Elder Edholm is home!

This is the last post about Palmer and his life as a missionary.  His journey home took a bit longer than we anticipated, but he's here now and we are so very happy!

His plane was supposed to get to Cody on the 24th at 11:20pm.  We packed everyone into the car and told the littler ones to try and sleep.  We were 20 minutes from Cody (it takes about an hour and a half to get there) when Brian got a text saying that the plane had not landed in Salt Lake and he had missed his connection to Cody.  There had been a storm in Salt Lake and the plane was diverted to Provo where it sat for a long time waiting to be refueled. By the time it flew into Salt Lake he had missed his connection to Cody.  We were able to call back the number he texted us on, which belonged to a very nice guy he was sitting next to on the plane.  Palmer called the emergency church travel line and we talked to them as well.  Initially Delta said that all their flights to Cody were booked for 2 days and they couldn't get him here sooner than that.  Delta only flies into Cody twice a day.  The church has a bit more pull and pretty soon he was booked to fly out of Salt Lake on the 25th at 7:00am.  He was flying on United and the flight went to Denver and then on to Cody.  Meanwhile his luggage went onto Cody on the Delta flight.  By the time we got all the info it was after midnight.  So we turned the car around and drove all the way back to Worland. The other missionary Palmer was traveling with was from Murray, which is a suburb of Salt Lake.  His parents took Palmer home and fed him and let him sleep for a few short hours before driving him back to the airport.  He didn't have much without his luggage, but made the best of it.  He finally got into Cody at 12:45pm on the 25th and his luggage made it as well.  We were so glad to see him and he said he has had enough plane flights to last a life time. 

Waiting in the airport

Why are you taking my picture mom?

He's almost here!

At last!

Almost home, just a short 1 1/2 hour drive away!

Peter is now a Bear scout

Peter completed all his requirements for Wolf Scout and is now advanced to Bear. 

Elder Edholm -- week 100!

Welp, like the title says, this will be my last email that I'll send as a missionary. It's pretty sad to to tell you the truth. Yesterday was my last day in Don Gregorio because I left early this morning. But I was just planning on doing a family home evening with some members but the whole branch decided to throw me a whole farewell, it was the first time that anyone had ever done anything like that for me, it was so great, it was sucha blessing for me because I didn't think I had made that big of an affect on the people here. At the same time I was feeling kind of sad because I saw how much they loved me and it gave me lots of motivation to keep working with them, but I have to go. The good thing is that I'm going to do my best to keep in touch with them when I get back.

But to tell you the truth the mission has been amazing, in ways that I didn't expect. I'm sad that I won't be a missionary anymore, but I'm also excited for the opportunity to keep building up the church back home.

I love you all, and I'll see you all soon!

Mother's Day, Mile Run, & a Wedding

Mother's Day last week was wonderful.  I received the best gift:

Pepper and tomato plants and soil

Peter and I have already planted them and they have survived our relapse into winter this week.

Peter and Lucy had their mile run in elementary school.  Lucy came in 5th out of both 5th grades and Peter came in 3rd out of both 3rd grades.  They did well! Brian forgot to take a picture of Lucy during the race and so made her go back out on the track and took a pic of her running!

One of Emma's very good friends got married on Friday.  Emma was the Maid of Honor and had to make a speech at the wedding and did a great job! 

Emma walking with the best man

The bride with her father

Emma is on the left of the bride and groom

Walking back out after the ceremony

Emma looked so pretty and I love her cheesy smile

This was the father daughter dance.

Peter caught the garter and didn't quite know what to do with it.

So he wore it on his head!

Wedding selfies are fun.

The next day we went to one of many graduation parties since graduation is today.  Kids found a gravel/dirt hill and, of course, had to play on it. (Peter is on the left, Andy and Eric are standing with their friends Keira and Kylie Woffinden.  Emma is hidden behind Kylie.

kids, kids, kids

Eventful week for the Edholm kids.

Eric had his final track meet of the year.  He had a PR in the 1600 meter at 6:32.  He improved a lot over the season and is excited to do track again next year.

Emma is home from Dixie!!  We are very excited to have Emma home for a while.  Brian, Andy, and I were in Utah to bring her home.  Brian and I discovered the wonderful concept of driving long distances with children who can help drive.  We split the drive home up and each of us only had to drive about an hour an a half. 

Driving on the freeway for the first time and did great!

Always fun to drive in the middle of nowhere!

While we were in Utah we got to see lots of family. 

This is at my mom's place, she gave us the hat and flower and they fit Andy so well.

Lucy's 5th grade class had some outdoor adventures today. 

Lucy shooting a pellet gun (with the hat on).  She looks pretty good!

Learning about bear spray and how to use it, a useful thing in Wyoming.

Here she is learning about trapping.

Andy played Buffalo in soccer today and the JV won.  It was a typical May day in Wyoming, cold, slightly rainy, and windy.

Throwing in the ball

Edler Edholm week 98

So this week kind of culminated up to an apex and then started going back down again. It just felt like in this week that we never had sufficient time to work, to get what we wanted to get done. But on Sunday it all payed off to see a new family that we've been working with go to church. The daughter's a less active, but the whole rest of the family aren't members and the mom and two daughters came to church! We had a member go pick them up. Also a new young men's president got called and that's just what this branch needed. Now the young men are a lot more motivated, we've already gone on a couple splits with young men, and others that aren't old enough have left with us. That's one thing I like about being in a branch, it really helps me get involved more with all of the organizations, if I were in a big ward I probably wouldn't care as much.

Anyway I attached a picture here of Rico and Lili's wedding. They are doing just great. Lili is very motivated and Rico is on fire as well, I've never seen him so dedicated. 

Today I got to visit my first area, Canastica. I was so excited to go and visit, I didn't want to leave. It was so great seeing my very first area. Being able to see all those members that helped me to grow in the mission so much, I felt so much joy seeing all of them, and I'm determined to keep contact after I get home. At the same time I felt really sad because I don't know when I'm going to be able to see them again, hopefully soon. It's just moments like that when I feel so much gratitude to all the great examples in my life and to my Heavenly Father for the opportunity to serve a mission and meet so many amazing people that have changed my life.

Besides that, we might have another baptism coming up soon. This 10 year old girl that's been going to church since she was born practically. Her 19 year old sister is a member, but her parents aren't. We're trying to work with her parents more before we baptize her. Even though she has a lot of support in the ward from the people that take her to church, we want to try with her parents too, at least so they understand what their duty is.

Anyway, that's it for this week, I can't wait to call you guys next week! I love this work so much!!!

Elder Edholm -- week 97

So the wedding and the baptism both went great! I would send pictures, but I'm on a really sketchy computer right now and I really don't want to get a virus, but I promise I will send it next week. But Lili is doing super great, it was really awesome hearing her testimony after the baptism, I feel really good about her because she has both of the things that Elder Andersen said a convert needs to have to stay faithful in the church, repent on her own, and a love for the Book of Mormon. Her husband Rico is now active in the church now too. We are working with a new family as well that wants to get baptized and married, so we're going to keep working with them.

I completely forgot to tell you guys that our P-day was changed this week to Tuesday because we went to the temple today. It's always great going to the temple, especially as a missionary. It always gives me the motivation to help prepare people to come to the Lord's house and feel what I feel there.

The work is going well though, sometimes it's hard to keep finding new people everyday in the same area I've been in for more than six months now, but I feel like I'm doing a good job at it.

Sorry, but not too much to report on this week, it's great to hear how the family is doing, Love you all, and I love this work, I hope you can all find ways to participate in it because I know that it will make you truly happy!

 

Zone Conference, Palmer is right smack in the middle

 

Piano Recital

Last night I had my end of the school year piano recital at the Museum.  All the kids did so well!  I was a very proud teacher.  Here is the program and some pictures.

Edholm Piano Studio Spring Recital

April 30, 2017, 6:00pm

Washakie Museum

Eric Edholm                                                                      Native Dancer

Charlie Russell                                                                   Rainbow Rock

Duet: Leanne Croft & Lucy Edholm                                 Two for a Seesaw

Laramie Trauntvein                                                            Rainbow Fish

Lucy Edholm                                                                     Chimes

Duet: Peter Edholm & Grant Page                                     Fine Feathered Friend

Keira Woffinden                                                                 Blue Mood

Halle Wittwer                                                                      Waterfall Jewels

Duet: Kinlee Hofmann & Laramie Trauntvein                    The Setting Sun

Owen Page                                                                          Ballade

Grant Page                                                                          Watching the Clock

Duet: Halle Wittwer & Fiona Trombley                              Crocodile Creep

Peter Edholm                                                                      Fire and Wind

Fiona Trombley                                                                   Chimes

Duet: Lucy Edholm & Keira Woffinden                              Doo-Wop at the Sock Hop

DeEtte Hofmann                                                                A Race Against the Clock

Duet: Eric Edholm & Charlie Russell                                  This “n” That

Kinlee Hofmann                                                                  I’m a Puppet

Duet: Ira Croft & Owen Page                                              Ready, Set, Rock

Andrew Edholm                                                                  Mist

Leanne Croft                                                                       Pyramid Power

Duet: DeEtte Hofmann & Macy Trombley                         A Groovy Tune

Ira Croft                                                                              The Whiskery Walrus

Macy Trombley                                                                    Rolling Clouds

Duet: Andrew Edholm & Jaycee Page                                  In the Hall of the Mountain King

Oboe Solo: Dane Bennett                                                    Sonate Opus 166 by Saint-Saens

                                                      Second and Third Movements, accompanied by Julie Edholm

Andy with his duet partner, Jaycee Page

Me and one of my students, Halle Wittwer