November 24, 2014

Hey guys! 

I've had a really good week, but no, my piano playing didn't really go any smoother. I had intended on putting in some good practicing time, but with everything else going on- it didn't really happen and the first time I saw the notes I had to play was in front of 50 people. But I'm definitely better at site reading than I was at home. That's one things I'm getting a lot of practice at! We actually had quite a few lessons this week and were able to visit some members. Sora Gorzo fell and broke her hip a while ago. She's doing great now and is back home, but is still having a hard time getting around, so we took the sacrament to her yesterday and had a really nice visit. Our thanksgiving day is all planned out for us. We going to the church for a feast as a zone, then we're going to have a talent show, and the guy designing the Rome temple is coming for a fireside. We spent a lot of time contacting for that this last week and had a lot of good conversations, talking about temples. 

I had a blast today with my comp and a the other elders. There are a couple man made lakes dug out here in bucuresti that cover hundreds of acres, right in the middle of the city. We found one that was dug out, with the dams and retainers and everything, but never completed. Since then an entire forest has developed there and it's become a huge, accidental wildlife preserve with deer and fox and the occasional gypsy shack. My comp and I went in with a 45 minute head start and got situated. We formed a strategy and cover, and then we waited for the other guys to show up, and then we started hunting them. We stalked them for an hour, but I was caught when I had to climb a tree to get my bearings and bonner stumbled upon me. You know me. After bacau I've been feeling so disoriented and kinda edgy not having my forest/hiking time once or twice a week, but it was really great getting back out there and we had so much fun.

I've been doing really poorly at taking pictures recently. I just uploaded a couple I took in alexandria, but I'll try to do better and get you guys some more!

To answer your question about elder Whitehead- we're getting along great. He's a genius, and is really good at asking random questions to keep a conversation going- something I'm really bad at in general. We're both creative guys with weird ideas, but we think very differently. We spend a lot of time talking about stories we thought up or a hypothesis we're working on. I think I've spent more time with him in conversation in these last couple weeks than with anyone else in my entire mission.

Dad! That is freaky! I can't believe the roads are already february-bad! That's so cool a stranger helped you out like that though. I think that story about gabe saying butthole is the funniest I've ever heard.

I love you guys so much! I'm having fun out here, but as the time gets shorter I'm realizing- man am I excited to see you guys!

Elder Collison