First Transfer--Out of the Fire and into the Frying Pan...or Freezer

So here's the rest of the news from Armenia this week. Looks like there was a transfer to a colder place, both the weather and the people.  Hang in there, Jared! I still have one more post left to do with all the pictures.  I'm just having trouble loading them.  I'll post them soon!

Hello!

So about the earthquake, I'm fine. We didn't even feel it much up here in Charentsavan (that story to come later) but down in Yerevan, they closed off Malatsia for a bit. It doesn't look like there was much damage at all. It looks like we only got an aftershock here.



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Scroll Out **A**Jared's First Area-Malatsia **B**Jared's Second Area-Charentsavan

Anyways, big news: I was given a sudden transfer call on Monday to end my training early and go to a small village called Charentsavan. The branch is pretty big here though. Around 70 people come every week. Which is amazing seeing as the village is so small. The branch president is way helpful when it comes to helping out the missionaries, of which there are 2 companionships here. But of course I'm sent from Malatsia (the hottest place in Armenia) to Charentsavan (which is the coldest location in Armenia) just in time for winter to set it. It is soooo cold here!!! It became about 400 times harder to get out of bed in the morning all of a sudden. I busted out the jacket and gloves for the first time as soon as we got here. The hills just around us already have snow on them and we should be getting a little here in a few weeks. I'm not excited because other missionaries said it stays in the solid negatives most of the winter. And it looks like I'll be staying here for most of winter. My companion has already been here 3 or 4 months and someone in the other companionship has been here since he was born 5 or 6 months ago. So I'm going to be settling in for the cold here. Sighhh. My new companion is named Elder Frye.

About service though. It looks like I'll get a bit tomorrow. I'm going on splits with the zone leader up to a farm to count chickens....Not what I had in mind. But looks like I'll be having fun at the farm tomorrow.

Also, thank the Daltons for me. I just got (and finished off) their package today :)

So probably the craziest week ever this week (I think I say that every week):

 On Monday we went off to Ejmiatsin, which translated means "Descent of the only begotten". It's the city which holds the capitol of the Armenian church. We got to go inside the school of the Ter-ters ("Lord-Lord's", literally translated, or "priests"). Then, we went inside the massive church which is the biggest church in Armenia. It was quite interesting. Inside they had places to light candles and there were a ton of historical paintings and artifacts. Way neat.

Wednesday I said goodbye to Elder Lush, but it's okay, we'll still see each other around.

Thursday I tried to take a shower in the morning, but the water was ice. So I just had to grin and bear it with purple skin. I came out and apparently our water heating system had exploded on the inside when Elder Frye tried to turn it on and it had started to pour water everywhere. Our kitchen was flooded. Sighhh... Someone in our branch thankfully though can fix water heating systems.

I've discovered that the people here hate us a lot more than in Malatsia. It was quite a shock. We were walking around one day when one drunk guy came up to me and told me to give him my tie. I told him I needed it so I couldn't. He then took out his knife and started brandishing it and repeated the question. I again told him I couldn't because I needed it. He then stumbled away muttering under his breath. Then the old ladies who were watching by the side of the street started muttering something about how we didn't represent Christ because we weren't even charitable enough to give away a tie. That kind of brought me down a little.

A couple 18 year old boys threw rocks at us. That also was not fun.

Sometimes the people are just a little crazy though. We were trying to watch the Joseph Smith movie with one of our members when another (slightly mentally unstable) member said "Hold on!" to us. He then put in one of his own DVDs and we started watching it. It was a Jehovah's Witness production about the Adam and Eve story. It was so doctrinally incorrect that we just had to stop it. Sighhh....

Anyways, despite all the craziness. I'm getting along fine. The pictures I'm sending are no longer up to date. I'll take more later and show you what Charentsavan is like. Though this place is a lot smaller and colder, I take comfort in reading the scriptures. I wouldn't have said that before my mission, but it seems like out here, every time I read the Book of Mormon, I find something I need at the right time.

I love you all. :) See yah next week.