February 28th 2011

February 28^th 2011

Man all I got to say is when it rains it pours. So this week was crazy. So first off, Jay I am in the Florin ward in the Elk Grove stake. When you were here I think Elk Grove was still part of Sacramento but was like its own little community. Well not anymore it has grown pretty large and they are a city and my zone is the whole city. I cover the fruitridge area. So it is pretty ghetto. We have a lot of stolen bikes in the mission now and a lot have been stolen in my area. A few months ago someone broke the window in the church to get the missionaries bikes out. As for my bike being stolen, I did know the peoples whose house I was at. They were recent converts so I don't think they took them. I haven’t gotten my new bike yet... It will probably come this week or the next week but oh how much I can't wait for it to be here. I thrashed one bike I have been borrowing. I found out that the rims are made to hold 250 lbs. on bikes. I'm 260 right now so do the math... I broke four spokes this week on someone elses bike and am now borrowing another bike from a member. I am promising myself I am going to lose weight. I can't breathe very well, it makes biking harder, and I break things cuz I’m so heavy so I am going to eat better and exercise better so I can lose some weight. I think it would solve most of my problems. The weather has been bipolar. It will be warm like 50's one day then it will be raining in the 40's the next. That doesn't help my asthma out at all. So I have been taking lots of breathing treatments. Which brings me to my next point; I need more breathing treatment medicine. You can just send me a check and I will send it to the guy. That would work out good. I can't think of anything else I need. So this week was ok. On Monday we had an appointment but the people weren't there. It was a bummer so we went to another appointment and they happened to flake as well. So we went over to the Childresses. He is like 400 lbs. and can't walk but he is way nice and loves to talk about food. He worked construction all his life and has some nice stories. The missionaries pushed him a little too hard to be baptized in the past and so we are going to try and work him through it all but he seems like he is close. We went home after that. Tuesday was another day. We do have daily planners mother and I fill them out each night for the next day but I forget to bring it every week to email just as I have done this week so I can't remember much. I will tell you about some of the people we are working with. Lexy Vela is the 9 year old who has two cousins, one is 8 and the other turns 8 on March 9th so they are all going to get baptized on the same day, March 12th. It was a miracle finding them and it is bringing their whole less active family back to the church. It’s incredible. The three girls are probably the sharpest little girls I’ve ever taught. They remember everything we teach them, they have legitimate questions and they behave very well. It’s fun teaching them. We teach them like 3 times a week. They had us over on Friday for dinner as well. They are a really nice family. We have been working with Nancy who really wants to be baptized but she is living with two guys or rather two guys are living with her, she owns the house. She is deep in debt and financially screwed so she needs them there to help her pay the bills right now. So we are at a standstill with her. We are working with a few other people who are nice people but their interest level and intent aren't as high as others. They understand what we teach is a good thing and they feel the spirit but they aren't willing to put forth the effort to receive revelation, which we are all entitled to. We have a butt load of ensigns in our apartment and I love reading the articles in them at night or during lunch. They are so inspirational and the prophets and the apostles are so inspired it’s awesome! My favorite section is the part where members submit short inspiring stories, I think its called members voices or something. They are awesome. They make me miss home though. It reminds me a lot of my family and how close we are with each other and how much fun and love we share. But I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Well I am just about out of time so I will close. Thanks for being there for me and for all the prayers, they really do help. Mom could you send me the emails of all the missionaries you receive emails from their parents. I can just print them out and read them on my free time. That would be pretty cool. Well I love you.

Elder Tyler Pete Arnett