Ticket to Ride

From Elder Paul Freeman, dated November 21, 2007.

Dear Family,

This past week has been super awesome, amazing, and great. For some reason it always surprises me what a big difference small changes can make. Granted, coming to this area is a pretty big change. We cover two Samoan Wards that include all of S--- County and even into R---. Yesterday we were teaching three kids and set a date for their baptism. When the lesson was over we went out to the car and ran into two other missionaries from the R--- CA Mission.

Last night we had dinner with a family who lives out in C---. I hate to say it but I'm starting to drive like a Californian. We've got a pretty sweet ride though. It's an 07 Mazda 3 and my companion from New Zealand doesn't have a US license yet so I do all the driving. When I first started driving it was too fast, but after spending at little as an hour a day on the freeways here I don't know what I'd do without it. I've still got 12 months left and if I'm lucky enough, President Sanchez will let me stay here for the rest of it.

The most exciting part of this area is the awesome members. They do some of the best missionary work, and it's not really because they put forth a whole lot more effort into finding and teaching and stuff like that. As a minority they have more sincerity for their brothers and sisters. They always follow up with us about people we are teaching. Every time we talk to the members they ask about the people we are teaching, especially if they were the ones we got the referral from. Both ward mission leaders are fully dedicated and magnify their callings, and investigators come to church. There are so many strong candidates for baptism and we've got 3 with a baptismal date so far. Last week, the number of investigators who came to church was higher than all our other numbers we reported, even the number of lessons we taught.

Sometimes, it doesn't even feel like work. Every other week the wards play volleyball and basketball and get investigators to come. Last week we were even invited to a wedding. There were like a million cakes there and they were given them out to all the top dogs of the family and church, like the bishops and high counselors. They gave one to us too before cutting up the rest and serving it. So, now we have a cake for Elder C---'s birthday that's coming up.

So, everything is going great and nothing could be better. And, you're right mom about not sending me a bunch of stuff for Christmas. I've got more than I need. If you really want to send me a memory card it has to be a Sony Memory Stick Duo for a Sony Cybershot DSC-W55. [National Retailer] sent me an email saying they'll send me another card, so that's all fixed up.

I hope everything is going well at home. Thank you for all your letters and prayers and everything. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Love,
Elder Freeman