I'm in Baton Rouge

Dear Family,

This past week has been almost as insane as the week previous. We've been placed in the Baton Rouge 2nd Ward, which means that we're very close to the mission home/office. In regards to having requests for my address, I'm going to revert back to the office address on Justice Ave. I actually don't know my current physical address, and since the mission office is so close I think I'll just plan on stopping by there twice a week to pick up my mail. Feel free to pass that address along as my current address.

Baton Rouge 2nd Ward is so far pretty good. The people, from what I hear, are eager about missionary work and love to give referrals. This is really great news because we've both been double transferred into an area without an area book. A few weeks ago, the office elders (who're in our ward) had the mission van stolen. In that van was the area book we should have to help us pick up some work. Basically what that means is that we're starting from scratch and we'll have to figure out how to find people.

We have the very good fortune to be living around the corner from the temple, and our church building is next door to it. Both are situated in a very nice neighborhood. I am so excited that Mom and Dad intend to come here to pick me up, because there're so many things already that I know Mom would enjoy. The food, however, is definitely something for me to share with Dad, since it's too spicy.

I can't believe Lacey's going to Hawaii. I didn't think she'd be able to get the money. How'd she do it? Make sure to tell her to send me pictures. All of you need to send me pictures! I need to see more of you. I would have pictures today, but I forgot my camera at the apartment. I don't have much anyway aside from an alligator. I don't think I'll have more than 100 pictures by the time I leave!

The heat is already getting to be too much. It feels like mid July in Utah and it's the last day of April. My clothes are not going work for the next five months. I'm going to die. In my defense, Salt Lake retailers don't sell summer clothes in the middle of winter when I did my shopping.

We had a day of service, by the way, back in Lafayette. That was pretty fun. The stake got together to repaint some of Lafayette High School. There were more than 300 people there and news crews came out to report. I brushed poles most of the time. I don't know how that helped or why I was doing it, especially since the sound of metal scraping metal makes me cringe, but it was fun to do something. The high school looked like an actual prison with a low ceilinged cafeteria and 'NO (insert item here)' signs all over the place. The ceilings exposed all the wiring, and the windows had bars. Really. The commons area outside had benches arranged around platforms, and I imagined that the students would gather on the benches as one would stand on a platform and deliver some rousing manifesto to inspire revolution. I don't think any high school will ever look so much like a prison as that one does, and I will never complain about Liberty again.

I can't think of much else. We have done practically no missionary work this week due to our circumstances, and I'm still very quick to forget that I'm a missionary. I don't know if it'll ever set in. On a high note, some of the adjustments I've had to make may stick with me. It's very freeing to not be worried about the internet or television. Music, on the other hand, has proven to be a chunk of my heart gone missing. Since I put everything on my iPod instead of bringing CDs, we don't have anything to listen to in the car except the same MoTab CD over and over. If you are feeling so inclined, a variety (I have a hankering for Saturday's Warrior) would be greatly appreciated. ;)

Tell the boys that I'm waiting on pins and needles to know where they're going and that they need to hurry up already with the papers! What time do you want me to call home on Mother's Day?

I LOVE YOU THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS MUCH, FAMILY UNIT!!!

-Magen