WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER CARRY KOOL AID IN A CAR

Hey family, wassup? Man, sounds like a blast there, Snowmaggedon, the Snowpocalypse, crazy. Yikes. Well have fun going to school in August. Haha. Everyone figures when I come back I'll bring the dry spell with me and Utah will return to its snowy self. Here there is actually no snow on the ground right now for the first time since like Novemeber. Crazy.


Haha...ummm, we kinda ruined our car. Driving home for dinner with a full gallon of red kool aid, touched the brakes too hard, kool aid everywhere. So funny. There scooping it out like an inchof kool aid below the seats, on the side of the road, everything smells like cherry, we had to put the floor pads - saturated - on the trunk (not in, on, because we cant stain anything - and drive slowly to a nearby chapel so they dont fly off (they did.) Oh man, Elder Preciado's life hasnt typically included these types of experiences and he was going crazy. Haha. Then a man called him about a bunch of expired fish. Ridculous series of events. Thank you for preparing me for the rigors of real life.


Well, interesting week, been running like crazy everywhere trying to do a million and one things. I believe I mentioned that Carla and her two kids are being baptized this coming Sunday. Please pray for them - its been hard to teach them, but they are so strong. They want to be baptized. Also, last week we taught a man that we've been teaching him for like 3 weeks now. Not sure if I've mentioned him, but about a month ago, we knocked his door and he scowled and left us at the door, sending his wife - a less active woman - to talk to us. we heard he slammed the door in missionaries' faces once. Well, a week later he came to church - he lost his job, and then his wife - actually girlfriend - left him. Just up and left. He remembered we'd invited them to church. We taught him - very humble now, and open. Invited him to be baptized the 20th, of course, but he didn't accept - said not to rush him, maybe in June. WELL this Wednesday we stopped by and talked to him, and he said that well, he'd been thinking a lot about what we'd said, and asked if he could be baptized the 20th. Told him he needed to read in the Book of Mormon - he showed us he'd already read 138 pages. Reads it to find comfort - and he feels amazing when he does. SO Sunday is a quadruple baptism. Sweetness.

YES I got the mail, a V-day pack and a pack of pictures and such I think - good stuff, liked a lot. Thanks! I enjoyed the letters, sounds like everyone is doing well, having fun with life. Good luck Holly *wink wink* :) Have fun with your new Culpeper missionaries.  I love the new missionaries, because they always have a little more innocent strength - not really sure whats going on, and rely more on the Lord. Thanks for feeding them. Do the missionaries stop by there often?

Ha, speaking of warthogs and Pumbaa from your hospital waiting room experience.... yesterday at Zone Conference we were discussing helping our investigators progess - not by lessons, but by commitments they keep. Cool because its true, it doesnt matter how much knowledge they have; if we dont obey the commandments we cant keep covenants. They will never be ready by knowing Church is necessary unless they act on it and GO. Point: we watched the beginnign of Lion King and sang along with the Circle of Life - it tied in, but was cool. Actually a pretty cool song, kinda deep. Something like we move through our despair and trials by faith and hope, till we find our place on the path unwinding in the Circle of Life. We need to help people overcome by faith and hope, and find that place on the path to eternal life by ENTERING the path through baptism. It was kinda neat. More actually fun to watch 60 Elders trying to sing "Maaaaaaaaaa Saminiawaaaaaaaa Manannishwanana" at the beginning. But still, good message. This isnt a gospel of just knowing, its acting on the knowledge. There are millions of lessactives here or even non members who know a LOT, and dont do ANYTHING. Doesnt help them at all. Live like you believe, apply what you learn. As missionaries, we never teach or learn anything without giving a commitment to act on it in some way - to pray, to act this way, to go to church, to read, to stop smoking by the 10th, etc. Makes a difference.

Oh man, other cool things: not sure if I wrote this, but the man I baptized last April, Edson Torres? Got a letter - he's planning on going to the temple with his family this year! Hopefully he will and I'll be able to go!

I know the Church is true. I know Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know God lives. I know the Spirit guides. We had some good experiences this week where we went down roads we've never tried, and found a door where someone told us they'd been watching and hoping we'd come over to their house, and needing something specific. The Lord knows our hearts, and loves us very much.

Love, Elder Thelin



Ps Hank? Tell Henry to write me, I dont know his address or anything

Psh My watch is restored, it will survive. No, I fixed it nicely for real.

Ps34 ...and the girls decided it was time to act. Holly called the bear (in bear language of course) and it dodged the blast. The three girls then drew out their magic staffs and, as they had done to the Sun Dragon in the Forest of Elders, they revealed their nature as princesses and sent a blast towards Godzilla...