Elder Edholm -- week 89

So today is the Dominican Independence Day, that sad thing is that I don't really know the story, but I'm gonna learn it, but pretty much nobody is working today and everybody is in the streets marching and having a good time, it's just a good thing that today's P-day because it would be really hard to work today.

Exciting news! Elder Anderson of the 12 apostles is coming to the mission in March! I'm super excited! I'm gonna see an apostle in person, that'll be the first time for me, also Elder Maynes is coming too, he came a while ago to the mission, and it'll be great to see him again!

More exciting news, Olive finally accepted a baptismal date! It required a lot of work! Fasting, praying, studying, working with members, but she finally accepted a baptismal date for the 1st of April and she's super excited to get baptized. She said that unless she dies that she'll get baptized in April. That was a huge blessing for us, but more to her.

One more thing, transfers came yesterday, and I'm staying here for a 4th transfer. I'm pretty sure that means that I'm gonna end my mission here because after that I'll only have 1 transfer left and President doesn't usually transfer people for their last transfer. I'm super excited though because I really love the people here, they really motivate me, it also scares me because my mission is coming to an end and I want to finish it the best I can, without any regrets.

I love you all! Thanks everybody for your support!

Elder Edholm -- week 88

So this week was a normal week. I have a strong feeling that Oliva's gonna want to get baptized soon, but we'll see what happens. One thing that happened was that we had a district conference and President Nuckols went. His talk was great, I learned a lot. What was even better was that he took the time to talk to all of our converts, and they felt really great about it. Sister Nuckols actually started crying because it was her last district conference with the Bani district. After that we had interviews with the President. And although I didn't want to, I had to tell president about the disobedience of the other companionship that's living in our house, the good thing was that they fessed up themselves after president grilled them really hard. 

The highlight of the interview though was that President gave me an assignment, he told me that he wanted me to find the next leader here in Don Gregorio. He shared a story with me about when the saints first got to Kirtland they were commanded to build a temple. They didn't know anything about building a temple. Joseph Young (Brigham Young's brother) had served a mission in Canada and met Artemus Millet, one of the best stonemason's in the world. Joseph Smith sent Brigham Young on a mission to go to Canada, to convert Artimus Millet and his family, and to get him to come to Kirtland with a thousand dollars. And Brigham Young did it. That gave me so much motivation to do it, to find a leader for Don Gregorio because I know they need one.

I love this work so much, I never want to stop doing it, I really have found true happiness doing it.

I love you all so much!

Wrestling/basketball/more vehicle issues/baby pics

Worland High School Basketball team had a great week!  They beat Buffalo at Buffalo on Thursday and then on Friday they played Douglas who was ranked 2nd.  We are currently ranked 3rd and the last time we played them they beat us by 44 points back at the beginning of the season!  Our Warriors played an amazing game and put Douglas away by 23 points, it was exciting to watch, our team has really come together and is playing well with each other.  One more week of games and then we head to region.

Eric had his last wrestling meet for the middle school team in Riverton today.  Unfortunately he lost both of his matches, but he left the season with three wins and the desire to wrestle in the future. 

Eric is in the green singlet

That future is right around the corner as practices for club wrestling started this week.  Peter and Eric wrestle with the Ten Sleep/Hyattville Scrappers club.  Eric wrestled with them in 5th grade but last year did not.  This is Peter's third year with them.  The coach is a grizzled old rancher and does a great job with the boys.  The practices are twice a week in Ten Sleep which is 30 minutes away.  The first practice was last Thursday and we had a little bit of an adventure with our van.  I went out to start the van after practice and the key broke off in the ignition!  I went back inside and one of the dads of the boys who wrestle who is from Ten Sleep said he had some tools in his shop and went to get them.  He tried and tried to get the key out and could not.  So he kindly suggested that we take his wife's vehicle back to Worland and since she works in Worland he would drive her to work so she could pick up her vehicle.  They were such nice generous people.  I drove back to Worland and called Brian who was in Buffalo just over the mountain from Ten Sleep watching basketball.  On his way back to Worland he stopped in Ten Sleep and tried to start the car since the key was in it already.  I hadn't thought to try that, but he got it to start and was afraid to turn it back off in case he couldn't get it started again.  He left our car and took the van.  I texted the wife whose vehicle I had and told her to drive our car to Worland in the morning and we would switch.  We left the key to the car in the ignition since it was, after all, Ten Sleep and there really wasn't a reason not to.  The next morning the switch went smoothly and Brian was able to finally get the key out using a paper clip!  We happened to have 3 copies of the van key so we are all set, we just hope it doesn't happen again! 

Our little Van Tan (his new nickname since his last name is Tanner) had his first tumble.  His little 7 year old cousin was pulling him in a wagon and the wheel went off the sidewalk and he face planted into the gutter!  So sad for him and Lauren!  But he healed quickly and was not seriously hurt.

Big owies!

A few days later and all that's left is a little scab on his nose.

He's back to being his active self, trying to pull his socks off.

Dressing up in daddy's hat and helping Lauren vacuum.

Elder Edholm -- week 87

Well I had a good week this week. We had a great time finding new investigators, going to a zone conference, and travelling way up to the mountains to help out the sisters in an area called Ocoa. I learned a lot in the zone conference though, I learned that when we teach the restoration and the Book of Mormon that we should always do it adjusting to the needs of the investigators. Explaining how the message of the restoration or the Book of Mormon is going to help them specifically in their lives.

We had a good showing this Sunday of investigators. There was this one family that actually brought another family to church that seems really interested. The guy lives in New York and his cousin is a faithful member. Also we're teaching this less active and his wife who isn't a member. They both came to church on Sunday, and the wife, Lili, explained how she's receiving an answer about how the church is true. It's really a huge blessing to see people changing their lives like that.

Also our branch mission leader York left today to do a mini mission. It's kinda sad because we're like best friends, and I'm pretty sure that I'll get transferred before he gets back, and we would always do intercambios together, but here's a picture of him and me when we went to a really far off area yesterday and had to go through the mountains.

Anyway, love you guys a lot! Hope the flood goes down! 

York and Palmer

Multiple zone conference. Palmer is on the back row, third from right.

Sports update...

Basketball:

Worland vs. Themopolis.  We won handily.

Worland vs. Rawlins, also a big big win!

Middle school wrestling conference was on Saturday.  Poor Eric didn't have either parent there to watch him and he did great!  He wrestled 5 matches.  The first won he lost by points, the second he won by points, third and fourth he won by pinning his opponent and the last won he lost by points.  The best meet of the season for him! 

Service Sunday

FLOODING.  With all the snow we've had this winter and the warm weather the melted snow has nowhere to go and so the Big Horn River has over run it's banks. Three streets of houses next to the river have been evacuated and most of the homes have been flooded.  The National Guard was called on and so was the members of the church.  Here is the message from our stake president:

To all members of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wards,

We wish to announce a changed in church meetings for tomorrow Feb. 12.

Because of the recent flooding, and expected runoff, we would like to enlist all willing and able bodies to help our community.  We will have 2 sacrament meetings tomorrow in Worland:  7:30 sacrament meeting. This is for those who wish to take part in filling sandbags etc.  We will meet at the church for a short sacrament meeting/devotional. Please arrive in your work clothes, with good gloves, good footwear (it is wet and muddy), and your shovels.  We would ask the the Young Men from the 1st and 3rd Wards to arrive early to prepare and be ready to bless and pass the sacrament.  There will be no need to wear white shirt and ties for this. After the meeting, we will all report for the service project at the Washakie County Fairgrounds.
9:00 sacrament meeting:

This will be a combined meeting (all 3 wards) for all those with young children, and those that are unable to be a part of the service project.  Please do not feel bad if you are in this category.  The Lord would like you to still come to partake of the Sacrament and feel the spirit of the Sabbath Day. This meeting will be presided over by the 2nd Ward Bishopric. We would ask the the Young Men from the 2nd Ward arrive as they normally would to prepare and administer the sacrament. This will be the last meeting of the day. We would invite the 2nd Ward leadership and the Young Men to change change their clothes into "work" clothes and come join in the service project at the fair grounds after this meeting. We will also be rescheduling the Ward Conference for the Worland 1st Ward to a future date. Some will not have access to this e-mail, so please spread the word.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to hasten the work!

Sincerely

The Worland Stake Presidency

We are in the 2nd ward and Eric had to speak in sacrament meeting this morning so we went at 9:00.  Then we changed into work clothes and headed on over.  Lucy, Eric, and I worked hard for four hours filling sand bags.  It was impressive to see so many church members helping out.  Brian, Andy, and Peter missed out as they are in Utah for Andy's orthodontist appointment.  

Eric tying bags

A view of some of the help

Someone's great idea of using cones and a ladder to expedite the process. (Those two youth are in the 1st ward and worked from 8:00 till past 2:00 when I left.)

Use those muscles Eric!

Results of our efforts.

 Meanwhile...in Utah:

Brian caved and bought Peter and Andy ice cream in Farson on the way to Utah.

Sporting a new hair cut

Playing with Van!

Elder Edholm -- week 86

Sometimes peoples agency is frustrating, but you have to respect it. Like this one lady we're teaching named Oliva, she tells us about the answer that she received that this is the true church, but she won't commit to get baptized because she says she's waiting for an answer. But we can't force her to get baptized. Also this other lady named Vanessa that we were teaching, she's our branch mission leader's aunt, the first lesson we had with her was great, she looked like she had a lot of interest in the message. Just to find out the next time we went over there that she doesn't want to here from us anymore. But the thing is that they have their agency and we can only respect what they choose to do even though we know that they're not making the right decision, but it's better if they learn that for themselves too.

But life is going pretty good here. Yesterday we found a guy that's pure gold. We were sharing our message with him and he told us that no one had ever been able to clear up his doubts like we did. He also said that he wanted us to stay and keep talking with him because he said he felt really good when we were there sharing with him. I asked him to describe what it was exactly that he was feeling. He explained it as a peaceful/calming feeling. When he said that I smiled so hard. I told him that what he was feeling was the Holy Ghost testifying to him about the truthfulness of the message. The only bad thing is that he lives so far away that we can only visit him once a week.

I remember telling you guys about the policeman guy that we put a baptismal date with for the 18th. That isn't going to happen, we're still teaching him, and he's still awesome, but he just has a lot of family problems that need to be fixed first. So we'll be praying for him a lot.

Besides that, Andy's looking huge, and Peter looks the same.

Love you guys!!!

We're playing Basketball!!

Friday night #2 ranked Torrington against #4 ranked Worland Warriors. Andrew Edholm starts for the first time on the varsity team!  He plays a great defensive game with many blocks and rebounds and scored 9 points!  He got to give away a signed basketball as one of the starters and Peter was the lucky one.  Great night watching my son give it his all and they won 58-47.

Peter, (Lucy on my lap), me and Brian watching the game.  Andy is on the far left in the white, #40.

Us watching Andy shoot a technical free throw.  A kid on the other team elbowed him in the mouth. Peter is now on my lap.  My dear friend who was sitting behind me took these pictures!

And he makes it!

Pete and his autographed ball

It's mine!

The bench, the coach is in front of Andy kneeling.

Free throw man!

After the game.

The team including the freshmen in the black uniforms. Andy is on the back row third from the right.