Packard and McKellar take on Manhattan

No, it's not a cougar....imposter!
At Kansas University, 1/2 mile from their apartment

Dec 22

This week was really good, we saw a lot of progress in the area. We had the zone mission Christmas party here in Wednesday. Just our zone and Salina zone so about 30 missionaries. Ugly sweaters, and a huge tie trade.

Then we were on exchanges with the assistants after the Christmas party and the whole day afterwards. It was a lot of fun, I was with Elder Budge again. Honestly of all the people in this mission, and even though I have never served with him nor near him very long, he is one of my best friends here. We had a lot of fun together. It's funny, he was my zone leader last summer when I was in Guymon and when Elder Garnett went home he had about two weeks before transfers, so he was with me and Elder Downs in a trio for a bout a week. It was one of the best weeks of my mission, but we were together our year mark, and our year and a half just a bout this last week. And of course we began in Mexico together, so he is just a good friend. But he and Elder Arend and myself and Elder Mckellar, all my very best friends in the mission together, we together in our apartment on Wedneday night.

It snowed about 4 inches on Wednesay night, but it has warmed up since then its in the high 40's today, so its actually pretty nice out right now. All the snow is melted. There is talk of a whole bunch of snow on Christmas eve. We will see.

Our investigators are all doing really well. I love it here so much. It was hard adjusting to English, but I really have enjoyed it. And every opportunity that I get to speak Spanish I take it. Elder Budge and I and Elder McKellar and Elder Arend went to this sweet Mexican restaurante that we found, it pretty legit too, they sell elotes that are SUPER good. But there are a handful of Puerto Ricans that are in the army here, most of them are black, not so hard to spot, but we talk to those guys in Spanish. But honestly the work in the east is mostly part member families, and less actives, not much street contacting nor tracking. So its a bit different. 

We live about 1/2 mile from KU campus and are covering all of Manhattan first ward. 

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Dec 15

These past two weeks have been really good though. The weather has been awesome for mid December. in the 50'.  So it's been nice. Elder Mckellar and I have been working really hard, with a whole handful of people. It is fun being here, a lot of energy in this town, with all the army and university people. It's fun. 

On Wednesday of last week we went to Wichita for our MLC. IT was a good meeting. It was sweet, one of the Elders--Elder Jones-- is in the Marine Reserves so he can get into any armed force base so on Wednesday morning of last week, before our meeting we woke up really early and went to The Air Force base in Wichita to the gym there. It was really cool, and a lot of fun. I love President Bell so much, he is a good example of being a leader but also be able to relax and be a friend, but knowing when it is time to do the two.

He went for a shirtless run with us on the Air Force base, and then later that evening he was taking some cake out to the dumpster outside the church, and he tripped and dropped the cake on the sidewalk. And the first thing he did was start to throw pieces of cake at everyone, even at the sister missionaries! it was super funny. 

But everything has been good here in Manhattan. We have a lot of meetings. And drive a lot but I enjoy it. Being here near the army, base has really opened my vision to joining, the Navy or Airforce. Doing the ROTC program at school, and then doing active duty for a few years in one of those branches. There is a member here that was a Navy Diver. I have talked to him a lot. And even talking to president Bell about joining the Airforce is really appealing. I think I'm here learning about it for a reason. It's not just chance I was sent here at this point of my mission. 

So Elder Mckellar and I obviously know each other, but there is Elder Whitaker here from Tuscon Arizona that coincidentally was best friends with Hailey Elsworth, and Jason Davis in college, and even before. We found out that all three of us were at the same Mormon prom at one point. Pretty funny. He is actually an incredible Gymnast, and before going out on his mission this last summer, he was a cheerleader at BYU. That's how he met Jason. But he cheered with Jenna Schneider, the daughter of the guy that you worked for, Jenna was also a cheerleader at  BYU. But anyways, I  was on exchanges with Elder Whitaker last week. He serves the 2nd ward and we serve the first, so we seem him everywhere. all the members are surprised to have so many people from AZ. It's funny. And actually another coincidence. Elder Whitaker's Uncle lives in Guymon, and I was really tight with his Uncle, and his uncle served as companions with Bishop Dahl on his mission. Small world. 

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Charles has been temporarily replaced

Elder Ahern and mystery kid

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December 1

This week was pretty crazy, I left liberal on Tuesday morning, rode out to Wichita, then went north with Elder Mckellar to Manhattan (they call it the Little Apple). Didn't get back until about 6 or  7.

Its been quite a culture shock though. Here it is hilly, out west there aren't anything but ant hills. And here it is actually really pretty. It is just a lot of rolling hills, and all the buildings are pretty new. So there is Kansas State University here, and a giant army base. So mostly everyone falls into one of those two categories. A lot of army people in the ward. Here in Manhattan there are two wards and a university branch, and 6 sets of missionaries between the three units. We cover Manhattan first ward full time.

The environment is just so different here. Out west it is just got a good farming feeling, everyone is pretty much uneducated, and hard -working people, and on top of that is was a Spanish area, and mostly Hispanic at that. Here is English, but there are surprisingly a lot of Chinese people here for some reason. But English, and like I said, a lot of students and army people, so just kinda a different culture. Not as relaxed I guess as Liberal was, but it's got a live feeling to it, that motivates you. It's kinda cool. For example the weather this week until Sunday was awesome, like highs of 65 -- 70, just the perfect weather. 

On Saturday KSU (us) played KU Kansas University, in Lawrence Kansas, but you can imagine they are huge rivals.

The game was on Saturday, and there were SOOOOOO many people out and about. We live a stones throw away from campus, literally like on block, and the stadium is a half mile. It was pretty cool, the whole place has got a live feeling to it. Its a lot of fun being here.

Being Elder McKellar's companion is awesome, but honesty doesn't surprise me all that much, so many things in our lives have led us up to this point, I kinda already seemed to know it would happen. I remember my first interview with president last August, him asking me If I knew Elder McKellar, and then saying that maybe one day we would be zone leading companions together. It's awesome, it like being with your best friend all the time, but it doesn't get in the way either, It just feels easy to work more, and harder, because you get along with your companion so well. 

Thanksgiving was awesome, I ate a TON and we played in a turkey bowl.