Gone Country

hey mom! 

So some crazy things have been happening over here. Turner went home on Friday, so I've been in a three way with Elder Shinn and his companion. But I got a call from President Lindsay this morning and he told me that I'm going to my new area tomorrow... and the crazy part is I'm goin country. Remember how I explained country on the phone? Just me, my comp and no one else for miles… I'm excited but at the same time not. Ha! I've been here for so long and I have a day to say goodbye to everyone and pack. I'm pretty stressed!  ahh I don't know what to think, like literally I will be away from everyone! all the missionaries say that when you go country and then come back its never the same. hahaha! It should be cool but just not what I was expecting right now ya know? I think there's only one branch in the area, not even a ward, so we'll be busy. I just hope I get a cool companion! The library is closed today, so we're emailing at a members and I don't have a ton of time. Are you online?

I have to go mom. I love you have a good week!

** I just received this message from a member of Elder Guzzo's ward. This family, and many others, have taken such good care of my boy! I'm so grateful for the awesome members in Australia!!

hey sister Guzzo and family just want to say that Elder Guzzo had be transferred to the country and were so sad feels like there's a part of my heart that is missing and it has been such an amazing pleasure having him in my house and serving in our ward, next holiday destination is Provo in the new year for sure so great how I have family living there and NOW extended family (The Guzzo Family) that I can visit/stay at while over in your guys area haha so we shall keep in touch!!! Such an amazing son/Elder you guys have!!! What an amazing blessing!!! sad to see him go

Not much to say today… Just can't wait to Skype!!

What up dad? yeah! That would be cool if you got them a leg of lamb, either way I think they will be pretty stoked! have you sent it yet? It would be easier if you just ordered it cause its a struggle to get rides places and chucking a 5 kg leg of lamb on my back and riding my bike home doesn't sound that fun! haha. you know me! not gonna let people see me with lamb on my back, especially riding a bike! Ha! It's felt different here because the christmas traditions are totally backward since its so hot! It's so weird that Christmas is in two days…  it feels like its the middle of July right now! the work is good.. it's been slower during christmas time. no one is home or no one has time for us, but it's all goods!

Mama, Will you check my account and see if I have any money? I don't know where my money goes. I've spent a lot of money on public transportation going to meetings since being DL. I'm sorry that I've needed extra, I'll be smarter with my money. There is this microniesan girl in my district that has absolutely no money from home.. and living off of what the church gives us is really hard. Anyway, her family cant afford to send her stuff for christmas so I went a little crazy on her.. like I bought her a couple cute skirts from kmart and then a few shirts and some candy!! I can't wait to give it to her, she's such a sweetheart. 

Blake sent me the best email ever! hug him for me please and tell uncle rick I miss him! Ty sent me a pic of all the boys at wingshak and it about killed me. haha! I miss everyone so much!! So let's talk Skype. I'll call you on your Christmas Eve, it will be christmas morning for me which will be sweet to talk! Then we can set up Skype on your Christmas Day, Boxing Day here. I'm sending a few random photos...

(The Elder on the left is the son of a friend of a friend. I just heard about him serving in Perth this week, so it was funny when I noticed that this was him. I told Jake about the connection and here's his reply)

hahah Elder Rigby is the man! he is elder turners intake! I wish I would have trained him lol. he's a cool kid! well I have ten minutes left.. anything else before we talk in two days??!! ahhh. And what is going on with gay marriage in Utah??

I love yous so much! Can't wait to talk to you all in 2 days!!!! BYYEEE -elder guzzo

The Fourth Missionary

Hello family, sorry it's been a busy day. I had to go to the mission office this morning.. so yeah I just got to the library. but while I was in the office I got one of my birthday packages!! the one with the pants and the ties!! I loved them so much, thank you mommy!!

With everything going on with my comp it's been a stressful week, but I'm doing fine mom. I don't take this lightly when I say this. I LOVE my mission!! I want you to google something called The Fourth Missionary. I read this and it changed my mission. I'm doing all I can to be the fourth missionary. I miss home but don't want to be there! I miss all of you but I know I'm not going to see you for 19 more months and I've come to peace with that. My mission is going to change who I am. I've bludged my way through life but I'm not doing that out here. Don't worry about me mom! I came here to struggle and I'm learning so much. okay? okay.

9 more days I cant WAIT! I'm going to call you on christmas eve to tell you details about when we are skyping and all that! but we still have one more p day until then so we can cross that bridge when we get there. my b day was good! des and hiri threw me a bbq and a few members came and it was chill. I'll send you a bunch of pics right now. The sisters in my district threw me a little party too and bought me that shirt and shorts I'm wearing!

momma I got to go. I love you so much! thanks for everything. I wasn't able to write all the family but tell them I love them and read the fourth missionary. have a great week!

Happy Birthday Elder Guzzo

HI MOMMA!

so no, my other b day packages are not here yet.. I'm pretty bummed. can you track them? I hope they aren't lost in the mail. That would be really awesome if you sent hiri something! honestly I don't know what he would want.. if you want to wait until next week I can find out or if you want to get creative you can too! haha

I cannot believe I turn 20 years old tomorrow. thats a trip! I was just emailing michael and wishing him a happy 17th b day and I realized I was just 17.. like it was not that long ago! but I'm excited. desiree and hiri are gonna throw me a bbq tomorrow night and the hemi family (rachaels mom) has been so nice to me and are feeding us lunch tomorrow! 

oh hey I'm a district leader again.. long story there were some mix ups in the areas and they needed another DL so I'm back hahah but I have to give district training on my b day.. oh well it will be a party!

I don't think elder turner and I are doing a Christmas card.. maybe. we're too broke for that business lol. We're doing good, he's a cool kid. **** baptism was awesome and I gave him the holy ghost that next day and the bishop gave him the aaronic priesthood! that was really cool. This 50 year old man now holds the priesthood because I came here.. that's something to think about. So it was all around an amazing experience! I had a good chat with pres lindsay this week and he had a lot of really great advice. Even though he makes up some crazy rules, he is the man and he holds the keys for the missionaries in WA and he knows what's best for us.

I cannot believe I'm saying this but I miss the cold.. it is so freaking hot here. I can't handle being in pants and a tie in like 100 degrees and its only getting hotter! but a lot of people feel bad for us working in the heat so they invite us in and give us water and sometimes will listen to our message... sometimes! I bought myself a little b day present from the money gma & gpa sent me haha just a nice pair of shorts for p day! the style out here is so me. there is a store called roger david that I am in love with. its expensive but it is just so my store!! 

But yah it's good to have something to look forward too:) ah and I'm still not over that poster you made me! I got a little of your creative gene because I was riding my bike and saw this floral couch and so I took the fabric off and made a tie out of it and it is soo cooL! so I sent it to elder pula and he wore it at transfers and long story short my ties are the talk of the misson! haha I made one of the APs a tie and so many other elders want one! haha I'll send you a pic of them next week haha! but yeah thank you for everything you have done to make my b day a special day! I cant wait to see you and talk to you on Christmas! so I'm going to probably call on Christmas here and then skype the day after so Christmas day for you guys! I can't wait. I love you so much!

Another Good Week

Hello everyone!

So it's been a pretty good week over here! nothing new and exciting to report on but it was a good week. Here's the good news!! I got the birthday poster! hahah I didn't wait till my b day I just couldn't.. BUT I seriously loved it so much! I can't even express how happy I was when I opened it like wow.. I hung it up in my room and every missionary that sees it freaks out! SUCH A COOL IDEA. you are awesome mom! if that was my only b day present, I would be okay with that. besides my homies serving and andrew that poster had everyone I care about on it. Those were all my people and it was just so fun to see it. so thank you! oh ya I was thinking about uncle curtis! will you get their home address for me? I wanna send them a letter. 

**** is still on date for this saturday. President Lindsay is the man. He's intense though, he has been coming out with new rules that are tough... But President Lindsay is for sure awesome. He is taking our entire zone to lunch today because we met our goal for baptisms last month!

3 packages?? wow I'm getting spoiled. hahah I cant wait to get the other ones. oh my gosh if I got to skype andrew that would make my life! I'm not exactly sure when we are skyping.. it might be the day after for us and then Christmas day for yous. but we will figure that out. I will call yous before to set it out! so if a random number calls your phone you better pic up hahah.

but yeah I'm doing good! It's been a much better week. Transfers are today and it was not a good one.. I'm staying in the same area, which I knew I would be, but all my homies in my district left so I'm so bummed about that. They closed down an area that was close to me and before there were two districts and since one area closed down they just made the two into one district and so I'm not district leader anymore.. which is good and bad. I'll be able to focus on elder turner and the work more.. but I don't know, oh well.

mom honestly good work with that poster I about died and I did use the tape hahah! but mom dont go too crazy for christmas! you are already going all out for my b day and I just want to talk and skype for christmas! thats all I need at this point.

that's it for me. I love you and I'm so grateful for your love and support.

-elder guzzo