Times are a Changin'

How goes it friends and family? On Wednesday I finally got Elder Huntsman as my companion. He's really nice. He's from Austin Texas, and a lot of people say that he doesn't have an accent, but I notice it. The last week was a little hard with not being in my area for the first two days, but we were still able to get a lot done. We started teaching a new investigator on Saturday. Apparently her cousin from Utah referred her, because she's been going through a rough patch in life and is looking to be more happy, so we have some ideas to help with that. We talked a lot about how the gospel blesses us and how she will be happier through becoming closer to her Heavenly Father. She seemed to take it in pretty well, and we set up a return appointment. We got called on Sunday to see if we could do some service by keeping score of the USA wrestling match. We spent all Saturday morning at the school gym and watched kids twelve and under grapple with each other. The funniest to watch was the kids six and under. They would flop around while their coaches would be yelling at them. I didn't expect to see so much crying at a wrestling meet, but it was there in its bounty. We did a lot of walking this week. Friday night we had three less actives that said that they'd call us when they got home, and with no one else to visit at eight at night we walked in circles hoping to catch one of them. Sunday was the seminary program. It was a lot like the primary program, but not as cute, and it didn't have nearly as large of a topic range. We've been trying to work with our wards more, and to coordinate better, but it is really hard with four wards. The work continues to move forward. No more word on the visa, but I'm not worried about it.
Love,
Elder David Short

A New Transfer

From: David Short
Subject: A New Transfer

Well we got our transfer calls on Friday. I get to stay in the lovely town of Lovell, and Elder Hancock was sent up to billings. It was sad to see Elder Hancock go, but at the same time it is exciting to get moving on new things (like getting a visa). My new companion will be  Elder Huntsman, but he won't be here till Wednesday, so I'm in Powell right now till he gets here. I'm so glad that I didn't get transferred, because I have all this extra stuff for being in the US like my English preach my gospel, and a bunch of warm clothes that I won't need in Brazil.
Elder Hamblin, who has been waiting for his visa a month longer than we, is getting his visa within the next couple weeks, so hopefully mine will be right after that.
The last two p-days have been pretty awesome. Last week we went to the devil's canyon lookout and took a bunch of pictures; we also saw a bunch of bighorn sheep. This week we went hiking in the Shoshone national forest. We climbed up the mountain till we couldn't go any further, took a bunch of awesome pictures, and then slid down to the bottom.
The weather has seemed to stabilize, at least it isn't snowing anymore. All the snow is finally gone and the temperature has been climbing into the fifties. Today was the first day that I didn't need to wear my jacket.
Things have continued to go well in Lovell. A lot of the last couple days was spent letting Elder Hancock say goodbye to a bunch of investigators and some families. I wonder what I'll feel like when I have to leave.
The keyboard on this computer is really frustrating, so I'm getting tired of writing.
Tuesday I was on team ups in Powell with Elder Trujillo. Other than that I'm hard pressed to think of anything noteworthy.
Love,
Elder David Short

The Transfer is Drawing to a Close

I don't know what much else to say than that this week was pretty fun. Monday we went down to Powell to hang out with the elders there. I played my first game of racquetball ever, and I was pretty awesome (I was really only ok). After our racquetball game of awesomeness we went to Cody to spend P-day with the rest of the zone. We had such amazing fun that included, but wasn't limited to, dodgeball, kickball, and some other stuff that includes "ball" in it. We spent the night in Powell and had an investigator go on a random yelling rampage. I didn't really understand what she was talking about; it was really weird. We had our district meeting there in Powell the next day. Elder Hancock and I went back with the zone leaders for teamups. The first item on the schedule for teamups was helping a family move a piano into their house. While we were helping move the piano I couldn't help but think of that talk by Elder Uchtdorf. Moving the piano was a long complicated process, and with six missionaries there (we also had the other Cody elders with us) we were getting in eachothers way. Once everything was set in it's proper place I teamed up with Elder Child. It was so warm in Cody (about 40 degrees) that I felt like I was going to fall asleep the entire time, and almost did in the middle of a lesson. After dinner we switched and I teamed up with Elder Matthews. My zone leaders are pretty awesome.

Wednesday was pretty crazy, because we hadn't been teaching in our area for the past two day, so the week was spent trying to catch up. The work seems to flucuate a lot here. This week a lot of people who haven't been progressing are now progressing, and some people who were progressing aren't anymore, but things are getting better faster than they are getting getting worse with our investigators. One investigator in particular is having a hard time grasping our concept of priesthood authority.

There should be at least two people getting baptized this month if they decide on a date.

It was a pretty exciting week in Lovell. The highschool girls basketball team took state and the boys took third at state.

The weather is still playing games with us. It got up to almost 40 degrees on Friday and then it snowed again on Saturday and Sunday, so we never know whether, or not, to wear our trench coats.

Transfer calls are this Friday. I'm hoping that I'm staying here in Lovell (or getting my visa). I really don't want to be transferred to a new area, get my visa, and have to leave that area in less than a month. So many awesome people in Lovell that we are teaching; that I'd rather just stay here till I get my visa.

I think it's going to be a little weird going to Brazil and not having meat and potatoes every other day.

Love,

Elder David Short