Well they moved p-day to Tuesday this week, that's why I'm doing my e-mail today. So far I actually am really enjoying this area! My first area is Orofino Idaho! Never heard of it? neither have I. haha, I'm living in a motel, the owners are LDS and they have a room set aside specifically so missionaries in the area have somewhere to live. Obviously that means that there are several things I won't have to worry about while i"m in Orofino. i don't have to pay do do my laundry because the owner, Brother C., gives us quarters to use the motels machines. he insists that its because he refuses to make any money off of the missionaries. They provide us with towels and all of our bedding. The housekeeper comes in once a week and gives us clean blankets and fresh towels. They just ask that we keep the room as clean as we can so she doesn't have to work around all our stuff.
I left my camera on in the church where we did orientation so they are holding onto it for me in the mission office until I can get it tomorrow. That really sucks because this is probably the most beautiful place I could be. Orofino is in a valley but I think of it as more of just a canyon. The mountains are everywhere! i don't think i want to leave. There are so many trees and wildlife is all over the place. there are so many deer that they are considered a pest. On Saturday we counted 47 deer. but we normally see about 20 or so a day. They like to chill in peoples yards.
This is definatly a driving mission. There are so many hills that we have to drive up that I sometimes I worry the Jeep won't be able to make it to the top on half of them. These hills are so steep that you almost feel as though you are driving vertical. Along with the really hilly neighborhoods, half the houses we visit are up really long drives in the mountain passes.
Cats. They are everywhere! Cats and dogs probably outnumber the people. I am yet to meet someone who doesn't own more than one cat or dog.
Another thing I want to point out is that There aren't very many people here under the age of 50. Which means I'm being really well fed. Whenever we eat dinner with members we end up taking a lot of leftovers with us when we leave. Also, because this is a really popular fishing and hunting area our dinners normally consist of fish and something with venison, particularly spaghetti and lasagna.
The peopel are fun. One of the first guys I met was a non-member, but he absolutely loves the LDS church. But for some reason he doesn't want to be baptized. He sang for the Mormon tabernacle choir and is currently the church organist. Not our church, EVERY church. He plays the organ every Sunday for all the churches in the area, he rotates which one he plays at. He had an Organ in his house. He played it for us along with his accordion. Oh! he also showed us his bug collection. It was a closet full of displays of all sorts of bugs, crazy stuff. He also has two tanks full of walking sticks and hissing cockroaches. he wanted me to hold a hissing cockroach and I politely declined.
I met him on my first day but I've met lots of people since then. Mainly we visit members so we can ask for referrals
We do a lot of visiting with inactive members. Its a really slow area because everyone already belongs to a church of some sort and are happy where they are. Which isn't a bad thing, it just means we don't have very many people to see. We've been doing a lot of service. Mainly moving firewood for people.
Well this letter is long so I should prolly stop typing haha, I'm sure i'll have more things to say in the following weeks to come.
-Elder Rebalkin
p.s its P-day so I'm gonna do some hiking!