It’s definitely getting a little chilly here.

Hey Mom!

How’s it going back in Alpine? Is it starting to get cold yet? It’s definitely getting a little chilly here. I’m grateful for those massive shoes you sent me. They are really good for the rain. =) By the way, thanks for that picture book that you sent with the Foulk’s! I enjoyed it thoroughly. I was such a stud when I was little, eh? ;) I love pictures so thanks for sending those. Man it was weird seeing Elder Foulk meet his parents cause then right after that the fringos came and we got to take them all over the place and get them ready to work. I saw the whole circle of life in the course of an hour.

That was probably the most exciting thing that happened this week. We got new missionaries! I love getting new missionaries. This group was really, really good. There were four elders and one sister. Interesting story. When new missionaries get here, we have to take them all to the embassy to get a copy of their criminal records (or lack thereof). Well, this time we forgot that, in America, it costs $50 to print off a piece of paper and I had nowhere near enough money on me to pay for $200 worth of criminal records. So I had to collect money from all the new elders and we finally scrounged up enough to pay for the four dang papers. It was funny though because apparently when they got to the Salt Lake airport, some random guy came up to them and gave them $80 bucks so they could get some food before they left and for anything else they might need during their trip. They still had $40 bucks left over when they got here so that helped out a lot! Who knew that guy was so inspired?

I wish I could take you guys driving around Tirana. You would freak out. The fringos love it. I promise I’m not an insane driver, but in Tirana you have to drive differently than in Utah or it’s not safe. It’s funny cause we don’t even think anything of it anymore we’re so used to it, but every time the fringos come in they always say something to the effect of, “Well I guess the rumors they told us about the driving were true.” Good times.

So I am still in Tirana and still in 1^st branch. I didn’t move. My new companion is Elder Griffith. He’s from Mount Vernon, Iowa and he’s taller than I am. We’re the tallest companionship in the mission (averaged, of course. There’s still one elder that’s taller than Elder Griffith). He’s a really funny kid and like a thousand times smarter than I am so I’m learning a lot. Hopefully I can pick up on some of that and start getting smarter/funnier again. Both of those aspects have taken a drastic hit during my mission.

Well I can’t think of anything else really exciting that happened this week so I will finish by saying that I love you! I hope you are all doing well. You are in my prayers every morning and night. I’m grateful that I was born into such an awesome family. I can’t wait to see you guys again.

Love you!

-Elder Swenson