4/22/13 Fences and Paint

Dear Family,

[This past week right after receiving Michael's letter, the Boston Marathon was bombed at the finish line.] That's crazy, yea I heard a little about it, we don't really get to watch the news and everyone kind of just assumes we know what is going on, so we tend not to find out a whole lot about things.Thank you for wanting to send me articles, but I really can't read them (its apostasy), but thank you! 

They just barely announced that I was getting ordained? That happened like 8 months ago... oh well, that is awesome. That is crazy there are that many missionaries. [Yesterday was our Stake Conference.  Michael was presented to the Stake for being ordained an Elder.  Then we learned that our stake has 109 current missionaries, 61 with mission calls, and 10 service missionaries for a total of 180 missionaries.  Last year we had 99 missionaries.] We are in a tiny ward here, like microscopic...like barely bigger than a branch. They have one missionary out (Brother Felix's daughter) and then one couple in New York. Over half the ward is less active, so we have our hands full. Unfortunately none of them want to come back. They are nice and talk with us and don't mind when we come by, but they are"Comfortably inactive" as one of them put it. So we will be doing a lot of finding this upcoming week. It is gonna be tough.

That is awesome, tell Jordan I said hi! Also tell her not to worry about the MTC because it is nothing like actually being out here. Oh and tell her not to drink the Orange Juice!;) I would love to send her a letter soon, because she sent me one when I was there. When does she leave the MTC? it sounds like I won't be able to get it to her until next Thursday at the earliest. [Jordan is Michael's cousin on the Gardanier side.  She enters the MTC this Wednesday before she heads out to the Spokane Washington Mission.]

Ya know, even though it isn't my computer anymore, it is still kind of weird thinking of you on it, oh well. I am glad it is working for you, and I hope you are making good use of the very powerful processor. ;) [With homework and letters for Michael, Laura got tired of looking for computer time, so she had Steve clean up Michael's college laptop.  It actually makes her feel closer to him.]

Haha I am excited for the packages! Especially the surprises, I hope they are good!;) [This week we learned if we bought stuff from Amazon and have it shipped to Michael's address, we get free shipping.  We just have to make sure we don't send packages this way right before a possible transfer because they won't forward them to his next address.]

[Yesterday we went up to Murray to have dinner with Elder Coburn's family.  It was once again a special treat to spend time together with them.] I am glad you guys still get a long with them well. Elder Coburn's sister and all her friends sent me letters this week, so I get to spend the rest of today replying to like 6 seventeen year old girls. Haha it was kind of funny. 

I attached a picture of me after we finished doing service for this guy. We built a fence!!! Haha it was pretty sweet. He had a bunch of nice tools that made it easier. If dad ever needs a new drill (well more like a screwdriver) tell him to get an impact drill (like in NASCAR). those things are sweet! We did more service the day before, but I didn't have my camera (maybe thats a good thing). We helped this lady by painting the trim around the top of her house on the outside. Elder Coburn was on the ladder and I was laying on the roof, hanging over the edge! Haha it was funny because ladder's scare Elder Coburn, so his legs were shaking and the whole ladder would rattle and shake. Luckily we finished, and it looked great. Most importantly I didn't fall off the roof! 

Brother Felix usually takes us shopping on P-Days. It is hilarious when he comes in the store with us because we will grab some stuff to get and them come back to the cart and he put in like a case of beer and he is just walking around like he has no idea what is going on. Then a few minutes later we look down and at some point he had put a can of coffee into the cart. haha and he is so sarcastic, it reminds me of being back home.

Time is definitely going faster, but still it doesn't feel fast enough. It is a little hard because Elder Coburn is going home soon, and although he is the opposite of trunky and doesn't talk about it at all, it still is hard because I know he is almost done. Then I think about the fact that he came out here before Zach left and it feels like I am going to be a missionary forever.

This past weekend our investigator to be baptized texted us and said he didn't think he would be coming to church anymore because of some things he struggles with and some anti stuff he had come across. So in about 2 weeks we went from almost baptizing him to now we don't even get to teach him. It is really a bummer, because our teaching pool is already so small.

Subzero, classic!  I am glad you guys had fun!  Really?  The women haven't learned yet?  [This is in response to Steve and Daniel going to the Priesthood session.  They get ice cream afterwards, but unfortunately there already was a line of women who were enjoying "Women night out during this session of conference.]

I haven't been to Antelope Island.  The Priests went before I was 16.  I heard it was cool though.  I think (if I remember 8th grade U.S. History) that buffalo are much bigger than bison, but I think the Indians drove the buffalo either to the brink, or all the way to extinction.  Bison are the smaller cousin.  I do miss those fun scout camp outs.  The ward here goes on a lot of them, but since all the young men total is about 6, tops.  I get mesmorized by the pictures, and miss all of the fun camp outs and hot tub afterwards!

Thank you so much for the information about prophets and Christ.  We can now move our arguments to whether or not the Spirit World is here on the earth or not!  As far as the "gray areas" (dating before 16, energy drinks) we are pretty much in agreement that your level of commitment determines your reward.  Obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles.  It would feel better if I was more effective and successful, but yes it is nice to be here, doing what I am suppose to.

Thank you for the support and packages.  Once of my short sleeve white shirts got burned with the iron (weird dot) and as it gets hotter, I am noting I don't think I can get 2 ueses out of my shirts during the week, but I guess I will make it work.

Oh! haha one more thing. I came up with this new desert! Cake mix+milk+spoon=yum! It can't be healthy at all, so I don't eat much. But there aren't any eggs in it so I think it isn't going to kill me. So next time you guys want a new desert try cake batter and milk! ;) Let me know if you have any questions, I will be here all week! I love you!

Michael