Monday September 7th

Written by Debbie: For those of you who are not aware, there was a 47 year old man, who ended his life on Wednesday evening here in Awatukee. He hung himself in a tree right by a grade school.
My friend was arriving officer and had given me the information that day and warned me to stay off Pecos Road that day because of the ongoing investigation, his physical body was there until late morning and the site was horrendous.
I was writing Josh an email at the time and asked Josh to pray for him and his family, as he is/was married with 3 children and a wife with mental issues..
I was later given the man's name and information and am selfishly relieved it was not anyone we knew personally.

Letter from Josh:

Hey Family,

I hope everything is going well for you this labor day. We don't get to go to the Temple this morning  :(  so that's why I am emailing so early. I just got some of your email's again about the note, could you send the whole thing to me while i'm here. I honestly have no idea who that is and that doesn't even sound like me, but my God am I greatful that  he could work through me and touch that persons life. This week has been relatively good, I was a bit upset last week when I fired off the email about my companion Elder Saunders. Well much hasn't changed with that haha but he seems to just lose his sense and reason to be a missionary. For example we had scheduled a TE where we were to teach  in Tagalog. And instead he wanted to cancel it and just sit in the room so we did that. Then on Sunday during the 4hours we had to study, he just sat there. It's very frustrating to me when I see people waste the Lord's time. It's like GET OVER YOURSELF! you aren't here for you! You know what I mean?

Well we had an amazing lesson by Brother Leslie, I honestly love him he has helped me so much in my Tagalog study and I really learned my purpose as a missionary and learned so much about the gospel through him.

So I'll explain, I was really frustrated in class becuase I was annoyed with the language that day and this week was tought stressed filled, but however. Elder Leblanc (French Canadian) and Elder Simmons were singing a church hymn like really loud in the middle of class when our new teacher Sister Rather was writing on the chalk board so I was like "Elder Leblanc Huwag! which means stop in tagalog and i was like why are you singing that's just distracting" and then he lossed it and like through his books on the floor stormed out of the classroom and punched the door. Everyone was super confused. He came back and Sister hawkes the District Coordinater over the Tagalog branches was like "Can I talk to you Elder Leblanc" and he refused to leave the room and then yelled at her and it was an awkward mess. At any rate he later calmed down and I apologized and he said no it really wasn't me he just builds up anger. So later that night in Brother Leslie's class. He told us to all write down our frustrations on posted notes and put them on the chalk board he then would read them aloud and we would try and find the reason for these frustrations. It was such a stress reliever.

Then I realized I missed the point of a mission completely. I got so stressed out in the language and with my companion, and my district that I forgot to be happy I forgot to enjoy myself so after that day It's been so wonderful in the MTC--I think John 16:22 Jesus says "In the world you will have afflictions, but be of good cheer, because I overcame the world"

I absolutely LOVE being a missionary and working day and night. I cannot wait for 2 more weeks to be in the Philippines serving Heavenly Father's children. I just hope that I can live up to his expectation but I know through him and my faith I'll be able to truly love those I serve like I do my family.


by the way another miracle happened this week! BYU beat Oklahoma 14-13 haha! It's been the talk of the town in Provo infact my Branch President skipped Mission Conference and meeting the New Missionaries because he flew to Oklahoma for a "Culteral  Event" hahaha

I got your letter this week and your package however the package I can't get till tuesday because everything is closed and I forgot to pick it up on friday I hope everything isn't gross when I get it!!

I read your letter about the man who hung himself, I think that's so incredibly disturbing and sad. Have you guys found out who it is yet? I hope that it's no one we know and I pray for the family, that's such a selfish decision that has eternal consequences.

By the way I never thanked you for your Tagalog letter haha you said it took you hours to write? That's amazing!! you're crazy mom!! Umm I understood a little of it. Haha let me try and explain Tagalog in a few paragraphs.

So basically the layout of sentances is Verb Actor Object Location/Recipiant (so it's Yoda talk)
You have to mark every verb,actor,object,location,recipiant with a ANG NG or SA marker and there are 6 markers for each for different people. for example the ang set is Ako-1st person me, Ka-you but in the sentence. Ekaw-you if it's in the begining of a sentence, Sila-Him/Her,Kami-Us EXCLUSIVE,Tayo-Us INCLUSIVE,Kayo-You plural or you use it when you want to speak with respect to someone(you also use PO in every sentence when you are being respectful) and Sila-them

The really cool thing I like about Tagalog is that it's a root based languange that basically means that every word is made up of some kind of root, and you add on prefixxes and suffixs so change it to a noun,verb,adjective for example

Buhay means Life
Mabuhay means full of life/or live long
makabuhay- means ability to live
mabubuhay means able to live in the future?

and the list goes on and on! it's kind of fun though because you can make up words that make sense? haha I don't know I'm kind of nerding out!

anyway my foot is okay, it should be 2 weeks or something I go back to the Dr. everyweek until I leave, I wrote  a letter better explaining it so that you will understand.

I love you guys so much and miss you! I hope everyone is doing well! I want to hear from you all this week! and I will try and respond we are just SUPER busy!

oh and tiffany starting a club that's hilarious! But i know she can do it!

Love,

Elder Gonzalez

ps. one of my favorite hymns right now

Brightly beam our fathers mercy, from his light house evermore
but to us he gives the keeping of the lights along the shore
let the lower lights be burning send a gleam across the wave
some poor fainting struggling seaman, you may rescue you may save

I pray to God that I can rescue the struggle seaman, I met the Elder you were emailing he's a great kid! I write more in letters I had NO TIME! Because i had to read some other emails I love you all very much and pray for you daily.

Give Zach a break he's just going through the motions of being in High SChool and thank him for sending a card, I'll be sure to send one back!