July 27...Welcome to the mission field!

Family and friends,

We flew into Montana Billings on Tuesday and we stayed at the mission
home all Tuesday and most of Wednesday for orientation and such.
Wednesday morning we went to the Billings Temple and it is by far the
most beautiful temple I have ever seen. Everything inside is so
gorgeous and the surrounding are is gorgeous and the grounds are
gorgeous. I seriously love this temple SO much!!!!! Then after lunch
we got assigned to our areas! They pulled out a big spinner like Wheel
of Fortune with all the different areas of the mission on it. At first
I just laughed like 'haha nice one, there's no way that's how they're
picking where we go!' And then the first sister goes up and spins it
and lands on Missoula and President Wadsworth says congratulations
you're going to Missoula! I thought 'there's no way this is actually
how they're doing it...' The next sister goes up and BOOM it happens
again!!!!! I'm freaking out now haha because a wooden spinner is
deciding the next at least 6 weeks of my life! But then the next
sister goes up and hers doesn't work for three spins. So I promise
that President Wadsworth did pray about them and have them prepared
before haha! They just like to joke around a bit and see if they can
get the spinner to land on the right place! Man that was stressful! Wednesday

night we drove all the way from Billings to Gillette Wyoming, about 6 hours..

The next morning we drove another 2 hours to my first area! NEWCASTLE AND SUNDANCE WYOMING!!!!! I love this place so much! It's approximately a

9 hour drive from home, we're almost directly on the border of South Dakota

and just right across from Rapid City basically. This area is great!

I have two companions! We're in a trio here in Newcastle right now!
Elder Clark is my trainer, he's from Ephraim and Eagle Mountain Utah!
He's seriously the funniest person I have ever met and he's been so
good to me and I've learned a lot! He's been out for ~20 months so I'm
glad I get someone with lots of experience! My other companion is
Elder Hatton from right next to Parowan Utah! He's so solid and looks
like a cross between Dave Franco and Zac Efron haha! He plays
saxophone and took 1st in state x-country 3 years ago I think. He's
been out for like 8 months and he's so confident! He's our district
leader so I'm learning a lot from him too!

Now about that subject header...we slept in our apartment for the
first time Thursday night. The next morning Elder Clark (who's been

in Newcastle for the last transfer or two) told us about Dallas. Dallas
is a convert and he is such a stud. He's an old man with a really
strong catholic background. He said that Dallas cooks the best
pancakes ever and that when new missionaries come into the area he
loves too cook breakfast for them as soon as possible! But along with
that, he washes their feet. He said that it happens to all the new

Missionaries so I guess I have to! So we went to breakfast and let me tell

you they were amazing pancakes! Then he pulls out a bucket of warm water,

a washcloth, lotion, and tells us to take off a sock and shoe. We did and he

washed our feet and then put lotion on them. Who knew your feet could feel
like a million bucks!?  While he did it he told us why he does it. Washing

someone's feet is an extreme sign of respect and he loves the story of Christ

washing his apostle's feet. It says that he loves us and that we are always

welcome in his house no matter what. He cares about the missionaries so

much and I can't wait to get to know him better!

Also… baptism! Yes, after two days of being in the field I had my
first baptism! Her name is Kendall and she's 11, she comes from a part
member less-active family. I think she's so great and I'm glad I was
able to be here to see her baptism! This Saturday we have another
investigator with a baptismal date as well! He's probably in his 30's
at least and his name is Lance. The missionaries have been working
with him for a while and he is such a spiritual giant! We've met so
him twice since I've been here and I just love his so much! He's had
some really cool experiences with the Holy Ghost that are pretty
miraculous!

Last thing I promise! I went tracting for the first time! Knocking on
doors was a bit scary but my companions are really confident and
showed me how to do it! During the 1 hour that we tracted 1 street we
found 2 new investigators that we have return appointments with! We
also met a Lutheran pastor that has a bunch of Mormon friends and
loves that we love Jesus too, but he wasn't interested in talking. One
of the doors I knocked on was answered by a shirtless old man that
just said 'not interested' and then just looked at me for a second and
it was my first time with someone like that and my companions didn't
say anything so I just was like 'ummmmmm...ok, thanks?' And then he
shut the door and my companions started laughing so hard! We laugh
about that pretty often haha! I can't wait to try again! Also we got yelled

at by some punk teenager 'CHURCH FREAKS!' But then we ended
up talking to him anyways and he was really nice, he just doesn't like
church so it's all chill.

Sorry for the long email! I promise to try to keepfuture emails shorter,

just so much happened this week! The church is true! Pray and read

the scriptures! It's the best thing you can do!

Elder Tippetts :)