Things are Looking Up, Weather is GREAT!

Hola Mis Padres!!                                March 7, 2011

Well the weeks keep getting a little better each week. I guess there is really light at the end of the tunnel as we keep persevering. I kind of feel that I have been in the midst of a huge storm on the sea, and the clouds are starting to break and the sun is starting to come back into my life! We are continuing to try and accomplish the will of the Lord each day. We have been doing better and better each day.

This week was kind of crazy. We had to do a lot of commuting to and from St. George. It is about a 20 minute drive each way, not to mention that it eats up the miles that we are allowed for the month. We have gone there about 3 or 4 times this week. We have been there once for P-Day to buy some stuff and also to play some sports with the other Elders in St. George. The other times we have gone there for some appointments that Elder Lora had. We had to go once to get his knee checked out. He has been having some pain in his knee, but the doctor said that it was fine and said that he could just go to the Physical Therapist and strengthen it. I wasn't very sympathetic about it, I have just grown to deal with the pain that comes and goes in my knees and I just deal with it. It is what it is.

The craziest thing about going to St. Geezy I get nervous with all the driving. I am just so used to the traffic of Hurricane, a town of about 15,000, compared to St. George, a town of about 85,000. So I am like wow what is going on here?! Just the little things that happen when you are in one place for so long! Another cool thing about going to St. George, is that I got to see Elder Hernandez a few times. (Elder Hernandez was Chad’s companion just prior to Elder Lora.) It was good to see him and be able to catch up with what was going on in Hurricane since he left.

I am pretty happy; I have been losing some weight that I gained since being on the mish.  Playing basketball three times a week with a bunch of middle aged guys for an hour has actually been paying off.

This week was filled with a bunch more walking/tracting. We probably tracted about 2 hours or so everyday this week. Tracting always makes for an interesting experience. You always can meet such random people. This week I met a guy that I suspect is a brother to Warren Jeffs. There are a ton of ex-FLDS that live all throughout Washington County, just because it is so close to Colorado City.

One really cool experience that I found out was that Ricardo is getting baptized finally! He said that he really needed to talk to us, and he had been missing some appointments lately, so we were thinking that it might be bad news. So he came in and said you need to set me up with a date, and I just thought he was kidding. But he said that he had gotten cleared off probation and could be baptized. He is going to be baptized this Saturday, right before transfers.

Oh! Speaking of baptisms, we had another one this week. We baptized a girl of some recent converts. (See Picture) It was a weird situation. We basically were playing a waiting game since I got here. The parents were waiting to have her baptized until their son was going to be baptized as well. So we just waited until the time was right, and I happened to still be in the same place when the time came for her to be baptized. The family is super strong and they come to church every Sunday. The dad, Pablo, even was called to be the Executive Secretary for the Branch three weeks after he was baptized. So they are a super solid family.

Well the weather here has been absolutely amazing! All of last week it was in the 70s during the day and didn’t get below 40 at night! Man this is one benefit of being here, but I don’t know how the summer months are going to play out with it being 115 to 120 for two months. But I guess I will adjust.

The Spanish is still coming along everyday. It is beginning to be able to where I can have conversations with people on my own and actually understand what they are saying and what is really going on instead of having my companion kind of translate for me. I am also starting to be able to translate some things and be able to go back and forth from English to Spanish.

Well tell Pops that it is the thought that counts about his email. And Bryson is still learning. (Darin wrote an email to Chad and Bryson came along and deleted it before it could be saved.  Four year olds are quick!  Dad was mad!!) So I guess that means that Em and all them are still living at the house? Are they having any luck with finding a place?  (Chad’s sister and family have been living with us since Chad left in September.)

So with the conversion stories I asked you to write, you can send them however you want, and I want specifics, not just a general story, filled with names and big events that happened. But it just has to be handwritten. I need one from Pops too!

I am glad to hear about Steb looking into reading my blog and I am glad that he got a kick out of seeing the picture with my moustache! (Coach Steberl was Chad’s high school baseball coach for four years.) The mail that you have been sending I have definitely gotten and I enjoy it. Any and all mail is a good thing to receive!  (Because Chad had been a little down, I have been sending him jokes and stories.  No real letter from me, the mom, but just the stories and jokes.  It was a simple way to uplift him, but I didn’t want it to be a distraction. If it did, I would stop sending them.)  I am thankful that you filled out my Tax Return and that you put it in my account. I am going to be more careful with my money from now on. I have definitely discovered that I don’t have any income anymore, so I need to watch what I am buying.  I also haven’t got my sheets yet, I am going to do that today. One more thing, where did you get this book? (We have been sending him excerpts from “100 Character Traits of the Whole Hearted Missionary” by George D. Durrant – the father of one of Tonja’s good friends, Devin Durrant.)  I would like a copy of it if I could, but it’s up to you guys if you just want to keep sending me pages at a time or the whole thing. The one thing that I could really use is stamps, so in your next letter could you send your son some stamps??? J  (Yes, sonny boy, we’ll send you some stamps!)  Thank you!

Well I am just ranting on a bunch of stuff in this letter, but it is the only time I get to write home and see how all that stuff is going.  I am glad for the continual support that you give me, and I appreciate you for giving me life. I hope that you make everyday a little better then the last!

Live it, Love it, Preach it!      Con muchismo amor de tu hijo!  ELDER D