Three Baptismal Dates Set; Work Picking Up

20 April 2009

Dear Family:

Thank you for your letters. We think the mail got a little backed up because of Easter. Elder Burton loved your letters, Mary. He really enjoyed reading them.

It is our last Monday of the transfer and both Elder Burton and I feel a little sick in the stomach. We are allowed to write if we are sick.

All last week missionaries have been joking that Elder Burton would be a zone leader. I didn't really know if he would be, but I think he would be a good one. Last night the zone leaders called at about 10 minutes to 9:00 p.m. and said they had received their calls at 7:30 telling them they would stay. So we figured President was done making calls. Then at 9:15 President called Elder Burton to be a zone leader in Rexburg. He was freaking out. While he was on the phone with President, he has sheet white, shaking, and scared. His zone covers Salmon, Rigby, Ririe, and part of Rexburg. He is excited to go there because he served in Ririe for five months and loves it there.

That's cool that Mary got to help paint the scenery for the school play. I remember they wouldn't let me help paint it, except for the base coat. I've never been very creative. I can't believe you are so smart, John. I could never make it to a science state championship contest. Tell Rachel congratulations for me--I wish I could win $500!

We are teaching quite a bit more than we have before. The first three to four weeks we had maybe one or two lessons (scheduled) a week. Last week had had 10! Things are really picking up. We now have three baptism dates. 1) Samantha--10-year-old daughter in a less-active family; 2) Patrick, in his 40s, whose son just got back from a mission; 3) Mary, in her 40s, her friend just died and she likes the plan of salvation.

We set Mary's date yesterday. It was pretty cool. When President called last night he asked how things were going and Elder Burton said,

"Good, we set a date today."

President said, "How many dates do you have now?"

"We have three."

"Too bad you won't be there for any of them," President said. I thought that was pretty funny.
Mary, your story about seeing the movie is hilarious! It made me laugh right out loud. I'm picturing you Mary, McKenzie, Emily--three 14-year-old girls in a movie theater seeing a scary movie all by yourselves. I would probably freak out too. I hate those kind of movies. I'm glad you all left, because it doesn't sound like a very good movie.

I don't know if I am being transferred yet. I bet I am staying.

Tell everyone "Hi" for me and that I appreciate their help and prayers. I am doing well and it is hard to imagine that I have been in Idaho for six weeks already. It is starting to go by pretty quickly.

Love you all,
Elder Call