Saturday, January 10, 2015

December 2014 Letter excerpts

Dear Mom,

Thank you for getting me your new phone number so I'll be sure to have it on Christmas.  Of course, ya'll will probably be at grandma's, so I'll most likely call there if I need to but hopefully a skype will be possible!  I can call and confirm things "day of" if I need to, right? :o)  I'm not too worried if Sterling can get the set up going.  We may visit other families possibly, but we will probably be hanging out with the "H" family most of the day and we will be able to skype from there.

It is crazy that on Jan 2nd I will be 1/4th done with my mission!  Does it seem like I've been gone a long time?  It doesn't feel that long to me.  It feels like I've been out a month!  Then I realize that it is almost January now and it feels so weird.  What a time warp!  I can't believe it.  I'm speculating big changes soon.  It's not typical to be in an area longer than 6 months.  I may get moved soon!  Be sure to send everything to the mission office!  And if anyone else plans on sending anything to me...mission office it is!  Something that can happen sometimes is "emergency transfers" that can happen unexpectedly at any time.  You never know.

Christmas box from home!


I enjoyed the Christmas devo!  We ate dinner at the M's house that night and we were late so we missed the first talk but it was still great!  We watched it at the Stake Center.  We really enjoyed the music the best!  Oh!  Not to mention Pres. Eyring and I were wearing the same tie!  The other missionaries were jealous and Elder G said he wanted my autograph, ha ha!  I had gotten that tie really cheap at Goodwill my first month out.  Oh man!  I spent a little $$ last temple p-day on some very nice ties at various stores.  I am proud of my tie collection now.  I didn't buy TOO much....but my collection is growing.  My favorite one is a blue "Pierre Cardin" brand with a pocket square.

My new companion, Elder L, and I are somehow seeing a lot of success! We are definitely being watched over and guided by the Lord to go and do what He would have us do.  Crazy things happen everyday!  We'll be knocking on doors and all of a sudden we'll find an investigator from another area who is in our area visiting family or some exchanged student girl who is lost will come up to us asking for directions when a member of our Bishopric shows up and is able to help us direct her to her home, which we later find out is close to our church bld, and she's staying with an LDS host family.  Both of those things happened yesterday after church!

 Elder B and Elder L!

I'll tell you about Elder L.  He is from Utah.  Everyone calls him "Lurch"! ha ha.  He came out with me on the same plane but we only briefly met because our travel group was so large.  He is about 1/2 a year younger than I am.  He's a very good missionary with a strong spiritual side and a large testimony.  I love being in lessons  with him.  He is very good at teaching and testifying and he always brings the spirit into people's homes.  At times he is "life of the party" crazy, and other times he's super serious.  Elder L is a good friend and we are having a good time.

I think it's pretty crazy that my mission will be split!  I wonder if I'll be in the WKM still or in the Yakima mission?  That would be interesting....I guess there will be a public announcement on Wednesday the 17th.  Watch for it!  Oh! a new rule in our mission is that we aren't allowed to help anyone move if they are members of the church.  If there is an investigator that needs help then we have to call the ZL's  to have them get in contact with the Senior couple Missionaries who are over service so that they can "okay" the move for Elders to help.  If things are too heavy, or if it seems too dangerous then we are not supposed to help.

Our investigator, "C", is on date for December 27th and it will be solid. :o)  We also have another man and his wife on date for Jan 3rd.  They are doing awesome.


Wow, we had a great day yesterday!  We had a very spiritual sacrament meeting.  It was all about Christmas and the ward choir sang songs.  There were some great musical numbers.  One that was spectacular was by Sister "D" and Sister "C".  Then Sister "H" and Sister "C" read from the scriptures.  We also had "C" be interviewed for baptism last night by Elder G and she passed!  So, Saturday it is!
 "Baptism anticipation" during "C's" interview! ha ha

I will tell you more on Thursday when we get to talk!  See ya then!

I love you!  Merry Christmas!





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