Wednesday, May 27, 2009

27 May 2009

Hello,
I am excited to write. Monday was P-day because of the holiday, so we have permission to write today. Things have been great. My companions name is Elder Larmouth, he's from Snowflake, AZ and has been out for 20 months. He's an awesome guy. We have so much fun together, and we are finding people left and right because we get along, so the spirit can be here. That obnoxious companion you talk about was my trainer in a nutshell. The first week here was even hard, and he was just too up tight about things that don't matter. I'm glad to have a better companion now. Although I feel totally inadequate teaching, because my first companion just wouldn't stop talking when he taught and he taught in circles, those were 3 difficult months.
On Monday we played raquetball with some members and then I cut my hair and then we went and got lunch and spent some time with a less active member. It was awesome. Last weeks P-day we went bowling from 3-5 because the local lane has a deal on wednesday where you get unlimited bowling between 3-5 and shoes for a total of 7.50 per person. We ate at applebees instead of Olive Garden, but we're going to Olive Garden with a recent convert on friday!
Monday night we had a barbecue at an investigators home with some of his member friends there... it was so much fun. And we taught a 4th lesson to one of our investigators and committed them for baptism, we have 4 committed and two with a date since transfers last thursday.
Oh sad news too. We went to a graduation dinner on Saturday for Zach Hillegas, a member in our ward, and Clora, our investigator, lives with them. It was way fun, and we had a few non-members and decided to go play ultimate for a while and just try and get to know them better, bc they were going to the park to play. Clora got a compound fracture to her nose and so she didnt come to church, because she was embaressed of the black eyes that come with it. :( We dropped in on her last night and invited her to a fireside at the WML's house on the basic beliefs of our religion. We shared a spiritual thought on the atonement and it was just a powerful experience.
I'm glad to hear that Gay Marriage is illegitamate offically in California now. One of the attorneys in our ward started talking to me about it at dinner, because its a topic of intrest for him, so he said in his professional opinion that there was no way with the wording of the proposition that that ammendment to the constitution will not stand. He said that the constitution is required to be ammended by the peoples vote regardless, it is now constitutional due to the fact that it was placed on the ballot and the people said they want it to be, and if that ammendment were not made this nation would cease to be America. America was founded upon democracy, even if it has been turned into a constitutional republic, the people have a say, and that is all that matters.
So when are we planning on selling the practice? When does dad start his position at the University?
I don't recall if i remembered to say happy birthday to John, but I meant to, I would've sent a card, but I am broke! I have some money in my personal account, but I have to stop using that. They just dont give us enough to live off of! I feel like I'm on welfare or something, I gotta wait for the 1st of the month to have money to buy food again. Well it'll all work out...
So I had to get my bike fixed again, I might've told you this last week, but they had broken my wheel, but they fixed it pretty well.
I have to go by the Sinquefields sometime and burn some picture CDs and we'll cross our fingers that they work this time. I miss you guys, I love you guys, and I hope all is well. Take care.

Love ya,
Elder tom

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

20 May 2009

I already wrote the long letter to moms email. That's pretty crazy though... one hundred days. So the concert was fun? awesome! The smell of pot, unfortunately, would not be foreign to me. It was all over at our High School. GROSS stuff. Well I got a fun day ahead. A couple of investigators are taking us out bc of transfers, so were going bowling, mini golfing and to olive garden for lunch. I better get going though. I love you dad. I'm going to try and mail you that paper real quick too.

Love,
Tom

20 May 2009

I'M STAYING IN HIGHLANDS RANCH, but Elder Mayes is leaving me on Thursday. Today is going to be a fun day though. Our investigator Clora and her friend Greg are taking us out for a day of fun. We are going to go Bowling, Miniture Golfing and eat luch at Olive Garden for Elder Mayes leaving. I'm so glad I'm staying! Packing would be too stressful.
So on Saturday I took my bike in for a tune up, but they had too many bikes, so they just trued the rear wheel, but they snapped a spoke out so I rode on it not knowing until yesterday morning, when the wheel was so untrued that it wouldn't spin. I called Sports Authority and they apologized and said they'd fix or replace it and do a full tune up. So I'm riding my companions old Diamondback, because he got sick of it and Daddy and Mommy sent him money to buy a new Trek. That kind of annoyed me, but oh well. Other than that its been a good week. We have a few solid investigators that we are preparing for baptism. It should be an exciting transfer. I hope I get a decent companion.
So other than all that, how is everything going? I'm kind of jealous of the concert! And you're forgiven for not writing much last week, all the computers at the library were down, and we had to use an express center there so I basically had 10 minutes on the computer and then we got a phonecall because someone needed help. I love you guys... I hope all is well back home. And tell Eliza she's welcome to use my yoga mat and blocks and strap if shes getting into that. It should be fun for her. Well I've gotta go. I love you guys. Take care.

Love,
Tom

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

6 May 2009

This week was a week from HELL! On Saturday I got the stomache flu and was kneeling at the toilet all day long. I thought I was better until Sunday night when I was sitting on the toilet all day, and that just ended last night. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I hope that never ever ever happens again. I'm scared after the past week that I will forever be remembered in the area as the Elder who didn't eat much. And one of the homes I visited was with a pure silver plate and then a normal plate on top, cloth napkins with silver rings, nice candles and place settings multiple dishes and I still couldn't eat much. Being sick SUCKS.
Other than that though things have been good. On Friday we moved an investigator in with her fellowshipping family and we had dinner with a really cool family, the guy is a big shot attorney out here, but in his home he is the most down to earth guy you'll meet. We keep getting a load of crap, because Elder Mayes is from Iowa and they legalized gay marriage, so whenever he says Iowa at a dinner appointment people give him a hard time about it.
On Monday we had a Zone Meeting in the morning and we all got to share the things our Mothers have taught us in the gospel. It was pretty good, and after that I just slept and was miserable all day, except we snuck out at dinnertime to see a refferal and go to our dinner appointment that were in the same neighborhood. Then went back home.
Yesterday we had a service project doing yardwork at the mission home and we had our companionship interviews for the whole zone there. I talked to President and his wife about being sick and they said if I'm not feeling well later on in a week I gotta go see the Doc. He also told me that basically he thought I wasn't learning quickly enough in Highlands Ranch and that he doesn't know if I'll be prepared for the the leadership he wanted to give me next transfer. Then he stared me in the eyes and said, " The probability of you getting transferred in two weeks is... VERY,... VERY... high." So I'm thinking you should change to the mission address on the blog again.
Elder Thomas Stevenson
2001 E Easter Ave Ste 303
Centennial CO 80122
I am so excited to call you guys on Sunday! Just to talk to you guys and hear your voices should be comforting. I also hope Eliza gets better.
I don't have much time left to write, but I love you, and I'll talk to you on Sunday.

Love,
Elder Tom