The Plan of Peace to a Weary, Lonesome Soul

Mommy!

I was just reading a letter from Sean about choir haha. Brought back a lot of memories, especially about Seattle. What are the chances? Haha. I'm kinda jealous y'all get to be up there.... :p

So, first item of business- 

I will be transferred this Wednesday to a new area... (fingers crossed for Myrtle Beach!) Double-edged sword here. I love Anderson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't wanna leave! But I am excited to go somewhere new and love it, too! That rhymed. Haha.

Today will be my last day in Anderson. We're going up to Simpsonville tonight. Just some  rule the Greenville Stake President has- members in the Greenville Stake can no longer give rides to missionaries to transfer meetings. Dunno why... But that just means all of us leavers are going to Simpsonville (a good central point, also the Zone Leaders' area) and being picked up in the mission van/trailer. It should be fun to ride with all the other Elders. Elder Wilcock is being transferred as well, so it'll be a fun ride talking to him and Elder Ray again.

This Sunday was a broadcast to 42 Stakes in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, in which Elder Ballard and some other General Authorities and leaders spoke. It was mostly about getting the youth on track and getting boys out on missions. There was also a little bit of a smack down saying members need to work harder with missionaries to do the good work. That was nice to hear. Then there was a little smack down on us missionaries telling us we need to work harder- we're not cutting it. Talk about pressure!

We went around yesterday, and will go around tonight, to say goodbye and get pictures with everyone here I don't wanna forget. I'm writing down addresses, #'s, emails, and whatever else so I don't lose these people! :/

Thank you for the package you sent! It was fantastic to get all that music, and I can't believe you found the Celtic Woman CD haha! Awesome blossom! Thanks :D All the other stuff in there was great, too. I had a very good time reading about Brother Olson and Brother Cannon. Sure do miss those guys... Sure am thankful for the Plan of Happiness- the Plan of Peace to a Weary, Lonesome Soul, as I like to call it in these times.

There is so much going on in the world! Here in South Carolina, back home in Utah, and all over the nation in particular. We watched some fun videos lately about the Presidential Race. "Jon Stewart Mitt Romney" and "GOP online debate" are really funny, and you should look em up. :D

Well, that's about all I got for this week. I got dad's letter, and I'm sending one back with a picture or two. Yes. I also remembered his birthday is today. Happy Birthday, my Y-chromosome compadre!

Love you guys! Hope all is well in Zion! Jealous of your snow!

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Seaver

"Woman" is actually a title above "Mother"

Woman!

Holy sweet Moses! Snow finally! Haha. I've been wondering about that. I'm jealous- all this rain blows. It's wet and cold and smells like stale cat hair. Yum.

As far as an update for this week- there is not much to report. We are working and working. It seems like no one is home anymore when we knock! But we have been doing well at getting less-active members back to church. There were a few there yesterday, and it was nice to see that we had SOME kind of success. Tonight we will be doing a FHE with the Helms. Our plan is to share BRP with them at the end and get a few good solid referrals to visit. We'll see how it goes......

We are having too much fun with the Addisons! Brother Addison is just like that big brother I always wanted. Hahaha. L (Sister G daughter (Sister Addison's daughter)) is just a cut up! Yesterday we went to their house to show her a Coke+Mentos "Science Experience," as she calls it. It was a lot of fun! She also says "busy" instead of "dizzy," and just yesterday we heard a new one; L was searching through something, and when she found what she was looking for she yelled "jack box!" instead of "jack pot!" hahahaha.

We do laundry after email and shopping usually, just before lunch. It's kinda a pain to do. It takes time, and today especially I don't wanna carry it all in the rain :/

I'm sad to hear about Brother Olsen. He is in a better place now, though. I am so thankful for the Plan of Happiness and the knowledge we have of it. Brother Olsen and Brother Cannon are two fantastic gentlemen and I know they are having a great time up there! Can't wait to see 'em again on the other side. Well, ok, maybe I CAN wait- knock on wood*- but it'll be nice to see 'em at their full potential again!

Funny you both saw Nick, I was planning on writing him a letter today! I wish I could email him... That would be so much easier! But I do have his address, so I'll drop him a line. I sure do miss that kid...

So T. G. is having a baby on the 4th, and yesterday while we were there we saw her 3D ultrasound. It's FREAKY! The little human in there opened his eyes and everything! He's all wrinkly and gross, and he snuggles up to her spine. EW! It's amazing what women can do- growing a human like that and everything.. Wow. I'm worried I'm gonna get transferred on the 1st and miss seeing the li'l guy!

Ok, I just wanted to clarify for you- today I learned while studying that "Woman" is actually a title above "Mother." Though "mom" or "mother" would show respect to your own matriarch, calling someone "Woman" shows respect to her to the whole of humanity, instead of just your own family. That's why in the Holy Bible we read women being called "Woman" so often.

Well that's about it for the South. I love it here! I only have 592 days left! Time is going too fast! I hope I can use my days wisely and do what the Lord would have me in such a short timeframe!

Love y'all! More than Legos. And that's a lot.

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Seaver

Young Man, You Are Absolutely Gorgeous

Mom! 

This week has been one of the tougher weeks so far. We've been struggling as a district lately. Some of us have been disobedient to the little rules and we are suffering for it. So we'll be making some changes this week in our behaviors. That way the Lord can bless us for obedience. That's the major reason He gives us so many rules. Yeah they keep us safe and whatever else, but I feel like He gives us rules so we can keep them and be blessed, not to inconvenience us. And rules are rules, after all, not suggestions.

So we were doing laundry last Monday; I saw that one of the dryers only needed 4 more quarters (someone had evidently put one in already) so I put one of mine in. It was jammed! I was finagled out of a quarter! So we pounded on it for a while to get it back when, to our surprise, we were blessed with 18 quarters coming out of the "return" slot! We made $2.25- nearly an entire extra load of laundry! :D

We were out somewhere, I don't remember where, when a lady said, "Young man!" I turned around and she said to me, "Young man, you are absolutely gorgeous," and walked away...

Do you know any Rhumatologists that may be hiring in the near future? We have a member here who wants to move to Provo this coming summer, and she is a nurse. She wants to work for a Rhumatologist. So if you know anyone, let me know please :)

So that's about it for this week. I'll close with a joke I heard from a member:

What do a hurricane, a tornado, and a redneck divorce have in common?

Someone is gonna lose a trailer.

Love ya! Glad to hear y'all are doin well!

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Seaver

"Don't Ever Give Up, My Son."

 Mom!


Sweet Moses. This week I have been getting cabin fever a bit. I feel like we've knocked every door in Anderson! We are working hard, but no one seems to be interested in Jesus Christ right now. It makes me sad every time someone closes the door. I've been down in the dumps this week. I haven't cried once on my mission until this week. I don't really cry so much as I get watery eyes and depressed that these people are missing out on so many blessings! Plus the week of solid rain and 30 degree weather doesn't help..

So on Friday there was a Leadership Training meeting in Irmo. Since I'm just a junior companion right now I didn't go. Normally I would have just went and three-packed with Seneca, but they are training there so they went to the meeting, too. That put me down in Greenwood. That's a biking area, and I can't bike, so we walked all day. Elder Cahoon was my companion. That was the most fun I've had on my mission to date! He is the best! I hope I get to serve with him again! He's from West Jordan, Utah, so I'm sure we'll be able to hang after we get home. He's been out just over a year now. We found a new investigator, put him on date for baptism this month, and taught many lessons. We also went up to a person and Elder Cahoon said "Good day sir!" They responded "I'm a ma'am and we're not interested!" Ouch. Haha!

  

One day Elder Hahn and I found an old abandoned mill (not hard to do; there's about 1000 or so in the state, and 10ish just in Anderson, with 20ish in our area) and explored around in it for a few minutes. It was cool! The last report we found was December 26th, 1998. It reported assets around $17 million, and liabilities right around $17 million. They had $1,000ish left over and still had to pay the workers' salary. So... They shut down.

Well the last thing I want to do today is mention something I find hysterical, not hilarious. It's a funny situation, but I'm not laughing... I was looking at the record from the MTC a couple days ago. The Health Department had, hmm, miscommunicated I guess is the word. Or rather, messed up. I was supposed to get a Hep A shot. They gave me a Hep B. So... I am extra B immune, but that messes up the Hep A 6-month cycle deal. I say screw it, I'm fine, I'll wait till I get home and get a REAL doctor to do it.

Anywho, I love being on a mission, and I love serving the Lord!

One of my favorite quotes in the world is this:

"Don't ever give up, my son." 
That simple sentence gives me a drive to do all I can. It brings strength when I think I have none left. Where did it come from, you wonder? None other than... Starfox! Yes, video games ARE good for kids! :D

I love y'all so much!

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Seaver

P.S. Mom, no I did not forget... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! You're 29! Again! Love you!!!

1.5 Million Steps So Far!

Mom,

Okay, on to the work in this area. There is nothing new to report. Just a lull in the work as we try new ways to find, teach, and baptize. Well, new ways to find and teach- we know there is only one-way to baptize. Haha.

So New Year's Eve was great! We came in at 5 for dinner, then we were on "lockdown" the rest of the evening. I fell asleep at 8ish, so I got a ton of sleep! I needed it, too, so that was good :) As you know by now, yes, the library was closed yesterday, so here we are today!

You'll never guess where I just came from! That's right, the Anderson City Health Department! I got my last Hep B shot today, just like the doctor at the MTC ordered. Yum. Haha. 

To answer your question, we had 1 dinner, 2 families were in attendance, on Christmas.

So my step counter you sent me broke... It quit counting! But I got a new one, so we're ok. I'm over 1.5 million steps so far! I don't know if that's a lot compared to average, but it's a lot more than I thought!

We got some more ties at Goodwill, and the register calls ties "Men's lingerie," so I was wondering- where have these ties been?! Who was wearing them as a loin cloth or whatever to get it registered as lingerie?! Ew.

Go to a store and find a perfume or an oil or soap or something scented as "tea olive". It smells amazing.

That's about it for SCCM this week.

I love the heck outta all y'all! Literally.

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Seaver