November 16 email

Hello!

So, I sent you a letter that talked all about transfers and stuff, but it sounds like you didn't get it yet, so here goes:

My new companion is Elder Pickett. Elder Marini was transferred to Warren-walking. I am still in West Cleveland. Our district now contains just Elder Pickett and I and the 2 Spaniards. Our old district is the same, except that we are no longer in it, Elder Carter was replaced by Elder Cardenaz (pronounced like Car-di-nezz), and the Strongsville elders were both transferred out and replaced by Elder Johnson and his new trainee or "greenie", Elder O'neill. Elder Pickett is pretty cool. I sent the SD card in the aforementioned letter and it has a picture of him on it. He is from Oceanside, CA. He has been out for about 14 months. Also, one of the Podiatry students in the ward, Bro. Utterback, is his cousin. That is pretty cool.

It sounds like the hunting trip was good. Way to go everyone on your monster-sized deer. I can't wait to hear all the details. Sorry your drive back from Challis was so miserable. I am sure enjoying our balmy weather here, though! From what I hear, though, Ohio winters are more severe than Utah winters (at least in Cleveland they are supposed to be once Lake Erie freezes.) Oh, by the way, with so many of the leaves gone off the trees we can see the lake from the apartment windows pretty easily now.

For Thanksgiving, a family in our ward, the Lights, is feeding us. Other than that I don't know exactly what we're going to do. We'll probably visit the Youngs, a less active family that has offered to feed us as well. If we time it right, we might even end up with 2 Thanksgiving dinners!

As for Christmas, that is even more in question. Transfers are the day before Christmas Eve, so we will find out three or four days before Christmas if we are staying or going. No doubt that will complicate things nicely. Assuming I stay (which is not by any means guaranteed), the Lights have again signed up to feed us.

Of course, we also get to call home (I think we even get to call home on Christmas Eve to set up a time to call on Christmas).

As for Christmas gifts, that's a tough one. I've been trying to think of what to get you guys I've been pretty much drawing a blank. Ideas would be appreciated. As for me, I think I could use a GPS - like, the kind that gives you driving directions where to go when you are lost. Other than that, some Christmas treats would be very much appreciated. I'm not sure if I mentioned before, but having something to munch on makes it much easier to stay awake and alert during morning studies. Lately I've been eating those "wasabi nut crunch" things you sent me. They taste...painful...but they sure wake you up when you start nodding off.

The investigators are doing good. We are still teaching Tim & Barbara, Tenika, and John. Also, we are back in contact with Reba, who we lost track of for a while. We had a really good lesson with Tim & Barbara the other day about the Plan of Salvation. Tim asked a lot of questions and asked if he had to be baptized again since he was already baptized, which was a great invite to talk about authority again. It went really well all in all.

I'm good, the food's good, it's all good!

Love,
Elder Smith