Email July 14, 2014

Hello family! Transfer weeks are always crazy, and this week has been no exception. Having to pack up and leave the place that has become home to go to a place you know nothing about, miles and miles away is scary, nervous, exciting thing. Grass Valley is a lot smaller than both Yuba City and Redding, it has about 12,000 people compared to 65,000 and 80,000, respectively. The streets are really small and the downtown is awesome. It's really small and the buildings are all old brick, a ton of different stores down the streets. It's just got a really old town feel, I like it a lot! But outside of the main town it's all complicated and confusing and really spread out. The ward here has an average active member attendance of 91. It's really small, but everyone came up to me and shook my hand and welcomed me to the ward. It was great! I felt very loved, appreciated, and welcomed. It was awesome. :) I haven't met very many of the investigators here yet, we have a big emphasis on less actives...that makes sense, haha. But the ones I have met are super nice and cool, they all just lack the usual thing I have to deal with - not coming to church. Elder House, my new companion, also tells me that a lot of them have Word of Wisdom issues. So lots of stuff to do here. :) The last elder before me had depression and was lazy so they didn't get much done here. So I am excited to start picking up where he left off because there is a lot to work with - nothing! Hahaha that'll be fun. So the title comes from a visit we had with an investigator, Trent. He is obsessed with gold. Quick fact, Auburn (I'm in the Auburn stake) and its surrounding areas were/are known for its/their gold and other precious materials. So this man looks at rocks all around his house and the valley and tries to find rocks that may have gold veins in them. And his friend, who I think may be homeless, tells him all about gold and rocks he has found with gold crystalline/powder or whatever in it and has him getting all into the gold search. So we were over at his house this week talking with him and he was taking us all around his house showing us these rocks and talking about the golds and metals and stuff. I picked a rock up and he looked at it and his first reaction was, "G-OLD!" He literally, like, choked on the word as he yelled it out. It was so funny!!! And then he grabs it from me and runs to the light to look at it and then gets all calmed down and stuff and tells us it's gold. And we're 99% sure there is no gold around his house at all, haha. He's just super obsessed with it. It's one of the few things he talks about. We (well more he) ended up breaking more rocks and finding more "gold" and he kept saying, "Hey that's gold, man!" and substituting "man" for "dude" and those kinds of pronouns. It was hilarious. Well, the rest of the week has just been getting to know the area and getting used to a 4 elder apartment. It's crazy! I worry that I'm going to get shot by a nerf dart whenever I'm praying or studying or eating. Haha it's very random and unpredictable. During our lunch they taught me how to play a new card game, it's a crazy and confusing game, but a lot of fun. I can't wait for all of the antics that will happen this transfer, there are already a lot of things they do and games they play and there have been tons of awesome moments already. It's a blast! About the area: I was pretty backward for the first few days but I'm getting the main routes down now. And being in a car I already feel like I'm getting fat. In fact, one of my first dinners when I asked for two more pieces of chicken, Elder House quietly leaned over and reminded me that I'm in a car now. Hahaha yeah, I'm going to get fat. :) Elder House and I get along well and we both want to see the work here improve since it was doing so badly from the last few elders. This ward hasn't seen a convert baptism in 2 years and we both want to change that and it looks like we might because we have some awesome investigators and are hoping to find more! I hope you guys all have a fantastic week, I'll sure have a good one! Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us so much, I truly gained more of a testimony of their love for us as I studied the Atonement in Preach My Gospel this week. it has been incredible to see their hands in my life helping me and steadying me and building me up along the way. Have a great week, I love you guys! Love, Elder Cevering