Random Questions #18

Note:  Mom makes a list of questions in her letters and Elder Brenchley answers them.
(She had a gazillion questions with this latest change!)  ;)

1. Have you received our Birthday package to YOU that I sent to the Mission Home?  I have still not received a Birthday package.  Maybe it'll come today!

2. How are you doing in your new area?  I'm settling into the area all right.  I'm doing good, doing good!   What's it like?  It's a pretty rural countryside area - not a whole lot like Beckley 2, where it was mostly houses or suburbs.

3. Where do you live?  Apartment or house?  We have a cute little trailer, that is kinda trash. :(  But, it could be worse!  We have two bathrooms, so that's nice; we each get our own!  Only one closet, so that makes things kinda tight.

4. How did you get to Floyd?  Got to Floyd on the Transfer Van, I got dropped off in Blacksburg, and Elder Olsen came and picked me up. How long of a drive was that? Probably like a 3 and half hour drive from Charleston.

 

5. Wikipedia says that Floyd, VA had 424 people in the 2010 Census – that’s the same number that was in my High School graduating class!  The city of Floyd, itself, is pretty small - we cover all of Floyd County, though!  So, there will be a lot more people than 424, hopefully.

6. Where is your companion, Elder Olsen, from?  Huntington, Utah. 
Graduated, Class of 2012, from Emery High School.  Is he one of the first missionaries who got to go at age 18 after the change?  He gets home in April, and turns 21 in May, so he was barely still 18 when he left.

7. Where else has Elder Olsen served?  Served in Barbersville, WV,  Elkins, WV,  Paintsville, KY,  Mannington, WV and Floyd, VA

8. Is Blacksburg Zone the one that your MTC companion is/was in?  Elder Williams served in Radford (which is in my district).  He trained Elder Ballard for one transfer, then Elder Williams got transferred and Elder Hewlett went home because of back pain.  So, Elder Hewlett's old companion, Elder Higgins, and Elder Ballard are now companions.  So, they combined the Radford YSA area and Radford family area into one area.

9. If Floyd is a Branch, do they meet in a regular church building?  Other building?  Or just a smaller chapel?  Floyd is a Branch, and they do meet in a regular church building, just recently built in 2013.  It's in only Phase 1, so they do not have a gym.  The Chapel is the multipurpose room with portable chairs, podium, rostrum, etc. 

10. Do you still have a car?  Yes! Very excited, we have a truck!  A Nissan Frontier. Much needed with all these dirt roads!

11. Is Floyd as hilly with curvy roads as WV?  It has lots of curvy roads, however it is more flat, and you can see quite a ways in any direction.

12. Is Floyd all covered in snow, as well?  The snow is melting and it hasn't snowed since I got here!

13. Do the returning missionaries have a “Farewell Testimony Meeting” at the Mission Home before leaving?  Are others welcome to attend?  The departing missionaries will do departing testimonies at the last Zone Conference before they leave. So, not in front of the whole mission, just the zone they are serving in. 

14. Are you able to communicate with other missionaries in your mission?  Will you be able to get word about happenings in Beckley?  We're not allowed to email missionaries in our mission. So we can just correspond through handwritten, mailed letters.  I asked President if I could come up for the Baptism when it happens, and will get a response next week in my email.

15. Were you able to see/visit all your investigators/people you were working with/favorite members between the time you got the call from President and before you transferred?  I did get to go say goodbye to some of the investigators.  We taught Tom Poe Wednesday night - that was the last thing I did in Beckley.  So, got a pic with him.  Some people live too far away - I had to just call Matt & Jasmine on the phone, as well as Sister Cline.  And I couldn't get a hold of the Snuffer's.  :(

16. Where are weddings (like Matt & Rebecca's) held in WV?  Matt & Rebecca were going to have it at our L.D.S. church.

17. Was Steve able to reschedule his baptism (after it had to be cancelled due to the snow)?  I got word from Josh Spencer (formerly Elder Spencer) that the Baptism did happen on Saturday, 2/28!  He's able to email any missionary or any ward members, now that he's returned home!

18.  When are the McGrady's going to the temple?  They are going to the temple in July (exactly one year after he was baptized!)  (Good thing his health is better!)

19. Is there a Café Rio in WV?  No Cafe Rio's in WV! :(  But, Sister Young just made a similar recipe for my birthday party.

20. Was church cancelled for a 3rd week in a row on March 1st, also?  Church was cancelled in Floyd, for a 3rd week in the row here!  Me and Elder Olsen drove up to Radford and attended there!