CANNED PEAS!

Good morning Vietnam!! (Even though it's half past noon up here in Idaho. Anyway, I digress.) 

This week was relatively uneventful (I just spent five minutes trying to figure out how to spell relatively). 

We had a couple good lessons. We taught Angelique. I do not remember if I mentioned her last week, and, frankly, I am too lazy to go look, so I'll just pretend that I haven't. Angelique was a former investigator that we contacted and started teaching. She has a strong faith in Jesus but she doesn't feel that she really needs to commit to one single religion. She struggles with health problems, her weight being the biggest. She has had something like 6 strokes, 4 drug overdoses, and a lot of surgery. To be honest, the second you walk in her apartment it's no wonder. You need a gas mask to breathe. She has like 6 incense things burning, plus she, like, hotboxes her apartment with cigarette smoke so its like a fumigation chamber in there. All my clothes need to be burned when we leave. My scriptures now smell like that so I have a pleasant reminder :) 

Ray and Josefina are both doing good as well. WE CAN'T GET RAY TO CHURCH. We literally have done everything short of going in there and dressing him and then dragging him to church. So that's annoying. 

On other fronts, I am doing well. Still pushing our crappy little car out of the snow 3 times a day. I have started to receive some Christmas packages, so that is exciting. This week I have had the urge to go skiing. I just really want to go skiing. Anyway. 

I bought this cereal on accident last P-Day and I think it is my mom's worst nightmare. Also I totally bought it on accident. So it's like fruity pebbles, which I was just trying to buy the bulk version of, but here's the kicker - it has the Lucky Charms marshmallows in there too. Literally straight sugar. Zero nutritional value. I'M DIGGIN' IT!

More spiritually. I would like you to all read JOHN 16:33. This scripture brings me immense comfort. It is applicable far beyond Christmas. I have such a deep love for my Lord and Savior. He has blessed me more than I would have ever thought possible. Strengthen your relationship with him and he will provide you comfort and help when you feel like no one else is there. Be safe this Christmas, I love all of y'all. 

-Elder J Steele Rapier

p.s. I just remembered I titled the email "Canned Peas," there is a reason for this. We had a white Elephant for our zone activities and among other things I got a can of peas from 2013. :) Delicious.