Received Wednesday, April 24, 2013

We are attending Chase's Graduation (Zak's brother) this week, so in celebration, here are some graduation pictures!!

Christopher's graduation was held in the Provo Tabernacle, which is now being revamped to be the new Provo Temple! This is what it looked like during the Graduation:

Here we were waiting for the ceremony to start.

That is Zak right in front!! 3 years ago.

The graduates were Steven, Heather (Steven's lovely wife!) and Christopher

This is the Marriott center where Steven and Heather graduated.

This is where Chase will graduate on Friday!

Pictures during the ceremony. Nice to see Zak. Quinn, who is sitting between Zak and me will graduate high school this June. We are full of graduates!!! Plenty of room for more.

Kerry wrote to Zak:

NFL draft starts on Thursday. We’ll be driving. Rams have two first round picks, #16, #22 (Bears #20, Chiefs #1, Eagles #4)

Zak's response: remember we were driving when the Rams had the #1 pick? It was with some of our last moments of non-static radio we heard them Draft Sam Bradford. I still had mixed feelings

QUESTIONS:

Were you in lock down?? Your Sis. Mission Pres. said all the missionaries that were close were in lock down. Talk about your Monday....was it just regular? How about Tues?

so we walked into to do our laundry monday, they always have a few tv's up with the news, and we hear about the explosions! It was sad and weird to hear the story unfold as more info came out. Also just before that we were emailing and in President's email he said they were going to the marathon! we were glad to hear they, and all the missionaries, were safe. I don't know that Sister Missionary who's blog you found. Other than that the day was normal, but on friday we were shut down. I guess that's when they kind of found him but he was driving away and they weren't sure where he was going and stuff. It may have been a bit overcautious, but much better safe than sorry! it was boring to be stuck in the apartment basically the whole day though.

Did you hear talk on the street about it all?

a little, not much.

Many people inquired how you were. I was happy to say that you were 2 hours away.

yup!

Transfers! Any news??

Elder Holt is leaving! someone named Elder Stevens is coming here, currently serving in MA. According to another elder I talked to he is very new, only out 6 weeks; I don't know for sure though. I do'nt know him now, but I will soon.

Are you living in an apartment complex?

yes. They have biggish bright white rocks outside the entrance. I always thought they looked cool. I wondered where they found such white rocks. This week we saw people out spray painting them. they were fake :( I felt kind of like my Santa Clause bubble was popped or something.

How many people living with you...just 2 or 4?

just 2

Are you doing consecration?

yup, it's the best way to be if everyone agrees with it

Learning any new items to eat with these new companions?

not really. I learned I'm glad that I'm easily satisfied so I don't have to spend forever cooking and cleaning dishes. Much easier just to slap some PB on bread and be happy with that.

When you move, do you take your pillow and blankets?

yup

I sent you a couple of mails last week...get them?

I did. Very good like usual. fun to see Elder Travis Komm with some BYU alum, I played basketball with him a few times. 

You asked about quality of suits. Not sure, but I like my black one better (I think that was JCpenny). I like 2 buttons way better than 3. The pants that go with the blue are kind of baggy and goofy, and I already had 1 button pop off the blue suit (remember Sister Simpson sewed a new one on and she helped strengthen the others) but the other buttons already feel like they're getting sort of loos'ish. I could ask someone to help with that, but I never have. Not sure if that answers the question or not. 

It was fun to see Josh's email and pictures too. Glad he's learning the language pretty good!

Chase’s graduation on Friday!!

Do you realize that Christopher’s graduation was held in the NOW new Provo temple??

I did not! I remember it though

That is something! I think we are going to the Marriott center for Chase’s graduation.

Did I tell you that Quinn was nominated for the Prom Court? He still has to jump through some hoops to get it. He has had to learn the dance the Charleston, he’ll have to model a tuxedo, he and a partner will have to perform their own dance. They are doing Napoleon Dynamite’s dance. It will all be worth it if he wins. The prize for being on the court are 2 free prom tickets!!

wow, good luck to Quinn! is that girl who's pushing for him to win desperate to be his partner? some football players have done some good celebration dances he could copy too; probably he should just do Warren Sapp's dance instead.

I'll be looking forward to seeing Christopher's mud obstacle pictures.

We have a lot to do, so I may be a little shorter this time. We got Transfer Texts saturday night and since then we've been spending some time going to everyone for one last time for Elder Holt to get pictures. Everyone sad to see him go. We gave our talks on sunday. It was good. I really liked how mine turned out. I'll attach it at the end of this. I changed it a bit amount though since I typed it and didn't type everything I was going to say.

on Wednesday a YM leader asked us to come to mutual because he was afraid they wouldn't have enough people (it was playing volleyball) and we knew a less active member who was coming for the first time. It was fun. We left our spiritual thought at the end too.

Tonight we're having dinner with a great family and an investigator family is coming too which is really great. Things have been good. Also, President Packard has been going around and doing a presentation thing with all the stake presidents and bishops about what we're doing as missionaries, especially about how we can help them with their idea's and visions and did it with our people this week which is good. Our bishop liked it, President said he said some nice things about us.

Also I bought a tie for the first time today on my mission. Elder Holt and I bought matching ties.

I think that's just about mostly everything for now. It's a short week till monday and I'll be emailing again. 

(I told Zak about 3 creepy spider encounters that happened to me this week.)

No creepy spider stories from this end (although I think it's weird how many Elders are terrified of spiders, like almost refuse to kill them. It's not my favorite thing, but it shouldn't be considered traumatic either)

I love you!