WhatUp!!

Well things are going strong up here in Chelan! Including the cold... It’s been fun though. Snow makes things a lot more interesting. It usually averages around 32 more or less. It got up to 50 a couple of days and everyone almost broke out the barbecues. It’s been entertaining to think about back in So Cal when the 60 degree marching band mornings were enough to warrant the heavy winter gear and now it’s like 50? I don't even need a sweater. It’s been fun. 

So going back a couple of months (side note: I can't believe I've been out long to say “going back a couple months”) to the list of 'Things Elder Kupferer didn't realize about going on a mission' was that sometimes exchanges require more than driving from the Bryan Building to the Stake Center. Since we are way up here kind of just off the side of the road in the mountains there isn't much nearby. As such, on Thursday when we exchanged back we had to drive an hour up the road to the next city. And then an hour back. I forgot how tiring road tripping can be. While not much of a road trip, it was still more than the normal 20 minutes tops I'm used to. Crazy stuff man. 

Now this is a shout out to all the chamber singers from last year. Remember the sweatshirts we all ordered? I was wearing mine this morning at a service project in the food bank and on more than one occasion someone came up to me and said "Who are the Northwood Hamber Singers?" Apparently the symbol doesn't look much like a 'C' to non-music people. Someone even thought it said ‘Northwood Hamburgers.’ I guess music theory is important; not only so that you can understand why the heck they've got so many sharps but for music jokes as well. 

Now for a pretty awesome story that actually happened about a week ago but is still currently going on. There’s a guy we are teaching. We will call him Phil*. So Phil was progressing along pretty well before we came up to Chelan, but the only thing he would ever say is "Para estar bien." (to be good; to be well off). Our conversations: Why do you think the priesthood is necessary? Para estar bien. Why do we invite you to church? Para estar bien. What do you want for dinner? Para estar bien (ok that last one was a joke). So that was going on for about a month but then his roommate Eric* started sitting in on the lessons. Come to find out, Phil had been teaching (more or less) Eric after we had left. So we have been able to work with him now and it’s amazing how much both have learned even when we weren't teaching Eric. They are now reading scriptures every night and saying prayers. It’s amazing. Now all we have to do is wait for his car to get here and they can finally start coming to church!

*Some names have been changed. 

So that’s all for this week. For the quote this week here is the story that accompanies it:

We were out tracting yesterday afternoon in a little city named Chelan Falls. We knock on this one door and a lady comes out and looks at my nametag and says "Oh so you're the missionaries! I deliver your mail and I recognize that name." Apparently I can make an impression and not even have to be there. Cool stuff. 

So long everbody! Que les vaya muy bien!

Elder Kupferer