A good laugh

 

We had a delightful conversation with Avram yesterday.  His companion speaks to his family all day long so Avram has nothing to do.  This mean he talks to us longer.  Yesterday Adam was teaching him how to cook a few different things.  Some of the updates from Avram were:

One day he ran into a man that said, "You are wasting your time!"

Avram said, "What do you mean?" 

The man answered, "you have the name of Jesus Christ on your shirt. You don't know Jesus Christ! You are wasting your time trying to say you know him and you're wasting your time in Australia." 

Avram said, "You think Im wasting my time?  You have left your country and your family to come to Australia to work so that you could send money to your family (there are tons of immigrants in Robinvale that come to work in the fields) and you just spent your money on alcohol and cigarettes.  Who is really wasting their time in Australia?"  

Avram said, I usually don't snap back at people like that but this man made me really upset that day.  

Avram is now a senior companion and a District leader.  Last week at zone conference a bunch of missionaries were asking Avram how he has found so many friends to teach.  Avram found 16 friends in one week! 

Avram said, "I carry around little pictures of Christ in my pocket.  When I see people I ask them if they would like a picture of Christ.  If they say yes, then I give them the picture.  I then know that they are humble and know Christ.  After I give them the picture I tell them we share messages about Christ and I ask them if they would mind us coming by sometime to share a message with them.  Usually they accept my offer." 

He said, all the missionaries were shocked at his finding approach. 😂

Avram really loves his new area and the members there.  He is learning from them and visa versa.  He said, "it's really hard for the people to come to church because they work every day.  The majority are immigrants that are here temporarily to work.  One member from Tonga is the hardest worker I have ever met.  He works so hard and fast during the week that his boss willingly gives him Sunday off so he can attend church."  

 Avram is speaking more Tongan each week.  I can't believe the different languages he comes across.  He tells us about people from countries we have never heard of! His biggest problem is getting Books of Mormons in all of these languages.

We asked Avram to keep Briggs in his prayers.  Briggs is a little lost right now and we are worried about him.  After speaking for a few minutes Avram said, "Im thinking about Briggs still.  My mission president told us once the most powerful prayer is a prayer from a widow.  You don't get in the way of a widows prayer." 

Adam and I were confused at why Avram had randomly brought up this thought.  

Avram went on to say, "so we need to find a widow that will pray for Brigham."  😂

It is so fun talking with Avram.  He is so happy and positive.  He often will say, "I think I need to pray on that." or we will say, "since when did you become so wise?" and his answer will be one of two things, "Well, Dad, I have the spirit with me." or "The spirit told me to do _____"

I just have to add Avrams email for this week:

Thats right I am emailing 2 weeks in a row I guess anything is possible right😅?

This week has been pretty adventurous we've been trying to use bikes more to keep our K's down on the car but our bikes keep braking. Pretty frustrating but nevertheless I will not mourn weh🤣. 

Our friends have been progressing really well as far as reading the Book of Mormon and praying it's just trying to meet with them consecutively is a nightmare because of their work schedules. 

Our best ways of finding right now is seeking referrals from our friends because alot of the people we are teaching live in areas we can't pros in.

We had our transfer calls Also the other night and I'll be staying in Robinvale which is super good news because we are starting to get close to the members here.

As I have served here in Robinvale I have been shown what real faith is. The members here are desperate to help support the missionaries in everything we do. Never once have I seen doubt in there eyes when we ask for help.

I met this member named Jean akau at the time when I was meeting him he told me he wasn't a member but that he wanted to hear a message from us. I told him we would come over but he warned that if we did his father would kill us. I told him we probably wouldn't meet with him until a better time and after i said this he lifted up his shirt to show me his garments man I was so annoyed the man's just started busting up laughing 😂.

He Told me my testimony is like this 🤏 and that I need to trust in Jesus Christ.

He told me MATE MA'A SĪSŪ.

I have learned now on my mission that there is nothing I will not do for the my Redemmer my King of Kings and Lord of Lord's. My Friend and my Healer. No mountain I will not climb, no people I will not help, no destination I will not go, no task I will not accomplish for My Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ amen 

glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell. 

2 Nephi 33:6

I don't get bored

A few other projects for this month:

Canning Peaches (and tomatoes but I don't have pictures of the tomato jars)

I had to make some strawberry jam, we ran out.

I poured this new patch of concrete.  This is really hard work but it looks so much better!

I redid this wall.  I had built a temporary wall with some left over bricks that I had but it was falling apart.  So I poured a footing (and notice my stair!) and then I built this new wall.  

I have also added a drain for this area.  I still have some work to do to complete the drain and then I can fill the rest of it up with rocks.  

 

15 years

This month we remembered 15 years since Gabe joined our family.  I went to the grave twice on his birthday.  Once with Crystal and my little buddy Q

In the evening we went as a family.  It is really strange having 2 of my boys on missions and not with us physically.  But Im so thankful those two boys have chosen the paths they are on.  Now we just need lots of prayers the this third boy will decide to serve soon.  

 

School

It is so strange having only one child in school.  I only have to worry about Ilas classes and grades.  Im sure to most parents school isn't a big stresser but for my children school isn't a strength so they tend to give up quite easily.  Oven course with me and my life, "failure is not an option" so I guess we all can see why the Lord sent me the children I have.  We balance each other well. LOL 

Ila is in a private school this year.  Adam and I felt that Ilas priorities were not in order so we are investing a lot of time and money into helping to surround her with people and influences that will encourage better priorities.  

I have been extremely impressed with American Heritage.  They prioritize God, Family and Country.  Ila really struggled with prayers before and after each class, before lunch, hymn being sang in classes, etc.  Fortunately it only took a couple of weeks and she realized all of this wasn't a big deal.  She is making friends at the school and even though she won't admit it, she is really enjoying the school.  

We are so thankful that Ila is adjusting socially but academically this is a challenge we have all had to take on.  She has homework in every class, every night.  She has to memorize scriptures every week, speeches (including Shakespeare) and the quality of work expected is above anything she has experienced in the past.  Because of this challenging academic curriculum she tends to give up too easily so it has put a lot of pressure on me to know what is going on in each class, encourage and work with her, and to try to make it fun.  

One of her recent assignments was a focus on the people who played a role in the coming about of the constitution.  Ilas was assigned to play the character of Ester Reed.  She had to write a 3 min speech, as Ester Reed.  Then she had to memorize it and give it to the school.  

Shockingly my little social butterfly is showing extremely symptoms of social anxiety.   This was very difficult for her to do.  Luckily I was there because we had a lot of tears but she did it in the end.  

After she memorized her speech she got to go to the nail salon to get her nails done.  

The school asks each parent to volunteer at least 30 hours each year.  I started my hours this month with working at a fair in the Avenues.  Later this week I will spend the day at the school volunteering at the book fair.  

 

Can't forget our latest school project.  This house and lighthouse

If you build it, they will come

Even though this little pizza oven corner in my yard isn't done, that hasn't stopped us from using the oven.  

We have had Mom, Dad, and the Adams family over for Pizza

Last week we had a YW activity and made homemade pizzas.  This oven gets to temperatures over 1000 degrees and it cooks pizzas in under a min.!  

It never gets old watching that pizza cook in seconds.  

Crystal and Jake drove up and back to Rexburg for a wedding so I got to have time with her kids.  Q is our little buddy.  It is so fun spoiling this little guy.  
 

Never ends

 

Adam got home from IP last Sunday.  He arrived just in time to find out that Briggs had just crashed the trailer into the neighbors fence (luckily the damage was minimal but there was still damage). 

And I was screaming because I had dough raising in the oven, but Ila turned on the oven not realizing there was dough in it.  By the time I found it I had wax melted all over the bottom of the oven.  

I was also on the phone with Avram and he just laughed as he watched chaos.  

Labor Day 2023

We have spent so much time working in Island Park that we haven't had any time to play.  Friday night-Saturday at 3:00 we were able to have Briggs and Ila with us and we just had fun.  I wish it could have lasted longer but I will take any time I can get.  It's hard having everyone coming and going all the time.  Even though we all live in the same house, it is rare we are all together.  

 

Pizza

 

Im still working on completing my pizza oven/ patio.  I had to call up a few of Avrams friends to come help me lift the cement cap onto the top of the oven.  

Even though it's not all the way done we have started baking pizzas in the oven.  I need to find some great recipes.  I didn't realize that the recipes are a little different when baking in a wood fire oven.  

Schools back

I only have one child in school!  Ila entered the 8th grade.  We decided to send her to American Heritage this year.  It is a private school so it is expensive but in many ways it is priceless.  She was not happy about having to go to a new school and be stuck wearing uniforms but after just two weeks at the school I have a list of reasons why Im grateful she is at this school.  

For those that aren't familiar American Heritage prioritizes LDS values and patriotic values.  Every time Im at the school or involved in a school activity I feel so grateful that Ila is having this experience.  

 So far Ila has enjoyed the school much more than she thought she would. She has learned that it's not bad having a prayer before and after each class and she (is in Spanish class) has already prayed for us in Spanish during our family prayer in the evening.  

Cutting it close

We were able to get the cabin nearly complete just in time for our annual family get together.  

Mom planned out each day so that no one ever got bored and everyone had fun.  

We went on a rope course, to a movie, went to Yellowstone, played night games and had a water day.  

Hopefully everyone had fun, I know we enjoyed having everyone come enjoy the cabin.