Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

 Teen Fantasy Fiction. This book is actually two books in one. They were originally published separately as Crown Duel and Court Duel. I started reading the first part -- Crown Duel. It was a slow read for me and I put it down and picked it back up several times before I gave it back to my friend who lent it to me. She told me to give it one more try and to get past page 37 or so and then things would start to move along faster. Because I trust my friend I agreed and she was not wrong. I ended up reading it fairly quickly after said page 37. 

The plot covers the attempted overthrow of the government by smaller kingdoms and involves a bit of magic on the way. I really became invested in the two main characters and their reactions to the events. After I finished the first part I did something I shame others for doing. I turned to the last 3 chapters in the second part - Court Duel - and read the ending!  (Which ended magnificently by the way.) I'm an impatient reader and I really wanted to know how things ended. I thought that I would leave it at that, but felt drawn to read the entire second part as well. This edition of the book also includes a small short chapter after the book ends that highlights an event in the future. I ended up adoring this book and I'm so glad I kept reading!

Recommend: Yes. 

Elder Andrew Edholm -- week 79

 Hello! Overall a really good week. Catarina still has the goal of being baptized in the 30, so we're really excited about that! We were able to meet with her and talk more, her faith is super strong. The last time we went over, we shared some scriptures and then she shared with us how important prayer is to her it was awesome. The other person I want to mention this week is a new person that we have started teaching, his name is Jose and he's from Mexico. He's in his mid 30's and very energetic, he really seems like someone that wants to learn and grow from the scriptures. We're going to go back on wednesday so we're excited for that.

Transfers were last week, and I'm staying here with my companion for another 6 weeks. Both of us are happy about that.

Personal study:

Mosiah 5:13, "13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?"

Moaiah 2:17 "17 ...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

Matthew 22:34-40, "36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

  37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

  39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

I was thinking about these three different passages a bit and I think that are all related. One way we can show our love to God is by helping his children. It could be in a physical in a physical act of service, or in a spiritual way by sharing a scripture or an experience with which God has help you, or in a emotional way by being there for something that might be struggling. There are many serve. I hope you guys look for ways you can love God more by helping others!

-Elder Edholm

The Princess Search by Melanie Cellier

 Teen Fantasy Fiction. Melanie Cellier has written several fairy tale retelling that are connected by time and space. I read the first one in the series, a retelling of Princess of the Pea, and this one is the 5th in that series. It is a retelling of The Ugly Duckling. I've never heard of a book that has tackled this fairy tale retelling. This was a VERY loose retelling and involves people and not ducks and swans!  Cellier does a great job of having a good balance of conflict and character development. 

I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a fine job. 

Recommend: Yes

The House With a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

 Junior Fantasy Fiction. When I worked at a children's library long ago shelf reading (making sure all the titles are alphabetical by the author on the shelves) was very cathartic for me. I loved finding books that were new to me and it helped me discover treasures. I saw this book as well as the other books by this author countless times over the years but I never took the time to read them. This book was written in 1973 and is a mystery/fantasy type book. It was made into a film a few years ago, although I've never seen it. 

I enjoy reading books that were written before 1990 or so. I like the pace and the non technical world that I used to live in. This is about a young boy who is orphaned and his uncle takes him in to raise him. He soon finds out his uncle is a magician of sorts and this starts him on a number of magical adventures. It was a fun quick read and I believe I will pick up another one of Bellairs books to read in the near future. 

Recommend: Yes

Elder Andrew Edholm -- week 78

 Was good week, I just want to talk about one family that we are teaching. It's a Honduran family, Oscar and Mildred, and they have two little girls, Rachel and Katherine. Some other missionaries actually talked to them first, the Nepali Elders, and they were able to right down her number with the little Spanish that they know, pretty cool. Anyways they are extremely nice! Definitely two of the nicest people I've might in these 18 months as a missionary. We read some scriptures with them and they have a really strong faith. We'll be going back tonight so I'm pretty excited.

In my personal personal study this week there were two scriptures, one in the Bible and the other in the Book if Mormon, that really jumped out to me, they were and proverbs 3:5-6 and Jacob 10:4.

     5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

     6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

     10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

My companion is actually the one who showed me the two verses in Proverbs, so a quick hat's off to him. After reading these two passages, I was thinking about how hard it is to give up our desires and replacing them with the desires of someone greater, to also trust in the Lord no matter what, and that means trusting in his counsel. I'm going to be better at that this week and I hope you guys will too.

See you next week!

-Elder Edholm

Elder Andrew Edholm -- week 77

 It was a good week. We found 5 new people to teach this week, a family of 3 from Venezuela, the parents and their daughter, and also a couple from Honduras! We've only been able to meet with the two families once, but the one family said we could come back, and the other family wants us to come back! The husband even said he'd get off work to hear from us! So that's exciting. The other thing that happen this week is that we asked Catarina how she felt about baptism and we asked her about the goal to be baptized on the 30th of this month, and she really likes the goal and wants to work towards it! It was a good week.

For New Year's we were able to watch It's a Wonderful Life, I was pretty excited because I always watch that with my family during the Christmas time of year. We also stayed up to watch fireworks (there was only like 4 the whole night) and to just be awake for the new year. We also called Elder Baker our district leader so we could tell him happy New Year.

This week in my studies, I read in Matthew, and wanted to share with you guys the beattitudes from the Sermon on the Mount.

        3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

        12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

I don't want to say anything about these 10 verses becuae I will take away from them if I do, plus I know that something different jumped out to everyone of you guys and what I think that is the more important. 

See you guys next week!