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Hi everyone,

I have added a few new people to this weekly email, so to start off I will proceed to give no further explanation.

Monday we got to play all 18 holes of frisbee golf at Harry Myers park with the Forney Elders and the R2 Sisters! It was super fun, I am consistently very average at this game, but Elder Cooper is very good it's impressive to watch! 

We also got to go out with Spencer in the evening and drove around the Heath ward. Everybody was busy or gone cause of Memorial Day though, but still a fun time!

On Tuesday we had the last district council of the transfer, and the sisters brought homemade oreos which were super good! Much better than regular dry oreos tsk tsk

After that we went to a foot doctor who's in the Heath ward to help fix Elder Bjazevichs's foot, and not only was it free but he gave us money to get food after the appointment haha

After that Jack picked us up and we went and did service for Brother Reich. We did a lot of weeding, and talked with Jack about shows and movies as we worked. We got Jimmy John's for dinner and ate at Jacks place after that. We even got to play my favorite game during our dinner hour which was super great! I've been talking about this game a lot and then Jack just decided to order it so we could at least play it before I leave!!

In the evening we went out with Ruben to Garland, and we took his Mercedes convertable and then just bombed it down the freeway bridge with the windows down. It was such a fun night! We talked to some cool inactive members, and it was the most beautiful night ever for zooming around town. Also got to talk to Brother Hobbs for half an hour on the phone by calling it a "correlation meeting" :)

Wednesday was super crazy, we got transfer news which I will return to soon. 

We went to help out with some weed-wacking and weeding at the Davis', and when we were peacefully working in the front yard some kids in a 4 by 4 pulled up and started yelling for and swearing at the Davis kids (who were around back in the pool). The kids came out and consisted of:

1. Josh (main character, is a Freshman)

2. Jacob (brother and casual but unhelpful bystander)

3. Friend of Jacob and his innocent girlfriend

4. Ethan (brother of Jacob and Josh, 19 years old, about to go into the Navy as one notch below Navy Seal)

5. Random kid nobody seemed to know

The kids who pulled up I will refer to as bullies, they were his age. As the Davis clan emerged in the front yard, the bullies hopped off the cart, and started to try and start a fight with Josh. Ethan graciously ushered them into the front yard, and the two bullies took their turns fighting Josh. He decked one of them pretty good, drawing blood, and then took him down surely. In the second round Josh took a few hits of his own.

(We were still innocently weeding throughout)

Round 3 led to one of the bullies getting a black eye and going down pretty hard. Up to this point the others had just been observing in a circle around the fight, but then one of the bullies made a snide comment about Ethan's age. Which doesn't seem like a smart thing to do about someone entering the Navy who has been working out and training for years. Especially when he's ahead of you 3 years in age...

Ethan started wrestling with him and within 5 seconds he had flipped him so fast that the bullies decided it was time to leave, so they drove off. 5 minutes later they came driving back, followed by 4 police cars (I guess the entire Rockwall Police Department has nothing better to do haha). We aren't sure if the neighbors called the police, or if the bullies did, but either way they tried to show how the Davis kids were the ones at fault. There was just one problem though, the bullies 4 by 4 was unlicensed and unregistered, they had weed on them, and they had been trespassing on someone else's property. So after talking to Josh and his mom the police had the bullies' ride towed, and put them in the back of the police car :)

(We were still innocently weeding throughout)

They were also trying to head off to graduation for Ella throughout this so there was lots of picture taking happening as well. It was fun to witness!

After all this we went home to change, and then looked at our transfer news. 

Elder Bjazevich is staying and I'm leaving :((

Elder Van Tassell is coming to take my place. 

As for where I am headed, nothing too crazy. I am going to go to Magnolia, Arkansas to be the Branch President of the Magnolia branch haha

Wednesday evening we went out with Feki which was fun as usual! Unfortunately our lessons fell through but we still met someone new we can teach in Terrell.

On Thursday morning we drove up to the mission office with Forney, and dropped off Elder Morriss for norway! So Elder Cooper, Elder Bjazevich, and I got to be in a trio for the day! We did service at the Thrift store and I got to say bye to Elijah, and then went to In-n-out for the final time. After that I had an eye doctor appointment, which was super fun! Never been to an eye doctor, and this one was a VERY nice office which I was very pleased with. 

After my appointment we went out with Jack for the final time, and had some good Mexican food in Fate for dinner. I said by to the McCormicks, the Jorgensens, the Fieldings, the Hobbs, the Barisofs, Jovanni, Spencer, the Thatchers, and a ton of others too! Each place offered us drinks so we slowly accumulated more and more of them. :) It was so sad to say goodbye, this area has been the best one ever. 

Friday morning I packed up, and we ate at Rosa's for breakfast and then left Rockwall to go to Gilmer for transfers. For some reason they decided to have two different locations for transfers this time and to have the Zone Leaders figure out who should go where. It was a NIGHTMARE to deal with, I think this is the worst idea someone has had in a long time. I can't even go into it all, but I've never seen so much chaos. I warned the APs that this would result in people being stranded at one building while their new companion went to the other building 3 hours away. They didn't listen though, and as predicted my exact concerns were realized :))

I drove back to Magnolia with Elder Davis (my new comp) which is a small town far away from everything else, and got unpacked. I don't have much time to tell yall about Magnolia today, but in my next week's email I shall tell you more. 

During the weekend we did some service walking half-feral dogs, and had church too! This town used to have 2 wards back when oil was booming, so they have a nice church building with a chapel and everything for the small branch they have now! There are about 30 active members, 22 of which were there on Sunday. Because the AC was down in the chapel, we met in the Primary room, and it was really fun! The members seem cool, none of them know I will be the next branch president, but they will know next Sunday when the Stake President comes up to call me and set me apart.

-Abe