May 26, 2009

Subject: Because you’re mine I walk the Line

Hello, Hello,

The new area is alright. It is definitely a lot more posh than where I was before. Where I was before was a suburb of Middlesbrough which was voted the worst place to live in England. Where I am now was recently voted one of the best places to live in England. The houses are all massive which is great except for the fact that I hate rich people. They're genuinely a lot less civilized and polite then the poorer class of people.

The ward is a lot better here though. They do seem a little like they don't know what to do when investigators come to church because it hasn't happened much before; but they’re very supportive. Although they did charge me 4 pounds for peanut butter where I got it for free before but that’s rich people for you.

I'm in a bike area now. Bike areas in England suck because biking in the rain sucks, but I'll get used to it. My bike doesn't actually change gears so that’s an adventure. I miss my old area because things were going really well there and we had a lot of people to teach and things are going a lot slower here. Its kind of an area nobody thinks of or wants to go to just because it’s hard to find people to teach. It's a small town with big houses that people tend to live in their whole lives, so everyone here has been talked to by the missionaries before and aren't interested. But we'll get thing going. It’s just going to be tough.

It’s good for me though, because I used to avoid talking to English people and only talked to foreigners. I was getting pretty good at speaking Shona and Polish but not anymore. I don't mind being on a bike but I do find it frustrating that they made me pay 30 pounds to get my lessons so I could drive for like a week. Plus the missionary that took my place is new from France and doesn't have a license so now the car is going to get taken away again. It just doesn't make sense to me to give a car to an area for a week then ship it off. It's really ineffective.

My new companion is alright. I don't hate him. It might be a rough couple of transfers just because I'm coming from a companion I really liked and had a lot of fun with so you’re pretty much guaranteed to struggle with your next companion. He has a very different way of teaching than me or my past companions and it’s going to take me a while to get used to teaching with him but I'll get there. He's not as bold or upfront with people about baptism which is what I'm used to but we'll learn to work together.

I never got the hats. I actually haven't gotten any post in a while. I told Elder Kohler he could keep them. He just had to send me a picture so I would know what they looked like but we'll see. Oh my new companion’s name is Elder Abbott. He's from Maryland and has been out for about a year. He's been in posh areas for a while and has no patience for crazy people which is what I don't like about here. Rich people are boring. We are teaching a gay kid who will get baptized so that’s at least a little interesting. His name’s Karen.

We live with a non member now. Our room seems huge to me but only because I came from the smallest place in the mission and I'm blown away that we have space for a desk. It’s still one of the smaller places in the mission but I'm okay with it. The only down side is that me and my companion share the smallest shelf in the fridge so there’s like enough space for a thing of butter and a yogurt and then you’re out of room. So I've had to really change my eating habits, but it’s ok.

Anyways how are things there? Do Kasey and Caleb still hate each other? That sounds like its getting expensive with windows and DS games and all. Someone needs to do something about dad’s back. Make him exercise or take him to a chiropractor or something. Just get it sorted. It's going to be real sad if you guys don't use the boat while I'm gone. I thought Kasey would be excited after skiing. She can take friends out now that I'm gone.

Anyways that’s all I have to say. There’s nothing to do on p-days here and my comps not terribly active so maybe I'll write some letters or something.

Love you all. The Church is true.

Elder Cody Scott Johnson