Merry Christmas!

Elder Edgar and Elder Zack

Hey Mom!

Merry Christmas!

I almost debated on just waiting until tomorrow to email, but I figured I'd do it while I had the time.

I got the package you sent to the apartment. I don't know which one it is because I haven't opened it yet. I haven't had time today. We've been running around like chickens with no heads. This morning we put together the supply orders for all the missionaries(except one zone) that has to go to the mission home before 10am Saturday. Then we had to drive all the way to East Brunswick to deliver some packages that arrived today for the missionaries up there. Now we came back to do emails which I'm doing now. Then afterwards we have a Christmas Open-house to go to in Edgewater park.

This past week I've been training Elder Howard how to do the referrals and trying to get the slide show on to a DVD. Oh and the slide show didn't work out the way we'd hoped. We couldn't get it to render correctly. We spent a long time trying to get it to render but it wouldn't work. We tried leaving it over night, but it didn't work so we had to do it a different way temporarily. I think that I got it to render correctly so now all I have to do is burn it to 12 DVDs and then mail it to the missionaries that departed on Sunday.

Elder Pfost and Elder Johnson are my new roommates. They'll be on a bike covering most of our old area. No one knows their area in this ward. I only know the other area. It's gonna be a fun transfer!

It snowed a ton on Saturday! We were in the office most of the day trying to get the the slide show to work. We gave up and decided to just leave it overnight to see if it would work the next day. We left around 8PM. We came out and our car was buried in almost a foot and a half of snow. The snow plow had plowed everywhere around our car so the snow got piled up. We had to dig our car out and we still got stuck. Eventually we got out and got home safely. There were very few people on the roads.

Half of those people were on the side of the road, stuck. We got home around 9 because we had to go slow. The snow plows were just starting to get to work. The roads weren't very plowed until day two after the storm, after everything had pretty much melted.

So tomorrow we will wake up and open our presents and play and have fun and stuff. Then at 1PM we'll go to the office and make calls. You'll have to call around that time, maybe around 1:30PM. Maybe I'll just call you and then you can call back. I think you have the phone number. Then at 4PM we have dinner with the Sikahema family.

WHAO! You haven't wrapped any presents? I hope you have some wrapped by the time you get this email. Or are you just going to let everyone see what they got before they get it?

Yesterday we had our Christmas activity. We played water balloon-catch with beanbags in teams of companionships in the cultural hall. Then we made teams of tables and we made little commercial skits to sell something. We had to sell something, but we couldn't sell the item that we had. For instance, my group had to sell a reindeer Christmas tree ornament, but we sold a Robotomatic 5000 that does everything for a low low price of 100 payments of just $1. It was also made in Japan. We got second place in that. Then we did Name that Christmas tune as a team.

That one was more difficult than I thought it would be. Then we played Guess that movie quote. Then we ate lunch. It was delicious! We had roast beef sandwiches and salad and fruit. Then we had a rave party with glow sticks. Then we had a white elephant gift exchange. Then the packages got passed out by "Santa". He looked kinda goofy in his costume.

Love you!

Zack

Did I skip last weeks letter?

Apparently Zack did not receive my e-mail before he sent his. And don't worry, I was able to set him straight on which day Christmas will land this year...read on.

Hey mom!

How's it going?

Everything is going pretty good here.

I learned who my new companion is going to be. His name is Elder Howard. I've served around him a little bit, but I don't know too much about him yet. He's from Missouri. I think they've sent out the Christmas cards with the pics of all the missionaries, so you should be able to see what he looks like.This transfer is crazy. Since we're losing so many missionaries and not getting many back, we have to combine zones and areas and whatnot. They're combining Spanish and English zones so we're down to 4 zones in the mission, two in each stake. They're also changing sister areas to Elder areas and vice versa. I'm being transferred to the Moorestown area. Its in the same ward as I'm in now. The Moorestown area used to be the AP area, but they got transferred further south. Elder Gleed and Elder Haslam(APs) were assigned to the new Singles branch that just opened not too long ago. So they cover the whole Stake now. I'll still live at the same apartment, I'm just covering the other half of the ward now.Elder Pfost and Elder B Johnson(I think) are being transferred to the Riverside/Edgewaterpark area(the area I'm in now) They'll be on bikes. Oh and I'm still in the Office as King Companion. I won't be doing the referrals any more. I'll be doing everything else. Such as: ordering and organizing the supply orders for the mission, making the departing slide show, making transfer cards, making the newsletter, and anything else that needs to be done.

This week has been/will be busy. We've got stuff going on everyday except Saturday which is the least busiest day this week. Today I have to send out all my Christmas cards and we have to go shopping and finish the departing slide show. then we have appointments from 5-9. Then tomorrow we'll be at the Office all day. Then on Friday we have a move in the morning and a Christmas Party at the Berry's in Cherry Hill 1st Ward in the evening.Saturday is ward correlation with Bro. Cleveland and there's a "Mormon" night at his house later that evening. Then Sunday we have church in the morning, and Transfer Meeting in the evening. Monday we have another move to do. Tuesday we have... oh I guess Tuesday is free too because of the Christmas Activity on Wednesday. Then Thursday may or may not be a P-day. I'm not sure yet. Then Friday is Christmas Eve. Then Saturday is Christmas.

The package you sent was delivered to the office, but I won't get it until the Christmas Activity. But THANKS!

That's all I have that's really report worthy.

Love ya!

Zack

New Kitchen! ...etc.

I found some Thanksgiving pictures that I forgot to blog, so bear with me as we do this update.

This is an impromtu art display.
That's my kind of stuffed turkey! (M&M's nuts and raisins)Here is Steph and Amada making a homade blackberry pie!
I'm so mean! I made this cute BYU grad wear my UofU apron.Mark and Steph came from Portland for this fabulous turkey dinner!
Amanda is going to BYU.

Alexander planning his next act of terrorism!This is my great niece, London. We are best buds!

The police showed up at our Thanksgiving with their turkey sniffing dog!
Actually, this is my nephew, Rich (London's daddy).

Here is the beginning of the floor laying process. We had to remove the cupboard from above the fridge and trim it because the extra height wouldn't allow the fridge in that space. Getting the linoleum off the floor was a killer!

Dave and Jake put most of the flooring in. Jake and John were good until they pounded their finger and got a blood blister. I think Jake, John and Dave all had blood blisters on their fingers.

The finished product! Well sorta...we still need to put the trim on. The cupboards were too light so my friend Angie helped me stain the cupboards. The picture makes them look redder than they actually are. Now to get the carpet in!!! Well, we need to do the entry way first, then they can lay the carpet. If I'm lucky, we can have it done by the end of the year!

Heavenly Milk?

Of all the pictures Zack can send me from New Jersey and he sends me a picture of a milk carton!

Pic: 4% milk! I didn't even know such a thing existed!

Dearest Mother of mine,

Hey I got your letters. I enjoyed them. Especially Spencer's; His was funny. "Dear Zack, I hope you're having a good time, cause it can get pretty boring here." Tell him that I AM having a good time!

This week was great. We had the Ward Christmas Party on Saturday and then there was the Christmas Message from the First Presidency on Sunday. At the Moorestown Ward Christmas Party, we ate first then we watched Mr. Krueger's Christmas and the Young Women had a puppet show about the birth of Christ. I learned that Elder Haslam(roommate[AP]) plays the violin well. He and Elder Gleed(roommate[AP]) played a duet. Elder Gleed played the piano and Elder Haslam the violin.

I got a letter from Kyle also. He seems like he's having a good time. I got a letter from JC as well. JC seems to be enjoying himself. He told me he loves to get letters. Especially since he's in the MTC for 9 weeks.

It snowed for the first time this wintry season on Saturday. It was coming down pretty hard for most of the night, but it was all melted in the morning. Also, there's a lake in the parking lot of the church, called lake Moorestown that had dried up previous to the storm. After the storm, Lake Moorestown is once again back in business.

I probably won't recognize the house at all. From all the projects you've done/started, it will be like being transferred to a new house, but in the same location with the same general layout(for the most part). At least the outside still looks the same. Right?

Whoa! A real tree? We haven't had a real tree since the old house in WVC(I think?). Elder Gleed decorated the apartment with the decorations that his family sent him. Every thing is very festive. The Christmas tree already has 2 presents under it.

That was a close call that Spencer answered the door when the package came. I think you're safe though. I don't even know what Peevey is, so I think it's safe to assume that Spencer doesn't either. Maybe.

I still play the guitar when I can. I used to play from the hymnbook a lot, but my companions have gotten tired of the same songs over and over again. I can see why they don't like it so much because there aren't that many hymns. So I try to remember songs that I used to listen to and I try to figure them out on the guitar from memory. Sometimes I try to figure out hymns that aren't in the hymnbook that you sent me. It's hard to play a song that I've figured out, because after a while I forget the fingering and I have to rediscover the fingering.

My schedule is the same as always:

6:30am Get up and exercise

7:00 eat and shower

8:00 Personal study

9:00 Companionship study

10:00am-9:00pm(9:30pm if teaching) Proselyting time, taking an hour for lunch and dinner.

9:30 Daily planning

10:00 write in journal get ready for bed.

10:30pm sleep

We stop by the office for about an hour a day when ever we feel like it or when it's most convenient except Thursday and Sunday. We don't go in on Sunday. and Thursday we're there until 6PM.

In the office there is usually the Taylors(Senior couple) and us. The AP's usually aren't there except on Thursdays and other days with meetings. On Thursdays in the morning there are 7 people. In the afternoon there are 9 people the 7 plus the Winegars.

We don't actually see the AP's all that much. Just in the mornings and evenings and sometimes when we both have a meal appointment with a member and on Thursdays for staff meeting. They're cool though. We get along well.

If you called the Office at lunch time, Sis. Taylor would probably answer it. If she's not there, then maybe someone else would answer it, but the Taylors are in the Office more than we are. They're here all day every weekday.

We are down to 78 missionaries I think. There will be a lot going home on the 21st. President Winegar said that we wouldn't reach the number we're supposed to be at until Summer of 2010.

So far we don't have anything planned for Christmas except stay home and have fun and go eat at Vai Sikahema's house. Have you heard of Vai Sikahema? He's actually a sports broadcaster on one of the news channels. He used to play football for the Philadelphia Eagles. He's awesome. And he challenged Jose Canseco to a boxing match for some charity organization. Canseco got knocked out in less than 30 seconds. I think you can watch the fight on youtube if you want.

So let me get this straight. For Christmas, you want me to send you:

1. A video of all of us singing

2. Pic of me in my Holladay shirt

3. Pic of me in my suit from the waist up taken outside when it's not raining or snowing

What are your plans for Christmas?

How much snow have you gotten so far?

What is Jake and John's weekly income?(if any)

I think this one's long enough, so I'll just close it.

Love ya!

Zack

Elder Zackattackinator

Hey Momdabomalongabingbong! I like that name. I just made it up!

Sorry about not replying to your last emails. I didn't get ANY mail last week. Not even from President and Sister Winegar. It was weird. I think everything is straightened out though. President Winegar told me that the church would be making a huge update to the email system sometime between November and December. Hopefully it gets fixed soon.

Hey thanks for the package! I wore the shirt that Grandma Holladay gave me to a service project-raking leaves. Sis. Winegar thought it was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo CUTE! She asked me if there was actually a Holladay University. I told her I didn't know. So the shirt is a total hit! I also bought a larger thumbdrive to store everything on. I filled up the other ones so I bought an 8 GB. It was only $14. which isn't bad considering that that one I sent you(1 GB) was $5. Also the Brownies were Jolly good! they were gone in 5 minutes.

Also Thanks for the addresses for Kyle and JC. I actually got a letter from Kyle not too long ago. I just sent his letter this morning.

I had a good Thanksgiving. We played flag football in the morning with some people in the ward. The 4 teams were fairly even except one team was stacked with a bunch of RMs that played football for college. We achieved victory the first game, but we lost the second game by one point against the pro football team. After football we went home to get cleaned up. Then we went the the Rubella's for Thanksgiving lunch. It was the fasted Thanksgiving meal I've ever had. Everyone was finished eating and cleaning up within 30 minutes. It was good food. I only had one plate because there was so much food. There was so much food we had Thanksgiving again when we went back later in the week. Then we went the the Broadbents (bishops family) for Thanksgiving dinner. It was fun. I only had one plate there too. After dinner we played telephone-pictionary. They also had a violin that no one could play, so Elder Haslam, who can play the violin pretty well, fixed it and tuned it and played a little bit. Sis. Broadbent brought out her flute and we sung some hymns for a little bit.

You bought Spencer an .......... for Christmas? No way! I want an .......! What kind of .........did you get him?

I think Christmas has been completely commercialized.

Request for Christmas? Sure! I do need like 1 more shirt. I lost a shirt somehow. I'd also request ties. You can never go wrong with ties. Maybe an orange and black one? I don't need any socks. I still have some left over from last Christmas. How about a water-resistant folder for my backpack?

Well that's all the time I have this week. We still have some things to do before our teamup with President Winegar tonight.

Love,

Zackattackinator