Newborn

It feels SOO good to finally be in the field. I am buying a camera
later today, so hopefullly by next week I can have lots of pictures.
Time is flying by and it feels like yesterday I was just entering the
MTC. I spent a few nights in Lubbock in a bunch of random missionaries
appartments while they were figuring out the transfer, and then I was
transfered to a small town called Abelene which is a few hours
southeast of Lubbock. My new trainer/comp is Elder Hebdon whom I am
getting along with well. He is from Idaho Falls and we really click.
He hit his 20th month date yesterday and tells me that time just
flies.
    The work here right now is slow. We have no solid investigators,
so we spend most of our time just talking to peop[le on the street, or
checking up on potentials. We're hoping for more investigators this
week. Also, there is a law in Abelene where proselyting isn't allowed
after 7, so if we don't have an appointment after that time, we're
basically just walking bilboards. We walk around and just talk. It's
given us lots of time to talk and connect. I'm super grateful for him.
    One thing that I am super grateful for is my realization of how
great this opportunity is. Never again will I have the opportunity to
devote 24 hours a day to serving others and spreading the gospel.
Because of this realization, I have decided to put forth all of my
effort and enjoy this time I have here. Time here moves in a funny
way. The days feel super long, but then looking back the weeks feel
like days. I'm getting less homesick as I focus on the work and loving
the people here in Abelene. I am enjoying the work and am finding
myself in a good mood almost all of the time. OH! And by the way, my
new address is :    3549 Curry Lane, 79606 Abelene, TX. The apt.
number is 2416.
    The mission slang is something very new to me, and
I'll do my best trying to explain it to yall. When you train a
greenie, that greenie becomes your son. So my dad is Elder Hebdon. If
the trainer trains more than one person over the course of his
mission, those two greenies become brothers. You're 'born' when you
enter the first transfer of your mission and you die in the city that
you get transferred home from. The funny thing is when your companion
goes home, you're the one who 'kills' him. So my dad is Elder Hebdon,
I was born in Abelene TX, and if I'm lucky enough to stay with Hebdon
for the next two transfers, I'll probably kill him. Did that make
sense? lol. I'll email next Monday, and I'm thinking of yall. As they
say here in TX, have a blessed week.
Love, Elder Carter Johnson