Derek Letter 11-26-12

Family,

 

Sounds like you had an awesome week from no school to very little work (paid work). Did you watch any football on Thursday? I'm sure there was a ton to watch. One of the people we visited on Thursday already had their dinner and were watching the Lions game on a huge TV right in front of us. It was so hard to look away, let me tell you that, haha. I'm glad that you were able to survive the week because we did too! But now that the weather is getting really really cold and we start bike week this week, with no gloves and ear muffs it may be brutal. I think I can survive though. Just as long as I keep one hand in my pocket and guide the bike with the other. As for my ears, I think I'm going to have to use my hood to block the wind. The high today is 43 and it's going to be 16 overnight tonight unlike you there at home. I already miss the super hot summer as I knew I would. Whatever. As long as we work hard and think of the people and not our hardships, it probably won't matter. Oh, we are also moving tomorrow. It's hard to get to town on bike week because of the cold and dangerous highways. So lasr bike week we got rides everyday. But now with this brand new apartment, we will only bike a half mile to get to town. I loved living with the Crouch's but moving is what we need. This new apartment is super nice too and costs $650 a month. We don't pay for it so I shouldn't really worry about the price anymore. This past week was a little tough again numbers-wise. But we got someone to say yes to baptism now all we have to do is get a date for them. I'm really excited for them because they are a younger couple with a son that has a disease where he can't walk. I don't even know what it's called so I won't try. Thursday was our big fun day of the week. In the morning we had the Turkey bowl flag football game. There were a ton of non-members there and it was fun to play. I had 4 touchdowns but dropped another 2 and allowed 2 so I guess it balances out. I have just gotten over the soarness of that game. The soarness got bad on Friday and Saturday and it wasn't fun waking up in the morning, let me tell you that. After the game (we might be in the local newspaper too about the game), we went home to shower and do weekly planning before the Seljestad's had us over for their big Thanksgiving dinner at 1:30. I didn't eat as much as I could've because I knew we were going to eat again in 4 hours. At 5:30 we had our top off at the Clemens. I tried to eat as much as I could but couldn't finish my plate. Their son, one of the best wrestlers in the state of Kansas, watched us all stuff ourselves while he didn't eat. It made me think of Cody if he doesn't eat anything so that he can make a certain weight. Dad, I have come to love stuffing but don't eat the mashed sweet potatoes or cranberry jam or whatever they had. That was a great dinner but we were there for 2 hours when we are only supposed to be there for one. We tried but failed to get out of there on time.

 

So, I have thought of a couple other things to get. I would like Costco toothpaste and shampoo because the stuff I use now just isn't the same as either of those. Besides, Costco gives a large quantity of what you want. Too bad the closest one is 2 hours away in Kansas City. There is one or two other things that I just can't think of right now that I'd like to get. But if you don't want to wait anymore to send it, just go ahead and send it. If you want, you can get something for Elder Black. But I'm sure he wouldn't care if he didn't get anything from you. Things are going pretty good here. We have several appointments this week that should work out. We need more people on date, though. Don't worry, we'll work on that. We have an appointment tonight with people that have an issue with the authority to baptize. So we'll talk about Christ's example a lot today. Do you go out with the missionaries a lot? I'm sure they try and get team-ups to their appointments so they must bring somebody. As far as service goes, we helped Mike Poore move on Saturday. He was my first baptism, if you remember, but I know he is going to a ward in Mississippi that will welcome him. Hopefully his wife will join the church down there too. If he keeps it up, they will be sealed together while I'm still on my mission. That would be great news. Oh, on Wednesday, we went a few miles up the road to a small town called Louisville where we met an excommunicated member of the church of nearly 45 years. He made a promise with the Lord that he would never go back to church because he was living with a woman and wouldn't leave her. He said he hasn't been told to go back to church yet. I'm guessing he just hasn't prayed earnestly enough. We haven't attended many conferences lately. Just district meeting every Tuesday which seems to always be good. Now that Thanksgiving is pretty much over and we look towards Christmas, I am surpised at how many people think it's okay to decorate their houses before December begins. You know that I don't like to look forward to it that long out because it seems like it takes longer to get here. So Dad, don't put the tree up until this Saturday. Oh and Dad, nobody forces us to eat anything. Normally people are totally fine if you choose not to eat something because you don't like it. That's one thing I like about this area. Sounds like you had a busy week as well. Oh, man I miss the Cowarts. They were a fun family when they were helping Caitlin with scrapbooking because I would always go swimming. OH, before I forget again (it's been several months since I first thought of this), could you send me the address of Tyler Winston? I want to hear how his life is doing and how his mission went this summer. Well, that's all I can think of for today. Sorry, Cody that you had to go back to school. But it's a thing of life, I guess. Don't worry, you get a two-week break here pretty soon. Well, that's it for me. Tata for now,

 

Elder Sutherland

 

PS: "Of all the places to settle down, why - "

"The Volcano? This kind of soil is some of the most fertile on Earth. So. How does it compare?"

"Everything's delicious."

 

Reminds me of Thanksgiving.