January 2, 2012

Hello Family,

Uh..sorry I haven't emailed you until today. I have had some complications. Hahaha does that sentence scare you?

So on Monday when I usually email, We had an EPIC P-day that lasted all day long so we didn't have time to email or shop. and then yesterday was new years so all the libraries were closed...Dumb! On p-day though all the elders in our zone went with one of the ward mission leaders nearby, named Brother Ditty, to the coast. The trip was called Jakequest. It was so much fun! Brother Ditty got a 13 person van and we drove down to the coast for 2.5 hours and then we went into this crazy/weird/epic store on the coast. They had a person named Jake there that is half alligator half man. I will send pictures of him next week so you can see how epic he is! The store also had a crazy shrunken head and different animals that had mutations. Like a one-eyed lamb and a calf with two heads and a spider monkey.

They also had this sweet piano that I will send a picture of. It had like 13 different instruments in it, but you played it like a piano. Also, it had a lot of dragon figurines that I thought chad would like, but they were like 100 dollars each. Also some fairies.

After that store, we walked on the beach. We would run as close as we could to the water, then we would try to out-run the water when the waves came in. Since we aren't allowed to touch the water. I should probably tell you where we went. It was Long Beach Washington. Yes, it's in the mission.

After the beach we stopped by the Astoria column. All it has is just one big spiral staircase going straight up. There are 164 stairs. I took pictures of that also so just wait. After that we drove home. It was an awesome p-day.

In other news, New years day is pretty boring as a missionary. All we did yesterday was tract for 5 hours. It was super tiring, but it feels good to be tired from working so hard. Last night was like 33 degrees. I am glad we bought that coat, it's super great. Also, those boot things. The hush puppies I started wearing and they hurt my feet half way through the day so I had to change. I am pretty sure it's just because they were new. They will work well.

Umm also I have to tell you about Dolly really fast. So last Saturday we went over and had a lesson with her and she was NOT happy. She started venting to us about how much she hates the ward. She was calling everyone hypocrites and bigots, specific names were involved also. She was talking horribly about the bishop as well. It was pretty much like that for 1.5 hours. It was scary. She wanted us to come over for another lesson on Sunday though so we did. We took a priest with us and then right before the lesson bishop texts us asking if he could come with, He did, and during this lesson it was basically Dolly trying to get bishop to twist his words around while she just chewed him out. The Bishop sat there calmly though and listened to the spirit and they came to an understanding actually. At the end of the lesson, Dolly was thanking the bishop for all he had done for her and the sacrifices he has made to help her out. The spirit was there super strong when they worked things out at the end. The Bishop and her hugged it out and then the Bishop gave one of the most powerful prayers I have heard in a long time. It was great. Dolly is going to be baptized as soon as Salt Lake approves her for baptism.

I love you all family, Elder Udy