Dear Family,

Things are going really well. I haven't made any big mistakes in my calling yet, so they are going well so far. Our new Mission President hasn't arrived yet. He will be here on the first of July…just a couple of days away. I don't know what to expect. He could come in and keep things the same for a while, or he could come in and change things immediately. I am excited to be able to learn from him. I know that he has been called of God, but I am nervous that he will change a lot of things around.

It is good to hear that everything is going well at home. How tall is Levi now? Tell him that he isn't allowed to grow any more. I don't want to have to tilt my head all the way back just to be able to talk to him. It is cool to hear that Levi is trying out the college ward. It will be a great opportunity to meet new people. Also, I have had the opportunity to serve in a ward with Young Student Adults these past few months, and they are so much fun. If it is anything out there like it is here, he is going to have a blast.

I can't believe that Carter Mitchell is old enough to be serving a mission. He will have been out for 6 months by the time I get home. That is really great for him. Actually, it is really cool to hear about where he is going. Four of the missionaries that I was in the MTC with actually went to the Everett, Washington Mission. If you would, get Carter's MTC address from his parents and I will write to him. I want him to say hi to a couple of missionaries for me, and maybe I can give him a couple of pointers. Are there any other members from the ward getting close to going? I sometimes think that when I am out here, everything is just going to stand still at home. It is going to be weird to see the change in people when I come home.

I bet mom had a lot of fun with the quilting. I think that is one thing that she really does enjoy doing,  especially, if it is with friends. How is she enjoying the idea of retirement? It must be a little weird to think about at times, but it must also be somewhat of a relief at other times. What are the Christmas projects that she is working on?

It is good to hear that Grandma is getting to spend some time in Cedar again. I know that she loves being down there. She sent me a letter. I was so happy to receive it. Let her know I got it, and I am so grateful. I also enjoyed the pictures she sent. Also, let her know that I am going to try and write back if I can.

The missionary work is going great. The Millers are still set for baptism. Their date is on July 11th, but we are going to try and change it if we can. If they got baptized on the 11th and then waited a week for their confirmation, that would give Satan an entire week to test them without the help of the Spirit. We just don't want them to have to go through that. We are also working with a less-active named Sarah. Sarah was baptized a member when she was 8, but her family moved out of her town when she was around 10 or 11. They went less active at that point, and many of them haven't been back to church since. Well, she has had a strong feeling for a while that she needs to get back into church. She lives across the street from our Bishop, and she decided to go and talk to him. The really funny thing is that our Bishop didn't know that she was a member until she told him. Things are going great now. We are having meetings with her at the Bishop’s house, and she is doing so well. She came to church last Sunday, and as far as we know, she enjoyed it. The problem is that even though she has a picture from her baptism, church headquarters says that they don't have a record of her being baptized. They do have a record of her baby blessing, just not her baptism. When the bishop told her, she had a hard time at first, but I think that she is OK with it now. I guess that means that we are going to have to baptize her as a convert. The cool thing for her is that it will mean so much more this time. She will understand it, and appreciate it more.

My shoes did arrive, and they are going to do just fine. They look great, and hopefully they will last like the others did, so I don't have to get another pair before I come home. I am doing great with everything else at the moment.

Continue to enjoy summer break. I always remember it going by way too fast. Before you know it, the summer is going to be done, and you are going to have to deal with the cold again. I am not looking too forward to that.

Thanks so much for everything. You guys have done a lot for me. More than you know. Keep working hard. I have learned that hard work pays in the end, and usually when the Lord is involved you end up reaping way more than you sowed. I will be in debt to Him for Eternity. I love you guys very much. Take care.

Love,

Elder Savage