Dear Elder Sean,
My fingers are wondering what to say. I'm so excited to come see you. In some ways, it seems like it's been forever since I've seen you and in other ways the time has flown by and I can't believe you are at the end of your 2 year mission (your first mission of many, I might add). I have thoroughly enjoyed your letters, your stories, learning about your friends, your companions and the people who have touched your life as well as you touching theirs. Isn't this world a wonderful place!!
I have been in contact with Marcela. She told me the news about her husband being made Stake President. If he's anything like her, I know he will be an awesome leader for the stake. Marcela has been very helpful also and said she'd make a list of fun places to see and go. I can't wait to meet her and her family. I am also looking forward to meeting the Maria Carranza and her family and Susana Paez and her family.
I've started making a big pile of things we're bringing. It's so hard to know what to bring, but it sure has been fun gathering. Dad is working every day except one this week, so he's not going to have much time to get ready. At least he's not working any night shifts this week. Mary is coming into town this Thursday so I can go over the schedule with her.
We had stake conference today and last night. I have to say that last night's meeting was the best. Brian McCauley spoke, Mary Taylor (the woman I replaced as RS president years ago), Pres. Merrill and Pres. McCauley. Every single talk was excellent. The theme was how to have hope in a world with so much despair. Brian spoke of his current circumstance, how his building business failed, then his next business he started also failed and he is still struggling trying to find a career in life. But he talked of his knowledge that the Lord is always watching over us and will eventually make things better and this he knew because of his experiences on his mission. In the MTC he fell out of bed, the top bunk, and was knocked unconscious for 16 hours. He was told he couldn't play any basketball in the MTC which of course took away his physical fun. Two weeks before he was to leave the MTC, the doctor said he could play basketball. In his first game, he promptly sprained his ankle. Back to the doctor and no playing for at least a week. Then he got to play his last week at the MTC and promptly sprained his other ankle. He entered Chile with a concussion and 2 bad ankles. He was greeted by his first companion, a native who spoke no English and was leaving to go home in 4 weeks. His bed and apartment was covered with fleas and soon so was Brian's body. Then he developed new red bumps and the doctor said he had scabies. While being treated for scabies, he became extremely tired all the time and they discovered he had anemia. Meanwhile, his companion couldn't care less about him and decided it was time to find his wife-4 weeks before his mission was over and that became his mission. Brian had to follow along with him. Brian said he was in the depths of despair and prayed fervently to the Lord to take these trials from him. Soon enough life was good for him and he was able to enjoy the rest of his mission. But what he learned was that trials do end and life is sometimes even sweeter. So he knows that somehow, someday his current trials will be over and life will be sweet again.
Pres. Merrill spoke about the same thing and it was especially difficult for him because just this week there was an article in the Statesman about how he had filed for bankruptsy 2 years ago and now they were losing their home and there was every little detail about his financial life laid out for everyone to read. I felt so bad for him. But he spoke of some of his own trials earlier in life and how people around him lifted him and helped him and how the Lord comforted him.
Pres. McCauley spoke of our need to be pruned by the Lord by using the example of his own apple trees which he has let grow huge over the years. He said the apple yield has been tasty and plentiful but as the trees grew, the quality of the apples suffered and even the over abundance of them have hurt the limbs of the trees. So this year he and Sis. McCauley spent days pruning the trees and how they look very sad. He said if the trees could talk, they'd be asking him why are you doing this to us. We have tried our best to produce good fruit each year, we have grown large and beautiful, why would you prune us? And he said he would have to say back to them, It is for your own good, knowing full well that they might suffer a bit this season and possibly next, but soon after that they would be lush and full of wonderful tasting fruit, a fruit more precious above all else. Pres. McCauley has such a way with words and stories. I just love listening to him.
Today we had a broadcast from SLC to the 16 stakes in the area. It was good, but I really loved last night's meeting.
Kirk just called and reported about his first Sunday back at school. He says it's a good ward and that Tiffany Shaw is in his ward. I asked if there were any cute girls and he quickly said, yes. He has a bigger apartment this year and sounds like he has fun roommates, 3 or 4 of them speak Spanish. Out of the 6, he's there with 2 of his friends from before and 3 are new guys. I'm anxious to hear how his classes are this year. He still needs to pick up a couple more credits. BYU-I seems to have a lot of classes all given at the same time, unlike BYU-Provo where it's offered several times during the day and even at night.
We're enjoying beautiful spring weather here now. It's so great seeing all the trees budding out and the bulbs springing out of the ground. We have been outside a lot this past week. Kirk and dad worked hard one whole day preparing the soil in the garden and repairing all the broken sprinklers.
While Kirk was home I managed to organize all my letters I had written him on his mission and put it on my blog. My plan is to slurp them into a book. Slurp is a site that takes your blog and turns it into a book, letting you edit and add pictures where you want. I'm going to do the same with the letters I wrote you. These have been my journal over the past 4 years. I have enjoyed keeping my journal online now. My typing skills are much faster than my writing.
I spoke with Kim Dumas tonight. This Saturday Cameron Dumas and Krystal Kjar are getting married, then in 2 weeks, Carsen Dumas leaves for his mission to Germany.
We had the Pinewood Derby this past week. It was lots of fun. Dad had a Beat the Bishop race for the boys too. They each got to pick one of our cars (the Shark, the Titanic or the Barbie car) to race against. They really enjoyed it. I found a fun idea for treats, so a couple of us made cars from Twinkies, with mini oreos as the wheels and we used icing on top to put a number and also half a cherry for the helmet of the driver. They were a big hit!
Are you still teaching the English teacher? I loved your Family Home Evening you had last week about the plan of salvation (esp. the part about getting brownies when you passed into heaven.) It is wisdom that the Lord has us complete all the saving ordinances so early in life because we sure need those ordinances to give us strength throughout life. It's similar to when the early saints were able to have such marvelous spiritual manifestations and even visitations. Those experiences gave them the strength to endure what soon followed and they were able to draw from them, I'm sure, numerous times as they continued to build Zion wherever they were. My temple marriage and having someone right by my side, on my side and both of us having the same goals in life have made my life so sweet even through the bitter.
I hope you enjoy this week. Just think back on how many people have been a part of your life these past 2 years. The people we meet and love in life make us who we are and who we ultimately become. I'm so excited to meet your friends and family there. Leah and Nikki are praying that you will have a fun last week. Nikki has literally prayed for Fernando every day since she heard his story. When people outside the family hear her pray, they always ask afterwards, who is Fernando? If only he knew...
Thanks for being so valiant. We feel so blessed as a family to have you serving the Lord. The service will never end...that's the good news.
We need to know where to find you next Monday and what time. Until then, have a miraculous week, take mental pictures wherever you go to keep for a lifetime and I'm counting the sleeps until our fun time with you next week.
I love you very much and always,
momxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxooxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
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