The Sandstorm

 Hola, 

Another week down. This week was a good week but nothing real super crazy happened, just another fun week. I love my companion. Elder Keele is a beast and it's going to be so cool when he's playing professionally for BYU football. I've been blessed with some super awesome and fun companions. Living in a 4 man again after the sad experience that was last transfer is nice. Two person apartments are lonely, which is weird because you always have someone to talk to but they're just lonely. When you got the boys at night though it's just better. Elder Checkitts and Fraiser are so funny. We live super close to our area too which is nice. 

Playing frisbee golf with my district

Last P-Day we had a wack sandstorm pull up. Dust was flying in our eyes and getting everywhere. We went tracting that night and my eyes hurt alot haha. What was weird was how all the sand and dust came through our windows and filled our apartment with dust. That was cool. I got to vacuum and wipe that stuff up. I shouldn't complain though, other people have it way worse. I'm super blessed to be in this mission with the area I'm in. Just absolutely blessed out of my mind. 

I went on exchanges with two elders this week. One from my district and another from the zone. That was fun. Elder Schmutz was actually in my district four transfers ago when I first picked up Elder Plaster. He is hilarious and we had a great exchange. We went to Crumbl cookies that night. Apparently, they used to have a missionary deal where they gave us free cookies but not anymore. That was super lame that we couldn't get free cookies. Elder Parkinson is my zone leader and we got to go on exchanges together. It was super fun. It was close to Easter so there were a lot of people out. I've gotten to a point in my mission where exchanges are still fun, but I've also gotten very used to most things that happen. I had a woman pull up in her car to bash with us, she said, "are ya'll preaching Jesus!?" And were like yeah. And she says, "then why do you believe there's more of the Bible?" She literally just pulled over in her car to ask us that. I was like, "well ma'am, with all due respect I don't think this is the place to answer that question, if you'd like we can meet sometime and talk in depth about that, but I really like your Subaru." Haha that defused the situation and we just talked for a while about cars, she then became super nice. She didn't want to meet with us unfortunately, but the situation was defused, and she drove off very happy. 

I had interviews with my mission president which was awesome. Before that though I ate Taco Bell and that was a terrible idea. I was so gassy during that interview. My bowels were on fire. During the interview though he told me a lot of interesting things. He said that he was better at pickleball than me which was just wrong. He also told me it's more than likely I will spend the rest of my mission in Spanish and the new mission president will probably do that too. He told me a lot of good information about Rainbow Vista and that it used to be the highest baptizing Spanish ward so it's possible to bring it back up. He also told me some cool stuff about why I got transferred to Rainbow Vista from Alta Loma and it's because I really needed to be here. I was kinda confused on why I only stayed in Alta Loma for 6 weeks, but I guess that's how it goes. In the meantime, while I was waiting for Elder Keele to get done with his interviews, I shined my shoes with the mission president's wife. Not going to lie they really look good now and definitely needed a good shine. Sister Reese was showing everyone how to shine shoes really well while we waited during interviews. 

Lately I've been working really hard with the members here. I feel like a lot of my finding efforts haven't led to the most productive things unfortunately. So, I've been spending way more time trying to build up the ward with the members and our English classes. It's been good and I hope it pays off later. I'm just trying to do the right thing that the Lord wants me to do. 

This scripture accurately represents my interview with president after eating muchas taco bell burritos.

19 ¶ My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

-Jeremiah 4:19 

Love you all,

Elder Neil Pack