Words from Elder Chandon Herring in Washington DC

"ok family sorry for a short letter that is a little late but I was super busy today (Monday). I was able to successfully spend a lot of money! I have none left for the month because I went to Costco. I will have plenty of food for some time. I also bought a Gym membership.. We are starting to get up at 430 in the morning and biking 5 miles to a gym and still making it back by 7.

Ok Tuesday. We had a great start to a contest of getting the most contacts in a week. We ended up winning and today was a great start. We had a delicious breakfast at Ceasars home. It was so good but you could roll me home if you wanted to. We had our normal studies and facebook time where I saw a super awesome video about America. We were given dinner by the Walkers in our ward, They had these stuffed shells that were super good and they came with a half loaf of banana nut bread. I have been eating super good and those beans have been working out great mom super easy and delicious. No roast yet.

Ok Wednesday. This was a temple day. We saw the new movie. We talked a lot with JS armstrong who is a member who is dedicated to helping missionaries. He brings us our mail and takes us wherever, whenever. It is great. He is super old too.

We had a great ward coordination to. Our Ward mission leader is the best. He is so into everything we do and great with being involved with everyone. He is just perfect. I hear he is the best in the mision. Oh ya on the way to the temple E Brian, who is in our neighboring area, hit a pole on the way to the Metro stop. I wish i was there to see it! It was supposedly super funny to watch!

Thursday. Ok I went on an exchange with E Hansen. He is the ZL. He is great but weird. He was a good example of being disciplined and working hard everywhere. He started me on a memorization thing so I will learn 1 new scripture a day. It will be so good! It is super hard tho. We had a great time meeting with... no one really. All of our appointments cancelled so we just had a district meeting and did some contacting. We had a great time on the metro. The people here have and unspoken rule of do not speak unless spoken to on the metro. So all we have to so is say hi and they will almost always talk back. i love it!

Friday. I made beans this day! THey are awesome! We met Richardo today who is a transfered investigator from the spanish. He is already on date for baptism. :) He is awesome! We also had another meal at Ceasars because it is his birthday week. He fed us a lot again and i love him! He is so happy and nice! We were able to see sis onyeka who is the black lady who randomly undresses during a lesson. She is so weird. 70 yrs old and still does not know manners ;)

Sat

BASEBALL! We went to the baseball game! It was awesome to go but the game was terrible But this day started great! we helped two guys move and they were REALLY nice to us. But not creepy nice. I think... But it was good. E thornton and E Eishet were taking a couch up and they went to the wrong floor. They Noticed and came down to where they thought was the right floor But when the elevator opened they saw me and E Hart coming. they were super irritated because they just unloaded the coach from the elevator. They were Right back to where they had started. :)

Sun. 203 contacts total this week with a decent number of lessons :) We won and are going to get pizza! Hurray! We had fast and testimony meeting today. I LOVE IT! Sis mack bore\sung her testimony. she was baptist and sings a song that they used to sing. it is super good and the whole congregation sings with her. Is it bad if i recorded it? I will send it to you. You will see how awesome our ward is. We had dinner at Ceasars and gained more weight. But I am now 275 lbs because I have not been eating junk like I used to in GIlbert. You know that whole eat out all the time at work. I dont do that anymore so i am getting skinny! and now with a gym i will get huge! I bought protein.

Mon. Well today was good. We started st 4:30 we went and did sunrise pictures with E Fuller who was late because he got hit by a car. It was funny to hear that. We called to see where they were right when he was getting off of the ground. He is fine tho. So is the car. We had a solid day of go go go go. We signed up for a gym, went to costco, did sunrise pictures at the mall, I sent those to you. and we went and taught a few lessons. I love the peole here!

Well thank you all for your love and support. It is great hearing you are all doing well. Remember Madi, Jacob Simmons will kill, you know who, if he needs to. just let me know. (Awwww...still taking care of his little sister even though he is on the other side of the country. It's like a mafia thing "I've got a friend who can take care of that"...Haha!) Congrats to dad on making your life more stressful! (Our stake just created two new wards. We are in one of them and Mike was put in the bishopric) You will do great tho! Mom sounds like you are trying to get used to a routine again. Summer messes us all up and now you have to soon be called to RS pres. ;) I am just saying that because you are the only one who could do it right! (So not the case but I'm glad he has confidence in his mommy...or he wants another pkg...lol) I love you! Aunt steph good luck with school you will be able to be the best in class because you are that type of person. You can do it! It stinks but you can do it even with Hollan.

So happy to hear about all of the exciting Birthday parties in Russia. (Code word for baptism and he speaks Russian but is actually in the Baltic) I wish i could go there with Rex to celebrate. He is a stud. I love him. Nothing from Kort yet but I bet she is rocking it.

thank you all for all you do. I love you and I know that you all will be great. Remember that we are always protected and helped by angels. I almost died a few times this week, yet again, and for some reason I am still here. So it must be true. New favorite speaker..... Neil A Maxwell!

Mom everything is awesome. We are loving it. Those recipies would be awesome I will try them all. I am going to make a big thing of Mexican Haystacks this week. It will be great. I am so out of lifting shape but E thornton is mad because I was able to keep up with him for most of the workout and he is super dedicated. :) But I am awesome so......... (and ever so humble...)"