Big News from... Chicago!

Hola y buenas tardes.

Yes it's very unusual for me to be e-mailing on a thursday in the afternoon. Yes I have a good reason for it. Guess what happened tuesday? I got a call from my trainer, Elder Witham, with some news that would effect me. He told me that I was going... to CHICAGO! I was excited. So yesterday in stead of doing the usual get everything done by 1 and then go play for ages, I had to be at the Naperville Stake Center at 9:45. We met there, I had a great reunion with Elder Tapia (came out with me) and Hermana Layton (she's coming downtown too and I'm way excited cause we lost track of each other for a while back), and I got to say goodbye to my companion, Elder Cuentas. We then sat around and talked for 3 hours! It was kinda poorly planned in comparison to the last transfer. Then I got in a van and rode out to South Chicago in the Polaski Building, and dropped some missionaries off there. Afterwards we went to North Chicago and dropped off some others in the Logan Square building, and then finally we got to the Foster Building, and they dropped me and Elder Ayrton off there. It's both of our first times serving in Chicago so we're both stoked. A little nervous because I'm leaving my first area, but stoked nonetheless. It took until 3 for us to even get there and meet our companions. I had only but briefly met Elder Carroll before, at Zone Conferences and at President's house when we played the Wii together. An interesting fact about him, he was not taught Spanish in the MTC nor was he called to a Spanish speaking mission. He was asked to change to spanish a few transfers into his mission. He doesn't regret it because he, like me, wants to go into linguistics and international business. He has about 18 months out on his mission and I think my Spanish is a little bit better than his, but we're pretty close to the same. He doesn't have an accent yet, which is what I've noticed most, and maybe that's why I think mine is better, I dunno. But any way you look at it, he's cool. Like I'm really excited to be his companion. He and I will have a lot of fun. And there are a ton of Elders and Sisters that live right by us. So oh now I'm on bikes. I'm really excited to slim out again. I really really want to get back into shape. So we got a ride back to the apartment from a member because I needed to drop off my stuff and we can't carry all that on bikes, because the church is 5 miles from our house (good workout before church every sunday yay!). The members name was Placido Balanos and he's a really cool guy. He's a ward missionary. After we went there, he took us to his house so that we could get a bike tire that he had (I accidentally left my front tire in Naperville). So I got to go meet a member and his family. I got to make us some food with whatever I could find in his fridge and we split it over watermelon. It was really fun. Then we got home and we hadn't gotten anything done yet, so we got permision to go to the store after 6, and we did all our shopping and everything else we needed to do. I didn't even have time to unpack last night or anything, just the bare essentials.

I now have permission from President to go to the baptisms on Saturday so I'm really excited for that. Other than that... I have no idea about our investigators, it sounds like there aren't very many. Well we'll change that. When I came into Bloomingdale we didn't have many serious ones, but by the time I left we had about 13 we were working with seriously. I won't get so see Nataly baptised now, but that's okay because I gave her my information and she said she'll keep in touch.

I really don't know what else to say, except that I'm totally stoked to be in the city. Oh my area covers Wrigley field, Wrigleyville, Boys Town, Andersonville, Rogers Park, and a few other less prominent places. Obviously some places we avoid going to, like Boys Town. However, there are a lot of really cool places and this is the first time I get to work with a full ward. There are actually three companionships assigned to this ward. There are us, the Skokie Sisters, and the Albany Park Elders.

Oh and one other really cool thing. I was also informed that President had meant that I wouldn't be going senior this transfer, but that I would be a Senior this coming transfer, which means I could be in the city for a good long time. I'm Pumped!

I know the Lord loves us and keeps us guided by His loving hand daily. I know that we are given inspiration by and through the Holy Ghost and that if we will listen to the promptings that we receive, we will be benefitted by every experience in our lives. I'm really excited to be serving here and doing this and I know that the Lord has me in his mind and that He knows each of us. I love you all and I hope the best for you!

Love,

Elder Jordan Green.