Little update from Pickle

Hey everyone!! So this week we had transfers and i got a new companion. his name is elder jacobson and he's pretty cool. He's 22 from kitty hawk north carolina. been out for about 5 months now. So we're both relatively new but we had a great week. We found 6 new investigators and taught a bunch of people, it was cool. We've been getting real freaky out here in grand junction. people like us and we're just awesome (humble too).. we even got the guy who almost killed us a few weeks ago, to come to church. It was awesome! We actually had the best numbers in the whole district. Taking over the area isn't too bad i kinda know where everything is at so it’s cool. the weather has been pretty nice too. the suns out and the air is cold so its awesome being on bikes. the leaves haven't really started changing colors yet but i think they will. the weather is perfect right now though. we love it! its good to have a companion who is obedient and wants to work too. we're really turning things around out here. He told me that he's going to probably finish my training here and then I'll become district leader and train someone else which is crazy. I guess president talked to him about me. he wants me to be a leader (for some reason) in the mission. nothing too strange or weird happened this week. Just people yelling stuff at us, answering the door pretty much naked, veering their cars at us... normal missionary stuff. hopefully some more crazy fun stuff will happen this week and I'll be able to send you all something interesting! see yaaahh

Elder Austin's latest:

We've been getting rained on a bit out here and they're saying it might get down into the 30s later this week haha I'm pretty excited! Ok so heres a story that's pretty funny- So Elder Reese and I were visiting with a guy who is slightly insane and hates the world, but he's way awesome. He was in the marines and loves to talk about all the ways he would kill the people he doesn't like... it's kinda creepy but pretty funny too haha anyways we were at his place and he was drinking coffee, which we give him a hard time for, and he spilled it all over himself. He just about snapped... He started cussing up a storm and he threw the mug maybe a foot over our heads and it hit the wall behind us, but it didn't break... this just pissed him off even more so he stared spiking the mug of the floor over and over but it wouldn't break. So he threw the entire pot of scalding hot coffee at the wall and just walked into his back room. Elder Reese and I were trying our best not to laugh, cause if he knew that we were laughing he'd probably kill us haha but then he comes back out in new clothes and just goes back to talking to us hahah it was terrifying, funny and awesome! I’m staying for the next transfer but my trainer is leaving. They're having me take over the area which is pretty intimidating but its all good! I had my first baptism yesterday! I got to confirm her and give her the Holy Ghost it was pretty awesome. The area is still moving slow though. I'll meet my new companion tomorrow too, so that should be fun. They said as of tomorrow over 50% of the mission will consist of missionaries who have only been out for 3 months or less! It’s a greenie mission out here haha

Elder Austin's Second Email

Hey hope everyone is doing well out there! I’m glad you liked the bike video too, that hill is pretty huge. WE're pretty much in the desert so there aren’t too many mountains haha and I did have a bike accident but I survived and I’m completely fine. The whole front wheel on my bike came off when I was riding pretty fast and I ate it pretty hard. My hands are a little scraped up but that’s it. Anyways things are going well out here. Elder Reese and I are sitting down with families in the ward and writing up plans with them for how they can share the gospel with EVERYONE they know. I heard an interesting and shocking thing the other day that came from the first presidency of the church. They said that within a year since the announcement of the age change, the missionary force will have doubled. By next year there will be over 100,000 missionaries. They also said that the age change and missionary work today is just as important/influential/ vital as the coming of the Book of Mormon... that’s insane! The first presidency said that the things that are happening today with missionary work are just as important as Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon and restoring the church. It’s kinda hard to comprehend –haha. It’s weird that we're living in a time like this. My companion and I tell the members when we talk about missionary work that the Lord doesn't scramble the jets for no reason. All this change is happening for a reason, we just need to do our part and share the gospel as best we can. Anyways I love you all so much and hope you have an awesome week! Keep sending the letters and the packages, they're life savers at times haha Tell everyone I said hi and I love em Love, Elder Austin