Jungle Book

Wud up homes!

I’m stilll on that horrible computer with no characters on it so if anything seems super amiss, spelling wise, you know why. Well family, it’s so good to hear from all of you guys. Glad to hear everything has been top shelf.  Sorry to hear about Kev. Just tell him he’s in my prayers and he’s my number 1 hero, and that he should look up "TairyGreene:  Little dancing man" for some inspiration.

I’ll just have you know I'm having more than a blast here in good ol' Chijra. My comp is supppper dope. I’ll tell you more about all the elders in the questions but for now I’ll tell you about the week. I live in a nice little pench. Tiny but I looooove it. The area is huge and it’s kinda like the Cottonwood Canyon of Argentina. Our area goes from the edge of Centro to the mouth of a canyon. It’s awesome! We our sifting through investigators at the moment but the teaching is good. I’m still getting to know everyone but so far everyone seems to be super nice. This area is in Jujuy but a little different than my old area. For example:  Every one here is twice as pregnant as in my last area and everyone here as gotten on the breastfeeding-while-having-a-conversation-with-you train.  Seriously—pretty much everyone.

The people are really nice here. We have a branch with a super nice branch president that looks like good ol' bro Southard. We had a professional soccer player that lived here for a few days and I became really good friends with him before he moved away. He was really cool. We have a couple here who are Grandpa Mick and Grandma Ann’s twins. The grandpa had on some nice new basketball shoes and yelled at the cat to “get out”. It was déjà vu something fierce. We went to see this other family that is super nice but odd. Like, you know, Tyler Perry as “Big Mama” or Eddie Murphy as the Nutty Professor—people that dress up as big fat guys that look crazy silly and fake. Everybody in that house was like a version of that. I really wanted to ask "are you in a costume?" They were really nice, though. While we ate lunch with them (we had hot dogs with mayo) they had on Gumball from Cartoon Network (Anna and Lauren know what I’m talking about) and it was super funny.

We have a really nice area here. I gave my testimony in church this week and we did divisions to get out investigators to church. I went with this kid named Juan Marcello to be my guide and, in my suit, we hiked up this super crazy cliff trail into the jungle (we have a jungle here) where they have giant spiders that build their huge webs in between trees (lovely).  Then we hiked to the top of this hill in the countryside to go get our investigators. The intro to Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark was a little reminiscent at the time. They have ton of castor bean plants here (which are most tasty when you need a little snack). Our area here has no middle ground. Its either: You have a huge mansion or you live in a little tin-roof shack. The big houses are amazing. I haven’t seen a big house in so long. Its nuts man! That’s pretty much all the interesting, cool stuffs that happened this week. Now on to the questions:

• How is your new place,  your new people?

Pretty much just about the greatest pench of all time. We have the best guys here. We have Elder Muñoz from Columbia and I did divisions with him on Friday and became good buds. He’s a goofy kid but really nice. We have also, Elder Langston from Richfield, Utah and Elder Mays (my buddy from the MTC’s twin). He is a super good, nice, funny guy. He is way cool. And then, best for last, we have my comp, Elder Adams. He’s a good ol boy from Kansas who loves his cars and sports. He has a 1977 MG roadster that he just loves. He is such, such, such a cool, nice guy. He lived with Jennings, Speakman, and Redd.  He, Jennings, and Speakman are good buds.  We are best buds, he and I (really, all of us in the pench are) and we get along splendidly. If you wanted to know what he is like, really, just watch George Clooney’s character from O Brother Where Art Thou. Crazy but awesome! He is such a good, chill guy. I love it here!!!!!

• How far are you from your old area?

I’m about 30min away from my old area. Its like if my old area was in Sandy and I moved to around the Hogle zoo area. It wasn’t too hard to pack. I think now I have a good enough idea what to pack and what not to unpack.

• So what does your place look like?

The pench is tiny: 2 rooms, one bath, kitchen, little outside area but I love it. Conditions are perfect! I'll have to take some pics of it and send them to you.

• Have you heard from Maxi and Noiella?

Nope, I hope everything is ok with those two. I'll have to call later to see if it’s all good with them.

• How is it going with investigators?

We are shifting through the progressing to the non-progressing. The elders before Elder Adams counted all these people as progressing but when he went through them all he realized that only like 7 are actually progressing. But this area has a lot of potential; I’m super stoked for the upcoming few weeks.

• You look like you lost some weight.

I went to a store with Elder Rasmussen like 2 months ago and we hit up a scale and I lost about 20 pounds but now I think I've lost a lot more. I would guestimate about 35ish pounds. I’m eating healthy and I feel healthy so I do have that going for me, which is always nice!

Well family, I best wrap this up. But I’ll just have you know I am incredibly happy. I have an awesome area, pench, comp, penchmates, people, branch, food, and dogs here. I love it and I’m very happy. This is going to be an awesome transfer. I’m so stoked!

A happy birthday to Grandma Molly.  Thank you so much for your support and your way cool letters and all you have done for me, Grandma.  I hope you have a great day.  I love you so much.

Mom, I forgot to tell you on the phone and in the email but happy Mothers Day! I love you so much and I’m sorry I forgot to wish you a happy Mothers Day. I’m going to write letter post haste, though. I love you so much! I love you guys all so very much. I miss you all so much but just know that I’m all good here. I’m so happy and I’m glad to know you guys are so happy too. Have a great week. Keep on keeping on. Until next week, I love and miss you guys. It’s all good!

Con Amor,

Russ

P.S.

Elder Adams I and were talking about food today and summer sausage came up in the conversation. perhaps in a package you could send some. that would be *click* real nice. Thanks (;

P.S.S.


“Old man”by Neil Young is playing in the cyber right now....AHHHHH!!!! (; Dad you would be proud! I’m sure of it!

Gisela's Baptism

Russ and Elder Adams with Franco and his son

Noiella, Maxi, Russ, Gisela and her brother