27 December 2010

Hey everyone.

It was so awesome to talk to y'all on Christmas. Today I did get the package. The bread and brownies are kind of hard, but it was exciting to get. They wrote on the box that they received it on the 17th.

Yesterday we had an excellent Christmas present. We went down to Aurora and Elder Guenther got to confirm someone he taught previously. The mission president is a bit more lax on that than the last. I was supposed to baptize someone in Highlands Ranch when I was in Lakewood (which is about half the distance of yesterdays adventure) and President Christison told me no. I thought it was odd, but I am glad my companion got this opportunity even if mine was denied me. The changes going on in the mission are phenomenal and exciting. I really think that with how things are going and how the caliber of new missionaries has improved that amazing things are about to happen here in Colorado.
Tomorrow I get Elder Mikkola up here with me and Elder Guenther. He is a bit ridiculous now. That's the missionary that I retrained in Buena Vista and he is now our Zone Leader and has turned into a very weird individual. Its only for a day though. Then both of our new companions are coming from out west, and we do have an appointment in the afternoon with Grant (the guy who's getting baptized) so that should make up for it too. I hope we get a cool missionary who is a good teacher and a personable person.

I am pretty excited to be able to see everyone again... It feels like its been forever and I feel like I really don't know anyone from back home anymore. Colorado feels so much like home now that I don't know how I'm gonna cope with the return to CA. The political and economical state of CA is kind of troubling. It will be slightly interesting to see if I can even get a job, but I think it will be fun to be back in school and try new things.

I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone, or the fan club I've developed. It seems as though everyone wants us to come over and there almost isn't enough time in the day. I love how a mission makes you perpetually tired. I swear teaching is so spiritually draining that it makes me want to fall asleep all the time. Christmas was an awesome day. The book I got is called "divine signatures" by Lund and I have started to read it. It seems like it will be a great book to use for examples in teaching.

Well you guys have a great week... next week is my last letter and it will be so soon that I get to see ya. :P

Loveya,
Tom