Corvallis is Pretty Cool!

     Brock hit the ground running when he touched down in Oregon on August 24th.  We have some catching up and back tracking to do to get the blog up to date.  Here's Brock's first letter from Corvallis:

August 30, 2010

     Corvallis is pretty cool so far.  I enjoy it!  Meeting people and talking to them is great!  They are interesting to listen to.  One guy thought we got magic underwear in the temple.  When we are in the temple, he thought, they could make us fly!!  I laughed very hard when he said that.  No joke.  People here are sooooo weird!  But it's fun.

     We have meals with the members every night.  They love missionaries!  And the members out here are so nice.  All of them are!  My companion is way tight from Missouri.  This week we got 7 new investigators!  We committed three of them to baptism this week as well as a bunch of others.  We had a baptism last Saturday!  Her name is Jessica Periman.  Her whole family now wants to be baptized!  

Elder Bird with Jessica Periman and Brock's companion Elder Johnson.  Jessica was baptized the Saturday after Brock arrived in Oregon.  He confirmed Jessica!

     Our schedule so far, if things go as planned, we will have 3 baptisms every weekend this transfer!  It's really awesome!
     Sundays are the best.  I  actually gave a talk on Sunday and confirmed Jess.  It was cool!  We cover two wards so we go to church for 6 hours!
     Um, I got a bike when I got here.  It's sweet!  Black and red GIANT!  We drive 5 days out of the week!

     Brock was part of a large group of new missionaries to the Oregon Eugene Mission!  This is a snapshot of the greenies soon after they arrived and met with President and Sister MacDonald.  See if you can pick out Brock in the group.

Brock with his new group of greenies.  He's in the back row, fifth Elder from L-R.

                          Oregon Is A Green State

    



There must be a tradition in the mission for the new arrivals.  Elder Bird was treated to his first "greenie" dinner at his apartment.

Brock's first companion, Elder Johnson

     Missionary life is busy and fulfilling.  Elder Bird and his companion Elder Johnson live in Albany, which is a suburb of Corvallis.

     Brock says he feels like a he lives in a "hobbit hut" since he constantly has to duck his head in his apartment.  Brock describes Albany as a bit of a "hood," which he likes. The Willamette River runs through Corvallis and makes for a cool landscape with the bridges that cross over it.  Good thing Brock and his comp have a car along with their bike.  The coastal area can get up to 70 inches of rain a year!



                                 




Willamette River in Corvallis.