The Mission of Elder Bates: January 7, 2013

hey dad!

haha you can tell brother cyper that i take is greating with great joy and i look forward to plowing his driveway again next winter!! haha i really apreciate that he remembers me and takes the time to ask how i am doing. how is he doing. has he had any more problems with strokes lately. his heart is very close to god.

christmas and newyears are past and now it time for birthdays!!!!! hahaha you and mom look really good with horns (Mom and Dad went to Montana's for their birthday celebration with Colter). it really brings out your eyes. and sounds like you have been relaxing quite a bit the past couple of days! that must be so nice. and that was good of you to let doug take a while off to go to mexico and have some time with his wife! adam is a hard worker. its to bad about what happened at gaurdian. hopefully he can find more work. he has a good work ethic. visiting down in lethbridge and with everybody so much over the holidays must have been so nice. you make a really good airplane. maybe you should fly your way over here in august and then fly me back home hahahaha. i didnt know you could still get your body that straight and agile...... really i am impressed. and i know how you feel about morning church. it is so much nicer than afternoon. then you have all afternoon to read or visit haha.

so dallin has become the hitch hiker huh? haha good for him. i hope he finds the structure he is looking for in his life. its kinda funny that he is homeless. but i think that that school in vancouver would be great and i hope he works hard to get into it. i am glad as well that he is still hanging aroung family and things. i actually just got a card from aunt irene and uncle randy! it was very nice. they told me that mitch is working for randy out in vancouver. that will be good for him. they also told me that meaghan is getting all sort of famous wich is great!

granmpi is looking great in the pictures lyndi has of him. nice and healthy. and nannie as well. they are so strong. like the engergiger bunny. hahaha i can just imagine grampi with little pink ears on and a drum and he walks around beating the drum. hahahahahahaha oh that should be his halloween costume next year haha.

i am doing really good. i just found out last night that i will be transfering to manakambahiny and i will leave wednesday. my new companion will be a malagasy named elder benza. i met him before he was a missionary when i worked in antsirabe. he is a great guy and i am excited to work with him. i will be living with 3 malagasies. yup haha. no americans in my house lol. it will be a great expeirence and i am very excited. we also found a new family here and the fathers name is mark. he is amazing. worked on a boat his whole life till his boat got beached and now he s been out of work since 2009. but i dont think i have had a better time with anybody on my mission. he asked all the right questions. and it was full of the spirit. i pray he will choose to come to church and find the trueth and structure in his life that he needs for his family. i love you all and am so happy you are doing well

be fitiavana mandrakizay