Typical Sunday

Things in Oroville are good, slow but good. We are just trying to rebuild the teaching pool after having a few baptisms. It is tough, but that is how most of my mission has gone so I think I am supposed to learn something from it, haha. It is good though, and I am enjoying getting to know the people and the area better. The hard part about being a zone leader here as opposed to Olivehurst is just that I have no idea what is going on yet...that and most of the mission wide meetings are held in Gridley because it is the central point in the mission, so we have to set up and take down a lot of stuff. 

Here is our Sunday schedule:

9:30- missionary coordination meeting

10:30- ward council

11:30- 12:35 Family Ward Sacrament meeting

1:30-4:30 YSA church

4:45-5:45 YSA Branch Council

Plus I between 12:35 and 1:30 we have to drive 30 minutes from Oroville to Gridley, and then back after branch council. It's a long day. Yesterday we somehow were able to teach 5 lessons in only 3 hours. It was an awesome day.

Wow, it sounds like there is a lot of stuff going on with the apartment search. It sounds like I have been really spoiled out here on my mission! I am excited though, so don't worry too much about it and what the living situation is like. As long as the a/c works I will be happy. That’s too bad Elder Holbrook won't have a car [either], I guess we will be doing some biking down there! I got to see him this week and he was pretty excited to hear from you and discuss moving in.

It does sound like a lot has been happening there in the home ward. I am sorry to hear of all the trials. Yesterday I was surprised see a couple of people from the Chico 3rd ward visiting some family they have here in the Oroville 3rd ward. It was so good to see them again, as I have been gone for almost a year. Unfortunately they told me that on Saturday one of the investigators/ recent converts I taught there in Chico that ended up getting baptized passed away unexpectedly. It was sad to hear that, especially because Elder Coburn and I found him right before Gavin went home. It seems like that sort of stuff is going around. 

Oh, also at church yesterday I had a guy come up to me and ask me if I had any family in St. Louis. I didn't know anyone so I said I wasn't sure. He then asked if I knew a Sutter Gardanier. [Sutter is Grandpa Larry's older brother.]  I told him that I did and he said that he worked very closely with him back when he lived out in St. Louis or something and that he served with Sutter in a bishopric. The man's name here in the Oroville 3rd ward is Brother Lowry. I don't have a first name yet, but I will get to know him more soon. He looked sort of familiar, so I thought that was pretty crazy. Maybe Grandma knows more about it/him. 

I bet it is weird to only have 3 kids in the house, I guess it is something I haven't experienced since Daniel was born...I barely remember  those days! Let me know if I can do anything to help you guys out. I hope that things get interesting as the weather cools down and hopefully the snow starts falling soon! I am praying for a great ski season this year!!!! Thanks for writing me and staying in touch. I will talk to you guys soon!