This past week it snowed again, but the last few days we've
mostly had rain. With more snow melting we pulled out our bikes. Let me tell
you, it is so nice to have a flat area--no steep rides every time we want to
get home. The other morning we were going down the road and it was raining
lightly. I wouldn't like heavy rain, but I would have killed for such a day
biking in 105 degree weather this past summer. I will probably be here until
June or maybe July, and I think Wenatchee's one of the hottest areas of the
mission, so this year shouldn't be as bad. Unless I get sent to Lewiston or
Clarkston to finish the summer, since I've heard those are infernally hot.[1] I can handle cold. I can
walk around in -4 degrees (as long as the wind's not blowing, and I'm bundled
up) but you get above 90 and I'm miserable. In the 50s is the ideal temperature
for me.
I do have some requests. I am preparing to send home (I'm
not sure how soon) a memory card, but I don't have one to replace it. So I need
another memory card. I'm planning on sending home a green T-shirt you sent me
last year once St. Patrick's Day is over. I was also wondering if you could
look up an LDS artist for me named Cherie Call. I've liked some of the music of
hers I've heard, especially a song called, "It Passes All My
Understanding," but I don't know if she has her own albums or not.[2] I also like the Christian
artist Michelle Tumes (but you're not likely to find those artists in the same
stores unless it's online). I also pulled out my CD player. I would like
something with which to plug it in, and I also need AA batteries. Since I have
fizzled out in sending things non-electronically I will give you my current
address:
[address redacted]
For two weeks I had Elder Be. believing that my name was
Jeremiah. It was spoiled when he saw the bottom of the CD player.[3] I played dumb, but then he
saw it again on my suitcase, so the next day when he questioned me I couldn't
play the game anymore. I wonder how long I can get my next companion.
With biking now I had to get a taillight for my
bike--$20--and then the headlight I had (which was a hand-me-down from Elder Br.
and wasn't the brightest) broke. So I'm going to have to fork over another $30
for that when we can make it to the bike shop again (which is one of the few
things in our own area).
This week we were feeling somewhat discouraged about our
area while we were tracting but one lady let us right in. She had been praying
for help from God and we showed up. She even came to church (which no one EVER
does) when we got her a ride and she's been reading from the Book of Mormon.
She liked church (we were worried it would be a weird testimony meeting) and
when I talked to her on the phone today she said she's still thinking if she
wants to join our church, which we hadn't really mentioned. Her grandfather was
a member but was excommunicated for moonshining during Prohibition.[4]
We went to the temple today (you may have guessed that).
They showed the old video which I haven't seen since I got my own endowments.[5]
Um, I can't think of anything else I need to write about at
the moment. I feel guilty that I'm a lazy letter writer and write random stuff
and none of it flows or transitions well. But I don't think you care.
Love,
Elder Melville
Oh, I forgot
We will likely be shedding our jackets in a month, and I
only have one pair of slacks. I will need some more. The problem is I don't
know if I'm size 34 or 36. I'm more inclined to say I'm a 34 now, but it's hard
to comprehend me being that size.[6] That's basically the only
reason I question. A missionary left some 34 jeans at our place and I put them
on and they fit. Putting stuff in the pockets is a little tight, but I think
jeans are usually tighter anyway.
We get free dry-cleaning here and they even repaired the
holes in my suit pants (without me asking) for free.[7] I will probably have to
pay to get my pants altered, but I can do that. I think I didn't get them taken
in sufficiently in East Wenatchee, and with a no car area I'll definitely need
it. I don't worry too much about them though because they're my suit pants and
I usually have a jacket over them. But I still will get them taken in.
[1]
Haha. I did spend the summer in Lewiston.
[2]
And thus began a ten-year love of Cherie Call. I’m still a fan.
[3]
The night before I left on my mission, my mom wrote my name on all of my
possessions.
[4]
We never were able to reach her again.
[5]
At the time, there were two temple films, both of them now obsolete. One had a
blonde Eve and the other a brunette. The blonde was a much better actress, but
they almost always showed the brunette one.
[6]
I was a 38 or 40 when I started my mission.
[7]
When Church members owned a business, we benefited from it. There seemed to be
more of those member-owned businesses in that area than any of my other areas.
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