Saturday, May 2, 2009 - It only has 11 miles on it!

Hello!

How has your week been? Is the school year almost over? Is it hot?

It's been typical Texas - up and down. The other day, it was really hot - almost 100 degrees. That same evening, it got pretty chilly and the next day, it looked like it was going to rain. It looks like that again today.

Too bad it wasn't like that on Wednesday and Thursday. We closed our final apartment for the transfer. Not a moment too soon, right? Just in time for the next. (Fortunately, I don't think there will be that many this transfer.) Anyways, we went there (it was here in Lubbock) on Wednesday afternoon and didn't leave until late at night. The next day, we went early and didn't finish until the apartment inspection at 2:00. And the whole time, the air conditioning didn't work. That place was nasty. When I tried to pull out the vegetable crisper tray in the fridge, it was stuck because of some gooey stuff spilt in the back. There were shoe scuff marks on the wall five feet above the floor. Elder Northey wouldn't have used that bathtub if it meant his salvation. All in all, we've had that apartment a long time, no one does the regular cleaning that they should and it all builds up. Life lesson, check.

And a bit of good news: there's a family that we've been visiting that hasn't been going to church for a while, but now they just got their temple recommends! For one reason or another, they stopped coming regularly and even when invited all week and Sunday morning, they still don't come. Then, Bishop McCauley invited them at a Wednesday mutual activity and they've been coming every week since. What the difference is, I don't know, but that was several months ago (not long after I got to Lubbock) and they haven't missed a week. Now they're preparing to return to the temple. Hopefully, we'll be able to go with them. Right now, they're just worried their white clothes don't fit anymore.

Several months ago, I got my hands on a collection of over 3000 pictures of temples around the world. After looking through them, I've had an unmatched interest and enthusiasm about temples. I'm really glad that I'm in Lubbock, so that I'm able to go. The temple is literally the university of God, the airlock into heaven, the gate of the celestial kingdom. If you can go, you need to go. Learn everything you can from it.

It seems like there's always a little kid upstairs in the Mortensens' home, but one of their kids has just moved in this week and so now, there really is a grandchild or two around the place. We helped unload their cow trailer (which they used for the move) and bring in all of the kids' toys (only one of them is old enough to have toys at this point). All I can say is, *I* never had that many toys. With everything Nathan and I had over 20 years, it still wouldn't add up to all the stuff that filled the playroom. I'm actually glad about that. All I need now is just a computer. ;)

We also visited Brother Peterson, in our ward. he and his father-in-law run the Quick Quack car washes in Lubbock and Amarillo. He hooked all the missionaries in those cities with unlimited passes, which let you go as many times as you want. He is always so busy. The evening that we visited, he was on a laptop and was checking emails the whole time we were chatting. Recently, one of the locations' managers quit or something, so he now has two jobs.

Speaking of really busy people, President Robison did transfers this week. On Wednesday, he and the assistants went to the temple. It doesn't seem to be as crazy as last transfer, but there's a few changes. We also have nine new missionaries coming out. A slight increase from the four of the last group. I took a picture of the updated transfer board so I can update the computer. Transfer time is always exciting.

My shopping list for today is longer than ever before; I hope I'll have enough food for the week. It seems like we never get the chance to properly do shopping. I haven't had water in several weeks - I've been siphoning off other sources.

President gave me a letter from the Church headquarters on preventing the spread of the swine flu, which he asked me to send to all the missionaries. They're taking it seriously. The letter is mostly about proper hygiene and not panicking about global pandemic. It's sad how terrible diseases can spread so far and so fast, and mostly because people don't wash their hands or stay home from work.

We're also getting new vehicles in the mission. It's been promised to us since before Christmas, but this time is seems to be real. We've been asked to pick up the first one (a truck) today. Soon, we *should* be getting more cars and a van, too. Too bad I can't drive and help Elder Northey pick them up from the dealership. Also, for each car we get, we have to retire an old one.

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Okay, speaking of which, just as I wrote that last paragraph, President pulled up and we left to go get that truck. We now have a brand new Chevy Silverado. It's a silver one and it's going to replace our old green one (our mission only gets one). Pretty soon, we're going to get seven more (I think) cars.

Anyways, there's never a dull moment in the TLM. Especially in the office.

The Church is true! Especially in the temple.
...
...and especially in a new pick-up truck.

I love you!

-Elder Brandon Wong

Something I wish I knew before my mission: how to buy enough food to last a week.