I have a mammoth tooth!

 Hola todos, 

Well, after getting transferred to a new area again, life is so much different. I liked the Evergreen Ward but I was ready for something new. I loved Elder Caldwell too, he taught me a lot of valuable lessons. One of the most valuable lessons he taught me was how to hug. I was never a hugger before but now I like to hug because of him. He taught me real kindness and my time serving with him well probably impact me for the rest of my life. Honestly though, I was excited to hear I was going to this new area. So this new area is pretty big, it's probably the biggest ward I've ever served in. The Cheyenne Ward is huge and the people are ancient. This ward is just old people. I feel bad for the primary and the one youth kid. Nothing wrong with an old married adult ward but it can be tough to ask them to come along on lessons or other stuff like that. 

Wow, it's hot outside. Like I'm surprised even I am truckin' through some of this garbage. Being stuck on a bike in 115 degree weather is pretty horrible. First of all, the wind is just killer. I feel like I'm getting blasted with a hair dryer 24/7. I'm just sweating like a pig so all my white shirts and ties are just so wet. Someone will try to shake my hand or something but I'm just soaking wet so I whisper "sorry" as they shake my drenched hand. Apparently I can tan now which was never a thing before, either that or I permanently screwed up my skin. What's weird is people are still outside in this weather just hanging around. Like I'd expect to find no new people while contacting, but people are still just hanging out in their yards doing nothing. People here are interesting. Like we'll walk up to someone and be like "what's up?" and they'll be like "It's too hot for you guys to be out," as they're just sitting on a lawn chair, so we say "what are you up to," and they're always like, "oh nothing." Who just hangs out in this weather?! Anyways rant is over. 

Me after I dropped spaghetti all over the floor

Me and Elder McGee eating pizza

Besides the whole heat wave garbage, life here isn't so bad. I'm still not getting fed as much as when I was in Stone Mountain but I'm definitely getting fed more than when I was in Evergreen. However, Evergreen gave me an opportunity to learn how to cook well. Plus, Elder Caldwell is a beast at cooking so he taught me so many great tips and tricks. Which now I'm teaching my new companion, Elder Mcgee. I love Elder Mcgee so much. Like, he is just so awesome. We work really well together and he's just genuinely nice and a cool guy. He reminds me of all my friends back home so we get along perfectly. Everything about him is so awesome, I am so glad I get to be his companion. Before this transfer I was praying to Heavenly Father for him to let me know somehow that next transfer was where I'm supposed to be and that the mission president would receive revelation on where I need to go. I think Elder Mcgee was an answer to my prayers. Hopefully he thinks the same about me but serving with him during this week has made my life so much easier. 

Our roommates, Elder Child and Llontop are cool too. Elder Llontop is from Venezuela and his English isn't the best but he is teaching me good Spanish. We just talk every night. Speaking Spanish with him has been good for my Spanish. Elder Child is training him and he is super awesome, but his English is not the best. Listening to him speak English makes me laugh because his grammar is all over the place. I laugh in a loving way of course, we're all learning plus English is super difficult. Elder Llontop played a lot of video games before the mission so we mostly talk about that kind of stuff in Spanish haha.

Boundaries of my new area

A scorpion we found at the church building

 

We met this guy named Arthur and this guy is so interesting. He reads the book of Mormon in Russian and his theories about life are so out there. We try to teach him but he doesn't listen to what we have to say. However, I asked a question that made him listen to what we have to say for a little bit. He was talking about how he is spiritually woke and that we are infinitely changing and growing and all that stuff. So I interrupted him and asked him "what he felt his next step to coming closer to God would be?" He literally paused and sat there for 30 seconds and looked up and said, I don't really know. I basically told him that there is always a next step and that I know that the Book of Mormon will lead you to that next step to understanding the true nature of God and understanding your purpose in this world. To know if it is true you have to exercise a particle of faith and read the book. When you read with an honest desire to know the truth, then the truth will be manifested unto you by the gift of the Holy Ghost. But you have to read with a desire to know, you can't read going in like a skeptic. Only then will you feel the spirit. You could do the same with the Bible and tear it apart. Having a willingness and humility to know if its true is crucial for a spiritual witness. 

Anyways, Arthur afterwards gave us a wack gift. First thing he let us hold was a meteorite that was "older than the earth." He said that the meteorite would probably be the oldest thing we have ever held. It was pretty cool looking, it was all compact and dense. Then he gave Elder Mcgee and I some "Mammoth teeth." It looks pretty cool but I'm not quite sure it is actually a Mammoth tooth, but just a cool rock. He pointed out the naval cavities and stuff and said how it was worth $25,000 and stuff like that. It was pretty cool but not quite sure its actually worth that much. 

Something interesting that I've noticed as a missionary is that I can answer almost every philosophical question now. Meaning, every question that I've been asked during a lesson or on the street can be answered, either by my companion or I will. There are some that I don't know the answer to but every question that I've been asked so far in these past 7 months, I could answer. All people have to do is listen and experiment upon the words of Christ, meaning pray and ask God if it's true. There are so many people that I run into that talk too much or won't listen intently, they always ask a question and we give an excellent answer but they won't listen. Why did you even ask in the first place? Because of this gospel and the doctrine of Christ, I have come to understand the true nature of God, His plan, why we are here, where we are going, what happens to people that never learn of Christ, the role of Jesus Christ and his Atonement, the purpose of Adam and Eve why they NEEDED to partake of the fruit, why bad things happen to good people, and so on and so forth. I am always asked these questions but if people listen then they can actually know for themselves.

Sincerely,

Elder Pack