Finding Investigators, Meeting Relatives

14 February 2011

Dear Dad,

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thank you for the emails this week. It has warmed up a little bit here also these last few days. It has been kind of nice. I don't know if it will stay this way or not.

We went on exchanges this week, Thursday night through Friday night. I went with Elder White in the Rigby East Stake. I think it was a really good exchange. It was cool because Elder White wanted me to meet Bishop Wayne Call in one of their wards--Grandpa Call's friend and cousin. We went over there Friday morning and they were excited to meet me, and it was lots of fun to be able to talk with them. They had lots of good stories and even pulled out an old picture that had Grandpa Call's grandpa and Wayne Call's grandpa in it (they were brothers). Bishop and Sister Call's sons lived in the Taylor Mountain Stake and I knew them both, they are a really good family. They insisted on feeding us also, so Sister Call made some fried halibut and shrimp for lunch--it was delicious. They are extremely friendly people with a lot of faith and trust in the Lord.

I don't know if I will be able to get a hold of the Olavesons, I will see what happens. But it is going to be a pretty busy week coming up.

It has been a good week here, still just trying to find more people to teach. A few weeks ago we tracted into a couple of teenage girls who said they weren't members, but had been to church before and liked it. So last Monday night we finally met one of the parents, the father. He told us that he isn't active in the church or anything, actually that he hasn't been baptized. He told us to come over though and to teach him and his family. We set up an appointment, and he called and had to reschedule for tomorrow night, I hope that we will be able to teach him and his family.

That is kind of funny about the Primary kids not going to the right classes, but everything always works out better when done how the Lord wants it done. Kind of a similar thing that I have learned on my mission is people don't go to the wards they belong too! It can get rather frustrating, because we want the investigators to go where they can receive guidance from their inspired priesthood leaders. President Colton told me once that it is a big problem in the church and the way we are going to fix it is one person at a time, starting with our own investigators (or the people we have stewardship for).

I had forgotten that you were going to school also, that is a big thing to try to do that and work and family and church callings all at the same time. I hope that things will be done when they need to be done.

It makes me happy to hear that Mary Ann and John are doing good in school, I can't believe that they get up at 5:30 every morning. I don't think I could ever do that again for an extended period of time.

Thanks for letting me know about Rachel and Rebecca and meeting them at the baggage claim, I actually didn't even think of that! I don't like airports, they can be so confusing.

I got Mom's letter about how Grandpa and Grandma Brown wanted to see me before I leave, I called the mission office and Sister Christiansen said she would talk to you about the whole deal. Did she get a hold of you? I don't know if they realize that I got shipped back up to Rigby, which is a lot farther away from Logan than Pocatello is. I suggested that if they really wanted to come up and see me the best day would be on Monday the 21st, or they could meet me at the airport also. If you haven't had any contact with the mission office about it yet, could you please give them a call? Thank you.

Love,

Elder Call