Another new companion already

The first photo is Kodren and his (now former) companion looking cool in matching ties.

The second photo is Kodren and his new companion looking decidedly uncool.

The final picture is the elders and sisters in his area right now.

Wow things sound crazy there, I am so sorry that things are so weird and crazy right now. I miss home and I am missing our strange ward but you know that I’m weird hahahahahahaha. I was a problem I was the weird kid growing up.

Things here are going pretty good here it has been a crazy week. It started out normal and then about halfway through there were two elders that were visa waiters and their visas came through so they left and went to the Philippines. So we were left with three missionaries, me, my companion, and an elder named Elder Brown and on Friday night we got transfer calls. I got transferred to be with Elder Brown so I had to move. It was hard, I really liked the ward I was in and the members were super cool so its been hard moving but this is what the Lord has planned for me. I moved three buildings down I’m in the same complex still same zone and same district haha. Canyon Crest Ward is right next to Woodcrest so I am really close to being in the same place but I don’t attend in the same building. The sign language elder is still in my zone and Elder Brown wants me to teach him some sign so that is pretty cool. It's hard, I have been here for three transfers and I have had a different companion every transfer. That usually doesn’t happen. Elder Brown and me will be good I think. Things are so hard and it just keeps getting harder. Right when I start to figure something out, things change, but I am learning. We are still in a car. Elder Brown is not allowed to be on bike hahaha. Elder Brown is probably driving, we don’t know for sure yet.

In my old ward I got to visit a less active guy and his name is Garret and he is real cool. I had a very strong feeling from the spirit that one of my purposes in being in that ward was to not only get others to come to Christ but get others BACK to Christ so we worked with a lot of less actives and it has been cool. But now I’m moving on into the Canyon Crest Ward and I will try to put that same idea to work and get busy with the less actives.

You are right about President Hammon, I love him, he is amazing. Did you hear that Elder Keetch of the Seventy died? When we heard he passed that was pretty hard on all of us since he was here and spent some time with us in November and we all really loved him.

I got your picture from seminary class! It’s kinda weird but I miss seminary haha. I have been working out like crazy cause I’m tired of being fat so that changed. Oh, I need a backpack for my grab and go bag. I didn’t feel the earthquake, I slept right through the whole thing but I did get a wake up call that I need a grab and go bag. It really feels wrong making an emergency bag and not putting a knife in it!



Love you!

Just another week

The first photo is Kodren with his former companion, the second is he and a friend, Elder Brown, the final one is he and his current companion.

Things here are basically the same as they were last week. Nothing really new is going on. We still have our two investigators but we have not been able to teach them this week so that is kinda dumb but we are still doing our best to go on and to keep trying to reach people. We have been doing a lot of tracting which is not something we do a lot of but we are trying to find more people so we are trying that hoping we can find more people to teach. We have seen a little bit of success with it but not very much yet. It’s kinda weird but I like tracting more than walking and talking to people on the street haha. It’s weird but fun in a way. My comp hates tracting but i sometimes make him do it with me even if he doesn’t want to haha.

I went on exchanges this week, which means we switch companions for a day. I got to be with an elder from China. He is a cool kid he has been on his mission for 20 months and he really, really likes America and he says he is going to move back and live in America because America is the best country ever! Other than that things are really kinda the same.

We have been able to go to the gym three times this week which is nice and a good thing because I’m getting fat and I don’t want to be fat so we are going to keep working out hopefully haha. We have a gym in our apartment complex so we get in for free. Mornings still suck, I really don’t like getting up in the morning but I do it every single morning. So I am doing pretty well.

Oh, and I’m still in the area with one signing elder. I am still learning sign language. I had to talk to a guy at baptism in sign and I talk to missionaries in sign because we all are learning together and it’s fun.

I’m glad things at home are doing well. I miss home so much!!!

I have to go now.

I hope you guys have a great week.

I love you mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photos and a decent letter!

I should explain that the first set of photos came as a surprise to us in texts on Friday night. The rest of them came with his emails on Tuesday.

What’s up??

I’m doing pretty good. We picked a new investigator, he is pretty cool except he has a drug problem. We figured this out when in the middle of the lesson he waved at someone than we looked and there was no one in sight so yeah...But we are hoping he will be willing to change so we help him find Christ is his life. Sometimes I don’t understand why it has to be so hard. There are new challenges around every corner. Yesterday was kinda hard but also really cool. Do you remember Beverly, she was our investigator a couple weeks ago? She moved out of our ward and she is getting baptized on Saturday which I am super excited about but she was one of the only investigators I have taught and I wish I could attend her baptism but it is happening in another zone so I can’t but I am really happy and excited that she kept with it after she moved to another ward. I am happy she is following Christ, that is our purpose as missionaries. It doesn’t matter if I bring it to her or if another missionary does, we are all in this together in the fight against evil.

Other than that nothing really new. My comp is sick so we haven’t been able to work as much but he is getting better now. Yes, I did get the packages and letters. Thank you!!! I am working on letters to send back. As you can see by the photos, yes, we spent a day on our bikes cause we were low on miles. We rode about 20 miles on Thursday. It was terrible. I am really out of shape hahah!

Can you believe I have been out for over twelve weeks now this one of the last weeks of my training which is crazy!

I am meeting some cool people here like the cool guy named Ken haha who took us to dinner on Friday. Ken is a member but from another ward Elder Kligge is good friends with him since he lived with ken a few transfers ago so yeah. It was fun to surprise you with those photos over text. We also have this really cool family in our ward named the Kilifi family. He is from Tonga. They just had a baby too and they are cool.

I’m glad you got to see Dan, he such a cool guy.

I miss you guys. I miss the mountains. I miss my friends. I miss the animals. I miss my truck. I know it sounds dumb but I miss a knife in my pocket and splitting firewood in the cold. And, yes, I miss the cold. I miss home. I know this is where the Lord wants me but it is still the hardest thing ever. But it is good, I know I need to do this.

I miss you guys so much and I love you.

Finally, a bunch of photos!

(The stupid blog won't let me publish the pictures in the order he describes them, but you can figure it out!)

Hey Mom, things here are kinda the same as they have been the work is slow and hard but we are trying to change that as best as we can. We finally have someone we are going to start teaching! His name is Corey and we contacted him on the street and he said that he was really interested because the last year of his life has been really hard. His mom passed away and his son has had two open-heart surgery this past year His daughter is driving him away so he is looking for something to help him in his life and we can help with that! Other than that things are the same. Me and my companion are doing alright. The only thing that has been bugging me is my neck same as when I started having problems with it at baseball and at fair. It just gets sore and stiff some times but I’m doing alright. It helps if I actually sleep without a pillow, which is weird. But I get better rest and I don’t wake up in as much pain or stiff. Mom, don’t worry I will be okay I promise. If it gets worse I will talk to the mission nurse and let you know. But its been doing a lot better the last week or so.

Oh and it rained here finally!!! It’s been six months since it’s rained in this stupid state. Here are some random pics from my last week. We went to a small car show with a member for dinner which was awesome. There are also some shots of some rain, flowers, and a cool plant. Also, a picture of me and here is a picture of my companion. He is goofy. The last picture is a new pull up bar for our apartment since I broke the last one. We found this one at a garage sale and it was too expensive so my comp says he hopes I don’t break it.

I miss you guys I mean a lot. I miss cows and 4-H. I will never forget my last fair. It’s where I opened my mission call out in field at the tent with my family and close friends. That was very cool and I will remember it forever.

I love you!!!

It's a New Year!

I’m doing dandy over here in sunny hot Riverside. The missionary work is slow we are doing the best we can to change that. I’m good although we have not been able to work a lot because Elder Kligge was sick last week so we didn’t get out and do a lot work. I had a little cold but its gone now. But we are better now and we are starting this week off good so its gonna be a great week. This holiday season has been a little hard but it was amazing to see you guys and talk with you guys!

I still hate driving here and I don’t like the car and the worst thing ever invented is the black box on the bottom left corner of the windshield. It’s a gps tracker and it checks your speed and it tells you if you are going too fast and it watches the way you drive so if you drive crazy it tells you and it tells the mission office that you drive crazy. I hate it. Haha!

I do miss home and I miss SNOW. I miss the animals. I miss my family a lot and I miss my friends and all the other crazy mountain people.

My new companion is a country boy so he likes guns, trucks and freedom. Haha. He is pretty cool. We are just trying to get as much work as we can done but this area is hard and the ward is not missionary minded YET but they will get there. There is a couple of families who are but we need more we are doing our best.

I am still always tired and I have been working out a lot cause I’m gaining weight and there always a lot on my mind. But I am doing my best. Thank you for the quote, it really made me think, thank you for everything and for helping me out always. I love you and miss you all!