Carry on, Carry on, Carry On

Hello all!

This wasn't a particularly eventful week. Monday was disappointing because we didn't get to go up to the Mackinac Bridge, BUT we should be going on Thursday. We called President Jones last night and got permission to switch our preparation day so we'll have two this week (send any emails by Thursday) and none next week. It's the longest bridge in the US - 5 miles long!

Tuesday we did some more work on Kelly's wall and floor. It's going to need a lot more work. I'm sure glad Elder Williams has worked construction for years (he's even been a foreman!) because I have no idea what we're doing. I just hold things.

Tuesday night we drove down to Kalkaska where we got a ride with Elders Jensen and Harper to the half-mission conference in Mt. Pleasant. We spent the night with the zone leaders there. (Did I mention that Elder Mineer is my grandpa? He trained Elder Williams.) Wednesday morning we met with President and Sister Jones and Elder and Sister Maynes (Elder Maynes is a Seventy and I believe he actually spoke in the last Stake Conference I attended in the Valley Forge Stake). It was fun to see a few of the elders with whom I left the MTC and was a really good conference. Elder Maynes mostly encouraged us to refocus our efforts on baptizing by doing the real work of finding and teaching more. Our mission definitely has room to improve and rumor has it we'll be receiving a somewhat biting letter from President Jones in the next few days. It sounds like Elder Maynes gave him a lot of instruction. (Speaking of President Jones, when we called him last night he was in Palmyra! Elder Williams said President rubbed it in that he had been taught by Elder Bednar in church that morning, held in the Peter Whitmer home, and that they are going to the Palmyra temple tomorrow. President Jones said there's still not much chance that we'll get to go to Detroit or Chicago anytime soon.)Also at the mission tour, we picked up a couple of keyboards that Sis. Brunner and Sis. Kidd brought up from the mission office and the thumb, respectively. Why, you ask? Well, I will, hopefully, soon be teaching piano lessons. Elder Williams asked me to teach him and then thought it might be a great finding activity. We'll be offering free piano lessons one night a week at the church (or something like that) and the only cost is for individuals to buy the Keyboard Course booklet sold by the church.

Friday I taught my second lesson (on baptism, the Sacrament, and the gift of the Holy Ghost) and we had trade-offs with the zone leaders, Elder Rau and Elder Hatch. I spent most of the day knocking doors with Elder Hatch. He's a really great missionary. I wouldn't be upset at all at serving with him in the future, but I think he'd have to stop being a zone leader. I don't think I want to do that, ever.

Saturday, Sister Jones didn't allow us to leave the apartment. It was our semi-annual deep-clean day, which she instituted after doing apartment inspections for the first time. Our apartment was already pretty clean - Elder Williams is at least as obsessed with cleanliness as I am - but now it practically sparkles. We shampooed the carpet, I scrubbed all the walls, we cleaned out the stove, the refrigerator, the microwave, and scrubbed every square inch of the bathroom. It was good. I'm really scared to get a companion that won't clean because I know I'll have one. I guess I did fine with roommates, though.

I think I'm going to be really sad when I have to leave Petoskey. I already feel like a real member of the branch here, partially because it's so small and I really do know everyone already. Still, the members are SO great. We had dinner with the Belfords last night and Brother and Sister Belford entertained us on the guitar and the piano. And (Brother Belford taught me to play the banjo! It's way easy. I think I'm buying one when I get home.) They really reminded me of home.

Anyway, things are going well; I can't believe I'm already halfway done with my first transfer! Petoskey is more beautiful than ever; I think the fall colors are reaching their peak. We went for a walk along the bay yesterday, and it was amazing! And the drive to the Belfords was even more amazing - over rolling, country hills with intermingled farmland and forest! I was pretty much basically in heaven.

Love you lots!
Elder Cloward