For the shoes, if you can't get them replaced for free, then just send the card and I will buy shoes here. That way I can be sure that they fit and are the style I want.
This week was really kind of crazy. A lot happened. To start, after I got done emailing you guys, we got a call saying that my companion was getting Emergency Transferred (E.T.). An E.T. is a switching companions on a day other than Transfer day. We don't know why it happened. So I have a new companion, Elder Tropia. He was my last Zone Leader (ZL), so we are just having a great time. He is Filipino. He is just 6 months older than me in the mission, but he has been a ZL for 9 months now. He is the oldest ZL in the mission. He is teaching me a lot on how to be a good ZL. He is from Baguio, which is really close to where the new temple is being built. We had a few meetings this week and exchanges; we have just been running around crazy. We hit a dead spot with the work, but in Branch Council, we got some new names to visit. But this week is not going to be much better, because we have a lot of meetings this week as well. That has been the week so far.
The next two transfers end on Nov. 1 and Dec. 13. From then on just add 6 weeks and that is the end of the transfer.
I wrote some letters so I am expecting some mail in the near future, but other than that I just get Grandma's dearelders, which are greatly appreciated, and the dearelders that you send of Derek and Shalya, I like those as well.
Who have you taught this week?
We started teaching the old Branch President. He is a really cool guy and still cares about the church, but doesn't come to church. He is going to be our focus for the next little bit. Our main goal is help them renew their temple recommends. Another family we are teaching is the De Vera family. They are a partially active family. We are going to work on getting them ready to go to the temple. We also visited a really active member to ask for referrals, and we found out that he is 97 years old. He still comes to church every Sunday and acts like he is 65. He is my favorite member.
Are you working with investigators or with inactives?
Still working with Less-actives, but we are trying to find new people to teach.
When does your companion go home?
My old companion, Elder Wilson, goes home in December. My companion now, Elder Tropia, goes home in April.
Is it hard when you get a new companion? Is it hard to say "goodbye"?
It all depends on the companion sometimes you happy to get a new companion sometime you sad. It all depends.
Not much happened this week either, but I did find a really good scripture that has helped me know what I am suppose to do as a ZL, it is D&C 81:5.
Love you all,
Elder Hatch