Rural marriage (10/6/08)

I loved my birthday! How did you find the floral shop in East Wenatchee?[1] Sister Knighten made us lunch, then we went to lunch.[2] I ate a lot that day and I kind of felt sick.

I didn't get around to writing you last week. It was a busy day. What I wanted to write about was the experience of going up Badger Mountain to contact a part-member family. We had a member give us a ride, about twenty miles out of town. We couldn't go out that far just to see them, so we went boonie tracting. I felt like I was in The Andy Griffith Show. The wife of the part-member family looked very much like Charlene Darling.[3] One house we knocked on had a resident who looked just like you'd expect a yokel to, complete with a snaggle tooth. Most people weren't home, but it was fun to knock on all those obscure houses.

The day after my birthday was very fun. The mission miles are low now, so we had to save two days worth of miles. We got so good at saving that we were more than a hundred miles under what we needed to be under, and it was the last day of the month, which meant we could do whatever we wanted. So we went up to Waterville, a small town we cover about twenty-five miles north. I'd never been there before. The only thing keeping the town alive is the fact that it's the county seat. I think it's smaller than Fillmore. We tried to see a few less-active members and former investigators, but we couldn't find most of the addresses. The few we did weren't home. One address was for a 210, but there was no 210, so we tried a 201,[4] but he closed the door before we could ask if the person we were looking for lived there. (Some people...) It was really fun to take a spontaneous road trip through nothing. Part of it was winding roads through a canyon. I felt like I was heading to Park City or something. Then we helped a less-active move over to Wenatchee twice. All in all we went 77.7 miles that day.

The ruralness continues with transfer information.[5] I am going to Ritzville, WA,[6] to be with an Elder L., who has been out about nineteen months. Apparently we cover two areas, the other being Davenport, WA.[7] Looking at the map we cover an enormous area. Elder L. on the phone said it's two counties.[8] We cover two branches--which, as big as the land area is, means it's pretty rural. I will probably have more than one residence with as big as it is, but I don't know.[9] I believe the stake center is in Cheney (Chee-nee), and is located on, of all things, Melville Road. My district leader will be Elder H., who was in the adjoining East Wenatchee area, who came out with me, and who is probably my favorite missionary.

I will be sending a box home. In it is a memory card with an explanation of pictures. I also sent home a few T-shirts I don't need. There is a polar bear tie a member gave me (I don't know why he thought I could wear it), and a Rudolph tie I bought at Goodwill (the non-LDS version of Deseret Industries) for $2.[10] (Interesting side note about Goodwill being the non-LDS version--that day we saw the Relief Society president with her family shopping there, and a Deseret Book "Time Out for Women" bag for sale. A more serious note is that a member said she found an old one-piece garment for sale, so she bought it and gave it to the bishop.) I have two pairs of pants in the box--one I bought here for about $40 and they're already worn in many places. The other is one that I had tailored, then they split, so I had them fix it, but they split again. If you could fix them and send them back when spring gets closer, I would appreciate it.

We're playing dodgeball today with pumpkin dodgeballs we bought at Fred Meyer.[11] I have to pack today and hopefully get a ride worked out to the transfer site for tomorrow. I hope all works out well.

I'm out of things to say for now.

Love,

Elder Melville

---

[1] My mom sent me a hand-delivered gift basket of candy and fruit from a local floral shop. I know it had a red delicious apple, which was anything but delicious, and a banana, and my companion was mad that I put the peel in the garbage in our room instead of the kitchen garbage.

[2] I had already made plans to go to lunch with the other elders who shared our car, so I was a little disappointed when I got home and Sister Knighten had made lunch—but it was so nice that I couldn’t turn down. It was either Navajo tacos or regular tacos.

[3] Side characters on The Andy Griffith Show. My life at that time revolved around 1960s shows.

[4] I might have not realized east and west addresses.

[5] I titled my letter “rural marriage” as a play on “plural marriage,” but it’s a stretch, because “marriage” isn’t really relevant.

[6] Ritzville was my favorite area. I’m excited to reminisce on it in the coming months.

[7] Two branches, but one area.

[8] Most of Lincoln and Adams Counties, but not all.

[9] We spent part of our time in one apartment and other nights living with members.

[10] I still wear the Rudolph tie, which I bought on my birthday.

[11] I suggested to the other missionaries that we could get them and play dodgeball, and one of them said, “You are a specter of the gods!,” a quote from The Testaments. I sent it home after Halloween, having only used it once, but when I came home, it had disappeared.

How can I be twenty? (9/29/08)

Yesterday, the 28th, I turned ten.[1] Today, the 29th, I turned twenty. I was in fourth grade the last time I changed a decade. I still feel like a kid. I am overwhelmed at the thought of being in my twenties. I guess I always felt that being old was for other people, but not for me. Ack!

Thanks very much for the package. I am very disappointed at M&Ms, because they added green and purple to the Halloween mix. A few weeks ago before the Halloween season started I pondered if I should consider purple a Halloween color, but I ultimately decided against it. One of the grounds for doing so was that M&Ms had no purple for Halloween. And then they disappointed me by adding those extra colors. I can kind of see purple but green is absolutely out of the question.

It's been so long since I've cashed a check I don't remember how to cash Grandma and Grandpa's, especially since they don't have American First up here. I don't even know where a bank is in this area.

We had our interviews this week. I asked President Clark if he had any ideas about our transfers. He didn't know, but he said three transfers is too short to stay in an area, that it's usually supposed to be four to six. So I may be here another seven weeks, since this is the last week of the transfer. We will find out probably on Saturday morning before conference. We get to attend few meetings other than regular church meetings, but we get to view all five sessions of conference. It's also the time we are reunited with our suit coats full-time. It's supposed to be in the 80s or 90s again this week >-( so that might not work too well.

I have more to write but I'm losing time, so I will definitely try to write snail mail today. But I can't guarantee anything.

Love,

Your elderly son

---

[1] I entered the MTC on November 28, so on September 28, I was ten in mission age.

Finally fall in many ways (9/22/08)

This week was ninety degree weather, which was not fun at all. It was good to see the red and yellow on the ground, and the trees losing green, but I was not fond of the infernal heat. Fortunately on Saturday it cooled down a lot and this morning I feel quite happy with the chill in the air. It used to be only clouds here could make me feel good, but there are only distant clouds today and I feel fine. It's a good thing; our jackets come back on in two weeks.[1] Sister Knighten, the member we live with, has many old Church music books, including "The Children Sing" and "Sing with Me," the precursors to "Children's Songbook." ("Sing with Me" is in a somewhat familiar orange binding--did we use to have a copy, if only of the cover?)[2] I have been playing the songs in there on the piano and found a beautiful song called "Autumn":

Leaves are falling, falling, falling, from the trees today

Birds are calling, sadly calling, Let us fly away

To the south, for winter's coming, [something][3] the insects cease their humming,

Leaves are falling, birds are calling, winter comes this way.[4]

And I don't remember the second verse. But it's such a beautiful song that I copied it at the church library along with "In Perfect Faith," "Oh Give Me Back My Prophet Dear," and holiday songs not in the current hymns and children's songs. I sure hope we have a piano when I get back![5]

Our little area has been struggling. President Clark has given us "Standards of Excellence," and I've never met them consistently, but one of them is ten Quality Gospel Invitations[6] a day. So we had eighty this week. Typical is in generally in the thirties.

We had our fair share of drunks we talked to. We were walking by a house and a totaled car sat in the yard. We turned the corner and two guys and two girls about our age were in the backyard drinking and smoking. They hailed us over and they couldn't believe we'd never drunk beer. The next day we walked by the house again and I looked at the car and said, "That explains it."[7]

We were walking by another house and a chubby shirtless man started talking to us. He was more coherent than most drunks I've talked with, but I could clearly smell the alcohol. He and his friend think we obey nine commandments because we observe the Sabbath on Sunday, not Saturday. They're "Jews for Jesus." He started yelling about it and soon the police showed up because someone had called. He made up the excuse he was yelling because he had a sore throat and had to talk loudly. He wasn't really unfriendly, just crazy, so when the police saw we were fine they left. We talked with them yesterday, and he thinks he's a prophet, that the world will end in 2012 (because it will be 1260 days after Hurricane Ike),[8] and the sun shines on him when he tells the truth. I think in our conversation Elder Duncan got a little defensive, but after a while it was so ridiculous about what Nazis they were about the Sabbath that I just started laughing. Just quiet, disbelieving laughter. I laughed during his goofy prayer with his hands in the air, praying as a "prophet of God," and all I can say is I hope he's not outside when we walk by again.

It seems I was thinking of something I wanted for my birthday, or at least I needed, but I cant think of it now. Maybe size 36 slacks (they can be cheap ones, although that might not be the best idea now since I'll have to pack my summer slacks away soon).[9] Transfers are in two weeks and I have no idea what's happening. Maybe I'll get a hint at interviews this week.

[Line redacted]

Love,

Elder Melville

---

[1] Our mission rule was that you took off your suit coat at April conference and put it on at October conference. Except that after April conference, they told us we still had to wear them if it was cold. But we still had to wear them even if it was warm in October. I thought that was so dumb. Either make it only weather, or only conferences.

[2] Yes, we do have Sing with Me, and I sometimes play songs from it.

[3] “Haste” is the word I forgot here.

[4] This song is by Evan Stephens. I understand why no one sang it, because the lyrics are a little dark; the second verse talks about snow being a shroud for the earth to lie in. But it’s a stunningly beautiful song. I really want it to get more attention.

[5] My mom had given our piano to my cousin. But I wanted it back so I could play it after picking up some piano on my mission. We did bring it back to our house a few weeks after I got home. But unfortunately, it had a number of damages done to it. I can’t possibly understand how it got damaged like that.

[6] Quality Gospel Invitations, or QGIs, were basically every time you talked to someone.

[7] Seriously, though, don’t drink and drive. Ever. If you do, you deserve to be dead.

[8] I think it was February 9, 2012, that he predicted would be the end.

[9] I started my mission with a size 38 or 40 waist. Today I’m 32 or 33.

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

[1]Sounds like you had a fun weekend. I've been thinking about those old traditions that have died. Glad there are new ones.[2] It seems weird to me that it was almost two and four years ago that my grandparents died. My whole senior year doesn't seem that long ago because I was anticipating my mission, but it started two years ago![3] Even though I've been out almost ten months I still feel like I just started my mission.

Boston, huh?[4] You sure are taking a lot of vacations since I left. Then again, in a way I'm taking a consistent two year vacation, except most of it is work. Last week we went to Rocky Reach Dam with some members to observe salmon swimming up the Columbia River through a series of fish ladders, 100 small pools that gradually climb upward. It was funny because we went in to the visitors' center and some people came upstairs. I was thinking about what they must think to see us, but they said, "Oh, the missionaries are here," and they were actually visiting from Salt Lake. I think another person who was there that day thought we worked there, because he kept asking us questions, but he didn't seem altogether there. That's actually not all too uncommon; we frequently have people at the store asking us where stuff is, and we don't know any more than they do.

Don't get your hopes up too much for Mexico with my Spanish,[5] although the little I know has come in handy in this fruit-picking area. I don't know enough to teach or to understand when they go off, but when tracting I know enough to get permission for the Spanish elders to go back.[6] I always have a hard time talking at doorsteps, but I become the only speaker when the resident doesn't speak English. (It's not as easy in Spokane; I once tracted an entire street where everyone spoke Russian.)

I don't get to watch TV, but I did get to watch Nature without a screen this week. The bushes and shrubs of Wenatchee Valley are always covered with nets of cobwebs. When walking down the road I frequently take a diversion by looking for the little arachnids lying in wait in small tunnels on their webs. This week while taking such a diversion I noticed a miniature bee or something struggling in a web while the yellowish-tan spider watched nearby. It gradually got closer until it finally jumped on top of it and bit it. Then it began circling around it, I assume to reinforce its web. The bee stopped moving and the spider kept getting on top of it, but after a few minutes we learned that the bee was only playing dead. The pattern of the spider getting on top and the bee playing dead then trying to escape continued for a few minutes. Eventually the bee escaped out the bottom, but fell into a lower web, where an even bigger spider darted out, bit it, ran back to its tunnel, darted back out and bit it again, and hid again. The bee was no longer moving and the spider was missing when we finally left. It was amazing.

This week we began teaching an old lady who is kind of lonely. She is very friendly and very Episcopalian, but she has two granddaughters who married RMs in the temple, so she wants to learn about the Church to know how to interact with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was concerned that she has four great-grandchildren ages 1-5 who aren't baptized.

And while I am delighted to see the leaf-strewn lawns, I am not happy to feel the hot of the afternoon. I thought that was supposed to end once I could start thinking about Halloween.[7]

Love,

Elder Melville

P.S. Some elders have caught glimpses of your letters to me, and find the adjective "cute" quite humorous.[8]

---

[1] My email title comes from Proverbs 30:28.

[2] When I was growing up, we would always go camping in Fillmore on Labor Day weekend. My parents wrote to me that they had gone camping in Maple Grove near Scipio.

[3] I think it’s funny I thought two years was a long time—now two years is nothing.

[4] My parents foolishly bought a timeshare. My mom wrote, “We may try to use our time share in Boston this spring because we have to use it before June or we lose it.” But they didn’t end up going to Boston.

[5] My mom wrote, “Dad and I have talked about going to Mexico to use our time share because we can't find places we want to use around here.  We decided to wait until after you come home, though.  It would be fun to have you come with us because your Spanish would come in handy.  So plan on seeing old ruins there sometime after you come home.” But they (we) never visited Mexico.

[6] I took four years of Spanish in high school. I was surprised to get called on an English-speaking mission with all my language experience. On one occasion, my mission president asked if anyone knew some Spanish in case there were ever openings. I told him I knew some, but I never served in a Spanish area.

[7] When I was in first grade, I was eager to put out Halloween decorations. My mom said I could do it on September 15, and that’s been my arbitrary date ever since.

[8] My mom started my email with “Dear Cute Mark.” My district leader thought that was funny. An earlier companion had seen a similar letter opening and was amused. A year after my mission, I visited a branch with my parents, and I heard my mom introduce us by saying “Our cute son served here,” and she didn’t even realize it.

This month is such a special one (9/8/08)

Hello family!

We have a really good bike shop here. I went to take my bike in, expecting lengthy and costly repairs on my gears, but the man just took the bike, looked at it, did some adjusting, and I was on my way with a working bike without paying $0.01. Whew! They did the same thing when a metal piece was skewed and caused my front brakes easily to come undone a few weeks ago.

Last Monday we went on a hike at a place called Saddle Rock. I didn't want to, but I took one for the team. The other elders kept deciding to take steep shortcuts, with the belief that although they were steep, they would get flat soon, and we would get up the mountain sooner. I was surely opposed to the shortcuts, but I could not change their minds. They did not seem to realize the principle that mountains are very deceiving. We took the shortcuts to save time, but they turned out to take a lot more time. The ascent was extremely steep. We were on all fours most of the way up. It got to the point that attempting to go down would be more dangerous than going up, and that's the only reason we kept going the way we did. We were grabbing rocks in the mountainside, many of which broke off as we grabbed them. We had to climb up an absolutely gravelly slope, which was very tricky, until we got to a field of brush. Then the root systems provided stepping places and the plants themselves worked quite nicely as handholds. When we finally reached the top we all agreed we'd never do it again. Hiking is not against the rules--but rock climbing is, and that's basically what we were doing. We just hadn't planned on it. Incidentally, we hiked up in our "pros" (proselyting clothes), except we were wearing shoes more fit for hiking.

A quick funny story: Our ward feeds us very well, and an insert in yesterday's program was supposed to read, "Special thanks to all those who feed the missionaries." Instead it read "feel the missionaries." We got a good chuckle out of it.

I often think back to the September, October and November before my mission, and think of things I associate with that time--That Girl viewings,[1] Halloween candy, Thanksgiving lights,[2] drives home from work, etc. Many of it I can firmly remember, and I wonder if those specific things will always remind me of that time. It was odd yesterday, however, because a member picked us up for dinner in his RAV4. I didn't realize it until he pointed out to Elder Duncan that the front seat was small for him. Then I looked around and realized we were in a Toyota. I had always figured I would immediately recognize anything from my pre-mission time because that was a fun point in my life. But the ride in that vehicle did not take me back home, it did not take me back in time, it did not make me "trunky" (not that I get that way anyway).[3]

I am beginning to get to the point where I will soon be caught up with letter writing, and I may be able to write you snail mail again. But I'm done for the day.

Love,

Elder Melville

---

[1] I bought the second season of That Girl two and a half months before I left on my mission, and my mom and I would watch one or two episodes a night.

[2] I ordered some light-up Pilgrims the fall that I left for my last Thanksgiving at home.

[3] My family bought a Toyota Rav4 a few months before I left, and I had memories of riding around in that new car that fall. I didn’t like driving it because I felt too cramped. My 2017 model is roomier than the 2007.

FINALLY SEPTEMBER!! (9/1/08)

I am SO relieved the abysmal month of August has died. The year will no longer seem as bland and uncomfortable.

I don't think I ever told you but I do get emails on holidays now because we email at the Family History Center so we just have a member open it up.

Last night we had dinner with the Raabs. Sister Raab told me Allie was very cute and she was looking at them in awe because they had just left my presence.[1] I don't know; that's just what she said. It's so weird for me to think of her being five. She'll be four to me until I get back. Just like Preston will always be three.

So yesterday I had an unfortunate experience. We were riding down Baker, a semi-main road, and the portion we were on has no bike lane, but there are parking spaces. I hate to ride in the road, so I usually ride in the parking spaces and meander up to the sidewalks when a car is ahead and the curb is low. Yesterday there were cars parked and a person in the road so I didn't want to go out, so I went on the sidewalk, and I couldn't get back on the road because of the cars. A garbage can was on the sidewalk, and there was only a small passage between it and a fence. I'd biked past before, nudging the can, so I thought I'd try it again. But this time I did more than nudge it, and I crashed. Some people were driving by and they stopped to see if I was fine, which I was. But my bike is not in the best shape now; it locks up in first and second gear, and I don't want to try our hills in third gear. I'm taking it to the bike shop today. I hope they can fix it, or I may be in trouble. Hopefully it doesn't come down to a new bike--or a permanent third gear bike. As it is, it will probably not be too cheap to get it fixed.[2] Oh, well; that's the reason I got a job before my mission.

And walking home after that incident it did start to rain, and I didn't bring my new umbrella, although Elder D. brought his. I got pretty wet; my planner's a little warped, and after dinner I had to change my shirt (I had a wet shirt for dinner). But I was just glad it was raining. Rain in this area is unusual. It doesn't happen very often, and, while back home it is less common for there to be rain and sun, it is almost always sunny while it rains here. I don't think I've ever seen a completely gray sky here; there's always a patch of blue somewhere. The clouds that make it across the mountains disperse as they cross the river. It's been partly cloudy frequently lately, but it hasn't rained much.

I can't think of anything else to say...I thought of something else I might like. In 2006 when I was a vampire for the first time we got a special polishing tool for some old shoes of mine. I'm running low on my polish, and I think that was an easier tool, so I would like that if you can find it in the bathroom closet.[3]

Love,

Elder Melville

---

[1] These members visited my family and took a package home for me.

[2] The bike shop fixed it for free.

[3] I was a vampire for Halloween. My mom did send me the polishing tool, but it was not a quality product.

A new transfer

So, we got calls on Saturday and everything is staying the same with us for the next six weeks. I think I'll leave at the end of the transfer, October 7, but Elder D. thinks he's going to leave. Our ward mission leader thinks I'm going to be here for seven months, which would keep me here until December 30. But we'll see.

[Paragraph redacted]

I am so excited for the dates of the transfer. September 1 starts the best month, September 15 is when I can legitimately begin thinking of Halloween, September 29 all of your kids are in their twenties, and October 1 is the first month with a holiday in a while and starts a monthly pattern through April. October 6 my first companion goes home--wow, I've been out a while...

It has been gloriously cloudy and cool this week and at this moment clouds of darkest hue hang o'er me (see Hymns 121).[1] The best bad thing ever happened this week. We were walking home and we had brought our umbrellas because the skies were threatening. When it started precipitating we pulled them out. Umbrellas make me think of Mary Poppins anyway, but the way I was holding my umbrella and the way the wind was blowing caused my umbrella to pop out backwards, causing it to break. It was so funny. I felt like I was in a movie. Then I had to walk home basically with a bowl over my head, which doesn't stop rain very well, so my pants were soaked by the time we got home. But the umbrella wasn't functioning properly anyway, so now that it's completely broken, I get to get a new one. Last night we stopped at an investigator's house and visited a while, so we got to ride home in the dark and rain. It was so fun. Elder B. gave me the headlight to his bike, as well as the tail-light, but I haven't placed the latter yet (it doesn't work too well).

To answer another question, I don't have to speak much. My public speaking has extended to a few testimony meetings, two opening prayers (one was here and one was my last week in Mead), and a few halftime shows at baptisms (teaching the first lesson while the people change).

Don't stress too much about the package. I don't need anything you haven't bought that badly. What I might need are either a large supply of batteries, or more simply a plug cord for my CD player. I also would like some recipes. Honestly the contents of any package are pleasing.

We taught ten lessons to non-members this week, including first lessons. We only got two new investigators and one of those dropped us, but we weren't expecting them at all, and we have the potential for more this week.

This is a very choppy letter...

Love,

Elder Melville

After the above-mentioned rainstorm, I went home and changed into my pajama pants, prompting this awkward picture.

---

[1] “Misty vapors rise before me.

Scarcely can I see the way.

Clouds of darkest hue hang o’er me,

And I’m apt to go astray

With the many, with the many

That are now the vulture’s prey.” From “I’m a Pilgrim, I’m a Stranger”

On this Day of Joy and Gladness (8/18/08)

First item of business: Some members in our ward, Brother and Sister Raab (ROB), are heading down to Utah this week with a box. In it is a Fourth of July shirt I bought at the end of my sojourn in Spokane, the Independence Day decorations you sent me, a belt that is too big (even with the hole I put in), and my Charlie Brown music.[1] I decided to send it back because, while it's not bad music, it's not really spiritual. The Raabs were heading to Provo, and they offered to take boxes. Elder D. is from Orem so he took them up on the offer, but I wasn't going to unless they specifically asked me, because I didn't want to impose if they weren't planning on heading to the Salt Lake area. But I prepared a box just in case, with our address and phone number, and when they came to get his box, I was changing my pants so he just took my box and asked them. So they should be calling this week to drop it off, and so if you'd like you can probably just send my package back up with them (I think they offered that, too).

The last few days have been very hot. On Saturday our car thermometer read 105. Yesterday we didn't have the car and it didn't sound too appealing to hop on a bike, so we were walking around, and one lady asked if we wanted to know the temperature before telling us it was 104. I had a sunscreen-and-sweat mix dripping in my eye. But word is tomorrow it's supposed to be down in the 70s,[2] and the miserable heat spell is over. I am so excited. Especially that August is more than halfway over. I can't wait for the ninth month, the best one of the year. (That is a source of argument in our companionship, for he hates September, but I hate August.)

I remember when Allie was two how she was so obsessed about "There's my school!" every time we passed Orchard. It's kind of sad to me that that's not her school now.[3] Oh, well. I just can't believe she is old enough to be in kindergarten. One of the hardest things about being a missionary is seeing all the kids ages 0 to 6 and knowing that those are either ages that I'm missing, are now gone, or are what I'll see when I get back, and I'm not now seeing among my niece and nephews. We're not allowed to hold or tickle children. I was looking at Dave's blog[4] and it's so weird to have an almost-seven-month-old nephew I've never seen. The pictures are cute but they're not the same as the real thing. Last night I was listening to the Primary songs and they got to singing "fathers are so special" and it took me back to Father's Day of last year, when Allie was up there, a sunbeam, singing with everyone else, and then she made Pops and me a Father's Day card, and then that evening she was singing it again and saying she was singing a tale of it.[5] Ah, memories.

One of our investigators has two sons, four and two, and we had lunch with her this week. The two-year-old decided to befriend me. He kept bringing me cars to play with with him. At one point there were some extra ice cubes on the fridge (where they had just come out) and he got them and brought them to me one by one. It was so funny. Then he sat down and the chair next to him had a game on it, so he moved it and told me to sit. I felt like I was back in nursery.

We didn't have the best week this week, although someone let us in off tracting but wouldn't listen and said the Bible is the word of God because it says it is. I fail to see the logic in such a statement, especially since he seemed to have that aura that he thought he was scholarly. And when we questioned him about it, he changed the subject. (I've found a lot of people do that when they realize they don't make any sense.) But if everything goes through, we should have around five new investigators this week. We really could use some fresh people.

Love,

Elder Melville

---

[1] My first companion loved “Linus and Lucy,” so I had my mom send up the albums Charlie Brown’s Holiday Hits and A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Three of my four companions at this point tolerated it and thought it was acceptable missionary music, but I always felt a little guilty.

[2] It does seem unreasonable to me that missionaries can’t check weather forecasts (or at least they couldn’t when I was out).

[3] My niece went to my mom’s school for kindergarten instead of our neighborhood school, but she did go to Orchard later on.

[4] I would look at my brother’s blog when I was emailing, because I figured it was no different than reading a letter or email.

[5] Check out the entry for 2007 in this post.

August is a third of the way over! (8/11/08)

The weather was absolutely glorious on Friday. In the morning and afternoon gray clouds shrouded the skies, rain fell to the earth, and lightning and thunder cracked from the sky. Everyone said that doesn't happen very often around here, so I'm disappointed it probably won't happen again, but it was sure good while it lasted.

I've found that early in my mission I mostly dreamt about home. After a bit I only dreamt about missionary work. Now I dream a combination. For example, this week I dreamt Jesse was my companion, and in a room that looked like the sunroom--but it was in a house up here--was a foot-long spider. (I think this dream came from the very large spider we saw in the church bathroom, but may also have been related to the discussion on the six-foot Gilligan's Island spider, if you remember that.) I got out my camera to record it and was recording the shadow, but before I could record the spider itself, Jesse had disassembled it and had its eight legs hanging in circles on a tool, as well as other smaller spider parts.

We got a new investigator this week. We've been teaching her boyfriend (they live together) and he's really interested, but she's avoided us. This week she came up to us and said, "I have to ask you one thing before this goes any further. Do you believe in having multiple wives?" When we said no, she was relieved. She had heard a lot of other stuff, so we cleared that up, and now she's interested too! We were on exchanges that day, so Elder D. wasn't there, but I was very excited.

And another investigator works at Ross and she bought us clearance ties. It was really nice of her.[1] We watched The Testaments with her last night, and played with her boys, who are four and two. The four-year old kept showing us his collection of DVDs and told me the ones he hated (he hates Chicken Little, the little guy) and it reminded me of when we'd go over to Nan's and Allie would take out all of her DVDs. He has one that's "The Animated Passion," cartoons about Jesus, and he told us it was called "My God." It was really funny but you probably had to be there.

[Sentence redacted] (We have helpful little pamphlets for the Restoration, the Plan of Salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Word of Wisdom, Chastity, and Tithes and Offerings, which we give to our investigators. The pamphlets, not the tithes.)

Well, I'm out of time for this week, so until next week,

Love,

Elder Melville

---

[1] She brought out four ties and said we could each have one. My companion took two, so I took two, but I think she only meant to give us one each. I always felt guilty after that, because I didn’t even like the second one I took.