A BONUS LETTER!

[this is a letter Chris sent to his Grandma and Grandpa that has some great messages in it!]

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
Hello! How're you doing? Is is still spring-ish in Virginia, or have we hit summer yet? It's kinda hard to tell here--it's just HOT...as I am looking at a snow-capped mountain...

Well, I thought I'd write someletters since it's P-day and I have a little free time for once. It was great talking to you both on the 10th--but 40 minutes really isn't enough. Next time maybe I'll learn how to say everything I wanted to say to everybody.

I'm doing pretty well here in Riverdale/Ogden, Utah. Trying to get used to this foreign country here. It's kind of strange--I'm surrounded by people that look like me, but I have very little interaction with that culture; I'm living in a world-within-a-world, for the most part. Searching out and talking with people born in Mexico, Columbia, Nicaragua, Chile, you name it. It's interesting. It's a different culture. And yet, they are still people, just like us. Different strengths, different faults. But people, children of God.

I hope things are well at home. I certainly do miss being home sometimes. I realize how important family is a little more, and wish I had taken advantage of being with both of you and my family more while I was close. That's one thing I'm learning--people are the most important part of our lives. There are many good things--but if we're not spending time with the people in our lives, something isn't quite right. I'm seeing a lot of families who believe life is about working--working every day--to buy a house, pay rent, feed their famly--but they spend so much time doing that, that they never really enjoy the family, never see past the work. I think taking two years of only focusing on other people and strengthening relationships with them and God will help me to see how to live my life right.

Well, I probably said this before, but thank you so much for all you've done, especially having the courage and spiritual strength to join this church. Grandma, I know wy you told that story every year. It hugely impacted me. I've never doubted that you knew this was all true. As I am sitting in people's homes, I try to imagine them sometimes as your family so long ago, and then imagine them 40 years down the road, happy with a few new generations full of children blessed because of their decisions. It helps me to remember that it's worth interrupting their nap, or stopping them on the way to another day of work, worth stopping them to share the news about how their family can be blessed like mine has been. Thank you.

Well, Grandma and Grandpa, I love you a ton, and am always impressed with your faith in the Lord. He's in charge of this whole production, and He's always ready to support us.

Till next time, love,
Elder Grandson Chris Thelin