Dear Tanner,
Happy Birthday week! Did you realize you had the best birthday date ever? 11-12-13 How cool is that? It should have been a banner birthday day, and I can hardly wait to hear all about it. Hopefully you had a birthday box arrive? Dad specifically would like to know exactly what you did for your birthday!
Let's start with news about missionaries. Today we received a wonderful note from Elder Halpin's mother. She said, "So I don't know if you know that I am in Brazil right now picking up our missionary. We arrived on Wednesday, and have been traveling around to the cities he has served in. We attended church in Marilia today and went to visit elder Schenewark. I was so excited to take a picture and send it to you...we waited for he and his companion to arrive, and found out they had traveled to assist for an interview. I was so sad not to meet him. I did however get to speak with him on the phone and asked if he would like me to give you a message...he said to tell you that he is "alive and well." I did leave a jar of peanut butter for him with the missionaries that live in his apartment. So sad that I was so close, and we didn't get to meet. What an eye opener it has been to see the actual mission. These missionaries are amazing!" Anything else besides being alive and well? '-)
Happy Birthday week! Did you realize you had the best birthday date ever? 11-12-13 How cool is that? It should have been a banner birthday day, and I can hardly wait to hear all about it. Hopefully you had a birthday box arrive? Dad specifically would like to know exactly what you did for your birthday!
Let's start with news about missionaries. Today we received a wonderful note from Elder Halpin's mother. She said, "So I don't know if you know that I am in Brazil right now picking up our missionary. We arrived on Wednesday, and have been traveling around to the cities he has served in. We attended church in Marilia today and went to visit elder Schenewark. I was so excited to take a picture and send it to you...we waited for he and his companion to arrive, and found out they had traveled to assist for an interview. I was so sad not to meet him. I did however get to speak with him on the phone and asked if he would like me to give you a message...he said to tell you that he is "alive and well." I did leave a jar of peanut butter for him with the missionaries that live in his apartment. So sad that I was so close, and we didn't get to meet. What an eye opener it has been to see the actual mission. These missionaries are amazing!" Anything else besides being alive and well? '-)
I think I remember that you had about nineteen new elders arriving this past week, two of whom had mothers emailing on the missionary mom website - Elders Zendejas and Rogers. Did you meet them? We expect we'll be hearing about your leader training this week, as well as your new companion. We watched the homecoming arrivals of Bennett, Carrell, Chambers and Petersen on line. Not gonna lie. Made me more than a little teary! How wonderful that you got to serve with all of these fine young men, and others, that all went home last week.
I read that in the Campinas Brazil mission they're receiving so many referrals from the media, they've had to bring elders into the office to assist. Have you heard about media referrals for your mission?
Your crazy cousin Naomi had a great idea. She said that she would call the members "right before we were going out contacting and asked them to pray for us to find someone to give out the books to. I will testify to you that this works. Each time, we quickly found people who were ready to receive them and it really built the faith of the members in us as missionaries." Try it!
Your other cousin, Greg, had a great experience while tracting. "We knock on a door and a lady answers it, before we can say anything she says, "Come on in" like it's normal. She and her husband tell us that a friend who is a member of the church had just called and was on the way over with the missionaries and they had thought it was us. Fifteen minutes later (after the family decided to be baptized) a member came to the door with our zone leaders. Apparently there are two streets in that area that aren't in our sector, and don't even connect to the zone leaders sector and we found them...But because we showed up, it was a sign to them that this was the path that God wants them to follow. I know that God blesses us when we work hard and diligently."
I read that in the Campinas Brazil mission they're receiving so many referrals from the media, they've had to bring elders into the office to assist. Have you heard about media referrals for your mission?
Your crazy cousin Naomi had a great idea. She said that she would call the members "right before we were going out contacting and asked them to pray for us to find someone to give out the books to. I will testify to you that this works. Each time, we quickly found people who were ready to receive them and it really built the faith of the members in us as missionaries." Try it!
Your other cousin, Greg, had a great experience while tracting. "We knock on a door and a lady answers it, before we can say anything she says, "Come on in" like it's normal. She and her husband tell us that a friend who is a member of the church had just called and was on the way over with the missionaries and they had thought it was us. Fifteen minutes later (after the family decided to be baptized) a member came to the door with our zone leaders. Apparently there are two streets in that area that aren't in our sector, and don't even connect to the zone leaders sector and we found them...But because we showed up, it was a sign to them that this was the path that God wants them to follow. I know that God blesses us when we work hard and diligently."
There have been a couple of interesting stories regarding the church in the news this week. The missionaries serving in the 25 missions in the Philippines have all been accounted for and the one mission in the heart of the typhoon, has 205 amazing stories that have been forthcoming. Ten sisters especially, who were on the second floor of their house in water up to their knees, and metal bars on their windows, who kicked out a wall to get out of their house. Most of them did not know how to swim, but they had been told to have rope, which helped them go through the sea water to the top of another roof. Other missionaries pooled $1000 to commandeer a boat to drive themselves to the mission home, others walked hours. After two days the mission home had no food or water to support the 205 missionaries, so the president had them walk to the airport, led in the front and the back by the assistants. Once there, their sheer numbers were making it difficult to fly out, but an American pilot of a C-130, sent by our government to fly out Americans, recognized their nametags, as he too was Mormon, and took them all to the Manila MTC. He said later he had been led to go to the other end of the airport, not knowing why, and was instrumental in getting the missionaries out of dangerous circumstances due to decaying bodies, prison escapees who were able to swim out of the prison, gunfire due to lawless conditions.
I read about missionaries who, having a large fountain in their town square, drew the story of the tree of life around the fountain using chalk. What a great idea! And you're such a talented artist! Go for it! That's my out-of-the-box suggestion this week.
From (Reuters) - The Mormon church is poised to become the largest private landowner in Florida as a result of a deal to buy nearly 400,000 acres in the state's Panhandle region. The property is mostly timberland, and the church "intends to maintain timber and agricultural uses of the lands." The signed sales agreement with the church's company, AgReserves Inc., for $565 million is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. The company expects the deal to be finalized in the first quarter of 2014. The Mormon church was already one of Florida's largest landowners. For more than 60 years, the church has owned Deseret Ranches, a 290,000 cattle and citrus operation straddling three counties in Central Florida, approximately 50 miles southeast of downtown Orlando.
From (Reuters) - The Mormon church is poised to become the largest private landowner in Florida as a result of a deal to buy nearly 400,000 acres in the state's Panhandle region. The property is mostly timberland, and the church "intends to maintain timber and agricultural uses of the lands." The signed sales agreement with the church's company, AgReserves Inc., for $565 million is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. The company expects the deal to be finalized in the first quarter of 2014. The Mormon church was already one of Florida's largest landowners. For more than 60 years, the church has owned Deseret Ranches, a 290,000 cattle and citrus operation straddling three counties in Central Florida, approximately 50 miles southeast of downtown Orlando.
In April 2013 there were four members of the original Doolittle raid; that was their last public appearance. Last week they met in Dayton where they finally opened the bottle of brandy, as there are only three left. We thought you would enjoy knowing this bit of news, since it's one of your father's favorite stories, and you have seen the wooden case holding the engraved 80 goblets.
The boys and your father read about the Great Molasses flood of Boston in 1919. It's a very interesting story, and one which none of us had ever heard before! While waiting to see if prohibition would pass, molasses used in rum was fermenting in an enormous cast-iron tank. Because of the fermentation, and resulting expansion of rum in the iron tank, the rivets shot out, and later chunks of cast iron were flying through the air, and the streets were like a black tidal wave, instantly bogged with molasses. Some people were swept off their feet, sucked under and drowned. Molasses flowed into basements and knocked entire buildings off their foundations. Twenty one people were killed by the molasses flood, 150 injured. Horses could not be dragged out of the bog and were shot. Streets were tacky for months, for months later when it rained the runoff would turn the harbor brown. And for years, hot summer months in Boston still smelled of molasses.
The boys and your father read about the Great Molasses flood of Boston in 1919. It's a very interesting story, and one which none of us had ever heard before! While waiting to see if prohibition would pass, molasses used in rum was fermenting in an enormous cast-iron tank. Because of the fermentation, and resulting expansion of rum in the iron tank, the rivets shot out, and later chunks of cast iron were flying through the air, and the streets were like a black tidal wave, instantly bogged with molasses. Some people were swept off their feet, sucked under and drowned. Molasses flowed into basements and knocked entire buildings off their foundations. Twenty one people were killed by the molasses flood, 150 injured. Horses could not be dragged out of the bog and were shot. Streets were tacky for months, for months later when it rained the runoff would turn the harbor brown. And for years, hot summer months in Boston still smelled of molasses.
Two times this week Porter went to the home of Sis. Parrish and practiced trivia questions with her for a couple of hours. The hour of Jeopardy is drawing near, and we're floundering as how to best prepare. Nevertheless, it will be a grand adventure, beginning this Friday, as your father and Porter, perhaps Cooper, head to Kansas City to compete against the best of the best.
Your three little brothers have begun their basketball practices. Since Cooper didn't make the middle school team, I signed him up for rec ball. He's still in physical therapy for his pinky, but buddy tapes it when he practices. Pictures of them will be coming! They are fun to watch!
Breyer has occupied a lot of my time this week. She found my pouch of leftover lipstick tubes, and used the bathroom rug as a palette. Isn't it so pretty?
Your three little brothers have begun their basketball practices. Since Cooper didn't make the middle school team, I signed him up for rec ball. He's still in physical therapy for his pinky, but buddy tapes it when he practices. Pictures of them will be coming! They are fun to watch!
Breyer has occupied a lot of my time this week. She found my pouch of leftover lipstick tubes, and used the bathroom rug as a palette. Isn't it so pretty?
She also found my seminary stash and used the whiteboard erasers all over the wall.
What else? Took a bit of some footprints made out of plaster of paris. Not too tasty! When I cut her hair she, in her indignant voice said, "Put it back on right now!" She likes to listen to the cassette tape stories of Cinderella and Snow White upstairs in the bedroom. She'll walk around trying to name all seven dwarfs, and will always call Grumpy Grampy. Usually your uncles are calling Grampy Grumpy! She also learned how to finally open the fridge door, and this week took out the bottle of vidalia onion salad dressing, and filled Ranger's water bowl with salad dressing! Another day she dumped my container of vinegar into his water bowl. I would never have known except I found the empty container! She's not naughty, just busy!
Because of her shenanigans I paid to have the rugs cleaned this week. All the lipstick came out (hallelujah!) as well as brother and dog dirt. The rugs look great! It snowed for the first time this year...it was beautiful for a short morning! Breyer decided on her own to eat snow. "Mom, this is good!"
Today is the third year since Uncle David's death. Aunt Shirley posted this wonderful picture and I thought I would share him with you today.
This week the church activity was for husbands and wives to compete against each other in bowling. We ladies gave it a good try but got skunked. And, I bowled a 155! Four strikes in a row! I don't think I've ever even broken 100, never mind halfway to 200! Dad's high was 126 that night. It was very fun, and I hope to do it again on a smaller scale with others as a fellowshipping activity.
Sawyer leaned over to me during church today, and wiggled his eyebrows. A lot. Then he says, "Mom, I can almost do the wave." Too funny! Not a good thing while in church, but smile material nonetheless.
Sawyer leaned over to me during church today, and wiggled his eyebrows. A lot. Then he says, "Mom, I can almost do the wave." Too funny! Not a good thing while in church, but smile material nonetheless.
In seminary we read about King Benjamin. What a great man. I had forgotten that he had gathered together his armies, "And he did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his own arm...and in the strength of the Lord they did contend against their enemies." And, "by laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul...did once more establish peace in the land." King Benjamin taught his people that if they would search the scriptures diligently, they would prosper in the land. They needed to be diligent in reading the scriptures that they would remember the commandments of the Lord. He doesn't expect us to remember everything perfectly but instead asks us to continually search the scriptures that we would be reminded of those things we need to do. "For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates." What a great time in your life to be given this time to study. And the entitled blessing of "prospering" especially applies to you as a missionary. Look for commandments while you're reading, that you need to be more aware of, and you will prosper more.
Today there have been more than seventy tornadoes in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Due to us being under tornado watch/warning, I will be sending this letter out much earlier in case we lose power through the night. Would not want to leave your inbox empty! Have a wonderful week! We love you dearly.
Mom and Dad
4 comments:
Ah ha! I wondered why your letter was up so early. Hope you don't lose power--you wouldn't want to miss your Monday morning letter!
That picture of Breyer in the basket looking at the DVD case is so cute! What a doll, even when she is getting into all kinds of mischief. ;-)
Elder Peterson gave his homecoming talk in Church today. A couple of his stories brought tears to my eyes.
Good luck to Porter, how exciting! Breyer makes me smile, glad the lipstick came out!
Wonderful letter as always. Breyer is really busy being "artful", isn't she? My brother at one time got hold of chocolate syrup and put it on the windowsill in our bedroom (now my den) and had his chubby hand print on the wallpaper and in the straw rug. Mom wasn't happy. Also, thank you for sharing Uncle David's and my picture.
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