Top 10 Reasons to love Niceville......

Hey Ya'll

Its been a crazy week this week, but a good one nonetheless. I am here in Niceville. It truly is the best place. I will give you the top 10 reasons why.

#10 - We have the nicest apartment in the Mission. Well, maybe not the mission, but it's a hundred times better than any other apartment I've been in. Its just Elder Merkley and I and we have two bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a giant kitchen and living room, we have a washer and a dryer, no neighbors and only a mile away from the church. Pretty nice. Its also a hundred times cleaner than ours in Tally. We tried to clean the Tally apartment so many times, but it just wouldn't work. I feel already in the last couple of days that I can breathe easier. Its a great feeling to breathe.

#9 - Elder Merkley. I know he isn't really part of the area, but he is an awesome companion. He is my grandfather. He trained Elder Krieser, who trained me. So far its been nothing but greatness with him.

#8 - A giant church building ready to grow. I know I came from a stake center, but there was also two other wards there with us. Here is a chapel, about the size of the regular chapels in Utah, with only one ward. No crowds, and you have all of the resources to yourself. We can do something and not worry about another ward getting in the way or us getting in the way of them.

#7 - Niceville High School. Niceville is very similar to Tallahassee. As in, when their team is playing football, everyone is at the game. I found out this last Friday. Niceville played Pace. Elder Merkley and I went and sat with a member and his less active son. We also saw and talked with other members. I noticed something rather amusing at the game. There were more students on the Football team, in the band, or one of the Flaggettes (haha, they really call it that) than there were in the student section. However, the stadium was full. And I mean stadium. Lone Peak has stands, Niceville has a stadium. They get really into it.

#6 - Hahahahahahahahahahahahah. Ok ok. So i worked from 9-7 then decided I should probably work from 1-6. So technically this is the last on the list. I almost forgot. . . I AM DRIVING ANOTHER MINIVAN!!! Hahahahaha. There are only two areas, TWO, in the whole mission that have minivans. I have now served in both of them. Elder Newin said that I'm either destined to drive a minivan when I have my own family, or, I will never drive a minivan again in my life. We'll see what happens. Right now I really hate minivans, but maybe its just our Dodge Caravan. We are supposed to get new cars sometime soon. I think I'll talk to Sis Harbor about getting us some Surburbans, or Jeeps. ;)

#5 -General Conference. Again, this doesn't just come with the territory, but I think that this is pushing me in the right direction. With the Combination of Elder Pearson in September and General Conference this weekend. I have learned so much about myself and who I am. Even this morning I felt it during my study of the Book of Mormon. I felt it as I read the talk that Jenny gave me about Joseph Smith. I am working on finding out who I was 'before' I came to this earth. So far I have found that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ charged to follow him all the days of my life. That includes the next life as well. I have found a few others, but won't share them with you now. Just letting you know that I will be trying to find myself in Niceville. BTW, my favorite was Elder Nelson's and Elder Uchtdorf's. We got to stand as missionaries when Elder Nelson spoke and I love the thought of 'slowing down' by Elder Uchtdorf. Just to think, all of that time trying to create a pen, when a pencil would work. Good stuff.

#4 -Ft Walton Zone. I loved the Tallahassee Zone so much, but I feel I will love the Ft Walton Zone just as much. There are only fourteen Elders in our Zone, plus two Spanish in Ft Walton Beach. Thats only 16 Elders. There were 22 Missionaries in Tallahassee alone. I think I will get to know these guys a lot better.

#3 - Military Ward. I really am convinced that the best wards in my mission are either Military or young single adult. The older generation from the south don't know how to work and love like the young people or the people from out west. The older generation is 'comfortable' with where they're at and don't want to change. Its tough when missionaries get changed a lot and when your ward goes through cycles every summer because of students. However, they don't care. Here in Niceville is an Air Force ward. There are a few other branches here too, but mostly Air Force. And there are a bunch of them who are Doctors in the Air Force. Our ward mission leader is a surgeon. I remember when I thought about joining the military in Ozark. We'll see how Niceville goes. :)

#2 - Destin. One of the best beaches in the world is only a half hour away from us. We went there on Friday, and we will continue to go there on Friday because Elder Merkley has a chiropractor appointment every week. There are also Elders on Destin. The sisters got moved out and they put Elders there. That means a trade-off on Destin!! yeah!

#1 - The Manwaring's. I have only really met them twice, but we are planning on going over to their home soon. I just can't get over the fact that they are here while I am here. Its just too cool to put into words.

That's been my half of a week. I really need that package. So the sooner you send it the better. Thanks :D I will take lots of pictures for you. We are trying to plan a Zone Activity on the beach soon.

Love Elder Call