A Super week in Simi Valley

Missionary work is tough 

First off, my new area is so great !! My companion is Elder Gregory and he is from Sandy. I also live with 2 Spanish Elders, Elder Hidalgo and Elder Lopez. Elder Hidalgo, you might remember, was my first roommate in Fillmore. Elder Lopez is from West Jordan and is sweet sauce and so funny. 

So the new area is so great, but it is soo dang hot. Well, it was a little chilly this week, but the summers are insane hot. I am in a valley and it is sooo cool. Simi Valley gets hotter than Vegas sometimes and today at 9 in the morning it was cooking. Dad, you would love it, but as a missionary in full dress clothes, wow, not that fun.

But it is really a nice place. There is lots to do here as the ward I am in has a 75% less active rate. It's busy for us, which is so great. 

Okay, so every morning we run to a local hoop and play ball with the Zone Elders. Elder Hamson is 7'3" and always dunks it hard, it is so sweet and he is so gifted at bball. Being that tall he would be :)

Elders Hamson & Routledge

I also started a new workout plan that is tough. It is building hard muscle and really toning me up, but it is tough. I gotta look somewhat decent ;). 

Some PDay silliness 

Oh my mom, I can feel myself growing. My anger towards stupid things is going down and I am learning so much about Christ. I recently finished Russel M. Ballard's book and now I am on a new book. I am just soaking in the knowledge. 

So while I am out here, you at home can be doing missionary work. Start with little things like invite non-member friends, send missionaries to Momma's or Trish hehehe. Do all you can. 

I am glad to hear you have been keeping on up on the reading mom. Keep it up, you are doing so great and I miss you so much. I love you soo much, but I am having a royal blast here and there is no real need to worry. Just keep doing all you can and keep praying for us out here. 

Well, this week was pretty good. We had a lot of time to do service this week as there was a church wide service project or a lot of little ones. We helped a member move apartments like 20 feet from each other and I got to meet the Bishop. He is a swell guy and super nice. And get this. When he gets up in church to speak, he stutters and talks slowly and nervously. Well I heard him talk and I got such a boost of confidence, like his courage hit me like a brick to see him go up and just do his thing as Bishop and be as nervous as he was and not care was such a testimony builder for me. When you talk to him personally, you'd never tell he gets nervous, but he is such an awesome guy and so nice. 

I also met a guy who just got home from his mission in South Carolina. The same mission as Liam. I asked if he knew him, but he didn't, but it was cool. We are going to work lots with this young man. 

Well, my week was super. I love you all and will talk to you later :)