A Letter to Nicki

Hey Nicki,

How was the birthday?  I hope you liked the card.  I thought it was humorous (well, that is if my picture next to Jennifer Aniston was still there!)  Mom says you made the winning shot the other night.  It sounds like you're having a blast.  Junior year was my favorite year in high school.  It's a bummer that I don't get to see any of your b-ball anymore, but being a missionary is awesome.  It's great to see how the gospel can make people's lives better.  I've been loving every minute out here, no regrets.  Well, maybe I regret not writing as much, but everything I've done out here has been totally worth it!  Let me know if I can get anything for you out here.  I hope I'm still around in June so I can get you a Hoopfest shirt or something.

I love ya a bunch,
Love Lance

It snowed today!!!

Hey Mom and Den,
Well, this week was awesome and we found 5 new investigators to teach!  We set up appointments with all of them, so I'll tell you how those go next week.  Last week we weren't able to do much that was really exciting because we didn't have anybody to teach.  We spent most of our time finding people, but it's all good.  Elder Smith is cool...really knows his stuff, great guy, but a little shy when it comes to talking to people.  And I have a tendency to have lots of people come up and talk to me.  Our ward is awesome!  The Bishop took us out to breakfast and told me about the ward and how we can better help it grow.  I love it here!  It's awesome!

I'm glad Nicki liked her card.  Was my picture still there?  I thought it was pretty funny.  Let me know how I can help you guys.  (I sent letters to the kids, so be expecting those)

I love you guys.  Miss you tons!

Love, Lance

Letter to Dennis January 25, 2010
Hey Den!
Well, things up here are great!  We found 5 new investigators to teach this week after a huge fallout the week before.  All the investigators we had fell off the map, but its all good now that we found some people to teach.  I absolutely  love the area here.  Its great, the ward is awesome and has tons of great tools that we can utilize to increase our work.  The only real setback here is that we could really use a car, but we make due without it.  It was almost warm enough to start biking, but Elder Smith had his bike stolen.  It sounds like BYU is still on a roll, although I don't get as many updates here as I did in my last ward.  I did however hear they beat a pretty good SDSU, but I don't know about anything else.  I figured the SB would be Saints and Colts.  I think it'll be a good game.  I wouldn't mind if either team won.  I look forward to hearing about it.
Well, I love you tons.  Thanks for all you do for me.

Love, Lance

Welome to the LH!

Hey Mom and Den!

Well, the new apartment is way gross!  Missionaries have been living there for 10 years now.  We spent all day Thursday cleaning it....Oh man that was gross!!!  And we only got the main room done!  Elder Smith is pretty cool.  We get along pretty well.  He hasn't seen like any movies, so trying to quote movies with him doesn't work too well  :s

Unfortunately, we aren't teaching anyone right now.  I got here and all the investigators had been dropped.  And then one of the elders from a different ward got sick and we had to go on exchanges with them.  So I don't know the area at all yet.  Now that I'm senior I can make time for writing letters.  I've been writing the kids back and they should get theirs any day now.

My first Sunday in the ward was Stake Conference and so most of Glenrose still thinks I'm in their ward.  My knee is okay.  It only hurts on days when we go walking a lot, but other than that it's good and I've been way careful about it.

So, our week was pretty uneventful due to the lack of being able to work with Elder Howell being sick, but this next week should be great!

I love you guys and miss you tons!

It's Picture Day!

Email AND pictures!  It's a good week!!!  He looks like he's happy and healthy and enjoying every minute of being a missionary!

Sister "Futi's" Baptism Day!

 

Pres. & Sis. Palmer

 

Sis. "Bonita's" Baptism Day!

 

Singing away at the Christmas Nativity.

Elder Ririe and Elder Itgel by their Christmas tree and snowman.

They dubbed this "The Christmas Corner".  This was their official tree and as close as they could get to an official Spokane snowman this year!

 

Reunion with Elder Smith, his first companion in the mission field.

 

Sis. Palmer, Pres. Palmer, Sis. Futi, and Elder Ririe

Off To Lincoln Heights!

Hey Mom and Den,
Well, transfers came in and I'm moving a ward away to the  Lincoln Heights Ward.  So I'm really stoked about that!  One, because I'm finally a senior comp (woot woot), and two, because I'm not too far away from everything.  So I'm happy about that.  I'm sad to leave the Clarks though.  They are so great!  I'll be in an apartment this time and that will be a big change.  My new companion is Elder Smith (a different Elder Smith, not the same as the last Elder Smith).  We've seen him and his companion on most P-days so I already know him a little bit.  We have quite a bit in common.

Oh, and I did send you an email last week but the computer I was on kept bugging out. I did send some pictures home last week, so be watching the mail.  (I thought that would get a smile out of ya!)

I miss you tons Mom and Den and I love you even more!

Love, Lance