Safe from the Tornado's April 22,2010

Dear Mom & Dad;
Don't worry, the Tornado's that we had on Tuesday were not even close to us. I do think that would of been way cool if they were a little closer so I could see one and get a picture of it lol. I know you probably didn't want to hear that but it would be exciting. When there is a warning for Tornado's we are supposed to go back to our apartments. Last Tuesday we were at a members house so we just stayed there until the storm passed by. 2 of the Tornado's hit down and they were pretty close to Amerillo but we didn't see them. It has been crazy here because their average rainfall per year is 22 inches. Just in the past 2 weeks we have already had more than 22 inches, it is pretty crazy. As far as the sirens for the Tornado's I am not really sure how that works, but I have been told they are really loud. I don't think they go off unless the Tornado is really close. We are ok so no worries. We are still teaching the people that I talked about. They are progressing very well. We are not going to have that baptism on the 24th it has been moved to May 1st. Hopefully that goes through alright. Everyone else is close to a baptism committment. Ha Ha you guys are staying in the 5th wheel huh! That's pretty crazy. Don't you get kind of bored in there? Yah! It's like camping but you can't go fishing. So what do you do for fun? Well I hope work starts picking up for you soon. When is the floor in the Merrill house supposed to be done?
Mom on the scriptures, black is good, just make sure to put Elder Nate Eppich on them both, thanks. About the cookies, yes I got them and yes they are amazing. I try no to eat to many of them though because I don't want to gain weight. This bike riding helps out with that , I have lost 10 lbs since I have been out. That would be awesome if you can figure out how to send those chocolates without them melting.I am craving those things. I will check on those thank you notes. Ha Ha Kyle and my handwritting are the same huh! That's pretty cool, that's cool with me if I am alot like Kyle lol. He might need to grow a few inches though lol. Mom I need Morgan's address. Elder Reay got to Texas last Thursday. I can't wait to see him and Elder Bingham. They pretty much became my best friends while we have been out on the mission. I guess your mission buddies do become pretty close to you after all. I am glad to hear that the kids are all doing well. What kind of bikes are you talking about that Mel and Kel got. Let's hope Kacie likes the move home as much as she thinks she will. I think she will. Ha Ha that's awesome that Alex wears his glove in his back pocket, that's the only way to go lol. Tell him good luck and that I hope his season goes good and tell Lexi that to please. well that's way awesome that Bryant is starting to get everything done for his mission. You will have to let me know how that all goes. Well I had better get going, I love you both lot's. I can't wait to talk to you in 2 1/1 weeks for Mother's Day, it's going to be exciting. I look forward to my packages from home lol. Don't worry to much about the Tornado's, we had to stay in so we played some pool while it was going on lol.

P.S I will send pictures on the e-mail next Thursday. I don't have my camera with me right now.
Love you lot's, (I miss your cooking Mom:).
Love Elder Eppich

Hello from Amerillo Texas

Dear Mom & Dad;
I am going to answer some of your questions. No one in our group went to New Mexico. There will be a good chance that I will get sent there but that won't be for a little while. I am sure I will be here for a few months. Yes! I was pretty homesick the first few days but not really anymore. I mean, I still think about home but that's to be expected right. No! There really isn't a prominent church here. There are alot of faiths in Amerillo. There is pretty much a church on every corner. It's kind of funny because some of the people from other faiths will not even take our pass along cards because they think it will burn them or something. We have about 4 people that are really close to being baptized. I am really excited about that. One of the dates are set for the 24th of April.I am way excited for that day. Teaching is going pretty good. I have been a little nervous to do my part but I am getting over the scared part. The walking! I was pretty sore from walking everywhere that day. We had to walk because my trainer had his bike in the shop. We are riding bikes now, my bike is working way good. Others have said that getting the bike in Utah was one of the best decisions that I have made. I was happy about that. It is pretty cool because I have lost 5 lbs already.LOL The wind! You think that 58 mph is fast wind. You should come here, that is about normal here. It is ALWAYS windy here. That is about the only thing I hate in Amerillo is the wind. Talking about challenges! You know God never gives us anything that we can't handle or accomplish. I have learned that out here. In anything, if we just work hard and be prayerful, we can do anything. Like my friends say to me- DO WORK SON! Well everything else is going good. We are riding bikes. We ride Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday. Then we have the car Friday, Saturday and Sunday's. My trainer Elder Colton has been out 17 months, he is a pretty cool guy. I did go and get a camera when I got here. It is pretty nice and I like it. We are living with members in their house. We are like in one of the nicest neighborhoods in the city. It's just me and my companion that live there with them. Tell all the kids Hi! I miss them alot. Can't wait to see them in 2 years. Well I better go. I love you lots. Mom I would love some of those chocolate turtle things from Costco. The one's that Dad has me hooked on. I do need a different set of scriptures. Mine are all marked up, I really don't know why I marked them, I didn't write anything on the side to know why I marked them, they are all messed up. I know what I want to mark now so I want to start a fresh pair.
Thanks Mom, I love you!

Letter to Dad:
Dad I made it to the second P-Day. Everything is pretty good here. The shopping isn't that bad at all because I am used ot it from being at College and being on my own. The letter writing isn't all that bad either, well, as of right now anyways.lol
Amarillo is pretty good. I swear, this is the only place on earth that rains when it is sunny outside.lol It is so crazy lol Oh! everyone keeps telling me that it is tornato season, so I am pretty excited about that, I can't wait to see one,lol. Mom told me about her and Natalie google mapping where I live, that was petty funny that she did that. She also said it was hard being this close and not being able to come and see me at the airport.lol So the technology these days are pretty crazy. They will even be better when I get back. The MTC was a pretty good experience. I liked it but then there were times I didn't like it. I didn't do so good sitting for 10 hours studying. I wanted so bad to get up and move around but we couldn't. The food was far from good. But I also enjoyed the good things about the MTC too!. I haven't gained any weight, in fact I lost. The lessons are going way good. We have 4 people almost ready for baptism. I can't wait for that. We have a baptism date set for April 24. I have been a bit nervous about the teaching end of the mission. I am starting to get over being so nervous. I seem to be getting doctrine down. We have had alot of good experiences. The reason we walked so much the first day was that my trainer had his bike in the shop. Well better get going. I love you lots, can't wait to hear back from you. Love ya lots Love Elder Eppich

Elder Eppich's First Area- Amerillo, Texas

Hey! Mom & Dad;

How is everything going for you guys? I hope good. How was Dallas? Was it pretty hot there? I can't believe that I was only like 20 min. from you. That was so crazy. Well what's going on at home? Anything fun. Dad how is work coming? Do you have many jobs with Mahaffey? Well yesterday was my actual first day out tracting and teaching investigators. It was pretty crazy. I didn't know that missionaries had it this bad. Almost every door we knocked on slammed the door back in our face. There was this one lady that stopped us and she wanted to know about the church because her daughter just joined the church last year and she is getting married in the Temple this year, so she want's to learn more. So we are going to go teach her tonight. We have 4 lessons tonight that we have to teach, I am excited but nervous at the same time. Well yesterday was a pretty crazy day because we walked like 20-25 miles. I am so sore right now, my feet, legs, knees, and every other part of my body is killing me. I am walking like an old man pretty much lol. Well it has been pretty tough lately because I have been really homesick lately. It is getting pretty hard but I haven't cried yet so we are all good, lol. My eyes have gotten a little watered up, lol. Well, how is everyone doing back home? How is Kade doing in baseball? Have you heard much about that? Well I don't know if you know for sure but I am in Amerillo serving, so that's pretty cool. It is pretty windy here so it kind of stinks, but the city is pretty cool. So are the people until you tell them what church you are from, lol. My companion is pretty cool, he is from Wyoming, and his name is Elder Colton, he is a way cool guy. He has been helping me out alot. Oh , yah, thanks for those cookies, they are so good, those are the best cookies ever. Hey, how is Olivia and Radden doing? Are they getting pretty big? What about Charly is she starting to feel better? Oh, yah, did you get to go see Jordan while you were in Texas? If you did how is he doing? Good I hope. Ya, I got to sit by Clark on the airplane, I thought that was pretty sweet. Well my p-days are on Thursdays now so that is when I will be e-mailing you. Oh and in case you want to send something my address is 4810 Wesley Rd, Amerillo, TX 79119. So but I love you guys so much, you are the best parents ever, and I miss you so much. I can't wait to hear from you guys again. Have fun at home. Oh Yah. have you started on the house yet? I hope so. Well I gotta go, Love ya.
Love Elder Eppich

P.S. Amerillo, is a farming community. Nate lives with a family on the very outskirts of Amerillo which is surrounded by lots of farm ground and circles. It is the windy season right now but he will be thankful for the wind in a few months when the heat comes.

Elder Eppich Arrives in Texas

Hi Everyone; We got a call from Nate today. It was so exciting to talk to him. He got up at 2:00 a.m. this morning to get ready to be at the airport at 4:00 a.m . I think. I believe his flight left for Dallas Texas airport @ 6:00 a.m., we will have to have him confirm the times in his letter when we get one. He called us about 10:00 a.m. from the airport. He sounded so good. He was with 16 missionaries all headed to Lubbock, Texas mission. 2 sisters and 14 Elders. He was pretty excited about getting his mission started. All the elders were hanging out in the airport until 1:00 p.m., their flight to Lubbock was leaving then. He will be staying in the Mission Home for the next 2 nights and then they will find out if they are staying in Texas or headed to New Mexico. I believe we will hear from him in the next 2 days to see what his new address is for the next few months.
Hopefully we will have some new photos and a new letter and address soon.