Elder Oldroyd: Holland is a Boss!!

What’s good back in B town??!!

It sure seems like you guys had a great week and are all super excited for the school year to be over with! I remember being so excited for the summertime, where I didn’t have to go to school. Great times right there! No matter if I’m in school or out of school, I get excited for summer! Summertime means a few things. Well, obviously the weather is far better than the freezing Ohio chill, you actually get a tan! Except the tan lines are terrible haha. You get to help people mow their lawns or do yard work. Another great thing is that we get to see a lot more people outside where we can just go up and talk with them! Knocking on doors during the winter time is terrible haha. We learned a trick though, you hold a golf ball with you gloves on and use the golf ball for your knock instead of taking your glove off every time. It worked perfectly. The weather lately has been amazing, I’m still not used to the humidity nor will I ever get used to it haha. But Ohio is soo green! It really is pretty. Ohio is a beautiful state. Ohio just needs big Utah mountains and then I would feel a little more like home. I really do miss the mountains not going to lie.

This week was a very interesting week. I have been holding this in for a while now but on Wednesday we went to the Kirtland Stake Center as a whole mission and got to meet Elder Hollstrum from the Quorum of the Seventies, Elder Seldon also from the Quorum of the Seventies (actually lives in the Solon Ward where my last area was.) But most importantly we got to listen to Elder Holland!!! He is my favorite Apostle! He puts the hammer down and doesn’t mess around! haha. He was actually shorter than what he looks like on t.v. But he is absolutely hilarious! He had a microphone hooked to his lapel so he was able to walk around the chapel which was pretty cool. The very first thing he said was, “I’m so close, that I could GRAB YOU!” haha. Then he attacked a Sister grabbing her shoulders haha. It was funny, nobody expected that to happen. If Elder Holland did that to me, I would probably poop my pants and then he would kick me out for pooping my pants. But it was a very good discussion. He was pointing his finger and was getting pumped up how he does every talk. He told us that we need to have no regrets basically and that when we do go home to keep going up spiritually. You can never stop. Because with this Gospel it’s either forwards or backwards. He told us that we need to have such a good mission that we will think or talk about it every single day for the rest of our lives. Also, that we need to astonish more people. That’s why we don’t get a return appointment, because they weren’t astonished by the message we gave to them. I took a bunch of notes though. It was really cool, the spirit was such an amazing feeling being right there in front of an Apostle. The suspense waiting for him to walk in was unbelievable. I felt like I was about to go play a tough Rugby match! When I shook his hand he looked me dead in the eye. Looked at my name badge and pronounced my name right! haha not everyone can do that. After we all sat down he told us that he had a personal interview with all of us by shaking our hand and looking in our eyes. It was a great experience.

On Saturday night we were driving home, we were running home late from an appointment with the Rucker family. We were going about 60 on Route 42. I was driving, there were trees down the whole road on the right hand side. All of a sudden at the last second a huge raccoon jumped out of the brush. I tried swerving out of the way but it was too late. I hit that thing going 60 square on with the front bumper. It was such a loud noise. We got out of the car to see what happened with our car. Raccoon was obviously destroyed ha but it cracked our freaking bumper in half and ripped the air dam underneath our car half way off! Might I add this is a 2012 Ford Fusion. The air dam has been dragging ever since we hit it. We are finally able to take it in the auto body shop to get it repaired. The air dam was dragging along the ground making this terrible sound. It was so embarrassing passing people haha. We were making a turn to get lunch today and the whole air dam ripped off. So long story short, don’t hit as big of a raccoon! haha or don’t hit them at all.

It was a busy week, we both got sick this week as well so that was a bummer but it happens. We both got a head cold so we had to stay home for a day and a half. I seriously hate staying inside. I love to be outside! But this week was fun. I can’t believe I’m almost to my year mark! Literally one month and I have been out for a year! Time is flying by! We have an Elder in our district that is going home in two weeks. It’s weird to see him get prepared to leave. I still have a while for that though which is nice Well I hope you all had a great week! Keep staying awesome people! Love you guys!

Love Elder Oldroyd! Now the best looking missionary out here because my boy Swony is now home

This is the day of baptism.