until I could compose myself and concentrate on getting myself back to sleep. I finally fell asleep, and woke up at 6:30 the next morning, still with an aftershock headache. I don´t know what caused it, given that I am drinking a ton of water everyday. I switched to using my backpack now, so I can carry water with me wherever I go. It has seemed to help, but I still get little headaches all the time. But, don´t worry about me too much. It´s nothing more than what I already had when I was at home still.

I played soccer two days in a row this week. I do have to say, I´m getting pretty good playing with these Argentines every week. Maybe even good enough to show Gavin up with my newly acquired skills. Haha

Dad, thank you so much for finding about the ROTC programs for me. Today, I wrote my Mission President for permission to study the Military websites to find out a little more. Since this is a pretty big decision, I would like to be well informed about it before I make it. I would like to speak personally with a Army rep before I come home on the phone. I´m going to have zone conference on the 6th of March, so I think I´ll talk to President about it then. How does Mom feel about all this, by the way? my question is, will I be able to study music immediately after I graduate, or will I have to wait until I complete my military service to study for my PhD? I guess I´ll have to call them and find out.

Today, I was watching a video about Joseph Smith, well a few. I watched a video about Zion´s Camp, and then about how Martin Harris lost the 116 pages of the Book of Lehi. Joseph Smith was indeed a normal person, like all past prophets, but as a prophet, he had the right to receive divine wisdom from the Lord. In a talk given by the Prophet Joseph Smith, called the King Follett´s Sermon, Joseph Smith acknowledges the fact that the German translation of the Bible is the closest translation to the original Hebrew text, which he was also reading along with two other languages. Now, please tell me, how a farm boy from the fields of New York could learn three languages well enough to read complicated Bible texts, and compare the translations alongside each other. Talk about divine wisdom. Yes, he was indeed a normal person, because Doctrine and Covenants tells us that Joseph Smith was harshly reprimanded by the Lord for allowing Martin Harris to take the manuscript and show it to his wife and other family members. But, like Moses, he was a normal person blessed with certain privileges as a prophet of God (Exodus 33:11).

Gavin, I´m glad you had fun at U of I. I love going to that campus. It´s really cool. When I went, I went to that same bagel shop with Matt. Ahhhh....good times. I wonder what Matt´s doing right now? Oh, by the way, when I get home; you need to do my new album photos. I really like the style of how you do them, so maybe you could take some new album pictures when I get home. I want to get a new CD off fairly quickly after my return so I can start having some more money coming in. But, we´ll see how it goes.

Well, I´ve gotta go. Please send my love to everybody over there. Send my comgratulations to Lauren for her wedding. And, send my salutations to the rest of their family. Tell Dwight that I´m going to make him a barbeque that he won´t forget after I get home. I love you guys and I hope that you have a great week. Dad, éxitos (successes) with the job search. I know you´ll find something soon. I love you guys and I´ll talk to you next week!

By the way, I´m not in the soccer picture because I took it...haha

--

Weekly Letter February 13, 2012

Hola...¿toda piola?

Well, needless to say that your letters were fairly short this week. I guess nothing much happened this week for you guys. It´s okay, because nothing much happened to me either.

I´m glad to hear that Mom is going to get that problem in her foot figured out. I never got the opportunity to see a bunion surgery. So, I´m a little jealous that I won´t be there to see it. Tell Clint that I said hi. I still love Clint a lot.

That was a way cool story that you told me from Stake Conference. That Sister was so blessed. I´m sure the missionary who baptized her is very proud of his convert.

Mom and Dad, don´t worry about the job situation. I have a feeling that everything will be okay and that you guys won´t have to worry about having a job here pretty soon. Did you guys read that scripture that I left last week? I hope so, because its a good scripture for you guys. (3 Nephi 13: 25-34).

Dad, thanks for the advice. It really helps. I was thinking the other night because I couldn´t sleep. I don´t know if I should apply for ROTC or not. I don´t know how they would accept me with a music major, or if I would be able to pursue a doctorate while I am working for the military. Dad, maybe you could find out for me. It would be really nice to know. Because now, I am kind of winding down and I don´t want to get home without knowing what I´m going to do. I want to get home and immediately start up again. So, I want to have everything ready. I really appreciate all that you guys do for me. I´ll make an Argentine Asado to make up for it when I get home.

I was talking to Elder Alkema the other day on the phone and he was telling me that he may be living in his brother´s condo in Provo after the mission. He invited me to come and live with him, so I may have housing afterward as well. But, we´ll see how it all works out.

Gavin, funny story about Mrs. Blair. She´s an awesome teacher and I really enjoyed her class. Although, I didn´t know that I was so popular in school. They sure didn´t treat me like it when I was there. Tell her that I said hi and that I´ll visit her class when I get back in October. Mr. Kracht too. And Mr. Wood...haha

Nothing much to report this week. The heat is starting to get a little less intense, thank goodness. Can you believe that we are almost in the middle of February? Crazy right? I´m almost done with summer! Once winter comes, that´s when my mission really comes to an end...lamentablemante (unfortunately). I´m going to have two winters this year...YAY!!! No summer for a year! We had a good amount of investigators this week in church, so we´ll be working hard with them. We´re just working and being obedient and being healthy too. I hope I can keep this weight off after the mission, because I really like the way I feel. I think I will though.

We played soccer this Saturday and I am still a little sore, but not as bad as last time. I think I´m getting into better shape. I can´t wait to play soccer with Gav when I get home and show him up with my new Argentine soccer skills. Haha

Anyway, I´ve gotta go. I´ll talk to you next week and I hope that you guys have a good one!

Love you!

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

"Sé el cambio que quieres ver en el mundo"

Weekly Letter February 6, 2012

Hola,

Well, another week passes in the oven that is Argentina. My mind is genuinly boggled with the fact that civilization exists here. With this heat, I don´t think any sane human being would say, "hmmm, this is nice, let´s build a city here", in place of, "nah, let´s go a little more south". Just sayin´. But, I only need to make it through one more lousy summer, and then that´s it for the rest of my life. And, I´m already half-way through it. My winter jacket just looks so lonely there in the closet...

Okay, I´m going to start with a little bit of housekeeping first:

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS GAVIN on your Eagle! Now, we can say that all the boys in the family are Eagle Scouts. Now you need to buy the bumper sticker with the plural form, Eagle Scout(s). Send me pictures of the ceremony. I really wish I could be there, to sit in the Eagle´s nest with you. But, I will be there in spirit. Unless you want to wait 8 months haha. Kidding. And, yes I cannot wait to be back with Gav on the piano. I am getting really tired of playing hymns all the time.

I´ll be praying for you Dad about this new job. That would be sweet. Maybe I could travel with you afterward to be your unofficial translater, in case you go to Boise. Haha

Oh man, you don´t even know how much I miss Nate´s Pizza. If you go there anytime soon, tell them I said hi, if they remember me of course. Although they should, given that they made so much money off of me. My paychecks from Hollywood just transfered over to Nate´s.

Gav, tell Ms. Omen that I said hi as well. She´s way cool man. Probably my favorite English teacher of my whole High School career. She probably remembers my Global Warming paper. That story you told me was funny by the way. Haha

No, Danny Steele was not in my grade. A year ahead.

Anyway, on with the week....

My new companion is pretty cool. A little socially awkward, but cool. He´s from Chile, Santiago. My two kids are both from the same city, go figure. I really want an American companion someday. I´m tired of speaking Spanish all the time. Maybe when I grow up.

Tomorrow, I have to go to the Sister´s area to do a baptismal interview. There just going to give us a map and their bikes, and tell us where to go. Dang it, I wanted to hang out with the Sisters... Haha

We are working with this lady so she gets married to her boyfriend this month. We already baptized the daughter, so now we´re working on the Mom. They´re my friends on Facebook :-) Whenever we go over there, they´re always on my profile. Awesome family. I love them a ton.

Well, I´ve got to go. I love you guys so much and I thank my Father in Heaven everyday for the amazing blessing of a family that I have. Sorry for the short letter, but I cannot think of anything so interesting to include in my letter this week. If anything interesting happens, I´ll write about it next week.

Chau!

(3 Nephi 13:25-34)

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

"Sé el cambio que quieres ver en el mundo"

February 2nd 2012

Hey guys!

Sorry for the late letter, but I couldn´t email on monday because P-Day got changed from Monday to Wednesday this week because of transfers. But, you´ll be getting a letter next monday for sure.

Transfers were awesome, I got my new companion. His name is Elder Cancino from Chile. He´s from the same city that my other chilean companion was from, Santiago. Strange huh? He´s way cool and way ready to work. I don´t know if I told you, but I´m training again. So yeah, he´s fresh out of the MTC.

Nothing much has happened other than that. The Assistants told me to write a short letter to you guys to let you know that I´m okay. I´ll write more next week. By the way, I met the Wilson family and they gave me the bag of goodies. Thank you so much! I ate the Dots on the bus ride to my area, I couldn´t wait. I love listening to the music. Its nice to have a change once in a while. I love you guys and I´ll talk to you on Monday!

Chau!

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

"Sé el cambio que quieres ver en el mundo"