Crazy Hot

From Ethan: Monday, June 22, 2015

I’ve been dying out here in the heat.  Almost every day it gets above 90, sometimes over 100 and the sun is crazy HOT!  Missionary work is hot as well as we consistently have 3 – 4 people to teach every week.  Elder Schuck and I teach fairly well together.  Here is a little bit about some of the people we are teaching.  Vanessa Stone and 2 of her 3 children are taking the lessons.  Her husband and one son, who drink, smoke, and never wear shirts, are pretty against the church.  It’s a tough environment to teach in, but they came to church this week.   William, whom I wrote about last time, is 12 years old and sees the church more as a social outlet right now. Shanee is 13 year old. And we are starting to teach Cameron as 17 year old who went to Girl’s Camp with her best friend and is dating a young man in the Priest’s Quorum.  It is nice to have so many members open to sharing the gospel and fellowshipping in such a small town.

Elder Schuck and I are the only Elders in Hagerman.  The number of missionaries in our mission is slowly decreasing.  Just this last transfer, two areas were combined into one so that now one set of Elders covers 4 wards (congregations.)  I wouldn’t be surprised if Hagerman is closed or combined since it is so small.

(Here is a little bit from Ethan’s message to Mark and I)  We drive a 2014 Chevy Cruze.  It’s like a lunchbox car!  We live in a full house – 2 bedrooms, kitchen, livingroom and bathroom – all by ourselves.  It’s big, kind of old, and run down.  If we take a shower while using the washing machine, it bubbles up and smells bad like rotten eggs/sulfer.  There is no Air conditioning either.  There are a ton of spiders, bugs, and frogs in the basement, so we don’t go down there much!  Good ol’ missionary life!  It’ll be fine for 3 months!

~ Love Elder Howard

Here are a couple pictures – one of the house we live in and the other of the valley where Hagerman sits.  It is quiet which I like, but not as much trees as MN.  I miss trees so much and that’s why I liked serving in Stanley so much!