Life in wakefield is actually going great! I've only gotten one letter and that was from mom, but I'm assuming that the rest will show up soon? But I really appreciate the one you did send...it helped me a lot. I'm doing really good. elder parker is really quiet, but we have fun. we got along good. I'll attach more pictures (because I can only send two per email maybe) but our apartment is an old divided up house (into three other apartments) that's over a hundred years old! haha. our area is big, it covers all of sussex and surry county. Surry nuclear plant is in our area apparently, but I haven't seen it yet. We live in the town of wakefield, which is basically a town formed around highway 460. But we cover a bunch of other little towns including surry, waverly, spring grove, claermont, dendron, and a bunch of towns that only are towns because they have post offices in them haha. Sussex county was the last county in virginia to get a stop light. haha. But this is what happened when we pulled in on thursday afternoon. we showed up with the member who gave us a ride, and realize we don't have the keys for the house or the car. haha. so we try to find ways to break in but then realize that there is no way in. so we wait for a while and then thankfully our branch president works in richmond so the zone leaders were able to get the keys to him and then he brought them to us. so we got to talk with him and set up a time to come over and talk with him about the work in the branch. This was probably the most important thing we could do, save talking with our branch mission leader, but since he was outta town this is what we had to do. so we did that and things have just been working out great. It's been awesome how well it's all worked out. I'm surprised; most country areas are a struggle to get moving. but we are getting blessed lately.

But overall things are going great. we are teaching a few people. The most promising right now is a man named charles who came to church on sunday, and a friend of one of our members named Kristin. it's so cool to see the work progress in this peoples lives...it makes all the struggles worth it. A cool experience we had last night; we had an appointment set up by the other elders with a potential investigator named victor, and his family. His whole family is hispanic and only he speaks english. So theres this member that was recently reactivated and runs these resteraunts in surry and waverly called "la hacienda," and he came with us, because he speaks spanish being from mexico city himself. so we go in there and we dcided we were gonna watch a dvd about the restoration in spanish with them. so we start talking and then we start watching the dvd and afterwards we get talking and victor just starts talking about how he doesn't feel peace in his life and he just wants to be able to feel that again. he grew up in mexico city right next to the temple. he went to the visitors center and everything. The member (his name is Brother Dosamentes) talk to us afterwards and was just like, I don't normally talk that much elders...but it felt like I needed to speak because we were so much alike. It was just an awesome experience. I love how it all works out!
That's so cool that ryans gonna be a teacher...holy cow no way is he 14....He'll be just about to turn 15 when I come home! AUGH. too FAST. haha I didn't really like that gaming chair anyways haha. It was a pain. You should ask ryan what he wants from me for his birthday. I'll do my best to find what he wants! haha not much possibilty out here in the country! haha.


The weather has been great the last couple of days. but you can definitely tell fall is starting to roll in. No hurricanes after Earl. Tropical storm Fiona was supposed to hit us but fizzled out! haha. I bet you I would be freezing back home. Especially without the humidity. Elder Beus' brother came out before we left and we had lunch with him and he was just cooking in the heat when we were just fine haha. we probably wont even get any snow! It barely snows here, we just had a freakwinter last year. I never drove i nthe snow. but I might this year! crazy eh? haha.

Like I said, the new companion is awesome. he's from san Diago. He's a funny guy. He's got a tiny gray stripe in the front of his hair. Like, in x-men. The girl who has the grey in her hair, like her. haha.
thank you so much for all you've done...it really helps make things better out here. I don't think I'm losing much weight? haha. I don't even know anymore, we don't have a scale! ha.



By the way, the pictures! The first one is of elder beus, sister henrie (so you know what she looks like) and me! and the second is our house! haha.

anyways, I love y'all and I will talk to you next week!

love always,
your son.

Transfer time again?

Hello family!

First off, wanted to tell ya I'm getting transferred. The area is getting closed down. Btw, new address is this:

P.O. Box 964
Wakefield, VA 23888

So yes. This past week has been rough. We were told we were probably gonna be taken outta the area because they were gonna close it down. And I felt really bummed about that. It's just been really hard lately with all this stuff. It finally culminated a couple nights ago when I just...broke down. I haven't cried like that in a long time. But I got a blessing from some of the other elders and my companion. So it helped. I've just felt like a failure. All these good things are happening when I get into an area and then they fall off. But I'm excited because this new area we are getting shotgunned in (both elders coming in are new to the area). So we get a fresh start and new things happening. I am excited to start over.

I'm also a district leader again, so that's fun. It's always a challenge but something fun to be able to help other elders.

The companion thing is working out. I mean we don't always get along but we work it out. I don't know what's gonna happen with the new comp. we'll have to see. His name is elder parker.

I do need to relax. A couple days ago an elder got mad at me for calling him before 10 (cause we aren't supposed to do that except in an urgent situation since that is our study time) and it like, gave me a anxiety attack...it's weird...I don't understand why I get all wound up, it just happens. So I am trying to work on it.

That's awesome that jordan won...I really hope he does well. He has so much potential to do great things, but he's like me and doubts himself. He needs to build his confidence now!

haha that will be awesome to get the Pond done. definitely need to send me the pictures of the finished product. haha today was the first day of school here. we saw all these kids leaving the apartment complex today. haha kids love going back to school, they just pretend they hate it...because lets face it, they ARE bored haha.

haha you're getting rid of the gaming chair? haha GOOD. that thing was annoying anyways. Tell aunt lorna that I am gonna write them all back things have just been hectic the past two p-days.

haha oh my gosh ryan is 14...that's crazy! Actually that's good that ryan wants wii games over a cell phone...Don't persuade him otherise! He doesn't need it AT ALL. haha. I'll tell you what, I walked into a gas station the other day and I saw an ad for a video game that's coming out and I was like, geeking out about it. haha.

Ryan will get into it. He'll have fun at the dances EVENTUALLY. haha.

I have to cut it short today, but I love you so much, and I sent you another email with something to you and dad about the ipod.

I hope your week is good, and if you have any questions you can call the mission office and they'll answer it for ya!

Love you,
Your son.