Trinidad is the Most Beautiful Place on the California Coast

Sorry that I didn't get to send you an email last week, but I was sure that I sent it to you, but I guess I just didn't press the "send" button.

McKinleyville is a great place. The ward members are really supportive and willing to help us with the work that we are doing. Our investigators are steadily progressing towards baptism. Their progression is very gradual, but as I look back over the previous weeksI can see how their faith and commitment have increased. We have this family that has been having trouble coming to church and suddenly this week they were very interested in taking their daughter to Primary. When I saw all of them come together to church it just made me really happy. Although the parents left after sacrament meeting, I was glad that they were excited about getting their daughter to Primary. I think looking back over my time in McKinleyville with Elder Williams, it has been good to see our investigators steadily come closer to Christ.

Elder Williams is a great companion. I learn everyday from him and he always tells me about things that I need to improve. I am happy that he criticizes me because I have been able to concentrate on some of the things that I have to learn or know and then I can become better at them. There was a time when Elder Williams just told me that I don't understand baptism at all. Although it was a little hard for me to accept that fact, he helped me concentrate on making that weakness become strong. I am glad that he made it obvious my lack of understanding, because they I had an opportunity to really research baptism and know more about it. That is just one example. It hurts sometimes to be told that you are doing things wrong or that you have a certain weakness, but in the long run,

I swear I have the most beatiful area in the whole mission and the most beautiful section of the California coast (no questions asked). My area covers McKinleyville, but it also covers a town called Trinidad, and all the way north to a town called Orick. Trinidad is the most beautiful place on the California coast. We went to a breakfast appointement with some members in the ward and it was just gorgeuos. All of you have access to the internet, so I would encourage you to look up pictures of Trinidad on Google.

My companion is awesome. He is going home  at the end of this transfer (we just started new transfers). He is from Layton, Utah. All of you in Utah, can you say hello to him? He is a funny guy. He makes a lot of jokes. In our car we made a portable area book and it holds a lot of the records that helps us out find former investigators and potential investigators, we call the "portable area book" Bulbasaur. The portable area book is in a green folder and on the front of the green folder he put a picture of Bulbasaur. When we want to summon the the portable area book, he says to me "I choose you Bulbasaur." My companion is kind of a nerd. He loves big foot, Star Wars, Pokemon, and other things. Me telling you this, you probably think he is a disobedient missionary, but he is super diligent and hard working. He helps me a lot whenever I have problems and he supports me. I am really going to miss him after he leaves. He is like one of my favorite people. I would be lost as a missionary if he specifically didn't train me. (There is no other person on earth that could do as good of a job for me as he is). We work hard everyday and we have been through a lot of stuff. He is really good at drawing. He has this one book that is like an illustrated journal that he made and it tells the story of his mission. I think one thing that I have learned from him and that I am still learning from him is that you can still be light of heart as a missionary, but still be diligent. At the MTC, I was just too serious and I was always sad. But when you are in love with people and places, there is no room to be serious in a way that is not light of heart and joyful, instead you rejoice and smile in the success of your brothers and sisters as the make positive changes in their lives. It is great. We still both take ourselves seriously as missionaries and we take our calling seriously, but who says that you can't be smiling whild you do that?

Elder Longstaff