Everything backwards? Of course I feel that way, I find it actually normal to wear Sunday clothes while doing dishes or pushing cars out of a ditch or just walking long distances in the middle of Main Street. In the rain. Yup. Backwards is pretty accurate. Haha. Also, retiring in my 20s and working later does seem like a sweet idea. I think I'll go for it. I'm all for unexpected things, but I'm just so used to doing the expected. Grrr. An epic journey does sound cool. I'm not sure what it'd be, maybe bike cross country?? Go to Hawaii? We'll talk it over, me and Jeff. I think that would be excellent.
Oh, and night person - I'm definitely still a night person. Although it’s nice to have so much time in the mornings to get things done and not be rushed. But I still like the night, don’t worry.
HOLLY: QUE TE SIENTAS MEJOR! (feel better)
Camper life, moving to OBX.... sure let’s do it. It couldn’t be too bad. I can only imagine the additions that we'd be able to put on the camper after selling the house. I think it’d be cool. I'm sure we could be in national news and such if we do it right.
Well, it’s only been like 4 days since I last wrote you. Not a whole lot has happened,,, ha, we had a stake conference too, we did it in the like 150 year old tabernacle here in Logan, has balconies and an organ that rivals the Mo Tab organ. Was pretty cool until the 2nd counselor of the Elders Quorum recruited us to translate. We had to go to a little stuffy booth for 2 hours and translate, and the Hispanic people listened in headsets. So, yeah, we had to watch through a little window... man, it’s REALLY challenging to listen to someone talking in English, and say the same thing but in another language at the same time. A lot of people talk REALLY fast, so their random funny story about dogs biting their ankles next to a farm and relating it to an obscure scripture that has a play on words.... translated as: "....... they're talking really really fast...... dogs bite our ankles.... it hurt..... uh, there's a scripture in.... (can’t find it in time, so just read the first good one on the page)... and that relates to faith... (even though it doesn't...now he's talking about something completely different....) I'm sure half the talks made zero sense after we butchered them, but it was kind of fun. Inventing words on the fly and making exasperated faces to the other translators... anyhow, fun stuff.
Haha, thanks for the encouraging words, being a ZL isn't all too stressful so far. Just getting things coordinated in such long distances is hard. And making sure Elders aren’t homesick, fights get resolved, etc. Today we have a zone activity, going to watch Joseph: Prophet of the Restoration - have you all seen that? It replaced the Testaments movie at the Visitor's Center- that movie about the visit of Christ to the Nephites. The Joseph movie is sweet, tells his life story, from a kid to his death. But it’s super powerful, the situations and the persecution. It also shows his focus on the Savior. Really good. If it’s at the Visitors Center in DC, I'd go sometime and take an hour to watch it.
That’s a sweet miracle your mission president told in conference! Good job Elders.... and amazing that our stake is doing so well! Did I tell you I know a guy here that served in the Fredricksburg spanish branch a few months back? And that I met Elders that served over Culpeper when they used to meet in the bingo hall? They were really impressed that it had become two separate wards.
Amy, that’s sweet! WEHE-TV is the best. Hopefully someone still does Bookworm Bill. Wow, that was eternity ago....
Haha, thanks for making an online birthday party for me, Jeffrey, I hope everyone had fun and left satisfied. The Lambaren party like I said really didn’t happen - the oldest kid had their birthday the 6th, so I went to hers, and on my actual birthday they were going to do something but the mom had to work from 8 pm Monday to like 11 am Tuesday, and didn’t have time, but did wake up and come out and talked to me for quite a while, which was really perfect, gave me some confidence that they are going to be ok. Super faithful. Sorry that Grandma Pat couldn’t come to the "party" here, hahaha!
Ha, well, I love you all a lot; we're doing well, and having success. A 14 year old will be baptized the 24th of September, pray for Maria de Jesus (Mary of Jesus - that's a girl’s name. For short, they say Chuy pronounced "Chewie" I'm having a hard time not making jokes about that). We talked about the plan of salvation on Sunday, and she said "an eternal family - I want that, a LOT. Like, for MY family, my WHOLE family." Pretty sweet.
Also cool, in our stake conference a counselor of the mission presidency spoke about how WE cannot ever convert anyone, it’s not our role. It’s ONLY the role of the Holy Ghost. WE are just instruments for providing opportunities for the Holy Ghost to touch people. Cool, because a couple we're teaching last night brought up a lot of doubts - "I'm not very convinced now, how do I know if the Book of Mormon is true, everyone says their church is the right one, maybe the Bible isn’t even true, just a story" She kept asking for things to convince her, because she said she didn’t think the Holy Ghost could tell her the answer. It was a huge comfort to say "We can’t do that. We can prove the truth with a million scriptures, we could show you evidence, temples in South America with these things engraved in them, we could show you miracles - but it will not convince you because the ONLY way to KNOW is for you to believe with faith in Christ, and humbly ask Heavenly Father if this is true or not. There is no other way. Don’t believe because we're your friends, don’t believe it because we have good scriptures to back it up. Pray, and you'll know." And it’s cool, because once we have that knowledge, we KNOW, not just "Ah, I think it’s good, and I'm kind of convinced that this is good, makes sense." Nope. It lets us be able to say "I know. Period."
Love you guys, hear from you later!
Elder Chris
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
BIRTHDAY AWESOMENESS
Whooooo! Okay, well this weeks been nuts. First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!!!!!!! 9 YEARS OLD!! ALMOST to double digits here. INTENSE. Hope it snows and you're not in school right now. I agree with Holly, why can't we call and say happy birthday? But yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY kiddo, love you a ton, hope your birthday is awesome!
THANKS for all the birthday awesomeness that was sent to Logan this past week - the package got here SATURDAY so I opened it Saturday - it was sweet! We really enjoyed the mixup jelly beans -me and Elder Contreras were eating them for like 20 minutes the other night, seeing if it was licorice or skunk flavored, peach or barf, coconut or baby wipes. They nailed all those flavors, its exactly like what the say it is... ugh. Really fun. Also, I like the Calle shirt, its like spanish and soccer combined here, ha, dont know how much soccer I'll play in this area, the Spanish Central zone went against an English zone, got intense, and someone broke a finger, so Soccer is outlawed at the moment. But the shirt is super comfy, I wore it this morning! And I appreciate the CDs, its very refreshing. Charlie Brown Christmas has been the #1 cd I wanted to have last Christmas, so thanks!
I celebrated Dyana's birthday on Monday, just passed by to eat cake with them and their neighbors - he's wanted in 10 states and is on "break" from jail for September on like a 5 year sentence, really nice guy. I'm not really sure if the jail knows he's out... -and then on Tuesday, MY birthday, we gave a training to our new zone, it was cool, and then had interviews with President Olson, then an exchange with the APs of the mission. We went by the Lambarens, and the kids were all still in school, but the mom woke up and came outside just to talk to us for a little while, which is all I really wanted to do anyway. It was cool, because she was telling us about some hard things she's been going through, tough decisions, and how she's been praying and getting answers about them, and also how she keeps having dreams since her baptism of aunts an grandparents that have passed away... coming in white, being nice to her, approving this or that. She is excited to do family history work now. Very cool.
We ate Enchiladas at a really funny guy's house for dinner, and then when we were walking, I decided to go see a guy thats been dodging us for a few weeks. "This is the last chance we'll give Antonio" I said. I was about to leave after knocking, but he opened the door, unusally just let us in, and started to tell us about some marriage problems he was having, and how he was going to leave and get divorced, like right then. It was really cool, because we just started talking about his family, about praying about it, and how Jesus was going to help his marriage and guide his kids. He gave his first prayer at the end, and he was 100% different, he thanked the Lord for sending us there, because he said he needed to talk it through with someone, and then asked God for humility and help in fixing the problem, for keeping his family together, and he said he knew the family wasn't going to fall apart. Really awesome, best birthday present I could have asked for.
But I do feel very old.
Thanks also to the Maguras! The bread is awesome! Grandma Pat, THANKS for sending the card, I loved it! Grandma and Grandpa, gracias for the card, that was really nice! Thanks also to mis hermanas for the notes and candy and everything in the package! You're all awesome. Holly, love you too. GET BETTER.
Industrial Design sounds really promising. Not sure if I'm creative enough, feel like some creativity may have been sucked out of me the past 19 months, but heck, we'll see! At least it doesn't sound boring!
Well, I gotta go, Sergio picks us up in a few minutes. Oh he sang me two Mexican birthday songs on my birthday. That was part of the whole experience. Sweet. Love you all, I know the Lord lives and its super fun to teach His gospel and see people change their lives. Thanks for the love and continual support!
Love, Elder Thelin
THANKS for all the birthday awesomeness that was sent to Logan this past week - the package got here SATURDAY so I opened it Saturday - it was sweet! We really enjoyed the mixup jelly beans -me and Elder Contreras were eating them for like 20 minutes the other night, seeing if it was licorice or skunk flavored, peach or barf, coconut or baby wipes. They nailed all those flavors, its exactly like what the say it is... ugh. Really fun. Also, I like the Calle shirt, its like spanish and soccer combined here, ha, dont know how much soccer I'll play in this area, the Spanish Central zone went against an English zone, got intense, and someone broke a finger, so Soccer is outlawed at the moment. But the shirt is super comfy, I wore it this morning! And I appreciate the CDs, its very refreshing. Charlie Brown Christmas has been the #1 cd I wanted to have last Christmas, so thanks!
I celebrated Dyana's birthday on Monday, just passed by to eat cake with them and their neighbors - he's wanted in 10 states and is on "break" from jail for September on like a 5 year sentence, really nice guy. I'm not really sure if the jail knows he's out... -and then on Tuesday, MY birthday, we gave a training to our new zone, it was cool, and then had interviews with President Olson, then an exchange with the APs of the mission. We went by the Lambarens, and the kids were all still in school, but the mom woke up and came outside just to talk to us for a little while, which is all I really wanted to do anyway. It was cool, because she was telling us about some hard things she's been going through, tough decisions, and how she's been praying and getting answers about them, and also how she keeps having dreams since her baptism of aunts an grandparents that have passed away... coming in white, being nice to her, approving this or that. She is excited to do family history work now. Very cool.
We ate Enchiladas at a really funny guy's house for dinner, and then when we were walking, I decided to go see a guy thats been dodging us for a few weeks. "This is the last chance we'll give Antonio" I said. I was about to leave after knocking, but he opened the door, unusally just let us in, and started to tell us about some marriage problems he was having, and how he was going to leave and get divorced, like right then. It was really cool, because we just started talking about his family, about praying about it, and how Jesus was going to help his marriage and guide his kids. He gave his first prayer at the end, and he was 100% different, he thanked the Lord for sending us there, because he said he needed to talk it through with someone, and then asked God for humility and help in fixing the problem, for keeping his family together, and he said he knew the family wasn't going to fall apart. Really awesome, best birthday present I could have asked for.
But I do feel very old.
Thanks also to the Maguras! The bread is awesome! Grandma Pat, THANKS for sending the card, I loved it! Grandma and Grandpa, gracias for the card, that was really nice! Thanks also to mis hermanas for the notes and candy and everything in the package! You're all awesome. Holly, love you too. GET BETTER.
Industrial Design sounds really promising. Not sure if I'm creative enough, feel like some creativity may have been sucked out of me the past 19 months, but heck, we'll see! At least it doesn't sound boring!
Well, I gotta go, Sergio picks us up in a few minutes. Oh he sang me two Mexican birthday songs on my birthday. That was part of the whole experience. Sweet. Love you all, I know the Lord lives and its super fun to teach His gospel and see people change their lives. Thanks for the love and continual support!
Love, Elder Thelin
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
WE HAVE FLY PROBLEMS
SO there we were, ready to hit the hay, around that amazing time of 10:30 when all missionary activity comes to a 8 hour pause (aka sleep). We kneel down, ready to pray and thank the Lord for a good day. But, in the relative silence of the prayer, what do we hear? BZZZZZZZ.... as we say amen, we dive for the various sandals in our room. BZZZZZZZ... where is it? We've killed at LEAST 50 flies this week! WHERE do they come from? We took out the trash... we identified the weird smell was from a sack of rotting potatoes under the sink... we've covered up the holes in the window screens with Easter pass-along cards offering free dvds about Christ... WHAP!! Good job, Elder Sigal, nailed that one on the ceiling with his sandal, and didnt even wake the guy in the apartment upstairs... BZZZZZ.. dang it, there's never just one....
We have fly problems. Impossible to sleep with flies in the room.
Wow you all have a lot going on, school, braces, work, etc. Intense stuff! So glad I'm not going to school.... heheh. Its really annoying having all of our families we're working with wrapped up in activities now. Congrats on getting the braces off Heidi! Want to see pictures of how it looks! Hope all the classes go well for everyone, sounds like they are good teachers!
Hm, news this week is we got 29 baptisms in this zone! Which is crazy cool, a lot of miracles happened and people opened their hearts and accepted the gospel. Our mission baptized 220 people in the month of August!
Jeffrey glad your work situation got resolved. If it makes you feel better, we parked the car in our street the other day to run to our house and grab a form. Came back, and a little lady was ready, waiting for us, shouting at us. Something about how we parked in front of her driveway and inconvenienced her for 20 seconds. Some people are just silly, sheesh. How long does lifeguarding go anyway? Cant go through October, huh?
Sad story, ducks in our way, we honked the horn, they waddled out into the main road, and a car SPED UP and well, it was ugly. Sad story. Dont let Holly hear it.
Hugo sounds cool. I'm glad there are hispanics in Culpeper Ward, otherwise I'm going to feel out of place back home. The people here are just hilarious all the time. Elder Sigal says in Argentina there is no depression - people call each other fat without making people go anorexic. They laugh more than judge. Ha, he's getting used to the culture change, he called a sister missionary a "little fatty" (gordita) in the MTC, which in Argentina would be fine. He didn't understand why she got so angry till he got here and I explained it. Heheheh.
I want to here the 2011 Camaro talk. Hear, I mean.
Stefan... wow.
My birthday... uh, I really don't care. Candy, pictures, whatever that seems missionary like. hmm, CDS: any cool cds of music are super welcome, such as Inside-Out cds like the one I sent home - I thought it was kind of "too fun" before. I think I was too un-fun back then... Heavensong is a good MoTab Cd it looks like. I've been told all my music is boring. Really, though, I dont care, I dont feel I need anything for my birthday. I've got a mini-party of some sort planned with the Lambaren family,Dyana, turns 13 on the 6th, so we've had a dinner with their family planned for like 3 months.
Well, no other stories are coming to mind right now. Only other news is last night the APs called (hah, I was still driving home, 2 minutes late. First thing they ask is "so, are you all settled down in your house?" "uh..... " Elder Sigal tried to stall but couldn't in time so I had to pull over, haha) and told us that the English and Spanish zones up here in the North are serparating once again, and well, they called me to be a Zone Leader here. Big stuff, kinda nervous about all that. My new companion called, he's been a ZL for a long time, and said that we're going to be going on exchanges like EVERY day with other Elders, and they expanded our zone like 4 times the size, so we cover all of the Idaho portion of our mission. Huge. Whee... Elder Sigal is going down to my first area in Ogden, he's sad to go, I'll miss him, but that's how the mission is. I'm happy because this means I will very likely stay in this area for the remainder of my mission, and I love it here already. We already have talked to almost all the hispanics it seems like, tracted out all the likely areas, so I'm excited to see miracles start unfolding, such as people just popping out of the woodwork or hearts changing 180 degrees. Good stuff. Pray for us to be able to guide all these Elders.
Love you all a lot. I know the gospel is true, of course! I know the Savior is real, I've felt His love in lessons, and extending to other people. I've seen it reflected in people serving other people. The gospel is for everyone. We learned this past week how to find and fulfill people's real needs: some people are aching with loneliness after an ugly divorce. The gospel can fill that loneliness. Some people feel they've never felt God's love for them. The gospel can bring that reassuring love. As we've done this this week, it made a huge difference in the way I see missionary work. Instead of teaching a man a lesson, we just talked with him about his frustration at not finding work because he's not legal here, and his family depending on him and feeling desperate. The Spirit came as we just focused on how the Lord is planning to help him through this current challenge, and after he opened up more and said he understood, and gladly would read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if this is the true church and if he should be baptized in it. The gospel can fulfill all things that don't measure up in life. Put it to the test, it does work. I know it's true.
Love you all, be good and be safe! Love, Elder Chris
ps HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEY! (so glad we belong to a church that approves birthday celebrating!!! There are some out there that don't!)
Pspsosp Hey Steven! Good luck, you'll do awesome! All the people that hear I have a cousin going to Cuzco are really impressed and excited for you, just rely on the Lord, and He'll guide you. Love you man, go get em!
Pspsps ok, I'm deciding that after the mission, the Lord will provide. I won't worry about jobs or anything yet. I just basically wanted to know if that sounded like a good rough sketch, staying in VA to earn money for fall.
Pshhhh THE CLAW descended on the group, and barbie and the Zerg minions started panicking (what a bothersome word). The girls and the gang (who all is in this gang now?) tried to run too, but the Claw grabbed them all. All the Zergs were left down on the beach front and the girls went up and up and up and up...
Added a little later in the day:
C ool story, we were invited to a youth activity at the ward mission leaders house, and we were supposed to speak with a kid that was leaving to Guatemala in a week. It was all going ot be outside by a fire with BBQ, BUT it was pouring rain. Poor kid speaking before us, he just kept on going even as it turned from damp to drizzle to pouring rain. After his talk we kinda figured to spare everyone and huddle all the youth under a small gazebo thing. SO with 30 some people in a 8'x8' square, the edge people getting soaked, we started to talk. Cool, because we told all the youth to pray while we talked for sun. As we talked and shared stories, the Spirit was there strong. There were recent converts and teenagers investigating the Church there, and it was cool. And, by the time we said amen, the sun was shining really strong. Cool miracle, prayer is real. We told the two Lambaren girls to pray extra hard, I'm sure it was their faith that did it. Sweet!
We have fly problems. Impossible to sleep with flies in the room.
Wow you all have a lot going on, school, braces, work, etc. Intense stuff! So glad I'm not going to school.... heheh. Its really annoying having all of our families we're working with wrapped up in activities now. Congrats on getting the braces off Heidi! Want to see pictures of how it looks! Hope all the classes go well for everyone, sounds like they are good teachers!
Hm, news this week is we got 29 baptisms in this zone! Which is crazy cool, a lot of miracles happened and people opened their hearts and accepted the gospel. Our mission baptized 220 people in the month of August!
Jeffrey glad your work situation got resolved. If it makes you feel better, we parked the car in our street the other day to run to our house and grab a form. Came back, and a little lady was ready, waiting for us, shouting at us. Something about how we parked in front of her driveway and inconvenienced her for 20 seconds. Some people are just silly, sheesh. How long does lifeguarding go anyway? Cant go through October, huh?
Sad story, ducks in our way, we honked the horn, they waddled out into the main road, and a car SPED UP and well, it was ugly. Sad story. Dont let Holly hear it.
Hugo sounds cool. I'm glad there are hispanics in Culpeper Ward, otherwise I'm going to feel out of place back home. The people here are just hilarious all the time. Elder Sigal says in Argentina there is no depression - people call each other fat without making people go anorexic. They laugh more than judge. Ha, he's getting used to the culture change, he called a sister missionary a "little fatty" (gordita) in the MTC, which in Argentina would be fine. He didn't understand why she got so angry till he got here and I explained it. Heheheh.
I want to here the 2011 Camaro talk. Hear, I mean.
Stefan... wow.
My birthday... uh, I really don't care. Candy, pictures, whatever that seems missionary like. hmm, CDS: any cool cds of music are super welcome, such as Inside-Out cds like the one I sent home - I thought it was kind of "too fun" before. I think I was too un-fun back then... Heavensong is a good MoTab Cd it looks like. I've been told all my music is boring. Really, though, I dont care, I dont feel I need anything for my birthday. I've got a mini-party of some sort planned with the Lambaren family,Dyana, turns 13 on the 6th, so we've had a dinner with their family planned for like 3 months.
Well, no other stories are coming to mind right now. Only other news is last night the APs called (hah, I was still driving home, 2 minutes late. First thing they ask is "so, are you all settled down in your house?" "uh..... " Elder Sigal tried to stall but couldn't in time so I had to pull over, haha) and told us that the English and Spanish zones up here in the North are serparating once again, and well, they called me to be a Zone Leader here. Big stuff, kinda nervous about all that. My new companion called, he's been a ZL for a long time, and said that we're going to be going on exchanges like EVERY day with other Elders, and they expanded our zone like 4 times the size, so we cover all of the Idaho portion of our mission. Huge. Whee... Elder Sigal is going down to my first area in Ogden, he's sad to go, I'll miss him, but that's how the mission is. I'm happy because this means I will very likely stay in this area for the remainder of my mission, and I love it here already. We already have talked to almost all the hispanics it seems like, tracted out all the likely areas, so I'm excited to see miracles start unfolding, such as people just popping out of the woodwork or hearts changing 180 degrees. Good stuff. Pray for us to be able to guide all these Elders.
Love you all a lot. I know the gospel is true, of course! I know the Savior is real, I've felt His love in lessons, and extending to other people. I've seen it reflected in people serving other people. The gospel is for everyone. We learned this past week how to find and fulfill people's real needs: some people are aching with loneliness after an ugly divorce. The gospel can fill that loneliness. Some people feel they've never felt God's love for them. The gospel can bring that reassuring love. As we've done this this week, it made a huge difference in the way I see missionary work. Instead of teaching a man a lesson, we just talked with him about his frustration at not finding work because he's not legal here, and his family depending on him and feeling desperate. The Spirit came as we just focused on how the Lord is planning to help him through this current challenge, and after he opened up more and said he understood, and gladly would read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if this is the true church and if he should be baptized in it. The gospel can fulfill all things that don't measure up in life. Put it to the test, it does work. I know it's true.
Love you all, be good and be safe! Love, Elder Chris
ps HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEY! (so glad we belong to a church that approves birthday celebrating!!! There are some out there that don't!)
Pspsosp Hey Steven! Good luck, you'll do awesome! All the people that hear I have a cousin going to Cuzco are really impressed and excited for you, just rely on the Lord, and He'll guide you. Love you man, go get em!
Pspsps ok, I'm deciding that after the mission, the Lord will provide. I won't worry about jobs or anything yet. I just basically wanted to know if that sounded like a good rough sketch, staying in VA to earn money for fall.
Pshhhh THE CLAW descended on the group, and barbie and the Zerg minions started panicking (what a bothersome word). The girls and the gang (who all is in this gang now?) tried to run too, but the Claw grabbed them all. All the Zergs were left down on the beach front and the girls went up and up and up and up...
Added a little later in the day:
C ool story, we were invited to a youth activity at the ward mission leaders house, and we were supposed to speak with a kid that was leaving to Guatemala in a week. It was all going ot be outside by a fire with BBQ, BUT it was pouring rain. Poor kid speaking before us, he just kept on going even as it turned from damp to drizzle to pouring rain. After his talk we kinda figured to spare everyone and huddle all the youth under a small gazebo thing. SO with 30 some people in a 8'x8' square, the edge people getting soaked, we started to talk. Cool, because we told all the youth to pray while we talked for sun. As we talked and shared stories, the Spirit was there strong. There were recent converts and teenagers investigating the Church there, and it was cool. And, by the time we said amen, the sun was shining really strong. Cool miracle, prayer is real. We told the two Lambaren girls to pray extra hard, I'm sure it was their faith that did it. Sweet!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
LIFE IS GOOD
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!
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!
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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