Hello Boston & Massachuetts!

Saturday, 10-23-10

Hey Everybody,
I am finally here on the east coast! It has been a crazy first couple days out here in the field. The last week at the MTC went by so fast. It was somewhat hard to leave my new friends there but I was so excited to get into the field. 

Wednesday me and the other 6 new elders got on our flight to Boston. It was a pretty miserable 4 hour flight, but we landed eventually at the Boston airport. I felt like I was landing in a foreign country! There was so much green around, I thought it was like a dream. We met President Evans and Sister Evans at the airport and were transported out to the mission home in Natick. 

Downtown Boston was pretty sketch. The graffiti on the walls was so legit and there were a lot of old buildings around the area. We drove by Fenway Park, which was awesome! The people here drive way different than anywhere else. We were in some traffic and people are allowed to drive on the shoulder lane as if its another driving lane. Not to mention we almost got hit like twice haha. There are even terms for certain driving maneuvers they do... like the Boston blast, Boston creep, and Boston shadow. 

We got to the mission home and it was pretty nice. Felt like any other home, not really extravagant. Sister Evans made a great dinner for us (which helped because I pretty much hadn't eaten the whole day) and we were given a lot of orientation, along with interviews with the Evans. 

Then came the Transfer Meeting the next morning at the Belmont Chapel, next to the Boston Temple. It's cool how the Moroni towers over the trees. I got to see Elder Chavez and Elder Wright who both were at the Y with me.  My trainer is Elder Crandell. He's been out here 7 1/2 months and is from Mesa, AZ. He is a pretty cool and a funny guy that I've gotten along great with. It looks like we're going to be great friends after this transfer because our area is going to be pretty difficult. 

Map of Cape Cod (click to enlarge)



We are assigned to the Brewster Branch, which has about 30 active members. The area is basically all of Cape Cod, that little elbow down in southeast Massachusetts. Neither of us know the area because Elder Crandell was in Cambridge his first 7 months. Therefore its called "shotgun" training. It was actually Elder Chavez's last area so he told me somewhat of the happenings around here. It is a very big area! The Branch is spread out all across Cape Cod and it takes us probably 30 minutes to get to the church building in Brewster. 

 
After the Transfer Meeting we headed out to Dennis Port where our "not so bad" apartment is. We had dinner at Bro. Corb's home and met him (Elder's Quorum President) and Bro. Arvidson (Branch Mission Leader). Yesterday we had district meeting with the other 6 elders in our district. They are all funny Elders and easily welcomed me in. After that, me and Elder Crandell have just been cleaning up our apartment and making plans for what we're going to do around here. There's really only one progressing investigator, Caroline, who's been going to church frequently and one recent convert, Bethany, who was baptized back in July. I'm excited for what's to come.

Hope everything is going well at home. I was so happy to call you guys the other day. Felt like I was really at home for a little bit. Thanks for the cold weather wear and treats in that package at the mission home. I've been putting those thermals to good use because the wind is just blowing right through me and its already in the mid 50s, not to mention rain since I got here. I'm kinda scared for what weather is to come in the next few weeks. 

My new address is 355 A Main St. Dennis Port, MA 02639. Make sure to get that on my blog so I can get some letters from friends and relatives. My P-day will be on Monday and since I didn't get one this week due to travel, we are checking out the library and other surroundings along with sending this email. So get excited for Mondays mom :).  I'll try to get a photo card adapter so I can send some pics through these emails, or I'll just print and send like at the MTC. Have a great week! 

I love you all and are thinking of you guys each day. Keep me in your prayers as I start this expedition.

Elder Henson