Well I got my Birthday letter/ package from you guys on Saturday, along with the blog/ letter updates from all of the guys out serving their missions. It's great seeing them all grow as they share the Gospel. I wish the computers out here had a SD card slot so that I could send you guys the pictures on a pretty general basis, because in reality the card doesn't fill up that fast, and I'm not a crazy picture taker. Feel free to send a new out so that I can send the old one back. If we do that every other month or something like that you guys can get a few new pictures of me sooner.
In regards to the pictures of me on the old and new bikes, I'll do that soon. There won't be a seat with the picture of the old bike because the seat is destroyed, and no I'm not exaggerating. You'll see a picture of just what the seat looks like when I send the card back next week. I've only ridden my new bike 1 day, before Elder Grandela left, and it's pretty nice, so I'll be making sure that I can lock it up and keep it secure. We're not on bikes as a trio but we're in a truck. I'm sure that I can take an awesome picture of me doing something funny with the truck too. I just don't think about all of the types of pictures I can take.
The picture you were talking about Dad was the Napa Stake Conference one. My companions should be on the right of me (from your perspective) Elder Balagna having black hair and looking Italian, and Elder Bankhead should be right next to him with brown hair and kind of tan. We have one more week being in a 3-some before I get transferred or I get a new companion.
The picture I get in my head of Mom hammering away at the bathroom tile is funny, I remember Mom hating the tile and how cold the tile would be in the winter. I'm sure the contractors didn't have to do much of that part of the job! :)
The members here are very nice and they feed us almost every night. It's pretty awesome. ^^ Also on some of the nights that we didn't have a member dinner I've had some fun cooking some frozen steak, and making an ice cream pie from the cookie mix your guys sent me. It's just a lot of fun to have random materials left over to cook with.
It's also kind of funny since it's 3 of us in a tiny room and I'm living out of my bags for these 2 weeks, fortunately there's only one left. We've had a lot of fun getting to know each other, and working together. We're trying to balance the work between the Spanish and English work, but Spanish often times has a whole lot of more things to do than the English side... so sometimes it's just kind of funny since neither Elder Bankhead or Elder Balagna know a lick of Spanish. They know a few words, but that's just about all.
It's been sunny, and pretty clear skies for the past week. Yesterday and today have been kind of drizzly and overcast, but things should clear up as time goes on.
Regarding my clothing, the majority of my clothing is doing pretty good. When I was on foot and on Bike my socks started going crazy, but they should be okay for awhile, but the 2 pairs of pants that we got before I left are wearing out. *sigh* they just aren't meant for being walked in all day. So, I'll figure out a quick patch job to work with it until I can get my 3 pair cleaned and look around to see if I can get some new pants. Unless you guys can do something to help me out there... I don't know, it's just bothersome how lousy some of these pants are.
I think that it's great that Cole got my letter! I was wondering whatever happened to it after I sent it off with my other missionary friends that were heading to Tucson, Arizona. I think I remember the number part of the address, so I'm going to try to send him another letter here pretty soon. I think that I'll be here in Sonoma still, but I won't know until next week. I also remember the Stewart family, and particularly the night that we went to their house for dinner uninvited :P. That was pretty embarrassing for me. I don't remember much else besides that though.
Note to President Bunker:
*whew* Another week gone by. It has been tough teaching the Spanish appointments here in Sonoma by myself, but it has definitely been a growing and learning experience to struggle and grasp more and more how I can improve myself to better serve the members here. It's also helped me work more with the members of the ward to coordinate lessons and people who can go on splits with me while the English Elders go to other appointments at the same time, or to just come along and fellowship the investigators. I am looking forward to a new Spanish-speaking companion though, it's kind of awkward to teach a lesson to an investigator with 3 people when 2 of them can't say anything at all to add to the conversation.Your Missionary,
This week has been bad with many of the Spanish members of the Sonoma area feeling sick, working, or just being unavailable. I hope to be able to contact more people this week, especially Lourdes who has been in Mexico for the past 2 weeks. She was progressing well until that point. She gets home today, and I hope to get in touch with her soon.
Our 2 investigators with a baptismal date have been unavailable this week as well. Fortunately I'm still in contact with Angeles, but Elizabeth has been out of the loop for 2.5 weeks. I'm seeking help from the member that referred and taught her with us to help us get back into contact, but until that happens she's a little off the map.
Some of progressing investigators this week is Armando Landeros, Moises and Berta Gutierez, and Montserrat Munoz. They have been reading, and like what we have been teaching. I've committed them to praying specifically to know that these things are true and I hope to move through some of the individual doubts that some of them have, and I hope to extend a baptismal commitment within the next few visits if they have done their part and the spirit is right.
Elder Mackelprang
Napa Conference
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