E-mail Nov. 8, 2015: "Oh, your name's Elder Coward! Ha. Ha. Ha."‏

Wow, I wasn't expecting much of what happened this week. I got transferred to the San Jose zone and my new companion is Elder Thacker from good ol' Utah. Transfers here are very different than India. In India they call you to inform you of your transfer on Monday and usually and it's about a week later before you're on the plane. Here we meet together as a zone on Wednesday to hear the transfer announcements and then we're on a bus to our new areas at 7:00 the Thursday morning. Needless to say I wasn't expecting to have to leave the ward and the people that I've come to love so much so soon, but I know that there's work to do and plenty of new people to meet here in San Jose.

Yesterday as I met all the members of this ward for the first time at church they received me very warmly but just couldn't manage to get my name right.
"Elder Flower?"
"Elder Cloud, diba?"
"Elder Coward, hahaha your name is so funny."
I heard that last one over, and over, and over, and over yesterday. This week as we teach the gospel we'll also take some time to teach a few people how to pronounce their L's. ;)

I've been praying my whole mission to get sent to an area in the country, and it seems that my plea has finally been answered. Most of our area here in San Jose is what's known as 'bukid' or farmland. It's amazing to finally be walking down dirt roads, passing newly harvested rice fields, and seeing stars instead of neon lights at night. On top of it all thew people here that I've met so far are very humble, friendly, and they love the missionaries. I'm enjoying my new area very much. :)

Anyways sorry for no pictures this week, I'll send some next time though. :) 

Until then-

-Elder CLoward

Note from Jen (mom): We got an email from the office of the mission president last week telling us that with this transfer he's also a Zone leader.  

San Jose is in the northern most part of the mission.  He has been in the Angeles zone in the far SW part of the mission.  So it's a big change of scenery for him.