The people are so friendly and kind! In town it looks different, but a lot the same as any small town, but when you get out in the country, its a different world! There are more trailer homes than I've ever seen. One will look like its about to fall apart and then be clean and nice on the inside. One will look like its about to fall down and then inside you wonder if it might any minute. Everyone has a few dogs, usually in their small homes and a few cats usually living outside. One place had chickens and a goat in the front yard besides the dogs and cats. One place had a hog out under the front steps eating the cat food. We drive about 100 miles a day. Our ward boundaries include about 3,000 square miles!
We met the Bishop on Wednesday night and he gave us a list of about 60 families to visit. That's what we've been doing. Some are not pleased to see us, but only one guy said we couldn't come visit. We decided to start on the outlying areas to visit, since we figured they'd been less visited. Some have said they were praying someone would come by. Some aren't interested in church, but love to talk to us about their lives and past in the church. Our goal is to set up Family Home Evenings in the homes with children. We had our first one Saturday morning (the dad works nights) and it was really fun! Tonight we have one in a town called Shepherd about 30 minutes north of us. We'll be at the Weitzel's tomorrow night. One of the families that has been praying for a visit. They live on the end of a dirt road, where 4 of their children have some very interesting places around them, a motorhome, a shack, and what look like chicken coops. Very loving and sweet people inside there. And to our surprise Br. Weitzel teaches the Gospel Doctrine class!
We have been very busy, between setting up our place, cleaning, shopping for stuff we need, and meetings with the ward and missionaries.
I can't end this without a word about our amazing Ward Mission Leader! Brother Roberts is 75 and single handedly keeps the ward visited and feeling loved. Everyone knows him and loves him. He has amazing stories. One member told us that he has a couple of alligators on his property that he's named Billy and Dee and they come when he calls and line up waiting for cinnamon rolls that he feeds them. We has a great heart and a great love of missionary work. We are blessed to work with him!
Tonight we went out and had a Family Home Evening with an active family. The 28 year old daughter is the Primary President and the mom is in the Relief Society Presidency. The dad seems like your typical sweet High Priest. He told us that he had a prescription drug addiction and has only been off of drugs for 18 months! After that we went to see a family to meet them and set up a Family Home Evening. It was the strangest, coolest place we've seen yet. There's a little dirt road by the side of the mail boxes and each home has a hanger under it. Many of then have small airplanes. There a field across from the homes that's an airstrip! That's out in the country in Shepherd!
It was Pday and since we went into the office and visited a member in a hospital in Humble, we had a few minutes to drop in and see Jenny and the 4 kids! That was awesome! This is really the best mission for us! We are loving it!!
Our apartment.
The church, which is just down the street.
A house on the same street as the church.
And another 2 doors down.
The Primary school in Cleveland. $200 fine for using your cell phone in school here!
Downtown!
Ok, behind these mailboxes is the airstrip!
This sign reads Ellis Lovett, and just down the road is one the says Chris Lane. 
We celebrated our anniversary the day after we arrived.
Saying goodbye to the old home!
We stopped at the Fort Collins Open House on our way!
P-day! I sooo needed a haircut!
We even got a few minutes of Kendall Kids on our first P-day!
A rainbow on our way to the FHE tonight.
The mission office.
We have a walk in closet! Fancier than home!
We thought the Bishop lived far out of town! Not compared to some areas!
It is so beautiful in the country!
We see lots of these, and they all have no trespassing signs and beware of dog, and then the dogs are friendly and so are the people.
There's that hog eating cat food!
It was raining when we saw this!
Another beautiful home in the sticks.
This area is amazing and fancy!
Grandpa and Alice having a great time today!
