A Lot of Goings-On as Elder Call begins Final Week

21 February 2011

Dear Dad,

Thank you so much for the past couple of emails that you have sent. It is really good to hear from you. Sorry this email is coming kind of late in the day. It is President's Day so all the libraries are closed and we had a weird schedule this morning.

Grandma and Grandpa Brown came up to Rigby for lunch today! It was so good to see both of them. I wasn't sure if they were going to make it up--I kind of figured that since Salt Lake was closer I would just see them there. I didn't realize that they have been experiencing those kind of health issues. Sister Christiansen called me this morning and told me that they were going to come up for lunch today. They made it just fine, a little longer drive than I think they expected (I don't think they knew I got transferred up to Rigby a few weeks ago). They are such good people. We had a really good visit. They were surprised that they were able to find our house, it sounds like Sister Christiansen talked them all the way here. Bless her heart. Those office couples are really something special, and I don't think they know it.

I hope the Spring has come. The last couple of days were windy and snowy again.

It sounds like you guys have some big plans for the house, that would be really good to have fruit trees and a garden. It would be fun too.

We had the Departing Missionaries Temple Trip on Thursday. The Temple in Idaho Falls is an exceptional place to visit and ponder. Being there with missionaries that I have learned to love and President & Sister Colton, what a neat experience. Brother Mengel gave us a ride down to and back from the temple. He and his wife gave us our first meal here in Rigby. They are good people.

I also was able to get together with Grandpa Call's cousins again for lunch this week. I love those people also, they absolutely insisted on getting together. Sister Barbara Call Brown copied a bunch of pictures for me again. She is a funny 80-year-old woman, very spry for her age.

That Valentine's card wasn't only my idea. Last Monday while we were in Walmart an older couple stopped and said hello to us (as many do), but she then said, "Let me see, it is Valentine's day and you would love to send a card to your mothers, telling them how much you love them, but you just don't have the money. Let me give you each a card to mail to them." She handed us the cards and they went on their way. She was right.

It has been a good week. We found four new investigators--that was a miracle. I hope that this area can start to blossom some more (not a whole lot was going on here when we got to Rigby). I really love Rigby it is a wonderful place with some amazing people. I wish I could be here forever. One of our new investigators in particular seems really promising. His wife is a less-active member and he said he is easing into the church. He told us that he will be baptized, just didn't set a date. We will teach him again tomorrow and hopefully set a date with him.

As cold and as hard as it is sometimes to go out and work and keep trying, I don't want to leave. I don't want this to end. The mission is too good to me. Being here and watching as the Lord's work and purposes unfold is a miraculous event--beautiful and awe-inspiring. I love the Lord.

Thank you for everything that you have sacrificed for me for the past two years. I can't thank you enough.

I love you,

Elder Call