21 More Months

Dear Loved Ones,

THE SHAMROCK SHAKE IS GONE!!!!!!!!  I didn't get one in time.... next year for sure.  I just don't get it though, they had the ad up and everything at McDonald's and then when I asked for one, they said they were all out.  TAKE THE AD DOWN!!!

I mostly just love to say Doritos Locos Tacos really fast.  We haven't gone to Taco Bell this week.  Probably for the best....

Dang, I think I probably missed that talk about the BofM and the Bible.  Conference is like the busiest weekend of a missionary's life.  We were significantly late to like 3 sessions.  I was bummed.  We didn't even get any investigators or less-actives.  I was such a failure this week.  But Conference was much needed.  Fawn, I basically wrote in my journal last night exactly what you said about feeling totally awful afterward because I'm not doing enough, but so happy at the same time because there's that renewed dedication and hope to rescue people (and myself).  Definitely at least half of those talks were given DIRECTLY to me (in regards to my relationship with my comp.).  I'm the worst companion ever.

Yeah, I was surprised at how easy the banjo is to play.  And that book looked super helpful.  I mean, I only played it for a total of like 10 minutes maybe in the month I had it, but it seemed like it'd be fun to learn.

As far as the keyboard goes, I've almost got Canon down.  Yeah, I jumped from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to Canon.  Not a good idea I guess, but I wanted to learn something that was actually cool/useful.  I'm going to hit that Hymn Book pretty hard after I've got Canon under my belt.  I was sight reading some Hymn's last night.  It's pretty easy if you just recognize what the key is and recognize the intervals written.  Sometimes that's not so easy though...

Anyway, we didn't see Sis. W (Thanks for your help at keeping things anonymous Fawn.  I know it wasn't something I thought of at first, but then I was feeling really bad and was like, "Bert, you idiot! You can't be using people's real names!!!") this week.  We tried to on like, Tuesday, but she didn't answer her phone/door/pager/bathroom window.  Her visiting teacher called us later that night and told my comp. that she Sis. W. said we had gone over and given her a blessing just as she requested.  That didn't happen.  We think she checked in to the hospital for detox.  DRUGS ARE BAD PEOPLE!  BTW, has anyone heard of Bath Salts?  They're out of control over here and every ER is swamped with these people doing this new drug.  It's really strange.

SUCCESS!!!  We were tracting the projects again this week (soooo much fun to meet some of those people...) and we ran into a Spanish guy that only spoke......... yep, Spanish.  So I give him my new and improved Spanish door approach -- "Como esta?  Somos de La Iglesia De JesuCristo De Los Santos De Los Ultimas Dias (or whatever).  Quieres hear our mensaje?"  HE SAID YES!!! I mean.... "SI!!!"  But then I panicked and was like, I can't actually share our message in Spanish, so I told him we'd come back with someone who could...........  Dang.

You got the wedding photos, Fawn!!!??  Just in time for your first Anniversary!!!  Awesome.

They're gonna do it?  The flooring is happening?  Way to go.  Did they get the good stuff?

Sweet!!! Thanks for getting me that GPS.  Now I'll have money for groceries.... or other mischievous stuff  ;}  I can almost guarantee that I'll love those modifications.  Did you get Marge Simpson's voice or something to give me directions?

There's a street here in Johnson City called  Bert St.   I'll get a picture before I leave... maybe more than just a picture...  ;}

Okay, so there's this restaurant here run by Amish people called the Farmer's Daughter (did I already tell you about it?).  And IT'S AWESOME!!!  It's all like, home-cooked food, all you can eat and it's served homestyle.  You just sit down and they start bringing you food.  Like twelve different sides including green beans, fried green tomatoes, etc. and rolls and two kinds of meat.  Then you walk out the store and pay as you leave a fixed price.  It's like eating at home, but not your home. Ya know?  Maybe it doesn't sound so great to you guys...  I'll stop.

I don't know what else to say.  Like I said, this week was pretty awful.  One of our investigators is still not convinced that we need organized religion and the other one is just so agreeable and says 'yep' to just about everything we say that it's tough to know exactly how much she understands.  I'm on it though, so don't worry.

Oh yes, we were just visiting someone at the hospital last week.  Although, I was about to put that guy in the hospital..... by blowing his mind with my insane knowledge.  JK. LOL. but not really.

Man, I feel like I really had something else to say, but I guess not.  I guess I'll talk to you guys later.  I love you all so much.  Only 21 months left.  No big deal.

Love,
Elder Grabinger

P.S.  After conference, remember James 1:22.  Remember, "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day; But TEACH a man to fish, and that's better for some reason..."  and you can quote me on that.