Dec. 13th
HOLA,
You know, I feel like it has been a while since I can really say the week was super good. This was a super good week. Sometimes I don't know why the consistency of miracles change but what I do know is that miracles are real, and they haven't stopped. Sometimes I bust my mutt and don't get anything in return... at the moment. Then later on it comes back. I'll write about in my email some cool miracles that have been happening. I'm thankful for all of your prayers, I need them.
Elder Plaster and I really like the equinox. It is just so nice to have something to return to when it gets really cold. I feel bad for a lot of the Elders on bikes. Not because of biking, just because it's kind of cold out. I've been on the opposite end of the spectrum there when I was biking in the summer. This is a pretty fun apartment I'm living in this transfer. I've lived in a lot of different apartments with a lot of different elders. I've made a lot of really close friends. This apartment is pretty cool though. I love Elder Plaster, Sorensen, and Rehkow. They are all great elders. Living with Elder Rehkow again has brought back some memories for sure. It's hard not getting fed here which is kinda lame but it's alright. This week we have no dinners lined up but that's alright. I've gotten pretty good at cooking.
The district is great. The names of everyone in my district is Elder Plaster and I, Elder Leffler and Ricks, Elder Hughes and Pukahi, Elder Palmer and Murdock, Sister Jensen and Crosby and Dalton (they are in a trio). Today we went hiking as a district at Red Rock in a place called Calico Basin if you want to look it up. I'm pretty proud of my district councils. They are turning out to be pretty good. I also have a lot of fun making them and they are super helpful for the district. Now, all of the reassigned missionaries are leaving the mission so there are a lot less Spanish Speaking missionaries now. I could finally be put in a Spanish area after a year. I wrote an email to my mission president asking him to drop me from being a district leader and to put me in a Spanish area. He hasn't written me back yet but I'm sure it'll be a positive response. He's super cool like that. Being a leader has been fun and all, but I would like to be speaking and practicing my Spanish more.
I have been tracking (or knocking random doors) a lot. Like seriously we pound doors. I don't know a better person to do it with than Elder Plaster. He is so funny.
We have run into a lot of people who don't really like us but it's all good. We have had a lot of cool experiences though. One lady had lost someone in her family, and we came and knocked on her door and we got let inside. She tried to teach her a little bit, but she wasn't ready. However, we did say a prayer and she hugged us afterwards. So that was cool. I'm sure that was a very good experience for her. We met another guy named Jose that we are teaching now. We tracked into him, and he invited us inside and we asked to share a message we sat down and taught the restoration. He is super friendly and excited to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Tracking miracles are super awesome!
We've had a lot of super awesome referrals now which is cool. We are teaching a lot. Finally. I've been working so hard, and nothing was happening and now we got plenty of people to teach. Since I've realized that my mission is almost half over, I wanted to set a baptismal goal for the rest of my mission. I want to set a goal of 12 more baptisms until I go home. Already 7 people that I worked with a lot have gotten baptized. Harlie, Gracie, Wyatt, Buddy, Eric and his older brother and sister. Unfortunately, I never was allowed to attend their baptisms, but it's whatever, I guess. I would like to help 12 more souls enter into the waters of baptism before I go home. I honestly just feel super spiritually refreshed and like I am starting over again. It feels really good. I am super excited for this last year.
Christmas is coming up which I find super crazy. I will have spent two New Years in Vegas by the end of this transfer. Not quite two Christmas' because I was in the online MTC. Anyways, I love you all so much. See you next week.
Sincerely,
Elder Pack 
Dec. 27th
HOLA,
Yeah, so that week flew by. It was a pretty bad week for missionary work though. We barely found anyone and none of our homies came to church. But Christmas was fun so that's awesome. We are definitely grinded this week on the missionary work and had a lot of fun. We had a Christmas Eve dinner and a Christmas dinner so that was cool.
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| Working at the giving machine |
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| Elder Rehkow |
The members that invited us over wrapped a bunch of gifts for us too so that's awesome. They basically bought a bunch of hand soap, toilet paper, and paper towels and wrapped it for us. It was kinda funny. Jokes on them though because we actually needed that stuff. Then Christmas day happened, and Elder Plaster and I got matching ties from a member. We also got so many awesome things. I got new belts, slacks, and ties from my family. It was so needed and so awesome. My new slacks are amazing but now I definitely need to ship a lot of old stuff home.
This week I did an exchange with Elder Hughes and Pukahi. It was so fun and it was cool to help out some elders who needed some training. Then my roommates in my apartment, Elder Rehkow and Sorenson had an exchange with the APs. That was fun.
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| Playing frisbee golf in the flooding rain |
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| Zone photos |
Just a very productive and good week. I always love Christmas time. Always a great vibe everywhere. I thought I'd miss home more but I really like it here and I love my companion. Always a good time. I think I've found a recipe for a happy mission (and really a happy life).
How to be happy on the mission:
1. Less is more.
You don't need so much stuff. Like physically and mentally. Get rid of all that baggage weighing you down and your mental stuff holding you back. You really just want to focus on one thing at a time. That's all you can physically do anyways so don't waste brain power worrying.
2. Leave every single day satisfied.
Try to accomplish everything you want to that day. Some things are going to happen that you can't control but do everything you can. Lay in your bad at night satisfied you used the time the Lord gave you.
3. Choose to be happy.
It's not easy to be a glass half full kinda guy but if you realize how much you've been given by God, then you don't take for granted what you have. You have to make a conscious effort to be happy. It's hard but it changes your day. I know that when I know my purpose in life and where I'm going after this life then I've realized how much easier it is to be happy. The gospel really helps. That's why I share it haha.
Thanks for reading my emails. You're all amazing! I more or less use it as a journal every week, but I appreciate you all wanting to take this journey with me.
Sincerely,
Elder Pack
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