We are on the count down!

I don't even remember if I emailed last week, that's how blurry I'm getting. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! You're going to be 29 again this year, and I really think you should go see a doctor, because you've obviously stumbled upon the fountain of youth. This week we found a new gator named Fabian and he really wants to get baptized, but he has pretty bad depression and anxiety, so it's going to be a little bit harder to help him out. But we'll do what we can where we can. Elder Vang and I are getting a mini-missionary until Wednesday. It's this thing where kids from around the mission go with the missionaries for a length of time. It's going to be fun, but not for him. Haha. We have meetings and stuff all week, but it will be good for him. Kids need to realize how much of their life they're going to spend in meetings. Meetings, and then more meetings, then you'll have meetings about future meetings. 90% planning with 10% execution. 

California trees are weak. This one fell outside our apartment last time it rained. 

The Dalebout Family

 Sister Bess

 Sister Torres

 That  is hella cute. She's a Spanish sister named Sister Burris. She's from Colorado and we listen to the exact same music. 

Ann and I. She needs to get baptized

First Week In Corona

This week was a week where we were just trying to get organized. It's always weird the first week. Elder Vang and I are getting along great. Elder Felix trained him so I knew he'd be cool. I think the thing that I'm going to struggle with in this area is our ward mission leader. He's super weird and doesn't really know what he's doing and doesn't want advice on it. It's just weird. Whatevs. That doesn't really change anything. We've got a great zone and I like my district. I'm around some Elders that I've been around in the past. They're good guys. We have fun, we work, we make it work. It's fun to be here in Corona. 

Transfer p-day isn't even really a p-day. #Shafted

Hey, guys. 
Short email today. I've been transferred to Corona with a kid named Elder Vang. He's from Sacramento, he's Asian, and I guess he break dances, so y'all better be ready for me to throw the flip down on you when I'm home. Also, I hit 17 months yesterday and I still feel like I just left training. I have 7 months left. Duh fetch...this week we cleaned up the area for Elder Waldron's next comp. We thought they were going to double us out, but Elder Waldron is staying for a 5th transfer. That's 7 1/2 months in one area. Poor guy. Been there, done that. Haha. If it doesn't kill you it will only make you wish you were dead. Haha. I've heard that Corona is a rich area, and ergo hard, but oh well. Been there and done that too. No biggie. I'm stoked to move on. Wildomar was great and I've made a ton of friends here, but I'm down to bounce. I'll come back and visit. I'm right outside their stake anyway, so I'm not to hard to visit. 
Hang tight,
Cody

Happy 4th Of July

Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July. We hung out at the church and played soda pong. Noorda and Anderson did the gallon challenge and ended up puking everywhere. It was hilarious and another Elder ended up throwing up because Anderson and Noorda were puking. I have it on video, but it's too long to send. Someday, maybe. It's week 6 of our transfer so we find out this Saturday night if we get transferred and where. I want to go back to Riverside. I love Riverside. It would be a great place to finish. This week was kind of hard. Holidays are either really good or terrible. This one kind of sucked because everyone left town for the weekend, but it was all good. We had two at church.

Nuttin eventful

This week was uneventful. I put a Q-tip in my ear and went a little too far and kind of dented my ear drum, so I'm waiting for that to recover. It's almost transfer time, we have about two weeks left in the transfer. We're pretty sure that we're getting doubled out. It's possible that if I get transferred that this next area would be my last. That's crazy to think. I feel like I just got here in the mission and I'm coming up on 17 months. Elder Lavender goes home in two weeks. That's crazy. 

So, since the Supreme Court has decided that gay marriage is legal and constitutional in all 50 states, there has been little affect here in California. It's been legal here for years. But tensions in the zone have been high and members out here are kind of over reacting in my opinion. Do the apostles look worried? Does this change anything doctrine wise? No. 
While from a secular stand point I am happy for the friends that I have can get married to the person they love regardless of sexual orientation, and I see no reason why this issue took so long to be decided, because there was a pretty obvious inequality towards others in this country concerning marriage. 
Doctrine wise the Lord has set forth the law and standard of marriage being between a man and a woman, and that is an unchanging law. This does not excuse anyone from acting in a manner that would be unChrist-like, and if you find yourself discriminating against anyone who is practicing a lifestyle that you do not approve of, whether it be drug/substance abuse, homosexuality, co-habitation, or anything else, I invite you to repent and encourage you to exercise to Christ like attribute of charity. 
Men are free to act or be acted upon and have the God given agency to choose liberty and life, or captivity and death, and while the world becomes more and more wicked, we must choose to be a city set upon hill, and a light house. We cannot change peoples minds, or act for them and bring them to the shore, but must stand as a beacon of hope.