Sleepovers for zone conference and Robin Hood

Hey guys!

Alrighty! So not much happened this week. Last week was crazy, but next week is going to be even crazier with transfers and everything. There's a 99% chance that I'm losing Elder Raveneau so it's going to be pretty sad because he's the best. He goes home in 3 months and he's not even trunky! The Paris attacks shook him up pretty good though so it hasn't been his best week...he only lives 3 hours from Paris.

We had a combined zone conference with president Gubler on Tuesday so we got to sleep over at the Didcot Elders' flat on Monday! It was so fun! We ate loads of pizza and had a blast. Elder Phelps is a party animal. It was just like old times--except I slept on the couch instead of the floor. Zone conference was in Staines, a town on the edge of London. Half of my MTC district was there so it was like a family reunion. One of them (Elder Baines) is still waiting on a visa to be sent to the Orem Utah Mission. He should be there soon--you'll know him when you see him! He's 6 foot 6, has an accent, and will probably be being fed. But zone conference was awesome! I got to play the piano the whole time and it felt good. But Elder Phelps took my thunder because he got to sing a solo--he killed it. Then President Gubler stole the show and told us that he had a revelation that our mission is going to have a season of miracles starting now. It's going to be a white Christmas! Later that night Brother Sutton took us out for McDonald's. It hit the spot.

Later in the week we went to see a recent convert named Ian Watkins. He's really cool! He lives in a small town called Woodstock, where Winston Churchill was born actually. Not only does he have a pet falcon, but he's also an archery national champion. And he's got a really stringy mustache. But he makes his own bows and arrows and wins every contest he competes in. He told me if I wasn't on a mission he would teach me. He's a modern Robin Hood!

On Friday I got to go on an exchange with Elder Wagaman. We did a lot of good work in one day and it was nice to be with somebody from Utah for a change! We had a good lesson with the Rathbone family, who are coming to church this Sunday. Hopefully we can get them baptized soon. I brought them some brownies so I'm on their good side right now.

I've been learning a ton lately, including how to cut my own hair. Elder Raveneau taught me how so I just buzzed it myself! I'll send a picture.

That's about it though. I also decided to begin something called the 40 day fast. It's not fasting from food for 40 days, but from everything that takes the spirit away. So I made a list of every little thing I do that drives the spirit away. I want to find 40 things. Starting yesterday, I try to stop doing those little things. After 40 days, I hope I will be a different person. I won't be perfect, but I want to have the spirit as my constant companion so more miracles can happen. And guess what is 40 days from yesterday? Christmas. That's going to be my Christmas present to Jesus: a better Elder Thomas. I'm excited to do this, it's going to be awesome! And miracles will happen too.

Have an awesome week!

Love Elder Thomas