Re: Letter 32 of 3
Dear Riley:
Well, yet another week in the can. It’s really hard to believe that summer is half over already. It was kind of cool knowing that while we were watching 4th of July fireworks on our side of the world that you were having a baptism on your side. Glad to see that everything worked out as planned and it’s wonderful to see the success you’re having in your area. We’re eager to hear about your new companion and we pray he’s equally invested in the missionary work. Just keep in mind that even difficult companions are assigned through inspiration by the mission President. Some of the spiritual highlights of my life came through the trials I endured with an extremely difficult companion. So… it’s all good, but just really nice to have an awesome companion with whom you can truly focus on the missionary work at hand. Keep up the good work!
The weather has been a little strange lately. We went from a week of oppressive dry heat in the 105 degrees F range to lots of cloud cover, rain, electrical storms, high winds, and temperatures in the mid to upper 80’s. Very nice in the evenings, though finding a good window in which to spray the apple trees has been a serious challenge. Last week just happened to be the week our Ward was at girl’s camp. Your mother and I took dinner up to the girls on Friday. Elise and most of the others were in good spirits, but had been pretty abused by the weather all week. It was evident by the standing puddles of water, the deep erosion channels cut into the roads and pathways, and mud splattered several feet up every standing structure that mother nature had not been kind. Stories of torrential downpours, violent and terrifying lightning storms, copious amounts of hail, and all the challenges these issues posed were plentiful. In spite of this, all involved seemed to have a good time and there was a good spirit in camp. Right before we opened up the evening program for testimonies, hail and rain yet again pummeled down and sent us on a hasty retreat to the covered eating area. We didn’t get home until around 10:40 PM, didn’t get to bed till midnight, and still went to bed smelling like campfire. I was grateful we had a Saturday without any external demands and was able to sleep in till 8:00. (Saturday I baked the first sourdough bread we’ve had in weeks and always think of my Riley when I eat it.)
The garden has been nice and already provided wonderful peas, lettuce, and squash. The tomatoes are coming along and have produced a few delectables, though not enough to outpace Josie’s capacity to consume so nothing significant by way of tomatoes has made it to the table yet. We’ve eaten the first cucumber and bell peppers are close. I already love the planter boxes. Four are now filled with my own custom blend of soil, peat moss, vermiculite, compost, and rock powder (Yes, powdered rock. It’s awesome!!). The plants have responded amazingly well and we’re looking forward to a bountiful harvest. I also decided to try my hand at a late season planting of cool weather crops. With the help of some shade cloth to maintain moisture in the soil for sensitive seeds, we already have carrots, and beets sprouting which we’ll be eating by late September. More lettuce, beans, peas, chard, and maybe even corn to come. I just love gardening and the law of the harvest. It’s so good for the body and soul and I find it difficult to comprehend how anyone close to the soil could ever deny the existence of God or his goodness.
DM came home from Madrid Spain last Tuesday and looks great. We hear his report next Sunday and I’m looking forward to it. We had a wonderful Sacrament meeting today. I hear Mom already filled you in on two of the speakers so I won’t rehash TC or Sister JS, but Wow were they powerful! Brother JS also shared a moving conversion story. Even though he had been raised in the Church and progressed up through the priesthood, he never had a real testimony and went through a period of inactivity once he turned 18. He originally started reading the Book of Mormon to help with falling asleep when he was hopped on Red Bull and it worked for a few nights. However in the course of reading night after night, something happened which he never anticipated. Somehow the contents of the Book of Mormon pulled him in and he found that the Book itself was keeping him from sleeping. His heart was drawn to the stories, teachings, doctrine, and people contained in it… Before he knew it he had read the entire Book of Mormon and was putting the promise in Moroni to the test for the first time in his life. The resulting answer formed the basis for his own testimony and opened the door for God and the Spirit to work on getting him on a mission. While in the MTC he met his future wife who was going to a different mission in Russia. They maintained contact through letters while they served their missions, eventually got married, and will be having their first, a baby boy, any day now
It just solidifies the reality that riding on the testimony of others has no staying power and can only carry us so far, and that each of us needs to gain a personal testimony at some point of gospel truths. Both BSt and his wife’s stories of conversion are witnesses to the power of the Word to convert all who are sufficiently humble to hear its voice, of God’s fulfillment of His promises to all who earnestly seek, and of the consistency of the principles of conversion when honestly applied. Note to self: Bring a handkerchief to Sacrament meeting. All too often lately I’m left wishing I at least had a tissue on hand.
Well, time to sign off. We have a fairly early morning tomorrow, as we are needing to do the family picture before Parker goes to EFY and Cambry goes to work. Life is good and we are being extremely blessed by your service and uplifted by your pictures and weekly letters. Stay the course! I have a firm testimony of the work and the blessings of the gospel in the lives of the faithful. There is no more noble work in which to be engaged. Till next week...
Love,
Dad
Well, yet another week in the can. It’s really hard to believe that summer is half over already. It was kind of cool knowing that while we were watching 4th of July fireworks on our side of the world that you were having a baptism on your side. Glad to see that everything worked out as planned and it’s wonderful to see the success you’re having in your area. We’re eager to hear about your new companion and we pray he’s equally invested in the missionary work. Just keep in mind that even difficult companions are assigned through inspiration by the mission President. Some of the spiritual highlights of my life came through the trials I endured with an extremely difficult companion. So… it’s all good, but just really nice to have an awesome companion with whom you can truly focus on the missionary work at hand. Keep up the good work!
The weather has been a little strange lately. We went from a week of oppressive dry heat in the 105 degrees F range to lots of cloud cover, rain, electrical storms, high winds, and temperatures in the mid to upper 80’s. Very nice in the evenings, though finding a good window in which to spray the apple trees has been a serious challenge. Last week just happened to be the week our Ward was at girl’s camp. Your mother and I took dinner up to the girls on Friday. Elise and most of the others were in good spirits, but had been pretty abused by the weather all week. It was evident by the standing puddles of water, the deep erosion channels cut into the roads and pathways, and mud splattered several feet up every standing structure that mother nature had not been kind. Stories of torrential downpours, violent and terrifying lightning storms, copious amounts of hail, and all the challenges these issues posed were plentiful. In spite of this, all involved seemed to have a good time and there was a good spirit in camp. Right before we opened up the evening program for testimonies, hail and rain yet again pummeled down and sent us on a hasty retreat to the covered eating area. We didn’t get home until around 10:40 PM, didn’t get to bed till midnight, and still went to bed smelling like campfire. I was grateful we had a Saturday without any external demands and was able to sleep in till 8:00. (Saturday I baked the first sourdough bread we’ve had in weeks and always think of my Riley when I eat it.)
The garden has been nice and already provided wonderful peas, lettuce, and squash. The tomatoes are coming along and have produced a few delectables, though not enough to outpace Josie’s capacity to consume so nothing significant by way of tomatoes has made it to the table yet. We’ve eaten the first cucumber and bell peppers are close. I already love the planter boxes. Four are now filled with my own custom blend of soil, peat moss, vermiculite, compost, and rock powder (Yes, powdered rock. It’s awesome!!). The plants have responded amazingly well and we’re looking forward to a bountiful harvest. I also decided to try my hand at a late season planting of cool weather crops. With the help of some shade cloth to maintain moisture in the soil for sensitive seeds, we already have carrots, and beets sprouting which we’ll be eating by late September. More lettuce, beans, peas, chard, and maybe even corn to come. I just love gardening and the law of the harvest. It’s so good for the body and soul and I find it difficult to comprehend how anyone close to the soil could ever deny the existence of God or his goodness.
DM came home from Madrid Spain last Tuesday and looks great. We hear his report next Sunday and I’m looking forward to it. We had a wonderful Sacrament meeting today. I hear Mom already filled you in on two of the speakers so I won’t rehash TC or Sister JS, but Wow were they powerful! Brother JS also shared a moving conversion story. Even though he had been raised in the Church and progressed up through the priesthood, he never had a real testimony and went through a period of inactivity once he turned 18. He originally started reading the Book of Mormon to help with falling asleep when he was hopped on Red Bull and it worked for a few nights. However in the course of reading night after night, something happened which he never anticipated. Somehow the contents of the Book of Mormon pulled him in and he found that the Book itself was keeping him from sleeping. His heart was drawn to the stories, teachings, doctrine, and people contained in it… Before he knew it he had read the entire Book of Mormon and was putting the promise in Moroni to the test for the first time in his life. The resulting answer formed the basis for his own testimony and opened the door for God and the Spirit to work on getting him on a mission. While in the MTC he met his future wife who was going to a different mission in Russia. They maintained contact through letters while they served their missions, eventually got married, and will be having their first, a baby boy, any day now
It just solidifies the reality that riding on the testimony of others has no staying power and can only carry us so far, and that each of us needs to gain a personal testimony at some point of gospel truths. Both BSt and his wife’s stories of conversion are witnesses to the power of the Word to convert all who are sufficiently humble to hear its voice, of God’s fulfillment of His promises to all who earnestly seek, and of the consistency of the principles of conversion when honestly applied. Note to self: Bring a handkerchief to Sacrament meeting. All too often lately I’m left wishing I at least had a tissue on hand.
Well, time to sign off. We have a fairly early morning tomorrow, as we are needing to do the family picture before Parker goes to EFY and Cambry goes to work. Life is good and we are being extremely blessed by your service and uplifted by your pictures and weekly letters. Stay the course! I have a firm testimony of the work and the blessings of the gospel in the lives of the faithful. There is no more noble work in which to be engaged. Till next week...
Love,
Dad
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