It's great to hear about all the fun you guys are having. It sounds like a filled summer so far! That's good to hear. I hope it stays the same for the years to come because I do miss those kinds of summers. It's just getting hot here. But, the fire flies have come out a few times! That is something the East Coast has over the West Coast. I don't know why they are over here and not in Utah. It gets just as cold here as it does in Utah. The fire flies only come out for like an hour in the evening, right after the sun sets. They also only come out if it's like over 85 degrees. They need warmth. Maybe they need humidity as well.

 

I'm so happy to hear your ear is doing good! I was praying and I still pray that it went okay. I'll keep praying for you.

 

I'm excited to hear about Spencer Allen. He's been waiting for so long now to go and it's finally coming up. I'm so excited for him. I've been trying to write him and letter, but I just don't have much time. I'm getting to it though.

 

So a couple things. What's Kelsie's email address? I want to start emailing her some more. Also, you should look on food network and travel channel to see if there's any good places to eat around here. There's a TON of food places. I just don't know if they're any good.. Also, I'm sorry if I was confusing last week. Dad told asked me to clarify, but I haven't found a backpack yet. Sorry for the confusion!

 

MOOOOOMMM! If you haven't looked at any pictures yet. Do so now!

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New York City! We went to the temple this last Thursday. That means I've officially been to the Big Apple. Haha. It was so awesome there!! So amazing. So many buildings! They're huge buildings too. We met up as a Zone in Union City and took a small bus. (The hispanic community call them Wah-Wahs.) It took us to a special station in Manhatten. We then walked for about 30 minutes through NYC, mainly on Broadway, to get to the temple. And yes, Times Square was on the way. I tried to take as many pictures as I could. I don't think I sent all the pictures I took, but I tried to send the good ones. I remember walking past the New York Times Tower, and the NBC Tower I think. They were all huge skycrapers! It was crazy how many buildings, actually skycrapers, there were. So many food places that looked really good to eat at. Lots of cool stores that would be easy to spend lots of money at. Like I told dad, $1000 could easily be spent there. That's where we should go! However, not the best place for the whole family to go.. It would be scary trying to get Julia and Kaylee through there. I don't think Kyle would have that much fun either. So we'll see. The best part however was the temple obviously! So quiet in the temple. Amazing place. I always love the temple. The Manhatten Temple also serves as a Distribution Center along with a Chapel for two wards. It has a full size Chapel and a Cultural Hall in it. Wow! That's a big buidling! It was all in all an amazing experience. I get to do it again this December. I probably won't take as many pictures though next time.

 

Anyways, love you all. I love you mom! I miss you and pray for you all.

-Elder Gajewsky

 

Q of the W:

1.  What is your new address?

 

963 East 27th Street Floor 2

Paterson, NJ 07513

2.  What is your new apartment like.  Do you still live with 3 other guys?  Is it better or worse than your last one?

 

Our new apartment is actually not new at all. Haha, it's old and you can tell missionaries use it. There's still 4 missionaries in it. Which is a lot funner than just a two-man I've heard. I would say it's about the same quality as my last one. Maybe a little worse. But I think in the next couple transfers I'll eventually get a nicer one.

3.  Have you heard from Kyle Byington lately?  If so, how is he doing?  Have you heard from your other friends recently?

Kyle is doing amazing! I keep in touch with him through small emails. We both just want to make sure we stay in contact at least a little. No other friends recently.

 

I remember the one scout camp we went on years ago. It was also with Zhaun Draper and Scott Andersen. I believe Brother Thompson was there. That was really fun! I also remember coming to love rappeling. Those couple guys in our ward are really fun to be with! I kinda miss that.. I'm in the spanish program and they don't really have those kind of personalities. At least that I've seen yet. They're good in their own ways though.

Paterson really is kind of dirty. In some places it's nicer. But all in all, it's not that great anywhere. There's one place where there is trash everywhere. It just makes me sad.. This one street is called Martin Luther King Jr. Highway. There's a lot of black people in Paterson. I would think that they would try and keep a street named after such a great leader (especially for them) nicer. But honestly, it's a dump! Haha. Then again, out here by Passaic and Jersey City, around there, it's all dirty. And a little dangerous. All the streets have trash cans FILLED with beer bottles. It's very different. There's good people there though.

 

I don't know where I said that either.. I don't have a backpack. I told Kyle that I found that backpack on Amazon.com. I don't remember what it was called though. Try looking for 'day pack hydration pack'. Something like that on Amazon.com.

 

Does Kyle have an email address? If not, I'll just email him through you. Tell him to send me a reply from the email I sent last week.

 

I really love getting to know the members. The Branch President here in the Paterson 1st is really cool. He loves missionary work. He loves us! He also tells us if there's anything he can do for us to tell him, and that he always has his phone with him. He's great! He actually lived in Salt Lake for a while. 

 

This last Thursday we went to the Manhatten. Yes, that means NYC!! We walked through Times Square and everything! It was an aweseme experience!! I'm convinced, no I know, that if I went to NYC with $1000, it would not be hard at all to blow it all quickly. We took a little bus that the hispanic people call Wah-Wahs from Union City which is right across the Hudson River from Manhatten. We took that right into the middle of it all. We didn't go towards the Empire State Building at all, and no where really close to the Freedom Tower at all. But I did walk right next to the Times Magazine Tower. As well as NBC Tower I think. In Times Square I saw the famous Times Square McDonalds and also the M&M Factory. I took a lot of pictures, but I don't think I can fit very many into one email. I'll send four to you and four others to mom. I'll see if I can send another blank email with more. But nothing in the city was better than the temple. It was so quiet in there. I can't believe how amazing it was in there. Very, very nice. The Manhatten Temple also serves as the chapel to two wards! They have a full size Chapel in there along with a court! As well as a Distribution Center. Crazy big in there! It was an awesome experience.

 

Thanks dad for everything! I miss you guys. I miss going on those camp outs. I miss camping and hiking A LOT! It'll make it all the more sweeter when I come home though. I'm having fun and time does seem to be going by quickly. I don't know if that's good or bad. I'm enjoying myself! Love you all!

-Elder Gajewsky