TAKE ME TO THE MOTHERSHIP

Bueno! How are you all family!

Been a crazy week, we've been all over the place. I imagine it was for you all too. Maybe you sent a email but it will come later, or maybe you're just super busy, but dont worry, I'll read next week. Man, we went everywhere this weekend. The plan was to go with some other Elders to Ogden Friday night, and we got there to the APs apartment. Man, not fair, they seriuosly live in a SUPER nice place. Like, fountains in front, plazas, crystal stuff inside, they have a keycode to enter the building, and go to their apartment - like 3 bedrooms, nice kitchen and living room, etc. Just fancy. One of the APs who is from Mexico then drove us all the way to Bounitful where we spent the night on the floor. One of the elders there was super sick, felt like he needed to throw up but couldn't, so he ate a banana, drank a glass of milk and then a liter of coke (apparently a Sister missionary from Peru recommended this remedy earlier in the day). I saw the video, pretty classic, he just starting jumping up and down and rolling on the floor and groaning and such, and STILL didnt throw up. Yeah.... he finally got better. Learned a lesson... SO, on to other things.

Conference was SWEET, we got to sit in Plaza seating every time we went down to Salt Lake, we were right up front. I actually shook Elder Russell M Nelson's and Jay Jensen's hands, as well as numerous other general authorites that I didnt recognize. Pretty cool. When Jeffrey R Holland passed by us, he dramatically blew all the missionaries a kiss...they are pretty funny guys in real life! Ha, I loved when President Uchtdorf lost his voice - "this is one of the essential things I need to give this talk...." It was also really cool how so much of conference was missionary oriented. Russell M Nelson's talk, when he began and said for all the full time missionaries to please stand, it was cool to be part of that. I felt like I was part of the ranks, like he was recognizing us, pretty good feeling. I also felt the Spirit testify when president Monson testified of our divine call as missionaries. It was cool sitting in the audience there before the conference started, seeing the choir practice, seeing the general authorities come in, seeing Pres. Monson from a different angle than the usual 3 that the cameras show... it was impressive, I was looking almost from behind the pulpit, so we could see the speakers and then 1000's of people in front of them. It was a different perspective. How intense it would be to step up to that pulpit and face so many thousands and thousands of people, knowing that millions are watching from around the world, and testify. What would it feel like? I thought more about how they must feel, realizing that for all the world's problems, right now they are the mouthpieces for the Savior and are supposed to stand and help the world come back to the Savior, be faithful to Him, to feel light and faith. Thats a huge pressure. I guess I felt more strength in saying that they are really the 12 apostles and the prophet of Jesus Christ today. Cool stuff!

We spent 2 nights there in Bountiful, then went to Ogden for Sunday night, and had a meeting in Ogden Monday morning. It was cool we didnt have a dinner Sunday night, but we were driving by layton and we figured we'd try to see if the families in Layton still remembered me. The Garcia family, as soon as we walked in, were super excited to see me, and within 2 minutes, they asked if we had eaten. No, so they immediately made us a bunch of the sweetest tacos ever. Pretty sweet, fun time. Kinda felt like a vacation... but now we're here and ready to go again.

Hmm, what else? Well... good lessons, companion is even more trunky, went to the temple today... oh yesterday I talked to the Ogden Temple security guards. That was pretty classic. Ogden is... different. Some describe it as a spiritually dead zone, like you feel the spirit leave a little when you cross the bridges to get into the city, haha. The people are pretty... interesting. They said that at the temple, crazy people are always coming by. One regular is UFO lady, who says shes been abducted a bunch of times since her childhood by aliens. She's convinced the Ogden temple is the mothership, and always asks for them to let her in so she can join her alien friends in the sky. They figure that when they do the renovations and change the outside appearance of the temple in 2 years, she'll freak out and be mad that the mothership left without her...

Hmmmmmm so did you all do anything crazy this week? meltdowns, discoveries, world happenings, good laughs, families taught in our home with the missionaries, plans?

Hey, recently found out that there is a store here that can give us $300 suits for $150. They're really nice. I currently dont have a full suit, all pants from both suits are torn in ways that seamstresses here said are irrepairable, so I'm "high-priesting it" with similar colored - but - non-matching pants day to day. Maybe before the end of the mission I can get a pretty good deal on a new suit to use at home for the rest of my life. If not I'll keep looking at DI. But just saying, that's a situation I can take advantage of here... I've become more thrifty I hope with the money I have right now, no more 5 dollar ties...

Weeeeeeeeell, I guess I'll talk to you all later, love you all a lot, I know the church is true, and I think a lot about you all. Take care!
Elder Thelin