Paris and Art

Andy made some very cool glass fusion pieces in art.  They turned out really nice.

My good friends went to Paris and brought me back some awesome things! 

Eiffel tower salt and pepper shakers and an Eiffel tower scarf.

Track Meet pics

I love Facebook for one main reason, professional photographers in this area post photos of the different sports events and I can download them for my use.  My phone does not take the best quality pictures, or maybe it's the user of the phone, not sure which.  Here are a few photos of the track meet last week:

This is the 1600, they run boys and girls together at this meet.

Here is the 4x400, last leg

A random pic of Andy during the relay.

Elder Edholm -- week 96

So, very good news, after running around for like four days straight trying to get the paperwork right and the money and everything we finally made the appointment so that Rico and Lili can get married! It took a lot of effort and it kind really discouraged me sometimes, but we finally did it! They're actually getting married in less than two hours so once I finish here I will go straight to the wedding! Lili was interviewed on Sunday and was found prepared to get baptized this Saturday! We just need to go over a couple more things before the baptism, but I feel super good about it, she's very repented, she talks about how she's never before felt so ¨light¨ like a huge burden has been lifted off her shoulders. I have also seen ginormous changes in Rico as well. It's in those moments when you just never wanna leave and you know how much of a blessing it is to be a missionary for the Lord!

Besides that we should be getting to work better in these week because a lot of our proselyting time was taken away trying to get all the papers ready. It's been raining a lot so everything in our house is damp because it's super humid right now. It was hard to even light a match.

I've also attached a picture of my companion, Elder Kanongata'a. He's an awesome companion, he's really helping me a lot to be able to finish the mission hard.

Besides that, there's not much to talk about, I just love the mission more and more everyday!

 

 

Track and soccer

Eric is running and jumping!  He has started the triple jump and runs the 1600, 800, and the anchor in the 4x400.  He has improved a ton since last year and is enjoying it.

Soccer team has been successful the last couple of games.  Andy now plays goal keeper for JV and is in the field on varsity.  The last few games the weather has been freezing and raining so I don't have any pictures.  Brian and I stayed in the car and tried to watch most of the game from there it was so cold and rainy. 

Teeth, college, and bike rides

Peter lost another tooth!

Andy accomplished a 50 mile bike ride which took him around 4 hours last weekend.  He came back tired with a very sore backside!  Since it was Easter I sent him this photo:

Thankfully he recovered quickly!

Palmer is officially enrolled at Utah State University!  He will be auditioning for the drumline this summer when he gets back and practices a whole lot!  His hope is to be in the Marching Band and the Pep Band and eventually be good enough to play in one of the three Jazz Bands at USU.

Elder Edholm -- week 95

So we had a really good first week together Elder Kanongata'a and I, I'm sorry I don't have a picture with him yet but I did attach a picture of my area that Mom asked for forever ago and I finally found a good place to take it a couple weeks ago. But I've been really focusing on finding new investigators. I feel like if I'm always focused on finding new investigators that I'll end my mission well and we'll never get caught in one of those moments when we have to completely start from zero because we're already doing that every week.

Good news, on Friday, if everything goes through like we want it to, Rico and Lili will get married! I'm so excited, it'll be my first marriage on the mission. So hopefully the marriage will happen on Friday and then she'll be ready for her baptismall interview on Saturday to get baptized by her husband on the 29th! I'm really excited about that.

Besides that we've been really trying to reach out to the youth in our branch. President Ortiz, the district president, gave me the suggestion to play baseball with them because almost every single one of the youth play baseball. I told them that Saturday morning we're gonna play baseball and I told them to invite their friends too. I'm thinking that in the future that we're gonna teach them how to wrestle and play football and other cool things like that too to get them motivated.

I think that if there's one thing that's really changed in me on my mission it's that, before I wouldn't have cared to do activities for the branch or reach out to the youth, now that's a big part of my efforts.

I really love this work, and I know that true happiness comes from it.

 

 

Elder Edholm -- week 94

So, some very sad news, our awesome golden investigator of Oliva has asked us to stop visiting her for now, I was heartbroken. She has been one of the best investigator's I've ever had, but I think it's partly because she has been having some problems with a certain member and she was sick, I think those things kind of discouraged her. But I haven't lost faith, I still have the hope that she will recognize that she needs the gospel in her life and change her mind.

So my companion Elder Aguilar is leaving tomorrow. It's kind of sad because we've spent so much time together, and we were working so well together. They informed me that I will be receiving Elder Kanongata'a, he's a tongan that I know really well and I'm super excited because we're good friends and I couldn't of asked for a better last companion because I'm going into my last transfer.

Other than that I have been pondering a lot about what I need to do so that this last transfer is my best one. I have been thinking a lot about charity. I know how everybody says that when you go on a mission that you need to love the people, and somebody can think that that's something simple and easy, but it's really not. When you go to a different country you experience a culture and a people that are so different than what you are used to that it's not easy to love them, you have to learn to love everybody, and not criticize them because they're different. Other than that most of our key indicators have been taken out so now a missionary could have two decisions, slack off because nobody sees their numbers now, or work for the love of God and the people. That's what I've found, now that nobody sees how many lessons with a member, references, contacts, etc. that I have I've realized that my motivation should be the love I have for this people and for my God.

Junior Prom Worland High School 2017

Andy got asked to prom by a senior (here in Worland there is no such thing as only a boys choice or girls choice dance, either can ask).  The rule is if you are a freshman or sophomore you cannot go to Junior Prom unless a junior or senior asks you.  Lindsay Rich asked Andy, she is in the 3rd ward and plays basketball, in fact she has a basketball scholarship to Black Hills State. She is a really nice girl and they had a great time, except Andy was falling asleep for part of the date-he doesn't do well staying up late since he's usually in bed by 9:00. There were a lot of great friends at the dance and I shot a few pictures.

Jaden, Andy, Caitlin, Porter

Andy and Lindsay

Poor picture of the Grand March

J.R. to the left and Caitlin front and center

Jaden, Andy's bestie

Shiloh and Jaden

Mom pic!

Kylie and Porter (he looks slightly creepy in this pic, but he's really not!)

Nathanael, Emily, and Kylie

And soccer has started!

Soccer is in full swing.  We braved the wind and cold today to watch Andy play.  Unfortunately the JV team has not won a game yet. Eric had a track meet in Riverton today, but after all the teams got to Riverton they cancelled the meet because is was raining so hard.  Eric had to endure three hours on the bus for nothing!

Soccer pics: (Andy is easy to spot, he's in the blue jersey)

D.A.R.E

Lucy graduated from the D.A.R.E. program at her school.  Brian went to the ceremony and took some pictures.

Lucy and her friend Eliza

All the kids!

While Brian was at the school he snuck a picture of Pete:

My wrestling boys...

Elder Edholm -- week 93

Well General Conference was amazing as usual. I felt three strong topics which were: Being a disciple of Christ, Family History and Temple Work, and the Holy Ghost. I learned so much, I feel like every general conference I like more. I remember when I was littler I just sat through it waiting until it was over, now I actually really enjoy it, listening to the Lord's servants is amazing.

Well Oliva was supposed to have her baptismal interview on Saturday, we passed by on Friday to remind her and everything. Saturday came around, the missionary came to interview her, and she didn't show up. We sent somebody to look for her and they said that no one was there. Sunday came around and she didn't come to church which was the first time she didn't come. We were really worried about what had happened. This morning we were walking to the church to play sports when we saw her daughter, she told us that she had been in the hospital sick. We went to visit her and she was pretty much all better, but she told us that she didn't wanna get baptized on Saturday anymore, that she wanted to wait a little longer. I think that may have just been something she said in the moment but I have no doubt that she is 100% prepared. We're gonna pass by tomorrow and see if she changes her mind.

Lili (the girl I talked about last week that's getting married soon) is progressing really well. She and her husband rico went to both sessions on Sunday and they loved it. She's very excited to get married at the end of this month.

But besides that the work is going great, there are always ups and downs, but overall I know this is the best thing I can be doing right now in my life, I don't regret a second of it.