They sent me to Spain for a bit and I learned Spanish....ok ok, they really didn't. Well it is Tuesday and not Monday. This is because Transfer calls happened and I'M GOING TO....stay here!! hahaha gotcha! You all thought I was leaving. Well because Transfers are this week preparation day is Tuesday instead of Monday. I'm really happy I'm staying here for Christmas. It is going to be weird not being home honestly but I'm excited.
I'm an awful person...I forgot it was Thanksgiving until someone said, isn't it Thanksgiving this week?!!! But we did something really cool and it was super fun! We were talking to Caroline and her family (some investigators) and we said we will have a family home evening with them at the chapel and we will cook them a Thanksgiving!! It wasn't quite Thanksgiving but it was as close as we could get it. Turkey is very very expensive so we substituted it with chicken and made it look like turkey. We made mashed potatoes, cooked carrots and parsnips and an apple pie. We made this in all under an hour!!! Crazy I know! Well we sat at the chapel...and sat there...and sat there...and sat there! They didn't show up! We found out later that something came up, don't know what but I will give them the benefit of the doubt! :) But on the bright side we got a thanksgiving dinner and it was quite good if I do say so myself! :) The picture is us cleaning up and I got distracted by the big pot of mashed potatoes!! :) they were good, not as good as Dads, but good!
On Friday we helped Lena (sols mum and an investigator) put up her Christmas tree! It was basically awesome!! We had a lot of fun and got talking about the Plan of Salvation. I don't know if I told you guys but her sister is a member in Scotland and Lena is moving up there after Christmas! So we won't be able to baptize her here but we are going to get her all prepared to turn over to the Scottish missionaries! She then later told us she was having a hard day and prayed for us to come by which I think is cool because it strengthened her belief in Prayer. She has told us she doesn't pray because she doesn't think Heavenly Father has answered her prayers! Well that will change now hahaha!! But she really is an amazing lady! She made us curry afterward and flip it was so spicy it was making my nose run!!!
Last week I went on exchange and we went by a less-active. Interesting story but I won't go into that. She smokes and says she doesn't know if she believes anymore. It was stake conference and she came. After I walked up to her and asked her how she was doing and how she liked it. She said that she was doing well and that stake conference was for her. I then asked her what she was going to do now. Right before stake conference she bought a full pack of cigarettes. She pulled them out of her pocket and crushed them and said I'm done. She said I know I'm a hard person and I'm sometimes a nuisance but I believe! I know this church is true! I was astonished, I was speechless! It helped me realize something. There are many people out there, that struggle and seem as though they are not worth the wait and worth trying to bring back because they are long gone! DO NOT GIVE UP ON THEM!! They may need a little extra nudge and help because they can't do it on their own. But no matter what never give up on them. They are all children of our loving Heavenly Father and have just strayed a little. It is our, I would say, obligation and duty to be their friends and help them realize that they can be happy, help them remember the feelings they had when they were baptized. Never give up on anyone, including yourself. If you struggle and feel lost, don't give up, rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They are there for you, walking right beside you. Keep going, keep trying because in the end, everything you do will be worth it!
God be with you. On our way. #10sof1000s. Remember we all wear the name of Christ on our hearts.
Love, Elder Tyler Rife
P.S. Selfie with Elder Smith!!!
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for the emails each week. I know you are busy and life is hectic but you still make time for emails!! :) I'm grateful for that! This past week has looked like a fun week for you all!! It seems like you packed in a lot! Thanksgiving looked good. Where were the Cherry's? Did Mila get her Birthday card? sorry it was so late. Have you got the Christmas parcel I sent? How is everyone doing? What was Tanners PR? I Would love to do the Christmas thing with you guys! I will update you on service, words and attitude, as well as personal goals! I will try my best to do that. Something that I started that you are all welcome to do as well... What is the point of just saying things you are grateful for on just one day of the year? I don't see the point. Everyday I write 2 things that I am grateful for, or at least I'm trying and I think that when we feel down or like everything is going wrong we can look at those things that we write everyday and it will remind us of why we do things and that we have been blessed greatly!! So black friday isn't really a thing here. It was weird. Dang Kylee I want a picture with Elsa!!!!!! You are a lucky girl! Well I hope you are all doing well and are having an amazing week! Look up the Mormon Message the spirit of Christmas. That is a good one! And don't forget to watch Mr. Kruegars Christmas! I love you all and miss you. I hope that you re-read those letters that Santa Clause gave us last Christmas. I hope we can all think about how we can make our CHRISTmas' more focused around Christ. I love you and hope all is well! God be with you. On our way. #10sof1000s. Remember we all wear the name of Christ on our hearts!
Love, Ty-dye
Giving the mashed potatoes a try as they were fixing Thanksgiving Dinner! :)
Trust him!!! He was ALWAYS trying to grab a taste before the prayer was said here at home too!!!
Only I actually think this was when they were cleaning up so perhaps it was staged!
Selfie with Elder Smith :)
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