Why I love Wednesday

Mostly because I get to hear from this guy!

We always wake up early to read his email...

His testimony and attitude inspire me and make want to try to do better.

But then he is still just his same funny, humble, loving self.

Kelley told me a story Saturday about him that made proud to be his mom.

He said when they went fishing in Mexico, Grampa caught a big Dorado and after struggling for quite a while to bring it in, had it hauled up onto the deck of the boat. The other fish they had caught, they threw back, but I guess you keep these if you catch them and eat them.

He had not seen before that you have to wack them over the head to kill them and was pretty sad about it. He asked Kelley quietly, "can't you just throw it back?"
He has such a tender heart...not your regular guy. His wife is going to be a lucky woman.

Here's his last two email's

Hey Mom and Dad,
Thanks for the pictures I really enjoyed them, that one of Grandpa and I is really great. Nice to hear about the fishing adventures too, I can just imagine Mom up there trying to handle all the pole getting bites at once. Nice job Mom. Nice to hear about Nick going on his mission and the other missionaries from the ward. I will keep them in my prayers. We had a rather challenging week, but now that I look back I realize that it was way good. Maybe I mentioned in my last letter that we had some success with one of our investigators praying in a meeting with us( sometimes its hard for people to pray in front of us, but it really helps them start praying on their own). This week we talked to him on the phone and he told us that he had been praying on his own and said " I learned how to do it", we were way glad to hear this because that means that he probably wasn’t praying before and that our efforts to help him pray with us started him on the path to gaining a personal relationship with Heavenly Father through prayer. We also had some success giving a Book of Mormon to Alekcandp, the guy from Kyrgistan, who was worried about taking it home because he has a cousin that doesn’t support his relationship with the church. For a couple weeks he didn’t want to take one home, but last Wednesday he told us he could take it home and was excited to read it. He asked us to write in the cover and so we wrote our testimonies, it was really nice experience. Unfortunately, when we called Valeri on Monday, he told us that he wouldn’t be able to meet with us anymore, or read the Book of Mormon. We were way surprised because just talked to him on the phone on Friday and he said we could meet this week. So we asked him what happened, and he said that he had been thinking a lot and that he just isn’t ready and doesn’t have time, but those both sounded like big excuses so we asked about his wife, because he had been out to visit here at their summer house on the weekend, and he said he wife isn’t very supportive. So that was a big bummer, but he said we could still talk on the phone, just can’t meet. So we will keep in touch with him. I remembered when Marilee Forsyths cousin, President Pearson came and talked to us almost a year ago, he told us that when that happens you should get on your knees and ask the Lord to send you someone else who is ready. So Elder White and I did that and have spent the last couple days basically just talking to people trying to find the ones the Lord is preparing. Everything will work out, Im sure we will find some one. Dad, I loved your story about Bishop, my companion is a way paranoid guy too. So if something looks weird, he usually won’t touch it and is way worried about it. So the other day we were just contacting on the street and we got way hungry, so we came up to this little stand and he ordered some weird toast thing and I got a super snickers, so his toast thing was with bacon and cheese and we watched them get out the raw bacon and put it on the grill, but they didn’t even cook it, they left it on the grill for like 20 seconds and then put it in the sandwich all pink and raw. Then he started freaking out and he telling me to tell the woman to put it back on, but I had a huge mouthful of snickers and was laughing way hard so I couldn’t in time. So she gave it to him all raw and stuff. It was WAY funny. But he ate it anyway and just had a noisy gurgly stomach, nothing worse. He’s a funny guy. Any way, I love you guys, thanks for your prayers.
KC

Hey Mom and Dad!
I hope you guys had a fantastic week. When I first read the title of your email I had no idea what it was talking about, but I got it eventually. If you say vase like your from France, then its right. I cant believe Nick is going on a mission already. I wish I could have heard him talk, I always loved listening to him talk, lots of corny jokes. But they were funny because they’re Nicks corny jokes. That is way cool that you could go to the temple when Kim was doing the session, and especially that you could be the witness couple.
I got your package, thanks so much for all the stuff, this watch is way nicer that the last one I had, you didn’t have to spend lots of money on it. I love it though. Im wearing it right now. Thanks an ton for everything. Could you send me a picture of me and one of the marlin that I caught? I want to show some fishermen around here that I see, I think it would blow their minds. They would get baptized for sure if they knew what a great fisherman I was.
Yesterday we had a meeting with a man that we found in the area book(a book with all the old investigators from the area). The description on the record was that it was a great family and that they had a great discussion but then they got busy and couldn’t meet. So we gave it a try and the husband wanted to meet. So yesterday we met with him and taught the plan of salvation, he accepted it all and said that it all made sense and that it was all "close" to him some how(makes more sense in Russian). His wife wasn’t at the meeting unfortunately, but we taught him to pray and then asked him to pray begin praying with his family and he said that they would start. He prayed at the end of the lesson too. Its a great family, he has two young daughters, about 10 and 8 and they were both very nice and polite. We are excited to teach a whole family, because that doesn’t happen that often here, usually families are split about whether they like what we have to say. We met with a family that lives out in the sticks too, that was nice. Way good family. Ask Candice about their house. Anyway, things are going really well. I have learned that the Lord always blesses us if we stick to doing what we know what is right and not wander off when times get rough. We need to be our strongest when times are rough. Anyway, have a nice week. Love you guys.
KC

So then I get to play racquetball. We have a small group of ladies that play every Wednesday. But they are faithful and always try to get there. I'm not very good at it, but it's the funnest way I have found to get some exercise.

It would be pretty comical to watch us play...not so much to watch, but to hear the things we say.

My favorite there is Susan. She is a lot like me and has become a good friend. She has two daughters...one lives in Arizona so we have that in common. She is very committed to her faith...her husband is a pastor in their church and she does much good service for the people in her area. She always has good to say about LDS people and asks about K.C. and what he does. If I'm sad or worried about him, she tells me she will pray for us....and I know she does.

Anyway, she is fun to play. We are about the same level and have a good game each time. It usually turns out that she will win one time, then I will win the next, then her, then me.

We can be heard saying...'Oh no, you go first, I'm sure it's your turn" and "excuse me...I was totally in your way...I'm sure that's why you didn't get that shot!" "You think your shot was down? it was really close, why don't we just do it again!" "Oh I carried the ball" (something not a lot of people call unless it's really obvious) and "I bet you could have gotten to that if I hadn't been there...lets give you another try" or "Wow! your serves are so good...I just can't get them! There is a lot of positive affirmations and building each other up...not that common to find and I feel real lucky to have these nice ladies to associate with every week.

I would probably run from the court crying if I had to play normal people...but for me be able to play with these ladies...well it's just a lot of fun.

Well that is not all that's wonderful about Wednesday's!...now I get to go listen to Brother Wilcox speak. Every week, I get my bucket refilled as I listen and am taught by him.

The way he presents the scriptures is a way that I can understand! He always relates what we are talking about to our own lives and leaves me with a message that uplifts and moves my heart. I'm so grateful that he will take time out of his busy life...(he's kind of important now...has written lots of books and does church history tours all over the world) to come teach us every week.

This last week he was talking about Rebeka and how she was chosen to be Issac's wife. I loved the part where she did much more than was expected of her...to get water for all these camels...lot's of trips to the well! Anyway, Brother Wilcox said that this was in her nature...that she was a woman of good character and had placed herself on a path of virtue where good things would come along for her...and they did.

I know it doesn't sound possible, but I get to do one more wonderful thing on Wednesday....go spend some time with our Young Women! We are small, but the girls that come are faithful and truly good girls. We played volleyball this week...I asked Gina to come over and work on some things with them. Her and Stephanie and cute little Riley came and did a real good job with the girls. She helped them till they could all serve the ball over the net, then did some other skill building games. Watching Riley dance around the gym and sing funny songs sure made me miss Olivia....just a few more days!

Anyway, that's a pretty good day in my book.