June 9, 2010

Hey everyone!

How's everything going? Sounds like things are good. I would just like to start off with a small --==THANK YOU!!!==--(This was actually in HUGE letters, but wouldn't copy for the blog) for the package that I got in the mail. (It's not really a small thank you, by the way!) It was by far the best one you all have sent. Thanks. I loved the shirts, by the way. They were awesome. We spent a few minutes just laughing at them. :-) And the book of pictures/testimonies was great too. The candy flowers almost made it in one piece. It was pretty close. It only took me a few minutes to figure it out.

And it is officially transfer news week! Yes, the next email that you get from me should have some exciting transfer news. I'm not really sure what is going to happen any more. I could end up just staying here since Elder Moore came into the area late in the transfer. And if I do stay, I might as well just stay for my last transfer as well. Who knows. Whatever happens, it'll be exciting.

But my week has been good. (I believe it's improper grammer to start a paragraph with the word "but," and yet I don't care. :-] Random thought.) We had a great lesson with James yesterday. James is having a really hard time quiting smoking, and so we decided we would talk to him about fasting. When the lesson started, a scripture-- or rather a story from the scriptures-- came to mind. It's in Matthew chapter 17: (pasted in from lds.org)

14 ¶ And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

We talked about how faith + prayer + fasting = Miracles. It was a great lesson and all of us are fasting together to help him, and tonight we are going to talk about priesthood blessings and the help that it will give to him as well, and hopefully we'll give him one tonight. He has a great desire to quit, and I know this will help him a lot.

Jaime is getting baptized this Saturday as well. He had to go out of town, so we were going to move it to the next weekend, but at the last minute we ended up getting things set up enough to have it done this weekend. That's a miracle in and of itself. We're really excited for him, but not as excited as he is. His family hasn't been too interested in the church, but his sister seems to be getting more and more interested in what her brother is doing.

We also had Zone Development meeting, and guess what? I had to conduct the music. But I don't know how! I just waved my arm the best I could in that triangle shape, and it was working well. And then the 6/8 time happened. . . .

Our mission president is leaving us soon, and President Ellsworth will be coming in. A moving truck came to the mission office yesterday to start packing them up. Strange to think that's happening in just a few weeks. I'll miss president and Sister Bassett. They're awesome. A lot of the Senior couples in the mission office are also leaving, which is really sad. We love them all, but we look forward to meeting the "new guys."

Yay for modern video recording technology! I'll watch the videos when I get back in a year and a half.

Well, I love you all and I hope things continue to go well.

Love,
Uncle Elder Mace
(It's pronounced Ma-say from now on, so you know)

*** mom's note to explain the 1st paragraph of the letter. For a Family home evening a couple weeks ago, Kellie and KD planned for us all to make "Trunky" t-shirts, a candy flower bouquet, and got a small photo album, which we all took updated pictures individually. On one side of the book page was a picture of each of us, and on the opposite page we wrote our testimonies. Also, we grouped together and made the t-shirts. (Kassie and Joe, our artists, had to be on different teams). And we all designed two t-shirts for him. One was about BYU Hawaii and the other was a face with another funny scripture. It was great and I guess Jason loved it too!
.... and the last sentence about the video... We told him we video taped Camren doing Tae Known Do Kicking and punching with one of his floor mat toys. Jason refuses to admit to himself that he is nearing the end of his mission and tells us that he still has 1 1/2 years left!

and the final from Jason,

I gotta go, c-ya!

And tell Kaydee to keep playing the Geetor, not the gooter. :-) She'll get it if you don't.

Love you!
Jason

(this is because the twin we babysit insists that he "plays the geetar on his shoulder like a Gooter".) You just gotta be there..... We know what a "geetar" is, but no idea what a "Gooter" is. (we are guessing a violin????)