It's a brand new day!

I am currently living in Lodi, CA. It is a smallish city, and it takes but half an hour for me to bike around my entire proselyiting area, but there is an In-N-Out burger, and I am pretty sure my burger and fries was 2000 calories alone. It was tasty though. I am coupled with an Elder Busselberg, a missionary who is twenty years old, and twenty months into his mission. He is from Milwaukee, WI, has a toupe (not really, it's just a really bad haircut), and is a goof... lightly annoying, but in a fun way.
My final days in the MTC were hectic. New Mission Presidents were being trained, so they ended up cancelling one of our classes and sticking us into the gym where we watched "The Other Side of Heaven".
I love that movie. Our District at the MTC was great. We were from West Jordan, UT (two), Provo (two), Nashville, Las Vegas, Star Valley, WY, Fulton, MO, and Toronto. We would re-enact Potter Puppet Pals all the time. I was Ron. Our District Leader, Elder Strickland (Nashville) was Dumbledore. He was very convincing. Six of us ended up coming to Sacramento, and 4 were scheduled for Jamaica, but Strickland had Visa problems, so he is in Pheonix, AZ. I told him to hit up Briana and sal while he is out there. We had a great last few nights of sleepovers (sort of), pictures, and vending machine/microwavable burrito induced gas. It was not pretty at times, and my companion got pretty angry at one point (not with me!), but all in all, our group was very sad to be disbanding. Our last Sunday, we were about to head over to the Provo temple to walk the grounds, and I was feeling a little hot in my suit.
I thought it was probably a little over 80. Our Branch President comes up to us and tells us the we don't have to wear our jackets because it was over a hundred degrees. I must say, i love dry heat!!!
10 missionaries flew out of Salt Lake at 11:26 MST, and landed at the Sacramento Airport at 12:10, but there was a problem with the mechanics of the door and we were locked in the plane for an additional hour. We finally got off the plane and were greeted by our Mission President, H. Benson Lewis. He and his wife skipped the handshakes to give us hugs. We got a group photo, and headed off to do a Temple tour of the Sacramento Temple. It was gorgeous. It is on a rise, and the temple has these Gondorion arched walk ways. There is a small garden, and a lovely tree off to the side. So lovely. After Subway and some introductions, we headed off to the Presidents home where we had a wonderful dinner and met some more Elders and Senior Missionaries. They were playing Josh Groban (YES!!!). The next day, I was set up with Elder Busselberg, and found out I was headed to a biking mission. I quickly talked to a departing missionary, and bought his wheels for a dollar. He told me his bike was a legend in the mission named Old Blue. We swung over to Rancho Cordova and picked it up. The missionaries there told me that Old Blue had been passed around quite a bit, and I was lucky to have him. It had shoddy brakes, a bent wheel, and an hour into my first day, the front tire blew.
Luckily, an Elder Lawrence and I spent all yesterday together while our companions went to a leadership thingy, and he is pretty good with his hands. The only thing wrong with Blue now is the wobbily rear wheel. I'll get it fixed soon.
Speaking of swithces, I have already been a part of 5 different companionships. Usually, 2 "exchanges" occur each 6 weeks; I have had five in my first week. It's been strange. There are 4 missionaries that live in our appartment, and one of them leaves in 5 weeks, one in
3 months, and then my companion leaves in less than 6 months. They all thought I was lying when I say I'm almost 23, because only one of them is over 21. They are a little bit on the dirty side; dishes tend to pile up in the sink, the garbage over flows, and there are always random tid bits of clithing in random places. By the way, when I say dishes, I mean one of the 3 plates we have, the one pan, and all 6 of our utensils. I do not know what the missionaries were eating on/with before us, but I am really thinking about getting a pan, plate, bowl, and utensils to just keep with me as I move around.
My first Sunday as a missionary was so much fun. Being the first Sunday of the month, we had a testimony meeting were the entire time is open to the congregation to come up to the pulpit and bear their testimony. 6 kids went up pretty fast, bearing the typical testimony; "I'd like to bear my testimony, I know this Church is true, i love my mommy and daddy, inthenameofJesuschristamen!"It is so cute with their goofy, shy voices. I went next, and while staring at the podium itself very quietly began "I'd like to bear my testimony...... I know this Church is true....... I love my- I'm just messing with you. Hi, I'm Elder Strawn" I looked up and everyone was staring at me like I was super strange, or overly simple, but then they all laughed. It was alot of fun. We teach a Sunday School class, too, so I am getting to know the ward a little better. On the walk home, a member pulled up next to us and offered us a ride. He was Don Van Noy, who is the grandfather of Kyle van Noy, Linebacker for the BYU Cougars!!!
I'm really starting to like it out here. There haven't been any earthquakes for a while (18-24 months, or so), the weather is nice, and the people are great.I have found so much more joy in my life in the last month, and I am so grateful to be here. I have been reading the Book of Mormon (In Spanish!!!), praying, and feeling the Spirit of God. I miss you all!!!!