Welcome to Atlanta, where the players play

Family . . .

That's good that all went well with Dad's other surgery. I'm happy that all got taken care of before anything worse happened. Speaking of physical therapy, I have been going with Elder Bishop to his therapies as of late. It's pretty cool to watch all they do with his ankle and foot. But I'm glad that you will be starting that soon, Dad. Thanks for the sports updates. I'm super pumped for the Suns and I'm glad that Mesa High could do well for the first time since 1938 {slight exaggeration}.

Well, this week went pretty well. Monday night, I went to a district meeting in Atotonilco. I spent the night there with Elder Molyneaux and worked with him the next day. Where, you ask? Santa Teresa - the holy land. I love that place. I figured since I'm leaving the offices soon, that I better go say hello to some people over there before I don't have the chance anymore. I saw some really awesome families that I baptized there and some other members I love.

The highlight was seeing Teresa and her husband. Elder Hunter and I baptized her, but couldn't get the husband baptized. Three months later, Elder Hunter and his new companion got him baptized. They are such a happy family and they are so strong. They go to church every week and just started Temple Prep classes. She told me that I had to go to their sealing in January. I'll be there. When families that we baptize get sealed, it's one of the only times we can go to the temple in our missions, so I plan on going at least three times to see families get sealed.

Teresa and the fam.

Little Lalo and me.

He was 11 months old last time I saw him.

He's almost two now and he still remembered me.

He thinks he is Spiderman.

He's awesome.

Oh yeah. Sister Nancollas made the bread again and perfected the high altitude recipe. It was awesome. Speaking of Christmas, I have no idea where to find a Nativity Scene here. {My request.} I will look, but I can't promise anything. I don't even know where to buy one in the States.

Well, other than Monday and Tuesday, this week was pretty boring. I have been running a lot of errands, doing office work, and helping Elder Bishop so he can get back in the field soon. It's about 100% sure that I'm leaving this joint in a week or so. Want to know where I'm going? Too bad. Can't tell you. But I do know that President won't put Arnett and I together. President told Arnett that he wants to, but has felt over and over that if he does put us together, that our friendship will be ruined. So, I guess it's okay. I trust revelation and stuff. President is pretty good at that whole "listen to the Spirit" thing. {Understatement.}

Well, it looks like I have one more week here in the offices and then it's off to the most hardcore four months of my life. "You're not hardcore unless you live hardcore" (movie?). Tomorrow we will be baptizing a nice lady in our area and then another guy in a week. So these last two Sundays should be pretty good here in "Atlanta, where the players play" (song?) {sorry - no link . . . bad language. Atlanta is one of the wards Drew is assigned to work in. The other - Colinas.}. But, just get used to the whole baptizing thing because these last four months are going to be full of it. I'm stoked.

I love you guys. Keep it real.

Love
Elder A. Davis Romney

To: Loved Ones; From: Drew

Hey family!

How is everyone? Awaiting the surgery tomorrow? {Monday.} I'll be praying, like always. But, that's good that they are fixing everything before anything too dangerous happens.

Well, nothing too great happened this week. I've been doing the job of Elder Bishop this week. His foot is still not completely better and he is supposed to leave the office in two weeks. So, we make him stay here all day with his foot up so that he can be able to walk all day in two weeks. So, Elder Brown and Elder Perez have been working in our area and I have been doing the secretary stuff with Elder Lobato and some other work here in the offices. It was kind of a boring week. I'm just super pumped to be leaving in two weeks. I've already got plans and stuff. It's going to be the best four months of my mission. Dad told me a few weeks ago that these last few months should be the best. I know Spanish well (kind of), I know how to teach, I know how to work hard, etc. Now it's time to just do it and do it well.

There is no news if Elder Arnett and I will be companions. I hope so, but it will be tough because we are leaving the same day and we only have three changes left. Oh, he is going to be my brother-in-law. It's just kind of a joke because he wants me to marry his sister. We act like it's a done deal, but I'm sure he says this to all of his friends. But, Elder Drake and Taylor (President's son) are going to marry his other two sisters, according to Jon Arnett.

Last Monday, I went to Ecatepec to go to a district meeting. I was waiting out in front of the church and a convert (Brenda) from my area there saw me. So, she got off her bus and came and talked to me. It was nice to see her again. She is going strong in the church. Her family keeps talking bad about the church and a lot of bad things have happened to her recently, but she is still strong. I'm really happy for her. She is one of the best converts I've had here. So, that was cool.

What else….? Oh yeah. Sister Nancollas made your cinnamon bread for me. She brought it over to the house on Monday to bake here. But, we didn’t have any gas. So, she just told us to cook it later. We didn't have that much time and we had to take it out of the oven a little early. So, it wasn't too tasty. But, the house smelled of Romney Christmas cheer. That was the best part. She said that she made some at her house a couple days before and it didn't turn out too well. We live eight thousand feet above sea level so it's hard to bake stuff, I guess. But, she told me that she continues to fiddle around with the recipe to make it just right for Mexico City. I'll let you know what it is, just in case you ever want to make cinnamon bread in Mexico City/the Andes/Mt. Kilimanjaro one day.

I think this next week I'll be doing interchanges. I need to get out of this place and teach. Elder Martinez-Nieto from Arizona will be coming in here to take Elder Bishop's spot. He's coming in on Monday to get trained. I asked him if he knew Aunt Molly’s family. He said that Ammon Mora was his Young Men's president. Is that her brother? {Yes.} Also, President's parents will be here on Monday. We will have eight people living here ~ a full house (not the 90's family television program nor the hand in poker).

Well, I hope all is well in the 480. I love you all and hope you are all happy. Keep it real.

Love,

Drew

P.S. Christmas is nearing. I already told you, Mother, that I don't want anything. I'm being serious. Just put that money into a little iPhone account. I'm sure that there will be a sweet new version that comes out within the next 4.6 months. But, I really don't want anything. If you insist, Pop Tarts. Nothing else. No Christmas trees, t-shirts, etc. Go to the mall and do one of those Christmas Angel things. Those are fun. Or give stuff to Shep to take to that one place we always go to donate stuff on Christmas. I love that place. But, Drew doesn't want anything! When I talk in third person, you know it's serious. I'm not trying to be like a dumb girl and say I don't want anything when I really do. I really don't want anything! I'll be home three months after Christmas. Nothing will do me any good for three months. Be obedient, Mother! Thanks.

Massage chair at the mall.

{Looks like they're ready for Feliz Navidad.}

Food today. It was kind of gross.

{Elder Perez, Elder Lobato, Elder Brown, Elder Romney}

We were eating gringas in the church.

The salsa spilled when I was trying to put the lid back on.

I got salsa everywhere, including the ceiling.

We strategically changed the dirty ceiling tiles

to the nursery room.

When in doubt, blame toddlers.

I'm a happy man

Hey.

Thanks for the emails and the sports update, Dad. I am super pumped that the Suns are doing well. And I love that the Colts are undefeated. I'm glad everyone liked my analogy/Ensign article from last week. I'm thinking about going into the writing business. Maybe I'll write a bunch of Vampire books that all seventeen-year-old girls love, even here in Mexico. Or am I too late?

Anyhow, this week went well. Elder Arnett spent two and a half days here with me on interchanges. It was fun, but the work wasn't too great. It's getting pretty cold here, and everybody is deathly afraid of it. So everyone stays inside all day and thinks they are going to die if they leave the house. But it was at least fun being with him for a bit.

The rest of the week consisted of office work and whatnot. Friday we had zone conference. Those are fun because we don’t have to do anything for them. Our zone leaders are in charge of all of it. So we just get to go sit and enjoy. President and Sister Nancollas always give good talks too. President made us all think and told us that our future children are watching us from above right now. He asked us if they would be proud of us or not. It made me think . . . it was a good question.

Well, to answer your question, Mother, my companions probably won't be here come Christmas. Maybe Lobato and Perez, but Bishop - no. And neither will I. I'll probably be getting out of here in three weeks. I'm so happy. {Note to self: send enough Christmas goodies for two - not four - elders.} I like it here and everything, but seven months here would have been too much. So on Monday, Elder Brown will be coming in here. I'll train him for three weeks and then I'll be out of this joint! I'm excited. I like being able to help the mission out and everything, but I just miss being out in the field. It's time to move on.

So, my last four months will be in the field working one hundred per cent of my time. I will leave as Zone Leader, so I'll have extra little meetings with Stake Presidents and stuff, but nothing like what I do now. I just want to baptize like a thousand people and have the best zone in the world. I'm just really really pumped.

Elder Arnett and I are still trying to be companions some time, but who knows? President always jokes with us saying it's a terrible idea, but I hope it happens. He's going to be my brother-in-law, so I better get to know him.

Well, I'm glad that there were no surgeries and stuff this week. I've been praying for you guys and will continue to do so.

Keep it real.

Love,

Drew

Real quick

I'm gonna rightchyall later, but Mom, can you get me that recipe for your Christmas cinnamon bread? I told Hermana Nancollas about it a while ago and she just called me up to tell you to get me that recipe because she wants to make it for me.

Thanks, Drew

Done. This bread is even better with Mexican vanilla. I bet she has access to some. Sister Nancollas is an angel. Thank heaven for mission presidents' wives!

Big Floods and Heart Attacks

What's good in the hood? How is everyone? No heart attacks? Let's just say that I was probably the closest one to a heart attack, not Dad. But I'm glad that all is well and now I don't have to worry so much. Thank you for telling me everything that went on. Yes, I worry, but I need to know. Thanks. So, what's the next step? Physical therapy for six weeks to see if you can fix the back thing? I'll be praying extra hard.

Well, this week went pretty well. On Tuesday, we had the zone leader council. It went really well. It was a pretty spiritual one. We talked about teaching skills. I heard a story in the MTC about President Packer when he was a mission president and a little object lesson he used. He took a big beautiful cake, cut a big piece and asked, "Who wants cake?" Of course, everyone raised their hands. He chose an elder to come up and take the cake. Then he cut another slice and asked the same thing. When the next elder came up to take the cake, President Packer grabbed the cake with his hand and shoved it in the poor missionary's face. Then the question again, "Who wants cake?" This time, nobody wanted it. President Packer then asked them why they didn't want it. It was the same cake, right? But, it matters how you serve it up. It's the same with the gospel. It's all the same doctrine, but it matters how you serve it - if the people will want more or not.

Well, I did the same example in consejo. But I warned poor Elder Arnett beforehand what was going to happen. It turned out pretty well though and it was fun. He's a good sport. We are trying to see if President will let us be companions to finish our missions. After all, according to Elder Arnett's plans, we are going to be brother-in-laws so we might as well share some good experiences together.

Wednesday and Thursday were filled with office work. The end of the month is always crazy with all of the baptismal records and other reports we have to make.

Friday, we did interchanges. It was a really fun day. I miss teaching and being out with the people all day. I went with Elder Fieldson in Villa de las Flores. He is a really good missionary. He is twenty-five years old, from LA, was baptized about two and a half years ago, and has a year and a half in the mission. He has a strong testimony and is the only member in his family. We worked like crazy in the morning but right after we ate, it started raining. I had never seen so much rain. Almost every street flooded and the power went out in the whole area. One of the members has a combi (big taxi/little bus/van/the public transportation here) and he gave us a ride to where our next appointment was. Well, he tried to give us a ride. He thought he could pass through Death Lake Jr., but he didn't make it. So, I made like a scout and did a good turn daily. Elder Fieldson and I got out of the combi and pushed. We were knee deep in water. It was actually really fun and we helped some others too.

Nobody had power and we couldn't teach anyone, so we didn't get to visit everyone we wanted to, but it was really fun. I stayed the night there last night because there was a bunch of traffic, due to all of the urban rivers.

I like to compare that day to life. It's November and that means that the rainy season is over, right? Maybe. But just when you think the rainy days are done with, the Lord gives you one more. At first we might think it ruined our day, but looking back on it, it made our day. Because of that rain, I got knee deep in water in church clothes to help people. I grew because of the experience and became more humble. Just when we think the rough rainy days are gone, other *stuff pops up and it might be scary. All we can do is pray, get knee deep in water and grow.

I know that we all want the trials and rainy days to go away, but we just have to know that the Lord is just building us up. Dad is already built pretty strong, but maybe the rest of us still have something to learn. But all is well. Dad said he would be better before I got home, and I´m taking his word for it.

That was my adventurous week. Not as cool as heart surgery and *stuff like that, but pretty close. I hear the Suns started. Can you give me some weekly updates on how that goes, Dad? Also, if you could hook me up with the Nuggets' and Blazers' records. I need to be able to talk trash to Drake and Francis. Thanks.

As for my release date, that was just a guess. I have no idea. It will be a Monday, but who knows when. All I know is that I can't wait to be sippin' on a Mt. Dew, eating a Double-Double from In-n-Out and/or a giant Chipotle burrito, watching the Suns game after a sweet day on the golf course. I know Elder Sherwood has many food plans, but those are my only plans.

I love you all and will continue praying. I hope I can be the missionary that you guys deserve to have out in the field. Keep it real.

Love

Drew

*replacement for non-missionary-like word starting with cr@&.

Miracles

Hey family!

Well, this week was adventurous. I enjoyed getting Dad's daily emails this week. I, too, was a bit disappointed that there wasn't immediate relief, but that's okay. I sent him an email on Thursday night. I agree that we did see miracles. The doctor found obvious evidence of a structural problem on an MRI. He is the first doctor, out of eighty-seven {give or take}, to have done that in five years. Another miracle is that the physical therapist just got done training a guy that just happened to put a practice in Gilbert, Arizona. Those are miracles.

Well, my week was full of miracles too . . . kind of.

It's a miracle that we are going to have a baptism today. We are baptizing the mom of a lady in our ward. The miracle is that she is eighty-five-ish years old and had never heard about the gospel before. Now she is old and sick, lives with her member daughter and loves church and we are going to be able to baptize her in the last years of her life.

Another miracle is that her ex-inactive grandson is going to baptize her. He was inactive but the last couple of weeks we have been working with him so that he can baptize his g-ma.

It's a miracle that Sacagawea let us rent a giant van last week while being underage. Also a miracle that I drove this bad boy all day in the biggest city in the world and never hit a thing.

It's a miracle that I didn't scratch the van even worse when I hit that curb/wall in the church parking lot at 6 a.m. It's an old van anyway and it was already scratched. Give me a break…

It's a miracle that we didn't scare off the new missionaries their first day in the field. Also a miracle that we didn't fall asleep at the wheel after not sleeping the night before.

And the last miracle of the week is Taylor. President invited us to go to the temple with him on Friday.

One year ago Taylor was 100% inactive. He has changed 100% and went to the temple yesterday.

Elder Perez, Elder Lobato, Elder Romney,

Taylor, Elder Bishop

President's family is also being blessed for his and Sister Nancollas' service, just as my family is.

Elder Bishop, Elder Perez, Sister Nancollas, Taylor,

President Nancollas, Elder Romney, Elder Lobato

Well, some of the miracles aren't really miracles, but you get the point. When Abinadi was about to be burned to death, some might have said that the only miracle possible would have been to save his life and convert thousands, including the King. But there was another miracle. Because of his faith, a little guy I like to call Alma was converted and is responsible for the salvation of probably hundreds of thousands. That was a miracle.

So we might have wanted an "instant relief" miracle, but we got a "medical breakthrough" miracle. Believe me, I wanted instant relief more than anyone, except maybe Dad, but I´m still happy with the findings. You will get better, Dad.

Well, thanks for everything. I did get the package. Thank you very much. Don't worry about sending a Christmas package. Just put the money that you would have spent into an "April 6th iPhone for Drew" account {his first mention of a release date!}. And if you insist on sending a Christmas package, just fill it with brown sugar and cinnamon pop tarts. Nothing else.

I love you guys. Keep it real.

Drew

The metro equals death

Hey people.

Sorry, this week's letter isn't going to be too grande, but you'll forgive me, right? This week was kind of crazy again.

Mondays are always filled up with office stuff. We have a meeting with President and then he goes with us to visit a random district meeting.

Tuesday, we went to Ecatepec for their interviews to continue in trying to pump up the missionaries to work harder. We got pulled over twice on the way there. They have a lot of weird rules about what days you can drive here. And since our van is an old one from Jalisco (they still haven't given us a new one) they told me that I couldn't drive week days in the morning. He freaked me out and told me that he was going to take the van, but then I found some paper that gave us permission to be driving whenever the heck we wanted. Anyhow, it happened again, but this time I was prepared. I just shoved the paper in the second guy's face and drove off. It was rad. Sorry, where was I?

Oh yeah, Wednesday. We just stayed here in Tepalcapa and talked to a couple of zones during their interviews.

Thursday was supposed to be a "knock doors" day and "work in my area" day, but it wasn't. We needed to rent a van because ours died and we had to have one for Friday. Moral of the story is that Lobato and I had to run to the mechanic to get ours fixed and then take the subway to the airport to rent a van. The subway is crazy. You can't be Christlike on that thing. Charity doesn't exist. You have to push in order to live. It's brutal. We survived and it was awesome. I let out a lot of frustration wiggling my way into that orange hell box on wheels. That's why I switched money over to my account. We don't have a credit card owned by the church, so we used mine. Anyhow, after convincing Pocahontas to let us rent a car even though I'm a year too young to legally rent a car, I inhaled a Cinnabon and got out of that enormous city.

Friday, Lobato and I drove an hour and a half to Tula Hidalgo and emptied out a house that we won't be using anymore and drove it to San Juan del Rio, Queretaro. We got home at like 4:00, then flew to the mechanic and then to the airport so we didn´t get charged for two days' rental.

Today, President sent us the changes and so I've been busy with that all day.

My week was fairly productive and tiring, but not so spiritual. I feel good though. I am happy and excited to go pick up the newbies on Monday.

I love you all. Keep it real.

Drew

P.S. Sorry for the long stories about nothing.

All mission photo

You wanted it ~ you got it.

We weren't actually at the temple.

Photoshop magic.

It messed up some Elders heads, though.

Mainly Elder Christensen.

Where's Waldo? You can spot Elder Romney in the third row from the top, second from the right, with Elder Heap on the end of the row. Elder Arnett is behind Elder Romney. Elder Slade is behind Elder Heap. Way to represent, Mesa!

Fotoweek

Hey!

Sorry for writing kind of late today. I hope you enjoy the photos. I'm cutting Perez's hair. Elder Lobato and I are making the Mtn Dew pyramid. I think that's about it for the pictures…

Well this week went well. I was super pumped to find a bunch of people this week in my area and to forget about office work. President asked Elder Perez and I if we could go to the interviews this week with him. So, instead of working in my own area all week, I spent all week in other parts of the mission in interviews. It was good though. We just talked to all the missionaries about being better and whatnot. We didn't have a good week as a mission last week, so we tried to motivate them to work harder. It is way more tiring sitting in meetings and doing brain work than walking around in the sun all day doing physical work. I'm pooped. I don't know how President can sit with up to forty missionaries in one day and interview every one of them. I would get so bored.

Well, we got to go to Queretaro and Atotonilco. Next week we will be going to Ecatepec and staying here in Tepalcapa, then we will be done. In about nine days, the new missionaries come. We haven't received any American missionaries for about four months and we won't get any for a while longer. I guess we are past our quota or something. I loved the end of Conference last week. Elder Holland is amazing. President Uchtdorf is also rad and I loved his talk on work and learning in the Priesthood session. He pumped me up to go home and work and learn.

So, there's not much going on here. Sorry this is so short. That's why I sent pictures.

I love you all. Keep it real.

Love,

Drew

That used to be a big pile/trunk of meat

I'm the office barber

I went to Queretaro this week

It's the only place that sells Mtn Dew

It was a great way to end a really, really long day

18 mumfs down, 6 2 go

Hello Loved Ones.

How you all doing? I hope everybody is enjoying conference as I am. I love those men. I have felt the Spirit strongly today, and the Lord knew exactly what I needed to hear. I received a strong witness that Elder Anderson was called of God. I didn't get to hear him speak six months ago, but hearing him this time assured me that he is a true Apostle of the Lord.

Well, it seems following the Spirit/receiving promptings of the Spirit is today's theme. I'm glad. It's something that I need to work on, and I know that with the help of the talks today, I will be able to get better at it. I'm excited for Priesthood session and tomorrow's sessions. Man, conference before the mission was not this cool.

This week was fine. I'm super glad that we don't have any conferences or anything like that for a while. This change has been crazy with office work, and I had just about had enough of it. We don't usually have consejo, a mission-wide conference, consejo for district leaders, and have to write three lessons all in the same change. But I'm glad it's all over. I know all that work will be of help later on, so that's fine.

On Tuesday, we had that consejo for district leaders. It went well. I feel that everyone left excited and ready to work even harder and be better leaders. It was also fun to see a bunch of mission friends. We ordered a taco place to come to the church and make us all tacos afterward too. It was a success.

Well, I completed eighteen months yesterday. The time is flying. It really made me think, though. I was wondering if I had been doing exactly what the Lord is expecting out of me. I have six short months left, and I know that if I don’t give it my all for the rest of my mission, I will finish with regrets. So it's time to step it into high gear. (President changed his mind and wants me to be in here until January, so I'll have my last three months wherever I want.) Elder Arnett and I talked about it last night, and we both felt the same way. About twenty-ish years ago, the Elders only served for eighteen months. I realized that if I were going home today, that I would not feel that I completed my work here. So, I'm thankful that the Lord is giving me six months more here.

Answer time . . . Last Saturday, I went alone with President to Atotonilco to tell an Elder that his Grandpa had died. And we left early in the morning, so President said that Elder Perez could come, but it wasn't necessary. So, just we went. We spoke in English. Normally we speak in Spanish, but when President is just one on one with an American missionary, he speaks English. We still don't have the whole mission photos. A photographer came (two hours late, and Sister Nancollas was not happy with him, and expressed herself quite openly/awesomely with him) and he will be giving us the photo in a week or so, I think. Don't worry, I'll hook you up.

I'm pumped for Josh to come down here. The mission right next to the greatest mission in the world. I could drive to his mission in fifteen minutes from where I live. He is going to love it there.

Thanks for the *quote. I will use it. I will either find it in Spanish, or just translate it. But it is exactly what I need right now and exactly what the mission needs.

Oh yeah, on Tuesday night, we went to President's house to watch Taylor open his call. He wanted to go to Norway or Switzerland or someplace like that.

Here is Taylor opening his call.

Well, he wasn't far off. He is going to Russia. I can't remember the name of the mission, but it's in south Russia, next to Ukraine. He is super excited and can't wait to go. Unfortunately, he will be waiting until February. But it would be kind of a neat experience having Elder Holland call you a week before getting your call saying, "Hey Tay! I just made your call today and it's another case of one of the Nancollas' boys going exactly where the Lord wants them to be." And then receiving your call and calling up Elder Holland afterward to tell him thanks. The night was topped off by Sister Nancollas making us steak (American kind). Life is good.

Well, keep it real. I love you all. I hope that everyone is happy and healthy. Thanks for the pictures, mom. Hasta luego.

Love,

Drew

Elder Perez and I celebrating his birphday.

{Yes, that's how he spelled it.}

*I'm looking for documentation re: this quote . . . where/when it was said. Anyone?