FIGURING IT OUT

Yola, everyone!

Man, I'm not so in on the whole switching to a new area thing. I was quite comfortable in Ogden and Buenaventura, albeit surrounded by crazy people... BUT that's ok, I'm figuring it out, trying to learn the streets and where I live. You know how crazy it is to go to Church twice in one day? The English Elders cover up to 30 wards at a time, and attend services from 8 to 5 on Sundays...wow, glad I'm serving Spanish. But having just 2 wards is nuts, I can't remember who goes to which and which investigators will be going to that service and.... but that's just my life.

HOLY COW I'M TURNING 2 DECADES OLD! WHAT THE HECK? WHERE DID IT GO????? (Wow, mom and dad, you guys are old...) I feel like I'm still 15 or something... ha, but ok, I'll do it. Jealous of AMY who gets to turn EIGHT! That's so fun - Amy, you get to be BAPTIZED! That's really important! Keep me updated on it, and take pictures! I'm sad I'll miss it, but it'll be ok. You appreciate what that means better as a missionary - its one of the most important things we will do in our lives. And one of the happiest.

ALSO happy birthday to Joey, one year older and wiser too (and only 2 hours away, weird...) as well as Stefan, who I shall beat by one day, try it out first and see if I like it... sounds like he's getting his kicks, burning ties and slaughtering sheep and such...

That's one thing about Hyrum - the whole thing smells like manure, cows, and sometimes blood - the main industry is "Miller's", which is a slaughterhosue, and where 90% of our members work all day. Depressing, and smelly. Whee. Not as smelly as the horses though- HOLLY, HOW CAN YOU STAND IT??? There is a fence right next to our house, and the horses walk up to it to stand in the shade, and, well, "let their wind go free" you might say... it makes life kinda stink sometimes, ugh...

ANYWAYZ, man, big week, we'll see what I can tell about it... um, OH I FORGOT, last week we got to attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Dedication! I completely forgot to talk about that, I'm not sure how... it was great! That is a beautiful temple on the inside, we saw pictures and video clips beforehand. Can't wait to go there someday... All church services in Utah were cancelled so all could attend via satellite in their buildings. Kinda significant. Very powerful. The temple is holy, a place of purity in a world that isn't so pure... President Monson is a prophet of God, and ha, President Monson is also hilarious. He was telling stories - apparently Air Force One landed in Salt Lake and he and President Dieter Uchtdorf got to tour it. President Uchtdorf [a former pilot] sat down in the pilot seat and was talking about how he used to fly these types of planes. "I saw the look in his eye as he touched the controls" said Pres. Monson, "Dieter, DON'T DO IT." He obeyed, and that's why he's allowed to attend here today..." Funny man.

Hm, oh yeah, we also had a zone conference with our mission president, his wife, and Elder Porter of the Quorum of the Seventy. Very good, talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes people get wrapped up in programs and details and stuff. Home teaching, youth programs, tithing... its all very important and necessary, but we are not saved by obedience alone - Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. Faith, repentance, baptism (and that covenant), listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end is the only way to Him. It is the plan for overcoming sin. It's not something we just do once in our lives and then "move on to higher things" - there are no higher things than coming to Christ. We do it over and over, day by day, by how we live our lives. This is His plan. cool...

Hm,, oh yeah, on the way over to our second church service, we get a call - the Branch Mission Leader was calling. Just to let us know ahead of time that we are speaking in sacrament meeting. So we can prepare...haha. It worked out, I've never spoken in Spanish to a large group of people, but it was good. I talked about Grandma and Grandpa's conversion, and how its blessed their lives, their children, 2 more generations, and 1000's that their grandchildren have shared the gospel with. I believe I am the fourth missionary in their grandchildren... and it's growing. Schweet. Went well, only that no one can say my name here, since I've dropped Telin (had to, not a good word, though Buenaventura branch will def remember that whole episode, haha...) Thank you again Grandma and Grandpa for having the courage to accept the restored gospel - that decision has and will change the lives of countless people.

I got your package! Thank you! Thank you all who have posted comments and such, I enjoyed that (haha, I saw part of my Facebook on my mission - printed out...) And Mom, thanks for the letter, that was cool. That talk sounded really good. And I remember writing that journal entry, I think thats profound. Thanks. And all the candy and such is sweet, thanks! I STILL haven't sent my pictures, not sure why not, but haven't done it still! Sorry, maybe I'll wait till I need to send the other Livescribe back? We'll see...

Nice job Jeff on the Cross Country - keep it up, don't hurt yourself with all the work - chill a little too...

We'll be praying for the Hester family, that's sad. Same thing happened a week ago here to a 19 year old about to go on his mission. Texting while driving. DON'T use cell phones while driving, its so dangerous...

SELLING MY LAPTOP??? Grrr, ok.... ha, fine. JUST MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS OFF OF IT! When i send pics of my mission, save them in like 5 places, I don't want to lose them... good luck Jacob!

Wow, baptisms in Culpeper? Sweet! Are you going to them? Are you greeting new people at church when you see them? Are you helping the missionaries? Ha, these are things that all missionaries would love - not for us, but for the people we are teaching. You don't know how much it makes a difference to shake someone's hand and say "nice to see you here today, WELCOME." or to go to their house and speak with the missionaries. Sure sometimes the members are crazy and say funny things, but its good. The person who is trying to learn about the gospel is impacted by it. It's not good when people go and then tell us no one noticed them. Yeah, but I think you all are doing fine on that ;)

Really? Gma and Gpa and your fam were sealed [families are joined together for eternity--see Matthew 16:19] in the Logan temple? Somehow I thought it was the St. George temple! Ok, sweet! I love this temple, it's so old and like a castle. It's up on a giant hill, shining all the time. I think someone talked about it in General Conference, talking about a kid saying you're never lost when you can see the temple. This is the one... But sweet! I'll make sure to take pictures. Historic!

Well, that's what I've got today- we're now going to go play soccer (joy. :) Elder Muro is pretty cool, its cool to meet someone who just accepted the gospel 2 years ago, a different perspective. A little more reserved, but still funny.

OH we caught a praying manits, then another one. We thought they'd be friendly or something... but in the first 20 seconds the new green one fell on its back, and before it could get up, the other pounced, grasping it by the neck and throat and began to dig its mouth into its back, eating it ALIVE! It was CRAZY! It made a hole in its back, eating it alive, then ate its entire head, and is finishing the body now. Crazy.

Well, we've got to go - I know this gospel is true. Christ is our Savior. I know this. I know He knows me. I know this is a reality, and He is our friend. He laughs when we laugh, cries when we cry, and cheers when we choose right, faith, and overcome our problems. The commandments are indeed our lifeline, the way to joy and freedom. The Spirit can guide us. Brigham Young said "We all live beneath our privileges." Think of all we've been promised. We can be powerful, work miracles, know the Lord - IF we have faith, and live worthily of the greater blessings. I know if we do it, we can see the power of the Lord poured upon us. I'm learning that, but I know its true.

I love you all, thank you for all you've done! I'm so thankful for all you've done for me, taught me, given me - I'm honored to be part of this family, and hope you are doing well in all you do!
Love,
Elder Christopher Thelin

PS: Hey, people that got new addresses for school this year (Hello Kayla... can't write yet...) send me them! I'm going to do better about writing to everyone I promise!

PPS: They drove through the desert and suddenly Jeff woke up yelling. "GAHHHHHHHHH BOLOGNA SWORDFISH GOOFMISHGORGIN!!!" Ok, not quite awake. But it made the car swerve... into a giant hole...
PPPS: Keep that plaque shiny ;)

If you look at the green one's back, you can see the hole being munched into it...

The extra-stinky horses by our apartment with Elder Muro

You can see the Logan Temple from anywhere in the valley!