A little less wisdom (Teeth)

Hello Sister Nielsen,

Well by Thursday, you will have completed 1 year.  That is crazy.  The last 6 months will go faster than the others as well.  Make sure you work hard and you treasure and enjoy every minute.  This is a special time in your life unlike all others.

This was a normal week for me.  I just worked all week and tried to do taxes in the evenings.  Nothing special.  Cody went out with the missionaries a couple times this week.  Saturday, Summer had an 4-H activity at angel park, sliding down the hill in plastic bags on other plastic with ice cream.  It was fun. Carly and Adelaide did not do it.  But mom, Erin, Cody, Summer and I did and it was fun.  Then the sister missionaries in the 1st ward called Cody and said that they had taught Whitney, (Cody's friend) a couple of times and that they felt good about her and that she needed to attend church for a miracle to happen.  So Cody texted her and invited her to church and she said yes.  And we were feeding the sisters and Elders today and invited Whitney to eat with us.  So she came to church with us today, and Adelaide really likes her, so she was sitting on her lap the entire time and giving her hugs.  But she said she liked it and felt really comfortable there, unlike the other churches she had ever attended before.  Also, the high council man and his family that talked in our ward, she knew them.  She had played softball with their daughter and their parents were friends.  I had seen them before but did not know what his name was though.  Do you think that was a coincidence? I don't believe so.  Any way she ate dinner with us and prayed with our family etc.  I think she really liked it.  After she left, she texted Cody and said something to the affect 'so are we going again next week'?  Cody replied, I was already planning on it.  That is pretty exciting.  I believe she meets with the sisters again on Thursday.  Her boss at spoon me is LDS and he is the one who sent the missionaries over to visit with her.  Her last day at work was on Thursday and her boss gave her a Book of Mormon.  So she is getting worked on at all levels.  She told Cody one of the girls on her college softball team is LDS as she has pictures of temples etc on her facebook page, so she is excited about that.  Nothing is by coincidence with the Lord.  His hand and timing is in all things.  But I find this all interesting as both you and mom had feelings about her.  I guess her older brother investigated the church a few years before but her grandma was not happy as she is very Catholic.  She goes to college on the 15th of Aug, so we will have to do all we can before that.

Tomorrow, we have to get up at 4 am do the papers and head to Salt Lake.  We have an appointment for Erin to get his wisdom teeth out as she can put in her missionary papers in 2 weeks.  We are going to the same place where you got yours out.  We will see if cody and mom can get theirs out as well.  It might be the only time we can get over there before school starts. 

We talked to Ardis Jensen this week on the phone.  She is very happy you are on the big island. She said she met the couple missionary that is there and president and sister Dalton. She said they helped feed them at one of their meetings in december.     

I just heard on the news that there is a tropical storm hitting the big island.  Are you getting a lot of rain?

Well we love you and always pray for you.  Have a super week.

Love DAD

Are you having "Just another day in Paradise?"

Another week has passed and here I am trying to remember what happened last week.  I spent Sunday thru Wed. in Las Vegas, and It was hot down there.  Its hot here in Elko as well, 101-103.  But there are soooo many goofy people down there, I could not wait to get on the highway and head north.  On the way back I stopped in Ely at our campus there to finish up the Mckays taxes so I could drop them off on the way home.  I spent about 4 hours in Ely and did not get home until 10:30 pm.
 
It was pretty hot here and not cooling down in the evening very much, so that makes our home too warm.  I think I would rather the cold than the heat.  On saturday, we got up early and went to the Angle Lake fishing derby.  The fishing was real slow.  Erin had bought a 1 day fishing license so she could fish and her and cody were going around the lake in my float tube and she caught a fish and Carly caught one.  Usually we do really well but not this year.  We came home and got ready for the 24th celebration at the church.  That was fun, had good food and visiting with every one from 3rd, 4th 2nd and spanish branch.  Then mom and I went to spencer garvin's wedding reception.  So it was a busy day.
 
Yesterday at church, zach stetler and chance dahl reported back from their missions and it was really good.  They both have changed a ton spiritually and did a really good job.  Their missions had a great affect on them.
 
I never did get a return appointment with that family we visited as I did not know the elders schedule and I was hoping they would get one.  But they should have gotten one.  I kind of let them take the ball on that as I don't know what their schedule was like.
 
Well we are happy you are seeing another island.  I hope everything goes well for you and your new companion.  Will you still be a sister trainer, or is that calling only for the main island?
 
Any way, I hope all is well and you are able to work as hard as you can.  We love you and are greatly things are going well.  jessica shumway comes home in 29 days from Bulgaria.  That is crazy.  President shumway said that Erin could put her missionary papers in in 3 weeks.  That is crazy as well.
 
Have a great week.
 
Love Dad

Jammin' July

Hello Sister Nielsen,

I am writing you from Las Vegas.  I drove down yesterday for a conference and I will be here until Wed. evening.  I stopped and attended church in Ely, NV.  I love going to new wards and areas and seeing how they run the meetings etc.

Well I hope you had a great week.  Transfer should be this week, no?  You probably already know if you are getting transferred or not.  I am sure it is where ever the Lord wants you to be.

I went out with the missionaries for a couple of hours Saturday afternoon.  Our first appointment was not there, so I asked them, well you have me here, who do you want to visit now.  So they both decided on a new couple that moved into the ward a couple weeks ago.  The wife is a member and the husband is not.  So we went over there, and the wife let us right in.  Both her parents teach at BYU I and she is only semi active.  She was married in the temple to her 1st husband.  Any way it turned out that she was Carly's dance teacher a couple years ago, and I remembered her husband was the MC and was full of life and energy.  Any way, we hit it off great.  The husband loves sports and hunting and fishing, etc.  I did all the talking and the missionaries did not say 10 words.  

But I asked him what religion he was, and he said he did not have a religion, doesn't even know if he believes in God. etc.  But we found some common ground, he said he did not pray, had never felt the spirit, so I asked him and his wife to start praying together in the evenings.  Told him the missionaries could come buy and teach him and that would help him feel the spirit and learn to recognize it. Any way, I felt really good about it, I bore my testimony and I could feel the spirit.  I  think the wife was very happy.  In my minds eye I could see her parents praying for their son in law and that he would open his heart and hear the discussions.  I believe that I was there for a reason, I felt really comfortable with them and I believe they felt the same.   Heavenly Fathers hand is in everything.  I know why our 1st appointment was not there.  I seem to be getting more and more bold in my old age.  We don't have time to mess around and beat around the bush, we need to come out and challenge them directly.

Not much else happening this week.  Cody went to youth conference with the ward to SLC and enjoyed that.  Erin has been working alot from many different jobs. And Carly and Summer have been sleeping in the tent the past 3 or 4 nights with Chica.  They love it.  Adelaide, slept have way and came in during the night.

Well we love you and are grateful for your service.  We look forward to what happens this week.  Have a super week.

Love DAD

Hot, hot, hot!

Hello, How was your week?  We had a pretty good one.  We spent most of the week at grandma and grandpa Crofts in the pool.  It was very hot, around 110 each day and their air conditioner did not work.  I think it was 115 in the house with all the sky lights etc.  So we would go swimming 2 to 3 times a day to cool off.  I was glad to get back to Elko on Thurs. about 6:00 pm. on the 4th of July.  After we had been home a couple of hours it rained pretty good here and cooled every thing off.  It felt great.  It was raining during the fireworks, so I was not sure if they were going to be able to do the fireworks or not, but they did.  We drove down to the college and stayed in the car to watch the fireworks.  The 3 youngest girls got out and watched them outside with an umbrella. Adelaide kept saying she wanted to go watch them over there, right next to where they were happening. She wanted to get closer to the action I guess, but I told her we did not have tickets, perhaps next year we should buy tickets.

I went to work on Friday and tried to catch up for being gone for a week.  Saturday, I went in to the office and worked for about 7 hours on taxes.  I have to get a lot done before my big elk hunt starts Aug. 1st. Sunday I have to go the Vegas for a training conference, so I want to get a lot done before that as well.

We had a good fast and testimony meeting yesterday in the ward.  Alex Talbot received her endowments this past week, she received her mission call and is going to Jacksonville, Florida on her mission.

But one guy shared his testimony and said that his 2 grandkids (ages 4 and 2) were visiting and they decided to go swimming, in the upstairs bathtub.  And after a while the 4 year old came down and told his dad that his brother needed him upstairs.  The dad went up there and found his 2 year old floating in the water face down.  They did not know how long he had been like that but the called 911 and rushed him to the hospital.  He was in intensive care for 5 days and then pulled out of it and I believe is fine now.  But the boys mother asked the 4 year old why he came down and got dad, and they 4 year old said.  "We were playing in the bath tub and Billy or what ever the 2 year olds name is, was leaving the bath room.  And the 4 year old said, Billy don't leave me, I want to play with you longer.  And the 2 year old said, If you don't want me to go then you need to go get dad. "  So the 4 year old went and got his dad.  I guess that was the 2 year old's spirit that was leaving the bathroom.  Any way, it was a good spiritual meeting.

Another thing Adelaide said this week was, as she was showing Grandma Croft her leg that was scratched up and bleeding from walking in the rose bushes,  "Look at all that blood on my leg, isn't that disgusting?"  They thought that was a pretty big word for a 3 year old to be using.  Grandpa Croft thinks Adelaide is very smart.  She is very observant and is aware of everything said and done.

Carly jumped off the diving board this week for the 1st time.  She was a little nervous, but then after did it once, she loved it and jumped off constantly for the next 3 days.  She is a diving board jumping fool now.  Summer was learning how to dive off the diving board.  Addie would not jump off the diving board but would run around the pool and jump in with her life jacket all by herself.  She did that a lot as well.  We needed a few more days more and I am sure she would have jumped off the diving board.

Cody got home from Gonzaga basketball camp in Spokane Washington about 11:00 sat night.  I guess they won an AAU tournament up there, but lost to the Washington state champs by 6 points in the Gonzaga tournament.  So it sounds like they did pretty well this summer.  I am glad its over, now he can start on football here in Elko.

We were watching family videos last night and watching when you were going into the mtc and summer's bday, etc, and the kids have changed alot since you saw them last.  Especially the youngest 4, Cody has filled out a lot.  He was a skinny kid back then and now he is a lot bigger. And the 3 younger girls have changed a lot.

Well not much else to report from my end.  We love you and hope you have a great week.  We have been talking here at home and believe you are probably the only missionary who could put up with a companion like you have.  You have always been the most patient and easy going person.  I know me and Chelsea, and probably Erin would have lost our patience long ago with someone like that.  That is probably why the AP said that you were the perfect companion for her.  But 4.5 months is a long time, so we are excited to see if any changes will be made next transfers.

We love you and are happy you are serving a mission.  Have a super week!  We pray for you all the time.

Love DAD

Aloha from California

Hello Sister Nielsen,

We are in California visiting Con's parents this week.  So I am just getting around to writing you.  This past week went by very fast.  I was trying to get everything done at work in order to take a week off for our California trip.  I was only suppose to work 1/2 day on wed. and I ended up working 9 am to 8 pm with out a break or lunch.  Thurs. and Friday were days I signed up to use as vacation days as well, but ended up working 1/2 day on Thurs.  But I believe I got everything that I  had to get done, done.  So we left Elko Thurs. about 2 pm and got here a little after 8 pm.  It is very hot here and every where here in the West.  Sacramento got up to 107 and 108 and it is suppose to be close to that every day this week.  Death Valley recorded the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth over 100 years ago and that was 134.  Death valley hit 130 yesterday, so a 100 year old record might be getting broken.   Grandpa and Grandma do not have air conditioning so we are all suffering from the heat.  I have to get in the pool 3 times a day just to cool off.

In grandma's ward yesterday, there was a newly called mission president and his wife going to Mongolia tomorrow.  The president was 36 and his wife was 34 year old.  Very young with small children.  That would be a neat experience.  You are probably now working under your new president.  Have you met him yet?  I always like change, I think it is good, keeps things new and exciting.

Grandma Croft does not cook as much now.  She just does not feel up to it and gets tired really easy.  But I like it better when she does not cook.  I think it is better that we all just enjoy her company.

Eric Sandall got home from his mission this past week and gave his report yesterday.  Erin said it was very good.  I am sorry we missed it.

Cody spent the week at scout camp, hiking up 8 miles to some lake in the Ruby Mountains.  I guess they got rained on and it was a cold experience.  He got home friday night and left sat morning for a week to Gonzaga basketball camp.  So we won't see him for a week.  Erin stayed home as well for work and to take care of Chica.

I was going to mention in my last letter that I don't want you worrying about bdays, fathers day etc.  I don't expect any thing from you except to concentrate on the work.  All that other stuff you can worry about when you get home.  We want you focused on your mission and the work.

Well I hope you have a super week.  That every thing goes well with you and your comp.  When are the next transfers?  We love you and are happy you are a missionary.  Adalaide is really cute and saying lots of funny things.  Today we went to the dollar store here and I picked up a play sword and pointed it at Addy and said on-guard.  and she said,  "Hey, put that back!!!"  She is telling us how to act.

Summer and Carly are spending about 6 hours a day in the pool.  They are loving it.  Carly still has not jumped off the diving board but we are working toward that.  I don't sleep very well with the heat as it never cools down at night.  I like Elko's evenings.

Well take care we love you.

Dad