heelo! 

No, I have not decided on a time to come home yet... My plan/hope is that as we get closer to Christmas I would really enjoy coming home a little before Christmas, more mid December time frame. The problem with that is that it's right in the middle of a transfer, so I don't know if i'll be able to swing it. Im'a try thou!

this week one thing we did that was really fun was head town the road a little bit and there is a collage here called Montevallo. One of our ideas to find more people has been to go on campus and talk to a lot of the young adults over there. We invited the other Elders down the road from us and went all around a very small campus trying different ways to start up conversations and teach a little bit around Jesus Christ. What was really sad to me just how similar just about every single one of them was, 

They grew up in a church back from there home town. Left home to come to school, and ended up getting over the whole church thing. It was amazing to me to see how much people semi wanted to know a little more, but not really enough to do anything about it. It's really scary for me to talk to a lot of the people our age over there, and have a ton of our same likes and interests, but when God comes into the picture. I feel like people just get board, there sick of feeling guilty about doing things they know they should not be doing so they throw in the towel and call it quits. 

for real talk, It's sad to see. It also does not help that I feel like i'm in super monk mode right now.... If someone does not pray when we got out to eat, i'm like.... "wait.... we didn't pray!" and then everyone forgets that were missionary and do weird stuff like that..! I think that's going to be something different too. out here it's cool to just start praying in the middle of Walmart! not just because were missionary either! people ask us is they can pray with us, it's really nice and im going to miss it! 

well I love y'all!! I'll for sure keep you informed if anything crazy happens!!

P.S. if anyone is wondering, we are not allowed to go over to Louisianan to help... Just as an FWI before anyone asks...

Love!

Elder Landon Aldana! 

YAY!!! got a birthday package, Thanks so much for all of the good candies! I think im'a be sick the next few days but its always worth it!

sounds like life has been going great over there, over then people falling apart, and braking! haha, I know it's been a little crazy over here with all of the flooding in L.A. the church over here has been asking for a lot of volunteers, unfortunately we as missionarys are not able to go and help from here in Alabama, Our mission at least. Other then that, I must say nothing really crazy has happend. Life is moving on it it's own way, and were still thinking of new and better ways to talk with people. 

One thing that happend this week I thought was a hoot. We, (Collumbiana Elders and Us) were looking for a new board game to play on Mondays. When we had a little extra time and wanted to do something fun. As were looking around town I had seen this store I thought might have some board games. The store was called Press Start. the worst part about it was that it had no board games, but!

what it was, was any gamer kids dream man cave! (place by the devil himself just for me....) as we walked in It was a video game store but it was also a huge video game part place. as you walk in theres this dark room half way into the store. Where you would find 4 rows of 8 computers back to back with all the games you could think of. A huge projector with 4 different game consoles hooked up to it. About every game device you could think of and any game you could was in this black light, big chair, music blasting man cave. One might say I was a little blown away. 

what the place would do is charge 10 dollars and you could play all day, on anything you want. We walked it, took a 30 second loop around to take a peek, and I said. "I'm outa here!" haha, I was one really into everything, which really made we want to get out of there because its the last thing i need on my mind. After Leaving thou I thought about how cool we were. We are 4 19/20 year old kids, living there lives as monks... and yet we were super happy! It reminded me of everything that I left behind and that it was still there. that it was still the most entertaining waist of time that I don't really need. 

I think too much we think we need something to be happy. This week I was reminded you can have just about nothing that makes you "happy" to the world, and yet still be "happy!!" thanks to the knowledge we have here from the scriptures. I love this mission! and I love all y'all!!

Elder Landon Aldana!

Hello!! 

What an pleasant week, It's been nice and Hot the last few days, but it's been a easy conversation starter! haha, It sounds like everything has been going back home as well! I'm glad that everyone is starting to settle down a little bit. The only tragic thing about this week is that every week I really try and write down something interesting to share with y'all. Some weeks like this one, theirs really not a whole lot to talk about! haha!, at the start of the week we were working here in alabaster for a little, mid week we had a big Meeting with President Sainsbury, and the rest of the week was work... 

Also the other tragic thing is that I have not been able to go down to the mission office yet and get my package! I'm still left in the unknown of if it came or didn't, I think I'll have a chance to get it this thursday or friday thou. I'll have to let you know next week about it! On the other hand thou, Elder Henrie my Companion did get a package for his year mark!! It was night to get the familiar feeling and excitement of being out a year! we enjoyed it! If i haven't said much about him, Elder Henrie is from Ogden Utah, he just hit his year mark! we have really been enjoying being together! We have a good balance with each-other. We both think very differently and it balances us out! 

I'm becoming more and more convinced that I'm not going to serve with someone like me! Personality, Hobbies, or even Socially wise. For one, It would be way!!!! to fun, we would talk about stupid stuff way to much and wouldn't ever get anything done haha!, It's also very nice to also have someone who thinks differently to work with. It gives us a chance to give both of our inputs and to come out with what we both might not want to do, but what is the best thing to do! It allows us to work in a very Christ like manner, Not doing what I feel is best or he feels is best. Doing what WE feel is best, and if we both think alike. We can miss a lot of different ways of thinking. 

I hope that y'all will keep on working well together and keep on doing whats good, the other day I was introduced to a word I don't know if i shared last week, but im'a do it again if I did. the word is Lutalica, in short it what I feel it means, is the part of us we never really are able to tell people about us. It's a hope I have that we all talk the time to really get to know the people we start with, It's become crazy to me to think we can live with someone for so long, but really never take the time to introduce ourselves!

I love y'all Keep at it!! 

Landiono!

A series of not so unfortunate events...

It's been a great week over-all, Nothing really crazy happened this week haha! only the perpetual grind of missionary work! for all intensive purposes thou, It was a different week. we started out the week with Zone Training, there was a lot of things we talked about. One of the biggest things was about being you! something that I have really grown to love. That all of us are called here to be us, no one here was brought to Alabama to be someone their not, but to be ourselves and to see the people we connect with. Something that I believe at least! 

Today we learned of a missionary who recently finished his mission and went home, only to hear today that he was killed in an car crash. I did not know him very well, but we had talked several times before he went home, my heart weeps for this family. I think of his dreams, his ideas, his influence we never really felt, and then my thoughts turn to myself and other and I can't help but think how often we take for granted this time we have to be here. I feel we sometimes come to think that worlds too big for us to have dreams. that we limit ourselves to what we can we and not what we believe. 

I thank God that each of us is here for out time. A time to grow, to learn, to experience and to help others. This week all I have to say is that we should remember God lets all of us stay here together, we should be looking to life everyone to there dreams. We should take the time to help lift others and build each other, It's not a race were in against each other. It's a war that we are all fighting together! It's our job to help those who are in a though spot. I think about this missionarys family, and how many others are just like theirs. each with their own unique trials and tribulations. 

Please please please, take the time to do the important things here in life. It's too short to let someone go threw life unloved, unthanked, unthought of. I would hope that everyone reading this takes the time this week to enjoy the moments of the day. To listen to the birds, notice the flowers, everything that God gave us to enjoy. To remember that we are not the main character in the play of life, but we have out own parts and our own time. 

I love y'all hope you stay cool as well!! 

Elder Landon Aldana!

And some new picutures:

Hello! 

Well, what an interesting week it's been. I tell you what, I don't know if my mind is getting worse, or if the days are getting more full and confusing, but it's hard to follow what all is going on anymore haha! It's been a great week thou. Elder Henrie and I were both transferred in on Wednesday, because neither one of us really knows what to do were really experimenting. Alabaster is a great place, If you have not seen any pictures yet, It's a city. There are a lot of different people here. One of the big things that we have been running into is that everywhere, people only live in little sub-divisions. Most people in sub-divisions really hate talking with us haha!! We have really been trying to put our heads together and think of new and different ways to approach and work with them. 

The ward here is great! A vary large ward, and a lot of the people are familiar. When I first started out in Collumbiana, Alabaster is the neighboring area for missionarys. I've been catching up with a lot of good friends that have family or are up for work. It's been nice to see a lot of familiar faces. I'll have to send some pictures one of these days..... Everyone here is also fairly close to us making it much easier to visit members. 

Elder Henrie, is from West Jordan Utah. He's a great guy, he'e been out just about a year. He's also still got a little more Fire for writing then I do. I don't really have too much to talk about.. One thing that was great that happend this week. all right now, so... Were out tracking in this subdivision, and the last few people have really not wanted to talk with us. We kept on are merry little way. Over the last few days we have been thinking of new door approaches, but on this door we decided to be a little more generic. The lady answers and we politely greet her with a "Hello!, Were the Mormons.... ( as you know already!!) haha, were here to answers you're questions about who we are and why we are always coming around." something simple! 

One thing that I've had a really hard time learning, is that no matter how hard or how little you work. God's work will move in his own time, so lucky for us. Even if you blow it! If you're on God's time and ya got the Spirit with ya! It all works out in the end, Miss Jessica (the lady) lets us in and we have a really nice conversation, teaching a little about the Restoration and leaving! were excited to go back and see her, but one of the big things I enjoyed most about it was looking back and seeing, We really are on God's time. If we get out, do our best.... God takes care of ya! 

I've really, as always, been enjoying the south!! I'm excited for what happends for the future! 

Love y'all lots!!

Elder Landon Aldana!