Week #80 - Happy Birthday to Brothers

 a touch of Utah...

Last Wednesday we had a special conference with an area seventy, Elder Salinas. Hands down the best conference of my mission. It was impressive how this area seventy would talk about missionaries he had known in his lifetime that left an impact on him. It made me think, am I doing enough that I might be remembered by someone like him? Obviously I'm not looking for that kind of fame, but just wondering if I am truly consecrated to the Lord? It is no easy task, but there is no greater reward than to receive eternal life. And so we left, ready to work. 

We were excited and ready to go and give the Lord our all. We were working really hard, but without results. But we kept working. There have been some struggles here with the bishop. Some members have gone inactive and some investigators were hesitating to be baptized after interactions with him. We were a bit worried. But the local church leaders also went to the conference with Elder Salinas. This bishop went, and since then we have seen a change in him. We are hopeful. 

It's birthday week at home ... happy birthday to my brothers!

*** Between Brothers ***

Dear Landon, so all that I'm going to be talking about is Bear Lake. The first I will say is that it is pretty cold there. We went to the lake the lake for about five hours and I forgot to put on sunscreen! Cooper, Keaton, and I are all really sunburned. I think I am sunburned the most, it's on my face and on my back,  shoulders. Dad's friends brought a little trampoline floatie thing to put in the water. It wasn't that bouncy, like a couldn't land a front flip. The water was so shallow. You can got out 100 feet and have the water barely at your waste. This part by the water in the mud where you can run in place and it would bury your feet with mud. It was so cool, Cooper and I did so many times. After, we went to a restaurant, I don't remember the name of it but is was so good. Cooper started to feel cramps and stomachaches so we headed home early. Dad let me watch Star Wars The Force Awakens to help me go to sleep. The next day, we went to the lake again, but we didn't take the wave runners out. So then we went to like the only Shake place in all of Bear Lake on Sunday so we had to wait about 30 minutes for a famous raspberry shake. I liked it at first but after a while it started to taste weird. Anyway, that is about all I have for this week. Soooooooooo love you man!            ColtBolt

Dear Landon - School, Bear Lake ... and my birthday. ♥Cooper

Dear Landon, the first week of school was pretty wack! I already did my first ranges for Driver's Ed and I think I have all the supplies for my classes. Basketball class is just nothing like you would have thought. They say it's bad, but it is just really bad. On the first day, 6 people puked and one of my friends passed out. Friday was really bad too. Just gotta blow by the conditioning. Dad, Coop, Colt, and I went to Bear Lake on Friday and got back today at like 6:00. The lake was really cold and shallow, but the trip was fun! Of course, we got the raspberry shakes because they're amazing. We forgot to put on sunscreen the whole trip though lqtm. I'm really excited to sleep without sand tonight lqtm. And today is Coop's birthday! So yeah... Wuv, Keat

• Dear Colton: I'm guessing you meant the water was cold? You must have had some warmth and sun to get a sunburn! Sorry, that sucks. I have gotten some pretty nasty sunburns here too, no fun. Hard to imagine that shallow of water! Have to beach the wave runners way out! And even with a wait, how can you complain about raspberry shakes? They are delicious!
• Dear Cooper: Happy Birthday Bud! I can't believe you are thirteen! You are an official teenager. Oh my goodness. I hope you enjoyed your birthday. Sounds pretty fun with the Bear Lake getaway. I hope you are enjoying Elkridge too! I bet it has changed completely since I was there. What is your schedule? What teachers do you have? Anyone I know?
• Dear Keaton: Cumple anos feliz. Rayos ... Los 16 ya? No puede sec ... Entonces. Ya vas a tomor cantal del Suburban ahara? jaja. Culdado con ese tonque. Okay, enough Spanish. So have you talked with the bishop about being ordained a priest? Now you can bless the sacrament. Question - how many priests are in the ward right now? I've lost track of who all from your "generation" is around. Hope you had a good birthday!