Going Where I Need to Go

Hey Guys,

      I still can’t really comprehend that this is my last email to you before I come home.  Everything is a blur.  I’m caught between fantasy and reality, though I might say that, the reality is I’m still on my mission and the fantasy is that home is around the corner.  I absolutely loved dad’s email this week.  I think it ought to go on the blog.

      So, what can I say to wrap up my mission?  I don't think I can really wrap it up. Let me tell you how I feel right now.  I feel very content and at peace.  I feel that what is coming is right and that I’m progressing and going where I need to go.  I have grown a lot over the past two years.  I remember in a blessing I was given that my mission would be the equivalent of a 4-year college education.  Well, I have graduated from the college of personal relationships and people skills.  I feel my capacity and ability to relate, love and get along with others has increased greatly and that the Lord has helped me to be a better companion.

      I gave my final testimony in the Bloemfontein Ward yesterday.  I was wondering before the meeting what on earth could be shared.  I felt deep and thought about how my growth has come by faith and what that means to me.

      I’m going to keep this one short.  My mind is blanking.  I will take more time to myself to write out my feelings about the end of my mission and try to send them next Monday, and maybe that can go in the blog.

I love you guys.  See you soon.

Elder Gold

Editor's Note: 

      Well, as to Landon's request for his dad's letter to be posted on the blog, here it is.  For those of you who don't see it in the first couple paragraphs....this is all sarcasm and Landon will not be staying for another two years in Africa.  Just Saying :-)

My Dear SonShine,

      How does the scripture go… ‘Ask and ye shall receive”? Well, you must have asked real hard  for this – so here goes… I know you didn’t want us to talk of home in this letter – that you wanted to focus on the final week of your mission – but I thought I might share with you what it’s like here now so you can feel blessed that you don’t have to come home for a while…

      We have talked to Pres Zackrison about the current condition of the world on our side of the globe and he agrees that you should spend 2 more years in South Africa. As you may have heard, San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant has melted and the radiation has been quite annoying to say the least. The good news is we are saving a lot of money on shampoo. Mom and I are doing fine (as evidenced by this recent photo of Mom – she still looks Beautiful to me) and Jordan is back on the motorbike – even though there are really no roads to drive on after the solar flare hit… Funny thing – Mom and I are losing a lot of our hair, but Jordan's seems to be more fuzzy.

      The recent typhoon that happened on Ground Hog day made a mess of our backyard – mainly because that’s where the roof is now. Stanley is excited because he thinks his doghouse grew by a factor of 100.

      It’s been quiet here the past few days after the 9.8 magnitude earthquake – mainly because all the neighbors got swallowed up from the massive sink holes that opened up. It’s been a pleasant experience to not have to wake up every morning to Geoffrey Livingston’s 150 decibel exhaust on his bug. On the other hand, it’s hard to tell when morning breaks since the air is filled with thick ash from the eruption of Saddleback Volcano (who knew that was a dormant volcano???…weird.)

      Mom and I are going to Long Beach next Saturday (Feb 15) for Valentine’s Day to see Brian Regan. (The “subject” in this letter is from a new video that we saw.) It’s normally a 40 mile drive – but with the current road conditions after the Atomic Bomb that North Korea dropped on us, and the fact that all the gasoline is being rationed to 1 quart per family per month, I suppose we’ll just go on our bicycles – we plan to start riding early Morning so we can get good seats. Should be fun.

So enjoy your extended stay in South Africa – we are doing fine.

We love you,

Daddio and Mommio