Dear Parents, Mom and Dad/Dad and Mom,
We are still working with the people in the duplexes (mentally ill but capable), though we may end up giving these people, who are mainly single sisters, to the sister missionaries. Our appointments with the one couple whose wife is interested keep on cancelling, so we are trying to see them as soon as we can and hopefully, the bishop will come to talk with the husband.
That is so awesome that the lady that Mom has been working with is getting baptized. That is so cool! Congratulations to her! Dad keep up the missionary effort! That is great that you are using the technology of today for a force of good and helping move the work. And you are trying to find members from the ward I am in? I am sure they will say good things, but I do not know what they use. Have fun with Stake Conference! (Stake Conference is a combined gathering of several congregations in a geographical area. The guest speaker will be President Gelwix of the California Fresno Mission, an unpaid minister and former rugby coach) This week for us, I believe, is going to be the primary program (a program put on by the children ages 3 to 11 for the congregation), which is great.
My MTC companion has been emailing that he got in contact with our TRC that was the real investigator. No news on how much she has progressed, but, finally, I know something. I have been slow to write a letter to her. I am a bit frustrated with myself. I know that I am busy a lot.
To answer your questions I did get the thermal skins, I think I got the socks, but nothing on the jacket. And yes, mail is fine coming to where I live. Our landlord is good at leaving our mail in the mailbox and thus far, since he and his wife are gone for a time, his mail is still in the mailbox. So, mail is good coming here. I do believe sending camera SD cards back and forth will work fine, unfortunately (cost of stamps, I realize could add up (only about three dollars)), but it is the only way that could work (it makes me nervous to do so, but it is best way to go anyway).
And about the hotel, cool! (We learned that the hotel we stayed in Salt Lake City is listed as haunted.)That is interesting! I would not want to go back in it, due to our experience, but what interesting information. I wonder how Bria found that out. Also, sounds like a good "Criminal Minds" that you watched; I do not miss watching the T.V. shows even though I still like hearing about them.
So, this week; slow, but good for the most part. Not a lot happened that was so awesomely amazing, but it was good. I was so happy when I saw a fox. It ran across the road, which I was really amazed at it. No picture, because (a) I was in a car and (b) it ran. I did see some deer, but that was when I was driving and riding a bike (and the deer ran across the road). In fact, when I was driving with my old companion (Meibos), I almost hit Bambi, who was standing in the middle of the road before it scampered off. Last Monday, there was traffic, oddly, going to our residence, because somebody who did not want to hit a deer swerved and flipped their car.
And speaking of time, time is starting to blend. My weeks are starting to snowball into some shape and blend. I am not too happy that September went by so quickly and now, October is nearly over. It feels like it is going to end; this mission is going by way too quickly and it has been what, three months, if not four? I am enjoying my time learning. There was this one person who told us that this is the time to be serious and after this, have fun. Hearing that, I think to myself that I find the most enjoyment out of writing, learning, serving, listening, and thinking. Most people do not think that is enjoyable. I will always find myself weird, but all is well. I am normal and to a degree unique.
I do not know if I told you, but we had a slight meal policy change. Still no meal calendar and it is still preferred that members invite non-members, but regardless, this change is to help members understand what is going on. So, we are no longer to have weekly invites by members, which I took to mean all members. I told this one part-member family that her weekly invites could no longer happen, which she was perfectly fine with, though she wants to make sure we are fed. I was doing this to be obedient and as it turns out, her weekly invites as a non-member are okay. As I soon as I found out, I told her, which she was quite happy to hear.
I learned how to stack wood, which was quite fun. I am learning a lot here both temporally and spiritually. We have a new investigator that the sisters were teaching, but the investigator secretly told a member that he wants us to come over. The sisters are still teaching him, though mainly to his wife. We do not think the wife knows that we are teaching him, but it may go well. When the sisters (missionaries) found out, they were understandably shocked and upset (to a degree).
We also helped this recent convert (who is a single mother) tag clothes, which was so much fun. What ended happening was that Elder Longman and I started talking about the different cartoons we had watched when we were little and some of the better cartoons. (In fact, he has some permissible Disney movie music with him.) We talked about Avatar and such and we both agree that today's cartoons are horrible. The single mother piped up that she still watches cartoons, especially when her kids are at school to which her 19 year old asked her why she watches cartoons when the kids are not around. It was a fun day.
Like I said, there is not much to say. This week, not much excitement happened; that is okay. I have done plenty of personal reflection. I have found that my favorite scriptural heroes are Elijah, Enoch and Melchizedek. I read as much as we have on all of them and they are my favorite three. I love Elijah for how awesome he was. I love Enoch for his personal weakness that he told the Lord he had and the Lord basically still made him go out and teach. Enoch was a good man. I love Melchizedek for what we know and that he was an admirable priest. I have been thinking about Melchizedek a lot lately. In the most recent Ensign, I believe, there is a picture of him blessing Abram and I absolutely love it for some reason. Which brings up my next point, I am really loving gospel art right now. It is the best art and I wish there was more on the Book of Mormon. I seen some new pictures besides the ones you usually see (the ones where the men are usually muscular and such) due to the Ensigns. There are some good pictures, especially of Christ out there. And the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has excellent music. I love the albums "Love at Home," "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," and "Showtime." I love the "Battle of Jericho" from "Come, Thou Fount" and I love "Homeward Bound" from "Love at Home." (You can probably guess as to why I love Showtime.) There is so much beauty around this world that we do not recognize and I am so happy to realize what is around me. I love the gospel art and I love gospel music. So, I guess, I have been reflecting on art and music. I am so glad that there is so much more time in my life to greatly appreciate this beauty.
So, short week, slow, but all good. Truly, all is well!
Love,
Elder S. Todd
