Richie Tackles Reno: Week 30 - Back in the Driver's Seat....Literally!!

Leadership of our zone from last transfer

April 13, 2015

Hey everyone!!

Well last night we made transfer calls....annnnddd I am staying. And I am getting a new companion, Elder Krey! He is freakin awesome. He served up in Quincy, California, and I spent a day with him on exchanges. (He is the one who I sang the California Elders song with). But I have actually known he was my companion since Thursday, because President told us early. On Thursday, we had zone training, and then afterwards we had a fun run/walk around the Sparks Marina to celebrate our mission-wide diet being over. We did it with the Sparks and Reno zones, so that was fun to see all of my old friends.

This picture was taken 30 seconds before we found out
our transfer calls. My new companion, Elder Krey,
is on the left!!!

Afterwards they gave us lunch and I was talking with Elder Krey and his comp, Elder Hawkes when President came and huddled us up and said, "Can you guys keep a secret?" And I knew immediately what was going on. President said, "Elder Todd you have your arm around your new companion, Elder Krey you have been called as a Zone Leader. Elder Hawkes you will be training a new missionary." We all started freaking out, cuz me and Elder Krey are pretty tight. I was in the MTC with his best friend from high school, so we had that cool connection. He still has a greenie fire, so I am really excited to get another fellow greenie like myself so we can tear it up. But I am back to being Senior Companion, and that means I get to drive again! I am SO freakin excited for this upcoming transfer. We sent 5 people home from our zone, but we are getting a few new awesome people. We also lost two companionships as President shut down two areas...the mission is still shrinking. Our zone had 17 baptisms in March, which was 10 more then the next closest zone! So we are hoping to keep that streak up!

Breakfast with the Quincy District Elders when they
came down for the night.

But Zone training was a lot of fun. Elder Klingensmith and I did a training and we started it off by giving a funny example of how to be terrible missionaries. It was hilarious; the zone got a kick out of it.

Also, Wednesday night we had 4 other elders stay at our mansion before Zone Training, and that was a lot of fun. I made them all muffins and eggs for breakfast the next morning...the ones you sent me for my birthday!!

So in regards to actual missionary work...we had a baptism this weekend!

Brother Dotson got baptized!!

Brother Dotson got baptized. He is the Old American Cowboy that I told you about. He is awesome. He is so down to earth. Not to mention he drives a big Ram diesel truck and drives trailers around for fun and had his own construction business back in the day. We had a lot of fun teaching him. He got into a terrible car accident 3 years ago, and so his memory isn’t great, but he truly has the desire to learn and understand the gospel. He listens to the Book of Mormon on CD while he works out in his yard. Elder Klingensmith baptized him, and I confirmed him yesterday in sacrament. That was cool.

Blizzard in April

I was able to go on exchanges and spend a day up in Truckee, California which is like a resort town right off of Lake Tahoe. It snowed like 4 inches while I was there. It did NOT feel like April!! I wasn’t ready for the snow, so I about froze my feet off, but I lived. The work up there is hard because most of the people are rich and snotty, or they are tourists. The missionaries up there live in a TINY motel room...literally their whole place is the size of our study back at home (on Canoe Landing Court)...just imagine having a bunk bed, a fridge, a table with a hot plate to cook and a microwave, and two study desks all crammed in our study at home. I was never so appreciative of our double wide trailer with two luxurious bathrooms and our own exercise room and all kinds of space!!

Yesterday we had a great discussion in gospel principles class about Heavenly Father. The thought came to me that truly in this life, the ONLY reliable thing is this gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes governments fail, businesses fail, countries fail, everything can fail – EXCEPT this Gospel. So truly we all need to do as we are told in Proverbs, when it tells us that we need to Trust in the lord with all of our hearts, and lean NOT unto our understanding. Any other way we fail, and we fall short. I am so grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that he lives. I know that he loves us.

Well life is good here in Cold Springs!! I hope you all have a great week!! I love and miss you!

Elder Todd

On exchanges with Elder Fletcher in Truckee, CA.
Cute family fed us dinner and took us out for ice cream.

Tiny apartment in Truckee, CA...makes me appreciate
the huge double-wide that we live in!!

Tiny apartment in Truckee

With Elder HAN!!!! He used to live in Virginia -
and we were in scouting together.
Now both speakingSpanish in the same mission!

Two of my favorite missionaries...Elder Sheats and Nieves

Our car covered in snow in Truckee, CA

Spent a day in Truckee with Elder Fletcher...funny coincidence
because he was my temporary companion for that first night
in the mission when I was so miserable...and here we are
six months later on exchanges and I am his Zone Leader!