2011!‏

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit as I wrote 2011(yup that means it's really here folks!) I just forwarded about 40 pictures I took this weekend, from our hike and from the New Year's Eve party I did take one picture or so of the entire mission rehearsing for the concert before it had started. It was rather exciting!

This past week had it's challenges as people we're getting over post Christmas syndrome. It's amazing how busy people can be during the holidays. It was really hard to meet with people and work around their schedules. But luckily still managed to teach quite a bit. We had a really good day yesterday and we have 5 really solid people set up for the 22nd to be baptized. Transfers are next week so I hope I can stick around to see this baptisms.

This weekend was the New Year. It was very very different from last year when I spent the night trying to pack as Elder Robertson and I had to move from one apartment into another. What was really cool was this year President Ellsworth let Snowflake come down for the concert so the entire mission was there to be a part of this! It was really exciting but also really really cool. Probably one of the chilliest I have ever spent down here in the Valley. My song went well (I mean it was so simple that we would have had to try to mess it up if we did) but it went perfect. We had a huge party after with the entire mission and I took pictures of a lot of them.

On Thursday I went on an exchange in the Vineyard(the hottest ward in the U.S. over 50 baptisms or more this year alone!) unfortunately it wasn't the best day a lot of our appointments fell through and it was cold. I don't think I've ever been that cold on my bike in my life. We even saw SNOW. BA BA BAAAA!!!!(dun dun). It did happen and I saw it. Well I don't have a whole lot more to write at least I don't think.

Wait I do! We made a New Year's Resolution. We're teaching an investigator who is trying to quit smoking! He smokes about a pack a day. We asked him to quit so that he can be baptized. We realized this was going to be a rather large sacrifice for him so we decided that we would get in on the deal too. Our Ward Mission Leader said that he would lose 15 lbs. I agreed that I would lose an inch off my waste(yay Special K! Lean jeans in just 2 weeks! ) We had a weigh in and I was at 218 pounds(48 pounds heavier than when I left I've gone to about a 38 waist line as well(and also I have busted 7 pairs of pants because of this... SEVEN!)) so we'll see how it goes, it's hard when members feed you every night because the tendency of every member in the world is to overfeed the missionaries. As you can tell from this paragraph this quickly became one of the most unique lessons on my mission.

Anyways I'll stop before I let loose any more deep dark secrets about myself. Love you bye! Buenos Nachos!

Love, Elder Caywood