Crashing, Teaching, Serving, Partying = MISSION!

So before I write my weekly update I wanted to first start off by explaining the situation my companion and I got in on Saturday afternoon...

So we had just finished getting ready for the day after a morning full of service. We go out to leave our apartment complex and are at the stop line. It has been/is raining for the past few hours and so we were waiting for the right time to go, when all of a sudden Elder Madsen starts yelling to "back the car up", I was confused and looked left and guess what I see...an AT&T Service Truck has slipped across three lanes of traffic and is gaining speed heading right towards us. He jumps the curb, almost hits a brick wall but instead slams the right front of his truck into a palm tree at 45+ MPH which flips him, he does a full barrel roll in the air over the sidewalk and lands on all fours (Or should I say Three seeing as how the palm ripped off his front right tire) landed five feet from the car we were in. HOLY CRAP! Seriously seeing the aftermath of a accident is one thing, seeing it actually happen is SO different. The guy who was driving jumped out before I could even back up and turn the car off. I felt like I was watching a movie, car driving straight at us, the flip glass, car parts, fire truck, cop cars. It was insane. Afterwards the cop who was taking down witness information asked me what my birthday was and I told him and he was like "oh happy birthday, that was a close one you almost didn't make it". Seriously though, if the guy had missed the tree or the tree wasn't there he would have hit us dead on at 45+ MPH. 

Hi there family glad to hear that all is going well in Zion wherever that may be for you at this present time. The week went well, Elder Madsen are doing good working together and trying to get the ward on board still to meet with us so it is a work in progress. Other than the whole truck experience there is not to much to update on for the week. I mean heck we taught a total of 9 lessons this week so that sucks. 

Anyways, Friday we had the ward Christmas party which ended up being a really good time. Lots of people came and a lot of the members brought their friends with them so we got to meet a lot of different people that night. The ward did these sweet shirts with Elder/Sister and the last name for all of the missionaries serving from the ward and everyone signed them and then the family sent them out to them. They also did that for us, the missionaries serving in the ward which was awesome. I will just be sending the shirt home so it will be coming and you will get to see it so don't worry. It was an awesome way to remember the ward after I get home and a fun shirt to wear during Christmas time.

The family we are teaching, man is that just being a hit and miss. The non member wife and kids have been out of town for three weeks and we were supposed to meet with them yesterday, sadly though the parents came but all of the kids had strep throat so we could not meet with and they moved the lesson to next week which will hopefully work out.

Yesterday was a good day. We went over to the Souths house for dinner and had this sweet Swiss dish (They lived in Switzerland for I think 15 years and Sister South's bday was yesterday as well). It is called Riclete I think. You cook meat on top of this grill in the middle of the table and underneath you melt this slice of cheese from France that has garlic/onions/tomatoes whatever you want on it. You melt it then scrap it onto potatoes and eat it with the meat. OH MAN So good!!! So we did that and then the kids had to a choir practice so we came back like about 2 hours later and had a party. A couple members came and they even got me stuff haha . A bunch of swiss milk chocolate a cool multiple color pen, Chapstick and are going to pay to have my suit and a couple shirts dry cleaned. So don't worry parents all is good here in Mission Viejo.

The mail system is screwy so I probably will get all of your packages this week, but that is okay, I am taking the Apryl approach; it is my birthday all month long :)

There is not to much else to report on so I hope this week goes well and that you see lots of miracles. Parents, stop feeding the missionaries dessert with dinner haha anyone who feeds the elders stop haha. We get it every night and it causes weight gain :) 

Again I love you all and hope you all have a great week filled with the Spirit of Christmas as this is the season for service and charity Moroni 7:43-48. I love you all God Bless! :)