Hello Price, Utah!

(I tried to add pictures, but it was taking a long long time.  Hopefully I can add them later....  The Mom   )

Hola Mis Benditos Padres!               26 July 2011

      It has been a pretty crazy week with a lot of change going on, but I am thinking that I am taking the changes pretty well and am starting to adapt to the new area. The worst thing about getting transferred to Price was the traveling to get there. I left at 9 in the morning from St. George and I didn’t even get to Price until 4:30 that night. It was a pretty crazy drive, and you know how I am with long trips! (Chad often gets car sick on too long of trips with windy roads.) 

I am pretty excited about this area and new companion and everything, actually. My new companion is Elder Robert Nathan. He is from San Diego, California. He has been out for about 16 months and we are getting along great and that isn’t a lie. We just hit it off from the beginning. We live with another companionship of Elders and I don’t know how much they really like us, because Elder Nathan and I together are pretty crazy. J  This is actually Elder Nathan's second time being in this area, so he knows it backwards and forwards, so we are having a great time, but doing a ton of work. We have done service almost everyday here. Whether it is helping someone move, mowing lawns, or washing cars, we have done it this week.

The big thing I noticed from this area, is how bad my English has gotten. My mind has been working in Spanish for so long that I am having trouble switching back to speaking English more then Spanish. It is weird, when we are in lessons or I am trying to pray in English, there are long pauses where I am trying to figure what a word is in English. It is even worse when it comes to me trying to teach in English. Everything I have taught up to this point in my mission has been in Spanish and to the needs of Spanish speaking people, and now I am trying to teach the same stuff but in a different language. It is so weird how fast our minds change to one thing or another. I remember back in the MTC when I thought that I would never learn Spanish or the Gospel in Spanish, but now I am pretty sure that I know the Gospel better in Spanish then in English.

I did get to experience Pioneer Day down here in Utah, and it is a huge holiday equipped with little carnivals, parades, and contests. So to go along with that, we snuck our way into a parade for Wellington Pioneer Days (it is one of the towns our area covers). We rolled down

Main St.

in a nice green John Deere lawn mower and trailer. (Uncle Doug from Pendleton would have loved it, he collects John Deere items.) It was a big hit and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We were able to meet a bunch of people and talk to them about the Gospel through it.

Sunday here was pretty crazy, we had so much to do. We went to a bunch of Sacrament Meetings. We also taught a Sunday School lesson for someone, and I had to give my first talk of my whole mission! Can you believe that? The last time I gave an official talk in a Sacrament Meeting was when I gave my "farewell" talk in Burbank. That is weird. I had to speak in the Spanish Branch. It was pretty weird, but I was told they were grateful for the stories and experiences I shared. To top of our Sunday, we had two more correlation meetings for the two stakes that we cover. So we were just a little busy.

I didn’t get a card for Dad this week, it slipped my mind and I was running low on funds, but I will send one, but it will just be a little late. (The joys of having poor parents! The mom is off to the bank to put some money in his account.)  I did manage to get a member to send a text message to him for me though, I know it doesn’t make up for it, but I did my best! (The text message made his father's day.  Big D turned 50! Hearing from his son was icing on the birthday cake!)  Well my birthday is coming up and I am excited to see what happens on my first birthday in the mission! So far I have only gotten one card, it was from Grandpa and Grandma Swoboda, but there is a catch. I think they sent me the wrong card. The envelope was addressed to me, but on the inside the name was Dallin or something like that and it was talking about some random stuff, so I don’t know if you could talk to them and see if I got the right card or not. Thanks! (The mom was in Tacoma for two weeks with her sister, but sent off a small birthday package and the Anderson’s sent one as well. We did not get his actual address as we had hoped to have something delivered to Price, but that is that way it goes!  We had plans to do lots of fun things because we knew others who would help deliver and decorate, but he was transferred from St. George. Bummer. Well laid plans are often changed!) 

I am anxiously awaiting to see what happens next week, but you will hear from me before then!! This is the Lord's work and I am loving every second!!!

Live it, Love it, Preach it!!!     Con amor,     ELDER D