Service, Ward Conference & an even Stronger Testimony

Monday was good. We played mini golf for free as one of our recent converts works there. When we go to his house, we always eat peppers, play 'pie face' and for some weird reason, their daughter calls me Thomas and called Elder Huston Chris. It is so weird, but I love that family. (They are the ones that want Canadian candy haha).

We also went to Pismo Beach to this little cinnamon bun shop that is Cali famous and it was sooo good. I swear off sweets starting today, by the way, we are serious about it this time. 
We also had a cool miracle this week. Our Hermanas in the district (Spanish Sisters) asked if we could walk them to their car because we were in a dangerous part of town (Kind of scary to think about!). Well, we met them at McD's and waited for them to finish up their lesson. While they did, some guy called to us to talk to him, so we talked to him and ended up teaching the Restoration and he asked for a BofM (Book of Mormon) so that was cool and we would never have been down there if the Hermanas had never asked for help. 

Santa Maria District 

Tuesday was less exciting. We did do service, like, all morning though and that was really great. One of the members we did service for has, like, 4 Ford Model A's and two of them are fully restored. That was kinda cool, we also had a nice visit with Anthony and Bishop. 

Wednesday we did more service at the food bank this time. We had a few lessons today, nothing crazy happened today, just kind of an old simple missionary day. 

Thursday we had to get emails figured out (many moms didn't get emails on Monday), so we went to the lab and got that all figured out and got some talks, watched some videos, the whole deal, it was cool. We also had a really good weekly planning session and we rode bikes for the majority of the day so that was fun to get out on the bikes. We also had a nice visit and dinner with the Leverson's. 

Truck Stop Lunch 

Friday we had a really crazy zone meeting on finding. Our mission numbers are very low in finding right now, so we needed a good uplifting meeting to get us all excited to get out and work. We had a nice lunch with Sister P. at a truck stop diner and that was fun. I also tried Catfish for the first time and I freakin' love it ! A member made it for us and it was freakin' amazing. 



Saturday was crazy as well. We set a goal to talk to everyone we saw and we actually did and one guy we talked to went off about Nascar and we invited him to a ward party and he said he would come, one guy we just talked about the church and set up a time to go see him this week. We stopped by to talk to Randy, Anthony and a few other people but everyone was out today so we just talked to people and it was really crazy how many people actually talked back to us. So, I have made it a goal to talk to 10 people a day and try to work in the gospel with them. 

Sunday was the craziest day of the week. We had Stake Conference and there is a YSA girl named Ruth. She is a RM (Returned Missionary) and she gave a talk on her mission, and no lie, it opened my eyes and some stuff she said has inspired me to work way harder. I even prayed for help to work harder. It was crazy. Some of the things she said, I never thought of that way, so that was cool. There were also some other good talks given, it was just good. 

Wonderful Member feeding
the missionaries

After that we had ward visits and we sat down with our WML (Ward Mission Leader) and got all excited and made these goals. After we went back to the apartment and my companion had to call President Felix, so I went and said the longest and deepest prayer asking for help that I have ever said and later that day, the scripture Alma 5:44-46 came to mind and that brought me so much comfort. I just got a special witness that the church is so true. 

Yesterday I got yet another witness that this is the only true and living church on the face of this earth and that Jesus Christ ,my Savior and Redeemer lives and that He guides this church. I know He is the head of this church and that I have received many witnesses that this is true because I have studied it and prayed about it. I am called of GOD to declare His word among His children that they may have ever lasting life. 
Jesus lives and loves us all and I know that to be true. He loves all of you supporting me and I love you and Thank You. I hope you have a great week and remember all that our Savior had done for us. 
Muah and I will talk to you all soon. 

I love you all so much!!!

Elder Kevin Routledge 

Transfer Day, New Companion & Meetings

Dear Family, 

How are all of you doing today!?! So I have some updates, oh boy do I have some updates!!! So I need you to do me a favor and please look up tuition costs for BYU-I and BYU Hawaii and what it will take to get in and all of that stuff (This is kind of exciting as I didn't think University was a direction he was going to go). 
I am still in Santa Maria with my new comp, who is a convert. 

Elders Routledge & Levis

MOM what the heck? You look all fashionable now. You got freaking sweet hair, your outfit looks pretty rad and well, you don't look like the mom I left. Looks good!!! (Nothing better than getting a compliment from your son)

Both my comp and I have decided to give up sweets and have had no candy or any of that. We even put a note on the dinner calendar to have no deserts because that is not going to help me lose my fat haha (Opps...hope he's not too disappointed with all the Canadian chocolate bars and candy I put in his last package lol).

Monday was good. We had dinner with Brother Sawyer and said goodbye to a few families for Elder Huston, then went back to the apartment so he could finish up his packing. 

Companion for the day

Tuesday was transfer day and it was kind of weird so I dropped off Elder Huston and picked up a missionary for the morning, just until I got my actual companion. So me and my....temporary companion went and did some service helping set up the gym for a Relief Society activity. I picked up my new comp, Elder Levis, and we did some shopping, got him all settled in and then went to meet some of the ward members. 

Usual, goofy Elder R.

Wednesday was good. We had service in the morning helping out at the food bank. We also had a really good lunch with one of our recent converts. I took Elder Levis to meet all of our awesome people, including Marlon, the Stoddards and Ramona. We also had a DLC, which is a District Leader meeting and that was cool. We sat with the Zone Leaders and talked all about the area. 

Thursday we drove 2.5 hours South to Oxnard, my last area, for District Leader Training with President Felix. I saw a lot of my old companions so that was cool. It was a really good meeting with lots of really cool things brought up. It is stuff we already know, just a new, cool way to see it. Then we went back to Santa Maria and had a real Korean dinner with the Kims and some of that stuff was super good!!!

So much green in California!

Friday we had a really powerful District meeting and I had everyone pick a Christ-like attribute they want to work on over the next 7 weeks. Some of the attributes chosen and how excited everyone was, got me all excited. I have chosen Charity so I think it is going to be a really good transfer. We have a freaking great district!!
We also had to do our planning from the day before because we were in Oxnard all day so we couldn't do it yesterday. 

Elder Levis (on the right)

Saturday we had our apartment inspection and it passed, of course (He is pretty particular about things being neat and tidy lol). We had a nice visit with Brother Sawyer and get this, so we were walking and my comp saw this dog that looked like a fox so he wanted to talk to the lady and so he called out to her and we started talking and right away our conversation drew to a close. Well, before she walked off I noticed she had a British accent and you know how I love my British girls hehe, just kidding, anyway, Hannah is from South Yorkshire and I told her that and that is where she is from, so we ended up talking for like 30 more minutes. She knows all about the church and has lots of Mormon friends and loves Waterton, Canada so that was cool. 


Sunday we had a regional broadcast from Salt Lake and the new Apostle addressed us so that was really cool. We also had a convert fireside and I was asked to speak a few weeks back, so I did and it was really cool. There weren't many people there because this is the first one, but it was cool and they want to do this monthly, so yea, cool day. 

Well mom, dad, shellllbbbbbeeeee and Scoooooooooty 2 hottie...I miss all 4 of you and love you all so much. Tell everyone I love them and I'll talk to you all very soon. Have a gr8 day lol ttyl. bye bye ;)

Love Elder R O U T L E D G E 

Transfers, Donuts and a Baptism

Okay so this has been a good but sad week. I am staying but Elder Huston is leaving and he has been one of my favorite companions. We have had so much fun this transfer. He is going up North so sad but exciting. 

Monday was good. We had a zone activity and Elder Huston, myself and some other Elders played a lot of basketball and volleyball. It was a good Pday and after we had dinner with the McCallisters. That was good as we always have great conversations there. 

Tuesday we did some service at the food bank, going through the bad food. We also had a donut kick this week, and got donuts like 4 days in a row, so that is always fun and surprise, my bell is creeping out a tad bigger...so much for my goal. I'll start this week haha. We went by Anthony's (he is the Star Wars guy). He is really cool, we ate hot peppers at his house haha. 

Wednesday we got more donuts and did some stuff on Mormon.org. We also went to visit a LA (Less Active) that doesn't know she is LA and she made us a really big lunch, so that was really nice!! We had dinner with the McNeal's (there son is serving in Saskatoon) and I went on splits and got to ride in a new Camero so fun stuff :)


Thursday we had a bit of a rough day, but everything was fine by lunch again. We had a good lesson with a part member family and then did some fun service with the Spanish Sisters. The guy we were doing service for kept talking to us and we were like, "Hablo Poco espanol" which is "I speak a little spanish". We also had a cool visit with another LA who is a NASCAR freak. It was so cool! He gave me a bolt that flew off of Kyle Bush's car during the Daytona 500. I don't like him, but a cool bolt. (This made me laugh as it's only a bolt...but I guess if you're a NASCAR fan it's a big deal lol). His best friend was also Dale Sr's pit coach!!! He has stuff signed by Dale Sr and goes to races free all the time. Talking to him was freaking cool!!

Friday we had a great day. We had an amazing DM (District Meeting) and that was really cool. We all bore our testimonies and the Spirit was so amazing all day, then I was able to baptize Hannah and the Spirit was so great!! I am so joyful and my heart is full anytime I can use the Priesthood to help someone come unto Christ. It was just such a powerful day for me and for her of course!!! It was a really great day through and through!!

Saturday and Sunday all we did was say goodbyes and get pictures for Elder Huston. We saw a lot of people and got a lot of photos. I also bore my testimony again on Sunday. I made a goal to try to do it as much as the Spirit allows. So it was a good last few days. 

 Well mom, dad, Scott, Shel. I love you and the rest is going to be in Spanish so you will have to translate it haha. 


te amo mamá y papá y Shel y Scott, muah a todos y toda mi familia. Su todo tan grande muah !!! Voy a hablar con usted la próxima semana !! Muchas Gracias por todo lo que haces por mí. Los quiero a todos mucho soo.

* Translated to: I love you mom and dad and Shel and Scott, muah all and all my family. Its all so great muah !!! I'll talk to you next week !! Thank you for all you do for me. I love you all soo much. *

Amor Elder Routledge

Sand surfing, An upcoming Baptism...and a really Great Week

Monday we went sand sledding, how they sled here in Cali is on sand not snow. That was really weird but, oh my heck, so much fun. I was picking sand out of my ears for days after. We went to these big dunes by the ocean and we jumped on them, sledded off and the whole deal, it was a blast. 

Sand Surfing

Tuesday was cool. We did some service in the morning and then went to an all you can eat buffet and I did not eat all I could. I'm trying to slim down my last year here. It has been cool, my comp and me have been getting up at 5:30am and BIKING to the gym to play basketball, so that has been cool. We also had a great lesson with our friend, Anthony. 

Elder Huston

Wednesday I was on an exchange with Elder Garrard. We did service putting down wood chips and that was good. We had fun pulling weeds, killing a black widow, laying down wood chips...a good day of service and a fun exchange. We had a great lesson about the Priesthood with Brother Sawyer. He is our family, all members except dad, who has a date finally, he just has to give up chew, but he is so close to being done he is almost there. And he makes fun of us lots, like dad, it's kinda cool. Miss you dad!!!

Text from Sister Felix 

Thursday we had a good weekly planning and got our week all figured out, so that is always good. We also had a lesson with a lady who we have been trying to meet for months, or she has, and we had a great lesson with her and are going back on her request, so that is really cool. We also set up a lesson with another potential investigator that we have been trying to meet up with for ages, so a good day. 

Santa Maria District

Friday was a roller coaster of emotion and spiritually draining. We had an awesome DM (District Meeting) and that was good. It worked out just how I planned it and I must say, it is kinda fun being DL (District Leader), just a lot of public talking and people coming to me for help, so that is new, but kinda cool.
After that we had a lesson with V** :( That broke me. This girl KNOWS the church is true and has family who HATES us. They have made it so hard for her and she was crying trying to figure out if she should still be taught or back off. Me and the member with us, (we are both converts) bore our testimonies which made her and the member cry and me tear up and we finally told her we will be here whenever she is ready. It was so sad because she knows it is true, but family is just so important to her. 

Elders Leavitt & Garrard

After that I did my first baptism interview with this girl named Hannah, she's the one I'll be baptizing. She passed so well and is the coolest 14 year old girl and she asked me to baptize her, but the interview was so powerful, the spirit really just took over. 

Saturday WAS PRETTY GREAT!! We biked lots to save miles and we had a great dinner with this less active, part member family. The sister can play the piano like no other. She played movie songs for us and it was good. She had some amazing music and she just read the music and played it, it was kinda cool. We also went to Anthony's house and played this STUPID game called 'Pie face'. Yea, exactly  how it sounds. So it is a chance game and you pass this device around and push a button and there is a chance of a handful of whipped cream to the face. I got the cream 6 times, so that was pointless but fun I guess haha...

Teaching in Primary

Sunday I gave another talk, which was on gospel study and I told our story, and a few other cool things and then I felt prompted to tell our story of our lesson with V** this week, and I was tearing up again and I saw both the members who were at the lesson, crying so it was a pretty okay talk. I think I was actually excited to give this one and we had a choice over me or Elder Huston. I wanted to and he didn't, so I got stuck with it, so yea, I like talking now, weird eh? We also had another good lesson with Andrew tonight. 

We've had a really great week and it was a lot of fun. 

Well, Mom Dad Scotty Shel...I hope y'all got my letters and I love you all. Extended family, MUAH I love you all so much
Ward families and friends, I love  you all and I'll talk to you soon MUAH!!!

Elder Routledge

Blessed with another
fantastic companion, Elder Huston

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