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

Goodbye Greenie....

 Hola Todos!

Well, today is the end of the transfer and we got our transfer details. Unfortunately, my trainee and I are getting separated. I was so sad when I got the details. Elder Caldwell is staying in Vegas Zone and I am getting transferred to the Lone Meadows zone. I am big sad. However, my new companion is really awesome. I've been with him for like 12 hours and I already love him. His name is Elder Mcgee and he is from Utah. He is another ginger haha and is so awesome. Such a hard worker and diligent missionary, which is super good. I need to work hard. Our apartment is the oldest apartment in the mission but it is still a good apartment. There is a hole in the door to one of the rooms so that's a little odd. My new roommates are Elder Child and his new trainee. 

Saying goodbye to everyone in the previous zone was a little sad but I love meeting new people and transferring. I was especially sad to say goodbye to Elder Zuniga, my MTC companion who was in Vegas Zone with me. Getting to see more of the area and experience new companions is great. I'm excited to work in the area and I feel really comfortable in this ward. It's called the Cheyenne ward and it's pretty small which is great... but I'm on bike again. Its going to start being above 110 degrees and I really don't want to bike in that weather but it's the Lord's will. 

Elder Zuniga and I

I had a bunch of weird experiences happen while I was in that area. The people were so interested. I loved them, but they were interesting to say the least. A lot of experiences that I can't unsee for sure. A cool thing I got to do last week was eat sword fish with a member. I don't know why but every member dinner we had this week we ate fish. I do NOT like fish. Like I'll eat it if I had to, but if I have a choice I won't. I ate salmon this week and then swordfish the next day. When the Bishop rolled up with some swordfish I was like "bruh.... you've got to be joking." 

I met this lady named Debbie who was not interested in a message but she literally was my favorite person ever. We met her in our apartment complex and she came to our apartment every other day and gave us cookies, meatloaf, and a whole crock pot full of a Sunday roast. Debbie became the best person ever. She said she wanted to serve the Lord by serving us but didn't want to hear our message or be baptized. We were like "Debbie that literally makes no sense" but free meatloaf is free meatloaf.

We got to speak at a baptism for a random little kid in our ward and it was so cool. Elder Caldwell gave the funniest and most spiritual object lesson ever with a baseball and a glove. Ayson, the kid getting baptized, loved it! Elder Caldwell and I signed a baseball glove and gave it to him since he loved baseball and it was so cool.

Ayson's Baptism

I got my first "aggressive driving" on the mission. Our car has a device that detects our driving and monitors our speed and stuff. So an aggressive driving means that we took a turn too fast or slowed down to fast or got t-boned by a semi truck. I slowed down too fast and the car yelled aggressive driving at me. I was so angry because I've never gotten one before and didn't plan on it haha. I wanted to go my whole mission without getting one. Whatever I guess haha.... 

Homemade ice cream

Papusa

Making El Salvadorian Papusas

I want to share an experience I heard from Elder Sheridan and Dew, my roommates last transfer. They told me this story of a guy they are teaching and its so odd. So as an Elder for the Church, we can give blessings and stuff like that for people. This guy that these Elders were teaching was blind for a year! Basically, an Elder gave him a blessing and he literally received his sight. It was a miracle! However, even after months and months, this guy is still not baptized. He refuses to be baptized yet but he knows that the blessing was from God and it restored his sight. But he is halting his progression for some reason. This is a witness unto me that signs don't create conversion. We are converted and then we see signs. I hear of so many people that claim they would be baptized if they could see a sign but that'
s not how is works. Signs don't create conversion. 

Anyways I love you all and am so thankful that you are reading my emails. I hope you all have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elder Pack