[1]It
is not P-day, so I have to keep this relatively brief.
When most people think of Idaho, they think of potato farms
where fourteen-year-olds are permitted to drive. It is ironic, therefore, that
this is my most urban area.
Now, in East Wenatchee we primarily stayed in the urban
residential area. But we technically covered an enormous area, and I did get to
some of those places a few times while I was there. Mead had busy city but it
also had major boonie areas. And there wasn't a single stoplight in the entire
Ritzville proselyting area (now that I've left there, I regret certain pictures
I never got to take, such as the quaint German town of Odessa). My Hayden area
is not as busy as the parts of Spokane I covered, but we are in mostly all
suburban areas. It's funny being with someone whose only area it's been. Most
of the area is what in previous areas I would consider to be rich. Elder B.
calls it average, even though we do have a lot of places that match up with
typical houses in my past areas. But there are a lot of new developments,
including one called Strawberry Fields, where nothing is real, and nothing to
get hung about.
Elder B. is doing great, and I think he may very well become
a zone leader before I go home.[2] He makes my job pretty
easy.
This is also the first time I have not had a car at all.
We've been doing a lot of walking, because the snow is still piled so much that
in many places there is not much of a shoulder, if any. Therefore, we do not
think it safe or wise to bike. Where we live is not centrally located at all,
so it can get annoying to walk home for meals.
I was totally not expecting to be transferred. I was sad
that I got your package on transfer call day, because I no longer need quarters
to do laundry, and I had to leave behind all my Valentine candy. I did bring
the hot chocolate, however. The MoTab CD would be nice, although some
missionaries can't stand it, but Elder B. and I are not among those.[3]
I feel old. Listen to these facts:
I probably only have one more area after this, although the
pattern could change, since we will get a new mission president.
I am now the only missionary in the group who came out with
me who has not trained, unless you count the Spanish elder Elder Gutierrez, who
went home after four months.
I feel like I have a laundry list when I tell members where
I've served.
I knew all five of the missionaries who just went home, one
of whom (Elder C.) was a companion.
Our district meetings combine two small districts, and three
of the missionaries in these districts have shared a past companion with me,
and two of those are home.
My district leader came out in the group when the first of
my MTC group trained.
I was one of four English elders to come out in my group.
One of those is a district leader, two are zone leaders together, and all have
trained twice. I am glad I don't have those burdens.
Not to mention being with a companion who hits his year mark
a month before I go home.
Anyway, it's weird to adjust to Idaho license plates and 208
zip codes instead of 509. When I was a pre-missionary scared out of my mind I
found comfort in the fact that Idaho was in my mission, and Idaho bordered my
own state. Now, I think, "Idaho? I'm from Utah. I need to be in
Washington!" I did meet someone in another ward here (I believe his name
is Tim Shirtz) who was a bishop in Fillmore about twelve years ago. He talked
about how he could always go in the lumber store and ask Grandpa Boyd anything
about lumber. That was fun.
I bought a green tie for St. Patrick's Day, and I bought an
orange hat to make us more visible at night, but it looked ridiculous, so I
tried to experiment with it and ultimately threw it away.[4] Three dollars in the
garbage.
I hope to write longer next week on Monday![5]
Love,
Elder Melville
[1]
The title of my email is a line from Toy Story.
[2]
Elder B. did not become a zone leader, but he did become a district leader.
Once I made the mistake of telling him I thought he would be a zone leader, and
he let it go to his head.
[3]
My mom asked if I wanted the Tabernacle Choir’s Consider the Lilies because she got an extra copy.
[4]
My first year, I asked my family to send me an unquestionably green tie, but
the tie they sent me was not really green, and even they questioned it. I knew
I couldn’t trust them to get me a green tie, so I bought one (and still use
it). The orange beanie I bought was too small, so it looked like a swimming
cap. I tried to make it go around my neck, but that looked bad too.
[5]
We emailed on Tuesday because the library was closed for Presidents’ Day.
No comments:
Post a Comment