World Wide Training, Two Dinners....and a "Scary Female Cop"

This week was pretty good. Monday we went and played ball at the church and I dunked on the rim and broke it, so that was pretty bad. We went back later that week and fixed it, but man, I am either getting fat or dunked it too hard hahah. And I am finally loosing my fat. I am about 166 now, so yea, I have a goal to get down to 160 before I come home. We also had dinner with "A" and he is a Star Wars fanatic so that was cool. 

Tuesday I was on an exchange with Elder Elliot and that was good. It rained all day and some of the streets flooded pretty good. It was an okay day, but I was happy to go back to my little comp (he's taller than Elder Routledge haha), he is my friend haha. We're so weird, it is not even funny. He is like how Scott and I act mixed with the oddness of me and Brando hahaha. 

Wednesday we had a WORLD WIDE MISSIONARY TRAINING from the Quorum of the 12 and a few other General Authorities. It was crazy, nothing new, but they got all 75 000 missionaries excited to work harder. It was pretty cool. I doubt you will be able to see it, but it was so amazing and it also made me sad because they told us how great we are and I am running out of time. I have not done enough yet, it kills me time is going by way too fast. I really am not excited about coming home mom (NOT what this mom wanted to hear). I am not stressing out, but it is just crazy. 
We also had to get our trunk fixed. We slammed it too hard and almost broke it, but it's all good now though. 

Thursday was a cool day. We applied a lot of what we learned in our weekly planning form training. It was sooo cool, it was a good planning session. We also had a fun experience. We drove past this one girl 5 times on purpose because she was driving up and down the street, 20 feet back and forth. It was weird so we were watching her. It was so funny, but she was like, who are these guys and we were the crazy ones with going up and down the street. 

Elder Routledge and his District

Friday we had a pretty good district meeting. We applied a lot of what we learned and just got a spiritual uplifting, so it was a good meeting. We also had 2 dinners by mistake. We went to the Bishop's and he fed us because we thought we had no dinner, then our real dinner called us at 7:30 and said, "hey, where are you?" so we rushed over there and ate. The husband is a military cop, and what he told, the army sounds horrible ! He said some of his training was insane and at any time he could be called to Iraq and work for 6 months away from his wife (they are a young couple). So, yeah, I think I can officially cross that off for now...for now!! (Yeah !! Mom didn't want him to enlist!)

Always with food in his mouth....

Saturday was cool. We had a few good lessons this morning, then were called to do last minute service moving some guy...the craziest move ever!! 
So we got there and started putting stuff in the truck. It was husband getting his stuff out of soon to be ex-wive's garage...yea, you see where it's going...well, wife shows up and she is made because he is taking THEIR stuff. They start yelling, swearing and going nuts and we're standing there with two other members, like uuuuhhhh, then get this, the police show up and start getting into it! This lady cop was freaking scary! She got them calmed down and she was like, "Who are you two?" and told her we were just helping and she said okay, that's fine, then she almost took the one guy down and I was in her way and I jumped the freak out of the way fast hahah. It was just crazy! Then to end the night, we had an awesome dinner with the guy that burned my shirt hahaha. Don't worry, mom, it was a bad shirt hahaha. 

Sending emails home

Sunday was cool. We had a nice church meeting. This girl, Zoe, gave her farewell talk. She is going to Chile this week, a different mission though, but that was cool because of Austyn. Then we had two nice visits tonight. 

Well mom, Dad, Shell, Scotty...I love all of you so much and I sent letters to you all, so enjoy. 
Muah
I'll talk to you all soon. Love you lots!!!

** There is a member in Elder Routledge's area that has been fantastic with sending photos she takes of the missionaries.  

As a small way of showing how much their parents appreciate all the photos, 

E. Routledge and E. Huston gave her this: 

Service Work, One Year Out!....and a 5 LB BURGER !!!

Hey Mom. I am super sorry for last week. This week will be better!! So first, AUSTYN I LOVE YOU AND MISS ALL MY FRIENDS. YOU ALL LOOK SO GOOD!!!
Mom, you should send more BofM action figures haha. I love those !!
Well, 365 days left today, so that was really freaking weird. I will not lie, it's a tad creepy that I have one year left already. It is cool, but scary at the same time. And one more thing. I don't care if they get offended...JARED, you started your papers, you need to finish them. I hear you are working on them and that's great, but DO NOT delay GOING !! THAT'S TIME THE LORD NEEDS. HE NEEDS YOU, so get your butt in gear, friend. Love you lots, have a good week. A mission is too precise to waste !!!

After emails...before
the 5 lb burger 

Monday was insane. So this week, I ate a 5 lb burger or tried hahaha. I only ate 4 lbs of it but, oh my, it was so much food, I felt so sick after. You have no idea how sick I felt hahaha. We had a dinner with a member that night as well, and told them and they said, "Oh don't eat if you can't". It was crazy. That night we went and had a good talk and lesson with one of our less actives and we tried not to die with all the food we ate hahaha. It was a really good day. 

That's one
HUGE burger!!

Tuesday was cool. We had service all morning. We put some branches in a bin for this lady and we also went and helped out at the food bank this morning, so that was cool. We were packing boxes for hungry families. We had a nice lesson with a less active named "A" and we read some scriptures with him. We also had a nice less with two other less active members. The one man is like, 98 and does not really know what's up (or down!) so that was fun. He just kept saying, "It's mighty rough be old" haha. It was funny, but we were able to pull a spiritual thought out of it haha. 

Definitely Before...

I also went to the dentist today and I got a few things cleaned up for free. I am cavity free besides one little one that is too small to treat, so in 6 months I'll go back and get it patched up, but I am clean :) We had an awesome lesson with a Star Wars freak and he gave it all away to me haha. 

Wednesday was good but slower. We did some service and had a district leader council so that was pretty cool. 

After some service work

Thursday was fun. We did more service cutting boards for an older guy and I ended up bashing my pinky all up. It's okay now, but I cut it up good and got a good bruise on it. Haha, how do I always hurt myself :). 
Today was my 1 YEAR!! So we went to a less active's home and I did my shirt burn haha. It was so great!!! It felt so good to burn it haha. It was great, we had some smores over the dirt and banana splits, it was a freaking awesome night. 

Before.....

Friday was so, ugh, I was so mad at today!!! So we had a big zone meeting and you now how every transfer we have a big meeting? Well, the Quorum of the 12 has banned that in all missions world wide so that freaking had me steaming. I literally almost burst out in the meeting. It was bad, but now I have calmed down and have realized that they are inspired men, so it will be for the good. They don't want us wasting time and stuff I still don't get, but we keep the commandments. That's what we do, even the ones we don't get. 

Only 'After' photo received...

Saturday I was on an awesome exchange with Elder Leavett and that was so great. He is my ZL (Zone Leader) and I freaking love him. We had such a good day.We had 5 lessons and stayed busy all day. He is so much like Liam, it was like being with one of my friends haha. I loved it, a good day today. 

Sunday we had nice church meetings and a nice dinner. The dinner was with the people over Pathway out here and I think I might give it a try when I get home, so that's cool. 

Well, mom dad Shel, Scott...I love you all. My friends and family, MUAH to you all. Have a great week. Thank you for all you do for me and I love you all !!!

Muah, Muah 

Love Elder Routledge

Very Short Email, Lots of Pictures...and a 5lb burger !

Welcome to Santa Maria

Mom, I am sending a lot of pictures of my comp and I. We have to go 30 minutes up North to eat a 5 lb burger so this will be short haha. This has been a good week. 

Santa Maria Rain

Monday was good. We had a ping pong marathon and then had dinner with the Peterson's. 
I'm just going to tell you what we did this week. 
We had a lot of rain come down this week, like it rained for the majority of the week. We had lots of good lessons and kept pretty busy. The rain storms are coming for sure. 
We did some great service this week at a Food Bank place so that was cool. 

Gun Collection

We went and taught a guy who is a gun freak so that was fun. I have those in every area where I serve haha! My companion ate a clover that he picked this week. I really wanted a new CTR ring, so a member ordered one for me from Amazon. I'll send you a picture of it soon. 

Elders Huston &
Routledge

The reason this is so short is because everyone is emailing me like crazy today, it is insane!! And we're rushed because we have to get up to AG today to eat that burger. Now, I am not putting food before you, haha, I swear. 
We had a good week. Being DL is pretty fun. It is more work for sure, but it is good. We had a lot of fun lessons with some really cool people. 

Elder Routledge & Austin

On Sunday I saw Austin, as you know. It was so cool to see him, and man, I was just shot back to memory lane seeing him! (Austin was Elder Routledge's first companion in the mission field). What else this week ? Really, we just had a pretty normal week  and just tried hard to stay busy. It is really awesome out here. Just hard work, but I love it. 

BEFORE the burger...

I have been drinking no-sugar pop all morning to expand my stomach to prep for the burger haha. 

Mom, Dad, Scott, Shel, I love you all soooooo much. I am so sorry this is so dang short but MUAH. 
Muah, I'll talk to you all soon muah !!!!!!

PS - Hey, so just to be clear. I love writing letters and emails, so don't think I don't want to write you all, I just get slow sometimes but if anything, just let everyone back home know I love you sooo much and I am so grateful for everything you all do!!!!!!!!!

Elder Routledge & Elder Huston

After doing service at a Food Bank 

New Companion, New District....and a Fortune Cookie

Elders Hurst &
Routledge

Hello Mom, I have some updates for you!!!
My new comp is SO MUCH like Scott!!! He is pretty great haha. He has the same sense of humor and all, I love it haha. SCOTT, I LOVE LIVING WITH YOUR TWIN HAHAHA!!! 

Monday was good. I got some really nice shoes with the money I got at Christmas. I did a lot of shout outs and went and said bye to some members. It was slow, but good. 

Saying Goodbye

Tuesday was transfer meeting. It was cool because I am driving. I had to drive to the new area and it was like, 2.5 hours up north, so that was pretty crazy and a long drive. My new area is inland so no ocean view, but it looks pretty nice. Kinda like farm land, like Canada. Tonight I met both the WML (Ward Mission Leader) and the Bishop and that was cool. They are both super nice guys. 

Missing Canada, maybe?

Wednesday was the first day in the new area. We met a pretty cool family named the Gomez'. Tonight we went and helped a family move out and that was a tad bit crazy. We also had a DL (District Leader) Council where we talked about the zone and how to set up a great zone goal. It was pretty cool. I also had to call everyone in the district, 10 of us total, and see how everything is going. 

Santa Maria district

Thursday was cool. We did a lot of walking today. We have a car, but it was nice out, so we walked a lot. My comp is pretty cool, he is a huge basketball star. We also had to to to Santa Barbara which is an hour drive. I had DL training with the Assistance's so that was cool. They just told me how to be a good District Leader. 

Made for each other

Friday was our district meeting and that was cool. We had some nice talks, set some cool New Year's Resolutions, and had an awesome lunch. That night we had to be in early so we cleaned our apartment top to bottom. It's kinda cool being in a clean apartment. 

It's crazy what you'll find
inside a fortune cookie :)

Saturday we went and caught a random dog for some guy and returned it to him. We also went and did some emergency service putting sandbags in place for a lady on her farm. Being on that farm was, no joke, like being home. It was weird. 
Sunday was good. I bore my testimony, met some awesome members and had a nice dinner with our Bishop. 

Well mom, dad, shell bell, Scotty...sorry this is so short. I really am so grateful for EVERYTHING you do. Muah and thank you. We'll talk very soon. 
Love you, Love you all 

Elder Routledge