Welcome to Arleta

Mom,

So good to hear from you... This week was wonderful so I have to get straight into it if I want it all to fit.

My new companion is Elder McKinney.  We came out at the same time and we went to the MTC together.  We have just hit the ground running here.  Our area is called Arleta but the city is Panorama City.  Elder Speth was the district leader here before me so it's great to take his spot and carry the torch.  He is serving as a Zone Leader now and did a great job taking care of this area.  I have loved finding little traces of him everywhere I go. I love that elder.

Elder McKinney and I get along great.  He is from Chevy Chase, Maryland.  He is half Japanese but can't speak Japanese.  That's a shame.  He is just the right balance of OCD and ADD and I love it.  We have great chemistry together and have just been having a blast.  He has a heart of gold and a head full of experience.  We are going to do great things together.

Being a district leader so far is like a vacation.  I haven't had a district meeting yet but honestly I have been loving it.  However I do miss not going to MLC or training on ZTM.  My new responsibilities are to give district meetings every week, exchange with the Elders in my district, report to the zone leaders about district efforts, and help support the missionary efforts between the ward and us. Obispo Gomez is an amazing bishop and we are going to see some great success with the ward's support.  I need an iPad to keep up with the man.  My out of date directory and paper planner just aren't gonna cut it with the amount of work here.  We are praying hard that iPads are on the way.

I am living on 8525 Tobias #229 Panorama City California.  The street reminds me of the late Toby the turtle...still breaks my heart a little that Dad sold her but, hey.  We have the best bike area because Food4less, Wal-Mart, the library, the post office, and the mall are all 2 minutes away on bike. Seriously though, this area is the City of Enoch I swear.

Leaving Pacoima was super hard.  November 3 was Paquito's birthday so we went by to say goodbye but he wasn't home.  That sucked but I know he knows I love him.  And the Elder that took my spot is going to do a better job than I ever could.  My old part of the vineyard is in good hands.  I did get to say goodbye to a bunch of members that I love so much.  I am going to visit them when I finish my mission but. I just miss them a little now.

So real quick a few notes. Second day in the area I got nailed in the leg by an unopened beer can that was thrown from a car. So, that hurt a little. Honestly, we just couldn't stop laughing though ha-ha. Missionaries are strange creations I'm telling ya.

We cook all the time around here. We call it chefing though, classy that way I guess. I don't want to toot my own horn but we are killing it over here with the food we eat.  We eat super healthy and super well.  But that's only when we the chefs for ourselves.  With members healthy is a different story.  My goal is to become a health freak this transfer.  See how it makes me feel.  Stay tuned.

I have missed riding a bike a ton. Gosh, I love it so much.  It makes me feel like a new missionary again.  Like, I am just a crazy kid on a bike, in the middle of the day, trying to find some Latino to teach the gospel to.  I am happy the Lord put me here.  I love it a lot.

We met "Satan" the other day on the street.  He was wearing black and had his hair slicked back with a beer in his hand.  Honestly just picture a gangster/pimp and that's him.  So he kindly offered us an array of illegal substances before asking us what Christ has ever done for us.  We looked at each other to make sure we felt safe and then just sat down with him for 10 minutes and listened to the poor guy.  His wife cheated on him and long story short he sold his life to drugs, sex and money.  He has spent so much time in sin and ignorance that lies start to become the truth for him.  He said he is in the "business of making people happy" and that really struck me.  I wonder if Satan has lied to himself enough into believing that vice and sin is really what can make people happy.  In a twisted way it's like he is trying to share with us his lie covered happiness.  What he truly believes is happiness.  It was a great learning experience. Could have backed off the cocaine and cheap cologne but none the less I'm grateful for the lesson.

Our investigators in this area are incredible.  Just to share some stories real quick.  One of them is getting ready for baptism at the end of the month because her sister got a visa with the sole purpose of finding her, giving her a Book of Mormon and helping her get baptized.  Needless to say her efforts and testimony are priceless.  We are going to the temple with them tomorrow.

Another is a family ready to be baptized ASAP.  They have all these outside pressures that might stop them from learning an progressing yet they keep it up and grow closer and closer to the Savior. I love them already.

Another is a member referral from Elder Speth’s recent convert.  She is staying here because El Salvador is too dangerous right now with the corruption and war.  We gave her a book of Mormon and 2 days later she was on 1 Nephi 16 and bore us her testimony of the book.  Beautiful, honestly, I am just sitting back watching the marvelous work unfold.

I am working hard.  I study hard, plan the best I can, I consecrate myself more and more ever day but I can never measure up to the worthiness of the miracles God blesses me with daily, even hourly. I wish I could understand his kindness and mercy better than I do.  I have been use to working and seeing his hand extended in a sliver of light every now and again but here and now I feel like I see him in his glory and completeness every moment.  I love this work and I love that the Lord thinks I deserve to work here in Arleta.  I am so grateful for that.

Love you Mom. Talk to you soon.