Emergency Transfer and New Mailing Address

Out of the 4 missionaries in the ward I have been in the ward the longest so I know a lot of the members and the streets and stuff like that so they ask me a lot of questions so it is odd going from trainee to companion with a 6-week elder at 6-weeks and then going with a companion who is 9 months out but new to the area. It is weird as I'm only a 5 month elder, but yes prep is evil but needed I have had a lesson where we were completely unprepared but it went great because of the Spirit, but then another one were we didn't prepare either and it bombed so badly, but one where we were prepared and it went wonderfully and we could feel the difference in the lessons.

Well, right now we are going and finding a lot, knocking but mostly street contacting because knocking here is quite useless we do it but there are better finding ways here. Also we work with members. Things are going ok we have an investigator named Juan, he is 21 he used to be in a gang but now is out and is coming closer to Christ, we have hit one snag so far, he is Catholic and at the end of every lesson he wraps it up but tell each part that doesn't fit in Catholicism and it seems he isn't taking any of it in so we are trying to find a catholic convert in the ward to take with us and we keep looking for more people who want to learn, and sowing seeds. our Companionship is great i talk to much and he talks just right and we are very similar otherwise so we don't have really to many things to get annoyed over so we are really good as well as this is going to feel like it is going be a short transfer because every week we have something in the mission first week, transfers and then second week, Zone Conference third week, temple trip fourth week, Christmas fifth week, new year’s sixth week, nothing and then it is transfers again. So the weeks are just flying by and we feel like we have no time cause we blink and then it is the next week and we say, ”Hey wasn't it Sunday yesterday no, no yesterday was Friday hey how is that possible?” so we are doing pretty great. The area is a little small 1.999475 square miles to be exact, so yeah a lot of people we meet live elsewhere but that is ok then we get to send referrals, but yeah we are just trying to keep going. Teaching pool is more of a teaching shot glass really, we try to make it more but it shrinks fast. And the weather can't make up its mind if it is winter, spring, fall, summer or what.

Transfers came earlier than expected! We have moved to the Northridge apartment and one of the Northridge elders has had to go home because of medical reasons. I am in a trio now and we cover Granada Hills and Northridge. It is pretty awesome, I really like it. Elder Ford is our third. I got the bike and then the next day was emergency transferred to a car area haha. So yeah I will be in a bike area again sometime haha or I'll just keep it with me the whole mission and send it home to Utah haha.

How was your temple trip?



It was cool and we did one session but we did baptisms and confirmations before because we went early.

What are you doing for Christmas?

We don’t have plans for Christmas Eve, but we are going to a family in each ward on Christmas Day because Elder Ford already had plans and so did we. So we will go to both.

Getting ready for Christmas and pictures with Santa

Sorry my letter was so short last week. We forgot about something and had to run home very very fast like.

Yeah, we aren't teaching a lot but that is ok, I feel like we are kinda missionaries for members, farmers planting seeds. I have liked all my companions. I am a chameleon so I can pretty much be ok with anyone.

Are you warm enough?

I am warm I have an awesome Navy jacket that was bought in England and it has the guy’s name and his identification number and it is a real one it weighs like 5 pounds or more.

What plans do you have as a mission for Christmas?

We had zone conference last week and we have the temple trip this week. We had our ward Christmas party on Saturday night it was really fun, I really like the ward. They really like us. It has been a huge improvement since we first got here. I think it was good that it was me and Elder Miller who were their first elders for a long time because I talked to them and had them warm up and then Elder Miller taught and I help out on that too....... I did most of the talking otherwise though because ummm yeah still working on the not talking so much. Here are some photos from the party. We tried to leave after the party but we are elders we lift things. The sisters left 5 minutes before nine. We kept trying to get out of there because well, we had to be gone by 9 but didn't until 9:20. So yeah, weren't pleased because Stake President Jex's is all about making sure we get home on time from ward things but he kept having us do stuff. It was confusing. I wish I could work on the trucks with Dad. Uggg, I only have a stupid bike that doesn’t listen to me and doesn’t do what I tell it to. I have learned I am not a bike man. I am a motorcycle man because with motorcycles I don’t feel bad giving it to someone to fix because I’m not smart enough to fix them but the bike I feel I am smarter than it but it outsmarts me and then I yell at it.

Being on a mission is wonderful / hard but great/ not so great/ but I love it out here. I love you mom

Elder Hyde

Mosiah 4:15 was on the program at church and it was nice because that is my plaque scripture and it just reminded me of what i need to keep doing to teach them to walk in the light and to do good.