Massive Changes

Hey Everyone,

So Tuesday started off as a normal day, woke up, got dressed, left for District meeting. we had to go and pick up the Shrewsberry Elders because their car was in the shop, ours had to go in later, manufactures recall to fix the trunk, or something like that. When we got to the church and sat down to study, President Christiansen called. He told me that he had been looking at the transfer board and praying about it. then he told me that I won't be going to Baltimore but re-opening the Luray, pronounced Lu-ray, Virginia branch to missionary work. As soon as he told me, the excitement of going back to Baltimore was replaced by the calm power of the Holy Ghost, telling me that this is where I need to be right now. Baltimore will come later.

So on Wednesday morning I finished packing and a member drove us down to Colombia, where I spent the next hour running around, gathering a phone, car and house keys, and getting my new companion, Elder Miles, who came down from Ephrata, Pennsylvania. After the three hour drive through Frederick and part of West Virginia, we arrived in Luray, Virginia. We immediately set out to do as much good as we could with the very limited time we have here. We met with the branch president on Thursday night, we were supposed to have an activity with the young man in the branch, yes their entire young men's program is only one senior in high school, but he didn't come so we just got to sit there and talk about the area and people in the branch. 

On Friday and Saturday we tried to get to know as many of the active members as we could. Even though missionaries have only been gone for a couple of weeks, we received a welcome like the missionaries have been gone for years. They are all very nice and really happy to see us. A member, Brother Moore took us out for Mexican on Friday night, it reminded me of Azteca. We did service for one of the members on Friday afternoon, which we hear we will be doing a ton of so that's awesome. We helped her shore up a stream in her backyard that comes down from the mountains. The mountains here are so pretty!! it really does feel like a chunk of paradise here. Tiny town, very tight knit community.

On Sunday we had church, which had about 22 people in it.  Almost all of the members are elderly, I was the youngest person in the priesthood by a couple decades, I think. But they are so wise and kind. The building here is so tiny, it is a re-purposed eye doctors office. my companion, Elder Miles, is awesome too. He's from Alberta, Canada. He's been out on the mission for about 5 months now, he's spent his whole mission in Ephrata until he came to me. We both love it here, we spent this morning running around town, going to the thrift shops in town and having fun. We're going to do a lot of good here, I can feel it.

Love you all,

Elder Jared Howell

Galatians 5:22-23 

Jared's new address 300 1st St. Apt. E

                                  Luray, VA

                                  22835

And yes, he is a senior companion. Remember Jared's birthday is April 12.