Merry Christmas from Elliot, Elder Soto, and Elder Karl!

What a great Christmas card from Elliot, Elder Soto, and Elder Karl! Matching pajamas?!

Elliot's December 5 email and picture

Hi!

Things are going really well here in Moore! Shaun [pictured below] was baptized yesterday. It was a really cool service. Everyone in our Singles Branch stayed. The entire Relief Society room was full and people were standing in the back to be there. His friend who referred him to the church was the one who baptized and confirmed him and it went well. Elders Soto, Clements and I taught the Doctrine of Christ while they were changing and that was really cool too. All of the Book of Mormons we had to give to the members there to give to their friends were given away. This is good because when Elder [L. Tom] Perry came a month ago he challenged our branch to grow to 100 members, and I believe it can happen.

The Bedlam Rivalry Game (OU vs. OSU) was the most important thing to Oklahomans this past week. Saturday was kind of rough for missionary work because of it. Either no one was home or no one was answering the door. There's a field behind the church in a neighborhood that has two flagpoles, one with an OU flag and the other OSU, and on Sunday morning the OU flag was half-mast. People mentioned it during testimony meeting. Half of the people at our Ward Christmas Party took off 15 before 7 to watch it. As you drove down any street you could see in most windows the game on TVs. On Sunday it seemed like most people were deflated by OU's big loss. Football is a big part of life out here.

[Redacted stuff.]

Transfers are this week!  Elder Soto and I are gonna get Elder Karl as our next companion. We'll be 3 together until Elder Soto goes home on the 20th. I'm excited. Elder Karl was in my district when I was in Noble and he's way awesome. It should be a lot of fun.

Well I gotta run. Love ya!

Elder Elliot

New videos of Elliot!

I found a great surprise in my email last night: two videos of Elliot! He recently had dinner with the Randy Lusk family in Moore, Oklahoma. Elliot is currently serving in the Lusks' ward, the same ward attended by the mission president and my mission companion, John Sorenson. Brother Lusk has a photo studio (Alpha-Omega Productions) and was testing a new camera in his home the evening Elliot and Elder Soto went for dinner. Brother Lusk shot a couple of videos and sent them to me last night. With his permission, I've posted them here on the blog. It's great to see Elliot!


Elliot



Elliot and Elder Soto singing!

Elliot's November 21 email and picture

Here's the latest from Elliot in Moore, Oklahoma.

Hola!

Is the LA auto show going on? It was always way fun going to that. Next year? [Elliot always loved to go to the LA Auto Show. Here's proof.] And I've always wanted to attend the temple in Spanish. That'd be cool for sure. We were told not to during the MTC so I haven't had the opportunity to yet.

This week was awesome! Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with meetings most of the day, but they were good meetings. Then Thursday I wet to Wichita Falls to baptize Adrienne! It was a super spiritual experience. The service was great and it was cool seeing everyone again. Friday I went on exchanges to the Spanish Central area with Elder Christenson (one of my roommates in the MTC). We taught some good lessons and had dinner with the Ramirez family who had me over for Thanksgiving a year ago. Also on Friday I interviewed Amparo, one of their investigators, for baptism. It was the 6th interview I've done and the first in Spanish. I was nervous going into it but soon Spanish just started coming back to me. I love doing interviews. She was baptized on Sunday by Elder Phillips and Elder Soto confirmed her. On Saturday morning, Elders Christenson, Whipple, Garner, and I went to a flea market in Midwest City. They've recently started setting up a booth there and its pretty cool. We got a lot of referrals for our zone and it was fun. On Sunday we met up with Shawn and we're still one for his baptism this coming Sunday, so assuming his interview goes well that'll be awesome. Our other progressing investigator, Jan, is still on for the week after so hopefully everything works out!

Good luck with the temple class! That's exciting. I hope y'all have an awesome Thanksgiving! Say hi to everyone for me.

Love ya!

Elder Elliot

P.S. In the picture is Elder Lang, me, Adrienne, Elder Jacobson, and Elder Talbot