Letter from Mark 14 August 2006

Dear Family,

Well, I'm still in Elkhorn. Elder Griffiths got transfered to Bever Dam with Elder Sizemore (from my MTC district) My new companion is Elder Mangum (a lot of the members have been calling him magnum, Its funny)A lot of the members were shocked to see me still here, but it is nice to stay. things have been picking up recently, and i thought that i was going to leave as they were getting better.

Elder Mangum is cool. he is from Lakeside, Arizona. which is in the eastern part in the mountains. He has been out for about 8 months, he playes the guitar very well, and also playes the piano a little. he said his last couple companions have been a bit lazy, so he is glad to be with someone who will work. he is still getting use to doing gverything we are suppose to do again. It has been fun so far.

We had the first investigator come to church since i have gotten here. his name is willie Tiption. him and his girlfriend had both ordered copies of the Book of Mormon. we taught him for the first time last week. this week when we came he said he saw us pull up, and almost didn't let us in. he told us his girlfriend took his car and money and ran off, so he had to walk home from work (about 15 min is what he said) and clime through the window to get in. he was mad and depressed when we got there. we started reading the book of mormon and he started to feel a lot better and he calmed down. he said he had planned on comming to church this sunday, but now he had no car. we told him we would get him a ride and he was very excited. he had a great time in church. he had a lot of comments and questions for the gospel principals teacher, and after that class. the Brother Taylor(the teacher) grabbed him and had him come and sit by him for priesthood. he explained a lot of different things that came up durring the lesson. Willie enjoyed church and was happy to get two new manuals, gospel principals, and the Wilford Woodruff one. It was great.

Saturday evening we tried stopping by a Less-actives house that we have been working with. her husband isn't a member. they speak spanish and a little english, so it is a bit hard to comunicate, but they are trying to start going back to church, to a spanish branch in Illinois. saturday evening they said that they were busy, but they wanted us to come back on sunday evening. when we did I almost drove past their burnt down house. I saw it, but it didn't recognise the house right away, i saw their kids waiting in the front yard. the whole hose was burnt and was fenced off. they said at 2 A.M. sunday morning their mom woke up, not to the fire alarm, but feeling something was wrong, as she left her bedroom she saw lots of smoke, and yelled at her family to get out. the only thing they saved was themselves and the cloths they were wearing. they told us they were living with their autn nearby and took us to their house. we found out that they had been renting the house, and the owner had been very nice to them, including giving them their security deposit back, and helping with school supplies that they had just gotten. we talked to the Elders Quarm President (under the bishops direction) about what they needed. it was a real shock. It made me feel greatful for all of the blessings i have recieved and the safty that i have enjoyed.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support, i love you all.

Elder Lundberg