Mission Tradition... Hmmm...

Date: Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 2:42 PM

Email #43 – LaGrande, OR

  

Dear Bevell Family,

   Once again it sounds like you all had a busy week! From saying bye to Carsten to setting up rooms last minute, lol it sounds like a fun time.

   I hope you enjoyed talking to Sister Cannon. She's a great woman. The perfect "mission mom". ( of course she will never be able to replace you Mom! ;D. ) Of course I took the first opportunity to tell her that I can sing, and after she heard me she told me that I will be singing a lot more often in missionary meetings.  The violin however, I have gotten really rusty with that. I tried to play one recently and did terrible. But I am getting much better at the piano now! I know two hymns, and am working on another whenever I get the chance.  As to my inhalers I have one left and it had about 80 puffs left on it. I usually don't have to much trouble with my asthma but apparently they are mixing two types of grass seed and that's all in the air now. It's been affecting Elder Richards as well. I know the preventive I have right now doesn't work for me, so the only thing I see happening is to either go with the singulair or the allergy medicine. I will probably get a call from Sister Cannon sometime this week, so I will discuss it with her then.

   Carsten's heading off to the MTC!!!! I am so excited for him. Is he English or another language? I don't think you guys told me yet. And yes, the picture I sent him is on the card. I will be sending that to you guys at the end of this transfer.

   Brother Wood met Elder Willis!!? Thas awesome! I knew him in my first area. He was crazy fun. I was with Elder Watson at the time. Good memories.

   Your experience in church was crazy to read about. That hasn't happened to me yet, and I hope it doesn't. But I'm glad to hear how you handled it. I wish I could have been there to see and feel the spirit as you spoke. I will put your talk on my flash drive and print it off to read it sometime.

   It's good to hear about Richard as well. I love that guy and miss his jokes. You can tell him that I used his rabbit one with some kids and they loved it. You know the one: How do you catch a unique rabbit? Unique up on it!  lol. And I really do feel the love of the ward. Tell Gabi, Br Holland, and Sis Boyer thank you for there care and support. I can't wait to see them all again.

   So about my week now. We had the baptism of Ginnessa Webber and her daughter Karia this last Saturday. It was a great baptism, and the Webber's took us out to dinner that day as well. As we talked Ginnessa told us that when she first started the lessons it was because a member friend had told her "If you would listen to the missionaries you would want to get baptized." So she decided to try and prove her friend wrong. So she decided to take the lessons, but told herself that she wasn't going to get baptised!!! We laughed hard when she told us this story. But she has changed so much, and I just know she will be an amazing member of the church.

   A sad thing happened as well. The Webbers were not the only people scheduled to get baptized this last Saturday. Libby Davis couldn't make it because she was in so much pain it hurt to move. She called to tell us this 40 minutes before the baptism started. I was crushed. I have only known this woman for two weeks, yet I love her as much as all of you guys. We decided to go and visit her after the baptism but she didn't answer. However she was there when we dropped by later that day. As we knocked we heard her yell, " Please come in! Hurry! " As we walked in we found her trying her hardest to stay standing by clinging to the wall. We helped her sit down and she then told us how she had been stuck there for quite some time, when she remembered us telling her that when she was feeling down, to sing and invite the spirit. Well, as soon as she started singing we showed up. "That," Libby said, " strengthens my testimony that God does hear my prayers." I am so grateful that Elder Richards and I decided to go visit her when we did. We almost stopped by our house first to drop some stuff off when we just decided to see her first. We visited her again yesterday as well, but she is getting worse. Her kids and her have decided to put her in an assisted living home. They are actually thinking of putting her in Wildflower! The same place where we do service at! We told her that and she was happy to hear that if she goes there she will see us possibly even more. We are also working on setting a new baptism date with her.

   So for Pday today we drove up to Mnt Emily to look for a place for Elder Richards to burn his pants. I don't know if I told you this, but it is tradition in this mission to burn an article of clothing for the amount of time you have been out. The burnings go as follows:

     6 months- a tie

     1 year- a shirt

     18 months- pants

     2 years- a suit

I have already burned an ugly tie that I found, and at the end of this transfer Elder Richards will have been out 18 months. (Don't worry I will not burn anything of worth) After that we went shopping, and now we are emailing.

   Well, that's me for now. I'm gad you liked the letters, I look forward to getting some from you now. And thank you for the pictures. I love getting those. I am saving them on my flash drive as well. And tell Teasha and Hope I said Hi!!!  I'm still waiting for their letters as well. lol. I love you all, I pray for you every night. ( Really, I do. )

Have fun and stay cool!!!!

                                       -Elder Bevell-