Transfers

Dear Family,

So first off I am getting transferred to Camden, NJ. It is the city right across the river from Philly. I am really excited to go there. Everyone that I talked to that has served there says that they loved it. I am going down there with Elder Rhoton, who was a greenie last transfer so I will be senior companion. I was pretty surprised when I found out because I was pretty sure that I was going to be staying in New Brunswick for at least one more transfer with Elder Johnson but I guess not. I am going to moving down there next week Wednesday so I will put my new address at the end of this email so that you guys can just send everything to that apartment down there. I am going to miss New Brunswick because the people here are really great and I love all of the Hondurans that are in our branch here(especially their cooking). This past monday we had baleadas at la casa de la familia Paz, and they were really good. There are kinda like tacos but honduran style. They use flour tortillas and cover them in frijoles and then put in eggs, cheese, and sour cream in them. They were really good, I at five of them. I am not sure how to make them but I am sure if you look up on the internet how to do it you can find the recipe. And you can just buy flour tortillas and make everything else.

I fixed my bike and it is running really well. I went and bought a new chain so everything should be up to working order now. I have been told that I have to make some adjustments to my bike though so that it won't get stolen. I guess the missionaries usually wrap their bikes in trash bags so that the bikes look like they are not worth anything. I am also going to buy a new lock for my bike (probably a U-lock) so that I can lock my bike to the pole and then but the lock I have right now through my tires. It should be really fun so I am way excited to be going down there. Elder Ritchie (my trainer) with be my zone leader down there so it will be really cool to be around him again.

As far as news goes for the work of the Lord, it is amazing. This past week we found a really cool family and they are reading the book of mormon. It is always really cool to teach families because they are few and far between (the ones that are married at least). Usually most people are single and working here to support their families back in their own countries. And more often than not they break lots of commandments because they are lonely. But it is always really amazing to see the changes in people as they realize that the gospel is true and they want to follow it. There is a member in our branch who is from Nicaragua and his wife and daughter just got baptized back in his city there. And it is really incredible to see how excited he is to be able to go to the temple with them. He hasn't seen his family in 3 years and I love to listen to him talk about his wife. He is always really concerned about how they are doing and how he can be a better man to help them out. He says that he is going to go home in another year and that then they will all go through the temple together. His name is Denis, and I am so grateful to have gotten to know him.

That is the best part about being a missionary; seeing the hand of the Lord in other people's lives as they learn and grow in the gospel. Nothing has made me happier, and I am so glad that I have been given this opportunity to be a servant to the hispanics here in New Jersey.

I hope that everyone is doing well. And please spread the word that my address has changed, thankyou

Love,
Elder Haslam

Elder Haslam
One Market St. Apt #439
Camden, NJ 08102