Oh hey family!
So I forgot my planner... So all recollection for this last week may be teetering upon the feeble power of my mortal memory. And it's looking grim... Also my brain is kind of... Space-y? So I may struggle to get out as detailed of a letter as I usually do.
We tried multiple times last week to get in contact with the family who has been going to church for a long time.. And, oddly enough, the three teenagers who have been going to church regularly have somewhat decided that they no longer want to be baptized... And the dad, who has been opposed to talking to the missionaries in the past, has warmed up a LOT to us. We volunteered to do service for him on Saturday and spent a while scraping paint off of the house to prepare it for painting. Fun fact - it was raining on and off the whole time. But we stuck it out, and he talked to us quite a bit afterwards about his views on God and his experience with religion. He sees the truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and more than anything he knows that it has the power to heal and bind his family from all the problems they have been having. It's been really a challenge because we just don't know what to do to help them. We've been praying for them a lot, and this Sunday they didn't even come out to church. I know that everything we teach them will help them, but it seems like Satan is deflecting any attempt we try and make. It's definitely frustrating because I want so badly for them to progress and find joy in coming unto Christ, but we have to take that first step ourselves. As I believe President Eyring put it last general conference, the hardest part of taking the journey towards Christ is taking the first step into the dark, trusting that the Lord will place solid ground under our feet when we do.
Tim is doing awesome. Mostly. He wasn't able to make it to church because his now 8-months pregnant fiancee had to go to the hospital unexpectedly. But we've since taught him the Plan of Salvation and he soaked it all in. Which is pretty astounding considering how amazingly complex and intricate the Plan of Salvation is... But he's had many experiences that have lead him to search for the answers that are found in our Heavenly Father's plan. The most exciting part of the lesson for him was knowing that after he is baptized he can prepare to go to the temple and be baptized for his recently deceased father, who committed suicide in January. We're going to be teaching him again on Thursday.
Heidi is still awesome! I think she's officially beyond the point where she even needs us to help her anymore. She's quit smoking, faithfully attending church, gone to general conference, enrolled in institute, preparing for the temple, and has a desire to receive her patriarchal blessing. Check, check, check, check! :) We also went to church with her on Sunday and she got up and bore her testimony! It reminded me of something one of our MTC teachers told us... That some of the choicest moments from his mission were when people he taught bore testimony of what they had learned. It's so amazing - I know that it wasn't me that changed her life. I'm not the one that's been blessing her for every step she's taken towards re-activation...
I literally can't think very well right now... I think I took my medication at the wrong time. My brain is SHOT. Oh - I just remembered that on Sunday I ran into a guy who's going to be home teaching another family we're working with.. And he asked if I knew the Carr's in Sioux City. He said he's Amy Carr's brother.. And then I told him I didn't know them. :) Haha kidding! But it was another small world moment. Tally 'em up!
Mom - Did you get those pictures up yet? Or are you being a technotard? :) And I had thought you had ordered a plaque already? I had thought about things for Christmas.. And the only things that came to mind were some v-neck long sleeve sweaters to wear over my shirts, ketchup chips, and a new watch. Because my $10 Kohl's watch is completely worn out. I was actually thinking it would be really sweet if you could get one of those watch bands that just turns my ipod nano into a watch That would be awesome if you could find one of those in orange. :) That's about all I had in mind, so surprise me as you will. The watchband is probably top of the wish list, so it depends how much you love me! Tell Ryan to send me a letter! Or, if not, to e-mail me! And have him let me know what he thinks of that piano arrangement.. I love that song. What new car should you get? How about... A Kia Soul? :) Haha that's just seems to be the trendy car around here. I don't know how big of a car you want, or how many seats you want.. I'm not really suggesting that that's the car to buy. It's kind of an inside joke.. Oh - and if you saw the $100 charge on my debit card, it's because I bought a winter jacket and it's actually really awesome. I bought it with a 40% missionary discount, so you're welcome. It's not a super heavy overcoat - but it's more of a medium jacket and it should work perfectly for me.
Dad - Stake Young Men's President! That means you have to hang out with all the snot nosed kids for once! :) That's actually way exciting. Who are your counselors? That's also way cool that Sister Carr is Stake Young Women's President. Her brother that I ran into on Sunday told me that Malena is planning on only this semester for BYU and then leaving on a mission in January. That's so sweet - I'm still so pumped about the announcement.. I wonder how long before we get an influx of newbie missionaries? There are exactly zero HuHot's around here! I actually reminisced with an RM that served in Omaha who said the thing he misses most about serving in Sioux City is eating at HuHot after district meetings. We'll definitely have to go there in November 2013! I'm still praying for and hoping for Ryan. I don't know what else to do either. Please let me know if you need me to do anything. Any sweet pumpkin plans this year?
Anyhow. Put pictures up - and keep up the faith! Sorry my letter sucks this week! I love you guys!
- Elder Tyler Grant
So I forgot my planner... So all recollection for this last week may be teetering upon the feeble power of my mortal memory. And it's looking grim... Also my brain is kind of... Space-y? So I may struggle to get out as detailed of a letter as I usually do.
We tried multiple times last week to get in contact with the family who has been going to church for a long time.. And, oddly enough, the three teenagers who have been going to church regularly have somewhat decided that they no longer want to be baptized... And the dad, who has been opposed to talking to the missionaries in the past, has warmed up a LOT to us. We volunteered to do service for him on Saturday and spent a while scraping paint off of the house to prepare it for painting. Fun fact - it was raining on and off the whole time. But we stuck it out, and he talked to us quite a bit afterwards about his views on God and his experience with religion. He sees the truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and more than anything he knows that it has the power to heal and bind his family from all the problems they have been having. It's been really a challenge because we just don't know what to do to help them. We've been praying for them a lot, and this Sunday they didn't even come out to church. I know that everything we teach them will help them, but it seems like Satan is deflecting any attempt we try and make. It's definitely frustrating because I want so badly for them to progress and find joy in coming unto Christ, but we have to take that first step ourselves. As I believe President Eyring put it last general conference, the hardest part of taking the journey towards Christ is taking the first step into the dark, trusting that the Lord will place solid ground under our feet when we do.
Tim is doing awesome. Mostly. He wasn't able to make it to church because his now 8-months pregnant fiancee had to go to the hospital unexpectedly. But we've since taught him the Plan of Salvation and he soaked it all in. Which is pretty astounding considering how amazingly complex and intricate the Plan of Salvation is... But he's had many experiences that have lead him to search for the answers that are found in our Heavenly Father's plan. The most exciting part of the lesson for him was knowing that after he is baptized he can prepare to go to the temple and be baptized for his recently deceased father, who committed suicide in January. We're going to be teaching him again on Thursday.
Heidi is still awesome! I think she's officially beyond the point where she even needs us to help her anymore. She's quit smoking, faithfully attending church, gone to general conference, enrolled in institute, preparing for the temple, and has a desire to receive her patriarchal blessing. Check, check, check, check! :) We also went to church with her on Sunday and she got up and bore her testimony! It reminded me of something one of our MTC teachers told us... That some of the choicest moments from his mission were when people he taught bore testimony of what they had learned. It's so amazing - I know that it wasn't me that changed her life. I'm not the one that's been blessing her for every step she's taken towards re-activation...
I literally can't think very well right now... I think I took my medication at the wrong time. My brain is SHOT. Oh - I just remembered that on Sunday I ran into a guy who's going to be home teaching another family we're working with.. And he asked if I knew the Carr's in Sioux City. He said he's Amy Carr's brother.. And then I told him I didn't know them. :) Haha kidding! But it was another small world moment. Tally 'em up!
Mom - Did you get those pictures up yet? Or are you being a technotard? :) And I had thought you had ordered a plaque already? I had thought about things for Christmas.. And the only things that came to mind were some v-neck long sleeve sweaters to wear over my shirts, ketchup chips, and a new watch. Because my $10 Kohl's watch is completely worn out. I was actually thinking it would be really sweet if you could get one of those watch bands that just turns my ipod nano into a watch That would be awesome if you could find one of those in orange. :) That's about all I had in mind, so surprise me as you will. The watchband is probably top of the wish list, so it depends how much you love me! Tell Ryan to send me a letter! Or, if not, to e-mail me! And have him let me know what he thinks of that piano arrangement.. I love that song. What new car should you get? How about... A Kia Soul? :) Haha that's just seems to be the trendy car around here. I don't know how big of a car you want, or how many seats you want.. I'm not really suggesting that that's the car to buy. It's kind of an inside joke.. Oh - and if you saw the $100 charge on my debit card, it's because I bought a winter jacket and it's actually really awesome. I bought it with a 40% missionary discount, so you're welcome. It's not a super heavy overcoat - but it's more of a medium jacket and it should work perfectly for me.
Dad - Stake Young Men's President! That means you have to hang out with all the snot nosed kids for once! :) That's actually way exciting. Who are your counselors? That's also way cool that Sister Carr is Stake Young Women's President. Her brother that I ran into on Sunday told me that Malena is planning on only this semester for BYU and then leaving on a mission in January. That's so sweet - I'm still so pumped about the announcement.. I wonder how long before we get an influx of newbie missionaries? There are exactly zero HuHot's around here! I actually reminisced with an RM that served in Omaha who said the thing he misses most about serving in Sioux City is eating at HuHot after district meetings. We'll definitely have to go there in November 2013! I'm still praying for and hoping for Ryan. I don't know what else to do either. Please let me know if you need me to do anything. Any sweet pumpkin plans this year?
Anyhow. Put pictures up - and keep up the faith! Sorry my letter sucks this week! I love you guys!
- Elder Tyler Grant
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