Elder Gates the Level 37 Dragonmaster (Nov 18)

Hola!

Ok, so, this week is transfers! Elder Nelson is leaving me, which is sad and kind of scary since I have no clue who's coming to replace him. He's been a good comp. But he's been called to be zone leader which is pretty cool. We all guessed that he would, which President Talbot called inspiration. So now I have to step up and show the new guy the ropes of the area. Which would be so much easier if I had been here two transfers and not just one. But to add to the craziness, the Vermillion elders, who we did a lot with and kept in close contact with and everything, are being whitewashed out! Meaning, both are leaving and two new elders are coming in! So I'll be the only missionary staying in the district. Oh how fun....

But other news: WE HAVE A BAPTISMAL DATE!!!! AND I'M NOT LEAVING THIS TIME SO I SHOULD BE HERE FOR IT!! His name's Dennis and he's changed a lot while we've met with him. At first he was questioning why God doesn't come down and show himself and why the atonement had to happen, and was...not combative, but didn't listen well. Now he listens intently and loves our visits. He's such a cool guy and it's been great to see the spirit work on him.

So did you know that our church owns Coke and is behind the giant tower in Dubai that we're making for a temple? Or that higher up priests in the church wear green undies? Or that it's blasphemous to have pictures of Christ with long hair because it's meant to show him as effeminate? Or that the NIV Bible is absolutely evil? Yep, neither did I. Great things you learn from Evangelical Ministers while tracting. Funny thing about that little town we visited was that they had a strip club. The town is smaller than our neighborhood back at home.

We also drove looking for a referral from church headquarters forever. The guy had asked for a Book of Mormon and it took nearly all afternoon to find. First we went to the wrong town, then we had to drive all over the local Reservation for it, and it was just loads of fun. But there are legitimate hills in parts of Nebraska! Whoda thunk? Things you learn while lost in the middle of nowhere.

The mission's going great. I'll be just fine with the new way that things are about to be going. I should be getting a good companion, they almost always have good companions for "Greenie Busters," as they're called.

The weather's getting more chilly, but it's still really sunny. I hope it stays that way. Snow is no bueno.

I forgot to mention. There's a member of the Branch here that makes the Elders whatever animal they want out of cardboard and paint and such. Not knowing this when he asked me what animal I wanted, I now have a sky blue dragon hanging above my bed! It's pretty cool too. Looking back, if I had known, though, I would have liked a platypus or something like that. Or a monkey.... But I like my dragon. My companion asked for a snake, but the member of the ward doesn't make animals that are evil, and so Elder Nelson received a version of what this member of the branch believes the snake looked like before it lost legs...and apparently wings. Elder Nelson refers to it as the Serpent That Beguiled Eve. I just call it Lucy Fir.

The work's going great. I love it. Still finding more investigators and meeting with some less actives! We have some pretty cool less actives here.

Love you all,
Elder Gates