You have saved our lives...we are eternally grateful Feb 27

Buenas tarders familia!

Esta semana ha sido una buena semana. Me siento muerto en mi cabeza ahorita, estoy un poco enfermo este dia. pero, esperosamente, yo voy a poder decirles lo que ha pasado esta semana. Me siento que muchas cosas hayan pasado, pero no me acuerdo muy bien ahorita. Esta semana, yo no he podido hablar. en espanol o ingles. creo que yo puedo escribir un poco mejor.

Hello family! It's so great to hear your voices today. Well, imagine them. Cause I can't actually hear them through the computer. But it sounds like everything is doing great, and I'm so glad to hear that!

This week has been a really good week, me and Elder Clark and Elder Moore have just been really having a blast. They're helping me to not be so serious all the time. Everybody here in the mission thinks I'm super serious, and it makes me sad. I just get stressed and then I stop being funny. Either that or i'm really not funny. We'll go with the first option. But we've really gotten along well here, I'm going to be sad for the transfer. Almost completely positively certainly, we will not be together next transfer. President said he wasn't going to leave the trios. And I have a feeling I'm leaving this area and ward. I have no idea where I'm going or what kind of companion I will have, but I have a feeling I'm leaving. Part of me is devastated, I love all the people here, and It's gonna be super hard to leave people like E., and S., and others. But on the other hand, I'm learned so much here, mostly made a lot of mistakes, and I want to go somewhere fresh and see if I can put everything I've learned into practice. But I will let you know next week where I will be! I don't think I will be getting transferred to colorado, not like Amy! Maybe my last transfer I will. Speaking of last transfers, Elder Watkins goes home tomorrow! My dad is going home! It was really weird, going to the departing missionary fireside last night and hearing him bear his testimony. I'm really sad, he's definitely made a big difference in how I've started my mission and how the rest of it will go. He's one of the goofiest guys I've ever met, but he's really awesome and a great missionary, and I'm really grateful I got trained by him. The departing missionary fireside is really cool, it can be kind of hard, but it really motivates you to work harder, so at the end you can stand up yourself and share what your mission has done for you.

As for success this week, just lots of little things. Nothing big. except there was one really cool thing, on tuesday we went and had our lesson with M., the lady who walked into church. And as we looked at her address, and then pulled up to her house, me and elder moore realized we'd both been to this house before. At the very first weekly planning session with elder moore, we prayed and put together a list of former investigators to go visit. And then, we tried to go visit them. And one of them, is E.'s step dad. We found E. because we were trying to contact his family. And one of the others, her name was M., and we tried many times to contact her but never found her. So we pulled up to the house, and Elder Moore realized that M.’s name sounded really familiar. We learned that they were the same person! It was pretty amazing, already seeing the fruits of some of our earlier labors from the transfer before. She started going to church about the time we tried to contact. That was probably the coolest thing. We also had a fun experience after the fireside last night, we spent about all day doing companionship study, and as we came back we had a little time so we did some street contacting. And in our studies, we practice and role play a lot. And when we contacted this guy, it was almost exactly the same as what we practiced earlier that day. It was pretty cool. That's just how our weeks have been the past couple weeks, just lots of little miracles that let us know Heavenly Father knows exactly what we're doing. And it's really helping me to learn to trust in Him. Just to trust that everything will work out. And I've been feeling a lot more peaceful and stable, mentally and emotionally and spiritually lately. Not really physically. I'm getting sick again I think. But that's alright. Everything happens for a reason. Well, that's been our week, and I can't wait to talk to you all next week and tell you where I'm at! Have a great week, I love you all!

Borsh- Shame on you, writing your letter in stake conference! Haha, I remember those days. Now people expect me to be paying attention in church, and play the piano! It's weird. That Nuggets game sounds awesome! I'm really jealous. Did you get anybodys autographs? How's your basketball playing going? I hope you're practicing good, so you can beat me when I get home. I play every day, so I'm still practicing too! Love you Bud!

Mops- can you believe I'm already on my fifth transfers and I've already been out for more than 7 months? It's really weird. I feel like a newbie still. And at the same time, I feel like I'm be home before I know it. It's really weird. And momma, you would not believe some of the things I eat. You all wouldn't even recognize me! I actually like mexican food now! And I eat chilies and beans all the time! I'm still not a fan of tomatoes or sour cream, but I eat them! Thanks for your great letter mops, and thank you very much for fasting for me. I felt it yesterday. I felt the spirit very strong yesterday, telling me that everything is going to be alright with this transfer. And Heavenly Father knows exactly where he wants me going. I had a really good day yesterday, and now I know I have you to thank for it! Thanks for all you do for me momma, and I sure love you!

Pops-I'm sorry you tweaked your knee pops! But one thing, it didn't hurt me a bit. I would ask if your face hurt, but I wouldn't be able to deliver the killer punchline til next week, and I feel that would kill the joke somewhat. I hope it feels better though pops! That's so crazy that Lindsey just got home. Missions go by so fast, and so slow at the same time. I'm glad she had a great mission, and that's really cool that they got to pick her up. I will always remember picking Brent up, that was the trip of a lifetime. And I hope all of you will one day come back and tour my mission with me. In an armor plated van maybe. It definitely won't have some of the scenic sights and countryside that Brent's had, but it'd still be fun!

Well, I'm out of time, but I love you all, and I can't wait to hear from you all next week, and tell you what's happened with me!

(and good luck on Amy's transfer to Colorado. And Brent, I would really love some ovocne knedliky. I will send you some papusas if you send me. ) Love you all!

Welcome to Shady Oaks Retirement Village March 5

Well, I just finished going to the bathroom for the 80th time today. In my new area!

As you all have very correctly inferred, I did get transferred. And man was it an interesting transfer. My new area is called Willowbrook, and despite it's name, it is actually not a retirement village! That's what I thought when I first heard it. So after p-day on monday, me and Elder Moore and Elder Clark were standing outside someone's house, getting ready to go home, and we got a call from the AP's, asking us to come in for interviews the next day! So we did, and first of all, Elder Moore is training this transfer! So I now have a grandson! I'm so proud of him. He's going to be a great trainer, and I'm really excited for him. And then I had an interview with President as well. Because in addition to being transferred, they have also asked me to be the district leader! ahhhh!!!!!! It's been quite the week. Trying to learn a new area, new responsibilities, new companion, new district, new zone, it's been crazy. But first of all, Willowbrook. My apartment is very fortunately, cockroach free, and it's actually a pretty nice apartment. The shower doesn't work very well, it's a little bit like standing under a rain gutter, but no cockroaches! I can't tell you how happy I am about that. And as for the area, welcome to South Central! My area is right in the middle of Watts and Compton, and one of the areas in my district is actually called South Central. We have a few projects in our area, and now I will be able to tell people that I have been to the projects. But another great thing, as district leader, I get a car! That's been kind of a nice change. I'm worried about getting fat, but it's been really nice to have a car these past few days. I only have a certain number of miles, so I will probably end up using my bike still, but it's still nice to have it for p-days. And another really awesome thing, we actually live out of our area, just a couple blocks away from some other elders. One of which is Elder Jones, from the MTC! He's in my district. It's been awesome to have him in my district, it's made my transition a lot easier, having him here. I consider that a tender mercy. Another interesting thing, my district is super young. There are 3 other companionships there, and we are all in the Southgate 2 ward, along with a pair of sisters, who for some reason aren't in our district. Me and Elder Jones are the oldest elders in our district! Oldest, as in we've been out the longest. It's been really weird. It's a lot of responsibility. It's really weird, realizing i'm pretty much responsible for the missionary work in the southgate 2 ward. It's a really weird feeling. And even weirder, I get to do baptismal interviews as well! So whenever anyone from my district is teaching someone, I am the one that decides whether or not they are ready for baptism! AH! I thought I was stressed before. But it's been really fun, and I've been learning a lot. And Heavenly Father has definitely been giving me what I need to fulfill my responsibilities here. I was sitting in church yesterday, and I just had an impression that I needed to set a good example for everyone in my district and the ward, and bear my testimony. So I did, and for probably the first time ever, I went up, and bore my testimony, and I didn't think at all about what I was going to say. And Heavenly Father really gave me the words I needed to say, and it was pretty amazing. Heavenly Father has given me a lot to let me know he's there, and watching. Our area here is doing alright, we've got one investigator getting closer to baptism, but ot much else going. But me and Elder Reeves found 5 new investigators in the 4 days I've been here, and I really have a lot of good hopes for this area. It's got a lot of good potential. My companion is pretty great. His name is Elder Reeves, which is kind of funny, I keep expecting him to be related to Cary. He's been out 2 transfers less than me, and he's doing great. We both have a tendency to take ourselves seriously, but that's something I want to work on. I am really grateful for all of your letters today, I was feeling kind of bad, because I feel everytime I start to feel more myself, I feel like I'm breaking a rule. And that makes me feel stressed. But almost all your letters today talked about having a positive attitude and being yourself, and I definitely think that was an answer from Heavenly Father, telling me that I'm on the right track, I just keep learning day by day how to be more positive and happy, but still work hard and be obedient. It's a really hard balance to find. But that's been my week, It's been really interesting adjusting to the new area and responsibilities, it was harder to leave my old area than I expected. The hardest part was leaving E. We went to the VC with him right after my interview, and I almost cried when I said goodbye to him. That was pretty hard, but I'm hoping to get a call this month inviting me to his baptism! It feels good to be in a new area, where people don't really know me, a chance to put the lessons I learned in my other ward into practice and be myself more. It's been good. Well, I love you all, and I can't wait to hear from you all next week! And the letters from the past couple weeks did actually stolen, but they think they found the car, so we'll see about that. But I love you all, thanks for your great letters, and I can't wait to write you again from Hidden Falls! I mean, Willowbrook. Bye!