Chillin' in Challis

 Hello everyone,

I am currently serving in Challis, Idaho. Unfortunately, it's not a Spanish speaking area, but my companion is from Argentina! So he has been helping me, although it is a little hard to understand a native because he speaks so fast and has an accent. But it is really beautiful here! It's a very small town with lots of mountains all around and lots of farmland. My first day we spent about an hour stacking maybe 100 hay bales 50 pounds each. Welcome to Challis. I don't know exactly, but I'm pretty sure the population here is from 1,500 to 2,000. 
Also real quick, this past Sunday we drove an hour to the Stanley branch and it is so so beautiful. They don't have a building and they share with a really small Catholic church. It is very different but so so cool. There were big windows behind the pulpit and big mountains in the distance, as well as stained windows running down the sides of the building. I had never been to a church like that so that was a really cool experience.
Funny stuff:
    1. I got 4 baptisms on my very first day!! Well technically they were all 8 year old kids in the Challis Ward, but still. It was cool though and definitely felt the Spirit!
    2. Also on my first day we had dinner at the Stevens and I accidentally hit a little girl in the face with a volleyball... my b. We were playing "kill" with some of the kids and I very lightly threw the ball at like a 12 year old boy but he dodged and it hit her and she ran inside crying. But all the kids told me I was fine because she's dramatic so I'm good.
    3. When all the newbies got to Idaho they had us go in a circle and introduce ourselves and say something we liked about the MTC and this suuuuper nerdy looking kid said "I had an amazing experience in the temple. You know what, I'll tell you guys. I saw my wife and kids. Like fr. And guys they are soooo cool." Bro whaaaaaa. Homie is tweaking. He said his hobby was school. So that's really fun.
Spiritual stuff:
     1. One thing I've been thinking about is that Jesus Christ had agency too, and he still chose to suffer for our sins and die on the cross for us. I've just never really thought about it before and it was super humbling. At the end of the day he had the choice whether to go through it or not, but he did it for us! And a quote I've been hearing on the mission is that Jesus Christ gave everything for you, so give it all back. That especially applies in the mission field but it can apply back at home too!
     2. I finished the Book of Mormon last week!! Ether 12 and Moroni 7 were so so good. They both talk about faith and charity in such detail. It was really fun to grab a colored pencil and highlight every time I saw the word faith in purple, and charity in pink. I would invite you guys to do that too! Will you do that? Haha little joke because they teach us to always give an invitation but also to be direct and make sure they say "yes (i will)" rather than "We invite you to read this chapter before our next visit." "oh um ok sure." Just a lil joke. anyway...
    3. At church this past Sunday, a guy bore his testimony and said something I really liked. He said that to have faith we "choose to trust" in the Savior and His Atonement. I just really liked that.
Good week. Excited to serve. Knocking doors was honestly fun because some people get really awkward and are very quick to say "uhh not interested bye" and it just makes me laugh. It's cool here but I hope I get my visa soon!! 
Thank you for reading. If you are still here you are either a real homie or you are very bored. Or you just skimmed the whole thing. Not cool man. Not cool.

Pictures from the last week at the MTC:
Elder Cooper

Elder Connolly



With Branch President and his wife

With another teacher (in front, red tie)





Elder Bectell, also called to Medellin








A few pictures from my new area:

Arriving missionaries at Idaho Falls temple

with Elder Botarri



President and Sister Becker


Sister Van Slooten




Church in Stanley




Farewell.

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