Welcome to December everybody!

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

I've had one of the best weeks of my mission. Lets just say it has been very eventful. On P-day we had most of our zone come to Ames and we played a big game of football. It was really fun until my district leader Elder Gillespie fell and sprained his ankle really bad, and it might even be broken for all we know. We also played some good games of basketball and that was a blast.
On Tuesday I had an interview with my mission president. He told me that I am most likely getting transferred on December 18th. I am really sad that I have to leave Ames. I have grown to love the people so much and it is going to be really hard to say goodbye to them. That would put me at 4 and a half months here in Ames, just as long as I was in Sioux City. I hope a miracle happens so I can stay one more transfer here in Ames.
On Wednesday we had our district meeting and it was amazing. I learned a lot about how someone can be such an influence for good in other people's lives. Elder Gillespie is one of my hero's out here and he has inspired me to be a better missionary and to be excited about this work. I realized how real our power and authority is as full time missionaries.
Thursday was Thanksgiving and I have to say that it was one of the best Thanksgivings I've ever had. We got together as a district on thanksgiving morning and played our annual football game. It was big for me because all my life I've played football every thanksgiving morning so I felt right at home. It was a really fun time. Then we went over to a family named the Excells. Their son is in the MTC right now and is scheduled to fly to the taiwan tapiea mission tomorrow. But due to medical reasons he might have to be reassigned to another mission. The quorumn of the 12 apotlses met together to discuss what should happen to him! It's a pretty big deal and today we will find out his fate. We went to the Saxton family for thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious! Our investigator Heather Burg came to the dinner as well. The missionaries from the Young Single Adult Branch here in Ames also came so i spent thanksgiving with my mtc companion Elder Daniels! I hope all of you had a wonderful thanksgiving as well.
Saturday I had the opportunity to particpate in the 2008 NetFest at Iowa State! It had kids from all over the state from like 4th grade to 8th grade. They played a basketball tournament and we the missionaries were the score keepers for the tournament! It was very legit, we had to run the clock, the scoreboard and keep track of the fouls! I never knew 6th grade boys basketball could be so hard core. The coaches and parents were screaming like crazy, it was a big deal haha. We had all the missionaries in my zone. Some of the missionaries in the fort dodge zone and most in the des moines zone came so it was fun to see all my friends. We started at 730am and didnt get done till like 7pm! It was a lot of fun to get to know the coaches and refs and stuff I enjoyed it a lot. I know have a whole new appreciation for the score keeper when I watch a game of basketball haha.
Yesterday at church we were asked to help out in primary. My companion and I played each other in the game name that tune for my primary songs. The way it worked was if my companion got the song right the jkids got to cut a piece of my tie off! I was kinda sad they ruinied such a nice tie but at the end, I gave my tie to a boy in the primary and I committed him to go on a full time mission when he is older. He said yes and then proudly wore my cut tie. It was good a experience. I never realized the impact we as missionaries make on the kids of the ward.
Well, I hope everyone has a good week and It would really mean a lot to me to hear from some of you. Thank you to all who have emailed me and sent letters they help me so much out here.
Keep it real!
LO
VE Elder Morain