Cool Guy

Hello Everyone! I got a new companion, Elder Jensen, who is from Logan Utah. He's a really cool guy, I like how bold he is. This week we've been knocking on a lot of doors on the Indian Reservation. It was really fun, but we got chased by many dogs. My companion taught me that you can sometimes scare dogs away by reaching on the ground like you are going to pick up a rock. By the end of the night there was this dog "dogging" us. My comp had to pick up a big stick to keep it away, and I'm going to start carrying around a bike chain in my backpack. So pray for me that I don't get missionaries banished forever from the rez. Another thing, I was trying to get the mail the other day but there was a police barricade surrounding the post office. Apparently someone sent a mail bomb to the office, but luckily there happens to be a bomb squad about an hour north of Lone Pine, and there were able to disarm it with about 45 minutes left. That certainly doesn't happen everyday in Lone Pine, but they say it has happened once before. But don't worry, they also say that they caught the bomber this time. In less scary but more spiritual news, this week was kind of a bummer as far as missionary work goes. But, all this bad stuff happening just means that some good things are about to happen. Always there is opposition in all things, right? Still, I feel that through all these things my faith is growing. I came to a realization the other day. I think it would be easy for me to go to South America and Africa and sit on dirt floors and baptize someone every week, but that is not my calling. The Lord wants me to be over here, in Cali, where it's kinda tough (but not too tough) because he knows whats best and he knows that this is going to be the best thing for me. He knows that in the big, grand scheme of things, this is where the most good will be done. Well, adios muchachos! Elder Call

To be Happy

Hey Everyone! This week was pretty good. Elder Maxwell is getting transferred out, which I am kinda bummed about, but I know it is the right thing. It was cool to see the love that all the Branch has for him. It was Testimony meeting yesterday, and almost everybody talked about him for a little bit, and almost everybody cried. They announced that he was leaving in every meeting. He cried when he got up and bore his testimony. We've also been picking up some really cool new people. We got a referral for this one kid that asked for a Book of Mormon and asked for a meeting with us. He said he's been reading the Bible, the Koran, anything he can get his hands on because he's on this search. We asked him what he was searching for, and he paused for a little bit, and said: "To be happy". Hopefully we can fulfill that. So they are doing this new thing nowadays with transfers where they don't tell you where you are going or what new guy you are getting until the very last minute. Possibly to eliminate gossip I guess. So my future is very uncertain. But I have confidence I can get along with almost any of the missionaries in this mission (I better knock on wood right now). I had a companion that everyone told me was hard to get along with, and I was very surprised to hear that. We were homies. Speaking of homies, I love you all and wish you the best! Elder Call

Valley of Death

Hey Guys! This week was also pretty trying. But on the bright side, I got to visit the part of Death Valley National Park that is in my area today. Surprisingly, it was actually cooler there than it was in Lone Pine. We went on a really fun hike, and we saw some waterfalls. I got to see how much the gospel can really change people this week. It's really cool to see the Holy Spirit act in someones life to sanctify them and make them a better person.It's nice to see someone with enough faith to make that happen, which is rare. I hope you all have the opportunity to see it in your own life and help it happen in the lives of others. Well, nothing really interesting happened beyond that. I love you all!