Marysville, WA - week 23 (August 13 - 19)

Today was p-day...it's August 19.  

At 3:30pm, when I still hadn't heard from Chris, I finally sent a note.  (Seriously?  If he's not on the computer, a reminder "hey you haven't emailed" is not actually going to work!)   

Here's what I sent:

Subject: Oh where, oh where
Oh where, oh where has my Chris-sy gone?  
Oh where, oh where could he be?  (sing along time)
With his hair cut short and his suit pants long
Oh where, oh where can he be?

At 410p, I received my first email of the day from Chris:

Subject: RE: Oh where, oh where
Oh I was at the dentist
Oh I was at the dentist
Oh I was at the dennnnnttttiiiisssstt!!!!
Oh that's where I would be.

Each week, I write two notes to Chris.  The first has the subject "Chat" which included my questions for the week, and the things I want to know (or tell) right away.  The other is simply the date and "print and reply later" in the subject line.  He does print that letter and then comments or makes additional notes and mails it during the week.  

Today he commented right away on the "Chat" note that he only had 10 minutes to write and he'd be handwriting more letters and info later in the week.  

I asked Chris in the "Chat" email this week to tell me 

1. about his investigators (those he is teaching about the LDS Church)
2. to list 3 fun things that happened this week
3. Are you allowed to look at the blog?  It's been updated.
4. How was your zone conference and your interview with President Bonham?


Here is the reply:

1. We got 5 new investigators this week and one of them has been prepared. Her name is Marlene. She is widowed. Husband died a year ago. She had a 1981 copy of the Book of Mormon someone gave her like 30 yrs ago or something and also....she read 9 chapters before we got there on Fri. (which was almost a week later)

2.  3 fun things this week.....5 new investigators, basketball (getting closer with some of the non-members), and zone conf.

 

3. I can usually but I will have to look next week because of time today.

 

4. Zone Conf was great (got a few pics)  ;) and I didnt have a meeting with Pres, I just saw him and talked to him. But he is inspired and receives revelation for each one of us. Love him.

Then I got an extra note that said to tell Dad and Katy that I'm not ignoring them, but I'm out of time.  We played basketball this morning, and then the dentist took too long.

Not a long update this week...but take comfort in knowing that if you read this, you are as updated as our family!  :-)

Thank you for being supportive either by writing, or by praying, or simply thinking of Chris.  I know he appreciates it, and I know he loves being in WA and serving the people there.

Lynnwood / Transfer / Marysville - weeks 19 - 22 (July 15 - August 5)

The blogs are getting less and less conventional.  I suppose that's pretty typical for Chris, and for me!  :-)  This blog will update you through pics and video.  His email from August 5 is at the end, but there isn't a typical blog post with the day by day stories.  You can see through the smiles on the faces in the pictures that Chris is loving his time in WA and serving the people there!

NOTE: As per usual, the italicized comments are mine.  :-)   Enjoy catching up!!


Two days before Chris was transferred, he had the opportunity to baptize Clayton.  He'd been teaching Clayton for a few months, and he was thrilled to participate in this special moment of Clayton's life!

As you know by now, Chris was transferred on July 15.  He had the opportunity to say goodbye to many of the families he got to know, and grew to love, in the Lynnwood area.

The Goodwin family

Bishop and Sister Hartup

The Paquette's

With Brother Dibble

The Bateman's

Chris is on a bike in his new area.  He'd been blessed to be in a car for the first 18 months, but his new area in Marysville & Arlington requires a bike.  Here's a couple of photos from his "first biff on the bike.  I didn't see the curb and went flying over the handle bars"

"Considering I flew head first over the handle bars of my bike, 

it is a huge blessing that this is all that happened"

The house next door, and the one over from that one,
are two families in Chris's ward (local congregation),
and the kids drew pictures for the missionaries on their driveway.

Chris made a 2 minute video tour of his new house!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxHwxUjm2WY

When I put together Chris's birthday stuff, I sent two boxes.  One box had his presents, and the other had some birthday celebration stuff along with the balloons.  Inside that box I put a letter for Heather, a woman in his local congregation who was going to help me out and a letter for his new companion in case he was transferred.  Transfers happened one week before his birthday, and Chris was a lucky winner of a transfer, so he and his new companion, Elder Young, put together the birthday decorations on their own and he had fun popping the balloons!

Here's a video of the balloon popping adventure.  I said, in my letter, that he had to pop them creatively so they made a track events:  Javelin, Long Jump and Shot Put.
Click here to watch:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ0c6KnZUeM

The balloon that went over the fence! (click the birthday video link above)  He got it back.  Wonder who's message was in that one!?

Elder Young & Elder Udall

We got a video update from the week of July 29, but it's too large to upload.  I'm still working on it, because it includes great stories but also a video of Chris doing the "mini-missionary rap".  Chris shared that they have a few investigators, and spend a lot of time finding opportunities to serve and teach.
*****************************************************************************

On Monday, August 12, I received a short update from Chris...

Alright so this past week.... 
Nothing to crazy fun for pday last Monday (August 5). Hung with the zone leaders and played basketball and stuff like that. We had dinner at this place called Taco Time which is like Taco Bell but a little different. 

Tues (the 6th) and Thurs (the 8th) I think were ALL service or pretty much all day. 
Tues. from 11-4 and then Thurs from 10-3. 

Then on Saturday, our investigator Frank W, moved to the apt below him so that whole morning from 10-1 was service! I LOVE service! 

Wednesday we had a Zone meeting! Lots of good stuff in there! Had the Cooper family for dinner! They are a lot of fun. 

This ward is ALL related!! Like Sis Cooper's mom and dad are in the ward, and her mom is the Relief Society President (that's the women's group) and her dad is the 1st counselor in the bishopric (local clergy).  There are a TON of other families that grew up across the street and then married friends and, well, yeah, it's crazy but lots of fun! 

We had a lesson-ish with John and his wife Kit. He is a farmer with a 10 acre hay field, and is currently a baptist guy. I dont know if you remember me talking about him but we had two pretty ok lessons with him. I'm not really sure if he is wanting to know if this is the true church or if he has already set his ways, but we find it interesting to talk with him.  

In between those lessons on Wed and Fri, we went over to Pres. Williams house (2nd counselor in the stake presidency) and talked with him about John to get his opinion and talk with him about when he could come over with us for a lesson this week. 

We saw a man named Joe on Friday and his family. He was a "potential" and he invited us back for Tues (tomorrow) night (the 13th). We got to meet a lot of people on Saturday so that was nice, and then Sunday was meetings and what not. 

Got to talk a little to (the other) Frank about the Word of Wisdom.  Well, actually bishop did that in his interview with him and then we just added a little more. He will be baptized soon, I hope. More chats about the Word of Wisdom this week and Baptism lesson next week. 

So this next part can be put on the blog or taken out and read just for the family. (I decided to leave the upcoming story in.  I found it really cool, and thought many of you would too!)

I have had, or should say, I was having, dreams about being in a house or room with my companion (couldn't tell if it was Elder Young or not) but I was preaching the gospel in sign language. (note: Chris took 3 years of ASL in high school, and took to it well.)  Weird dreams, so I told that to President Bonham in my interview and he said that if there is an investigator that needs an interpreter I would be called on to go help. Then this week, the Sister Missionaries in our ward found a guy, I think he's a "less active" man that said he might come to church if he had someone to sign for him. We will see if it works. Then, one of our members has a friend who's parents are deaf so they could become investigators. Anyway, it was just crazy with dreams and then it had all fallen in my lap. We will see how any of this pans out. 

We also found a new investigator this week. He name is Marlene and we were just riding bikes home from dinner and there was this lady using a pick and trying to make a walkway up to her driveway from the backyard. Anyway, she accepted the offer for us to come help. AND she has set up a time that we can come back to talk with her and do more service for her!  Did I mention I LOVE service?

Lynnwood, WA - week 18 (July 8 - July 14)

August 6, 2013
I have had some sporadic notes from Chris, but haven't received his typical blog updates.  As I mentioned in the last update, Chris was transferred on July 15, so these journal notes are from the last week in Lynnwood.  His first couple of weeks in Marysville/Arlington are on an SD card video that he insists I'll receive this week.

He has written each week but without much detail.  Working backwards from July 8 - here are the notes he sent home:

July 8, 2013 - Pday
We did the usual p-day things: laundry, shopped, emailed.  For today's fun we went to a place called Elevated Sports! We had a great time, and then went to dinner at the Thompson's and then a wonderful lesson with the Shaw family.

July 9, 2013
Full day today!  We started off with going to the mission office and giving them some things.  We washed the car and then had a lesson with Ken and watched The Testaments.  Aaron came for this one and one on Thursday as a ward missionary.  We enjoyed lunch with the Sutton's for Brother Sutton's birthday and then went to sports day with the youth.  We played volleyball and had 3 investigators and 1 less-active youth there!  I was given a testimony of something today:  Once you start arguing, you both lose.  There is no winner.
(don't think I don't wanna know the full story of that lesson learned!  regardless, I'm grateful for his thoughts and his lesson learned!)

July 10, 2013
Zone meeting and then yard work for Sister Lawrence.  We contacted some referrals today and had dinner with Aaron at Red Robin.  Yum.  We spent the evening with the Paul family and then with Reed.

July 11, 2013
We had an awesome day!  Ken's lessons are now finished, we did some service for the Suttons, had a lesson and played sports with the Paul family, and then went to the Goodwin's for dinner!  The evening was spent with Wendy and Alex!  They are so awesome!

July 12, 2013
Today was the saddest day on my mission.  We had one lesson today with Moli family and I am going to miss them!  I know that I'm being transferred so it will be hard to not see them, but I know that I WILL see them in 20 months.  They are such an amazing family.  I spent part of the day today with the Mays Pond elders while Elder McRae was in a training session.

July 14, 2013
Picked up Ken for church.  Started the baptismal font for the Bev. Park sister missionaries baptism, and then had our baptism for Clayton.  He asked me to baptize him and it was a really great afternoon.  We spent the evening at the Decker's for dinner.  I will miss them also!

Chris was transferred on July 15 into Marysville, but he is now in the Lakewood Ward in the Arlington Stake.  It's about 30 minutes north of where he was.  I can tell from his letters that he needs mail and encouragement, so please send mail!  :-)

I'll update more as I receive the rest of the photos and SD video this week.  In the meantime, if you are willing to take a few minutes, please offer some prayers for Chris and his companion Elder Young.  They are new to the area and they are not finding as many people to teach.  I can only imagine that it's challenging to come from a really active teaching area to a less active teaching area, so prayers and positive thoughts (and snail mail) will be a welcome thing!