E-Mail October 29, 2012

This week has been crazy!

So, I have to kinda recap a part of my e-mail last week. So, last Saturday (the 20th) Kassy was locked in on getting baptized this past Saturday (the 27th). She wanted Brandon, her husband who has been Less-active for ever, to baptize her. He knew he would prolly have to go through this whole long process in order to make that happen. So! He needed and interview with the Bishop. Bishop is in Machu Pichu (however you spell that) climbing mountains with his son and wont be back until Thursday (the 25th). That wasnt gonna happen. We called like 10 people to get to the Stake President, Sunday after church, and was finally directed to his personal cell number. So we called him and asked if Brandon would be able to have an interview sometime soon. He tells us that he has time between now and 5:30 (this is all happening at 4:45). Awesome! Give Brandon a call, he gets dressed and heads over there and gets cleared to baptize Kassy. YAY!!! WOOT!! PARTAY!! Super soaked... stoked! (LOL!)

Now comes Monday. Kassy doesnt wanna get baptized on the 27th anymore. CRAP!! "What the heck is going through her head? What is it now?" All these different throughts start racing through my head. She cancels the meeting that we had set up to go over her baptismal program. We try to accomodate her feelings and let the appointment fall through... for now. We called her and Brandon back a little later and ask if we can come over to just see what is going through her head. We go over and have another spiritual lesson. She's back on for it!! Woot!! Now we set up a time to meet with another missionary for her interview. Tuesday rolls around and she is uncertain about it again. "Kassy!! You're killing me right now!!" So we have another little emergency meeting. She had a few questions so we answered them and she felt better about everything. Pumped for her interview now. So, we get the interview to happen on Wednesday and she passes. Now, for a little background on Kassy. Kassy does NOT like to be pressured into doing anything. It HAS to be her choice, and Brandon will defend her every which way he has to to make sure she isnt uncomfortable. She doesnt like to pray in front of people let alone give a talk/bear her testimony. A little weird, but, that's how she is. She has pretty bad anxiety issues. Back to where we left off. She passes her interview. Get home that night and Brandon gives us a call. He is pretty ticked off right now. He calls and lays into me about pressuring her to do things she doesnt want to do. How they have told us time and time again we CANNOT do that. I dont remember doing that after she told us BUT, she obviously felt like she was being asked to do too much. Brandon goes on to tell me that during her interview she was pressured, after already saying "no", to give a prayer and she felt super uncomfortable. The same thing aparently happened with bearing her testimony. Anyway, after all this Kassy no longer wants to talk to us and our only line of communication was through Brandon. But, she still wants to get baptized. Well, now I'm thinking that there is going to be contention at her baptism which will totally detract from the spirit that should be present. So we are freaking out up until Friday. Friday night comes around and they give us a call and invite us over to their place. They assured us that it wasnt a booby trap and that they werent going to pounce on us. So we did. We cleared everything up, apologized a million and one times and mended the relationship. We went through with the Baptism on Saturday and it was a great Spiritual Experience for everyone in attendance.

But!! That was pretty much the important things that happened this week. I was the most stressed I think I have ever been in my life. It was definitely a trial for me. It doesnt seem like it would be anything big but, it really was trying time. Because of the spiritual lessons we had that week and as many times as she was going back and forth I doubted if what I was saying all those times was really by the Spirit. I felt His presence in every lesson and felt Him work through me. At the moment there was no doubt in my mind. But it was in the retrospect that I doubted. Pres. Uchtdorf gave the First Presidency message on this a few months ago. It was titled "Living in the Middle." Everyone should go read that. Anyway, I learned alot and had my faith and testimony strengthened so much because of this week. It's been an amazing experience. All of the miracles and all of the trials.

I hope everyone learns from their past, lives in the present and hopes for a brighter future. Our Heavenly Father knows and loves each and every one of us, individually. He knows exactly where we are in life and exactly what we need in order to progress in His kingdom. He has a vast sea of blessing in store for each of us. If we dont see those blessing in our own lives its because we are holding those back from ourselves. He wants to "open the windows of Heaven" to all of us. Please, everyone that reads this, take advantage of God's plan for each of us. Everyone goes through different trials at different points of their life and at different intensities. Everyone. Christ has been there for us from the beginning of our eternal lives. He is there, He was sent on our behalf to do what none of us could. Allow Him to make up the difference. Let Him lighten our loads.

~Elder Daniel Peterson

Picture Overload

Love from Home Edition

I guess sugar cookies don't travel well! lol!

Yep... That's my Pa! 

Picture Overload

"Did you see that?!" Edition

 

...Classy...

 

I didn't really get the fully story on all this stuff, but I think this was in someone's home! One person owns all of this sports stuff...

 P.S.- That was the short version of all the "Sports Stuff" pictures he sent home.

Spooky Moon!

  

That must be some REALLY good chicken!