Church

Both of you commented that you have had trouble getting people to come to church.  Don't miss what I said before, that church is a social construct; and it is awesome.

Jacob - you are doing the exact right thing to line up members to sit by and fellowship investigators.

Caleb - you are doing the exact right thing getting investigators to come to church activities.

Both of you... Keep it up.  Maybe the following thoughts can help...

The fact that investigators don't come is no reason to stop waging the war.  You will fight this the rest of your missions.  You will likely see it the rest of your life.  When you get to the end of your missions, you should take joy that you are exhausted because of trying to get people to "come and see"...  Remember that, in this pursuit at least, you are walking in His shoes and exactly emulating him...

"And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?  He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

This pursuit will humble and purify you.  One of the most tender passages in the New Testament is found in John 6.  Jesus fed the 5,000 and they testified that he was a great prophet and immediately followed him, desiring to be taught.  The trouble was, when he testified to them as to who he was, the record states, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."

The feelings you both have on Sunday when your investigators don't come to church are the exact feelings Christ had.  The frustration is real.  The Savior himself was uncertain and, in a moment of uncertainty, asked the twelve if they would also leave.  It must have been real low point for him to get to where he asked the question... he was perfect.  Thank heaven for Peter for always saying what was on his mind...

The social aspect of the church is awesome.  Where else can you find anything to rival it?  Only at home if you have a functioning family and good quality family life.  That is the one social construct that is far better than anything the church can offer through meetings or activities.  Other than that, it's the best thing going.  There are other great religions, university clubs, skiing buddies, biking buddies, etc. but the church stands alone as the paramount institution where you can bless others and be blessed in return.

So... Be proud of the church.  Advertise it as awesome.  Create curiosity in the minds of your investigators.  Then know that some will "come and see" and abide, and some will not.  It simply isn't their time.  That said, your love for them should transcend their ability to make and keep commitments.  There should never be any question about that.

Okay.  I love you both so much.  Your service strengthens me on a deeply personal level.  Keep it up.

Dad

It's HALLOWEEN!!!🎃

Dear Caleb & Jacob,

     It's November tomorrow!  I can't believe it!  How are you two doing?  I hope you feel like you had a successful week!

     Dad & I had a whirlwind of a week, or rather two!  We lived on little sleep and it was go, go, GO every single day.  If there's anything to do in Thailand or Cambodia, I think we did it!  Everything, except for swim or see the beaches.  Not every tourist gets to see and experience what we did.  The best way to experience another culture is to mingle with the natives.  We did everything with them and so they knew the BEST places to get the REAL experience riding elephants, for instance, not the commercial one.  Woah!  It was the most epic and one of the most risky things we did.  (Driving on Cambodian city streets was next in line).  Dad and I even ate grilled frog!!!  I've seen some pretty humble living conditions in Mexico City but to get to know the members of the church who live in such circumstances was very eye-opening for us.  Their living conditions are so backward but they don't know any different.  The amazing thing is, they're still happy!  They seem to have everything they need.  The members in Cambodia were so shocked to hear that we have 6 children and especially that we have two on missions!  We're just so grateful to be home.  Just like you two are experiencing as you see how other people live in other parts of the world, you never are quite the same.  It's good to travel, to have your eyes opened, to feel gratitude for ALL that we have here at home.  On our way home, we had an extra LONG layover in Tokyo, Japan so we took a train into the city to experience a little of their culture too.  Now we just have to deal with some serious jet lag.  It really does make you kind of sick. :(

     Sydney handled things very well here at home.  Adam & the girls helped out a lot so I think things were the BEST they could be considering they didn't have parents for two weeks.  I hope Sydney had time to write you both about her Sky View Idol experience.  I'll let her tell you the details but 3rd place is awesome!  She blew them away in the audience with her 2nd song "The Last Goodbye" from The Hobbit from what we can hear in the video.

     All the kids went to school in their costumes today.  Sydney was a Jedi, Adam made his own "Shazam" costume, Samantha was Cinderella and Sariah was Rey.  We'll send pictures next week.

     We went to Elder Brandon Fluckiger's homecoming report yesterday.  He has grown so much!  It was so good to see him.  He'll be coming up to USU this next January.

     Have a wonderful week!  We are so proud of you both.

Love you sooo much!

Mom

Some elders we met at church

The elder by me grew up 4 houses from the Hunters in Hawaii.  Dave was his bishop.

A "fish" massage or pedicure

Angkor Wat

The "Tomb Raider" temple

A typical Cambodian native dance put on by children.

Lost in Japan!

Sent from my iPhone

Letter 10 30 2016

Yesterday we arrived home after taking SouthEast Asia by force.  I honestly can't believe the stuff we were able to pack into our time.  We had a long layover in Japan and that's when my body gave me a warning that all was not was right  By the time we arrived in SLC, I was running a fever and last night was a beast.  Tonight will likely be more of the same.

I wonder if I learned anything from our travels.  I saw a lot of things that were quite different...  The living conditions generally are third-word.  It's amazing because when you see the people at church, they are cleaned up and have nice clothes on.  When you visit them in their homes, it's usually a dirt, wood, or cement floor.  We had one experience where it started to rain while we were in the member's house and it came down with a vengeance.  We got done and then walked 300 yards in the rain and mud.  What an experience.

A couple of observations:

1) People in the church (who get it) rely completely on the power of prayer.  I'm pretty convinced that the Lord hears their prayer in greater measure simply because without Him, there is no help.  I spent time talking to Rith who was an intelligent twenty-something young man.  He told me his story.  When he was 12 years old, he was introduced to the church.  By the time he was 13, he knew he wanted to be baptized.  His parents were against it and told him that he could get baptized after they met with the Branch President. Finally they consented and he was baptized.  The only problem was that he had no way to get to church and they refused to help.  His only recourse was to pray.  Soon he found a bike that was for sale for $1.25.  He saved up and purchased the bike.  The only problem was the bike didn't have a seat.  He decided to pray about that.  Afterwards it was shown to him in a dream how to make a seat out of wood.  Then he started to grow and it was rainy season.  He would show up to church with a mud stripe up his back and would sit on the deacons row fighting back tears.  So, he prayed again and an Elder gave him a bike since he was going home from his mission.

There are lots of cool stories like that.

2) The church is a social construct and that's the way it should be.  Members are poor.  They come to church on an empty stomach.  One young man has a decent job and has decided to personally purchase food for everyone in both branches in Seim Reap.  The members show up and got meetings and them hang around until dinner is served.  I'm convinced that this is the glue that hold many of the weakest members to the church.

Nothing wrong with supporting the social activities of the church.

Well, that's it.  I feel like hud.  I love both of you.

Dad

Greetings from Thailand & Cambodia!

Hi boys,

     How are things in your neck of the woods?  Did you receive any care packages this week?  I hope you feel loved and admired because you are!

     Thailand did not disappoint.  It was an awesome adventure.  We spent the first half of our time there in the big city of Bangkok and the second half in Chiangmai.  We saw and experienced so much there in only 4 1/2 days.  Our favorite part was outside of the cities, in the countryside by the rice patties and farmlands and then the mountains and jungle.  We held a lemur and rode a 38 year old elephant bareback through a river and up a jungle mountain.  We also visited many Buddhist temples with their live-in monks, young and old, and then some Hmong Hill Tribe people, even those women with long necks with the rings that we've seen in National Geographic.  So far we have had 6 flights and we still have 4 more so the airport part is the worst part of the trip.  I love flying, but 11 hours in the air in just one stint is too long!

     So, we're now in Siem Reap Cambodia.  It's a different culture but the people are lovely also.  We attended church this morning and made quick friends with them and the missionaries.  The elder that translated for us is from Laie Hawaii.  He lived just four houses down the road from the Hunters and knows them very well.  Uncle Dave was his bishop since he was a Deacon.  Small world!  (Side note:  the Hunters are going to move to the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Australia in June so he can teach at the university there for three years.  Crazy!). Anyway, the Cambodian children are so beautiful!  I went to primary today with them and other than the number of kids and language, it is the same!  It felt like home.  Sacrament meeting and Sunday school were great also!  The spirt dwells among these people too!

     We have been able to FaceTime the kids at home but can only do it early in the morning for us because we're 13 hours ahead of Utah.  They're doing great!  They're all getting along and making it to school on time.  It seems they really don't need us to function! (Just kidding). I miss them a ton!

     I hope your doing well with everything.  I hope you're happy, busy and continue to learn alongside of your investigators.  We miss you both terribly too!  Have an awesome week and Happy Halloween!

Love you sooo much!

Mom

My rare chance to hold a baby Lemur...so cute!

The floating market outside Bangkok

Our EPIC bareback elephant ride in Thailand's jungle.

The women of the Karen Long-Neck Tribe.  (Notice the little girl playing on her phone)

Our mountain Resort's view

Our Mountain resort's pool

Hmong Hill Tribe

Sent from my iPhone

Letter 10 23 2016

My sons:

I hope all is well with you this week. I hope you know how thankful Mom and I are as we think of you and the choices you are making. As you reflect on your actions of the previous week, I hope you feel a sense of pride in the way you've acted. If you have a sense of things that should change, the great news of life is that you can make needed changes. My patriarchal blessing describes repentance a changing unproductive behaviors and actions to productive ones. I've thought a lot about that during the time since I received the blessing. Heaven knows I've had many slip-ups where I've simply made mistakes, but a bulk of my adult life has been focused in the area of trying to refine who I am as a person and becoming more productive through repentance. It's an interesting concept to think about.

As you know, Mom and I are in Southeast Asia right now. This is an entirely new experience for us. In Thailand we met a young man named Chris Muhlestein. He's probably 24 and has started a little company where he brings college kids to Thailand and has them help with various humanitarian projects. He has also developed a love for the culture here and so he was a defacto tour guide for our group. We spent some time together and I really like him. He has such a deep and abiding respect for the people and culture here; something at I naturally appreciate. Anyway, this whole concept of change as resurfaced as I've talked to him and observed conditions here.

Change happens. Usually, if people are left to themselves, they will accept change for the better. For instance, in the Hmong villages in the North, people live in shanty towns but the kids hover around cell phones looking at pictures or playing games. Their parents are equally connected through social media. The internet is pervasive in their lives; the cat is out-of-the-bag so to speak. All outside influences seem to pale in relation to the impact of the internet.

I suppose that you're dealing with similar issues in your work. If I were someone you just met, I might be inclined to do a google search and see what I can see about the church. I suppose there's a wealth of information; both good and bad.

Here's the thing, we love the access to information and we love being connected. We don't like pain and often, sudden change requires pain; you are in the business of sudden change. Gradual change is something we accept as part of life. So, there may be times when you have to accept that some of your investigators will not be able to make the changes needed for baptism. This doesn't make them any less of a person, rather it may mean that they are rationalizing change in the best way they know how. Be patient and loving in these situations.

Mixed in with change is having meaningful relationships with investigators and companions. I believe that these relationships are where it's at in life. As you develop the ability to love unconditionally, your missions will be more successful on every level. Cherish your relationships. Be thankful for the people you interact with and be respectful of them. Any good relationship is built on trust and your ability regard the trust others place in you is one of the highest forms of godliness. So be worthy of the trust people place in you.

I love you so much. You're great young men. Keep the faith,

Dad

Sent from someplace really cool

"Leaving, in a jet plane"

Dear Caleb & Jacob,

     We had a great week here.  How about you?  We took some family pictures that turned out great in spite of being incomplete.  We were going to just take them ourselves but we failed to charge the camera and couldn't find the tripod.  So, we call a friend of Sydney and she just took them with our iPhones.

     Sariah is growing up way too fast for us all to keep up with.  She seems so willing to try anything, even mowing the lawn!

     If you remember that Samantha has always had a hard time in school.  We'll, we are happy to report that she is hating all A's, for the moment, and has a 3.85 GPA!  I think we can all be proud of her for working so hard! She pulled out her own tooth, a molar, and was so proud of herself!  She put it under her pillow and left the cutest note for the tooth fairy.  See attached picture.

     Adams really starting to get a little more into the social scene and had 6 friends over in Friday night.  They had a blast here.

     Sydney went on two dates yesterday (Saturday).  One was with Ben Duncan and then she went with the Chad kid that she went to Homecoming with.  She had some other big news for you guys but I'll let her tell you what it is.

     Yesterday was Grandma Winkel's 84th birthday so my sisters Julann, Janeen and Amy came to spend time with her.  We took her and Grandpa out to lunch at the Olive Garden.  We then had a birthday dinner with cake that evening with everyone else, including 3 of the cousins that are going to USU.

     Dad and I are ready to leave at 5:00 am for the airport.  We're flying to Thailand for 6 days, then down to Cambodia for 7 more.  We'll tell you all about it from the other side of the world next week. 

     Have a wonderful week!  We love, love, LOVE and admire you so much!

Love,

Mom

Ps.... Caleb, do you need to send us your current address or should we just send things to the mission home?

Sent from my iPhone

Letter 10 16 2016 - Take care of yourself

My sons:

A bit of housekeeping here; Mom and I will be out of the country for the next two weeks.  We are headed to the Far East on a work vacation.  I can't believe we are doing it but I suppose that it will be fun.  I've never been outside of the the North American continent and so I'm pretty nervous.  We should have email at nights and I'll probably be sending a few pictures along.

I hope your week went well and that you're planning on having a great upcoming week.  I hope you are taking good care of your bodies by eating, exercising, and sleeping well.  We have an obligation to take good care of our bodies in this life.  In the New Testament Paul says, "know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

What does it mean to glorify God in your body and in your spirit?  Being on a mission you should've become familiar with glorifying God in your spirit.  You do that most every day.  But, here's the question...  How do you glorify God in your body?  By taking care of yourself and considering both your diet and your lifestyle as potential contributors or detractors to the health of your body and spirit.  I know from firsthand experience that when my lifestyle choices are poor, my body AND spirit weaken over time.  So, make good lifestyle choices.  

Sometimes you justify poor choices by telling yourself that you're busy and don't have time to eat or sleep.  There are times when you have to make temporary adjustments in lifestyle but you should always try to baseline back to what you know is healthy.  Enough of that.

In the early days of the church, our ancestors left their homes in Europe and travelled the world to come to Zion.  Think of it, the equivalent of selling (or simply leaving) our home in North Logan with nothing and heading to a new land to start over.  It wasn't our ancestors only; America is built on immigration.  I have a ton of respect for many of the very people Jacob is teaching in AZ who have left homes in their Latin countries with nothing but hope of a better life and a willingness to work.  Now here they are, in America trying to make a go of it.  The few Americans who get to experience the uncertainty and joy of this are those who start businesses even though there is no certainty of succeeding.

One of the reasons that Nephi is so incredible is that he starts the Book of Mormon with his story of immigration.  As you teach, realize that you are asking your investigators to make a spiritual immigration not unlike the physical immigration of the Nephites.  The journey is hard, and much of it they will have to do alone, but the Lord will be their guide and will not leave them alone.  What a great thought as someone joining the church... to be on par with Nephi.  Those who are able to successfully join the church and endure are just that.

Well, take care and have a great week.  I love you both.

Dad

Letter 10 9 2016 A Long Letter of Council

My sons:

I went to Moab on Thursday afternoon and return last night late.  I went with Mike Jensen (Morgan's Dad) and Dave Witbeck (Alissa's Dad), both of whom have daughters who are marriageable age.  Their conversation was enlightening; I listened and thought of you.  Essentially, both of them have noticed things about young men of your generation that bother them.  As they talked, I made mental notes because I thought the information would serve you well.  I also was reminded of things I've done well as a parent and some things that I've not done so well.  Here are a few issues along with my thoughts on possible remedies:

Entitlement

1) Young men of your generation feel entitled because their parents haven't made them work for things.  Morgan lived at home and worked at Al's to put herself through school.  She graduated with a degree in HR, no student debt, and 15K in the bank.  One of the boys that dated her thought that she should quit her job at Al's, move out, and get a job in her field of study.  The irony is that he was unemployed at the time with no foreseeable employment prospects.  I guess he did live in an apartment though.  You tell me... did he have it right?

My advice - get a job, work hard and smart, don't spend money you haven't earned, and respect other people's jobs regardless of their employment.  Being gainfully employed is far better than having no employment.  I hope I've set a good example for you as you've grown up that work is and can be joyful.  I hope you both choose employment that you enjoy and then you get into it and do it to the best of your ability.

Mom has been concerned that we didn't make you have a job during your teen years.  I think she has a point.  I guess time and experience will tell if we've failed you in that regard.  I want you to realize that nothing worth having will come to you without effort and work.  Life doesn't owe you anything.  That said, there is everything right with working smart.  Your ability to learn and adapt knowledge to your work can be a huge difference maker.  In my opinion, that's why education is so critical... not so that you can learn chemistry, math, english, biology, law, etc., but rather so you can learn how to learn and then apply your knowledge.  Your education, or your joy in learning, is a difference maker in your life.

Relationships, Dating, and Marriage

2) Young men that these girls have dated text rather than call, aren't familiar with the parents, want to hang-out instead of date, are controlling and insecure, and are not clean.  Lots of problems that I hope you never have.

You will get lots of well-meaning advice from almost everyone on this subject.  Your mission president will have words for you as he sends you home.  Other people will have advice for you when you get here.  

My intent is to preempt everyone because I have some advice of my own.

In the Old Testament we read, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak...  This is especially true in your life right now.  And so my thoughts...

a) a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted

You have effectively been planting your entire life to this date.  You have planted seeds of friendship and memories with people you have interacted with in the relationships you have had to date.  The facts are that you will never stop planting.  Even today, I believe that I plant seeds with everyone I interact with.  The fact is that I wish I was a better planter and cultivator of those relationships.  My advice then; relationships are everything.  There is nothing else.  Plant and cultivate well.  At some point in the future, your harvest will be returned to you in full.

b) a time to laugh...a time to dance

As you make good choices in life, your joy will be full; that is the consequence of good choices.  So, make good choices.  As you do, there will be many moments when you will be overwhelmed with joy. On your wedding night, whenever that night is, make sure you are fully prepared to laugh and dance.

c) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together

There will be times when you need to retool.  Some friends will move on and find different interests, some will make poor choices, some simply will never appreciate your friendship.  At times you may feel alone.  That's okay.  There is a time to cast away stones.  Some friends are golden; you never want to lose them even though life will take you in different directions.  I encourage you to keep these golden friends close to the vest.  One day, you'll meet up and the reunion will be great.  Gather those stones...  You'll move into a ward where you don't know anyone.  You'll reach out and love those ward members and those relationships will be amazing.  You may have that chance on many occasions.  Some of these people will be your closest friends in life.  Gather them stones...

b) a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing

You're single.  Stay clean.  I promise you that you won't regret it.  You're both so handsome and wonderful... the challenge is to stay that way.  It is in this context that I think "hanging out" is a great thing.  If you are wise, you will observe the girls you hang-out with and become friends with the best of them.  I see this all the time in the YSA ward, there are girls that have developed wonderful attributes that merit the attention of a quality young man.  So, before you pair-off, remember that getting involved with a young woman means feelings and attraction.  Make sure the girl you get involved with is one of the greats.  Then, curb your hormones such that you can truly make a good decision for a wife and so you can laugh and dance on the night of your wedding.

e) A time to get, a time to keep

Jed Packer came home from his mission and met Kristen within a very short time.  She was cute and he decided that he was going to pursue her until she told him that he couldn't have her.  I respect his determination.  I felt that I wanted to wait to get married until I had most of my education behind me.  I had no interest in being a starving student.  I was uncertain about who to marry and left many failed relationships with many great girls behind as a result.  Better or worse?  I don't know.

Everyone has an opinion on how they want to lead their life.  You have an opinion.  Consider your opinion and rejoice that it's yours.  My advice as relating to marriage is to follow a path that you believe is the best path for you.  Make your decisions accordingly.  Become your best self so you are worthy of the very best companionship.  Ask God for help in that endeavor.

One of the greatest love stories ever told is of Jacob and Rachel.  Jacob worked for seven years, was tricked by Laban, and worked another seven years for Rachel's hand in marriage.  The record simply says, And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

There is a time to get.  Get your education, get a job, and get your girl.  I hope you you find your Rachel.

f) a time to keep silence, and a time to speak

I have thought a lot about what is yet to transpire in your life.  I have high hopes, and opinions.  Now that I have spoken, I will try to keep silent unless you ask for advice.  Please be patient with me if I slip.  I sincerely only want the best for you.

I'm sure I'll have  more thoughts when I have times like this past weekend.  Be patient with me.  You are amazing young men.  I love you both very much.

Dad  

It's Autumn Time!

Dear Caleb & Jacob,

     How's Autumn in your neck of the woods?  It came all of a sudden to Logan this year.  It's very nippy for the most part.  I'm sure that you got a lot of rain, Caleb, due to the hurricane this last week.  We just had Stake Conference today and we able to sit by Grandma & Grandpa Winkel.  Grandpa can walk now and is starting to get around a lot better more since his hip replacement surgery.

     Dad went to Moab to bike with a group of guys these last few days.  I'm sure he'll tell you a little more about his experience and send pictures.  We're glad to have him back safe with us now.  Yesterday, the kids and I harvested the whole garden to get it ready for plowing under.  They had a lot of fun!  Samantha & Sariah loved digging up carrots and rubbing off the soil to expose beautiful, "cartoon-like" perfect carrots (so they called them). They're so proud of them!

     We're off to try taking some family photos outside and up a Canyon somewhere...your favorite thing to do, right? ;)  It'll be hard to see the incomplete "family portrait."  But our family will be ever-changing from now on.

     Sorry to be so short again but there just aren't any monumental things going on right now.

I love you both SO much!!

Mom

Sent from my iPhone

Joy!

Dear Caleb & Jacob,

     Conference was awesome, wasn't it?  I'll bet they'll say that the reoccurring "theme" this time is 'JOY.'  Joy is something I can honestly say that I have felt very often in my life.  We are so blessed to know what we know!  We had a great General Conference weekend!  We put together three 500 piece jigsaw puzzles and one 1000 piece.  I think it's our GC "thing" now.  We had Grandma & Grandpa Winkel with Amy & kids here for lunch today.  They also were here last night because Dad & Adam went down to watch the Priesthood session with Grandpa.  Bulent was translating the Priesthood session in Salt Lake into Turkish.

     How was your week?  Your letters are so much more entertaining and eventful than ours.  It's hard for me to recap the week here when it's just a repeat of school, piano and work.  The weeks are going by so fast!  We just realized that you have been out 10 months today, Caleb!  And Jacob, you have 15% of your mission under your belt!  Can you believe it?

     Your laser tag guns have been resurrected by Adam, Samantha & Sariah this week.  They are having so much fun downstairs in the dark running around screaming.  Sydney told us how you two would get her out of bed in the night to go downstairs to play laser tag in the middle of the night.  It's a great and precious memory for her.  I wish I'd have known about it so I could've joined in... Tomorrow night we'll be feeding the YSA Ward for FHE.  Dad has only one more year in that bishopric. That's gone fast.

     We love and admire you guys so much.  Have a wonderful and productive week.  We'll be thinking of you ever day!

Love you both!

Mom

Sent from my iPhone

Letter 9 2 2016

Hello my great sons:

I've been putting in French drains in the window wells and it's quite a chore.  But, I'm hoping that I can get it mostly done this next week.  The thing is, I don't even know if they will work.  What I've done is to put 30 gallon barrels in the bottom of the window wells.  The idea is that in a big storm there's at least that much extra water hold capacity with the ability to pump out each of the barrels.  Here's hoping.

Last night I was making good progress on Jacob's window and Malia, Allie, and Mariah stopped by.  It was about 9pm when they came and about 10:30 when they left.  It was great to see them.  They are great young women.

This past week I went on four different bike rides and they were all fun.  We tried one in Park City but got caught in a thunderstorm.  When it rains like that, the clay soil cakes on the tires and riding is impossible.

I've been watching general conference and thinking of when I was on my mission.  I think these were my favorite church meetings on my mission.  Ezra Taft Benson was the prophet at the time.  He was on a tear talking about the Book of Mormon and Pride.  That was a great time in the church.  My point is that I hope you are having similar personal experiences on your missions.  Conference this time was great.

This past week I went to some training on justserve.  Cool.  Now I just need to make time to try it out.  I'm led to believe that you are probably using the app.  The guy doing the training said that missionaries are now doing 10 hours a week of service.  Is that true in your missions?

I love you both and am so thankful you are serving.  Love you.

Dad