Arizona Week 30 - Five Forests

Hello Everyone,

Transfers were this week. I have been moved to the Pinetop area in the White Mountains. I'm sad to leave the area in Mesa. I had made good friendships with many of them. Nevertheless, the Lord has a task for me to complete here, and I will work hard to do it. My new companion, Elder Burggraaf, is from Alpine, Utah. He got into the mission a transfer after I did. He's a really nice guy, and I think that we'll work well together. 

Before leaving Mesa, I was able to help out a family that hopes to be sealed in the temple. We've become close with them. The missionaries in that area will soon move into the same apartment complex that they are and so will be their neighbors. We helped clean and organize the garage attached to their apartment. It used to be the maintenance shed and so it was full of all sorts of random junk. The whole job took about 4 hours and it looked dang good when we got done. They had their baby boy blessed on Sunday, and we were able to participate in the blessing. 

Elder Davis was pretty upset that I wouldn't be in the same apartment as him up until he goes home. We had become really good friends over the past few months. 

Transfer day went smoothly. I got pretty much everything packed up. In my new area, we will be driving a truck instead of a car or being on bicycles.  I have been assigned as the driver of our Chevy Colorado. Also, we have a quasi smart phone because the other phones don't get enough service in the mountains. 

The drive up to my new area was so pretty. I didn't realize that Arizona actually has trees. It took about 3-4 hours to get here. Of interest, we drove through five National Forests on the way here. We live in a garage that has been converted into a studio apartment. It is 40 degrees outside and there are little patches of snow around where we live. I'm excited to be here and to have a new opportunity to serve in another area. 

I hope you all have a good new year and that you accomplish the things that you want to. I hope you all have a great week.

Elder Kirk