Letter received October 21, 2013

Dear Familia,
Well here I am!  Good ol Elwood, Indiana!  With its population of a few thousand people, farms, quiet streets, flat land and awesomeness!  I'm back in a Branch! :)  But this is a real Branch ... their tiny building doesn't even have pews :)  And our little 4 room cottage is so sweet!  My style!  My companion is Elder Ewell from around Salt Lake.  He has been out for about 19 months!  He was an Indiana missionary.  He's a great guy.  He has been here in Elwood for 9 months now!  That's basically a record for most places.  Got here Tuesday and had a lesson with Ron ... I see potential in him.  Met Mary yesterday and taught her the Restoration and she sounded interested.  Then we taught Idah who is super awesome!  She's been searching from church to church trying to find where they preach the gospel WITH the Spirit.  We got this :)  So we cover Elwood which is a 2 mile by 2 mile square town and Alexandria and Frankton.  We get the car every other week.  But it's flat here so I don't mind biking :)  Sorry I didn't write last week and I'm late this week.  It's been so hectic everywhere I've been.  I took a ton of pictures on the way out here and I've still been taking more.  First time in Indiana!  As soon as we crossed the border we saw Shelton Fireworks ... world's largest fireworks store!! :)  We're going there :)  Been sick lately because of the cold weather so that's no fun :(  But I just push through!  And so begins my journey here in Indiana!  I love and miss you!  Hope all is well!  Ta ta for now!
Love,
Elder Gunnoe

New home - Cottage in Elwood, Indiana

Downtown Elwood, Indiana

Elder Gunnoe riding the streets of Elwood (don't crash please!)

Farewell Fairfield peeps ... Elder Giblette, Elder Gunnoe, Sister Chapa and Sister Fletcher

Here is some of our email from this morning ...

We actually got transferred because they split our zone and Fairfield became the new Zone Leader area.  The Branch has about 79 people that attend on Sunday's.  It's awesome here - flat, farm towny, quiet, chilly.  Since I have been here I called all the less active members and found 25 bad phone numbers, left multiple voice mails, and got a few potential less active teaching opportunities.  It's so crazy what being a missionary has done to me ... you know I used to hate calling people and talking on the phone!  On my third day here, like I said, I called every less active member and investigator we have to either set up an appointment to come meet them or to invite them to church.  I love making phone calls!  It's so fun!  We get fed pretty dang regularly.  I was excited for the transfer and I'm excited to be here!!

First Transfer October 15, 2013 - Address to follow soon

Elder Gunnoe has been transferred to a new area.  All we know right now is that he is in Elwood, Indiana.  As soon as I get his new address I will add it.  The area takes in the towns of Elwood, Alexandria and Summitville, Frankton and Moonville and all the farmland in between.  We are looking forward to hearing how he likes the new area!

Card received October 4, 2013

Dearest Mama Bear and Family, (the card had a picture of a mama polar bear with her 2 cubs snuggled up on the cover)
What a week!  Elder Giblette's tire popped 2 times in 2 days.  We had a specialized training/interviews with President and Sister Porter!  They're so awesome.  Sister Porter made us Norske Pannekakers!  Basically a super thin pancake.  They were delicious!  We played some games and she was taking pictures so make sure you check out Facebook.  (the mission has a Facebook page where they add pictures and things that are happening in the mission - the page is Ohio Cincinnati Mission)  Then after the meeting while we were waiting Elder Giblette and I sang a bunch of Hymns!  We love singing.  Sister Chapa played the piano for us.  She's amazing :)  The weather is starting to cool down which is nice.  General Conference is coming up!  I'm so excited :)  The Sisters are awesome!  Sister Fletcher is super bubbly and hard working and fun and Sister Chapa is super sweet, fun and definitely a hard worker.  She's super funny as well :)  We all work together really well.  It's so fun being a missionary!  A Brother bore his testimony yesterday about the power of the Priesthood and how the blessing he got from the missionaries allowed his physicians to diagnose a case of something most physicians will see once in their career and he had been misdiagnosed up until then and he was able to get the right medicine!  That was my first and only blessing ... :)  Good testimony builder!  Send me pictures of what you changed at the house and whatever else.  I want pictures too!  :)  I'll respond to your questions in your letter next week.  It'll be a Q&A letter with just the A's.  There's a sign I have to send you a picture of...it's The Big Ash Farm.  Good times!  Grandma sent $50 for Subway and $25 for Red Lobster/Olive Garden/Bahama Breeze/Seasons 52/Longhorn Steakhouse!  It looks like the same Longhorn as in Washington but it's out of our area.  I'll get to it eventually.  Running out of room.  Love you!  Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Gunnoe
PS.  They sent stickers as well :)