With love from Pasadena Texas.

This is the longest...by far...letter from Eldrew so far on his mission. He seems happy and content as he comes up on his six month mark. SIX MONTHS!! A quarter of his two year mission completed. Wow.

Here is the letter. (I've added a few photos for context and fun.)

This week was so cool ha ha and I'll tell you why.

First, Elder Beck and I were rolling down this street that we take as a short cut when we look over and see a guy playing guitar on his porch. We turned around and went to his trailer to talk to him. His name was Louie and he was playing a Fender Strat. We talked music. He likes blues and so we talked about Buddy Guy and Big Mama Thornton. He offered us some sodas and we accepted, so when he got up to get them I asked if I could strum on his guitar, he said, "Sure, Man!" So I strapped up and started ripping some blues. He said, "Man, not very many cats have rhythm like that, that was a good little ditty." ha ha so we brought up the gospel and we're going by this Friday to teach a first lesson.

Second. There is a section of our area called the Avenues. Just your typical grid system that goes by 1st street through 15th street and Avenue A through M. So one day we are riding down Avenue K and these kids are playing basketball. They yell, "Oh no it's the cops!" and some of them laughed and one of the kids hid under a truck ha ha We said no, we're not the cops, we're missionaries. And then they started talking, "Can I have that bike, that watch, that tie, that backpack...etc...etc" So I said, "I'll play you for it. ha They all agreed, but then I said I was joking but that I did have a proposition for them. A game of ball, if we won, they had to hear a lesson, if they won we'd leave, no lesson taught. They enthusiastically agreed. There was four of them and so they gave us their gimpy friend with a hurt arm. (not fair at all)...they tossed me the ball and asked if I had ever played before. I said, "Basketball? No, not really, but it doesn't seem hard." One of the kids yelled in repsonse, "you're hustling us aren't you? You totally are." I said "maybe" and checked the ball. I faked a drive and shot. Swoosh. 1 to 0. "You are hustling us!" They played winners ball so if you always make it the other team never gets the ball. I checked the ball, passed to Elder Beck, he shot. Swoosh. 2 to 0. I checked the ball, faked a shot and drove it. Off the backboard, in. 3-0. But then...they stole it from the gimpy kid and came back...we lost 11-15. Humiliating. We would have won if it weren't for the gimp! ha ha We're gonna try to get a rematch some day.

Third, Yesterday we got a call from our bishop. He said to Elder Beck, "Rumor in the ward is that you're going home?" He said yes. He then said, "Another rumor is that you and your companion play guitar?" He said yes. He then said, "Well, my wife is going to be out of town this week and so I'm gonna be a bachelor. I've been trying to learn the guitar, how about this week you and your companion bring your guitars over to teach me a lesson." He said of course. ha ha Preach My Gospel says to serve the bishop...so we are :)
   

Fourth and finally. This week was a special zone conference. Elder [W. Craig] Zwick and his wife were touring the mission and so they gave the trainings. (Note from Kim - Elder Zwick is roughly the equivilent in the LDS Church to what a Cardinal is in the Catholic Church)
 
We sang a hymn and had a pray and then Elder Zwick got up. "I want to do something a little different today, I want to have some missionaries come up to do something. Open your preach my gospel, choose a principle, teach it, the next companion will tell a story about it and testify and then the first companion will bear testimony and close. I'd like to ask the zone leaders to choose 4 companionships from each zone to do this."
 
Of course, Elder Beck and I were chosen to represent our zone. ha ha We went 3rd. The first companionship came up, rambled nervously and closed. Elder Zwick told of Elder Perry's criticisms, they seem harsh but they are done in love and he let them have it...told them that they rambled and that they didn't stay on topic. Gulp. ha ha then sister's got up. They did good because they're sisters and he didn't have much to say about it but good things.
 
Then it was our turn we taught fasting and I told Miranda's story. Elder Zwick said that we made him want to start a fast right then. He asked the audience for comments and they were all good. phew...good thing I prayed to not sound like and idiot before we went up. ha ha I taught a lesson in front of a General Authority. It was crazy! ha ha