"So this week we were able to watch Meet the Mormons on Tuesday."

How is it going everyone? So this week we were able to watch Meet the Mormons on Tuesday. It is a really great movie and portrays the members of the church as normal people. I really like it and would recommend it.  For the General Conference Saturday sessions, all the missionaries were at a families house who own 140 acres of land in the mountain including their house which is on the peak of one.  We watched the conference in their theater room with reclined leather couches haha, super nice.  In between the morning and afternoon sessions (12 to 2) we helped them put up fences for their property and cleared out some brush for more fencing, and doing that I got to drive their side-by-side. It is a 900 razor, which was a ton of fun going on dirt roads up in the mountains.  For  the Sunday session, we went to a part member, less-active family's home and watched the morning session with them, and for the afternoon we watched it at our ward mission leader's house with the Spanish Missionaries.  As for the rest of the week, we spent it going to member homes, both active and less-active, inviting them to invite others to watch conference and to share something about it before and after on social media.  So this week has been pretty good.  This morning I went with the Zone Leaders and played tennis, which was a lot of fun.  I am actually not that bad, so it was pretty fun haha, just like playing it right before I left.  So transfers are this week, so I might be leaving to my 2nd area, but it is all up in the air -  but most likely I will have a new companion whether I leave or not.  I hope to hear from everyone soon. I miss you all, and will do my best to take more pictures Mom, haha maybe.

Love,
Elder Austin
(this update was emailed to everyone

on Oct. 6th)

"Guess working with your dad would come in handy out here."

So this week on P-day we played zone versus zone football, which was a lot of fun. We had enough missionaries to where our team, so we could have an offense and a defense haha.  I played as running back and got a couple of touchdowns, because a lot of people are slow haha.  This week we did exchanges and I stayed in our area, so I was in charge for the day. We knocked on a lot of doors and me and Elder Hernandez had a good time doing it.  We have been helping this guy build a barn, and I have been on the roof using a nail gun putting in plywood and after that we put waterproofing on top of that, and I cut it with a razor.  At first one of the other missionaries was trying to cut the waterproofing with the razor and absolutely shredding it doing it.  So I was like "I'll do it" and I cut a clean, straight line in one try haha.  Guess working with you dad would come in handy out here.  [Elder Austin's dad is a floor installer.]  We also had zone training this week, which mainly had to do with district leaders and the changes around leadership.  Oh, and I will be watching "Meet the Mormons" here exclusively for missionaries on Tuesday, so that is exciting.  We went over and had a lesson with Mackenzie, and Kailee walked out and talked to us.  She was still really friendly, but we aren't sure if she is still interested. We will work on that in the upcoming week.  We met with the less active mother who wants her kids to be baptized, and she said they were going to try to make it to church, but didn't end up coming, so we are going to have to help them to know the importance of it and the blessings that come from it as well.  She has a sincere desire for her kids to be baptized, but is still uncomfortable coming back to church.  Remember them in your prayers.  Hope you guys are doing great and I hope to talk to you all soon!!

Love,
Elder Austin

So basically I have become a professional mover here in Castle Rock haha.

So for this week - We've done a lot of service.  On Monday we went back to Castle Wood Canyon which was a lot of fun. One of the elders right in front of me almost stepped on a rattlesnake on the trail. It was about four feet long, and it started rattling like crazy.  We mainly ran across the top of the canyon, and I climbed a bit on the rock faces which was fun.  This week we helped move a lady who is leaving the area. We helped her move her stuff into a storage unit a couple of weeks ago, and now we were moving it from the unit into a truck. I ended up being the guy almost stuck in the back of the truck cramming stuff in to fit it tight haha.  We also helped a guy in our area move from one house to another in our area so we were moving stuff in and out, and also while we were doing service for a member, we ran over to help this family move in close by, they were really grateful because there were like eight of us, and we got it done pretty fast.  So basically I have become a professional mover here in Castle Rock haha.  We also were helping a member family landscape their yard.  We were leveling out the ground the way they wanted it  -  laying down rocks and mulch and digging holes for plants.  It was a lot of fun, but the worst part about it was that the dirt was filled with big rocks, so digging and leveling took some effort haha, but we got it all done.  We have been teaching lessons with families in the ward and that has been going really well.  We have been trying to meet with the less-active sister in our ward who wants her kids to be baptized.  She hasn't made it to church yet, so we are going to be working with them this week.  We also are going to try to meet with other less-actives as well.  We still haven't been able to find investigators, but we are working on it.  Through hard work, I have truly strengthened my faith no matter the results we get.  And I know that I will continue to do my best and let the Lord take over the work here.  I hope you guys are doing great and I'll talk to you soon!

Love,
Elder Austin