Loving it! Feb. 14, 2011

Everything is going great so far! I'm lovin it here! This week we...
1) went to Santa Barbara and toured the old Mission (the picture i sent). It was built in the 1780's and was really cool! But you could definitely tell what they were missing! Haha!
2) Went on exchanges. I went to Goleta with Elder Blanchard, one of our Zone Leaders. It was awesome! He told me that they haven't had a baptism there for almost 3 years :( But we talked to a lot of people, and got a couple new investigators! We knocked on one door, and nobody answered, so we were leaving, and this lady came to the door. We started talking to her about prophets etc. and she sounded really interested. We asked if she was religious and she said no, but she reads from the bible daily and LOVES it. She invited us to sit on her porch and talk for a while and we gave her the 1st lesson. She said she has severe dyslexia and has a 3rd grade reading level. The only book she has ever been able to read and understand was the bible... so we gave her a book of Mormon and she agreed to read and pray about it, Joseph Smith etc. etc.! It was amazing!! But i was totally glad to be back in Carp.
3) We met with Wayne and Pat (Our catholics) and read scriptures with them and a couple friends - Nancy and Suzanne - and it was good as always. But... nothing is happening. AS i have said, wayne has read the BOM 9 times and is totally ready. But we need to get them to church. So we're going to a legit mass with them this afternoon and then for our wednesday meeting we're doing it at the church. We're going to give them a tour and maybe show them a movie about the restoration or something. I'm so excited!!! i think we can really break through with them!!
4) we had Zone COnference in San Luis Obispo (about 240 miles round trip, and every companionship HAS to bring their car for inspection... and we only get around 900 miles a month) But it was amazing! Thomas S. Monson came and it was pretty good. JUST KIDDING! haha sorry :) But we had a great lesson on The Fundamentals of PMG - what they will be teaching to new missionaries in the MTC starting in May. Its just the basics on how to begin teaching etc. and it sounds AMAZING! We have to learn it now, so when the new missionaries come. The whole meeting was awesome! On the way home ELder Manning and i stopped in Santa Barbara and got Panda Express on the way home. Yum!! :)
5) Um i washed my pair of black dress pants from Sam's, and i think i might have ruined them :( The fabric just knotted up all over the waist (on the outside) and down the legs a little. I thought i could wash them? I didn't dry them, i just took them out and hung them up... so i don't know. But i'm very sad because i really liked them!!!!! :( :( but oh well, life goes on!
Like i said, today we're getting haircuts and going to mass. (I hope they don't convert us!) But hopefully if we go to their church, they'll come to ours! Pray for us to get through to them. We really need it!!!
Tell Caitlyn that i've sent her a letter but it came back to me, so i sent it to her house. Hopefully she got it??? But i get her letters. And austin has written me a couple times too. Tell Natalie to update me on her love life! Bahaha just kindding! (But seriously). I hope the Archos thing is working out for you! I'm way excited to get some music going on here! I'm anxiously waiting!! :) We have a cord that can charge it here, but there was an old motorola cord either in my room or on that box that fit it. (It's the same size as dad's phone and mine and sams cell phones).
Well, i love you all tons! The other pictures are of Me and Elder Blanchard, Elder Manning and I at the Santa Barbara mission, Me at the mission as a "Monk" monk! and me sitting in a really old chair in the mission.
I love you all so much! The Valentines made my week!! I look forward to hearing from all of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Godspeed,

Elder Monk

P.S. Happy Birthday Sam! I love you tons. Good luck in School! I'm praying for you!