Welcome to 2009 America!

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

I hope everyone out there had a fun New Years! Cuz I sure did. We had a blast on New Years Eve, the same family that had us over for Christmas had us over for New Years Eve too. We got to play some fun games and had our traditional sparkling cider so I felt right at home. I actually bought the sparkling cider at an Amish Discount Food Store haha. It was wild! We drove down to it right before it got dark, and since its an amish store it doesn't have any electricity so it closes at sundown haha. So we hurried down the aisles before it was to late grabbing stuff off the shelves cuz it was so much cheaper than anywhere. I got this hat with a like a flashlight on it and used it throughout the store and then bought it for fun haha. After we got out of the store we realized we were low on gas so we asked a member where the closest gas station was. They told us it was in Missouri! So since we didn't have any other option we drove across the Missouri border and got gas out of the mission haha. We were in the Missouri Independence Mission. It was my first time in Missouri so that was exciting! I've now been in 4 states on my mission, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota!
This week we pretty much sealed the deal on Moving from Lenox to Creston! We have to wait till February 1st to move there though. I am excited because creston is 8 times bigger then Lenox so that will help.
We had a good New Years Day, we had our first district meeting of the transfer. We drove up to Osceola for it. It's just 4 elders in my district, the smallest I've had on my mission. I am now in my "Black Out Year" which means that every day of 2009 I will be on my mission! I am really excited for this New Year, it will most likely be one of the best years of my life.
This Saturday will be one of the best days of my mission for sure! On Saturday will be having our investigator John Van Patten enter the waters of BAPTISM! On tuesday and saturday of this week we finished up teaching him all the lessons. This Wednesday is his baptismal interview, then saturday is his baptism. Then Sunday he will be confirmed and receive the Holy Ghost! This is only the 2nd time on my mission that I have been in the area when our investigator is baptized! I am so excited to see him make this commitment and I know it will change the rest of his life. He is only 9 years old and he has a lot of life left to serve in the church. His family has recently came out of inactivity so I am so happy that his Father is able to perform the baptism for him and his great uncle perform the confirmation for him. I love being a missionary and being able to assist in changing peoples lives forever. It is like nothing else in this world and the greatest work I could ever be involved in.
Well, I can't believe my birthday is coming so fast! (January 16th by the way) I can't believe I am going to be 20 years old already! Time flies when your having fun.
Until next week,
keep it real!
LO
VE Elder Morain