I am glad you like the photos, there is a ward missionary who is going up to Portland in 2 weeks and said he wanted to stop by you, so I asked him to take you up the camera memory card. I have another one, so don't worry, I will still capture pieces of my adventure for you.
I am glad that you had a good week and that life is good. Life is good here too! Ioannies passed his baptismal interview and is really set on his date of December 17. Ever since we told him to read and pray every day and his doubts will dissappear he has and the doubts have disappeared. We are happy about that.
So Eddie Shin who was baptized last month goes to Humbolt State University. Sarah Martin also goes there and she was baptized this year too and they know each other and go to the same ward! When Eddie comes home for Christmas I am sure he will be excited to talk about that connection!
Today is laundry day and I am going to wash my shirts because they are really dirty, but I was able to procure 3 additional shirts. They are nice and cleaner. An Elder had them before me for 2 years and they are cleaner then the ones I have had for 6 months. The only problem is that they are a little wider fit, so I call them my "fat man shirts" and I wear them with my "skinny jeans". They are still all missionary appropriate my clothes just don't quite fit like they should so I think it is funny. I suppose I should be more politically correct because I understand you aren't the only one who may read this email, but it is too late now!
Yesterday was superb! We are working on a family mission plan for all the families in the ward and one of the families we taught last night. They are the Brunelle's. We had a fun lesson on family prayer and they will now pray every night together. Towards the end of the lesson, however, brother Brunelle started just asking questions about Cain and Able, so we talk them that story and then he asked super random questions and I made the mistake of giving my opinion, instead of the doctrine behind it and said that "well, I don't know this, but I think maybe Cain is still here, I heard that one time, this is not to say for sure, but just my thoughts is he could be like Bigfoot Not exactly Bigfoot but just some thing that no one can find." And he just told me about how when I have my name tag on I really need to be careful about what I say! I was really trying to just suggest that I have no idea, but I have a funny thought! He is right though that people look up to missionaries and listen to what they say, so I need to be careful. They are a super fun family and no harm was done, but I learned a good lesson.
Mom, for your "Arise and Shine Forth" kick-off I think that that sounds awesome! Looking back, now at the youth here in the Marina Hills ward they truly are an example and others look to them. We talked to a kid on the street and he said he knows some Mormon kids and they are only good, nice and loving people. That was a great testimony to me that living right is the best thing to do.
I have been thinking this week that I want to share more of the things I am doing, and less of just random stuff. So today I am going to write a short list of people we teach and how they are doing. Nothing personal or details, and probably not even their names, but just some incredible changes that are happening. Sorry that my letter is jumbled today, my mind is on the things we have coming up this week.
A. This person has stopped with her hard core drugs and got married and her and her non-member husband are coming to activities and church and we teach them regularly.
B. He just got the Melchizedek priesthood on Sunday and used to drink and smoke, but now even though his family are all not members he comes to church. We are helping him get through the loss of his sister.
C. (Andy Nelson :) Andy is doing great and we visit him every Monday at 1. He has started listening to the scriptures after 8 months of not doing anything. We teach and read with him and he gets to talk to someone. he is much happier.
D. She meets with us once a week and is a new member and felt really bad for herself for a long time, but now she reads the scriptures, comes to church and is looking for a job.
E. Their daughter died about a year ago and we help in their garden once a week. They are active, but just need visits.
F. This family has a son called to leave on his mission in March, and he comes out with us. The family is not really active, so we teach them with the son. The son just gave his first blessing to his mom and the whole family felt better.
There are so so many, but I will share some more next week.
The Gospel is a wonderful blessing in the lives of all those who live it. I hope that at this Christmas time of year that we can show our Christ like love in word and deed. As President David O. McKay said "True happiness comes from making others happy." May we serve others and bring light and joy to all those and find peace and happiness in our own lives. I am grateful to be a missionary and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
California! -Elder Chandler
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