Family,

Well... I did get transferred. I am back in Grand Junction! And I am so excited! I am living in the same apartment I was last time... however I am covering a different ward. So my address is once again: 480 32 1/8 Rd. Clifton, CO 81520. My new Companion is Elder Sherman.. He's from Lebanon... Oregon. So NOT the country in the Middle East. He's a good guy and a hard worker. He isn't really liked by a whole lot of missionaries because he's a little strange but I really like him and we get along really well.. I think we'll do great together.
I love my new area.. it covers parts of Clifton, Palisade and the all the "mountain towns" between Palisade and Collbran. I really like it because we a doing a lot of teaching, which makes me feel less homesick, less stressed, less irritated with my companion(whoever he maybe). I love teaching. One bad thing about the Clifton and Palisade area of Grand Junction is that ... it is basically the "ash-tray" of the state. EVERYONE here smokes... every night I come home smelling like smoke... however luckily the missionary I replaced(which happens to be Elder Plunkett, the one that was in Craig almost the whole time I was there) left behind some Frebreeze which I just spray my clothes down with until I can get them to a dry cleaners, or just wash them.
Speaking of suits.. I would love to send you those pants but they are to my suits and I need them a few times a week when we have the meetings that I am supposed to wear them too... so I don't know how that'll work out. However I think I've thought of a solution... Sister Hamilton ... she's in the 6th ward who Elder Englund and I became very close with lives right around the corner from me and would be more than willing to help me out with that... I'll ask her tomorrow when we have lunch with her. But I'll keep you updated. Thanks.

Being so close to the BYU games really hasn't had much effect on the missionary work the only ones who really talk about it are a few missionaries and the members... no one on the streets has said anything to me about it.

My health is doing fine... I haven't had any headaches in a while which is good.. and my retainer is still intact and fine. I am also doing fine with garments and yes I am gaining weight ... but not much I am between 145-150 now.. so between 25-30 pounds gained in 16 months... pretty good.

I am doing great loving my new area and everything right now.

Thanks for everything and I love you all very much. Please take care and know I miss you all.

Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon

Family,

Well,... we moved into our new house on Saturday morning... and after about two hours we realized that .. they have a cat. And Elder Larsen is very allergic to cats... so he cannot stay there. So we've had to do splits ever night so he doesn't suffocate in his sleep. So that's been an adventure.. we think we've figured out what we're going to do. I feel bad for the Olenders because we just moved into their house and now we're going to have to move out again because of the allergy.. so the missionaries here are going to be moving into another family's house in the other ward because they have the room. But it won't really affect me any, because I am getting transferred.

I asked the APs when they called last night about transfers if I was staying "Metro" or "Out West" and he just said "You'll be going on a trip" So I am going back out west! I am so excited I love it out there... The only thing that's not cool about out west is that you can't go to the Temple. But I went a year without going to the Temple I think I can make it.
Also through deductive reasoning (and a few phone calls) I have discovered that I am going to one of three places. The Grand Mesa Zone, in Grand Junction (if I go there I will be living in the same apartment that I was as a Greenie), the Monument Zone, the other Grand Junction Zone (where the Monument National Park is at), or the Meeker Zone, serving in Rifle (that was my Zone when I was in Craig ... so I'll only be about an hour away.. and could possibly go and see some people there) I am very excited.. and from what I hear the work is going very well in Grand Junction. So that's good news as well.
I will miss a lot of members here... but I am excited for a new chapter in my "Mission Story".
The past two weeks here in Highlands Ranch, the work has picked up a bit which is a good thing at least I can say I did that.. But it still needs a lot of work. I'll put it this way... here we were averaging about 9 lessons a week (between Investigators, Less-actives, and Recent Converts) and other places in the mission are averaging around... 20 lessons a week. So its pretty slow here... But like I said its picking back up.

Anyways... I am being transferred tomorrow and I am trying to pack everything I can tonight... always a fun night... not really but its not bad.

Today as a one last "hurrah" in our district... we all chipped in about five dollars and bought some chicken, and bratwursts and are going to a park and barbequing and playing baseball and frisbee and stuff... so that'll be really fun... then later this afternoon I will be saying goodbye to a lot of people and then packing tonight... so its gonna be a busy day... We've been up very late the past three nights trying to get things ready for transfers and the moving situations and stuff... so I am very tired... But I'll be able to (hopefully, if they don't make me drive) sleep in the car on the way to Grand Junction. But we'll... so rest for the faithful.. at least I hope I am faithful.

Well... I am very sorry but I cannot think of anything else to say today... I'm very sorry...

I love you all and miss you.
Please take care. Moroni 8:3

Your son, and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon

Family,

Last Saturday was a CRAZY busy day. We had a baptismal interview at 9 in the morning and I was able to interview him for his baptism... it was funny because I asked him if he'd feel comfortable with sharing his testimony with me... but he said he wasn't ready for that... but then I asked him to share with me the things he has come to know are true and that have blessed his life... so he preceeds (without knowing) to bear his testimony to me.. it was great. I then told him that he shouldn't worry because whether he knows (or even likes) it or not he's got a testimony. He was surprised.. It was a pretty spiritual thing.
Then after that we went and helped a family move into the ward.. we did that for about two hours... that was nice. I love doing something like that where I can see the progress happening before me.
Then we had a lunch appointment with the Jardine's (bro. Jardine's brother is Jeff Jardine) It was fun.. they heard that I like singing and Elder Larsen ratted out that I know how to play one song on the piano... so they asked me to play for them.. So I played Nearer My God To Thee. It was pretty nice.. they have a very nice house and an equally nice piano.
Then we rushed over to the Temple to see the Shannon's be sealed... that was the first sealing I've ever been to. And with it being one where their adopted daughters were sealed to them after they were sealed together was amazing. The spirit was so very strong... I could not believe it.
There was something that Elder Englund said that jumped out to me while I was in there... apparenty a General Authority said that "The two times in your life where you'll feel the Spirit the strongest are your baptism and when you are sealed."
The missionaries who baptized the Shannon's over a year ago where both able to come down from Alberta Canada. And they were BY FAR the most emotional people there. It was amazing. And I couldn't help but think of the families I've taught and gotten to know. The Clarks, Trent and Carry Hill, The McGruders, Everyone... and I cannot wait until I get to see them being sealed for time and all eternity. It'll be the best day of my life.
Then after the sealing they had an open house where we were able to meet Bro. Shannon's family who are not members of the church. Then we went to our dinner appointment... and then we went to a baptism of an 11 year old girl... and we took our investigators... It went really well... I think they enjoyed it.

So ... that was our Saturday.. it was BUSY.. and I loved it.

Then on sunday we went to our early morning meetings with the stake and one of the wards. Went to sacrament, and then we went to a church called Mission Hills... Our investigators invited us to their church... and we went... it was WEIRD! they had a rock band and there were a ton of people with their hands in the air... and they passed around a collection plate and everything.. but the funny thing is this church is HUGE! and they have a STARBUCKS INSIDE THE CHURCH!!!!
They said that first time visitors got a coupon for a free Starbucks drink... but it was fast sunday.... so we didn't. ;)

I'll tell you more about that later.

Other than past Saturday things have been going alright... I'm getting pretty tired of this area... its hard work... we haven't found ANYONE new to teach and the ones we are teaching are pretty "wishy-washy" they aren't very solid... or relilable. .. But I'm trying my very best to do what I can. We're using the ward members even more.... and I agree with you. The members are truely essential when teaching people.

Transfers are two weeks from tomorrow...and we're moving into another member's house on that day too... so whether I stay or not I'll be getting a new address then... so I'll let you know.

Well... thank you so much for everything I love you all so very much and miss you just as much.
Moroni 8:3
take care
Your son and brother,
--
-Elder Cameron Landon