Letter from Kelson - Week # 57 - I was PARTIALLY KIDDING!!! O_o Oops!

Good Morning From Sunny California!!!

I LIVE!!! Now, tell me who the Lord wants me to go baptize this week! ( Modified Movie Quote, if you guess you will be awesome)

I am now serving my time here in the great place of Stockton, CA, which is always given a bad rap for its gang violence and its drugs and its all around danger to people who walk around all day just trying to talk to people about Jesus. Now i want to make everything perfectly clear...this is all true, however, I have been placed in a part where there is a very nice group of people; very little crime, except for the occasional stolen car; and the people are usually pretty open. I live pretty close to the northern border of Stockton, so there isn't the inner city gang junk going on, plus, there are all sorts of neighborhood watch programs everywhere, so they keep us pretty well maintained and alive. If you were worrying about my safety, stop it, but if you were worried about my sanity, please continue...I figure the more the better. 

I have also told a bit of a white lie, but it was unintentional. I was told last Monday that my companion was going to be Elder Rivas, and I was super excited...but then i received a phone call from the mission president Tuesday evening, after i wrote home, that he needed me to train another missionary. 

"May we have a moment of silence for my poor companion"

(Please wait about 10 seconds before proceeding, if you go before the 10 seconds you are just cruel and insensitive, if you go too long, what is wrong with you?!?!?! I am not that bad!)

My area is one that is pretty nice, however, I feel i must tell you of the events that have occurred this week. 

We come in to our new place on Wednesday, we have no Area Book (very important, it is like the area's bible), we have no phone, we have no map (also very important), we have no ward directory (yet another important thing) and we have some bike trouble...Oh did I mention we had no phone (that is like the most important thing, it is like the Book of Mormon for the area!).  Now for me, I know what I need, I know how we should proceed from this point and what is going to happen, my companion on the other hand, has no idea...He just came from the MTC and he is just now experiencing missionary work first hand. It was a bit crazy.  It gets better, so don't worry your little head. We just go out and hit the ground running like the missionaries of old. We knock doors, we talk to all sorts of "interesting" people, we find some members, we even found ourselves a couple of investigators. YAY!!! When we came in for the night on Wednesday, we actually had quite the successful day if you ask me, considering our situation. Then as the week went on, we got a ward directory, we got some teaching records of some former investigators and we finally got a phone Friday night. Today, we have almost everything we need and it has only taken a couple of days to make it happen, but that just goes to show you that if you just go out and work, things will get better. The members here are super awesome, they love missionaries and they also now have 2 sets of missionaries serving in the same ward, thus why we didn't have anything. Now they get to feed 4 missionaries instead of 2, but it seems they have that covered. Elder Badger and I (That is his name, he is from Mapleton, Utah - right outside of Provo) have been provided for and we will never starve. I have found a catchy phrase that the kids should start using now a days...it is  "a Closed Mouth doesn't get Fed" and for those who really know my personality and my quirks I really never shut up, maybe for the occasional sacrament meeting, but then I go right at it, talking up a storm. I am a pretty big windbag! and PROUD OF IT!!! Now I must go repent for my pride. 

The Work is awesome, I plan on being better with pictures home, but if I send them all home, then what will I talk about when I get home?  I have to look for job security here, the market isn't the best.  I love you and hope that all continues to go well. "Peace I leave with you and Peace I give unto you" - Jesus Christ

Love ya,

Elder Wheeler

P.s. MOM!!!! I know you are so happy that I didn't forget this time, but please check over my work and capitalize my "i's"...Thanks a bunch and any other TYPOS!!!! love ya