9-20-10
YES FINALLY I GET TO LEAVE... BUT I LIKE THE PEOPLE HERE TOO AND I'M SAD TO LEAVE THEM. SO OVERALL IT ALL EVENS OUT INTO A WEIRD "NEUTRAL" FEELING.
[Did you get to talk to Elder Bednar?] NOT PERSONALLY BUT YES, HE CAME TO OUR MISSION AND SPOKE TO US. I HAD QUESTIONS TO ASK BUT HE NEVER CALLED ON ME... [He said] SOME GOOD STUFF, ANSWERED SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS, AND ALSO SAID "I DON'T KNOW" TO A QUESTION SOMEONE ASKED. THAT TAUGHT ME A LOT. APOSTLES DON'T EVEN KNOW SOME STUFF I WONDER ABOUT. I'LL PROBABLY JUST WRITE A LETTER TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE STUFF ELDER BEDNAR TOLD US.
[Are you traveling with anyone else, or by yourself?] ALL BY MY LONESOME, JUST LIKE LAST TIME! NOBODY ELSE HAS RECEIVED VISAS RECENTLY SINCE THE KID WENT TO ARGENTINA A FEW WEEKS BACK.
[Em raced well in the girls “large school” race at the Ojai invitational on Saturday. I think her time was 21:12, and she was actually runner # 10 (# 5 for Ventura). Royal took the first 4 places. I helped at the chute again. I really like that job, even though it breaks my heart and makes me cry (YES, makes me CRY!) when those first racers come in and look like they are about to drop dead. But I like cheering them on. And in the last boys race, actually about 5 guys said “Thank you” to me!! COOL THAT IS NICE OF THEM HAHA. DID YOU REALLY CRY? JUST KNOW THAT THAT FEELING IS WHY PEOPLE RUN. IF THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT IN SOME WEIRD AND TWISTED WAY, THEY WOULDN'T RUN HARD. AND EM, DANG, 21:12 IS FAST FOR OJAI! YOU'RE PROBABLY ON TOP TEN FOR SOPHOMORES YEAH? WAY TO GO.
I'LL TRY TO SEND YOU ANUDDER [personal letter] TODAY! I'VE BEEN PONDERING THINGS EVERY MORNING INSTEAD OF WORKING OUT (CUZ WE RIDE LIKE THE WIND ON OUR BIKES ALL DAY TO KEEP US FIT).
THE WEEK WAS PRETTY PRODUCTIVE. WE FOUND SEVERAL VERY PROMISING INVESTIGATORS, TAUGHT CYNTHIA A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND SHE IS READING AND PRAYING EVERY DAY NOW, JUST NEEDS TO QUIT SMOKING! SHE ALSO DIDN'T MAKE IT TO CHURCH, WHICH AS IT TURNS OUT WAS PROBABLY A GOOD THING. NEVER THOUGHT I'D SAY THAT. SO YESTERDAY FOR CHURCH WE WERE SUPPOSED TO WATCH A BROADCAST OF STAKE CONFERENCE FROM OUR OWN WARD BUILDING. IT STARTED IT 10, BUT THE BROADCAST WAS NOT WORKING, AND MEN WERE UP THERE TRYING TO FIX IT AS THE CONGREGATION QUIETLY SAT UNTIL, NO JOKE, AFTER 11 O'CLOCK. WE HAD A BIG BLACK GUY WITH US AT CHURCH NAMED COURTNEY, FOR HIS FIRST TIME, SO WE JUST LEFT WITH HIM AND MET OTHER YOUNG MEN FOR HIM TO TALK TO (HE'S 13 BUT TWICE MY SIZE). HE ENDED UP ENJOYING IT BECAUSE AFTER AN HOUR THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE GAVE UP AND WE HAD A GOOD TESTIMONY MEETING FOLLOWED BY AN AMAZING POT LUCK. WHILE IT KINDA SAVED THE DAY, I STILL THINK IT MAY BE A GOOD THING CYNTHIA WASN'T THERE FOR THE FIRST HOUR BECAUSE SHE PROBABLY WOULDA LEFT, AS SOME OF THE MEMBERS DID. SO YEAH IT WAS SOMEWHAT OF A DISASTER, BUT COULDA BEEN WORSE. WE'RE ALSO TEACHING 3 16 YEAR OLD BLACK GUYS WHO LIVE RIGHT BY US. WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE THEM A CHURCH TOUR AND PLAY SOME B-BALL WITH THEM LAST WEDNESDAY, BUT THEY ALL WENT TO ONE OF THEIR B-DAY PARTIES ON SUNDAY INSTEAD OF CHURCH. BUT THESE GUYS ARE AWESOME. ONE OF THEM, BRANDON (OTHER 2 ARE WILL AND LJ) ASKS US THE DEEPEST QUESTIONS. THEN WHEN HE TRIES ANSWERING THEM, HE TELLS HOW HE FEELS AND 99% OF THE TIME HIS OWN OPINIONS THAT HE HAS DEVELOPED IN LIFE ARE EXACTLY WHAT WE BELIEVE IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS AND THAT NO OTHER CHURCHES BELIEVE. WE HAVE INVITED THEM ALL TO BE BAPTIZED, AND THEY PROBABLY WILL BE SOON. SO THAT IS ONE GOAL I HAD BEFORE I LEFT THAT IS DISAPPOINTING. BUT I'LL GET A PICTURE WITH THEM, THEN HAVE ELDER LARSEN SEND ME A PICTURE WHEN HE BAPTIZES THEM! ELDER BEDNAR'S VISIT WAS ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE ONE IN VENTURA. ALTHOUGH PEOPLE ASKED SOME DIFFERENT THINGS, THE SAME MAIN POINTS THAT HE TALKED ABOUT IN VENTURA, HE TALKED ABOUT HERE. IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR AGAIN.
I SUPPOSE I LOVE YOU GUYS, HAVE A NICE DAY, HAVE A GOOD SUMMER, ETC.
LOVE
ELDER HOOKE
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