Big News - June 2, 2012

Time keeps slipping by. Utah sounds crazy that one week the heater is on and things are cold and the next week it is so hot that the air is now on. Sounds like the pool is coming along. That will be really really nice when it is done and you can go swimming. It will make up for feeling sad you are not going to Saint George. The family party with everyone sounds really amazing. I’m glad that sis went. Corinne has raised really good kids. I hope that when I have 5 or 6 kids they will be great like that. I can’t imagine how big Ivie has gotten. You will have to send me another pic or an email of her. Scott’s having some interesting experiences, getting more in touch with his feminine side. First screaming like a little girl when a bat landed on him. Although to be honest with you I would probably scream like a little girl too. I screamed once when a giant beetle got in the back seat of the truck with us and kept flying around almost landing on the back of our heads and shirts. The second funny thing is that Hailee said Scott forgot his nail polish at their house. How silly. I love her kids and I really love my Kembree. She is adorable that she said she misses me but that I don’t want to come home and I’m not ready. She wants me to learn more and work hard. Can’t wait to see all those kids. I would love to go and tend them sometime. That is so kind and thoughtful of Jeff. I really like him. He sent me a great letter. Grandma Davis is such a smart cookie. She knows a lot and is such a spirited amazing woman. I would never believe that she is 91. Do you know how far JJ's area is from the mission office? We have some remote areas, but they are only an hour to two hour drive and not that remote. Sounds like JJ is having some amazing experiences. I still can’t get over their baptismal font (Pila bautismal in Spanish) that was a tarp. RJ has a very small branch. You would get very close with the members there. I have seen some small branches here. One small branch is lucky though. They have a church to meet in. Although it is just a large room for the sacrament and the bishop's office. The priesthood meet outside. Makes us feel very grateful for the wonderful capillas (chapels) that we have back home and so many of them. That is cool that RJ is playing the piano. I have learned some in the mission. Although I cannot play well at all with my right hand so I don’t think I would be good in sacrament. Some branches here use the hymn cds and play those in church and we just sing along with the cds. That has worked well. I decided when I get home I really want to learn how to play the piano and the violin. I think learning to play the violin sounds terrible but I love the sound of it when you can play. I want to learn. Those two elders will enter Reu shortly after the giant change meetings. In Aug we will have 30 missionaries leaving the mission. That is so many. We were supposed to have 40 but Pres asked some people to extend or shorten a little to make it less crazy. I was sorting the mail to take to the missionaries and I noticed a return address from Budapest. It turns out there is a sister missionary, Sister Jeppson that knows a missionary here in Reu. She is in the same mission as RJ. I wonder if they know each other. Small world. This week I got to go to the mountains again. I love it so much. I really want to have an area there. The weather is cool and amazing. We had a fire side with Pres and the areas in the mountains. We talked about Alma 47. Lehonti was on high ground. Our high grounds are the temple, the home or better said the family, and the mission. In our lives we have Amalickiahs that tempt us subtly and get us to come down from our high places. If we are not obedient and careful the subtle attempts of things "our Amalickiahs" will cause us to come down from our standards and we will be destroyed or enslaved. It was a very good talk and I had never really thought of Alma 47 like that. We stayed in a hotel in San Marcos and it was way nice. Felt like a hotel from the states and had cool artifacts and things inside. That is probably my last time staying in a hotel. I was told this last week that I will be leaving the office. That is my first big news to tell you. I will leave this next change on the 20th. I have had about 5 months in the office. That is a bit of time. I’m so grateful for my many opportunities and blessings I have had in the office. I really enjoyed getting to know President more. I am now training an Elder McMasters to be my replacement. I’m actually pretty excited to enter the field again. Although I will miss the air conditioning and being able to see so much of the mission. I’ve been a little spoiled with the air hahaha. I don’t know where I will be going yet but I would like to be in the mountains or here in Las Palmas. I keep making hints that my friend Elder Escobedo should be my comp and I should finish him off. He goes home in Oct. After that I dropped hints to be comps with Elder Meoño and finish our mission together. That would be so amazing. But we will see what President thinks is best. I know he will do what is best for me. He is an amazing guy. I respect him a lot. I can’t believe Elder Card is already going home. He is such a great missionary and I have a lot of respect for him. I look up to him in the mission and I’m grateful he was my trainer. I know he is probably excited to go home. I believe his mom is super excited. I plan to see him in Utah when I get done and I would really like to go visit Washington with him and his family. They are amazing and his mom is an incredible woman. I hope we will be friends forever. The other big news I heard this week was something not so great. It came as a surprise and was hard to hear. Jessica wrote me and told me she is getting married. That happened very fast. I didn't know what to say. Well what can you do right? It was a bummer because I had lots of feelings for her and her family. I hope she is really happy. I’m not going to think about this now; I’m still going to work hard and finish really strong. But for just a moment I thought, this means now when I get back I have to go searching for my great lady that will make me happy. So who knows what the future holds. I do know that I’m growing a lot in the mission. As long as I trust in the Lord and do all I can to follow Him then He will bless my life tremendously. He will help me find my future spouse. That is pretty much my week recently. Lots of changes. I love my family. I love the gospel. I love the scriptures, they give me comfort and guidance and I can learn so many things from them if I study them every day and meditate on the teachings they contain. I am so grateful to be on a mission and to be a part of this church. It has really changed my life and given me so much direction and happiness. I look forward to continued service to the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. I know this is true and I'll testify of it to all. Mom I love you and keep you in my prayers. You support me and help me so much. I can feel your love and support in every moment and every letter. I look forward to being in the temple with you as a family. Take care and know I love you with all my heart. Until next week, I can’t wait to hear from you. Love your son, Elder J P.S. How is your reading of the Book of Mormon? I know you are really busy and have lots of other health reading, but don’t forget at least 5 mins a day of the Book of Mormon. Love you.