Monday, January 4, 2010

Lake City, FL Letter #12 Jan. 4, 2010

Hello ya'll

Well the New Year’s oyster roast was amazing! We were at our ward mission leader’s house. I had one cooked and one raw oyster. They both were way good, lol.

Southern hospitality is so funny! Elder Taft & I walk in and there is a big, huge, party going on. There were tons of ward members there and some non-members, man it was packed! As we first walked in, we noticed a huge table with loads of food piled everywhere! Next thing we know people just took our plates for us and started loading food on it… saying things like “Oh this is homemade; Oh this is real southern food you gotta have this”. Ha-Ha!

Next, they took us outside where the oysters were cooking. Our ward mission leader was in charge of cooking them. First, you crack them open and put them on a cracker. Next, you top them off with hot sauce. Then the trick is…to eat them in one bite. So we tried that with the roasted oysters. Which was not too bad at all - After that, our ward mission leader gave us raw ones to try. Elder Taft didn't like the raw ones too much. My first raw one was an oyster almost the size of the palm of my hand! I slapped it on a cracker, I had to take it in one bite…, and I did! It was good times, all of the people started cheering and clapping when I took it all in one bite lol ...southern people...

After we ate awhile, all of the guys went and got their guns from their trucks and cars and headed over to an old pickup (I guess that was the ammunition station) and loaded their shotguns. Then for the next little while, they all shot clay pigeons. There were about 6 or 7 guns with rednecks firing them. They had a hand thrower and a launcher going at the same time. Someone would fire one or two clay pigeons at a time - then all the guns would just fire off simultaneously. Sometimes the pigeon would just sink harmlessly to the ground Ha-Ha! Elder Taft and I were laughing and laughing at these rebel boys having a great time. They were having a “good ol’ time” as they say in the south. It was good times, good times! They also had this huge bon fire going in the yard as well; everyone was having a great time! Lol it was a crazy, wild, boom diggity New Years Day! What a great way to start 2010!!

Our three baptisms did not go through last Sunday after all. However, Elder Taft & I have set some baptismal dates with 3 people, so we will see if that works out this next week. Oh by the way I am not being transferred (neither is my companion). In fact, none of the Elders in my apartment is leaving this transfer. We are all staying put, but Elder Cundick is leaving. Elder Bowen is staying in Fernandina and Elder See is staying where he is. They made Elder See a trainer again so that’s cool.

Oh, I wanted to tell everyone in Utah that today (in the morning) it was like 19 degrees at my apartment; so don't tell me Florida is not cold!! That is below 30 so that is officially freezing!! We could have easily had snow last night - it was that cold!

Remember during my Christmas call I mentioned that Elder Taft & I had a great joke planned for our Ward Mission Leader? We were customizing a special shirt for him to present to him on New Year’s Day. .. Well our ward mission leader loved his New Years shirt we made him. In fact, he told us that “He is going to frame it!” (too funny!)

So yeah, that’s about all the sweet news for today. Everyone has been great to keep writing, I love getting mail, so be sure to thank them for me. I will try to write more next week, but I gotta go now; they only let us on these computers for a limited time at this place. So tell everyone I am thinking about them and will try to write everyone as I have free time.

Love,
The freezing elder in the sunshine state- Elder Blair 

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