Richie Tackles Reno: Week 36 - Planning Transfers, Driving Trailers, and Breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa!

Three "Todd" Missionaries...
Elder Todd, Elder Todd, and Sister Todd!

May 25, 2015

Howdy y'all!!

Happy Memorial Day!!! And a special shout-out to all of you veterans out there…thank you for all that you do for our country!

How is real life back in Virginia??

Going to Breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa!!
They finished their 12-month mission in San Diego,
and drove through Reno on their way home to Utah!

So yes, Breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa was a BLAST. It was so fun to see them. It sounds like they had a great mission in San Diego! And perfect that they were driving through Reno on their way home to Utah. It was kinda weird seeing them again, but then again it wasn't all that weird. They are the best. They brought a bunch of candy and fruit to us, and we love getting fruit!! Especially grapes and pears, they are the best! But it really was fun to see them and they are great for taking us out to breakfast. I can't wait to throw pool parties at their house in 2 years from now!! Haha just kidding, that is getting ahead of myself a little bit.

Aside from going to breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa, life here hasn’t been too interesting – this past week has just been a lot of planning for the next transfer! Tuesday-Friday from 10-5 everyday I spent with President and the other Assistants planning for the upcoming transfer. It was actually pretty fun to be a part of it all. It was a little hard when determining the plans of how everyone is going to get to their new area/companionship with their new car and everything, but it was fun. I forwarded you the transfer plans for this upcoming transfer for my current zone, the Reno North Zone.

It has been very fun to get close with President Hermansen. He is great. I am going to miss him so much. We had a 20-minute conversation about boats the other day...and he told me to tell you that he HIGHLY recommends getting a boat. He said that it has brought his family close together, and every time they use it they have a blast. He did a disclaimer though...that it is expensive, but we already knew that. Anyways, the bottom line is that President Hermansen HIGHLY recommended that you guys buy a boat.....haha! But he was talking about how much fun they are and how he loves to water ski. He said Jet-skis are fun, but a boat is way more fun, and I certainly agree with that!

I get to drive a trailer!!!

So yes, we are moving today....annnddd....that means that I get to drive the transfer van with the trailer on it. And yes this is a big deal. Haha not really, but it is fun. Today we have spent the whole day packing up every single thing that is in our missionary mansion and moving it to Elder Krey's new place and my new place and the rest goes to the mission storage unit. There is actually a ton of stuff in our place because it is so big, so we have had to make a few trips. It is fun though....I mean we are talking about driving trailers here which is like my favorite thing to do! (aside from missionary work of course....)

But I am actually so sad that I am leaving the Cold Springs ward! I have grown to love it. And it seems like the area is just exploding now, and just as it is getting good, I have to leave! It STINKS! Because Elder Krey and his new comp are going to have like 15 baptisms...no lie...within the next transfer or two. We had some great lessons this past week, and it really is kinda frustrating because I've been working hard to find all of them, but now I don’t get to teach many of them at all! But oh well, I did my part here in Cold Springs, and the Lord needs me in the Prater Ward in downtown Sparks, so I will go and do!

Me and my man Elder Krey

I am also going to miss Elder Krey...he has been so much fun. This kid is an actor at heart, and he is always on stage!! He always comes up with the most hilarious things to say. Like the other day he was wearing his "back-up" suit while his favorite suit was being dry-cleaned. It was pretty hot outside, and we had parked the car and were making a few phone calls, and the sun was beaming right on his legs, and he looked at me and said, "Elder, I am wearing pants of death right now." Haha – I was cracking up, because it’s a wool suit and so he really was being cooked alive! Krey has been super fun, and the ward loves him.

In front of our regular mission car

This week we had a cool experience while doing our nightly planning. We were making our plans for the next day, and we didn't have any set appointments at 7pm, so we were deciding who to go see. We originally put "Ray & Rachel" who are two potential investigators, but then we wrote down "Justin" as one of our back-up plans. But then after a few minutes, I said to Elder Krey, “hey I think we should switch Ray & Rachel and go see Justin instead.” And he agreed and said that he felt better about that too. So at 7 pm the next day, we went to visit Justin and had a GREAT lesson with him and his wife. They are a young couple who said that they had been looking for a church to raise their family in, and had tried a few churches but none had the right feel. One of their co-workers is Mormon, and they knew a little about us, but they said that they had been super interested to know more!! They agreed to come to church next week, and we had a great lesson! Krey and I were stoked, it was great!! It is so cool to see the Holy Ghost prompt us to make those little changes that make a big difference. Having the Lord on our side is the ONLY way to go when it comes to missionary work!!

Finding Justin was a cool story too, because last transfer Elder Klingensmith and I were walking down the street, and Justin was outside fixing his fence. I started to walk up to him, and Klingensmith said, "Hey, don't talk to him, we already tried and he isn't interested." But I just marched up to him anyway, and Klingensmith kinda followed me, and Justin was like "Oh, hey guys! I remember you guys! Can you say a prayer with me right now?" And then of course we accepted and were able to go from there and get a return appointment. But it was a huge testimony builder to me that we shouldn't give up on people, just because they turned us down once. Obviously there is a line that we have to draw so that we don't annoy them, but when we are obedient the Holy Ghost can lead us and guide us in all that we do. And that goes for us as missionaries, as well as the rest of you "normal folks"

I get to drive the van and trailer for a few days!

Well all is well here in the mission. Tomorrow should be fun, because I will officially take on my role as an Assistant and be running all around the mission to go and pick up the greenies and then drop off those going home, too. It should be fun!

I love and miss all of you!! Thanks for all of your love and support!! Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Todd

Oh and two cool perks of being an assistant...I get $50 more per month on my card, and I get a personal cell phone instead of sharing one between a companionship!