2 Daughters on Missions

Hola,
 
I am now sending this email to 2 daughters on missions which is awesome.  This past week was really busy. Monday night we had the choralier concert and it was great.  We think it was one of the best concerts they have ever done.  Not that the singing was that much better, but all the students were enjoying themselves and having a good time.  They had the dancing and singing group which Cody participated in and they had this group of 5 seniors singing a few acapella songs that they had made up them selves and they had a little band with drums, base, guitars, piano etc.  It sounded like he that musical group who does Christmas songs.  But Ms. Rodgers was in a good mood and it was a very fun evening.  Erin was able to go up and sing the alumni songs with the group so that was good.  We got there 15 to 20 minutes early and were still late.  We could not find seats.  So we had to break up and sit in different areas.
 
Tuesday night, Erin got set apart as a missionary by President Lewis.  President Shumway and his wife were there along with President Esplin, and then our family and Whitney.  We thought is would be good for Whitney to see and hear the setting apart.  It was really good. He asked President Shumway to give the opening prayer.  And in his prayer, he mentioned something about those present here and those present in spirit (both from this life and the next).  President Lewis gave Erin some advice.  Told her not to get discourage and Satan will use discouragement as one of his biggest weapons on the mission.  He told her she would see alot of poverty, etc.  Then he asked Mom to bear her testimony and Sister Shumway and President shumway and President Esplin and myself.  It was really neat.  President Shumway said that Amber was only 1 of 3 that he could not set apart in his 9.5 years of service, so being there with Erin kind of made up for that.  President Esplin said he had known Erin since the day she was born.  Any way, it was all very nice and then President Lewis gave Erin a very nice blessing;  that she would be healthy and avoid sickness, that she would learn the language and love the people that she is serving.  It was a very special night and evening. 
 
We came home and had prayer an scriptures and Erin was getting all the last things done and packed etc.  At about 10 pm the phone rang and we thought it was Ben, so we said, do we answer that?  I told mom, yes we should and that is probably Chelsea calling to talk to Erin before she leaves.  It was a lady from the church travel department and she said that Erins flight from Elko to SLC had been canceled and wondered what we wanted to do.  We had 2 choices, we could have her catch a 12:30 flight out of Elko, but then she would miss all her connecting flights and have to stay the night in a hotel in SLC, and fly out the next day by herself, or we could drive her over to SLC to catch her noon flight out of SLC.  We asked Erin and she did not want to travel by herself and wanted to drive to SLC.  If we missed the flight on Thursday, she would not be able to fly out until after Christmas, which she did not want.
 
So mom got up at 3:30 am and woke me up, I was trying to sleep until 4:30 but was not able to go back to sleep, so I got up and showered and got every thing ready and we left at 6 am.  We had good roads, but there was quite a bit of fog in Utah.  Some places were pretty thick.  But we made it there in good time and I dropped off Erin at the airport and she made it to Lima.  We got an email from her the next day.  She got to the Lima MTC at 3 am.  I guess in the SLC airport she met up with a group from the provo MTC going to Argentina and her Lima MTC companion was on that flight from Heber Ut and an Elder John from Idaho Falls.  We were glad she got there.
 
After I dropped her off, I went by mom and dad's house and met Sharon and Deeray there and I took home alot of mom's old food storage.  They are trying to get rid of all the junk and old things.  Charlene will inherit the house, but we think she should sell it and get something more manageable for her to upkeep.  I brought home soup, and pickles and old meat from the freezer, etc.
 
I left Utah around 2:30 pm, as I did not want to be traveling in the dark with alot of fog.  I got home around 6 Elko time and then we went to Summer's FFA activity and decorated gingerbread houses.  I was tired when we got home, it was a long day.
 
Thursday was just another day, I played bball in the morning and went to work.  Cody left with his bball team to go to Utah for a tournament there. They played Logan on Thursday who was undefeated and suppose to be the #2 team in the state in 4A.  Elko won by 3 points.  Cody had 7 points,  one 3-pointer and 4 for 4 from the line.  So without his buckets, they would have lost. 
 
I worked a half day of work on Friday and the kids got out of school at 1 pm, so we went to see Cody play in SLC.  We took Whitney with us as this would be the only time she could watch Cody play while she is home.  Elko played Heriman and lost 50-41.  Elko's 1st loss of the year.  Elko did not play very well.  They could not make any of their baskets.  Cody was 1 for 2 shooting with 2 points total.
 
We stayed at mom and dads house Friday night.  It snowed quite a bit Friday night and sat in utah.  Since he lost they played at 1 pm.  They played Syracuse and won by 3 points.  Cody had one 3 pointer and 1 jump shot for 5 points.  He was 0-2 from the free throw line.  He missed 2 front end of 1 and 1s.  Afterwards, we went to temple square as Whitney had never been there before, to see the lights and temple, etc.  We met a ton of visitor sisters missionaries and it was fun.  One sister asked me if she could take my phone number and use me as a member present when they are teaching people over the phone.  So I said, heck yes.  I think that would be great to share the gospel with missionaries when they are calling referrals over the phone.  FUN FUN FUN.
 
We went back to mom's house and Darhl and Deeray, Timmy, Nate, Brenna, and Trevor were there.  We had a fun time watching BYU bball team play Oregon, the #13 team in the country.  BYU led the entire game and lost in OT.  But it was a fun night with tons of laughs.  Whitney thought we were all crazy.
 
Sunday we stayed over to let the weather clear up.  We were planning on driving back early and go to church, but it was still snowing, wo we decided to go to church with Charlene. Cody and I  did not take our church clothes.  The girls had skirts.   Cody and I wore 2 of dads old suits, with his cowboy boots.  I had a green shirt on of my own, not a church shirt and it did not match at all.  Cody said, he had a white shirt of grandma's on, but I am sure we looked liked a couple of hicks.  We left after church and drove back to Elko and had great roads.  No snow, no fog, etc.
 
It was a long but short week.  Erin, we wanted to know if you were able to take you jerky with you on the plane and through customs.  Whitney said she was not allowed to take food or drink with her on the plane.
 
I hope you two have great weeks.  Study hard, learn alot, choose the right and return with honor.  Erin will you be able to call or skype on Christmas?  We hope you are learning the language and adjusting to the MTC life.  How is the food down there in the MTC.
 
Enjoy this time as a missionary as it goes by very quickly.  We will talk to you Amber in a few days.  We love you both very much and pray for you daily.
 
Love,
 
DAD

My Dear Daughter missionaries,

I just read Dad's letter.  He always covers everything really well, so then it's my turn to add my perspective without telling you the same ol' thing.  I will concur with Dad that the Choralier concert was probably one of the best ever.  It was just a fun, casual atmosphere.   Ms. Rogers was in a really good mood without being to show offy.  All the songs were accompanied by students playing the piano-- Kate Shumway, Mandy Perkins and Griffith Barker.  They did a really cool song this year that was from Nigeria and Megan Ackerman and some other kids played played these big ol' bongo drums.  It was very cool, and Jacob, this black kid had a solo and sang...loved it.  Cody seemed to be alot more into it. Even Sis. Barker commented that he has loosened up a lot up there.  He did really well with the show choir.  Romney Goulding was his partner and they seemed to have a lot fun. The whole evening just had a wonderful feel to it.

The picture I sent, is one that we are sending out for our card this year.  It was taken right after Erin was set apart.  That was wonderful.  Pres. Lewis gave her a beautiful blessing.  He said she would have a good relationship with her mission pres. and would learn to speak the language and would love the people.  It was really special having the Shumways and Pres. Esplin there.

Erin turned her Ipod over to my care, so now I have to figure out how to use it.

Dad told the story of the change of travel plans.  I am so glad she went over that morning to hook up with the rest of the group.  It hadn't really sunk in yet those first few days that you were gone Erin.  I would pull up to the house and see the bug there and think, 'Oh, Erin's home'.  Then I had to remind myself,'Oh, yeah, she's gone'.  Carly and Addie are sleeping in your bed.  Cody thought he was moving in.  I'll bring him into the other room as soon as I figure out a way to put all three girls in there.

We had fun in UT.  I think Whitney enjoyed it.  The bball games were fun to watch, although I wish we could have played better against Herriman.  Cody said he and his roomies in the hotel got the Honeymoon suite and so they had a jacuzzi in the middle of the room.  Temple Square was so beautiful.  We went up and saw the Christus statue before it got too busy.  We lost Addie at that point.  She had gone down and was playing on the escalator.  (small town entertainment)  We went over to Deseret Book for a while and then back to Grandma's house.

We gave Melissa McEntire a ride home from SLC when we went home.  Her dad was involved in a mining accident on Wed.  He was burned by a flash arc from electrical wiring that caught fire.  He was wearing a hard hat, goggles and a respirator mask, so he was only exposed just above his eye brows and  2 in. above on his forehead, his cheeks and ears.  They suffered 1st degree burns, but his hands got the worst--2nd and deep 2nd degree burns.  Melissa told us his gloves melted into his hands.  He was to be released  today from the hospital.  He has to do therapy with his hands so the scars don't stiffen up and decrease mobility.  It could have been tragic.

We just learned the Talbots are moving to Eureka.  The kids will start school in Eureka after the Christmas break.  They will probably sell the house, that's what Tiffany's parents want to do.  I guess that means we will be getting a new bishop.  We will miss them.  But, it might be good for Clancy, he got cut from the bball team and they would be happy to have him play  for them.

When is your Pday Erin?  How is your language coming?  You have probably covered everything you ever learned in HS already.  Well, Christmas is almost here whether I'm ready or not.  It will be small and low key, but we will enjoy it.  I hope you girls will to.  I love you both so very much and I was so happy to share with the sister missionaries on temple square that we have two daughters serving.  So, many blessings.  Merrry Christmas!!

Love, 

Mom