Or else my bike will go on the roof...

I just got done reading your email, and I was actually laughing in the library and people were looking at me. You described that story very well! :) I miss my Pups!

 I love you Mommy :) And you ARE a tired old mommy.. :) I can't even tell you how many times I see a southern lady yelling at her kids, and I think "Have I ever told you you're a good Mommy?" And it makes me laugh and miss you all at once!

I say those things in my head so often it would make you laugh! Also, the other day some lady yelled "Get out of the road!" As she drove by, and all I could think was "Or else my bike will go on the roof.." Hahaha So I thought I would tell you about that. :)
Those pictures are the best! I miss snow so much! It has been pretty cold here though, it wouldn't surprise me if we got an inch of snow. Cold here is very different from Cold in Utah. I love seeing the look on peoples faces when I talk about being used to a couple feet of snow at least! When it snows here, everything shuts down, schools, stores, roads, everything! All because of an inch of snow! Haha And people are so bad at driving already, that the accident rate sky-rockets if there is any ice or wet anything on the ground. People in the south are terrible drivers. I am just so happy the Lord is protecting us. :P
The Ped-sheds are amazing! I got them on Thursday and I have been wearing them ever since! I love them so much! I can bike and walk all day without my feet hurting even a little! :) So that is much appreciated. :) We will be eating Thanksgiving dinner at the Crossens' home, unless I get transferred. Transfers are 2 days before, so I won't know until I leave. :/  I am super praying that I'll get to stay, because I love this area. They usually keep Elders and Sisters in their area's for about 6 months, and I will have only been here about 4. So I shouldn't get transferred, but there is always that possibility. :P
Missionary work is so great! We have 6 people preparing for baptism right now, and we have 2 girls getting ready to be baptized this Saturday! And...... I get to baptize one of them! The other girl wants me to find out if Elder Sumner can come back to baptize her, and that might be a possibility, so I am going to call President Holm and find out today. :) I am so excited to baptize someone!! :)
Elder Harris and I do a lot of knocking, so we have a lot of new people to teach, and most of our days are full of appointments.
The Clows' absolutely LOVE the gift you sent them, and it was nice to see something that looked so familiar. :) Sister Clow sounds like she is very fond of you. I really think that you should come visit them when y'all come through on your trip. :)
OH! ALSO! We get to go through and do a session before Christmas! :) We all get to see the new video! We are all so excited! You have no idea! :)
Also, they announced that we would all be getting iPad Mini's pretty soon, like, within the next couple months. :) Crazy, right? And Elder Bednar is going to be coming and speaking to us in the mission pretty soon. They are just spoiling us! ;D I love you Momma! You are the best Momma in the world!

Lockdown!
~The missionaries were in their apts with all the doors locked by 6pm on Halloween

Elder Gundersen made his Comp mad, so he calmly walked over 

and poured a whole box of cheerios on his head.

Elder PumpkinHead :)

Momma!
Thank you so much for all you do :) You are most definitely my favorite! I love you so much! I loved the pictures you sent me! :) I haven't seen Jayce in too long! I miss him so much. :) And the missionary that said he was in the MTC with me looks way familiar! Where did you see them?
Halloween is this Thursday, and the missionaries have to be in our apartments by 6 unless we are eating with a member, then 7. We have to lock our door and stay inside until the next day. So today, we are stock piling on candy and treats and we are going to pig out haha :) Also, today for our P-day, we are being driven around by brother Clow. So we are going to shop, then go home and write letters and play some Tennis on the courts in our complex, (Elder Harris and I have both gotten pretty good at Tennis) Then at 3, we are all (Elders and Sisters) going over to the Clow's to Carve pumpkins and play some games! :) We're so excited!
This last week has been SO COLD! Apparently, it gets super cold here! I dare say that it gets colder than it does in Utah! Because of the humidity when it is 35 degrees, it feels like it's 10!  But it has been a very nice break from the heat. :) Suit season isn't even that bad when it's freezing! I am usually wearing Gloves and my jacket, and today I will probably buy a scarf.  The difference in how cold it is when you have a scarf around your neck is very significant! haha I hope that my spending isn't upsetting you, I am really trying to be careful with money. I was going to ask if it would be okay for me to go buy some warm stuffs. :) And will you send me some thermal Garments maybe? They'd be nice during the winter. :)
Elder Harris had his bike break, so we took it in on Thursday and we are getting it back today, so he has been riding a woman's bike since then. :P I can imagine that he is quite pleased to be getting his normal bike back! :) Starting at the beginning of November, we will have miles on our car again, so we won't have to ride our bikes nearly as much.
We are teaching a bunch of really awesome people, and we have 3 baptisms coming up. :) Elder Harris is really focusing on teaching me exact obedience in everything that we do, I am also seeing all of the blessings that come from being exactly obedient. :) I have been writing in my journal every day and I am finding a new love for it. I don't feel like a day is complete unless I get to put something in my journal. So I am really excited to have that. I am going to need some more paper to refill it in a month or so, however. I hope that doesn't pose a problem. I have been thinking about the family a lot lately, and I have been extra diligent and focused on praying for all of y'alls safety. Especially with my little brother driving now, I want to remind y'all to please drive safe. The drivers out here are so awful compared to Utah drivers, But I know God is taking care of me in all my actions, as long as I am doing his will, he won't let me get hurt. Please just make sure you're being careful when you drive.
Also, little miracle moment. My ankles have been acting up a ton. Hurting enough that it was hard to walk, well, I prayed about it, and stopped wearing my brace, and I have been exercising it every minute I can, and it hasn't hurt for days. :) I love it! I love you!

These Halloween pictures were sent this evening by The Clow's. Joel adores them and, as you can see, he is have a wonderful time at their home as always!

~We are really hoping this is a member's dog ;) you just never know!!!
At the end of the mission we will have to count how many pictures he has of animals and bugs :) 

This is us doing service :P

And we dressed me like a hipster one day :P haha

The Members we see... :P Haha   ~Halloween???

Transfer week

The Cipriano Family

The Ciprianos' are probably my favorite Family. :) they are such a loving and caring family. I don't remember if I told you this, but they have (I think) 9 kids.  Haha and their 19 year old son Preston is probably my new best friend! He and his Dad are going to take us fishing for P-day sometime soon. :) I am so excited! haha I Really love everyone here! :) 

Momma, transfers were hard..I miss Elder Sumner a lot, and it was hard to leave him. Everything is fine though, it was a very spiritual meeting, and I was happy afterwards.. :)

Last pictures with Elder Sumner

(Photo sent by The Clow Family)

Elder Sumner is in Greenville, His new Comp is my MTC District leader, Elder Cory Farnsworth. :) One of my best friends! 

My new comp lived up by the Leatherbees on Redwood! 

Haha his name is Elder Jayson Harris. :)

Elder Harris and I get along WAY TOO WELL! Haha he loves Dr. Who, and a bunch of other stuff that I love! And his Mommas name is Cynthia. :) Lots in common! He's been out about 13 months

(Photo sent by the Frost family)

We've been escorting the elderly around the fair all day. :) Haha it was great!

The Elderly.. :)

Ba-ah-ah-ah!!

(Photos sent by Sister Mechling ) 

This week has been pretty crazy because of the new companion and transfer week and all that. I have realized that taking over an area is a lot of work, but it is so much fun! I have been having to take it easy because my ankle has been acting up pretty bad despite stretching and exercising it daily. I called the mission nurse and she told me to ice it, take ibuprophen, and she would get in touch with our mission doctor and see what he wants to do, but other than that I couldn't be better! Friday night, the AP's dropped us off a car. FINALLY! :) We are sharing it with the other Elders, and we are so grateful for it. It will help my ankle and let us be way more productive! Elder Harris and I have way too much fun doing missionary work together, he and I come up with games and we are constantly laughing and playing around. (While getting things done, of course) But he plays this one game, where I will knock on a door and he will say something like "You have to use the word Seashell in this contact." It is so hard and so much fun. Hahaha But I have had so much fun in the last few days, it seems like I've been with him my whole mission, and it's only been a couple of days! I am working on writing in my journal every day, and I am really finding a new love for it! And it feels weird if I don't write in it! It's becoming a habit. :) I might need some new paper soon! :P also, I had a couple things I wanted to ask you about,
Will you get in touch with Daniel and have him write me please :P I miss him, Tell Ashley to write me too :)
Also, I have those brown slippers in my room that Grandpa Barker gave me, could you send those to me?
I have found a new love for weird and ugly or unique ties. So send me any you find. :)
I am just getting happier and happier! :) Especially with another great companion like Elder Harris! :) He and I get along so well, it's like he could be my brother! :)
Momma, I love you more than anything or anyone. :) I am completely lost in the work, and I am closer than ever to my Savior. :) You are my happy thought. :)

Peanut farm

Morning Momma! :)
This week has been pretty interesting! We got our transfer calls Saturday night and I am losing Elder Sumner to another Area :(   I am sad. But, He is going to do great and I am excited to get a new companion! We have somewhat been on fire this last week, we have 5 people on date to be baptized! :)
I sent 2 letters home at the beginning of last week, One for Sawyer and one for Savannah, have they not gotten them yet?
We have been having a blast lately! We went on exchanged with the Zone Leaders very randomly Friday morning to Saturday. We did a ton of service over at a less active member's home and did a huge overhaul on his yard, front and back. :P His neighbor came over to see what we were doing, and he talked to us for quite a bit. He was a quirky old guy named Jerry (Sound familiar?) He told us that we could dump all of the yard debris in his back pasture for compost. He has 200+ acres of peanut farm! He told us to go pick a plant to see how ripe they were for him. Elder Taylor and I walked back and we were both pretty confused, because there were no peanuts on the little bushes. He yelled from his back porch " Pluck one up and bring it here!" So I grabbed one, pulled it out of the ground and, guess what?
Peanuts grow underground!
Hahaha I had never known that and I didn't shut up about that for the rest of the day!
Jerry thought it was hilarious that I didn't know that and he had us crack a couple open and eat them. They were delicious! He told us that we could come back any time we wanted and go through his back yard to pick some. He then had us fill a black garbage bag full of them and he sent it with us. I have been eating peanuts since then :P I am thinking about attempting to boil them like everyone here talks about. :P It was so cool! You'll have to ask Uncle Jerry if he has ever grown peanuts. :P
Elder Sumner and I spent a lot of time knocking this week, and we found a couple of really great families that we are going to start teaching! (well, my new companion and I will start teaching) But it should be really great in the next week or so, and I see many baptisms coming from this. :) I am going to be taking over the area this week. I am pretty nervous about that. Elder Sumner says that I am ready, but I don't know how capable I am going to be. I would like to think that I'm ready to, but I don't know. It might just be because I don't want him to leave...
A couple of things that are coming up, is the ward is having their Halloween party on the 25th, and...IT"S ON A FARM! AND WE GET TO GO!!! :) I am so unbelievably excited to go :) I talked to the member that owns the farm, he is an older man named Brother Phipps, and he was talking about having my new comp. and me go down and help him prepare the areas on his pasture for the activities, and setting up all the hay rides and such! :)
I am in heaven! Haha
The Ward has really taken a strong turn towards missionary work, and they are all helping us with whatever we need! I am really sorry if this letter is somewhat jumbled up. I am really excited and anxious about all that has been going on, and especially about getting a new companion. It still feels like I am just barely getting here and like I have only been with Elder Sumner for a short time.
I AM DONE TRAINING TODAY! I am no longer a Greenie! :) I love it!
I love you, and I love emailing you. I love knowing that my family supports me and that you're thinking about me all the time.. :)
I love you Momma! You are my greatest strength! I am your happy, sunshiney boy! :)
Love y'all!

This is sister SchauerHamer 

Sister Jackson

Elder Farnsworth is from Moab! :)

Missionary work with Elder Gunderson

District's ice cream and hot chocolate. :)

We found Monster cereal :)

So...I found a kitty..can I keep him? :) 

We named him Elder Darius!

Froggies!

After exchanges...

My spirit has been fed.

Hello Momma! So, I am almost done with my training! It is the last of the first 12 weeks of my mission! Can you believe how fast time is flying by!? I can't! We have had a pretty good time so far! The last week we had an LTM (Leadership training meeting) And so we had tons of elders in our apartment, it is so messy! Hahaha we have a deep cleaning session coming up pretty soon! 

We also had General Conference, and it was AMAZING! Conference is a totally different thing when you're a missionary! You get so much more out of it than any other time! I took like 10 pages of notes! Or more, all I know is that I could barely bike home because my hand hurt so much afterwards! 

Conference was such a great experience though, I cried when they sang our Hymn, because I could see you singing it and feel the love of you thinking about me. I loved listening! And the other Elders made fun

of me because I was weeping for a lot of it :P But, that's what the Spirit will do to you. ;) 

We went to American Roadside Burgers (This awesome burger joint kinda like Blue Moon) And we get the Route 66 burger. Well, this time the manager came out, told us that he loves seeing us around, especially in his store, told us that he was Mormon, and gave us all of our orders for free! Hahaha it was so cool! I love Latter-Day Saints. :) 

Thank you for sending me those pictures by the way, it's really cool to see you with my companions mother :P 

I got your package with the DVD's and stuff. Thank you! And I enjoy the Stroop waffles, they are really yummy! I keep the in my backpack while riding around. :) It is so nice that Isaac is getting baptized! I didn't know that he wasn't! I always just pegged him as a member! I wish I could go! Has he been talking to the Elders? 

I miss Jayce! How is my childhood brother? He'd better write me!

Suit season begins today! We have to wear our suits everywhere we go unless it is above 75 degrees outside...like today haha. So, I am getting ready to sweat a lot and having to go to the dry-cleaners a lot. Although, I am getting really good at laundry! :)

I like having machine washable slacks, because they do get pretty dirty! I have only taken out 4 of my white shirts too, because I want to have some fresh ones as soon as I hit my year mark. :) I am getting good at rationing things! :)

Your missionary is just so great Momma! I am loving life! After Conference, I feel like I have just reloaded my weapon of conversion to go out and baptize! I am so rejuvenated and my spirit has been fed!

I love you!

Leadership training meeting

OH!! Haha those pictures! Sister Holm loves taking pictures during stuff like that, 

and I love trying to get into as many of them as I can! :) Because I know you'll see them!

Life is good!

MY GOODNESS!!! MY LITTLE BROTHER IS DRIVING!! :D That is so great! I love that! I can't wait to drive with him! :D Tell him how proud I am of him! That makes me feel old though! :P
I loved the Frisbee! It is so cool, I have always wanted a "Life is good" Frisbee! It brought back so many memories! Also, Stephen told me about the one he got and how happy he is that Y'all sent it. I can't wait to see him after we're done serving! He sounds like her is having so much fun! :)  Thank you so much for keeping in contact with all of my friends while I'm out, everyone loves you! :)
Things are great!
Being a Missionary, you'd be surprised how excited we are for conference! I can't wait to watch it! We are going to take so many notes! Hahaha I am excited to actually be able to, not only get something out of it, but to be able to use it in teaching as well! I really am Giddy about it!

I will probably be in Columbia until January. Most likely. :)
This week has been a week of miracles! We knocked in a few new places, and got 4 new investigators, and we are constantly finding new people! I love it! We have an appointment to meet with one of the new families we are teaching this Thursday. So we are way excited for that! I promise I will be good, careful and obedient! Haha I love you so much

Hahaha I just got a new investigator in the library. She's a 17 year old who lives in our area. She asked what I do, I told her the whole "I'm a missionary from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" And asked her if we could teach her and her family, and she gave me her number and address and stuff :P Hahaha
so weird
I love you Momma!

 God gave me a little reminder on riding my bike safely though..:P It was raining super hard again yesterday, and we were cutting through a parking lot and I was going way too fast. I braked and my back end slid to the side and I hit the ground and slid about 10 feet. :P The ground was wet and I was wearing my G's, so I didn't get hurt at all. I stopped on my back somehow, so I threw my hands and legs in the air and screamed "WOOOO!!!!" Haha then got up and rode home...slower.. :) But things are really great! We are having a ton of fun! The only thing injured was my belt.

Drove past this the other day :)

Happy Birthday Sawyer!

So, we are at the library a little bit early this morning because we were taken out to breakfast by someone in our ward. :) We enjoy that a lot haha It is starting to cool down in the mornings a lot here too! I am actually wearing a hoodie right now! :) I love this hoodie so much I might have to go buy another one! :) Tell Justin that I'm a hoodie Ninja! ;) He'll get it.
It hasn't rained all that much here though, so we are praying that it will start soon! We love the rain! Today we are headed to the museum and the capitol bldg and all of the places where we would need to take pictures, so we will both be taking a lot of pics. Tell Sawyer happy birthday for me!! AND I WANT PICTURES OF HIM DRIVING!!! I can't believe he is already old enough to drive! He is getting so big! I miss him so much! And The picture of Savannah and Hannah made me laugh :P It was cute. I really wish that we could swim! :P
I will look for your mormon.org profile on Thursday!
Yes, in South Carolina they call shopping carts buggies. It was really weird when the first person asked us about it. We were proselyting in an apartment complex, and a security guard from the store across the street was driving around and he asked us if we had seen anyone in a buggy. I was so confused. I was picturing someone in like a little VW bug or a dune buggy. So it's funny that you'd ask that.
Church isn't too different, we are really close to Fort Jackson, so we have a lot of military families coming and going through, but other than that it is just like any other Ward. The LDS Church never really seems to change no matter where in the world you are. :) It is really nice actually. :)
One of the weird things about South Carolina, is they don't use wood-chips or anything like that as ground covering. Every place that we would put mulch or wood-chips, they have pine needles! They call it pine straw. I don't understand it!
Moving M****** was a lot of fun actually, we got to meet her Dad and her brother finally, so that was pretty cool. :) I enjoyed that. :) We got everything packed into the truck and we got a couple carpets and rugs for our apartment, so it looks really great now! We are always looking for things that we can do to make it look better! :)
Yes, we covered the sisters in Whipped cream, we had a bet and whoever baptized someone first got to throw a pie or something like that at the other ones. So we won and we did it. :P It was a bunch of fun and just funny :)
My head is actually doing great! The scab that was there fell off 2 days ago, and you can barely see anything anymore. So that is a good thing. :)
It was actually just me who spoke in church yesterday. Elder Sumner didn't have to talk, but it was kinda cool being on the flip-side of the missionaries talking :P
I am actually not sure how we do our flu shots out here. I imagine we just use our missionary medical cards and go to the doctor in our area, but I will try to find that out for you. :)
On Halloween we have to be in our apartment by 6 at night and we can't leave the apartment. Kinda sucks, but It makes sense. :)
 Haha Looking at your cake made me laugh a bunch too! :)

I love you Momma!

So this is Brady, he is M****** dog that acts just like Ellie. His tail was like a roll of

quarters when he was happy to see you! :P

And this is M****** and me right before she took off for Virginia. :)

We miss her dearly.