What exactly do you think pasteurization is??

HELLO! 

This week, on days where not much happened. I'm just gonna omit that day. Ok?

After I wrote my email last Monday we saw some kids walking around in Kimberly and Elder Gaston challenged them to 2v4 basketball in the park. So we ate lunch and then did that. There was no mercy since they outnumbered us so much. They were like 13-15 years old. We won, but just barely. It was like 18-21. Playing basketball outside in Idaho is a different beast all together. You have to factor in the constant 30 mph wind.

Anyway, after that we played basketball and volleyball with the other missionaries. I definitely prefer indoor sports up here, at least until spring finally decides to show up.

On Tuesday we talked to a guy who told us why it is so hard for the dairy workers to get time off on Sundays to come to work. That was a trend throughout the week. Also, Elder Gaston wants to know where everyone lives, so we are trying to get that down. 

Wednesday we went to Murtaugh

Picture of us in Murtaugh: (at top of blog) 

We also found some members down a road we hadn't been down before. They gave us the addresses of 3 Spanish speaking families they knew and some cookies. So we visited one of them right then and he was a super cool guy who has been living here in Idaho for some 30 years. Hard working guy. We gave him our number and the address for the church. After him we visited a recent convert who works in the dairies. At some point we started talking about milk. Here is what we "learned": (citations needed)

1. Whole Milk has broken up maggots in it. 

2. Skim Milk has other things in it (that sink to the bottom of the tank)

3. 2% is all this recent convert drinks (middle of the tank, nice clean milk)

4. If milk goes bad, you can put it in a nylon sock and squeeze it out, the whey left behind is good to drink.

5. Grade C Dairies have milk that you can't drink in the USA. But they do use it to make plastic. 

6. Great Value is the exact same product with a different sticker on it. 

7. Pasteurization doesn't involve a filter.

Very "educational" visit!

General Conference was definitely the highlight of the week. The solemn assembly was really cool. I'm excited to hear more from the two new apostles. In the Saturday afternoon session I made a noise when they announced that Elder Wakolo was going to give a talk. It was a really good one. All of the talks were really good. We went to the Spanish Branch to watch the Priesthood session but not very many people showed up there to watch it. We still ended up watching it in Spanish though. President Nelson gets down to business. LEARN HOW TO GIVE BLESSINGS PEOPLE. Anyway, the Sunday sessions were even more crazy. Big changes to Home and Visiting teaching, and 7 new temples.

Including one in Russia...

(Dusts off "Learn Russian" CD from Transfer #1)

 Anyway! I'm still excited for what is to come! Missionary work is always the same.

Oh yeah, and I got a haircut today. It was warm this weekend so I broke out the Short-Sleeved shirts again. But IDAHO, decided that it needed to snow again (and also be super windy), so back to long sleeves I go.

​(Note the snowflakes on my messy hair)

I would imagine we will be playing basketball again. Hopefully I don't jamb my finger again.

LOVE YOU ALL!

 -Elder Hazeslip

Q & A 

1. Is the bike thing for real? 

Maybe. But then it got cold. Since I'm pretty sure I'm getting transferred near the end of the month I'll wait until transfers. If I'm going to Boise or Jerome or somewhere not super spread out I'll probably get one.

2. Favorite talk(s) from conference and why? What about the announcements/changes?  

Favorite talk easily was Elder Wakolo's, but I also really liked President Nelson's talk at the priesthood session too. I'll be studying all of them over the next few weeks.

Also the announcements were crazy: The combined Melchezidek priesthood thing is what all of the Spanish branches around here do anyway. But it will make ward councils a lot more compact. So all of the changes are great. The temples were out of the blue too. 

Temple in Majorcityyettobedetermined, Russia = Wow! 

Russia Total Church Membership: 23,180

Population of Cabot, Arkansas: 25,797

Also they have temples in Kiev, Ukraine (not too far from Moscow) and Helsinki, Finland (Very close to St. Petersburg) and the Seoul Korea temple isn't far from Vladivostok. SOoOoO...

I think it is going in Novosibirsk. Right smack dab in the middle of the Asian Continent. It's also like the third or fourth largest city in Russia. 

Either that or Moscow, but I've got my skittles on Novosibirsk. I don't know where all the church members live over there, but idk if that will really have much of an influence since there is such a small number of members right now anyway.

It might just be Moscow though.

Also Utah will have 19 temples...

3. What did you eat for Easter Dinner? 

SO, we didn't make it down to the May's for dinner, but we did have a 1:30 meal with the family we watched the first session with. We had burgers with them. Later that night I had some Taquitos and a corn dog. Pretty good stuff!

4. Funny moments this week? 

Lots of stuff! General Conference was good. Also, we learned about where milk comes from and what it "really" contains. 

"What exactly do you think pasteurization is???" -P.S.

5. Do you need anything? 

Not right now. Thank you though!!

6. How is the work with Elder Gaston? What do you have in common outside of being full time missionaries?

Work is going good. Me and Elder Gaston are both from "the south" or "out east" as people say over here. Idk. We get along well. It's been a really good transfer so far. We don't have any baptisms scheduled, but that isn't a good measure of what is going on anyway.

7. Best thing about being a missionary? Hardest thing? 

Best thing about being a missionary: Helping people. (Yes, we can help you learn English)

Hardest thing about being a missionary: Not being able to help people. (No, we can't give you money so that you can bring your wife into the country to be with you and her 3 daughters again)

8. What is your favorite smell in your area right now? Least favorite?

Favorite Smell: Wind from the West = Sugar Factory

Least Favorite Smell: Wind from the East = Cow poop

9. Are you sleeping well? 

Yes! Sleep has been great lately now that it isn't freezing cold! The less the heater has to kick on the better.

10. Do you know how much I love you? 

Hmm... My guess is somewhere between 100 billion heart emoji’s and 100 trillion heart emoji’s. (Please don't try to send that many, it might break Gmail) I definitely know that you love me though, that is never in doubt.

The crazy and amazing thing to me is that no matter how much we love our families, Jesus Christ loves all of us, the trillions of people who have lived and will ever live, with that same capacity. That has been on my mind for two reasons: 1. General Conference talked a lot about the Atonement. 2. We have been studying charity as a district the past few weeks. Loving others is hard, not just those we don't like, but loving EVERYONE and caring about EVERYONE, with the same love you have for your family is something that is impossible without divine assistance. It is way too easy to turn a cheek when others we don't know need help. I'm working on it though.

Anyway, sorry for getting deep with a simple question. 

I really do love you too!

I'll make my update email short this week since I'm a bit low on time and I feel like it is always too long anyway.

I LOVE YOU!

Easter Candy!