Haaaaaaaalllllo, how're you doing Thelin clan, you're so lucky, the people here have already gone to school, so you guys have more freedom out there. Hope it’s just barrels of fun, no envy though...
So yes, no mountains today, just the temple as usual. We hurt for quite a while after last week's adventure. Bleggh. I've decided we need to go to a Demolition Derby sometime, they had one here, and we happened to have an investigator we needed to see who was working on his car to destroy, we got all the way back to where they were trying to pull steering wheels out of engines and stuff, but the police officer spotted us (not hard, we were in white shirts and ties....) and kicked us out :( Only Demolition personnel allowed back there, you know...We should do it sometime.
New cousin! Emmeline! How many new cousins have I had in the past 18 months? I've lost count, I feel like I know them and what’s happening with them, but I haven’t met ‘em...
"Beowoof" sounds pretty sweet, Jeffrey. Glad you could take such a captivating story and make something good out of it. Have fun with Grendel, ugh. Anyone taking anything super interesting in school this year? Choirs and everything still?
Heidi - loved the package. Are silly bands really a fad? We've been enjoying ours, they smell really good, and we keep shooting them at each other. Intense stuff, does everyone just wear them, or do you have to take ‘em off to show what shape they are, or do you play some game with ‘em? Sounds amazing, just saying...
Congrats on the Eagle, Jeff, sounds cool. Glad you got it figured out in the wilderness without burning everything down or anything too bad. Welcome to the Eagles nest. Yeah...
Most interesting happening of the week... um, BAPTISM. Pablo Lambaren Jr. (Yes, we are just working through all of the members of this family). Pablo's family got baptized in January - they are cousins of Norma's family. Pablo, 16 years old, was in Provo for a year on a program. Well he just got back, announced he had listened to the Elders down there, and at the baptism of Norma, we asked him how he felt (amazing) and asked him to be baptized too. Well, he accepted, taught him the basics, the Elder interviewing him was really impressed, and he was very excited. Sunday we had the baptism after church, and it was great. Pablo's dad baptized him, his recently baptized cousin Desarie (8) bore testimony of how she was feeling the spirit, and his other cousin Dyana (12) also bore testimony, and gave the talk on the Holy Ghost (and also had spoken in sacrament meeting). Pablo's mom spoke, saying she knew her remaining two children one day soon would accept the gospel (working on that). Also a Sergent from the Logan City Police Force spoke - knew the family really well, from unexplained past encounters... So cool, Spirit was pretty strong. Good stuff. It’s cool, this family got baptized, but come from a pretty rough background, have trouble staying out of trouble. They've been judged a lot, and left the church for a month or two, but decided to come back no matter what people may say. So proud of them. It’s so hard to stop something like gossip. I've found that even I do it sometimes, just talking about people. Something I want to stop completely. But not easy.
Wellllll, what else? Hmm, this might seem kinda trunky, but a lot of elders are signing up for colleges and such - just seeking advice, I think I mentioned my plan being come home, try to earn money out in VA until September to pay for college on my own, and then go out to BYU in the fall of 2011. I don’t know how the job situation is out there, or if that sounds good or not, but just thought I'd through that out there. My current college major is classified as "something interesting"...
Well, love you all, miss you guys. I know the gospel is true, and that if we follow it we'll be happy and saved. Seek the Savior, follow Him. BYE
elder thelin
ps we'll probably be back here later on, comp needs to email more
psp I just noticed the keyboard says the following: "some experts believe that the use of any keyboard may cause serious injury." Just wanted to thank you for risking your physical safety to communicate with me.
pspsp did you know that the capital of Brazil was designed in the shape of an airplane, with all the governmental buildings in the cockpit?
psj its already getting cold here, crazy...
ppi met an elder that served in spanish in the fredricksburg stake a few months back. I've met a lot of people who've served around home - met someone who was a district leader when Culpeper was just a branch, and he had visited it when it was in that bingo hall or whatever way back in the day. cool... what year did you serve your mission Dad? Just in case someone happened to have been there at the same time...
PS (later that night) What a sweet Pday, holy cow - so after doing shopping and eating some cheap tacos made of who knows what, we were walking out of the restaurant, and someone called my name... it was a lady named Lupe and her two kids - who we baptized in October! I hadnt heard ANYthing from them in almost a year, and I just remembered that I wasnt sure how converted they were, they were my first baptisms after being made a sernior and put in charge, and I had felt that I had done everything wrong. They remembered me, are happy, and are really active! And then just now, I got a random call - it was Sinesio, who was baptized in my first area, the man who we met by inspiration late one night walking 5 minutes before going home, and that wanted to be baptized in a river - well, after his baptism, I left the area, and I heard from someone that he left the church, lived with a woman and didnt want to hear anything from the church. I was really sad and worried about him, and have prayed for him often over the past year - well he just called me! He's going to visit us here in Logan on one of our Pdays, and is back at church, active and doing really well! Just thought I'd share, man, that makes me feel so much better about my mission - sometimes I've looked at things like that and felt I had something to do with their failures, but its cool to know that not everything that looks like a disaster has to stay that way! Very good stuff! Blessings pouring down!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
CHRIS LEARNS TO HITCHHIKE
Hey family! Alright, this may be short, I'm so so dead, we went to hike another mountain today - like 40 minutes up Logan Canyon, then hidden in a small trail - a drive of like 15 minutes - to Tony's Grove, a small lake in the top of a mountain. Well we went there this morning at 8, then from that point hiked 3.3 miles to Naomi's Peak, the highest point anywhere around. STEEP. INTENSE. Poor elder Sigal, the highest he's ever been is 4000 ft above sea level. He is breathing heavy even just in the car. You just go up and up, then another fair sized valley, with an even TALLER rock face with switchbacks on the opposite side. "is THAT Naomi's peak?" nope, its past that and higher.
After doing that a few times, we got to a large hill (large=huge), climbed to the top of that, and then a little higher.... and there you are Naomi's peak, gorgeous, you can see every mountain for several hundred miles, with all the canyons and peaks spread out below. On the opposite side of where we'd been hiking was a steep bowl like 2000 feet deep, and we could see a glimpse of Cache Valley - actually we could see a part of Logan, with two small white dots, which we surprisingly were able to confirm as the temple. Cool, being so high, and still in sight of the temple. THEN we ran down for an hour, got to the lake again, and most of the Elders went with their ride back to Logan. Our problem, as I have had many times, was that our initial ride was unable to help take us back, so we were stranded an hour from our area in a mountain.
So obviously we began to CONTINUE walking (mind you, we already have gone 6 miles, to the highest point around, with only a handful of trail mix and a 3 bottles of water between four of us) and hoped someone would give us a ride. after an hour of walking and waving our badges at passing cars, finally we knelt down on the highway and prayed, acknowledging how dumb we were for putting ourselves in that situation. 5 minutes later we flagged down a member family who stuffed us into the back of their car (they were coming back from camping with 3 adults and 5 kids, it was a van and they had a camper). So I rode all the way back to Logan next to a 4 year old named Jacob. I wanna be 4 again. He was delighted every time he saw a green tree (all of them), or a rock, or the river. Fortunately there were a constant supply of these, so he was always amazed and shouting about them. Then we played eye spy - I'd name a color, and he'd ask if it was his shirt. On his turns, he'd say "I spy a watch." "Oh, is it... my watch?" "YES!!!" Yup, amazing. So thankful for kind members.
The work is going well, good people and good success. I hope that all is well at home, it seems everyone is really busy with the weirdest things, so thats good. Congrats on the Eagles! Thats so cool! And the missions, and the school starting etc. Very good stuff. I love you guys, think about you a lot and am excited for all the fun you have. Take care, be happy, and keep moving onward. I know the Church is His Church. I know Jesus Christ is the Savior, and knows us personally. I've seen Him personally respond to my prayers as well as 1000's of others. He loves us, and has the power to help us.
Love you all, have a good week!
Elder Thelin
Ps dont worry about transfers. Technically its in 2 weeks, but we had another one this monday. Just smile and wave, thats what we do, ha
Pspps I'll check on contacts situation thanks
Psps Grandma and Grandpa - congratulations! 60 years happily married is one of the best accomplishments I've heard of in a long time. You've always been really great examples to me, of love and how to be strong and faithful. I love you very much and use your marriage as an example often of what marriage really is all about when we talk to people. Have a wonderful anniversary, and I'll see you soon!
Pspsppspsp I have a somewhat interesting request: Elder Baquedano wants to know if you could put some things on a cd for him - specifically pictures of when we served together in Layton, such as baptisms, or belt wars pics or videos, pranks haha, uh, anything of that sort - like from march to may. If that could be done sometime, that'd be amazing. Glad you all liked the pics, hehehehehheheheh. Trying to make more. :)
After doing that a few times, we got to a large hill (large=huge), climbed to the top of that, and then a little higher.... and there you are Naomi's peak, gorgeous, you can see every mountain for several hundred miles, with all the canyons and peaks spread out below. On the opposite side of where we'd been hiking was a steep bowl like 2000 feet deep, and we could see a glimpse of Cache Valley - actually we could see a part of Logan, with two small white dots, which we surprisingly were able to confirm as the temple. Cool, being so high, and still in sight of the temple. THEN we ran down for an hour, got to the lake again, and most of the Elders went with their ride back to Logan. Our problem, as I have had many times, was that our initial ride was unable to help take us back, so we were stranded an hour from our area in a mountain.
So obviously we began to CONTINUE walking (mind you, we already have gone 6 miles, to the highest point around, with only a handful of trail mix and a 3 bottles of water between four of us) and hoped someone would give us a ride. after an hour of walking and waving our badges at passing cars, finally we knelt down on the highway and prayed, acknowledging how dumb we were for putting ourselves in that situation. 5 minutes later we flagged down a member family who stuffed us into the back of their car (they were coming back from camping with 3 adults and 5 kids, it was a van and they had a camper). So I rode all the way back to Logan next to a 4 year old named Jacob. I wanna be 4 again. He was delighted every time he saw a green tree (all of them), or a rock, or the river. Fortunately there were a constant supply of these, so he was always amazed and shouting about them. Then we played eye spy - I'd name a color, and he'd ask if it was his shirt. On his turns, he'd say "I spy a watch." "Oh, is it... my watch?" "YES!!!" Yup, amazing. So thankful for kind members.
The work is going well, good people and good success. I hope that all is well at home, it seems everyone is really busy with the weirdest things, so thats good. Congrats on the Eagles! Thats so cool! And the missions, and the school starting etc. Very good stuff. I love you guys, think about you a lot and am excited for all the fun you have. Take care, be happy, and keep moving onward. I know the Church is His Church. I know Jesus Christ is the Savior, and knows us personally. I've seen Him personally respond to my prayers as well as 1000's of others. He loves us, and has the power to help us.
Love you all, have a good week!
Elder Thelin
Ps dont worry about transfers. Technically its in 2 weeks, but we had another one this monday. Just smile and wave, thats what we do, ha
Pspps I'll check on contacts situation thanks
Psps Grandma and Grandpa - congratulations! 60 years happily married is one of the best accomplishments I've heard of in a long time. You've always been really great examples to me, of love and how to be strong and faithful. I love you very much and use your marriage as an example often of what marriage really is all about when we talk to people. Have a wonderful anniversary, and I'll see you soon!
Pspsppspsp I have a somewhat interesting request: Elder Baquedano wants to know if you could put some things on a cd for him - specifically pictures of when we served together in Layton, such as baptisms, or belt wars pics or videos, pranks haha, uh, anything of that sort - like from march to may. If that could be done sometime, that'd be amazing. Glad you all liked the pics, hehehehehheheheh. Trying to make more. :)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
COOL STUFF
[PLEASE NOTE THAT LAST WEEK'S LETTER IS POSTED BELOW THIS ONE. WE WERE AT THE BEACH SO I'M LATE GETTING IT ON THE BLOG!--CHRIS' MOM]
Yallo, how're you all? Exhausted from relaxing at the beach? Sounds normal! Mom, a seagull does sound like a good reincarnation choice. I wonder if we would be able to choose stuff like that. Haha. Only problem would be eating carcasses and stuff.
Good job, Jeff and Ivan, the air mattresses in the hurricane-storm sounds like a good idea.... dont worry, I fully appreciate the drunk people you encountered at the campsite, thats hilarious, I love drunk people, I keep running into this family of drunk native americans here, and had some pretty deep comversations with them, good stuff. Nothing as deep as "you're the [poop]" though, thats intense.
I'm sorry no one found a conch shell. You ought to do something sweet with the shell pieces, like make a sculpture or something... you gotta get the conch song on camera plz! Sorry about the dying bird, thats very tragic. It sounds like you did all you could to make its demise comfortable and painless. I'm glad Holly was there to save it and not me... :) Ha, the singing in the car.... wow. I'd like to say I've developed more patience on my mission, but I'm not sure its enough for something like that, although I've had companions do similar things and just had to bite my tongue... heh, glad that Jeffrey has kept his role in the family.
When's school start for you all? Senior year, man, thats crazy! What grade is everyone else in? I've been telling people Heidi 8th, Holly 5th and Amy 3rd? Something like that...
I DID get the packages! Thanks for the cables and card and candy! Also the pictures were awesome, loved them and all the extra paraphanelia (?) that was in there. Stefan is definitely doing a better job celebrating his mission markers with fire, I've been in city and thus its been hard to burn anything legally..... loved the talks, both very good. I didnt really know that Hosea Stout had gone ACROSS the plains, somehow I had thought that he was in Nauvoo and stayed there? Funny, but that was so intense, I bet that must have so hard, knowing if you just gave up you could go back and be in comfort, but deciding to suffer and follow the Savior and His prophet. Cool!
Hmm, coolest thing THIS week was definitely Dyana Lambaren's baptism! Finished up the family! We decided to have a hot chocolate party with her to celebrate her new life as a former-coffee-addict-for-a-day. It was fun. Again most of the ward came to support her, all the young women, got her hooked up with the necessary bracelets and charms and YW theme posters and such. She had to get baptized 3 times because she INSISTED on wearing a baptism DRESS and not the jumpsuit, so parts of it kept floating up. Best part was Norma, her mom, got up to bear her testimony, and it was so powerful. She is possibly the most converted recent convert of the mission. She bore solid testimony that this was indeed the TRUE and RESTORED church of Jesus Christ, and told all the things that had confirmed it for her and her family. "I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and if my family follows it, we will be ok, and one day make it to the presence of heavenly father." That's one of the coolest things to hear, she's not just here because she was sad or cause she thinks its a good church, she KNOWS the truth, and is committed to it. Amazing. Even cooler, her mom comes in from Mexico today and we're eating dinner with them, so maybe we'll get to baptize her too! And their teenage cousin decided to be baptized the 22nd. SWEET!!!
Elder Sigal is doing well, a lot better. I'm SO glad I went to college first, I think the family separation thing is a lot harder this way, just completely severed with almost no communication... Funny, HIS dad is a computer programmer. They have a side business selling things from their home. He worked for his father (only he didnt get paid). The whole family usually had to pitch in to help. Just funny that even on another hemisphere in a different language people can be a lot alike. Their business was selling computers - the name of the business was KOLOB COMPUTADORAS - funny, the logo is a planet...
We ate dinner with the coolest family in the world the other day, and they had been all over Cuzco - they couldn't believe that Cuzco was its own mission now and they almost died of excitement for Steven. They said it will be amazing, and is so beautiful there. Their son, an Elder Crane, will enter the MTC the same day, going to Chile, so keep an eye out for him, Steven! Good luck!!
Weeeeeell, love you all, thanks a bunch, live the gospel and enjoy the last... precious... moments... of.... your summer. Bwhaha. So glad I dont have to go sit at a desk all day for the next year :)
Love, Elder Thelin
Ps OK Mom, after hearing about the oil spill in the gulf Im officially afraid of fish now. Also Yellowstone is pretty close, that could be bad... I met a convict running from the law, wanted in 10 states and Utah joined in, didnt make it though to Texas, which was his plan for escape. Suprisingly, his wife, who does drugs and such, lives in the trailer next to Norma's and ironically played a critical role in resolving Norma's baptism doubts a few weeks back. Never underestimate people. Hilarious.
Ppsps Poor Tanny. Fyi, if we decide to have more dogs, DO NOT get a chiuaua and DEFINITELY never a cat, they're both evil.
Yallo, how're you all? Exhausted from relaxing at the beach? Sounds normal! Mom, a seagull does sound like a good reincarnation choice. I wonder if we would be able to choose stuff like that. Haha. Only problem would be eating carcasses and stuff.
Good job, Jeff and Ivan, the air mattresses in the hurricane-storm sounds like a good idea.... dont worry, I fully appreciate the drunk people you encountered at the campsite, thats hilarious, I love drunk people, I keep running into this family of drunk native americans here, and had some pretty deep comversations with them, good stuff. Nothing as deep as "you're the [poop]" though, thats intense.
I'm sorry no one found a conch shell. You ought to do something sweet with the shell pieces, like make a sculpture or something... you gotta get the conch song on camera plz! Sorry about the dying bird, thats very tragic. It sounds like you did all you could to make its demise comfortable and painless. I'm glad Holly was there to save it and not me... :) Ha, the singing in the car.... wow. I'd like to say I've developed more patience on my mission, but I'm not sure its enough for something like that, although I've had companions do similar things and just had to bite my tongue... heh, glad that Jeffrey has kept his role in the family.
When's school start for you all? Senior year, man, thats crazy! What grade is everyone else in? I've been telling people Heidi 8th, Holly 5th and Amy 3rd? Something like that...
I DID get the packages! Thanks for the cables and card and candy! Also the pictures were awesome, loved them and all the extra paraphanelia (?) that was in there. Stefan is definitely doing a better job celebrating his mission markers with fire, I've been in city and thus its been hard to burn anything legally..... loved the talks, both very good. I didnt really know that Hosea Stout had gone ACROSS the plains, somehow I had thought that he was in Nauvoo and stayed there? Funny, but that was so intense, I bet that must have so hard, knowing if you just gave up you could go back and be in comfort, but deciding to suffer and follow the Savior and His prophet. Cool!
Hmm, coolest thing THIS week was definitely Dyana Lambaren's baptism! Finished up the family! We decided to have a hot chocolate party with her to celebrate her new life as a former-coffee-addict-for-a-day. It was fun. Again most of the ward came to support her, all the young women, got her hooked up with the necessary bracelets and charms and YW theme posters and such. She had to get baptized 3 times because she INSISTED on wearing a baptism DRESS and not the jumpsuit, so parts of it kept floating up. Best part was Norma, her mom, got up to bear her testimony, and it was so powerful. She is possibly the most converted recent convert of the mission. She bore solid testimony that this was indeed the TRUE and RESTORED church of Jesus Christ, and told all the things that had confirmed it for her and her family. "I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and if my family follows it, we will be ok, and one day make it to the presence of heavenly father." That's one of the coolest things to hear, she's not just here because she was sad or cause she thinks its a good church, she KNOWS the truth, and is committed to it. Amazing. Even cooler, her mom comes in from Mexico today and we're eating dinner with them, so maybe we'll get to baptize her too! And their teenage cousin decided to be baptized the 22nd. SWEET!!!
Elder Sigal is doing well, a lot better. I'm SO glad I went to college first, I think the family separation thing is a lot harder this way, just completely severed with almost no communication... Funny, HIS dad is a computer programmer. They have a side business selling things from their home. He worked for his father (only he didnt get paid). The whole family usually had to pitch in to help. Just funny that even on another hemisphere in a different language people can be a lot alike. Their business was selling computers - the name of the business was KOLOB COMPUTADORAS - funny, the logo is a planet...
We ate dinner with the coolest family in the world the other day, and they had been all over Cuzco - they couldn't believe that Cuzco was its own mission now and they almost died of excitement for Steven. They said it will be amazing, and is so beautiful there. Their son, an Elder Crane, will enter the MTC the same day, going to Chile, so keep an eye out for him, Steven! Good luck!!
Weeeeeell, love you all, thanks a bunch, live the gospel and enjoy the last... precious... moments... of.... your summer. Bwhaha. So glad I dont have to go sit at a desk all day for the next year :)
Love, Elder Thelin
Ps OK Mom, after hearing about the oil spill in the gulf Im officially afraid of fish now. Also Yellowstone is pretty close, that could be bad... I met a convict running from the law, wanted in 10 states and Utah joined in, didnt make it though to Texas, which was his plan for escape. Suprisingly, his wife, who does drugs and such, lives in the trailer next to Norma's and ironically played a critical role in resolving Norma's baptism doubts a few weeks back. Never underestimate people. Hilarious.
Ppsps Poor Tanny. Fyi, if we decide to have more dogs, DO NOT get a chiuaua and DEFINITELY never a cat, they're both evil.
Monday, August 9, 2010
THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIKE A FIRE IS BURNING
Oh man, I love you guys, you're all pretty hilarious. Holly, I was pretty much planning to put seafoam in my armpits today, but now I know that that would be a bad idea. Haha. And good job Dad, with the windsurfing. I'm sorry your sons are fairly challenged with that... Jeffrey, fail on not bringing the uke to the Outer Banks. I like how you guys bring replacement young people for me on vacations. Hope Ivan is having fun with you all in my place. Let's go to Hawaii please next year! I'm troubled on the fact that I feel the need to be coming out here a few times next year depending on if certain investigators get married or go to the temple around next july, but we'll plan that as it comes...
We killed off Elder Margolies (meaning we sent him home), one of the mission's most famous trunky missionaries. After the baptism on Saturday, he felt it necessary to thank the Lord and cap off his mission by driving up Logan Canyon a few miles and burning his suit. It was kinda awkward getting out at the campsite, and walking past a family eating smores with our nametags, white shirts and ties, and a full missionary manikin made of a suit and clothes hangers at 8:30 pm. we tried to kinda just move quickly, but the kids were quite observant "hey, dad, are those MISSIONARIES?" haha, yeah....... beautiful night though, sun setting in the mountains behind the Logan temple on the hill with a double rainbow in view, Cache Valley is amazing.
Packages! I havent gotten em yet, they'll come next time someone comes up from Ogden probably. thanks for trying so hard!
I do carry the Ooga Booga spirit, Dad. Thank you. And I'm partially insane, it helps.
Ha, my trunky companion made me think a lot about home, I sure do miss some songs lately, and swimming... and roller coasters... and all that... but we'll wait. I'm bummed that I get home in February and the pool wont be up. Anything cool going on in the world? Scary? Normal?
Erin sent me a letter for the first time my whole mission, I was excited about that!
Its cool, my current companion from Argentina baptized 5 of his best friends in the last year. I'd love to be able to do that! We're focusing a lot on baptism right now, miracles all over. I'm still really excited about the baptism we just had. the Lambaren family was to THIS point the sweetest baptism of the mission! Norma, the mother, and daughters, Dena age 10 and Desarie age 8 were baptized. One is being baptized on Sunday, Dyana age 13. That family was sincerely converted. That experience sacrament meeting last week, then throughout the week at various times the Spirit spoke to them. Dyana was worried about her extended family rejecting them for not being Catholic. She had a dream about her grandfather, who passed away, very Catholic, but she dreamed he came and told her he was very very happy for what their family is doing right now. Then Desarie was worried, she didn't know if it felt right to go through with it. We sat down and talked with her the day before her interview and told her that it was really simple - she just had to ask, and Heavenly Father would tell her and make her feel good if its the right thing. The next day at her interview she came up and told us all separately: "Elder Thelin Elder Thelin! Guess what happened?" "What?" "Well, I remembered what you said yesterday, about praying, so last night before I got in bed I kneeled down and I told God I didn't know what to do and to tell me if it was right to get baptized. And then I felt God like come in me and I felt really really really happy, and I heard Him say "yes"!" I wish everyone had the faith of a child... so cool!
The baptism was amazing. Like 60 people showed. Norma was so excited. The ward banded together to welcome them. The branch president baptized Norma and Desarie, and Dena asked me to baptize her. It was awesome. As Norma stepped into the water, her faced just beamed. After she was baptized, I watched her climb the steps to where her daughters were waiting, and she just buried her face in her towel and cried. As I watched her, and then her other daughter Desarie get ready, I felt the Spirit just be poured down, filling with gratitude and love and confirmation of what was being done, especially how this family was being united so strong to the Savior. I felt it for the rest of the evening, just this peace and profound love of the Savior for this family that has struggled so much. After, during testimonies, her brother in law and wife, who were baptized in January and then went inactive because of getting offended by what someone said about their tatoos and other problems in life, well they stood up and said they knew it was true and were going to come back and stay, no matter what. Dyana, the other daughter being baptized next Sunday, she stood and said "I'm not really sure what a testimony is, but I think its about how you feel. I feel happy. I love my mom and sisters and btothers more here. This is the first place where I feel I belong, and where there are people who are like a family to me. I feel like I'm understood here, and feel good. I'm so excited to be baptized next week." Amazing. Desarie told me after that when her sister was baptized, she felt the same thing that I had felt. At their confirmation, Dyana and her got up and gave their testimonies in fast and testimony meeting - that takes a lot of guts, 8 years old, a brand new member, and getting up to tell how she felt in her baptism. So cool. Anyways, as you can see, we had a sweet weekend. I'm completely psyched to baptize a million more people. Sorry, that was long. I just wanted to share that with you all.
Love you all, I know the gospel is true. I know God loves us, He is our Father, and this simple Gospel is the way to Him. Jesus Christ is the Savior, and the only way. Make these things our priority and focus, and we'll make it through.
Love Elder Christopher the Thelin
Ps Congrats on the Eagle Jeffrey!
Pssnd: thanks for sending the package!
Psnidh: cant talk back and forth on email like we did last week anymore, found out its against the rules. Poop.
Poospheilkf: Enjoy the beach, sheesh!
Kupielkdin: Dad did you ever have a homesick companion? Mine goes up and down, and suffers it really bad. He's doing better, but advice?
We killed off Elder Margolies (meaning we sent him home), one of the mission's most famous trunky missionaries. After the baptism on Saturday, he felt it necessary to thank the Lord and cap off his mission by driving up Logan Canyon a few miles and burning his suit. It was kinda awkward getting out at the campsite, and walking past a family eating smores with our nametags, white shirts and ties, and a full missionary manikin made of a suit and clothes hangers at 8:30 pm. we tried to kinda just move quickly, but the kids were quite observant "hey, dad, are those MISSIONARIES?" haha, yeah....... beautiful night though, sun setting in the mountains behind the Logan temple on the hill with a double rainbow in view, Cache Valley is amazing.
Packages! I havent gotten em yet, they'll come next time someone comes up from Ogden probably. thanks for trying so hard!
I do carry the Ooga Booga spirit, Dad. Thank you. And I'm partially insane, it helps.
Ha, my trunky companion made me think a lot about home, I sure do miss some songs lately, and swimming... and roller coasters... and all that... but we'll wait. I'm bummed that I get home in February and the pool wont be up. Anything cool going on in the world? Scary? Normal?
Erin sent me a letter for the first time my whole mission, I was excited about that!
Its cool, my current companion from Argentina baptized 5 of his best friends in the last year. I'd love to be able to do that! We're focusing a lot on baptism right now, miracles all over. I'm still really excited about the baptism we just had. the Lambaren family was to THIS point the sweetest baptism of the mission! Norma, the mother, and daughters, Dena age 10 and Desarie age 8 were baptized. One is being baptized on Sunday, Dyana age 13. That family was sincerely converted. That experience sacrament meeting last week, then throughout the week at various times the Spirit spoke to them. Dyana was worried about her extended family rejecting them for not being Catholic. She had a dream about her grandfather, who passed away, very Catholic, but she dreamed he came and told her he was very very happy for what their family is doing right now. Then Desarie was worried, she didn't know if it felt right to go through with it. We sat down and talked with her the day before her interview and told her that it was really simple - she just had to ask, and Heavenly Father would tell her and make her feel good if its the right thing. The next day at her interview she came up and told us all separately: "Elder Thelin Elder Thelin! Guess what happened?" "What?" "Well, I remembered what you said yesterday, about praying, so last night before I got in bed I kneeled down and I told God I didn't know what to do and to tell me if it was right to get baptized. And then I felt God like come in me and I felt really really really happy, and I heard Him say "yes"!" I wish everyone had the faith of a child... so cool!
The baptism was amazing. Like 60 people showed. Norma was so excited. The ward banded together to welcome them. The branch president baptized Norma and Desarie, and Dena asked me to baptize her. It was awesome. As Norma stepped into the water, her faced just beamed. After she was baptized, I watched her climb the steps to where her daughters were waiting, and she just buried her face in her towel and cried. As I watched her, and then her other daughter Desarie get ready, I felt the Spirit just be poured down, filling with gratitude and love and confirmation of what was being done, especially how this family was being united so strong to the Savior. I felt it for the rest of the evening, just this peace and profound love of the Savior for this family that has struggled so much. After, during testimonies, her brother in law and wife, who were baptized in January and then went inactive because of getting offended by what someone said about their tatoos and other problems in life, well they stood up and said they knew it was true and were going to come back and stay, no matter what. Dyana, the other daughter being baptized next Sunday, she stood and said "I'm not really sure what a testimony is, but I think its about how you feel. I feel happy. I love my mom and sisters and btothers more here. This is the first place where I feel I belong, and where there are people who are like a family to me. I feel like I'm understood here, and feel good. I'm so excited to be baptized next week." Amazing. Desarie told me after that when her sister was baptized, she felt the same thing that I had felt. At their confirmation, Dyana and her got up and gave their testimonies in fast and testimony meeting - that takes a lot of guts, 8 years old, a brand new member, and getting up to tell how she felt in her baptism. So cool. Anyways, as you can see, we had a sweet weekend. I'm completely psyched to baptize a million more people. Sorry, that was long. I just wanted to share that with you all.
Love you all, I know the gospel is true. I know God loves us, He is our Father, and this simple Gospel is the way to Him. Jesus Christ is the Savior, and the only way. Make these things our priority and focus, and we'll make it through.
Love Elder Christopher the Thelin
Ps Congrats on the Eagle Jeffrey!
Pssnd: thanks for sending the package!
Psnidh: cant talk back and forth on email like we did last week anymore, found out its against the rules. Poop.
Poospheilkf: Enjoy the beach, sheesh!
Kupielkdin: Dad did you ever have a homesick companion? Mine goes up and down, and suffers it really bad. He's doing better, but advice?
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