7.18.11

Dearest Family, what uppp?

The Mish is treating me well. We honestly had a great week. I'm
loving life. Sometimes days drag on in the heat, and things just suck,
but at the end of the day it always feel so good to report back to the
Lord, knowing you did what you were called to do, and you gave it all
you had. If there's anything I'm learning right now it's not to waste
a moment. Time just disappears. It's like, poof, another weeks gone,
what the freak happened, but when you're bustin your tail you find joy
in the work.
Thank you for the e-mails, I'm glad you guys haven't forgotten
about me, and thanks for getting ready to send me a package. I hope
you haven't sent it yet, because I have a few things I need. Well
actually I only need one thing, and that's more contacts... yes, like
4 months have past since you sent me my last box, and a box only lasts
3 months, so I'm wearin old ones. So when you guys are able to get me
another box I would appreciate it, but you don't need to go down and
get them immediately or anything, I still have my glasses, so no
worries just take your time. Another thing I was hoping ya'll could
send me are my mocassins, It'd be nice to have those for p-days, that
way I could be comfy but also avoid the chiggers.

So transfers are sorta coming up soon... I guess 3 weeks is soon. I
know it's gonna feel like tommorrow basically. I think maybe I'm just
looking forward to them, even though I'm trying to have the best
attitude I can about Elder Jones. I really love the dude. He's a great
guy, and he has tons of potential, he's super smart, he could blow me
out of the water in a bible bash or deep doctrine discussion. I think
that's why I'm serving where I'm serving though, I'm not a genious at
scripture references or deep doctrine, I just try to focus on teaching
simply and powerfully. That's what the Ghetto is all about. I honestly
would love to serve in this ward like my whole misison. That might
sound wierd, but I freaking love Memphis, I don't wanna leave. I've
been in Memphis 1st ward over 7 months now. Yeah buddy. and I hope
I'll hit a year in this ward, it's way possible. Elder Badger
supposedly knows some of whats goin down come transfers, cuz he's a
big bad zone leader, and he's my mission daddy, so he gives me the
scoop. He says he's hopping zones and goin over to the other Memphis
zone to serve with Elder Hire, another stud ZL, and our other ZL in
this zone is ending his last transfer so he's goin home (Elder Veater,
he's a stud, I'm gonna miss him) So what i'm gettin at is there's
gonna be 2 open ZL slots in this zone, so 2 DL's are gonna go up in
the ranks. So our Zone is gonna switch around a lot. I'm excited to
see the new leadership.
That reminds me, Elder Burton is a DL now in his mission, andddd,
he's been out over a year. That's madness. I can't wait to see that
guy after our missions.
The work is moving forward here in Raleigh. Best news- Mary and
Martha are getting baptized this Saturday!!!! Woot. We haven't had a
baptism since Ervin, so it's about time Elder Jones gets in the water
again. Mary and Martha are so awesome, and they are so ready! Please
keep them in your prayers and pray everything will go smoothly this
weekend. I love them, they are the coolest investigators ever.
We're also working with this couple, Joe and Alexandria. They are
so cool. Joe is 21, and he's had a really troubled past, but he's
trying to turn his life around, he's striving to quit smoking, he
want's to marry Alexandria, and chang his life around for his little
baby daughter, and we had an awesome lesson with them a couple nights
ago. Lol, so we're suppossed to be home by 9:30 at the latest, and
thats only if we have a lesson that goes long, well, we were teaching
Joe and Alexandria, and we got over there at around 8:15, so we figure
we have plenty of time to go over the Restoration with Alexandria (Joe
had heard it before but not Alexandria, it was our first time teaching
them both together). We're going through the lesson and the spirit was
just so strong, I finished reciting the 1st vision, and I always like
to be silent just after, to let it sink in and let the spirit testify
that it's true, and I look down at my pocket and I see the phone going
off, and I then realize that we've been over there for a while, so I
look at the phone and realize it's 9:35, and it was Elder Lester doing
call-ins, making sure we were home and to report our numbers for the
day. So in my mind I was like, crap. Elder Jones started teaching
about the BOM, and I texted Elder Lester our numbers and told him we'd
be home soon. We end up getting outta there around 10:30, we just
couldn't cut the lesson short, Alexandria was SO zoned in and IDK, it
was crazy that it took so long. Anyway, because of that lesson they're
getting baptized as soon as possible, but we get out of there and I
have like 20 missed calls from the DL and ZL's and the AP's. Freak. So
I call AP Peay, (I lived with him my 1st 2 transfers so I know him
pretty well) and we talked for a few minutes. He forgave me, but he
was a little upset of course, lol. I don't really regret it because we
set a baptismal date from that lesson, but I dont think I'm on the
AP's good side anymore. haha. Oh well. It was honesty the best lesson
of the week.
Everything is going good though. It feels good to be considered an
experienced missionary now. I remember how much I hated being a new
missionary. A new rule has been introduced now btw, no more using the
word "Greeny", it's an illegal missionary term. Aparrently this came
all the way from Elder Holland. I think they're trying to make the
transition into the mission a lot smoother, President said we need to
treat the new missionaries like they're pure gold. I think this will
help with the problem of missionaries going home early in their
missions, I hear they're trying to make the transition in the MTC
easier too. All they need to do is show the video of Elder Holland
giving his "Miracle of a Mission" talk. That'll keep you in the
mission. He says that he'd tie you down and beg you to stay if he
could. It's such an awesome talk. Elder Holland is the man.
Dad said it's like 90 back home. I bet that feels hot. If it's 92
here I'm telling Elder Jones " hey lets go contact while it's still
cool outside", lol. It's always over 100 and I always feel like I just
went swimming in my own sweat, I'm way used to it though now, it
doesn't bother me much, as long as I have like 4 or 5 water bottles in
my backpack.
Something interesting happened the other day. We were driving back
from the temple actually, and I suddenly had this really sharp
stinging pain in my leg, and I was like, what the freak! So I roll up
my pant leg and this big wasp flies out my my pants. lol. It was
ridiculous, don't ask me how a wasp got up in my pants, I have now
idea, but my upper thigh has been swollen ever since.
I gotta teach FHE at the church this week. That was cool, and that
object lesson book that you sent really helps. I hope I get a calling
where I get to teach when i get home. I don't care if it's little kids
or Elder Q or whatever. I just love teachin.
Well, we gotta bounce, Elder Carson want's us to play a game of
Munchkin with him and Badge Attack. I love you all very much. As the
hood rats would say down her in da south, keep it fresh as a mug.
peace mon. I'll keep you all in my prayers, thank you for your
support! keep on keepin on.

Elda Laburn (as Stephanie would say)