It's Raining Cats and Dogs!

Hello family and friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow it's so good to write you guys each Monday and to hear how you guys are doing.  I'm glad that Ty and Austin are killing it at football and working hard- those are good habits and traits to gain from football practice! I love hearing from you guys because you share some great stories and experiences.  That's crazy that you guys are going to see the Piano Guys. You'll for sure have to send me pictures!!!!!!!!!! I'm excited for Austin and Ty and football season! This past week as I was at a member's house.  We were talking about mowing lawns and I sat there and as I pondered, my heart opened up as I thought of Sister Shields!!!!! She is such an amazing lady and was soooo nice to me.  I love the Shields family!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was always good to see both Sister Shields and Ken when I was working in their yard, driving by or just walking by them.  They were always so polite and treated me as a friend!  I love you Ken and Sister Shields- you guys are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could go down the list and say how each and every person I've met and talked to- whether in the church or out of the church- have influenced me.  I'm so grateful for all of you and for the great examples you are to all those around you.  You've all played a huge role in my life and I'm so grateful for our relationship and friendship.  It is such a wonderful gift.  I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I could go on but I'll be up all night!!!!!! 

So let me tell you what went down this week.  We had dinner paid with some members at the Hong Kong Buffet and oh boy was that a trip... So I thought I could eat 12 plates because I hadn't eaten all day.  Well, 2 things helped me see why this couldn't be done.

1. It was a Chinese buffet, so there could be cooked dog back there in the kitchen.
2. I drank way too much soda.  
Well anyways, long story short, I only had 4 plates.  My stomach was pretty full so that wasn't fun.  Never gonna do that again!!!!!! Hahaha  It is all good because I worked it all off this week.  

I went on exchanges this week.  Elder Wilson was here with me in New Cumberland and we did some service with our good friend, K.  Oh man is that a story!!!!!! So Elder Wilson and I start off our exchange helping K and this was an all day task! We go over and we first are asked to take all the stuff out of the shed.  Nothing too bad- it was pretty dirty but I couldn't complain because it was better than some of the houses I've been in on my mission.  Soon after, we go into the house and the place was trashed.  I mean clothes spread everywhere throughout the room, plates of cat food all over and cat litter spread all over!!!!!!  We had to actually clean it up!!!!!  Well anyways we start cleaning this place out and we actually come across a stray cat living there.  It was just chilling in this trailer.  hahaha It didn't like us too much.  We end up just tossing all the trash into one room.  We broke down the couch and threw it out the front door so that was pretty fun! We filled bags and bags of trash and eventually put them out on the sidewalk to get picked up by the trash man tomorrow.  We had to get the stray cat out of the house because we
already got rid of the litter box so we tried to catch it.  We shut the door so it wouldn't escape into another room and we trapped it in this room.  It's freaking out and climbing the walls.  It even latched onto Elder Wilson's leg.  It was ticked!!!!!! So we grabbed a plastic laundry basket and K and Elder Wilson told me that I was the one that had to catch it.  I put it over the cat and it straight up broke the basket.  Then we cornered it in the closet and tried to get it into some boxes but no success.  It got desperate and it stuck itself next to the water heater and the wall and was not moving.  K grabbed a cup of water and I thought as soon as the water hits this cat it's going to get up and leave.  I poured some water on it and it didn't even move an inch.  It started making the strangest noises.  The only way I could get this cat out was to grab it's tail and drag him out.  It was trying to grab onto anything it could and hung on for dear life but I got it out and then it made an immediate rush for the door. The stray was finally out of the house!!!!!!!!!!!!  So that was a highlight this week. 

Another highlight I was pretty happy about was when we got our bikes- yes!!!!!!!!!! We haven't had bikes the last 6 weeks but we finally got some new ones.  I was so excited and they run like a dream!!!!!! Both of our bikes are really nice!  We were able to bike a total of 15 miles in 1 day woohoo!!!!!!!!!! That's a good feeling because I was able to work off the
Hong Kong Buffet and McDonald's.  We did a lot of contacting after receiving our bikes because we were not able to get to parts of our area before that.  We were able to get back in contact with a few people and see them so that was good! We also got to go see a lady
named Sister Z, a member that hasn't been to church in a while.  She is pretty funny.  She'll say what's on her mind and show you she's boss. She'll grab you by the tie and pull you in real close and let you know what she's thinking.  I've experienced that myself.  Don't tell her

she's an old grandma or she'll grab you by the throat and put you up against a wall (she actually did that to an Elder when he was teasing her a little).  

We were able to see S and Mama D last night.  She is such a spectacular lady and has been through a lot.  We were grateful we could help and support her 'cause she always does so much for everyone else. I love this ward so much.  I love the beautiful
things I get to see here in Pennsylvania.  I am grateful that I have the opportunity to help others through service and to comfort those that stand in need of comfort. Like I have said many times, I love service.  Service softens and even heals hearts!!!!! I love you guys.  Have a great week.  Take care.  Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Elder Cahoon the Baboon