Organizing Your Life

Hey guys,

I have been wondering if Connor was in the mission or not! (This is a friend Hunter had in high school) I am glad he has plans! I am actually pretty used to hot weather believe it or not because here it is either hot or raining. 

I heard from Natalee (Hunter's sister). I sent the boys (Hunter's nephews) a quick email last week and she said everything is going great. The boys are starting up their sports so we will see how that goes. 

I am sad you guys couldnt go to the reuinion. I hope that they had fun anyways! 

We watched a talk on Sunday from Elder Godoy about how you are supposed to organize your life as a member of the church. 

First, is your family. Always. Keeping a good relationship in your family is the most important thing we need to do. Always finding time for them. 

Second your job. It is important that you provide for your family and yourself and keep your relationship with your job at a strong level. 

Third, your calling. Isnt that a little strange? President Hinkley said that it is third important thing. If you think about it, how are you going to be able to uphold your calling if your family and your job are crashing down around you? You just cant do it. 

Fourth, yourself. You need to find time for yourself as well. Excercise and scripture study etc. 

These are all things that we have to figure out how to balance. So dont let your job replace your family or your calling replace your job. Find a balance. 

Elijah was a very cocky prophet. I say that in the sense that he taunted people with the power of God because he had so much faith. He was so sure that God would back him up that he never doubted it. He trash talked the priests in that story until they started dancing around the altar cutting themselves and then he killed them later. What a guy. 

I have not gotten my package yet. We asked the place here in Cali if they had it and they said that the people that send us the notice that is here in Cali is a different company where the package always goes when it first enters the country. Do you have the tracking number? I might call them or something to figure it out. 

My ankle is totally fine now. I will try and get you pictures of it next week because it was very ugly. Cool story huh? 

I am excited to see the plans for the house! If you a copy you should scan it to me! 

I remember going to Aunt Elizabeths house. It is beautiful there. I wish I could go! I am glad Ty is finally graduating. I hope you guys have fun at Silverwood! 

We have interviews tomorrow and then on Thursday we have zone conference and we have to do a presentation to our zone. Today me and my companion planned a zone activity and we had lots of fun. We had pancakes at President Trochez house. (He is basically a missionary) His wife died 4 years ago and he was stake president, bishop, mission counselor, etc and he always goes on splits with us. 

Then we played games at the chapel. 

I got to do splits with Elder Carrion this week as well which was fun because he was my old companion and we have some good memories together. He goes home at the end of this transfer.  

President Trochez went with us and it was great. Elder Carrion didnt say much but he said enough. President Trochez told me that he liked the way I taught because he could feel the spirit. That made me really happy. He is my favorite person ever. 

Me and my companion get along great. We make fun of eachother in a different way everytime we contact someone and keep going until they let us in. 

Anyways, Grandma told me in her letter to give her and Grandpa a shoutout in my email. So Hi Grandma and Grandpa! I have a lot of letters for you! I will try to send them home with an Elder that is going home this transfer who is from Meridian! I miss you guys a bunch and love you so much! Hope you missed me at the property this week! Be safe and know you are always in my prayers! 

I love you all! Be safe! 

Con amor, 

Elder Reese 

Just So You Know Mom...

Hey guys,

Well here I am! In the field!!! WOOHOOO!! 

Elder Saboya and me are in Villa Colombia which is here in Cali. Elder Saboya is from Lima and he is 25. He is a convert of about 6 years. The only member in his family and an awesome guy! 

Just so you know Mom if you don't recieve an email that means nobody did. I always write you guys first. 

I wish I could have been there to help with Grandmas house. (We are finishing a laundry room for Hunter's Grandma) I miss doing some work like that from time to time. 

The last time I went to Silverwood was when we went there for state my junior year and it was the halloween themed Silverwood. I hope you guys have fun! (We are headed there in a couple weeks with Brittany and Ty)

I will be happy to come home to a half finished house or the same house however you have it. It might be better to come home while it is being worked on so Dad doesnt have to do everything (in terms of heavy lifting) by himself because then he gets grumpy. 

This email will be short but there is a reason that I have kept a secret for 2 weeks. when I hurt my ankle I hurt it pretty bad and they gave me a cast and they just took it off today and everything is better and I am back to normal. Problem solved! The appointment was later in the day so we got back late but I have a recording! 

The recording will explain the rest! I love you guys! 

Con amor,

Elder Reese 

Hunter's New Area

Hunter didn't have time to send an email this week, but he sent a recording that he didn't get sent last week.  Bill was able to chat with him this week; he is in his first area in Palmira and he likes his companion, Elder Leon, who is from Peru.  They were able to make 40 contacts in 4 days and he was excited about that.  He hasn't gotten his birthday box yet, but he thinks he will get it this week.  He is feeling better but he rolled his ankle today "winning" at soccer.  It is so swelled up that his shoe is tight, but he is okay with that; he won and that's all that matters!  That is all the information he gave us.  His recording will be uploaded as soon as I can remember how to do it.

Thanks for all your support and prayers for Hunter!  He should be home in February!  Not like I'm counting or anything, though.

I Will Be Writing on Mondays Now

Hey so spread the word that I will be writing on Monday instead of Saturday! President sent me out into the field for a week because there are some problems with some missionaries and he needs someone out there to just put them to work! Woohoo!!!!

I will be talking to you guys on Monday! Love you!

Be Home Early

Hey guys,

This week we got out to proselyte more than the last couple of weeks. It was really nice.

On Sunday we had an Elder that was leaving on his mission stay with us but he went out and taught with Elder Whiting and me and Elder Chacon went out together and we had fun. We only had 1 hour but it was fun.

When we went to go get the Elder from his hotel before his setting apart we told his mom that we were going to come and get him. When we got there his mother came up to the front window and started getting a little upset with Elder Whiting because he didn’t tell her that we were coming in taxi and she thought we had an office car. I quickly came to his defense because he felt bad and didn’t know what to say.  She was not very happy with me but that is just how it was.

They had their own car but his bag was pretty big. My main goal was to stay on schedule so as soon as the next taxi came by I called it and we put the bag in and got in the car and then they were going to follow us.

We got to the office and so did they. They had brought their brother because he could drive and no one else could. The problem was he was low on some sort of vitamin or I don’t really know so I went with them to Subway, also the brother was a terrible driver.

They offered to buy me some Subway like 5 times but I politely declined. They were a little more on the privileged side of life.

Then he got set apart and they left and we took him proselyting. He was not expecting to go proselyting.

At the airport the next morning his parents got there late so I gave him the choice to check his backs without his bag lock or risk doing it late. He chose to check his bags. When his dad arrived he was so mad that we put his bag through without a lock and asked me why I made him do it. I nicely explained that I gave him the choice and he made the decision. I just slowly lost respect for his parents over time.

After we sent him through we were walking through the airport with his parents and he dad said that I had made a good impression on him. I didn’t understand how but woohoo I guess!

Then we had to take a sister to the airport on Tuesday and I swear she was like 4 ft tall. She was a very nice person though. There was a problem with all the flights though so we had to wait an hour. We had to eat lunch so she came with us. It was kind of weird. I was giving the order and it was just strange to ask her what she wanted and basically just order food with a young woman.

Wednesday we had a meeting with our Ward Mission Leader who is basically inactive. He is so loving though. The meeting was just him telling us to be home early and not contact people in dangerous areas where 3 of our baptismal dates already live. Oops.

Thursday we left right after lunch to proselyte and had 2 visits. They were both pretty good. One of them is a 7^th day Adventist that cant get over the fact that the Sabbath day is Sunday. If he could accept that he would progress so fast!

The other is this couple that we met. They live together and he just got back from the army and he is 24 and she is 17. OOOOPPSSS. That is kinda strange.

Then we went back to the office real quick. We waited for this guy to come but he never showed. Then we visited Edna the one from Ecuador and you can hear that story on my recording.

Then we taught Amanda again and she has kidney stones. I bought her bread and a bottle of water and Pepsi for the rest of us because she wouldn’t tell me what she needed. Her and her daughter said they would go to church on Sunday.

Friday we taught this guy Gustavo and his wife. They are catholic but only because they were born to catholic parents. They never go to church or anything like that but they are very nice.

Then we taught this girl Lisseth and she is very nice and I think could progress very well. We had to teach her at her door  because there was no man in the house.

Then we contacted and went home.

Today for Pday I cut my hair but he did a terrible job. The Whitesides took us out to lunch to a restaurant of my choosing. I chose a restaurant called Mister Wings. It was really good.

That was pretty much my week. I have some pictures to send and a recording so that is good! I have not gotten my package yet but that is okay the longer I don’t have it the longer it will last me technically!

Love you all! Be safe!

Elder Reese