Elder Joseph Janson, California Santa Rosa Mission: November 30, 2015 Eggnog season!

Hello everyone,

Well it's been crazy! We didn't know transfers until they happened on
Tuesday, and President literally went through every companionship as
we are all sitting there waiting. It was so intense! He would read the
area and the missionary staying would stand up. Then he would read out
the new companion in the area, then you got up and sat next to your
new one. It was bad waiting for it, but defiantly brought excitement
to the meeting. My new companion is Elder Waites, he just left his
first areas Crescent City, and it certainly is different down here
than the tip top of the mission! He was surprised it is kinda cold
here haha. He's a short little half Japanese guy, and is super chill.
His Ward he was in at home is in Joplin, Missouri, so he says he's
from there, but his family moved there three weeks before he left.
He's lived in Beijing, New Delhi India, Zimbabwe, you name it. He's a
bit more cultured than I hahaha.

Well as you can see it is egg nog time, so I buy egg nog every week
and it brings me joy. We are starting our new Christmas video
initiative, "A Savior Is Born." Many of you have probably seen the new
video. Check out Christmas.mormon.org. It is a pretty sweet
interactive site. I can't believe it is my second Christmas out here,
it's bringing me back to greenie days. It doesn't go slow that's for
sure!

We had thanksgiving at the Maldonado's in our Ward. They have a bunch
of kids, like 6, under 11. It is interesting there and sister
Maldonado had 7 pies for us! Haha she was expecting 4 elders but now
the Ward is only us two, so it's shaking things up a little bit.
Thanksgiving we played the Turkey Bowl in the morning with the ward,
simply two hand touch football. We pretty much had permission to play
sports all day, so we did, and we hurt for about 3 days after. It hurt
so good! We also climbed the hill next to the stake center here, and
that made it worse. I have pics.

For district meeting, we talked about the first couple principles of
the plan of salvation. Sister Moore is in the YSA Ward here and I
asked her to teach about the Fall. Well what does she do? She brings a
box of jelly belly jelly beans, that has about ten good flavor a, but
for each good flavor, it has a bad flavor bean that looks just like
one of the good ones. There was stinky sock, skunk spray, dog food,
lawn clippings (which I actually liked) and everything else. Let me
tell you, the relief society room smelled like barf and weed and lots
of things mixed together hahaha. I think the point was knowing the
good, but also the bad, opposition.

It's been a good week, and we didn't teach so much, as it is pretty
hard a holiday week. But I'm so excited to work with these new
investigators we have now with the combined areas. It is going to be
an adventure. I hope you all know I love the savior, and this time of
year is such an amazing time to share him, and show his light through
us. I pray we all can.

I love you all.

Elder Janson