Columbia River Washington Temple

Hello Everyone!

So you’re probably thinking “Where was my favorite blogger this week?” Truth is I don't have the answer to that particular question but I can tell you that now I am here so hopefully that will help a little bit. We had the chance to go to the temple (Columbia River Washington Temple) with our zone this morning so we had to push our P-Day (our email time) back to Tuesday. It was an awesome experience. 

Something else that was awesome - ELDER BALLARD CAME!!!!!!! It was so cool. On Saturday he, Elder Richard J. Maynes, and Elder Brad K. Risenmay [see editor’s note at end of blog] all came and spoke to the entire mission - all 230 of us. They all gave great talks and advice and got everyone super pumped for missionary work. Also since the entire mission was there, we took a picture of the entire mission with him. If you thought the marching band picture was intense, think again. They also ordered pizza for all of us. I do not regret eating five slices. Not one bit. 

The next day we also had the opportunity to hear Elder Maynes speak again (at a special Stake Conference which was yet again really inspiring. It was also kind of fun because Elder Rosero and I got to translate again. Lots of fun as always. 

Also another interesting fact, not related to the proceeding paragraphs but interesting none the less, we saw the mom of one of our investigators take chickens from the coup to get ready to cook. Like all of it. It was slightly disturbing..... but hey I guess I still get the cultural experience even though I'm hundreds (thousands?) of miles from Mexico. Awesome. 

So a cool story for the week in regards to missionary work. We got a new investigator this week that was already pre-taught and pre-committed to baptism. She met a member through snap-chat (I guess all sorts of technology are helping to hasten the work) and then started taking the lessons with this family in Kennewick with the sister missionaries there and then decided to get baptized. Meanwhile my comp and I had no idea whatsoever that any of this was going on until we get a call from their ward mission leader (a member from the ward that is in charge of communication between the missionaries and the wards) that essentially went like this "Hey so there’s this young women that lives in Benton City but has been taking the lessons in Kennewick. She's getting baptized in two weeks. When can you meet?" Fast forward to Sunday night when we were supposed to have a lesson with her but then here come the sister missionaries and her fellowshippers (friends from the ward). That conversation went like this. "I want to get baptized Saturday. Can we start figuring that out?" My comp and I just sort of stared for a second then after picking our jaws off the floor said sure. So that’s the cool story for the week. 

That’s about it for this week. I hope everything is going well back in Sunny Southern California! Up here it’s already below freezing at night and only about 50's + wind chill. What is this cold thing going on up here? 

Stay awesome, 

Elder Kupferer

[Editor’s Note]  Elder Brad K. Risenmay, from Othello, Washington is an Area Seventy.  Area Seventies give part-time voluntary Church service within their assigned geographic areas and support area presidencies in international areas.