Las Vegas

Abram is in Las Vegas for a few weeks (with these 7 other missionaries) waiting for Mexican visa. 

For now, he is hanging out with these guys below and learning what mission life is all about.

Dearest Mother:

I wrote in the letter that you may or may not have received that I am in an English-speaking trio companionship. That's about all my letter told you because I wrote it as soon as I arrived at the mission home. My companions are named Elder F and Elder C - the Mission President was truly inspired of the Lord when he assigned my companionship. I have the great fortune to be paired with goofballs who are hard workers, who love to stay busy, who know how to teach people, and who are not socially awkward. We've had a lot of success in just my first week - families love us. I'll attach some pictures of my companions after I write. Elder F is the blonde one and Elder C is the black-haired one. They both like to make silly faces.

I am assigned in an entirely suburban area of Las Vegas... but really, Las Vegas is almost entirely suburbs, so it doesn't surprise me!  The first thing I noticed was how completely spacious Vegas feels. Compared to Portland and its maze of trees, Provo with the mountains (beautiful though they be) in such proximity, and the MTC with its prison walls and concrete walkways, Las Vegas feels like I'm drifting through space. I'm enchanted every time I ride in the car - I always roll down the window so I can look out for miles and miles into the open desert skies. It's so blue; as you know, sky blue is my favorite color, so I really like the feeling the openness brings. The vegetation here is 100% different from what I have seen before, too! It would interest Zachary a lot to learn about the three or four types of plants there are in Las Vegas.

I have been assigned to serve in a great area! It's pretty small geographically speaking and my companions are still amazed that I don't know my way around - at all. I even turn the wrong way down the street after we just walk into an investigator's house! The people here are interesting. Smoking is a huge problem in Vegas. After my companions learned I can't smell, they ask me to knock on the door of houses they know contain smokers, which I find hilarious. Elder C almost threw up one time, so I'm glad to spare all of us some trouble and take the heat of gaseous toxin smells.

I am very grateful for my companions. We all know how to work hard, so we have been extremely blessed. I don't like thinking of a mission in terms of numbers, but we met the standards of excellence last week. More important to me is that I truly know what missionary SERVICE is. I know how Christ feels as He leaves the ninety and nine to minister to the one. That's what the next two years are all about.

So far, I have learned a great lesson on my mission:

I lived such a blessed childhood. I was truly so blessed. After seeing for only a week how awful so many people's lives have turned out and the quality of life these children have to look forward to, I learn more and more about how much the Lord has blessed me. Here I am with the full ability to buy two weeks worth of groceries and just inform my parents about it where other people don't have the resources to buy a new light bulb for their living room. It makes me very glad thinking about this, because throughout my youth I loved you and Dad and treated you both with continual respect. I knew I was grateful for you, and the more time I serve on my mission my gratitude for my goodly parents will only increase. I am so happy that I loved and cared for my parents, because they sure took good care of me.

 Possibly above all else, thank you for teaching me how to be a hard worker. After countless of hours of clearing saws, lawn mowing, warehouse lifting, babysitting, taking care of siblings, cleaning, working, studying, a mission is not a difficult thing. You prepared me well.

I love you!