Alright Mum?

Okay, before you read what I'm about to tell you, sit down and remember all the great emails you told me about how grown up I'm becoming, and how I've changed so much.. Please.

This week I decided to cut my own hair, and went through with it.

I promise it's not terrible, I did okay.  I mean, it's not anything I'd pay to get at a barber.. but I didn't have to go and get it fixed.  That's the good news. The bad news is that I underestimated just how short the longest guard was on the shaver... I really don't have any hair left, and you might have to come over here and kill me. I'll attach a picture for you. Haha I'm just thinking about all the squirming and the groaning you're doing right now.  That's pretty funny.  I, on the other hand, have always loved buzz cuts.  Although, nobody in the states, including my girlfriend like the idea of me without hair.  Guess you'll have to live with it.  The other bad news for you is that I didn't traumatize myself to never do it again, in fact, I think I'll give it like a transfer, and do it again, except better, because I've learned a few things about cutting hair now.

Alright. Breathe.

I finally got my camera checked out and the guy told me it wasn't worth fixing, so I bought a new one at a secondhand shop, and it's good.  I had to use all of my money I had left though, because on Friday we went to the Gadfield Elm Chapel and Benbow Pond, so I had to buy my camera.  That meant that today I had enough money to buy two loaves of bread.. for the rest of the week.  But don't worry, I always buy canned food and I have a large supply that will last me through this week.  I'll try really hard to get a bunch of dinner appointments as well, so you don't have to worry.  I haven't gotten my package yet, but that's not because it hasn't arrived.  I'm almost sure it has.  But the zone leaders don't go to the mission home super often, and they're the ones that would pick it up for me.  So I'll probably be getting it tomorrow or the next day.  But I've been trying to take a bunch of pictures to make up for the apostasy of photography.  I'll send you a bunch today.  I also just sent in a letter with reimbursements for travel, and I should be getting £50 by the end of the week, so don't worry about money.  Breathe.

A suit.  I'm tempted.  I still don't know how often I wear suits.. because when it rains I just wear coats and rainjackets with a white shirt and tie underneath.. But I do have to wear them twice a week, once to district meeting and once to church, and if I want to look especially nice sometime in between the two meetings.  I think I will get one soon.  But I'm going to go to a million different places and try on a million different suits until I find one that is exactly what I want.  I'm thinking blue.  Or grey.  One of the two.  Like a nice, light grey, or a dark navy blue.  We'll see.  Most of my stuff matches the grey better, but I like the idea of blue with the reddish brown shoes and belt.  That look is really nice.  I'll definitely get a suit sometime.  I just don't know how soon it will be.  Stop worrying about that.  Breathe.

This week was kind of bleh.  My planning made it seem like it was going to be a really good week, but everything decided to fall through right before it was supposed to happen.  So it was really.. annoying.  This week should go really good.  But I wasn't able to see Patrick, my german and Elder Tanner (one of the elders in Warwick) went and saw him while I was on exchange with Elder McKnight. We were going to see him three times and put him on a baptismal date, and have a really great week, but then he decided to go to London on Tuesday and stay til Sunday night.  Awesome.  Then we planned on seeing Kerstin, the Hungarian girl, and that fell through, and we also tried contacting this potential investigator that was really solid, but she wasn't in.  (Before you ask, she's maybe a little younger than Adrienne, but has twins that are just little babies.  We're going to contact her tomorrow, if it kills us.)  Everything was just really grey this week.  Especially the sky.  It's pitch black dark at about 7:00 nowadays.  And the rest of the day it rains. or drizzles. or does this weird misty rain thing, that i really don't like.  I don't like rain, Mom.  I'm pretty sure I was sent here to humble the heck out of me.

Michele is good though.  She got really good home teachers.  One is the branch president, and the other is a former branch president.. So I don't have to worry about her at all.  She's going to be such an awesome member.  A definite "kingdom-builder."  So I'm really happy about that.  Patrick will be too, eventually.

Don't worry about the under armour.  If it fits in some future package, send it, but if not, don't worry about it.  It is cold. But I can handle it.  Even though I'm your little baby boohoo, I'm also a big boy now too.  One day maybe I'll be a man... Doubt it.  I'll probably still try to cut my own hair.  Haha hopefully I marry some one that can cut my hair, cause if not, I think I'll have to live with whatever I can do to my hair.

I'm glad you're back from Arkansas, I missed you.

Yeah the Patriarchal Blessing is pretty solid.  Not very much room for sinning.  Guess I'll just have to stop doing that.  Sinning, I mean.

I already have three baptisms.. that's one way to say it.  Or we could say that I've been blessed to see three incredible people make covenants with God, so that one day they can live with Him again.  As much as I'd like to take credit for any of it, they were all so prepared, so give the pat on the back to Christ.  He's pretty amazing.

Aunt Chris in Hawaii.  Haha, she knows how to do missions.  That one fits her personality so well.  She'll fit right in with the jolly Hawaiians.  I'm jealous of the food that she'll get too.  I like Aunt Chris. Give her a hug for me.

I'm really glad to hear about Laura, she sent me an email and I'm going to read it after I send this one to you.  I bet she was more than relieved to hear that she was healing properly.  Take a million more pictures with Tess.  I love pictures.  And I love my little nieces and nephews.  There's a good correlation here, I think. 

Speaking of my sisters though, how's Brooke?  How'd this weekend go? Is she okay?  Did Phil call and freak out?  You really can't just have my President talk me down like that and then kick me out of the loop.  How is she?  I've been praying really really hard for her all week.  I hope everything went alright.

Me and Remy are in the same boat.  I think I'm a little bit better at handling it though.  I woke up really flemmy, and with a sore throat.  But.. it's P Day, and I'm not staying in.  Maybe tomorrow if it gets any worse.  Poor little girl.  I hear that people don't really dress up or trick or treat as much over here.. But I don't know. I haven't been here for Halloween yet.

Five years. Poop, indeed.  But he's probably a really super awesome missionary right now, and I'm sure he's helping me out a lot too.

I love you Momma. I'll send pictures in just a moment.

Love,

Elder Smart