One Last Week of Summer Vacation

Hola Elder Nielsen,

Another week in the books and I think back at what happened and I can't remember much. These past few weeks have been very hard as we have been staying up late watching the olympics until 11 pm and then getting up at 4:30 am to 5 am. We are not functioning very well on lack of sleep. 

On Monday, Summer found out that she made the varsity soccer team (we are giving thanks to Erin and the reputation she build in that program). They kept 19 girls, 4 freshmen, so that is good. They have their first games in Reno this Friday and Saturday. We will see how they do. This Friday is the 1st home high school football game as well.

On Tuesday I went to Battle Mountain to meet with students. As I was meeting with this one student, the missionaries from Elko called to see when they could meet with her again. I told her to let us know and she could be taught in our home. She was suppose to come by my office this past week and I have not heard any thing yet. I was also trying to follow up with the college student that said yes to listening to the missionaries, but she has not responded to my texts. But we will get something set up with her.

I can't remember much about Wed through Friday, not much happened I guess. I am trying to get ready to teach my accounting class this fall and get all the students paid their financial aid money. It is a busy time of year. I am also trying to finish up all my tax returns. Joe Debraga called me this past week and wants me to go call him in a bull elk for the archery hunt. I would love to do that, but not sure how it will fit in my schedule.

On Saturday, I finished painting another set of blinds and worked on taxes. We sure do like the Olympics. The US is winning in the total metal count. The US women soccer team lost and will not get a metal. The closing ceremonies are tonight and mom and I will be happy to get our lives back on schedule.

We had good meetings at church. We invited Brother and Sister Halls and their 18 year old grandson over for dinner as we as Sister Guyampo, a lady in our ward from Ghana Africa. She is married but her husband is still in Africa and can't get a visa. She has been here for over a year and has not seen her husband. It was a great Sunday afternoon dinner with great people. We were happy to share our meal with all of those individuals.

Keep working hard. We love you and always pray for your success. Keep working with those who have the smoking addiction, and they will bounce back. It is better that they have their relapse now vs after they are baptized. We are happy you are a missionary. Serve the Lord the best you possible can. You are on the down hill side, so make the most out of every minute. Be humble and an example to all the other missionaries.

Love

Dad

Dearest Elder Nielsen,

This will be our last week of Summer Vacation.  It always goes by so fast; the girls are getting ready with their school supplies, etc.  We've had a good summer though-- visiting Chelsea and Brian, California and hanging out at home.  Summer made the girls' Varsity soccer team.  Yeah!  But, with high school sports comes... Fundraising! I didn't realize or appreciate a year off from that.  Summer's  soccer team was required to presell 15 tubs  each, of popcorn in 24 hours or they were going to have to do a beacher-mile for their conditioning the next day.  They weren't cheap either 18.00 a pop (good one huh?  So, we hit the streets.  She went to the neighbors, and other people we knew we could count on.  She is quite shy and it was hard for her, but she didn't want to be the one who let the team down by not doing her job.  She even offered to do a service for the purchasers, because she felt bad about how much money it cost.  Our neighbor, Paul Blackburn was kind of touched by that and he told me that he told her that that wasn't necessary, he told her to just do her best.  They all made the goal and instead of a killer work out they did something fun instead.  All were very happy.

Carly has been kind of slacking these past 2 weeks from Indar, ever since Summer quit going because HS soccer, she hasn't wanted to go alone.  I think she still wants to do it, but she hadn't really had a break from it all year and she needed a break.  She told me she would go this next week.  I kind of wonder whether we should just put her in gymnastics or tumbling because she is always out on the tramp doing tricks.  She can now do a back flip, but Dad doesn't like her to do those kind of stunts.

This past week was kind of busy with all the parents mtgs.,  there was the soccer mtg. and the Choralier mtg.  Summer got signed up to sell  programs at the fair and I took a slot in the ticket booth,  Yee Haw!  This week we have all the school open house/meet your teacher stuff.

There was a really good talk given in Sacrament Mtg.  It was the high council speaker Alan Jones.  He lives next to the Espinels old house.  Remember he and his wife helped us when we layed their sod?  He said when he was on his mission in Brasil, he said a girl that was investigating the church came to Sacrament mtg. and when she looked at the Sacrament table and the they way the cloth was laying over the emblems, it looked like a body, and she said, "Who died? "  He said that really hit him and that to this day he reflects on that every sunday and thinks a lot about THAT person who died.  He said serving a mission will give you experiences that you will reflect upon and affect you the rest of your life.  I believe that is very true.

I hope you have a very wonderful week.  You always seem to have great experiences,  the story about the high flowing stream was kind of crazy!  did you get a picture or were you just trying to not get washed away?  I love you so much my dear boy.  

Love, Mom