Hola Elder

Dear Family,

So this past week we made three hospital visits, I gave two blessings, and we saw one person die.

Long story behind that last one right there. In short, let's just say that it put us in a pensive mood for the rest of the day, and that the ward has done a good job with the whole "mourning with those that mourn" part of the baptismal covenant.

Curiously, later that day we taught one of the better Plan of Salvation lessons in my mission to a friend of one of the members in the ward, only to be unable to set up a return appointment to any (any) degree of specificity.

Tuesday was the first time I mowed a lawn as a missionary. I don't know how I got away with not doing that for so long.

One Friday we cleared some space out for a shed in somebody's backyard. This entailed the ripping out of some seriously overgrown tomato cage thingies (curiously, without a single tomato to be found), killing a domesticated cactus with a machete (yes really), felling a tree with a chainsaw (my role here was to hold the limbs in place so they wouldn't sprout wings and fly away after being cut off by the member with the chainsaw (don't worry it was perfectly safe)), and removing the remaining stumps (decidedly less awesome than any of the previous activities). Our reward was a Costco pizza (curiously, the next day our dinner was also Costco pizza (from somebody else)).

Yesterday we brought a member with us who is a WWII buff (it's quite literally his job) to a lesson with an investigator who is also a WWII buff. It was a good conversation for the two of them, but they hit off so well that it was really difficult for us to switch the conversation towards religion. The way we finally got the subject on track was when we asked where the investigator's 1948 edition of the Book of Mormon was at (he got it from his dad, who got it from some missionaries while being stationed in post-WWII Japan). After that things were more on topic.

Sincerely,

Elder West

P.S. Elder Halvorsen has been telling me about how the band he used to be in, Plaidipus Rex, is becoming famous in the ward he is serving in. Apparently a good portion of the ward is fans of it on Facebook. Also, he related to me the entire history of the band, the hundredth part of which cannot be contained on these plates.

Backyard Math

We've had a few additions and subtractions for the backyard so far this week:

Add 7/8 of a wall + 1 bucket of pebbles...

...subtract eleventy million weeds and a boatload of grass from the lilac border...

...and finally subtract 1 safety board from the sliding door.

Counting today...

...we've got less than 20 days before David and Xuehui's wedding.  

It's been over a week since I posted any pictures of our yard/deck/patio 'progress'. So here's a wrap-up of The Good the Bad and the Extremely Frustrating Not so Nice.

With all rain we've been having, our lawn is staying quite green! Win!

The front deck looks nearly done...if you don't notice how the railing are improperly installed and will have to be tweaked (put in a half-nelson and pinned to the mat) before they will pass inspection. I threatened Steve with bodily harm suggested to Steve that he not touch the railings before the back deck is finished.

Back stairs...cut, but not screwed down. Always a bridesmaid...

Hmm...note to self, take a machete to the tomato plants.

Back deck. The rain proofing has had plenty of rain trials, works fine.  I need it covered with decking a week ago asap.

Steve tidied up the patio before leaving for scout camp...for the week.   Did I mention he'll be gone for a whole week!!!

Deck Fairies

We really wanted to hire my dad to help us build our new deck this summer.  He would have done an awesome job - but since we haven't been able to get that coordinated, we hired Delvin Tapasoa to give us a jump start.

Just a reminder of how it looked a couple of weeks ago - before we left on vacation.

Before we unloaded anything (or more importantly, went to the euphemism), Steve and I dashed out to the back yard to see what the deck fairies had accomplished in our absence.  More than a little fabulousness.

The view from above.  We're adding an under deck drainage system so that the patio under the deck will remain usable during the rainy season.

As an added bonus, the stringers were attached to the frame on the front of the house.  Steve built the frame by himself, and boy howdy, that thing could fly if needed.

There's still a ton to do...not the least of which is to figure out exactly how and where the stupid railings will go...but at least we have something to attach them to when we do.

Week...umm...whatever.

Concrete is done.  Yay! 

No more damp and wretched side yard.

Transition from side yard to back.

Curving through the trees.

I think we'll call this 'South Bend'.

I think it's shaping up rather nicely.

Next up: The front deck and stairs.

I took a hammer to the railings this afternoon.

And I pried up a few treads.

I sort of like it better already.

We've paved paradise...

...and put up a patio. Which I think just makes it more of a paradise.

Next step...deck?

Hola Elder

Hola Familia,

For the past few months I've been, in my journal, keeping a running total of the number of consecutive days I've written in my journal. I have found this to be amazingly effective in providing me with the motivation to write daily. Right now my running total is 76 days, with my previous writing-streaks being (from first to last) 2, 2, 1, and 20 days, with only a day at most separating those runs. This is possibly the most well-cataloged period of my life. It's pretty amazing to think about.

On a similar note, I've realized recently that I've been back in the mission for more time than I was set apart for Round 1. I'll admit that I was a bit wary as the week approached, for fear of history repeating itself, but it looks like I'll be fine. What's also weird is that I technically hit my year anniversary just a couple weeks ago. It's a wee bit strange just thinking about it.

We found a two new investigators this week, which basically tripled the size of our rapidly shrinking teaching pool ("What do you mean you're spendingsummeringuatamala/droppingus/absurdlybusywithmedicalissues!?").

The first is a person who identifies himself as a "Deist", which I guess translates into having some vague belief in a Judeo-Christian higher power but nothing really specific or personable. He says he's into meditation and studying religions, though in the latter case it seems like he means he reads a ton of crazy apocryphal/pseudopigriphal stuff. Whatever the case is, he accepted the challenge to read the Book of Mormon, so there's hope.

The other investigator is a Christian guy who we tracted into. During our short lesson with him, he said (several times) something to the effect of "I think what you guys do is great but I don't agree with you doctrinally." But then he said some things that he thought were our doctrines, after which it was clear that he had us confused with the JWs. He has a pretty decent understanding of the Bible and actually knows quite a bit of the Old Testament, it seems, and he readily accepted the opportunity to read from the Book of Mormon, so provided that our next lesson with him goes well he seems promising.

Yesterday somebody we were randomly talking to decided to stop talking with us after we told he that we don't follow the news. I think that's a first.

Also yesterday, I taught the Gospel Principles class because the normal teacher was gone. The lesson was on the gift of the Holy Ghost. I think this was the first time I competently taught a class in such a setting. It wasn't really exciting, but the Spirit was definitely there.

My journal entry for Thursday says "Today I saw some people walking llamas."

Attached is a picture back from transfer day. I would have been more dressed had I known that my new companion would have been arriving later than advertised.

Sincerely,

Elder Alex...putting the 'j' in 'p' day.

- Elder Oeste