BV YSA ZONE‏

Holy Heck.

What a Week it has been. Probably our best and craziest week yet. We've been able to keep pretty darn busy meeting with people and sharing the gospel. Found 3 new investigators, a first for our area, and had some really great meetings with YSA's returning to activity/looking for a testimony boost. Its been such a blessing to try and help someone, then have them come back in a week and tell you how life's been better. Not only does it feel like I'm doing what I came here to do but for some of those we meet with the choices and changes they're making will effect the rest of their lives on into the eternities! In the process I feel like I am also making some life long friends, even if I never get to see them again. I will always remember the times that I spent with them and the effect they've had on me in return. After a long summer of working our butts off to keep busy, we've finally had things just fall into our laps. 

But now the fun part really begins. This past Sunday I attended 4 sacrament meetings in 7 hours of church. For the first time ever I even played piano in sacrament meeting, actually for 2 of them. The wards have split and our summer ward has become 6. Everything I knew just went out the window haha. Every day I see more new faces that I haven't learned the names of. All the people that I did know are now scattered. The good news is I think everyone is a little bit lost and will be till the semester starts. Even the Bishops are struggling to figure out who's in their wards because everyone is still moving around and their records haven't landed in the right place yet.

But it gets even better. This week, Is TRANSFERS. No worries, I'll be staying here, probably till the end. But Elder Gurney got called to train in Clarksburg. The YSA elders in Roanoke are being doubled out and their area changed (the good news is that Elder Muirbrook whom I've been living with is going there and training a new Missionary so I can trust him). The Lynchburg YSA are getting 2 new elders to serve in a Tri-panionship, but only for 3 weeks as the existing Elder will go home for school then. 2 new Elders will be sent here to BV to become BV YSA 2 and help us out with the wards. I'll be the only one pretty much left in our zone. 

Oh yeah, my new Companion, Elder Holder and I, will have the pleasure of trying to make sense of all this mess as the new Zone Leaders. Yup, they made me a ZL. Don't know what Pres is thinking, but he's got some faith! I'm scratching my head over how we're going to split the wards and share a car here in BV, let alone what the rest of the zone is going to do. I think I'll be spending a lot of time on my knees. I am excited in a way for all this to happen. Its going to be full throttle to the end for me it looks like. And that's a good thing. Some Elders tend to lose their mind in the end thinking about home. I don't think I'll have any time for that. 

YSA's keep us pretty busy. For instance, where else can I rip a hole in new pants (sorry, Mom) while playing volleyball and still consider it to be productive to the work? You've got to go where they go and do what they do to build those relations. I know it may seem like we just have fun but that was also a big step in helping a returning less active feel comfortable at an activity. I love being a missionary ;).

Lets see, what else. Too much. My mind is already on overload. Got accepted to BYU-I. Might get accepted to another. Those things are still kinda off in the distance though folks here make it a point to bring it to the forefront. I finally have my camera and a cord so I can upload some pictures! But I think I'll save some news for next week. 

Hope all is going well back home. Ya'll better go check out the temple for me and tell me about the Open House!  http://youtu.be/5MIfPuvzZeM

Love ya Lots!

Elder Sunada

Transfer pics

Bro. Pool

Goodbye Parkersburg District: Elder Squires, Penn, Tyler (invetigator), Moreang and I. 

Elder Reidhead, Allred, and Muirbrook. 

Reidhead was in Parkersburg South when I first got there. 

Allred and Muirbrook and I all came out of the MTC together. 

Muirbrook and his companion also share an apartment with us.

Elders who've served in the Cave Spring area: 

Pendleton, Maxwell (Canadian), Dumpke, Myself, Conger. 

Bro Shorter in front of course!

Buena Vista!‏

I love it Here!! Oh my gosh Its going to take several weekly emails to explain how cool this area is. But I guess I should go back to leaving Parkersburg first.

We got to visit a few more of the families which we'd come to love, Never getting enough time to spend with them as we'd like. It was pretty rushed in the last few days. Not only we're we being doubled out, But Sisters were being doubled in. President told me to make sure the apartment was fit for their arrival. And I'll be darned if that apartment has looked better in years! We tried to clean everything we could down to the baseboards. I spent about 4 hours shampooing the carpets, which is pretty crazy considering the apartments not really all that big. I did get a confirming report from the Sisters a few days ago that it was satisfactory and they approved of the many sticky notes we left to fill them in on everything. Sister Scannel, whom I've met a few times before is training a new Sister, who is very nice and I think will do well to take care of my old area. So Its all in good hands :)

Transfers. This was probably one of the most exciting transfers I've ever been too. Perhaps one of the most exciting transfers to happen since President Pitts been here. 20 missionaries going home! That means at least those twenty areas plus that need to be moved around. We filled up the whole chapel with Missionaries! It was Crazy. I'm going to miss them a lot. On the Drive down to Buena Vista (Pronounced BYU-NA Vista) I got to meet some of the Elders I'd be serving with in the Rockbridge district. Its Stacked! There are 4 of us that came out together, Gurney, Allred, Muirbrook, and Myself, And the other elders are Way solid Preach My Gospel Missionaries! We room with Elder Muirbrook and Elder Kieren, who was just trained by Elder Leah, so he's clearly a stud. Its been so much fun living with them! And the zone leaders live in the apartment building next to us! WILD!

So some clarification on our assignment. Elder Gurney is THE Zone leader for the Buena Vista Young Single Adult Zone. President may add another later on but for now he's it! We are covering one family ward and the consolidated YSA ward in the area during the summer, then when Classes get back in we will be covering 3 of the 6 YSA wards! Our priority even now is focus on the YSA and so far it has blow my mind! I've never seen anything like it in the mission. Part of what makes it so great are all the Return missionaries in the area who are stoked to go out with us and continue sharing the Gospel. Everyone who I've met has been so great so far! And With most people being students they are way more flexible to see us or schedule appointments with us. Its definitely a big change, but its been made easy by the willingness of the YSA's. 

We also have unheard of resources at our hands thanks to the high concentration of members and the Faculties of SVU. For instance, UNLIMITED FREE LIBRARY COMPUTER USAGE!! No more time clocks or restricted access. SVU holds its students to an Honour code system which grants them many liberties so long as they're living the rules. Its Kinda like BYU, but with its own flair. This past weekend they had a education week conference where many lds Scholars and well known members spoke. These included Brad Wilcox, Elder Ridges who's published over 20 books, President Hinckley's daughter and the Author of President Monson's Biography "to the Rescue" were speakers. I'll have to fill in more about the university itself as I become more acquainted with it. But They are very supportive of everything we do and help supply us with anything we need. 
I told President this week that I believe This area is the best Kept secret in the mission. 

We've also got a decent teaching Pool. There are a few people in the family ward who we have started to work with as well as at least 3 solid investigators who fall into the YSA Category. One of them we just picked up yesterday. A member invited a kid he worked with to dinner with us then we shared a lesson. We've got feedback that he really enjoyed it and had a great time! We also stared working with one less active who hadn't been to church in 4 years...He was there yesterday and said that it felt really good. Also he made a commitment to a friend (who may have been a cute girl) that he would come every week. At first that was a little concerning, but he's also shown desires that he truly does want to change and have the peace of the Gospel back in his life. Already so much has been happening and we've been greatly blessed. This is the busiest I've been with appointments every hour of our day. I can't wait to see what else will happen here in Buena Vista! 


Its Truly a Great Day in the Kingdom!
Elder Sunada