haha, okay just to start off that sounds like an awesome missionary experience mom. i am so excited that you have all had an opportunity to share a bit of the gospel and to also apply more of it to your lives. that is really cool. :)

our apartment is really nice and i might have to send pictures soon. transfers are in December 7th and elder filiaga is going home mid-transfer, 3 days after Christmas. so idk if he will be with me but it would be super cool. it is getting really chilly here believe it or not. yesterday we got rain all day and that made it really cold. it is really really hard to find an overcoat here because most missionaries are like me, doubting that it will ever get cold here, and are doing anything to find them. also the Goodwills here are pretty picked clean. i think this has to do with the fact that we are kinda in an area where people are always looking for a good bargain. so still haven't found one yet and i am kinda low on money right now so i cant really purchase one.

we are doing great on food and our ward always makes sure we are fed now. :) that Sunday when we all gave talks kinda got us on the radar so we are doing just fine. I'm excited for thanksgiving too! we should have some bomb dinners. last Saturday we had a like ward dinner thingy and they had great food. it was a great opportunity to bring our investigators and introduce them to the ward too.

man, i don't know what it is, maybe the time of season or something, but they are shooting movies like EVERYWHERE in downtown. they usually have like half a street blocked off and they never really get in the way but they have dozens of trucks packed with equipment all down the street. it's pretty cool haha. last week they had one street with like 50 old school cars like you would see in a Scarface movie or something it was pretty sweet.

oh yeah! im trying to read the whole book of Mormon before the end of the year too and it is crazy! lots of reading but i am really seeing a difference as i am reading more.

today has been good too. we had the turkey bowl and we did pretty great. i didn't really keep track of score but im pretty sure we won. it was our zone, (Griffith) then Westwood and Marina. it was pretty fun.

It is getting closer to Christmas and it is getting harder and harder to think of things that i would like that would be easy to get to me. but don't worry mom, i don't think you can possibly go overboard. i would sincerely appreciate everything. ;)

okay and with your investigators, mom, i would just invite them over for a little FHE and like treats or even just for dinner. think of it like running a relay. you are the starter and you gotta run your hundred then pass off the baton. :) plus the longer you know them the more they will trust you. sometimes, actually all the times it is hard to be patient and you kinda just wanna give them the whole pizza. but if we get them to eat one slice and like it then they wont need any convincing to eat the rest... okay. that sounds like a meal right there. :) ive been living with a Tongan for too long..... also getting to know them and be friends helps the missionaries a lot because then they have a fellowshipper who they will feel comfortable coming to for questions when the missionaries aren't around. good luck!

Alrighty, well i still gotta email the pres and go to a dinner apt so i will see all of you later! I love you all and thank you all for the support and prayers.

Love,

Elder Channing Winterrose

ps. i am sending the receipt to you along with my short Christmas list for now haha. there isn't much on there but they are kinda just the things i really really wanted.