Dear Family,
This last Tuesday I was transfered to a new area, Summerville. It is a really nice area just outside Charleston. It is really different from Greenwood, South Carolina! I basically was transfered from one end of the state to the other, it took a total of about 3 hours riding in two members' cars to get here. I really like Summerville, the ward is fantastic. My companion and I are openning up a new biking area inside the existing Summerville area, putting two sets of missionaries in one ward. The bishopric is very supportive of the missionaries and is giving us plenty to do. Yesturday we sat down and met with him to discuss how we can help out and he gave us a list of part member families and less actives we can work with.
Housing: When I first moved to Summerville I moved in with my companion into a two bedroom one bathroom apartment with two other companionships, for a total of six missionaries in one apartment, with only four beds. It was really tight and mornings were a little crazy. Today my companion and I got moved to a new apartment a few miles away, so we are excited to be able to get settled in. Most of my preparation day today was put into waiting for the final lease agreement information to be settled with the mission apartment manager and the apartment management office, and moving into the new apartment. Elder and Sister Henrickson, the wonderful senior missionaries over housing and cars, helped us move in with the mission van and trailer. They set us up really well with beds, bed frames, a desk, table, chairs, plates, silver ware, pots and pans, and a few other things. It was great! Afterward they treated all six of us missionaries to lunch.
This week went pretty well for a first week in a new area. It was kind of weird because we had preparation day on Thanksgiving, instead of Monday, yet we were allowed to email on Monday. I missed you all at Thanksgiving, but Thanksgiving here was truely epic! (I love southern cooking) My companion and I had Thanksgiving dinner at the second councilor to the bishop's home. He and his wife cook REALLY well. His wife, sister Agrin is a baker by profession. The meal was amazing. Since preparation day was moved to Thursday we didn't start proselytizing until 6pm. Because it was thanksgiving day we didn't want to knock on too many people's doors, so we visited members, less actives, and partmember families. I got to meet a lot of the ward before I went to church.
This Sunday we had one strong church commitment, so we aranged a ride for her but she was not there when the member showed up to pick her up, we were really bummed out. Church here was great, it was almost like a "Utah ward". There were lots of youth and lots of people seated in the pews at church. The only thing this ward seems to be lacking is an organist, which I will be more than happy to supply. I talked to the young teacher who played the piano Sunday for sacrement meeting and he said that the ward pianist had moved out recently, so he was asked to play the piano for sacrement meeting. It sounds like there are not many people in this ward that can play piano,and they have not had some one who can play organ for quite some time. I am excited to try out the organ soon, I have not had a chance to do so yet.
I can not believe how fast time is flying, it seems that just yesturday was Halloween, and we are now speedily entering the Christmas sesson. Its crazy! I am still learning a lot about the gospel and the scriptures, it is amazing how much there is to learn! During our last Zone conference, I think, President McConkie told us about how he used to walk to work part of the way with his dad, and at one street they would split off, he would head off to school and his dad would head off to work. One day as they were walking President McConkie asked his dad Bruce R. McConkie how he learned all he knew about the scriptures, he responded that he learned a lot of it on his mission, studying. That story has really inspired to me to continue to study the scriptures dilligently.
This week my companion and I got a lot of contacts, because we are trying to build up our teaching pool, we got 235 contacts! (the mission standard is 140) I am really excited to be working with my new companion Elder Reves, is an awesome missionary from Southern California, he said that he used to live just outside Orange County. We have three missionaries from California in my district of four. My district leader is from Utah.
I hope you all are doing well!
Love,
Elder Calvin Smith
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