Pictures 10/26

So in his letter to me this week, Cody included a few hard copies of photos. Anyway, enjoy.

New Pictures

So here are the pictures and letter I got from Cody last week. There were so many I put them in a slide show. Enjoy! (PS The slide show is super long! Cody had over a hundred pictures on that card!)



Dear Cali,



Thanks for your letters and encouragement it is much appreciated. All is well here. I am sending some pictures now, so just to give you background on them, they start the day I leave the MTC and go into the mission field. There are lots of scenery pictures of Riverside, Yucca Valley and Twenty Nine Palms and just about any other place in between I felt like taking. And lots of pictures of my district, which consists of Elder Whipey and Peadon (the zone leaders), Elder Potter (the district leader), and myself, Elder Giles and Elder Schmidt. And some pictures of my zone. That's about it...I bought a jump rope and a stretch band this morning so I should get better work outs now since I don't have a gym in my garage like the zone leaders do. As a matter of fact, I don't even have a garage. Well anyway...I love you and I'm glad all is well.



Sincerely Your Missionary,

Elder Cunningham

Cody's Letter Dated 10/12

So last week I got a letter in the mail from Cody. In that letter was his memory card full of pictures. However, due to computer complications this past week I haven't been able to download the photos yet. So for now, you'll just have to make due with the contents of the letter and I'll post the pictures very soon!


Dear Cali,

I just found out that I can't check my email today because it is a holiday and the library is closed. So feel free to email any of this letter to the family, if you would please. All is well here in Twenty Nine Palms and at the end of the week I will have been out for one transfer. The time here has flown, it feels like I just got off the plane which compared to what's ahead I really kind of did just get off the plane and am just getting started. I had the privilege of going to a triple baptism. The other two companionships in our district had baptisms on the same day. There were three of them one right after the other and by the time the 3rd one came around my heart was so full it was awesome. As for me and Elder Potter we have been so fortunate God has truly led us at every turn and the Spirit has moved us to where we need to be. At the moment we have 6 what I feel to be pretty firm investigators and 1 or 2 others that are not quite as firm. But thanks be our Father in Heaven for leading us to them and for giving us the power to teach. I see His Hand in this wok at every moment, without Him we would truly be nothing. It is the Samoans weeks to feed us again so all is well on the food end. And the ward members here help us so much and give us ideas of who to teach all the time. We actually got the opportunity to teach Elder's Quorom last week about missionary work and the Restoration. So we're hoping to get some referals out of that, so we will see. well I love you all and wish you the best.
Elder Cunningham

A Letter From the Missionary

Hello,
It's been good to hear from you as always. It's nice to know you are finally getting into warmer weather. It was 106 here yesterday and I loved it. My comp isn't a big fan of the heat though, but that doesn't make him any less of an amazing missionary. I learn so much from him everyday. And his first name is not Harry, it's Riley actually.

Well, the work is going good. We have been having a few struggles because we are right next to a Marine Base so a lot of our investigators have been deploying for the battlefield, but there are those few who stick around and those who are not Marines, so it's all good. I find that because this area is military oriented people are very kind and open to religion and even though they don't accept sometimes they are willing to hear us out. It's amazing the people who are willing to listen. I really understand now why we talk to everyone, because everyone deserves to hear the gospel and you never know who will listen. For example, one night we were tracting down a less active family and we found out they moved, but next door there were two Marines sitting on their porch having a smoke and a drink. They were big, strong guys. Guys with Tattoos, and I am thinking "No way they're going to be interested in the church, but one of them was and said we could come back. His name is Dave and turned out to be a really cool guy and one of our more promising investigators. He loves having us come over and talking with us. He asks a sorts of really good questions and is a really deep person. ...... We have visited him several times now so all is well.

Yes, I do live in a trailer but compared to some of the apartments some of the other missionaries live in it is really nice and very clean. We live with the High Priest Group Leader, Brother Gray. A shorter older guy that's missing a couple of teeth and rides a motorcycle, but one of the nicest men I have every met. He is a lot of fun.

Well, I gotta run. Love you all,
Elder Cunningham
P.S. I will turn over every stone and throw them out of the way in the process. Well, I will try. With God nothing is impossible.

Letter from the President

We received a letter and picture from Cody's mission president this week, dated Monday September 21st. It's pretty standard stuff. In case you can't read the letter (which I was kind enough to scan in) I've typed the text below.

Dear Brother and Sister Cunningham,

We are so grateful to have Elder Cunningham join us here in the Riverside, California Mission! It was exciting to meet him at the airport, take him to the mission office to meet our office staff and spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening with him at the mission home. I had the opportunity to interview your missionary and we were able to hear his testimony before having dinner together.

Elder Cunningham is now hard at work in his new area, the Yucca Valley Zone with his companion Elder Potter. This past Tuesday, he spent the day with us for more instruction, another personal interview and lunch. We have been impressed with his testimony and desire to serve. It has been a privilege to get to know him.

We want you to know that we have asked each missionary to write home every week on preparation day, which is Monday. Most missionaries choose to email. We encourage you to write or email weekly. Thank you for keeping your letters positive, uplifiting and encouraging your Elder to work hard and take advantage of the time spent here in doing the work of the Lord. Please be cautious about sharing problems which might take his mind off of the work. Of course, any major changes in your family, such as life-threatening ilnesses, death, etc., should come to my attention so that I can counsel with your missionary.

We pledge to do all within our power to love, inspire and help Elder Cunningham to have a great experience here. We know that parents play a very significant role in the success that their missionary has in the work. Missionaries are so blessed when they feel the love and support of family and friends at home. We thank you for your support and commitment to your son. We know the Lord will bless Elder Cunningham as he devotes himself to the proclaiming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sincerely,

Melvyn K. Reeves, President

California Riverside Mission

Also for those who want to send letters and packages, the address of his current area is:

6161 Ocotillo Ave. #16

Twenty Nine Palms, CA 92277

Excerpts From Cody's Letter 9/14/09

Hello Mother, Father, Sisters, Brother-in-laws and who ever else this may reach,

My first week in the field has been great. I love the work and I love the heat. My first day was interesting. The first thing we did was go tracting. Let me tell you ... kinda scary at first but after getting rejected by the first ten doors I was used to it, but most people just don't answer so it's all good. Then we went to the store to get some stuff and an old man stopped us outside and began to rehearse scriptures to us and tell us stories about how he has hugged God three times, scares demons out of his car and how he can predict death. Oh.. and he also knew the trade towers were goin gto fall, so it's on his conscience.

We've been teaching a couple different people too. On Saturday we committed a girl named ******* to baptism thanks to one of her friends that helped bring her into the church and an investigator named **** is getting baptized on Friday which I have to speak at. We are working on helping more people into the water, but the work doesn't always run that smooth. I can't take credit for any of the above baptisms. They were pretty well set before I got here. The area is great and the people are nice. We have a Samoan ward that we cover in our area and have it be known that they feed you well and good, and I think they feed us all week so I won't go hungry. People around here treat the Missionaries like royalty and are really willing to help with the work. Love you. Got to run. I love and miss you all so much. Cody

Life in the Missionary Training Center

Narrated by Cali

Okay so I realize that it's been a decade since I was a new missionary at the MTC, and as such, you would think that things had changed. But the pictures that Cody sent home today seem to support exactly what I remember about the place and the life at the MTC. I know many of you have been there and had these experiences, but for those who haven't, here's a little taste of what it's like. (And yes, I liberally interjected my own experiences and opinions because Cody didn't provide any sort of label or identification for any of these pictures, so I basically had to guess!)

You live in a dorm, sharing a room with three other missionaries.

It's really kind of a picturesque place. Like a tiny college campus only a lot more isolated from the outside world. It was always funny to me to think that "The Compound" (as we always referred to it) actually shares a part of the BYU campus. But you're so separated from the University you don't even realize how close the students actually are.

Most of your time in the MTC is spent in class. Literally 8-10 hours a day sitting in a classroom.

And when you're not in class, you're walking to the cafeteria.

And then back to class.

What do spend all your time in class learning you ask? Well I know it's probably different now, but for me it included language training (which of course Cody didn't have) but also a lot of scripture and doctrinal study as well as role-playing proselyting situations.

Your teachers are all BYU students who have returned from missions themselves in recent years.

Honestly some of these kids teaching look so young that about the only way to identify them as staff rather than fellow missionaries is by the white tags they wear.

(It was a sad realization the day I discovered that at least one of my MTC instructors was younger than I was. And he was already married and expecting a child at the time.)

And in the evenings, after class (or on Tuesday nights, after Devotional) you're given just enough time to clean up, write a letter or two home, write in your journal, have district prayer and do any outside work your teachers may have assigned. (Although, in most cases the teachers were usually kind enough not to assign much outside of the classroom.)

WOW!!!!! And I thought we totally spoiled Cody, but this kid has twice the contraband we sent our baby brother. Easily!

Wouldn't it be cool to have a Polynesian companion and learn some great native dance!

You just never know what might go in the MTC dorms at night...It can be an interesting place once you factor in all the pent up energy of a room full of 19 year old boys who've done nothing but sit all day!

Thank you Wal-Mart for granting unto us "Justice League" pj pants, without which we may never have seen Cody as a Rockette! (Point those toes boys!)

Once a week they release you from the compound. It's a mass exodous of missionaries.

All the way across the street to the Temple! (I don't know what day of the week Cody's District had their Temple Day, but when I was at the MTC they assigned you to do either Friday or Saturday. So it was always packed with missionaries. Half the MTC one day, half the other!)

What temple trip is complete without photographic evidence that you were there?

Once or twice a week you get physical activity time. They have a big indoor gym with basketball, volleyball and a running track. There's even a small weight room and a few cardio machines upstairs. And if you're lucky and the weather is nice, the outdoor field will be open for outdoor sports and fun. (They even have croquet!)

Ummm......I'm confused!

And of course once a week you also get to dress in civilian clothes and do your laundry. That was always exciting. (You never realize how much you miss blue jeans until you're stuck in a dress, or in Cody's case a suit, all day long. But I digress!) Except that I remember having to get up extra early, so you could be at the laundry room by 7:00am in order to get the nicest machines. But I'll bet they've replaced them since then.

And you eventually start carrying your camera everywhere and start taking pictures of interesting stuff to send to the folks back home.

How many millions of pictures of this sign do you suppose there are floating around in the world? (I know I have at least five. One of my own and in a box somewhere, three from various guys I dated & one from Kyle Taylor. All of us standing, in our own moment by this same sign. As if there were ever any doubt where we were.)

I don't know if they had this sculpture there 10 years ago. Hmm...Maybe I was just oblivious to it.

And naturally you have to include the obligatory pictures of your district.

After a while you just give up on trying to take serious pictures and just start snapping shots of anything and everything.

Like your companion in a cheesecake pose on a fountain.

Or taking pictures of other missionaries taking pictures. (Those are always very popular.)

Or even getting comfy with a tree. (I'm really not sure I understand this one. I'm tempted to write Cody and ask for an explanation.)

Yes, it can all get quite tedious after a while. Day in and day out the same old thing.

(Cami, I'm sure this photo was meant for you!) Ah, don't take it so hard baby brother! At least you only had to be there for three weeks. Imagine how bad it got for those of us who spent two full months there!

As a post script, you should know that Cody did make it safely to the mission field. He's serving in the 29 Palms area. He does have a bike, but he's in a car at the moment. (Spoiled!) His companion is an Elder Potter from Logan. (We don't know yet if his first name is Harry or not.) But we do know that they cover two wards, one of which is a Samoan ward. Hopefully he's well fed!