So another week down and it was a pretty good one in spite of all the lesson cancellations! haha  For most of this week we have been going to our backup plans because so many people have cancelled on us but some good things have come from it.  This would've been the last week of this transfer but we have a seven week transfer this time because of Christmas so this upcoming week will be the last of the transfer.  However, Elder Hatch and I already know we will be staying here together another transfer, mostly because this zone is getting all new people so we're going to have to help them out. 

Elder Hatch and I have decided that we really need to figure out a new way to find people to teach, especially for the YSA (young single adult) ward we're also over.  So we started going to the community basketball courts and throwing it down on some kids. haha  We always keep a ball in our car and we just ask if we can play a game with them and then we humble them really quick! (Elder Hatch is really good)  Then we usually talk to them about our missions and it has led into some full on Restoration lessons and we've gotten several new investigators from it. haha  It's super fun and we've found some real homies! One of them is Rance, who's an 18 year old kid from Florida.  He's really cool!  So we will be teaching him again this week and a couple of other kids too.  

We went up to one house this week and there were a couple guys sitting on the porch.  So we go into a full Resto lesson but right straight in the spiritual part of the lesson, they pull out a bong, light it up, and take a nice hit off of it! hahaha  That's like the third time that's happened to me out here.  It's hard to stay serious when they do that in the middle of a lesson so we have to focus on not laughing.  

Thursday we had zone conference in Medford with four different zones--so almost half the mission!  Its always good to see friends and former comps and it was one of the best meetings i have been to since i've been out!  For some reason President Russell called Elder Hatch and I up last week and asked us to teach at the conference.  so that was a first for me, teaching half the mission.  I feel like it went well.  We taught about retention of recent converts and how that is also our responsibility.

On Wednesday, some members took us out to dinner to this Mexican restaurant, which has a 6 pound burrito challenge.  Elder Hatch has been training and he put it down pretty easily--all 6 pounds!  He's the first missionary to do that so it was pretty tight!

So D, the lady we have been teaching that was on probation, found out the other day that she actually gets off probation in March so she and her daughter are now both on date for March.  They will both be baptized without a doubt.  It will be awesome!!

I think those are the most exciting parts of my week.  We've been working hard and we've been working out!  Things are good.  Hopefully soon I'll be dunking on some of these other missionaries.  It'll be awesome!  I hope all y'all are doing well and I love you guys.  Keep going hard.
Love Sawyer
stay solid