July 22, 2012

Hey,

That really was a crazy trip the boys went on. I can't wait to go.

Sounds like a good trip in Montana and Waterton. Oh, and I got the package you sent! Thanks for that. The second time I've got a package this year! It was really nice to read the letters from the mormon crew back home and it sounds like they are all doing great. I was actually feeling a bit envious as I read their letters, I was missing the days of being a new missionary. Those are some of the best times. And also thanks for the sweets. If you can send a pacakge in the near future, some things that would be greatly appreciated are: maple syrup and mapeline, ranch, barqs root beer (or any rootbeer), sweet chili heat doritos, and anything else you can think of. I have some good stuff to send home soon. I will wait closer to Christmas. It will be like 40 pounds to ship the box though.

Hopefully Jordan is gone. It would be good for him and Sean as well. And ya I liked Katiann but never seemed to really go crazy over here. I think as soon as I left I told Sean I have no problem with him going for girls I had liked, and I think he fell for Katiann really hard. It's to bad she couldn't get him on a mission. He was really close at one point, I remember an email he sent me a year ago. He could have been out on his mission by now.

Riley is going to be such a good missionary. Don't worry about him too much. He will be fine. I can't wait to hear his adventures in Guatamala. Even if he dies over there, he will probably go straight to the celestial kingdom (just kidding). I have been writing him the last couple of weeks. And I wrote Hayden a letter. And after reading what you said about my short-shorts sister, I might have to write her a letter sometime soon as well.

So we don't really have much going on here for a teaching pool. We have the usual people, but I am spending less and less time with people who I just don't see progressing. The branch almost fell apart here this week, so we have been dealing with that quite a bit this week. I don't want to say too much detail, but in a small branch like this personal disputes can become really big deals. And everyone always tries to get the Elders on their side. It is hard at times to stay neutral. I have just learned that I need to sustain the branch president and love and respect everyone else after that.

But I don't feel discouraged. The weather is great now and that lifts our spirits. We are having fun knocking and meeting new people. Yesterday an older Methodist lady let us in to her house. I think she was more interested in talking our ears off than learning about Jesus, but it was a good chat. She is also raises tortoises. She had a huge pen in her backyard of like 10 massive tortoises. We got to go play with them and feed them and hold them and stuff. So little things like that keep life interesting and make the day enjoyable. I remember in Helston with Simmons we had nothing going on except Ken and Toni for most of my time there. But having that one family that was progressing and everything did make such a huge difference. That is what I want here. One family or even just a person who really wants to learn and who will keep their commitments and see the difference that it makes. So that is what we are looking for. We have some potential in a few people.

Enjoy your week. I doubt it will be quite as exciting as this last one.

Love Elder Steed