6.27.11

Aloha family of mine,

What it do? How are things back in Colorado? Sounds like everything is bueno. Sounds like Sarah had an AWESOME time at camp, and it sounds like mom beasted those rapids, WAY TO BE momma. No fear, that's what I'm talkin about. Sounds like you both are doin awesome with your dieting and workin out as well, Idk who you are any more, you're gonna be so fit I won't recognize ya, keep up the good work! You only got a year and a half left to get ready to impress me when I walk off the plane. Thanks for all your love, support, prayers, and everything else. Oh, and yes mother dearest, i would like you to send me that big thing of vitamins you found in my room, it's called Animal Pak, it's for body buildin, I asked you guys to send me it like my 2nd transfer, but you ended up sending me my creatine instead, but yea send me those vitamins sometime if you could.

So, things here in good ole Tennessee are going good. It's hotter than ever if you were wondering. My face is probably gonna melt off soon. Elder Jonsie and I used up all our miles for the month already with the craziness that is the Memphis 1st ward, so we've been doing a lot of biking this week. Until Friday, when we biked probably a good 10 miles up into the Triangle area, which is right above Raleigh (We're actualy responsible for like 3 areas, Raleigh, the Triangle, and then part of Millington) but we were biking in the triangle, and we rode off a little baby curb and my back tire went like instantly flat. It was dumb. So we then walked with our bikes for a few hours and saw a refferal and a bunch of less-actives and in-actives that were in the area, I have a ward list and geo codes, and so we're just going through everyone in our areas, and meeting all the in-active people, which is probably over 70% of the ward. There are at least 120 people to see just in our area, and that's not covering Frayser and Midtown. So we have 2 other companionships in the mission assigned to the Memphis 1st ward specifically just for home teaching, and then the 4 companionships who actually work there and do as much as they can as well, but our main focus really has to be recent converts and baptisms.

Anyway... So I popped my tire, so we walked that past 2 days in the hot hot sun, and you seriously feel like you're in a sweat shower or something, you just get soaking wet with sweat, it's disgusting, but awesome, because I know we're blessed for it. You feel great shaking hands with people who are sweaty too, everyone outside is sweaty, and your hands just kinda slip off eachother from all the sweat. and you have to have a pass-a-long protector, to keep them from getting soaking wet from your pocket sweat. We just clear-tape everything, like our planners and PMG's and then you either keep your pass-a-long cards in your white hand book, or you clear tape one, and out all the other ones in front of that one, so that one will gaurd the others from your sweat. Lots of sweat.

We had a successful week though, we set 4 more dates, some of our other dates aren't looking too good, but we stive to just keep finding, that way we'll keep our teaching pool up and people will be constantly progressing towards baptism, like an esalator effect, vs having a few that get baptized and then starting again from the bottom, like an elevator. We want the work to be constantly moving forward.

Elder Badger and I, and all the other missionaries in the ward, have been talking about starting a FHE thing for the Recent Converts in the ward. We recently talked to the Bishop and got permission to have it Thursday nights at the church. It seems that the people we've recently baptized are kinda seperated from the other members in the ward. I guess it somewhat makes sense, we've baptized so many people in such a short amount of time that older members hardly have any time to meet the new members, we have a baptism every two weeks, so the ward is growing like wild fire. So we were brainstorming on ways to get the new members and the older members to fellowship more, and we've decided on having a Family Home Evening at the church on Thursday nights. With the people and the lifestyles of the area's we're working in, there's just not a lot of value in family, people don't view family time as something that's importanat. So FHE is like a foreign concept to them. They can't begin to understand it, or understand how it should go, or be organized. So this way we'll be able to teach people HOW to have FHE, we'll invite older members to fellowship, and it should help out with retention, and helping the recent converts bond and feel like they're in a place they belong. I'm excited. Us 8 missionaries are teaching it, and we're gonna have activities and refreshments, we planned it all this morning for a big combined comp study, it's gonna be sweet.

Mary and Martha are the coolest. They're the Sudan family we're teaching. They are progressing perfectly, and we set a baptismal date with the both of them for the 9th! and it's just a way solid date. They love the church, and they love learning, and they are just so so ready to change. I have high hopes for them, they'd be such a big help to the ward, Martha would make such a strong member.

Everythings goin way bueno though, No complaints, nothing I can't handle with the help of the big guy upstairs (God)

Oh, and Grampa, thanks a ton for the package! I appreciate it more than you know! That was super quick, I just barely asked for the Prophet of the Restoration, and now I have it! Thank you so much, that will be so helpful. and thanks for the granola bars, food is always awesome. I love ya'll. Keep it fresh, as these hoodlums would say. Love ya Love ya Love ya.

Oh, and thanks for sending me the link to Benny-J's emails everyweek. He sounds like he's doing awesome! It reminds me of when I was at the MTC, haha. I loved that place. well, gotta bounce, adios!

Elder Justin LeBaron

Oh, and that girl Erica that me and Elda Badge Attack were teaching, she got baptized Saturday :) Elder Badger did the honors, it was awesome.