April 9, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

I made it safe to Colorado.

My new address is:

Elder Kepler Ridge
5579 W Maplewood Pl.
Littleton, CO 80123


My first week was great here in the field.  My first night I stayed at President Mayne's house and then I was able to meet my trainer the next day. My companion's name is Elder Wallace. He has only been out for 2 transfers, so barely longer than me.  The district I am in is very young.  There are 8 of us.  We have 1 person that is going home this transfer, but after him the next oldest is 10 months, and then 6 months, and then the people that have been out as long as I have.

Colorado is absolutely awesome. It is beautiful and has the best weather! I saw the stadium where the Broncos play and it is a sweet looking stadium.On top of that, there are medical marijuana dispensaries all over the place! It's a joke how many places that you can get weed legally. There is one guy that someone in our district was teaching who wanted to be baptized, but they said he couldn't smoke pot anymore even if it was legal.  Unfortunately, I guess he decided to not get baptized.

This week we visited a less active guy who is pretty old and cannot see well.  I felt super bad for him. His grandkids live with him and he was telling us how great all of them are.  As he was telling us this, one of them walked through and I don't think he even noticed that she was carrying a piece and a baggy of weed in her hand, and she absolutely reeked of cheap marijuana. He was completely oblivious to what had just happened. Anyway, he had been smoking for 45 years and when the missionaries asked him to stop, he said a prayer and woke up the next day, and did not even want to smoke. It has been 8 weeks since he smoked and he has no desire to start smoking again. :)

We went to another ladies house, and we were teaching her about the Plan of Salvation. So many things kept interfering with the discussion.  Her phone rang like 10 times, and then her son came home and kept asking her when she was going to take him to the mall.  We did not get to finish the lesson, but she wants us to come back and keep teaching her, so that is sweet.

We are also teaching a girl named Kristi who is a senior in high school and she just decided to get baptized.  She asked if it would be okay if her friend Elizabeth came to our next lesson. She came, and we taught about the Restoration.  The following day, Kristi texted us to let us know that Elizabeth wants to start coming to all the lessons.

We had a district meeting at the church building and there were 4 cop cars sitting in the parking lot with a kid sitting handcuffed outside the door.  Yesterday, I was greeting people at church, and he walked in with his mom.  He just looked mad at the world.

Anyway, I live in a house with Brother and Sister Spencer.  They are way cool, and I am glad to live with them. It is kind of nuts where we live though.  Every year growing up I heard about the shootings at Columbine High School, and I live about a half mile away from it.  I literally see it every day. Every time I pass by it I just think of what happened there. There is still a leery feeling at the school. Two of Sister Spencer's children were there when the shootings happened, but they did not get hurt or anything. There is a nice memorial behind the school.


It is great here. I love the mission so much! I love you all and love to get letters! Don't forget the church is true, the book is blue, and Moroni is always on the ball!


Love,
Kepler


P.S. My first night here I saw Arapahoe High School which is where John Moore graduated.  Can someone ask Kara or Kendra to get the Moore's address in Colorado so that I can write John?