Wow! We were excited to hear about your new area. I looked up Keokuk and it has a lot of history. Kind of funny history-- about how it was named after chief Keokuk who wasn't really a chief at all. And, how the name of the town was decided by anyone who, after voting for the name, got a shot of whiskey. Ha! So you have your work cut out for you. I hope you are taking pics. Did you have dinner with the gentleman who owned the property with artifacts under it? That will be pretty interesting. Where are you living? With members or apartment? Most of our missionaries here are living with members. Are you still on bikes?
I guess there is some peacefulness in our family chaos :) Beau left Monday and was working hard by Tuesday am. When we finally talked to him on Friday, he sounded pretty tired. He was on Fire Island. 
John is keeping them busy. They built speed bumps in the Walmart parking lot on Saturday night. They worked until 5 am. He said he went to student ward, but he was super tired.
Dad and I have had a busy week. We sold the townhome! Yea!!! It's funny because it is to a LDS family from Cody. So, as of now, we have helped increase Lake Hills Ward by two families :) We are pretty sure we are going to sell Crist house as well. The market is coming up in Billings due to the big oil boom in North Dakota. I can't remember if I told you that Dad will no longer be working in Africa. We are in the midst of deciding what he will do through the winter. Utah is on a serious hold for now. The house is very quiet without you boys. Even Dad said he missed some of the noise.
I'm so excited to talk to you on Sunday. Let us know the details as soon as you know them. I sent you a birthday package. I hope it gets there before your b-day. 20 years old--
(this is cherry cheese cake) HOLY COW!! You are still that cute little boy who wasn't afraid to talk to anyone! I'm sure that gift helps you to talk to lots of different people while on your mission.
This morning's scripture Dad and I chose was Alma 7:22-24. It's straighforward, beautiful and comforting.
If there is anything you need, please let us know. We love you and miss you. Keep working hard as I know you will!
Love you!
Mom
Hey,
Haha why does the story about the whiskey not surprise me, It is somethin else here.
Answers to your Questions:
- We live in a shady apartment in the woods.There are four other apartments,
all of which party all night every night. They are fun to talk to though.
Currently there are a couple of dead possums that nobody has picked up in the
yard that are stinking up the whole place.
-We haven't had dinner at the Trayne's yet, but we will soon.
If you haven't heard about the Jewish girl we are teaching, Iyabo
we will be teaching her at the Trayne's house.(they are the ones with the artifacts).
-My bike is in Iowa City until I can retrieve it after Zone Conference in a couple weeks. We have a full time car, but after I get my bike we will be biking every day because I refuse to gain weight, and so does Elder Holmes.
This week was so amazing!! So this week we found three new investigators , and one that is new to me. On monday we had an amazing lesson with Iyabo, the Jewish girl, right here in the library. Since then we have taught her twice and she has attended church. We set a date with her to be baptized on July 14! This is a big deal for someone who didn't believe Jesus existed last week.
We will be working to solidify that date, and there is much work to be done.
Dylan and Justice are two highschool dropouts that are expecting a baby boy. They both smoke, yes, she smokes with a baby on board, but we taught them the Quit Smoking Workshop (same one Dave quit with)
They are doing well!
Heather is a girlfriend of a less active member, and we are up against the "We're living together because I can't get a divorce from my husband that's in prison for burning a house down that took the lives of three people issue". Interesting.
We cleaned the Nauvoo Temple this week. It was so amazing!
We got to just sit in the celestial room for a bit when we were done at 10:00 at night. It was so powerful.
HIGHLIGHT:
Earlier this week I got approved to go to Iowa City to see Patricia Iniguez's baptism! It was such an awesome surprise. The baptism was indescribable, but I'll do my best. It might have been the happiest day of my life, other than our family temple experience in Billings. (please write the Deckers for this and tell them thank you if you want) Rob Decker gave us a ride from Keokuk. The whole district I left in Iowa City was at the baptism (the Elders I got so close to). Patricia's sister and brother inlaw, named Karen and Randy, were there from Wyoming (they are converts to the church). Randy baptized her and it was a powerful moment. Brother Mulherin gave an amazing talk on baptism. The whole place was filled with such love. Members from the ward were there to support her, and even her other sister (the staunch Catholic) Mary Rose was there. Afterwards I stayed and talked with her LDS sister Karen. With tears in their eyes Randy and Karen thanked me and told me they knew and believed that Elder Winchester and I were guided by the Holy Ghost to Patricia's. They told me what it meant to them that I was worthy of that, and that they loved me. It was really special to me.
I imagined a mission would bring about special experiences, but I think only the tounge of angels could sufficiently describe them. It reminded me the gravity of my calling.
I have so much to learn myself, in fact I am nothing compared to Jesus Christ,
but to be set apart with this calling is priceless.
There is no greater experience or purpose thus far in my life.
I know the Lord guides this work.
So as I was writing this I got a call from President Jergensen himself. He just told me that I had a special assignment. Some unexpected things happened and the Lord wants me back in Iowa City 1st ward! I will be finishing the training of a struggling Elder who is being emergency transferred into Iowa City as of thursday. That means I will be in my same apartment in the same ward in IC, only I will be with an Elder who is wanting to go home. This assignment will be for at least six weeks maybe more.
So my vacation here in Keokuk is over, again right when the work was beginning to progress.
I will also not be able to work the Nauvoo Pageant now.
Elder Holmes and I have become really good friends too.
But as President Kimball said, "Give me mountains to climb".
This will be a serious mountain from what President told me.
So on Sunday I will be back there, and I am so excited to talk to you guys!
Please pray for me.
I love you,
Elder Tall
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