Sister Mikayla: Hello!

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mikayla 
Date: Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 11:24 AM

Hello Family!

This week I had a few exciting things happen =) (Exciting has several meanings)

First I had a super awesome time on Tuesday and Wednesday when we did exchanges with the Spanish Hermanas from Rifle. Yes that means I had to teach in Spanish =O! Which I was super excited about but also I don't know much gospel vocab so I was interesting haha. Although I did realize one thing, for some reason it is less scary to speak Spanish if Spanish is the persons only language haha don't know why. Anyway, me and Hermana Tew went to Rifle and at one point during the day we had a awkward/spiritual experience (believe me, though strange it is possible). We went up to this one apartment and Hermana Tew said that the house we needed was somewhere in these apartments but she wasn't sure which. So we walked around for a bit and then went upstairs and knocked on the door. Lo and Behold it was them! That was cool, but even though the lady was very nice and said we could come in if we would like, she explained that they were having dinner at the moment. Hermana Tew said that was okay, that we could come back later and asked her if we could come back at a specific time on Friday, and the lady agreed. After the door closed Hermana Tew was practically jumping down the stairs out of excitement because apparently in the Latino culture it rarely ever happens that the families set appointments to come back (they just insist that the sisters stop by whenever). So we were walking back to the car and then all of the sudden Hermana Tew got a kind of worried look on her face and said, "Sister I feel like we need to go back". We stood their for a moment and I said, alright If you feel like we need to go back we can. So we said a prayer and began the trek back up to the 3rd floor. We stood their for a moment (because what do we say, "hey we know we just knocked and you told us you were busy and to come back on Friday, but were back again, how are you guys?") Then we knocked and the women's son answered and gave us a strange look. He tried to go and get his mom again, but we said no, talked to him for a little bit, and gave him a restoration pamphlet, then peaced out. It was very awkward, but we felt peaceful about it afterward and knew we did what we needed to, but I'm not going to lie, it is one of the strangest emotions I've felt.

Anyway, that was fun!

I also did a risky thing the other day and prayed for Humility and Charity (I dare you to pray for it =))

Disclaimer on this next story: It was all for the best and heavenly father knows what he is doing. End of Disclaimer.

So yesterday afternoon I began to get a bad headache, but it was time to be done with lunch and get back to work so I just grabbed about 3 Ibuprophens ( I don't know why I never take that much) and downed them and a bunch of water. We went to our next appointment, but as we were teaching I kept forgetting basic words like Book of Mormon and Church (very inconvenient when teaching about the gospel). It had been about an hour and the medicine hadn't kicked in yet! Sister Betts asked if I was alright and I said I didn't feel very good and was starting to feel very carsick and fuzzy minded (which is weird because I wasn't in a car).

Anyway we headed over to the Zellars because he is a magical medicine man (just like you dad!). I told him my head hurt, but I couldn't remember the word for stomach ache so I sort of stood there I'm sure looking like an idiot for a few minutes ( like what do you say you know? "what's wrong with you?" "Uhhhhmmmm... what was that? I can't actually remember... I think I'm here because something is wrong but... well never mind I don't know who I am or what I'm doing here, what can you do for me doctor?")

So he told me to sit down in front of the air conditioner and gave me some water to drink. I sat there, but as people asked me questions and my mind wouldn't produce the answers I began to get very stressed. (you know me I like to look like I know what I'm doing, and not relying on other people a whole ton). So as my mind decided it was on vacation, my body began to get more stressed out and I went into a panic attack and started hyperventilating. It wasn't very fun and the more you fight it the worse it gets, a very out of control feeling. Sister Zellers finally grabbed me and told me to breath. She took me outside and talked to me for a bit about how we have to let people love us, and let things out.

I realized that this was the not so fun object lesson for the prayer I had said earlier. If we won't let other people help us, or if we are too concerned on looking good and being in control (that would be me). How can I expect people to be willing to let me love them?

Lessons and trials are hard, but like C.S. Lewis says, God isn't a senile grandfather who doesn't care what his children do as long as they are content and out of pain. He wants us to be perfect, even as he is perfect. He loves us that much! That much love is painful but worth it.

One of my new favorite scriptures is 1 Peter 4:8 "and above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity preventeth a multitude of sins."

Also Eden- Taylor swift has been reading the Bible! Ecclesiastes 4:9

So those were some of my exciting experiences this week.

I saw that Tessia is engaged! Oh my goodness that is so exciting! Also I love her ring! That's  like the kind of ring I was talking about wanting! Beautiful, I love the vine twistish thing.

Have awesome lives this week and tell me all about them =) Love you all!!

Mikayla =)

Colorado Sunset

Waiting for my turn in El Bano

Testing my skirt for modesty (you only know its modest when  you can climb up the stairs backward and still remain decent... right mom =) love you)

Me and Alexis being Super excited about a purple fire hydrant

Wide, Awake, and Alert for morning Prayer

Why did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Me and Hermana Tew!

Sister Mikayla: Happy Happy Happy

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mikayla
Date: Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 11:24 AM

Hello Hello! It was so great to talk to you guys yesterday! I love you all and am glad to hear that you are doing wonderful! I hope your ranch trip was beautiful, there is nothing like the great outdoors and the mountains and the pine trees and the wilderness surrounded with family. My idea of heaven! (Of course It would be nice if the wilderness looked like New Zealand and I was living in a house I built my self out of materials that allowed me to forego the heating and cooling bills and make its own energy, and it rained jars of pink Nutella {that ones for you Eden} and it had a beauty and the Beast sort  of Library that was built on the edge of a massive waterfall, but that's probably asking for too much)

Anyway, This week in Meeker has been interesting. We haven't talked to Adam again yet (the guys we met last Sunday with the numerous body decorations), but we did meet with Alexis a few times. We actually set her on date and she accepted that invitation happily, but than a strange thing happened. Right after we set her on date we left her house to go out and work again, and our appointments began to fall through, than one of our investigators' husbands told us they didn't want to meet with us anymore, and Sister Betts got some sort of stomach sickness, one of our investigators called us crying telling us she was moving and getting a divorce and when we went back to visit with Alexis she didn't want to read or pray with us anymore...

Needless to say me and sister Betts went home after Alexis said that and sat on the kitchen floor ate Ice-cream, cried, and laughed at each other for crying. It is really sad when you are reaching out to help someone, to give that loaf of bread to the starving person and they through it away, but there is a certain point where they have to make their own decision, so we cry and watch them suffer, and let them make that decision, try to help them, but eventually move on and allow them that painful but precious gift of agency.

Last P-day I didn't write you guys back, sorry about that, we had a crazy P-day! We went to rifle (its about an hour from Meeker) to pick up my sweat shirt and give Sister Tew her earing back (some things we misplaced when we were there for Zone Conference). So we went shopping there because in Meeker things are about twice the price as a regular Wal-Mart which we don't have in Meeker, but they have one in Rifle so we shopped there. It was kind of fun because as we were shopping we ran into Sister Tew and Encarnacion and the Zone Leaders Elder Gibson and Elder Redd we all talked for a little bit and bought some Mangos (and the zone leaders put some doughnuts in our basket that we brought to District Meeting the next day (we have District Meeting every Tuesday in Meeker). Anyway, it was busy but fun!

 On Saturday sister Betts was really sick and feeling like she was going to through up, so we stayed home. I finished the rest of Exodus (about 10 chapters), a chapter of Jesus the Christ, re read some letters and watched the Joseph Smith Movie, Legacy, the Mountain of the Lord, the John Tanner story and Only a Stonecutter =P! ah! it was a long day.

We were able to teach an 8 year old this week though, that was awesome! She really wants to get baptised, so her mom called the bishop and he said she would have to take the discusions first, so she called us and asked if we could come down and teach her at the gas station. She was just soaking up everything we were saying -and inputting some interesting gospel speculations about how "Jesus was going to wait until all of the good people died and then blow up the earth and everyone would die-" we were just like "WoW... well that's interesting, I'm not sure he is going to blow it all up, but sort of close I guess" haha I can see that she was really trying to learn though, and it was a refresher from teaching adults. I can't get my pictures to work today! I will send them next week though! Love you all! write soon!

Kayla

The Important Things

I almost always read, at least for a few minutes, before I slide down into my covers and go to sleep, but last night was the end of a lovely, exhausting day and the sliding in my head preceded the sliding into covers by a few good hours. =) My eyes are still puffy this morning and I would have slept in but I needed to write Mikayla before she gets on for her computer time this morning. Yesterday was Father's Day and Mom's birthday and because Eden had girls camp until Saturday afternoon and because a day trip means no packing, (YEA!) we woke up at 4:30AM so we could leave by 6'ish and drive to McCall to attend church with Mom and Dad and spend a good part of the day visiting. Because of the nature of the little mountain resort town, the ward has always been transient and has changed quite a bit since we lived there, but the few people who do remain still make it feel like home. Our former Bishop, Bro. Dillon grabbed us before we even made it inside the building and gave us big bear hugs. We adore him. The Lamb's were there, as gracious as ever, and we even got to visit with one of Jordan's best middle school friends, who is now engaged and looking so happy. The people are treasures in McCall. I guess there are treasure people everywhere you go, but because our McCall years were difficult, growing years, we were on the receiving end of people's kindness most of the time and that will always endear us to them.

I had a subtle epiphany (which may be an oxymoron) Sunday morning. I woke up at 4:30, like I told you as I said (actually I think it was 4:39 because I hit snooze once) =) and I was getting ready to go to church up at the ranch and I realized that I was being very conscious about what I chose to wear, how my hair was fixed and the general hygiene, modesty and fashion of everyone else in the family--more so than a normal Sunday morning, and it occurred to me that even at the "mature" age of 43 (is that how old I am? =) it is still so important to me that I "honor" my parents. I am still, consciously aware that I carry the Jones family name and that my actions reflect upon my parents. Of course I am now responsible for my own choices and they are not accountable, and of course the shell that we show is only a superficial kind of honor, still important because it is part of the balance of learning to take care of our bodies, but superficial because it doesn't always tell the whole story) but even so that name is imprinted on my heart. I am a Bloomquist and a Jones and a Higginson and on and on. And remembering that, guides my actions in extraneous and essential ways, just like having Christs name imprinted on our hearts. In that one commandment, to honor our parents, our Heavenly Father has been trying to teach us all along to honor Him because ultimately our ancestry ends and begins (as much as we can understand our "end and beginning") with Him! It was a profound little Ah-hah moment for me.

The weather was gorgeous at the ranch, almost as warm as being here in the valley, and we enjoyed a long walk up through the forest, first to look at Jorgensen's cabin and then blazing a trail through the bush, in our Sunday clothes, to find the Grandfather pine tree and then back around through the barn and "home again, home again, jiggedy jig", as Grandma Jones used to always say. I love Middleton--I don't desire to ever live anywhere else, but the acres and acres of land, as far as the eye can see, up in the mountains, is a calming, soothing salve to the soul. Even just driving back in the car, through endless meadows and mountains just helps me to be able to "breathe" on the inside, and sometimes, lately, that seems like such an effort. It's a blessing that we have access to a place like that to just get away for awhile. It just illuminated the day for Fred when Jordan called and when Mikayla called his cup was running over. What a resourceful, sweet girl she is. She was in the MTC during Mother's Day and so didn't get to call home, so she called her mission president and asked permission to call home on Father's Day. She didn't know if he would approve that request (as it's out of the ordinary) so she didn't plan the call with us, but it came as a wonderful surprise. She got ahold of Fred on his cell phone right before we entered the canyon, so he pulled over to the side of the road for a half hour. I think it MADE his day and because he had her call on speaker phone it made our day as well!

The very last person who called Fred on Father's Day was Mikayla's best friend, whose father passed away 2 years ago. I thought that was very sweet of her and so did he. Yesterday must have been a hard day for her.

I am so interested about the upcoming Mission President training that is open to the membership of the church. I imagine Mikayla's new mission president will be trained in that exciting meeting. I am curious to see how that transition will affect her mission, as any leadership change always brings a cascade of new and different experiences to match the strengths of the leader. And I can imagine, just from the pictures, and the meeting of Sis. Murdock, that the two mission presidents will be completely different kinds of good men.

While Eden was at girls camp, the rest of the kids did a cousin swap (Abe went to Jorgensen's and Annalie came here) for sleepover time. I'm pretty sure I got the quieter end of the deal--even Abe was exhausted when he came home the next day. He said is was super fun, but the boys had to be moving every second or they were "bored". Even when we switched back children all the little boys were crawling and jumping and climbing all over Abe and he was taking it all in stride. It's always fun to watch the oldest cousin in a group. When I brought him home he went into immediate introversion re-boot and for a good 2 hours climbed into his bed, pulled the covers up over his head (literally) and read a book. I LOVE the insight that I gained from my reading of the book called "Quiet". It has given me such a deep, important understanding of the diversity of introversion and extroversion and people's emotional needs. It helps me be a more perceptive person. I would still love to study the topic of ambiversion because I think that's where I fall--somewhere between introversion and ambiversion. Eden, on the other hand, got back from girls camp and crashed on the couch for hours just out of pure tiredness and then was rearing for friends and party mode that evening. We are all so different.

Lily and Sophie have had some financial "breaks" =) in the past few months and have been saving up their money. Sophie found the $20 "Robbie" egg at the family Easter egg hunt and then they found a dog in the neighborhood whose owner gave them $20 and then our next door neighbors hired them and Abe to take care of their animals for a week while they were on vacation and they each got $10. They really earned that one as they took three different dogs on walks twice a day and one of them is hyperactive and one is old and incontinent. =s The third, Ginger, I think made up for it because they are died and gone to heaven--in love with her tiny little self.  On Saturday I took the twins to Craft Warehouse and they purchased some vinyl theme books, which are kind of like  intense plastic "paper dolls" with scenery and some friendship bracelet forms and embroidery thread. They have been in toy/craft heaven. Lily is now wearing numerous bracelets on her arms legs and even toes--not my idea of refined ladylike attire but I do remember the friendship bracelet fashion crazes, even in my day--and I pulled out of it-- so I'm sure there is still time to teach them to emulate the graciousness of Sis. Dalton...right?! =)

I'm looking forward to Independence Day and the uniting family-ness of it all, but it will be hard without Mikayla, since it has always been a kind of prelude to her birthday. I hope she still feels that in Meeker. I truly feel like Heavenly Father hand picked and prepared her for this experience without any of us even knowing it would be an option. She has always been missionary material in the making. How I am sure our Heavenly Father cherishes her for her obedience and constantness. How I am sure that Satan knows that too--as he has not made this preparation easy for her, but I know as long as she continues in being obedient with exactness he will not be able to touch her and our Heavenly Father will guide her every footstep. Having a missionary is such an enormous blessing to those of us who aren't in the full time field. It cracks open our hearts--at least it does mine--and I am so often in need of "cracking"!

Fred and I are still casually looking for land, but more than anything just trying to figure out what we are supposed to be doing with our lives right now, which is a much more difficult task. It's ironic, really, because we got pre-approved for a loan, just to see what we were working with, but the bank pre-approved us for significantly more than we know we can afford right now, with braces and college and missionaries all in the works. I could just see Dave Ramsey shaking his head, so we're trying to find something within Dave Ramsey's numbers, not the bank's, and that is a definite difficulty and extremely limiting. However, I trust him more than any bank and it just feels right for us.

Fred took me out on Friday night to see the movie Oz. Fred enjoyed it fine, I enjoyed Fred, but I barely made it through the movie without resorting to uncomfortable thumb twiddling. I'm quite sure someone forgot to hire a screenwriter or maybe they hired the screenwriters from Star Wars...=) and if you think that's a good thing...well there are a few, very few, quotable lines of wisdom in Star Wars, but none here. Let's just say it wasn't my kind of movie--nor, I doubt, will it be my young children's (who are much less critical of scripting) because there is too much evil creepiness to make them comfortable either. I'm not actually sure for what audience it was intended. I heard an NPR Review that I thought was right on target, except that the critic managed to eke out some enjoyment from the witches dual at the end and I did not. Oh well, at least the date was a success, =) and that's the important thing! I've heard The Crood's was cute, but the trailer I saw in the theatre wasn't convincing. Anyone seen it? Anyone have any opinions?

I accidentally left my camera at the ranch, so I'll have to add my pictures to this post, posthumously =) this weekend.

Quote of the week:"...as is always the case with the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is required of us, not only that we endure, but also that we endure well, that we exhibit "grace under pressure." This is necessary, not only so that our own passage through the trial can be a growth experience, but also because (more than we know) there are always people watching to see if we can cope, who therefore may resolve to venture forth and to cope themselves. Every time we navigate safely on the strait and narrow way, there are other ships that are lost which can find their way because of our steady light." (Elder Neil A. Maxwell)

Sister Mikayla: Heya Fam

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mikayla
Date: Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 11:31 AM

Hey everyone! This week has been super crazy! We have had some fun times OYMing(talking to people who are walking down the street or planting something or mailing something at the post office etc) and tracting.

Well we have been going over to Alexis's house a lot more often now (like every other day) her cousin Carly came down from Denver and was selling hemp and Tide eye and things like that. (she looks like a shorter even thinner version of sister Crossman and acts like her, but without the goofiness) We had a cool lesson because Alexis and her mom and cousin and Aunt and her other little boy cousin were all over. Alexis doesn't pray aloud with us so When I asked who wanted to say the closing prayer I looked at Alexis's little cousin, he said he didn't know how and Carly said he should learn how, he sort of kneeled down but was kind of nervous when I showed his how to pray. Then all of the sudden Alexis said, "I want to say it" Me and sister Betts looked up at her and were like "Awesome! That would be great"!   This week a little 7 year old boy in Meeker was killed in a 4-wheeler accident and it really hit the town hard, and Alexis prayed for him and for her family and when the prayer was over the spirit was really strong. It was really cool that she prayed, she wants to get baptized, and I think she will accept to do that soon.

Then we had some interesting tracting experiences yesterday after Church. We walked up to this house (hopping over a dead bird laying on the sidewalk with its wings extended on the sidewalk). We knocked and this guy opened the door and poked his head out. He had two fang earrings on his left ear, and two on his right ear, and some in his eyebrow and a stud thing under his lip. He was holding onto two large black dogs, and had a crosses and skulls and spider webs tattooed up his arms, holding a Doberman Pincer, and a great dane that were barking and trying to knock their way out of the door. We asked if we could pray with him and ask for blessing of peace and comfort on his home (the prayer approach we use in our mission), and he said only if we didn't mind two big dogs jumping all over us and opened the door to let us in.

We started talking to him and he told us that he was devout Catholic. Just then his Mom walked in holding a cigarette and said " and Who are you?" to me. I reached my hand out to shake hers and said "I'm Sister Bloomquist" She squinted her eyes and came closer and grabbed me name tab and studied it for a moment, then finally shouted "MORMONS! Adam their Mormons!"

For a split second the Monsters inc scene flew through my head and I thought he was going to shout

"MAMA! 'Nother Mormon got in the house!" to which she would reply,

"Mormon! Gimme that Pincer! SICKEM BOYS! SICKEM!"

But he just said "well they said they were Christians"

We asked her if there was anyone she would like to pray for, and she shook her head and flicked her cigarette into the ash tray and said "Mormons! I'm outa here!"

So we kneeled and prayed as Adam stood and held the dogs, then we gave him a card with out numbers, told him to call  us if he needed anything and booked it out of there, not thinking anything would come of it.

We went a few doors down and knocked, feeling a little tense, but this time a tall, white haired lady answered the door, and I relaxed a little bit. We asked how she was and if we could pray and she said, "Sweetie, I'm Jehovah's Witness and I have already done that today, have you heard of the Jehovah's Witness's?" I said I had and she began to testify of Jesus Christ and resurrection and the last days in a Baptist Preacher-like tone. I told her that we believed some of what she had said as well and we talked for a little more, and she said thank you for stopping by and to come again. We said we would and we were about to leave and then she said, "Sweet heart, is that man with you guys?" We turned around and saw Adam, arms folded, standing in the street a few houses away, we said he wasn't, but that we had talked to him earlier and she told us she was going to stand in the doorway until we left to make sure we left safely.

So we turned to leave and Adam walked up to us and told us that he just wanted to make sure that we were okay and happy, we assured him that we were, and he said that he knew girls weren't always treated good in the church. We assured him we were always treated good and he just told us to make sure to take time out of the day to be happy and we promised we would, and that sharing the gospel is how we did that.

Well he ended up calling us later that day and said he wanted to talk to us and we ended up teaching the first lesson and it went really well. He has had a really rough life, and is still very Catholic in the things he says about just living the parts of the gospel that you want, but he said he would pray about the book of Mormon, and seemed a lot more soft and opened when he left and thanked us for taking the time to talk with him.

Its crazy how some things turn out, in the end we invite people to come to Jesus Christ, but they choose if they want to take that offer and make the change in their lives they need to do that.

We also prayed with a little black woman named Patsy from North Carolina, and I thought she was going to start "praising the lord" during the prayer, but she didn't, she just thanked us a bunch and was very happy that we had stopped by and told us how much she loved it out here, and loved the Lord and all his creations, she was all full of smiles and praise, that was amazing.

And Jordan, we also met with a Catholic couple from Argentina and Peru named Enrique and Lily. They were super open to us and said everyone was welcome in their doors but they had their own religion and their family was Catholic and they wanted to stay that way. I guess we will just serve them and see how things go!

Wow, I just attacked this email, but there were just so many cool experiences this week! I wish I could write them all!

I love ya

! Hope to get your letters soon!

Love ya! Kayla

P.S. Jordan you look soo tan, and your hair looks very black and buzzed, you almost look Hispanic haha =) Pennsylvania sounds awesome! You saw a Krishna Shrine in someones house! Wow! I bet you'd never see that in Idaho! Are there a lot of Hindu things there?

P.S.S Mom I just got your letter and read it! I love your letters! You guys sound like you had an amazing weekend with Katie and I love the Mop Idea Eden =)  I wish you all the best in your land adventures, I know you will figure out the right thing to do! You are all my anchors in your own ways! Thank you so much for your examples! Thank you mom and Dad for the stability you have raised me in, it is so eye opening to see the multitude of broken and suffering families, and while ours isn't perfect I can feel the loving and stable effects of two parents who work hard, play hard, and love their children with all their hearts. You all have a wonderful week!

Sisters Tew, Betts, Jones, Robinson, Me, Encarnacion

Sheepdog Trials

29,999 Miles!

The country again!

Deer...they are everywhere!

Poppies from Mary!

Service Karma...

Faith, Not Fear

It's not official yet, but summer is definitely here. How do I know?

--I can't keep up with my yard work, which is a good thing really because it means less time for me to do my housework. =)

--My girls have already survived, barely and happily, their first cousin sleepover at Nash's (minimal sleep, lots of "good" food, midnight swimming and BONDING).

--Abe went on a 3 day Camporee in the mountains and still got kissed (Hollywood style) by the sun.

--Eden is packing today for 5 days of memorable Girls Camp.

--My windows are open all night, without me whining about the cold.

--And last, but not least, I'm bringing home more books from the library than I can read in the check-out period because IT'S HAMMOCK TIME!=)

The weather isn't the only thing that is beautiful. Jordan's friend (who is now our friend) Katie came to visit us this weekend. I've never been a very good hostess, and planning "fun" is way out of my league--just sitting around visiting is more my style, so though we did try, we didn't "do" a lot, but we enjoyed her company. Having her here made me miss Jordan more acutely, but it was sweet of her to come and "it pleasured us".

Sis. Walker came over and talked to us a little bit about buying and selling last week. She gave us some helpful, friendly advice, guided us in some progressive directions and then left us to pursue our options. I talked to Desi for quite awhile the next day and she shared much of what she has learned in the process of getting to the point that she and Hyrum are at with their land acquisition and home building process. Honestly, it all sounds terrifying and overwhelming but she said some wise things to me. One of which was that they have moved forward in every decision only when being prompted to do so and though it all has been scary and overwhelming, things just keep falling into place (often after enormous stress). They are doing everything they can on their side (a year of research) and lots of prayers and fasting and the Lord keeps blessing things to turn out. The last thing she said to me (tongue in cheek) was, "What's the worst that could happen? We could lose everything, but we'd still have each other." Not the most comforting counsel, and yet, after the excruciating divorce mess, which just keeps getting messier, of our friends, in truth it is. It made me realize a couple of very obvious things...first, that Fred and I need to move ahead in this land/ house dream with opportunity investigating and knowledge arming, but ultimately we need to seek an answer about whether moving forward is the "right" decision or just the path we desire. And secondly, that I can save and budget and plan until the Type A personalities among us are rocking in their fetal positions, but the only external investment that has any true value is family and if we have the proper perspective we can find joy in that even if we have to stack 6 people deep. That's a proven fact--especially in other cultures. So, the plan right now is just to actively look, learn and listen and see where that all takes us and to do it with faith, not fear.

I so want to be in control of everything my life touches, but it's just not possible. Last night, weeping on the couch after learning yet another disappointing thing about pedestal people (and I've tried so hard not to elevate others unfairly--sometimes it just happens, unknowingly), Fred assured me that not being in control is a blessing because it also relieves us of the responsibility of other people's choices. I know he's right, only one person was strong enough to carry all of that, even just watching a handful of others poor choices is too difficult for me. I can barely handle working on fixing my own. The atonement continues to baffle and temper, confound and strengthen this weak tenement of my unruly spirit. I am grateful for Fred's strong arms that continue to encircle me while I grapple with  life lessons and the "mountains" that Dad says I continually build for myself. Maybe I do, maybe I have been too literal with President Kimball's invocation, "Give Me This Mountain" I am just hoping that in climbing I will eventually build spiritual muscle and not just pass out from the thin air. =)

We got a thick envelope with individual letters from our darling missionary on Friday. Sometimes, most of the time, I think my children are raising me. Mikayla sounds fantastic and exhausted! I miss her enormously, but her service is a blessing to me personally and to our family. I love her. I love what she is teaching this self-centered mother about reaching outside of ourselves.

Quote of the Week:

"...we must never let fear and the father of fear (Satan himself) divert us from our faith and faithful living. Every person in every era has had to walk by faith into what has always been some uncertainty. This is the plan. Just be faithful. God is in charge. He knows your name and He knows your need.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—that is the first principle of the gospel. We must go forward. God expects you to have enough faith, determination, and trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. He expects you not simply to face the future; He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it, rejoice in it, and delight in your opportunities.

God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe." (Jeffrey R. Holland)

Our weekend with Katie

Playing at Ann Morrison Park

I tried to warn them--the monkey bars are painful when you're no longer 9!

Still my cute boy!

Bosom Friends

Eden playing dress-ups with the twins at the Thrift Store

The first raspberry of the season!

Katie's usual spot in our home--washing dishes. Yes, we are great hosts!=S

Lily and Sophia's favorite past time--makeovers with Katie

Katie/ Eden ingenuity--mop handle for a badminton post

Opposition in all things--even energy levels! =)

Dog Pile!

Sister Mikayla: WWaaazzaaap?

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mikayla
Date: Mon, Jun 3, 2013 at 11:36 AM

Hello family!

So I hear you are looking at selling the house (AHHH! that's crazy, I didn't think this would actually happen!) What are the plans, are you looking at some other place in Middleton? Is it a piece of land you have looked at before? That's super exciting! And Crazy! Lily, you had better cough up the money you were planning on giving Mom and Dad for the piece of land so they can buy a horse!

(Rachel note: We merely have a real estate agent coming over to talk about "dreams", there are no other plans than that in the works! Mikayla got a little overexcited. =)

This week has flown by and I'm starting to have weird dejavo moments. I feel like I was just here writing a letter, but the days took forever. Each day feels like a week, and each week feels like a day. I feel like I am inside of Dr. Who's time machine. (its bigger on the inside than it is on the outside).

So one of our investigators, Scott (the one with the long red hair), is moving and so we wont be able to teach him anymore, its kinda a bummer, he was moving right along. Luckily he is going to keep in touch with missionaries, but It would have been cool to see him progress.

Also, fun fact of the day to Mom, Remember how you always thought that Marion berry pie was some sort of mixture of berries? Wrongo! Marion berries are an actual berry. Okay maybe you knew that already, I don't know, but I found out the other day that the Nielsen's (the couple we are staying with) go and pick Marion berries in Oregon, I guess Oregon actually made the berry.

(Rachel note: Fun Fact--It is Razzleberry pie that I always said was a mixture. =)A little confusion there.)

So we went to Zone conference on Thursday which was awesome, except that the Elders used a billion boxes of saran wrap and seran wrapped all of the sisters cars together in the morning . I'm pretty sure there is something in the white handbook against that! Oh well.  It is the last time we will see president Maynes, because the new president will be coming in at the end of this month. I hope for good change! I hope It will be awesome! Sister Maynes quoted Sherri Dew, you will have to look it up, but it said something like:

[Forsaking Satan may require making changes, we might have to change our friends or changes to our wardrobe, there is no such thing as sort of living a virtuous life, or kinda dressing modestly, or mostly paying tithing. 9% tithing isn't tithing, its a donation.]

(Rachel note: Can't find this quote anywhere on the Internet, so if anyone has any ideas, I would love the reference. I found some semi-similar thoughts from Sis. Dew, but nothing that could have been paraphrased this far off.)

The church is testing a new missionary program on our mission and 3 other missions in the church, I think it will be awesome, and we are so lucky to be in the testing program. It's called "Just Serve" the church set up a website called Justserve.org. We are supposed to do community service for 4-10 hours a week  on Tues-Friday from 10-4. You should get on the website and check it out because it lists organizations that have service available in the area to do, its pretty spare right now because they just opened it, but hopefully it will become more inclusive as it goes along.

Sunday was good and Exhausting (I guess the whole Sabbath is a day of rest thing doesn't apply to missionaries haha) We ran into a ton of people who were really open to us doing the prayer approach, we will go back and see them again sometime this week.

We had 4 less active families come to church yesterday! Awesome! That is where most of the focus in the mission is, so far its been going well.

And I'm sorry to say it mom, but being out here has really developed my testimony of Scouting! There are soooooo many investigators and less actives that go to scouts. I think it is really hard for members to fellowship less actives or new or non members, so I bet scouts will stay in for a while!

(Rachel note: I am guilty of wailing and gnashing of teeth when it comes to this topic, but I understand why we keep supporting the program and am trying to be a good girl and keep my mouth closed (most of the time) and sustain my leaders. It is a challenge for me.) =S

Mom and Dad, thank you for teaching me to be polite and refined =) even though people think I'm weird a lot, it has been a lifesaver for me, when I have a rough day here.
(Rachel note: Uuuuuuuuh...my one mother regret--that I tried and failed, with all of my children! =)

I sent some pictures, dandelions grow abundantly and beautifully here!

Love you all, have a wonderful week! Hope to hear from you soon!

Colorado Scenery

Companionship unity exercises

Mountains in Grand Junction at Zone Conference

Fields of Dandelions

Preaching the Word, Colorado Style