Week 3...Greetings from Camp Hill

Hi Family…

Hope all is well.  I am loving the mission. The first few days were rough trying to get into the swing of things. I was really kind of homesick without having any contact for a week, not knowing the status of home.  But now that you have my address you can start sending me stuff.  I suggest not using Dear Elder anymore unless you can find a spot to put my direct address because when stuff goes to the mission office it takes forever to get here. 

We helped move a family on Saturday.  They are moving to Orem and they were way nice.  I hope you were able to see the broadcast on Sunday, I would love to know some of your thoughts on it.  I loved it.  I loved how they really pushed for the members to get involved.  That is what is really needed out here.  Also, now I know what dad feels like going to meetings all day on Sunday.  Yesterday I went to ward council and met with the ward mission leader.  Holy cow, ward council was murder not knowing anyone and being brand new and not knowing what was going on. 

 Also I have pretty much been fed by members every night.  The food has been good and normal.  So take every opportunity you get to feed the missionaries at home because it really makes life a whole lot easier at night.  Also, really try and think of people you can send them to when they ask because that also makes life easier for them to find people and as you learned last night that really is your job. 

Well the picture thing did not work.  So I am going to have to mail them home so I will do that later.  Just remember to mail me a card back so I can get more pics.  Remember for next week I will be on around 9ish so I would love to have little chat sessions with you. 

Well, I got to go I will try and get pictures to you next week.  Love you and I would love to get more letters and packages.  Tell everyone that I love them and want to hear from them. 

Love,

Elder Muir
xoxoxo

We came up with a system to make the most efficient use of his computer time.  I will be sending my letters to him with the info from home in the mail so he doesn't have to use his computer time to read my letters, also he will get letters more often (not just on Mondays at the computer).  I will email all of my questions to him and then he will just reply and answer the questions and hopefully add some more info.  So far, so good :)  We will see how it goes.

• Tell us about Elder "J"...where is he from, how long has he been serving and how are things going with him?  Elder J is from Pleasant Grove but went to Am. Fork High School.  He has been out for about 7 months and has really loved it.  He apparently lives over behind the temple kind of by Andrea, but he didn't think he knew them.  He has been good… very nice and helpful with the training.
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• Sis. B said that one of her favorite sister missionaries is in your district...Sister A, have you met her? Where is she from?  Yes, she is in my district, she gives us rides everywhere.  She is from Bountiful.  She is super nice
•  So when you left the mission home on Tuesday how did you get to Camp Hill, did Elder J drive on his own or did you carpool with others? How long did it take? Sis. B said that it's about 31/2 to 4 hours east of Pittsburgh.  We drove and it was Elder Johnson and me, but it was with someone heading to Lancaster. Yes, the drive was about 4 hours
• Do you have a car or do you walk?  Unfortunately we walk everywhere.  Apparently our mission has one of the biggest car fleets and of course I end up in a walk area for the first 3 months (all summer long).  Don't worry we may get bikes from ward members but I will keep you posted.  The Sisters in our area give us a ride to church and other far away places, thank goodness!  So we pretty much spend most of our day walking.  Friday I probably walked somewhere between 10 and 15 miles, I think that is the most I have ever walked in a day.  Very tiring and lots of blisters L 
• Do you like the borough or town of Camp Hill? I understand it's kind of like a suburb of Harrisburg and that you are right on the river. Sounds pretty, Bro. Barton said that it's a very affluent/nice area.  Yes, I like Camp Hill.  Like you said pretty much a suburb of Harrisburg, which is about 10 minutes away driving. 
• So you're apartment looks nice, how is it? Do just the 2 of you live there or do other elders live with you? If there are more elders, who are they and where are they from?  Yes, the apartment is nice, it meets the needs of what we need.
• How were the B's and your mission president? Probably hard to tell because you weren't with them too long. Do you have to email your mission presidents each week?  Yes, I email him each week and like you said I didn't talk with him much but from what I saw he seemed nice
• When you got to the mission home where did you all take your nap and where did you all sleep? Lots of people for one house, did the sisters and elders separate? How did you get from the airport?  Well the AP's and mission president came with some vans and a trailer for luggage.  Yes we napped, all of the elders stayed downstairs in the basement on bunks and mattresses and that is where we stayed the night.  Some sisters stayed up stairs and the rest either went to members or the B's or the other couples house in the office.
• How's the weather/humidity where you are?  Really hot and supposedly humid, but can't really feel much.  It’s better than Mexico’s humidity. 
• What are the highlights and lowlights of your week?  Highs were probably church and watching the broadcast.  Low was probably walking really far on Friday.  I have had a cold for the last few days.  I think the stress got me sick and also we visited a family that was just getting over colds, finally starting to feel better though.  Elder J kind of has a cold too.
• Are you teaching anyone right now and how did the first week go?  No we are not really teaching anyone right now.  Not really any new investigators and haven't done much tracting.  That is because tracting is not the most effective thing.  Really, it comes down to members like the broadcast said.  We try to contact a lot of  less actives, but can't really get in contact with them.  There is the M family, a less active family from Africa.  We will visit them about once a week.  They are trying to come back to church as much as possible.  Unforunately, they live like 1 hr 45 min. away walking so that takes up most of the day. 
• I'm assuming Monday is your Pday.  Yes,  it is.
• What/who can we specifically pray for to help you and Elder J?  Just to be able to find people and have success because right now it is very slow. 
• What were your first impressions of Pittsburgh?   Pittsburgh is awesome even though I did not see much of it. 
• What about your church? How was the ward? How far do you have to go? Dad said that he thought it was about 25 minutes away. How was your first Sunday?   The church is about 15 minutes away driving, so the sisters will pick us up and take us each Sunday.  The ward is a pretty big ward with lots of young people.  My first Sunday was good,  lots of nice people.   

For Elder Muir's address...email Kristen @ muirutah@yahoo.com

 

Please send me letters, I loving hearing from you other than on pday