Grantastic

First of all, that's so funny about Zack. Haha I love him, and I'm glad to hear he's serving and all those other kids are, too. I'm 99% sure his friend he was talking about was Clint Madsen, but correct me if I'm wrong and you remember.


Dad, I'm so glad you're having opportunities to serve like that! It really makes me less homesick when I realize how many blessings are coming from me being here.


So about the baptism. M. A. got baptized! I was in da wata doin the dunkin, and it was ICE COLD, but the Spirit was so strong and it was an awesome day! C and M postponed because M isn't all the way recovered from having her baby yet, so we will get to that later and it will be grantastic! I will send pictures soonish. If you send me a new card, I can send mine home no problem. I just don't want to be cardless for 2 weeks yknow?


On that note, it takes about 4 days to get mail. Y'all send em on Monday and I get em Thursday.


So this ward is kinda messed up. There are a few cool families, like the B-, the A-, the 

H-, the W-, and the H-, but there are a ton of people that don't like missionaries. They don't trust the program, they don't trust us, and they aren't getting to see any baptisms come around. We can stomp Homeland Park all day and get maybe 1 new member every 2 months. We need them to trust us and bring us their family and friends so we can get solid referral baptisms. It's just not working how it's supposed to. We're trying, and we have made some progress with a few people, but not nearly on the scale we need. If we had more than one ward missionary that would help... This place is just about to burst at the seams with people ready to receive the gospel, but no one is helping us pick the stitches, so it's slow work. We'll see how it goes by the time I leave. However, one lady, Sister M is having a neighborhood Halloween party. We were invited and President approved us going cause there'll be like 80ish non-members! Cool beans.

This Wednesday we had Elders Ray and Wilcock, the Zone Leaders, come up and do a special District Development Meeting (we have one as just a district every Tuesday). Elder Ray was a wrestler on the USA team before he came out, and as a sophomore in high school took nationals against an undefeated senior. He's a stud. He also went around doing motivational speaking for a job, too. He had us write down things stopping us from being the missionaries we wanted to be, like homesickness, and so on, on a 1" board. Then after that we learned the stance, learned the fiery "YES!" we shout when we hit, and we karate-palm-thrusted straight through the board. Yes, I'm awesome. Not everyone they've trained in our zone broke their boards, but our whole district did. Sister Robertson did as well, so I figured we all would ;) It was really awesome, and I'll send the board home after transfers. Also, no I won't be with a companion for 12 weeks always. Transfers are every 6 weeks, but we have a 12-week-training program, kinda like a 12-step program haha. After that I could be with a companion for 1-3ish transfers.

This weekend was Stake Conference. Saturday morning, before the baptism, we drove down with Brother A and the Seneca Elders (Benson and Tompson, the only others in our district) to Simpsonville (where our Zone Leaders are from, I think I told you wrong last time) to have a meeting with Elder Gaye of the Seventy. He's awesome, lots of good advice. He also spoke at the adult session, which blew my mind. It was so awesome. He also spoke at the session on Sunday. He is phenomenal. I also got a chance to talk with President and Sister Holm, our Stake President President Kunzler (from Orem) and Elder Gaye.  It was nice.

During the Sunday session we sat in the front row in the middle. Members of our ward were sitting there so I sat by ‘em and Elder Greear followed.   The coin I talked about in an earlier letter was mentioned by Pres Holm. He looked at me and asked, "Do one of you Elders have your coin?" When we got em way back when and he asked us to always carry it with us, so I had mine and handed it up to him so he could show the audience.  I was glad I had it and I'm glad President knows he can trust me :)

So on to the random stuff I wanna mention. First of all, can you send me my long-sleeved and short-sleeved black under armour shirts? It is cold in the mornings and it was way cold a couple of days, and it's only gonna get colder. Also, maybe a compass too, cause I'm sick of not knowing where North is. :/ Also, please buy Lion King. I saw it was out and I don't want to have it go back into the vault and never see it again!

The word "Utah" means top of the mountains. Originally the Saints wanted Utah to be named Deseret, but the President of the United States (can't remember which one) named it Utah after the Ute Indians and also to spite the Saints. But it just goes to show how revelation rocks, cause Isaiah 2:2 and 2 Nephi 12:2 say And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.  haha! 

Today I was reading 2 Nephi and I realized that 19:6 is identical to Isaiah 9:6. Jacob is quoting Isaiah for most of 2 Nephi, so I started to compare them to each other. They are almost word for word the same but for a few critical differences. For example: Chapter 9 in Isaiah says something like "Ye have multiplied the earth and NOT multiplied your joy" and 2 Nephi 19 says "Ye have multiplied the earth and multiplied your joy." It's a fun activity and I suggest doing it. The movie Radio was filmed in my area, and the real Radio goes bowling every Tuesday with a member! I'm gonna meet him and baptize him soon, or at least that's my goal :) Clemson University, which I had never heard of, is DOMINATING football this year. They are undefeated and stomping big teams.

Last couple things. I'm on my last hole in my belts. :/ I have learned how to make a spit bubble on my tongue and blow it out like a bubble :)

I love you guys.

Hurrah for Israel

Elder Seaver