A better reply

Hey Everyone!

So We were able to find some time to spend on the computers today to finish up our emails. I had to send some things to Sister Thornock as well so it all worked out well. It is Dumb Hot out here. Yesterday was up to 94F and its going to be around that hot all week long!! Think 33-36C+! Absurd right? Especially because we spend most of our time tracting long roads in hot dress slacks and shirts. I've been trying to keep myself well hydrated but its ridiculous! You can't ever get dry because the humidity is drenching! I don't think I'd be alive right now if there wasn't AC. I don't know how people ever lived without it down here.

We ran into some way sweet Rednecks last weekend. We were tracting and they were sitting out in there back yard drinking a few cold ones. For some reason or another they took a liking to us and we stayed and talked for a good 40 mins, trying to share bits of Gospel as well as listening to some pretty crazy stories. Too funny. Better yet, we were on the same stretch of country road again the next day picking up where we left off and they were out there again! This time they called out to us to come join them. Again we went over and spent a little time talking with them. They said they'd be cooking up some chicken and hot dogs and we should stop by on our way back. So we continued tracting for a few more hours and returned yet again to see them. They provided us with some fresh baked biscuits and a cold pop. Elder Fisher told them what NASCAR really stands for. Non-Athletic-Sport-Created-Around-Rednecks. They loved it! Sadly they like to slow cook their chicken, which would have been super awesome, but we had to get to Lynchburg before it got to late.

Oh man. Lynchburg. Sounds inviting right? It gets better. They have this Liberty University (Think BYU of Baptists), making Lynchburg the Southern Baptist equivalent of Provo. Deep Bible Belt country. Some people consider it to be the Buckle. Everyone within 100 miles seems to be strong baptists. Its Crazy. Back in Roanoke you had a fair smattering of Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Actually in Gretna there are a few JW's here too. But yeah. Lynchburg. Heaven help me if I got sent there. You hear some interesting things about Encounters with Liberty students or persons close to the campus. They're all good nice people, but sometimes you feel like wearing a missionary tag just makes you a big target and people lick their lips as you walk to their door. This is the same town that J. Golden Kimball had to swim across the the river as a missionary to avoid being actually "Lynched" by a mob! The hardest part about it is just trying to help people to understand what we actually believe. I'm getting pretty tired of other people telling me what I really believe. Generations of misunderstanding or intentional slander have given us hard barrier to over come. Thankfully back in Gretna its not such a big deal and we've spent enough time helping out around town that the people are all friendly and cordial.

Anyways, Its time to get back out and burn up in the sun! Long walks ahead and another trip to Lynchburg tonight. We have a Zone Conference tomorrow in Buena Vista so we'll drive up with some of the Lynchburg Elders.

Hope everything is doing well back home. Fatty, if you haven't sent a letter From Japan yet, GET ON IT. Or at the very least send along your email address so I can scold you directly.
Elder Sunada