Whoa whoa whoa wow! Hello I'm EP:)

President and Sister Nakken

Soooo it's been two weeks and it's been crazy, but fantastic. 

Last week of MTC was a gooder. Sad to see everyone go, especially my teachers. They taught me so much it's insane. The rest of my district went to Logon Utah. Most of them have never even seen snow so they are hyped about that. 

MTC companion

Oh, I was super homesick yesterday morning and then the song If You Could Hie to Kolob (the same one dad and the Taylors sang at my farewel) came on and then I went to go "brush my teeth" but I really just cried a lil:) Really I felt all of your love and prayers so thank you everyone!!!!

Traveling to Cali was good.  I got 6 Krispy Kremes in the airport and ate 3 in like 1 minute (don't worry I enjoyed them).  We flew to San Fran then flew to Santa Barbara. It was like 45 mins. President Nakken and his wife were there, AP's were there, set of hermanas, 2 other sets of elders, and 2 senior sets. So lots of people to pick us up!!! Like why so many idk. 22 of us came into the mission the same day. I met them all except 4 for the first time during our travels to the airport. 

Sooooo Ventura is gorgeous. I don't really understand how I got such a perfect place. I wondered this as we looked at the sunset over the ocean. Amazing. I have pics I'll try and connect to this or something. It's 75 degrees here every single day. Every day. Short sleeve er day!!!! It gets dark at 5. I wear sweaters in the evening. I laugh cause the weather always says Vision-unlimited.

We stayed at President Nakken's house the first night. They made us delicious food. Like soooooo good. Beans and stuff idk delicious. oh and pie lol:) I didn't get an interview with president yet. No time I guess? I don't really know, but we talked about Okotoks and Calgary and stuff cause that's where he served:)

Eating Delicious food at President's Nakken's house

The new missionaries at President's house

All the new elders

Met my trainer. Elder Ujhely, (you-jelly).  He's been out 3 months and just finished his training. So we're both very young in the mission. I'm the younger one and you know why that is? It's because I got here after him... that was a joke. It's very difficult to add humour in email. He's great tho. Sporty guy, really nice and clean and helping me out a lot.

Joe's first companion in the mission field.  Elder Ujhely

We taught 4 LA's and 5 members at dinner appointments. We're hoping to teach more. We have 4 potential investigators we hope to find and teach. Both of us are new to the area so we have a lot to learn and catch up on.

I AM IN A BIKE AREA. I'm using my District leader's bike right now.  It's 1x9 so super awesome.  It's bright yellow.  We bike everywhere.  We're trying to get a car here because 1.) our area is the biggest in the zone and 2) Elder Ujhely got shot by a paintball gun. yah we got shot at!  It was a drive by, we were coming back from a dinner and they shot 8 times. I didn't get hit. Blessings am I right? So yah the AP served here once and he was shocked they chose us to have bikes so he's working to get us a car, as well as our district and zone leaders. But the mission lost 25 vans so a lot more biking areas. It's still 70% car areas though.

We have a small ward, Walnut Canyon in the Thousand Oaks stake. So some money here for sure. We have either rich or poor, no middle class really. Our ward mission leader has two sons serving right now so he's really involved with getting us lessons. He drives a 2017 BMW X5M and rips everywhere we go.  Hard in the turns and heavy on the gas. I love it! Red interior.

Our Bishop is a lot like Brian, about 6'2" ish. Orthodontist. Great guy. Our ward is good, not huge. 130 active maybe. Dewinton ward blows it outta the water!!! Dewinton is seriously so good, I didn't even realize it. 

We get $135 every month for food and stuff. We get fed dinner 70% of the time. I eat egg sandwiches for breakfast, or cereal and lunch is grilled cheese or just a turkey cheese lettuce sandwich. 

Our helmets are so gay. I'll send pics. I sleep unreal. Like I lay down and it's 3,2,1 and I'm out. Fantastic! 

We aren't using phones in the mission yet. Not until November 28 or something. So I just take pics with mine. Nobody else has been trained with them except the new missionaries from this last transfer. 

I crush my comp on the bike lol

My last meal at the mtc was a plate of rice and a bowl of Life cereal. I was so done with it, but I miss it now. 

I passed out 2 Book of Mormons and a pass along card last night. Seemed interested in our message. We have an investigator who's schizophrenic and we meet him Tuesday. That should be interesting.  We're trying to meet with all the members this upcoming week. 

That's some of all I know.  It's crazy trying to remember what happens. I do have a lot of fun out here and I've fixed 2 flat tires on bikes lol. I need chain lube!!!! So squeaky. 

I took this picture and caption from Sister Nakken's blog:  "We take the new missionaries up to a park where there is a marker for the San Buena Ventura Mission. It is a wonderful place for the missionaries to see a view  of their mission and have a picture in their minds of the people that are being prepared  for them to find  and share the gospel with."

The new missionaries

Yep, Joe's hiding in the back

Elder Pilling

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Sent From Not Canada