Elder Calvin B. Smith letter written 09/28/09

Dear Family,

Dad, I am really excited to hear about your job! Which car are you driving out to Rancho Cucamonga? That sounds like a really long commute!

I have played the piano in meetings. I played the organ in church last Sunday, I wasn't given much warning. I was playing prelude, and the organist didn't show up, so the bishop asked me to play 5 minutes before the meeting started. I did ok, it wasn't the greatest BUT lots of people complimented me. A few people said it was really nice to hear a more traditional sound coming out of the organ. You see, the ward organist always puts the vibrato so the tone wavers.

I did fix the flat tire myself. I had seen another missionary change a flat earlier in the week. I just did what he did, it wasn't too hard to figure out.

I think it is so funny the other Elders in our district...one elder kind of forced the other to live the law of consecration. The other Elder was a newbie like me so he didn't know any better, so he went with it. The one Elder who wanted to live the law of consecration - buying food together - one card, one pantry - tried to persuade us other Elders in the district to do it too. He tried to sell us the idea explaining all the supposed "benefits." Now they are both out of money for this week until the new MSF comes. I didn't say anything to them but I can't help but laugh to myself. I think they will be ok. What really confuses me is why any missionary would want to do that. So when we went to Walmart today with them they didn't buy anything. I almost felt bad but not really. On the way home they started asking each other what they were going to eat. They determined they would eat at Wendy's. Strange, I think, they have no money to buy real food at Walmart but they can afford a $6 meal at Wendy's afterwards. Not too smart in my opinion. they could have bought 6 boxes of Mac and Cheese for the money they paid for that one meal. I didn't feel too bad for them after that.

Oh well. I love your letters! Like I said in the email, it has been slow so I don't have much to write about. Sorry.

Love,
Elder Calvin B. Smith

PS How necessary is oxy-clean! It's way expensive! I have not bought any yet.