Dear Family,
It is indeed hard to believe that my mission is a quarter of the way through. It's been pretty much no time at all. I do have some pretty fun news: Elder Reeves, my current companion, is training a new missionary in Beverly. This has never happened before in Beverly, so it's a pretty big thing. Usually new missionaries are trained where the work might be a little bit easier, or where things are going especially good, and right now that seems to be Beverly. Plus, Elder Reeves has only been out for 6 months, just like me. He was just as suprised as I was when he got the call to train a new missionary.
As for me, I am getting transferred to a place called Newton Aycliffe. I don't know anything about it, of course, but I do know that my new companion's name is Elder Perkins, and he has been out for 22 1/2 months, meaning he is going home next transfer. In missionary lingo, I would be 'killing him off'. What that also means is that I will be getting another companion that next transfer. 6 transfers and 6 companions. That is very unusual for a missionary to have so many companions this early, but hey, the change is nice sometimes.
Also, there have been some changes in policies from President Lindley. For one thing, side parts are no longer required, but most of the missionaries are very determined on keeping them in, including me. Believe it or not, having a side part really helps my hair not go all crazy, especially when it rains. Hard to explain exactly why that is. Another thing that was changed-- the music policy!! President Lindley has taken things back to the white handbook, and we are allowed to listen to whatever falls under inspirational and uplifting music. So I do have a request - If possible, I would like to get a rechargeable mp3 player with all the gospel music you can fit on it. Also, there are a few songs by different bands out of the old music I used to listen to that I would like to have as well. Brandon has that mp3 player full of music, and I was wondering if you could just copy and paste all the music he has onto another mp3 player (along with all the church music) and send it to me. I considered just telling you what songs to put on by what bands, but the ones that I feel qualify as inspirational and uplifting are few and far between and I'm not even sure what they're all called anymore. It'll be more deleting than anything else, I'm afraid :) but it wouldn't be as time-consuming as you going through every single song I have on there. Just let me know if that's possible to do.
I was going to print out all the photos today but I want to see what Newton Aycliffe is like on computers and see if I can just start sending them through email again.
One of the big things I've started doing is going through the Book of Mormon with a student manual I purchased through the missionary store. So far I'm on 1 Nephi 2, so wish me luck with that. Progress is slow but there are some amazing insights and quotes by General Authorities in there, and going through it with a fine-tooth comb is so much more satisfying than simply skimming through to the 'important parts'.
Wish me luck on my new area. Transfers is tomorrow and I still have some packing to do, and some farewells to say.
Love,
Elder Alsop
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