Winning is no more than this, to rise each time you fall.

Man oh man, first week in the new area. Its been wild. Its been kinda tough. Times of transition. Change takes time to get used to of course. But when it comes down to it I'm not sure I could be in a better area with a better companion anywhere else in the mission right now. Seriously. I don't know how in the world this keeps happening and it shouldn't happen to me, someone else deserves it, but it keeps happening. 4 months ago when I got to Hamden i walked into a golden area with some golden things happening and had an incredible transfer with Elder Tanner. Avon looks to be along those same lines. But it will be more of a challenge. Elder Rogers is completely insane. I mean that in the best possible way . He's gotta be one of the best missionaries to come through here in a long time. Seriously you just can't imagine this kid. He blows my mind every day. He makes me wonder WHAT in the heck I've been doing for the past 20 months! He's a people person. He's always happy. He speaks well, I could go on for hours man. Its crazy. Super talented kid. So that's nice. Its really different though because I'm going from being the very dominant personality with Elder Miller, to being the totally not dominant one. Its a weird transition. Going to a new area is hard too because you go from knowing everything to knowing NOTHING overnight. I hate that. Its so tough. But its humbling and we all need a good dose of that, probably more often than its given to us. Gosh. I'm just that independent kind of personality and I don't like having to rely on people for stuff. But we gotta do it sometimes. They say that about the Priesthood, its a selfless thing, its service, you can't give yourself a blessing. Gotta ask. So yea, new companion is a mad man. A good mad man. I'm gonna learn a LOT. It just makes me wonder, WHY DIDN'T I PICK UP ON ALL THIS STUFF MONTHS AGO?! Too bad I guess. At least I get to pick up on it sometime, if I wasn't going to figure it out myself.

This area, the Avon ward has some good stuff going. Kinda similar to Hamden, but a little more ritzy feeling to it. Lots a cash money up here. I think its the wealthiest area in the mission. New Canaan area is the wealthiest in the state, but its not part of our mission. Anyway, Elder Rogers and his last companion, who I really liked, got this place going. It has typically been a really slow area but they have turned it around. Its fantastic. Some missionaries just got the knack. The vision. The Faith. So I get to reap the rewards of these other Elders hard work. I feel bad about that, but I sure am thankful to be in this position. I just hate when things feel like they're way too easy. But I got lots of other things making me super uncomfortable, so at least I don't have a tough area on top of that. Count my blessings.

I know I wrote all about the amazing colors last week, but OH MY GOSH they're even better up here! They're kinda waning now, but its still incredible. I think every shade of orange in existence is currently in view in CT. The hills are on fire! My gosh I love it. And its all around me so much that I'm almost starting to take it for granted and appreciate it less. When all the leaves fall and everything is barren and empty, I'm going to get depressed!

It seems like things just get better and better as time passes faster and faster. However, the change of area and everything else kinda took me off the spree of happiness I had been on. I find that my well being seems to be extremely connected to my level of energy. I remember back in school I realized that something I had to do was make sure I got enough sleep. That made such a difference in everything that it was worth whatever sacrifice i had to make to do it. Its been much the same out here. When I'm tired, obviously motivation lacks, and I just find it so much harder to find joy in what I'm doing. Confidence is often lower. But boy, when I have normal energy, everything is great. Happy, optimistic, faith. Maybe this is obvious, I don't know if everyone pretty well has the same thing going on. All I'm saying is that this first week has been a little less "happy happy happy" as I'm still kinda figuring out a new routine and all. But things are good nonetheless.

So what the heck happened to October? What happened to September? What is happening to my wonderful Fall!?! Oh the passage of time. I feel like my mission is basically over now. I have so little time left, its like its just done! The end is come like tomorrow! I hope it doesn't, I should just stay out here another year, but I know its gonna come so quick. Saddest day.

Well ladies and gents, I don't have too much else to say at this moment in time. Still getting my bearings and figuring the new stuff out. Its just a blur. It is crazy how quick I forget everything about the past though. I mentioned this a few weeks ago how once you're in a new area, its like the last one instantly becomes a thing of the past. My whole focus is on Avon now. I think about Hamden sometimes, but for the most part its out of mind. Kinda sad to say that, but thats the way it seems to be. I just move on. Focus on the task at hand.

I got to be in the mission home this past week the evening a group of missionaries went home. Last night in town. They do a little testimony meeting kinda thing and it was pretty neat. There was a very special spirit in the home as these Elders and Sisters bore their last testimony as a missionary. What a special thing to be a set apart servant of the Lord. I know a few of them didn't want it to end. Two sisters who left came out after me! So its funny to see them leave. Feels like they came out 6 months ago.

Well, thats it. Life is good, hopefully more experiences as the days go on. Oh actually, I'll just share about this family they just baptized a few weeks back here. I'll just say that the gospel of Jesus Christ really does change people's lives. It makes people happy. It gives them hope in something greater, and something real. Something that gets confirmed in their hearts. Whether you're happy or sad, smart or a fool, the Gospel makes life better. Its sad to see people brush it off, but they don't know, so I guess we can't hold it against them. But this new family has seen some incredible change in a very short period of time, by doing just a few simple things. I think that is amazing. Let us all do the small simple things in our daily lives that have such great potential to make it so much better. Have Faith my friends. I sure do love you!

Elder Kunz

Ah - one more thing. I read a quote I thought was excellent by Thoreau I think it was. It was just in this New England in the Autumn kinda book. "And the cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life, which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run." I thought of this quote with respect to serving a mission. There are associated "costs" of coming out here, whatever you want to call them. 2 years of life, all the little things we give up, etc etc. But in regards to a mission, I hardly think of it as a cost at all. It is far more a privilege. It is far more a blessing. I think that's neat. Yes cost is what must be exchanged to obtain something, but its nice for me to consider that cost a worthy sacrifice, in so much that it doesn't bother me.

See ya in 4 months holy smokes!